What’s a flex room?
A flex room goes by a number of names — experiential zone, specialty room, and bonus room are some common monikers. Principally, it’s an area that doesn’t have a hard and fast operate, in order that it might change roles in a house.
“Builders don’t necessarily call a room a flex room, but they typically design it to get two or three functions out of the space. That is how we need to think these days,” says Duffus.
A flex area could be any area within the house — a hallway, an alcove, a big pantry, or perhaps a closet. “I’ve built homes with several flex spaces for kids and adults, including a children’s playroom, craft room, an adults’ humidor, and a poker room,” says Kean, who designs high-end, customized houses all through the US.
Does a flex room enhance house worth?
The overall consensus is that including extra capabilities to your residing area provides worth to your private home, whether or not it’s perceived worth or an precise enhance in market worth.
“For years, people wanted smaller houses, and now new homes are becoming bigger because people are spending more time at home. I think flex spaces work to enhance home value,” Kean says.
“I believe a flex room increases the demand for the house. Does it increase the home’s value? I have seen properties valued a little higher with a flex space — but not by much,” Baca notes.
Flex room design options and issues
Any area in a house can turn into a flex room, whether or not it’s a hallway with a desk or a mudroom with a craft desk. With a little bit of creativity, areas can tackle a number of capabilities.
“When people are looking to buy a new home, they need to think about how they can maximize the space. Every room needs to work harder,” Duffus says.
Consultants recommend a number of issues when designing or making a flex area or a flex room.
Ceiling top
The peak of your ceilings determines the design and performance of your flex area. “Ceiling height is essential. Typically, 8-foot ceilings are a little low for some activities. A 9-foot ceiling height gives you enough flexibility in the space. The 10-foot ceiling is becoming the new standard,” Kean explains.
Insulation
Insulation is important for correct acoustics in a flex room, particularly a workspace the place privateness, peace, and quiet are wanted — or in specialty rooms, akin to a music room.
Doorways
Pocket doorways and sliding doorways are perfect for privateness and may help buffer noise from the remainder of the family. Sliding doorways, akin to barn doorways, can shut massive openings with out putting in a doorway.
Pure mild
Home windows that allow in loads of pure mild are important to high-functioning flex areas. They assist amplify the spaciousness of a room and supply mandatory illumination for duties, whether or not exercising or crafting.
Hybrid furnishings
Flex rooms are typically smaller than different rooms within the house, so consultants advise selecting furnishings that doesn’t restrict your area or make it really feel smaller.
Designers at Progressive Furnishings suggest choosing items that multitask with out taking on an excessive amount of area.
“The proper scale of each furniture piece is important because we don’t want pieces that will overwhelm a space,” says Julie Carpenter, Progressive Furnishings merchandise supervisor.
“Think about the function of space you are filling because it has to be capable of many uses,” says Stephanie Austin, Progressive Furnishings Vice President of Merchandising.
Counter-height tables that may double as desks and consuming surfaces are items that carry out effectively in a flex area.
“A side table with a cantilevered top is a great option as a landing spot for your keys and your phone,” says Austin.
Contemplate staple items, akin to a trunk that doubles as a espresso desk, a bench on the foot of a mattress, or an etagere shelf for a number of makes use of.
“You can use an etagere as a nightstand, bathroom storage, office shelves, or a dining room display,” says Carpenter.
Different key items to furnish a flex area embody bookshelves, small dressers, nightstands, and chests. “A desk that doubles as a workspace, vanity, and eating space works great in small spaces,” says Carpenter.
Consultants advise choosing light-colored or reflective items that work to open up smaller areas.
“Clear pieces made of acrylic and lighter colors tend to amplify a room’s illumination and make it appear larger, especially if you are working in a small space,” says Austin.
Artistic concepts for utilizing a flex room
As folks develop new hobbies, habits, and rituals whereas spending extra time at house, the demand for specialty areas is on the rise. Also called expertise zones, these specialty rooms can accommodate play, leisure, studying, and different life-style wants.
Consultants say that craft rooms, train rooms, and meditation areas are among the many most requested flex areas in immediately’s ground plans. Listed here are the highest varieties of flex areas owners favor.
Workplace area
With so many individuals working from house now, the demand for a personal, productive area to work, make video calls, and suppose, made the house workplace vital. A studying room or library with a desk may also operate as a workspace or house workplace.
Residence fitness center
Folks need to work out within the consolation of their houses, which implies they like a spot to train and get energetic. A sunroom, storage, or outside area can work as a house fitness center, even a closet massive sufficient to accommodate train gear. Baca says a lot of his shoppers are changing the storage into a house fitness center.
Meditation and wellness areas
The demand for wellness areas is rising as folks search extra aware moments of their houses. The wellness area goes by a number of names — a meditation room, sanctuary area, spa room, or regenerative room. Kean says a number of of his shoppers are asking for areas for wellness, religious, and aware actions.
Amid the pandemic, many owners wished prayer rooms at their houses, as folks couldn’t go to church for companies and mass gatherings.
“These regenerative spaces can offer a holistic approach to health that is safe, sustainable, and nurturing,” Duffus says.
Craft and passion room
Many individuals decide up new crafts and hobbies whereas spending a lot time at house, requiring a devoted area to create. Craft and passion rooms with counter area and storage are a lot in demand in immediately’s houses.
The maker area is one other model of this flex area that serves as a workshop for entrepreneurs making issues at house on the market as a facet hustle.
An leisure heart or playroom
A spot to entertain and play ranks excessive on the flex room listing. Immediately’s recreation rooms come wired for video gaming and supply sufficient area to assemble and play playing cards, do puzzles, or partake in different analog leisure.
“Game rooms are making a comeback because of a renewed interest in board games and puzzles,” Duffus notes.
Package deal supply room
Many builders are including package deal supply areas to their ground plans for e-tail and grocery deliveries. These drop zones are accessible for the supply individual to deposit packages, dry cleansing, and different shipments, they usually additionally present safety to safeguard delivered packages.
These supply rooms sometimes can reside close to the storage, kitchen, mudroom, or behind a yard gate. Some have options akin to refrigeration, or locations to hold and kind gadgets.
Duffus says some package deal processing areas even have drone touchdown stations for package deal supply.
Storage residing rooms
The storage serves as a second household room in some houses. Consultants see a development of storage conversions, the place owners flip it into a spot to hang around, watch motion pictures, play video video games, and socialize.
Meals prep pantry
Immediately’s kitchens are working tougher than ever as folks search artistic methods to make them a hub for working, enjoying, cooking, and entertaining. In massive pantries, individuals are additionally creating meals prep areas.
“Everybody wants their kitchen to look great. You might consider turning part of a large pantry into a secondary, messy kitchen where the food prep happens,” Duffus explains.
Cocktail room/wine cellar/bar
The rise of the cocktail tradition is redefining the standard at-home bar with specialty options.
“The cocktail culture is very popular right now. We are designing bourbon rooms, bars that accommodate craft beers, in addition to wine bars and cellars,” Duffus notes.
Visitor bed room
An additional bed room is an apparent alternative for a flex area. Folks can outfit the room with a sleeper couch or retractable mattress to accommodate in a single day visitors and have area for a desk, train gear, or one other exercise.
“In two-story homes, people prefer an upstairs flex room. They want the room to have internet wiring, but they are less concerned with having a bathroom attached to the space,” Baca explains.
Outside residing area
Outside residing expands with meditation areas and more room for entertaining, cooking, and stress-free.
Baca’s shoppers are asking for ample outside area with massive patios, outside kitchens, and gazebos to increase their residing space outdoors.
The takeaway: Flex area is right here to remain
With this new demand for personalised area that performs a number of capabilities, the open ground plan is closing up with breakout areas for various capabilities. The flex room is an umbrella time period for all the life-style prospects of the house, given considerate design, furnishings, and decor.
“People fell back in love with their homes during quarantine and rediscovered its shortcomings and potential. They made their spaces work harder and added additional functions to make every square inch work,” Duffus says.
If you’re available in the market for a house with a flex room, you’ll need to discover an professional actual property agent who goes above and past that will help you discover the fitting floorplan to suit your life-style, and to determine areas which may work as flex rooms or areas that you simply might need neglected.
Header Picture Supply: (Liana Mikah / Unsplash)
