How to address flow in a house?

14 days ago

Hi, I am having a hard time getting our house to have function or "flow," as I like to call it. We moved two almost three years ago to the house we are currently in when I was a month postpartum with our second child. I always kept things tidy and organized at our previous house. However, I have never felt at home in this house. I can't figure out where things should go in the house. I have the fourth bedroom upstairs as a playroom/media room, but my kids are still too young to play in there by themselves. As a result, I spend all most of my time in there with them which makes it difficult to cook, clean, ect. Downstairs, I have the "family room" set up as the dining room, the "living room" is the family room, and the "dining room" is set up as a craft/art/school room. Is this the best layout for this space? Here are the floor plans to get a sense of the house. I can add pictures if needed.

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RappArchitecture

14 days ago

My kids are grown, but one of my daughters has a toddler and an almost 1-year old, so I know how her house works. For your house, I would use the downstairs rooms as they are labeled, with the living and dining rooms being primarily "adult" spaces. Use the the family room for the kids, and put a dining table in the nook for "family" (i.e. kids) eating space. The family room will be a mess during the day when the kids are awake, but you can always straighten up after they are in bed. Eventually they won't need to be watched over so much, and you can create a playroom upstairs when they are more independent.

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Comments (8)

mcarroll16
14 days ago
Remembering back to life with young children--my instinct would be to make the dining room the dining room, the family room the family room/play space (with small table for snack time), and the breakfast nook the craft/art space. Young kids want to do everything where you are, and you want to be working with an eye on them as well. So put their main activities right where you can see them when cooking, and where they can all be organized and tidied together. Dining and living rooms stay tidier, you don't have to spend a lot of daily time cleaning them.
emilystramag thanked mcarroll16
mcarroll16
14 days ago
Do you have the media room upstairs because you are minimizing screen time? If so, great, keep it there. But if you like to use a Daniel Tiger episode to give yourself time pay some bills, make phone calls, or just get a reasonable bathroom break, find a way to put a small TV in the family room. And put an attractive desk--maybe roll-top or secretary style--in the dining room or living room. Then you can get household business work done with just a few steps away from the kids. So much easier to get that work done if it's close to the play zone.
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emilystramag
Original Author
14 days ago
Originally, we were trying to minimize screen time for the kids, but I am in school online right now. So, I am extremely guilty of putting on an episode of Bluey or a movie in the afternoon to get some work done. I think having a playroom upstairs will be nice when they are older. For now, maybe try moving some toys to the family room and trying that out? The dining room is really small in person that I am not sure how to use it. The kitchen or the large front room being closed off also doesn't help with all the awkward use of space. I am just frustrated with the layout of the house to the point where I want to move even though that's not possible at the moment.
apple_pie_order
14 days ago
Most houses weren't designed with offices and playrooms, so you can try some other ideas out as they get older.

1- How old are your kids now?

2- How many hours do you spend online in school every day? Or is it the older kid who is online in school?
bpath
13 days ago
How are you using the nook?

I might turn the dining room into a playroom, do my online school in the LR. The kids can be playing while you are having class. If the youngest is 3, they are fine. And when you are cooking, they are also fine, you’re just through the doorway.

That lets the entire back of the house be the whole-family living area.

You can still have playroom in the 4th bedroom, might be a good space for active play with gym mats, climbing stuff, or floor hockey!
emilystramag
Original Author
13 days ago
Currently, the nook off the kitchen is being used for plants. All the windows on the first floor go almost to the floor. Is it okay to put furniture in front of the windows?
mcarroll16
13 days ago
My personal rule for "interior design" at your life stage is that it's ok to do pretty much anything that makes daily life function well. Your family's needs change so frequently at this stage of life. You just move stuff around between rooms, acquire Goodwill and Ikea items as needed, discard as needed, until all kids are in school 6 hours a day, the toys are much smaller and easy to store, and your lifestyle and furniture needs become more stable.
emilystramag thanked mcarroll16