This post is by regular contributor Kate Fairlie of Picklebums.
When we moved to our little rural property we already had 18 month old twins and were planning on having more children, so we knew that we’d have to do a major renovation one day. Right then and there we started planning and dreaming and talking about how we’d turn our little two bedroom house into the perfect space for our family.
Now, finally, all our dreaming and planning is turning into reality as we begin the long process of construction.
During the planning process, and now during the building, responses to our vision have not always been positive. Some people think we are downright nuts, but we are pretty sure we’re getting it right…for us. These are our dreams for our family home…
Our family home will have spaces that are adult oriented but also welcoming to children when needed.
I’m dreaming of a chaise lounge or single sofa bed next to our bed so that a sick or scared child can sleep close by without hassles.
Our family home will have spaces that allow us to work and play side by side and that encourage us to spend time together.
We’ve planned a big kitchen bench over looking an even bigger dining table so that there is room for dinner to be made while homework is done or artwork created.
We’ve planned a study that adjoins the living space so that both adults and children have a space to work and study but are not shut away from the rest of the family while doing so.
We’ve planned bedrooms for our children to share, but they will also have their own private spaces within them.
I’m dreaming of a study desk with space for the preschooler to create art on paper next to me as I am creating art on the screen.
Our family home will have spaces that are set up for success, that encourage more do’s and less don’ts.
I’m dreaming of lots of storage so breakables and non-kid items can be put out of sight as well as out of reach.
I’m dreaming of living room storage that can hide the television away when we don’t want to use it.
We’ve planned living areas that adjoin each other and overlook the outdoor space so that supervision is easy and adults can be there to support kids when needed.
We’ve planned a large covered veranda so that there is always a space to be outside, no matter what the weather.
Our family home will have spaces that make daily tasks easier for everyone.
I’m dreaming of storage that makes it easy for everyone to put things away.
We’ve planned for a laundry chute directly from the bathroom to the laundry to make doing the right thing easy.
Our new spaces won’t be perfect, there will be changes to make and new ideas to implement, and they will grow and evolve as we grow and evolve, but our dream is a home where we can all share the space as we live and work together, now and as we all grow up.
Sometimes living in a house without a proper kitchen or laundry with four small children, while my husband and various friends and family do the majority of the building work seems just a little insane. Okay, it is totally insane! But once it’s done and we have a fabulous space for our family, it will be worth every crazy dream, plan and moment.
If you could plan your perfect family home what would you include?
Kate Fairlie is an early childhood educator and Mum of four who lives on a small property, 'The Pickle Farm,' in 'almost rural' Victoria. Kate blogs about all kinds of crazy things - twins, gentle parenting, gardening, trying to be a little self sufficient, activities for kids, a recipe here and anything else that pops up in her crazy life!
Read the comments or scroll down to add your own: