By Jana
Ward
It’s started. You’ve lived in your home—the home you once
thought so spacious you’d never be able to fill it—for several years
now and are starting to feel claustrophobic owing to the copious
amounts of “stuff” you’ve accumulated over the years. Maybe your
kids leave their toys out, your teenager never hangs up his or her
clothes, or there is nowhere to put your craft or garden
supplies.
In order to alleviate the clutter and make more room,
consider spaces you previously overlooked for a play area or sewing
room, such as under the stairs or up in the attic. Many homes
have hidden, unused space that is perfect for a loft or a child’s
hideaway. But, you’ve got to think creatively.
If you want to create a whimsical play nook for kids, check
out the space under the stairs. This unique playroom doesn’t
have to be as dark and dreaded as Harry Potter’s “Cupboard Under the
Stairs.” Light colored walls and a Dutch door (a door divided
horizontally so that the lower or upper part can be opened and shut
separately) can make a huge difference, writes Wendy A. Jordan in
Kidspace Idea Book. The Dutch door invites hours of
imagination time, from playing ice cream shop to holding a puppet
show. Kids also delight in spaces that are too small for
adults, and under the stairs quickly becomes a “Kids Only”
zone.
If you don’t have usable space under the stairs, consider
reinventing a closet. In her book, Jordan describes one fed-up
father who built his teen’s bed into the closet, since he never hung
up his clothes anyway. A simple platform design of birch
plywood and 2 x 4s in an oversized closet enable a teen to sleep as
if on a train berth, complete with display shelves and reading
lights—all contained in the closet and off the floor. By
raising the bed off the floor a few feet, you create storage space
for wire baskets or a drum set, for example.
If closet space is short and the furnace is
located under the stairs, think vertical. You easily can place
lofts, a growing trend in housing today, above closets or doors,
writes Jordan. The New American Home® 2004 (www.tnah.com), a
display of new building techniques and innovate design, will
showcase a distinctive loft design at the International Builders’
Show (IBS), hosted by the National Association of Home Builders
(NAHB), January, 19-22 in Las Vegas. It features new architectural
and design ideas that builders can take away and incorporate into
the homes they build around the country, and promises to be one of
the highlights of the IBS 2004.
Jordan praises lofts as allowing for quick
construction techniques and interior design options that appeal to
the vast majority of buyers, because of their versatility and
flexibility in permitting transformation from a play area to study
nook to TV room as a child grows and your needs change.
Lofts can be built almost anywhere—above
closets or simply by putting a bed on stilts. The cheapest and
easiest way to create a loft-like area is to pick the bed up off the
floor. Jordan suggests placing a bed on top of bureaus or shelves
and bolt them together for safety. This creates a play or study area
underneath the bed that can be concealed with a curtain for
privacy.
And, don’t forget that dusty attic. Look past
the boxes at the room’s proportions and ceiling height. Most
attic ceilings are too low for practical adult purposes, but make a
great children’s playroom or reading nook writes Jordan. And,
attics typically have a knee wall—a short wall built to create
useable space.
Before you get started with building a hideaway
for your child or yourself, be sure there is proper ventilation,
lighting, heating and cooling systems and electricity. To
bring natural light into dark space, such as a closet, determine if
you can install a large window or skylight. If this is impossible,
writes Jordan, paint the walls with a high-gloss pastel to reflect
artificial light.
It’s also a good idea to consult a remodeler
who is a member of the Remodelors™ Council of the NAHB.
Bringing in a professional will not only ensure your new space will
have the proper ventilation and cooling system, which are essential
in the attic, but may also spark new ideas for renovating your
space.
So, next time you feel the need for more
elbowroom to spread out, stash your kids treasures or take up a new
hobby, look around for unique unused spaces. If you creatively
maximize every inch of space in your current home, you’ll give both
yourself and your kids a special place to explore, play and
relax.
Kidspace Idea Book by Wendy A.
Jordan is available from BuilderBooks.com, the publishing arm of the
NAHB.
