It is a great feeling to have a home perfectly suited for you and your family’s needs. Whether you want to have family movie nights, play video games, host parties, read, or watch the sun set, there are so many ways to customize your home for your ideal living experience. Continue reading for special rooms and features you can add to your home.
Patios, Porches, and Decks
Although patios, porches, and decks are sometimes confused with one another, they all make great focal points for a home as well as serving for some good family fun. Porches are covered areas typically located at the front of the home. Rain porches are great for people that live in areas that get a lot of rain. These porches also have enough space for seating. Other porch options include enclosed porches, wrap around porches, and screened-in porches.
Patios are flat, uncovered spaces at ground level that are typically located in the backyard. They make great spaces for family get togethers, cookouts, birthday parties, backyard weddings, and date nights. You can choose either a symmetrical or natural pattern for your patio. Material options for patios include flagstone, clay brick, patio pavers, concrete, gravel, limestone, and much more.
Decks, like patios, are typically located in the backyard. However, unlike patios, they are raised above the ground. There are several types of decks including attached decks, multi-tier decks, and detached decks. Attached decks are attached to the house, made of wood or composite, and ideal for L-shaped and U-shaped houses. Multi-tier decks have steps connecting decks at different elevations, which are ideal for houses on uneven land. Detached decks are not attached to the house and can go anywhere on your property.
Sunroom
For nature lovers, a sunroom is a great way to feel connected to your surroundings even when you are inside. For those that aren’t nature lovers, it can still be a great feeling to have the sun’s rays shing on you. A sunroom typically has walls of windows or screens and sometimes even a glass roof. The goal of these sunrooms is to let in as much sunlight as possible. Sunrooms increase the size of the home and the value of your home if you decide to sell it in the future. In order for you to have a sunroom you need to make sure it is not against your Homeowner’s Association’s rules for you to have one.
There are a few different types of sunrooms. Three season sunrooms are not suitable for winter because they are not climate controlled, so they get quite cold in the colder months. Three season sunrooms are additions to the home that are separated by a French or sliding glass door with floor to ceiling windows on two or three sides. Four season sunrooms are suitable for all seasons because they are heat controlled with both heating and cooling available. These sunrooms have knee-high windows to make room for HVAC duct and wiring installation. Also, four season sunrooms are not separated from the house by a door and are instead part of the house. Sun porches are enclosed porches that have screen doors. This way you can still get a lot of sunlight into this space. Conservatories are used as greenhouses because its glass ceilings bring in more sunlight and heat, which are good for plants but a bit too hot for people to enjoy.
Entertainment / Game Room
Entertainment or game rooms are especially great for teenagers and adults that love having fun and playing games. This room can have any features you like – pool table, ping pong table, game consoles, table hockey, board games, and much more. For adults, you can even add a wet bar. This room is perfect for when the teenagers have a get together with their friends to play video games or for when you invite your friends over for a fun night in.
Movie Theater / Cinema Room
Home theaters or cinema rooms are great additions to homes where family movie nights are a regular. These home theaters typically house a TV or projector, a surround sound system, and seating. The surround sound system includes subwoofers for the bass frequencies, the center speaker for the dialogue, and the surround speaker for atmospheric noise. You will want to make sure the sound from the home theater doesn’t disturb the rest of the house, so you can locate it somewhere away from the bedrooms, use acoustic panels for soundproofing the room, and use sound damping materials. Also, you will have to choose the style of the room. Are you looking for a theater style with the seats facing the screen or a living room style room? You can choose to have sofas, loveseats, beanbags, or the traditional theater-style seating. It all depends on your budget and your goals for the room.
Library / Office
If you are an avid reader, you may want to give yourself a library to house all of your books. Home libraries are not only a beautiful way to display your books, but also a nice quiet place to immerse yourself into the stories you love. For those that work from home or tend to bring work home at the end of the day, a home office is another option. Many people that have home offices make sure to have a bookshelf and couches available, which is a great way to combine the ideas of a home library and office.
When designing your home library, you will have to decide whether you want bookcases, shelving, or showcase units. If you choose shelving, there are several types to consider including floating shelves, corner shelves, hanging shelves, and adjustable shelves. You will also want to think about the type of seating you want. For example, you may want a bay window seating area so you can have natural sunlight as you read.
If you are interested in adding special rooms or features to your home, contact J.B. Stones to discuss the project. We can also repair and renovate existing patios, porches, decks and more. Get inspiration by following us on Pinterest and looking at our Special Rooms and Features board.
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