When it comes to a Mother-In-Law suite, designing it can become quite the hassle! It is important to make the most of the space, regardless of the reason is for adding one into your home. A mother-in-law suite will become a completely functional and independent space for your loved in-law(s) to thrive successfully in. Save the road trip and bring them home with some of these design tips!
6 Design Tips For Your Mother-In-Law Suite
Before any construction begins, talk with your design-build team about your daily routine and in-laws needs. Is privacy the biggest importance for your in-law? Do they have decades upon decades of family memorabilia they need storage for? A quality remodeling contractor will likely be able to recommend tons of unique features to include, and also keep your homes value in mind. If you get stuck, here are 6 of our top mother-in-law suite design tips to consider!
1. Consider The Accessibility Of The Mother-In-Law Suite
When designing and planning your mother-in-law suite, it is important to consider your in-laws’ current and future restrictions. It is important to design the space with accessibility in mind. Take time to consider easy-open cabinet doors, railings in the bathroom spaces, installing other specific safety features, or even dedicating design flow to any emergency. Designing with these in mind will save you time and money down the road, and ensure your in-laws are properly taken care of in their sweet suite space.
2. Make The Mother-In-Law Suite As Spacious As Possible
Mother-in-law suite additions are usually around the same size as a small studio apartment, think along the lines of your first apartment. With that in mind, making the suite itself feel as spacious as possible is important. Open floor plans are the best for this! Keep your functional spaces to the main walls and introduce a nice flow from living space, dining space, and kitchen. Plus, you will want to make sure the living space is large enough to accommodate the whole family for game or movie nights all together!
3. Privacy, Privacy, Privacy
Privacy is a huge thing to take into consideration when designing your mother-in-law suite. While your in-law(s) are moving into your home, they still need a dedicated space for themselves, and you need that separation too!
Keep this in mind when designing the addition. Make sure the suite’s bed and bathroom is placed away from any shared walls. If it is a separate suite from the house entirely, make sure no windows peer into their private spaces and vice versa! This train of thought should also be kept for any appliances, make sure to gauge their level of independence with these things.
4. Find The Right Place For The Mother-In-Law Suite
Finding the perfect space for this home addition is crucial to the process. Talk with your design-build team about different placement options and the best choices for your long-term investment. Do you want the mother-in-law suite to be closer to your kids room for extra help from the grandparents? Do you want the space closer to you and your partners bedroom? Finding the correct space for the suite is important and should be talked over with your in-laws present. The perfect space for your mother-in-law suite should accommodate the needs and wants of the entire household.
5. Make All The Space Functional
While it is important to stress the spaciousness and privacy aspects of the mother-in-law suite, it is equally important to make the entire space functional. Not only could this space serve as a full-time residency for your in-laws, this could also serve as additional space for you and your household.
Think extra storage, you are adding one or two more members under your roof. Cabinet space, closet space, and even fridge space goes a long way for everyone living on the lot. Designing for functionality will help avoid any other expensive changes down the road!
6. Bring In Your In-Laws To Help Design The Space
Make the design building process as collaborative as possible. You can only guess what your parents or in-laws true needs and wants really are. Bringing your in-laws to help design the space is the perfect way to welcome them into your household and secure their peace and happiness with the entire process. Plus, they may have an eye for the whole thing that could be incredibly valuable. Make sure you talk to your design-build team with the whole family to bring together everyone’s ideas!
Mother-In-Law Suite Additions at LBK Design Build
At LBK Design Build, we have added hundreds of home additions! Anything home additions you can dream of, we can build, so you can love it! Our design-build team will always keep your family in mind and work with you one-on-one to make the best space that your in-laws will love to live in.
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