Vienna, VA– Once upon a time, homes were designed to function as little more than a shelter; a stopping point on the road of life. And while the home has become more of a hub for the family, the needs of the non-traditional family have also changed. Today’s innovations in home design include rooms that not only complement the layout of the home, but also accommodate the changing dynamics of family life.
When Brookfield Homes pioneered a change in design possibilities, they emphasized the importance of the location of bonus spaces that offer homeowners more flexibility with their home. Brookfield also placed importance on the countless possibilities these bonus rooms hold; any family structure will find a plan ideal for their lifestyle.
"What makes the use of these bonus rooms so special is that they are designed into the home in a location that works best in today’s active lifestyles," Janet Howell, vice president of Sales and Marketing for Brookfield Homes, said.
In creating floorplans for their communities, Brookfield has placed extra space throughout the homes with more deliberate, effective implications than the traditional "spare bedroom converted into a computer room." They have reconfigured basements, taken advantage of lofted ceilings and shifted these spaces to ideal locations in the home that are removed from the more public areas.
In many cases, their bonus rooms may include a separate entrance that make it ideal for a "boomerang suite" to accommodate children coming home again to live with their parents or apartments for a live-in nanny.
"The bonus space in our homes are designed for any family’s individual needs," Howell said. "These specialty rooms, shown in our models, demonstrate how the space could be used but each family has different needs and our designs are positioned in the house to lend itself to any number of special uses."
With such effective placement, this space can help adults, kids or even guests. It can be used to support a home business or to keep the everyday affairs of family life as structured as possible. Bonus spaces can also be utilized as hobby rooms, technology centers, relaxation areas, playrooms or adult retreats.
Technology has created a need for more effective electrical wiring that will allow for the needs of students and e-savvy homeowners alike. Brookfield’s brain rooms, computer rooms and family offices often bolster the technological requirements necessary to compete in today’s classrooms and offices.
A tour through the Dunbarton community’s Fairburn model reveals a finished basement ideal for entertaining guests with a bar that runs along the wall parallel to a small stage that invites even the most amateur musician to bask in the glory of playing onstage… even if it is in your own basement. Lights shine down from the ceiling adding to the effect, as do the tables situated about the dance floor. With enough space on stage for a piano, the room’s atmosphere lends itself to additional design possibilities.
A few, simple design changes can modify the basic exercise room into a generous massage suite with plenty of room for both exercise equipment like weight benches and treadmills. Inside the Fairburn model at Dunbarton, Brookfield accented the exercise room with a massage table demonstrating this design’s practicality while making effective use of basement space that is not in view of public areas.
From the music room available in Dunbarton to the opulent piano/sunroom offered at the Cedar Chase community, Brookfield Homes’ designs flow melodically and allow for designs and concepts in tune with many lifestyles and tastes but maintains the homeowner’s privacy by keeping these areas separated from the rest of the home.
The piano room in the Bentley model at Cedar Chase reflects an upscale lifestyle awash in sunlight as voluminous windows allow for natural lighting. Sunlight blasting through numerous windows creates a classic atmosphere depicted in some of the silver screen most memorable moments. Coffered ceilings and exquisite floor tiling punctuate this option.
A nanny suite can be included to accommodate the guardian of a new family’s prized possession. This space is designed to increase a nanny’s privacy, while keeping the area open and relevant to the home’s design with elongated receiving halls to minimize noise coming into and going out of the suite while an open floor plan allows for the nanny’s own needs to be addressed.
Brookfield Homes’ continued commitment to demonstrating that design is the difference makes any of these rooms possible in their communities located throughout Virginia. For more information on Brookfield Homes, call (703) 356-9090.