Many homes are more than places to lay our weary heads — they're also remote offices, weekend art studios, on-site gyms, home theaters, homework central, full-service laundries and occasional hotels. "We're trying to accommodate a lot more functions into homes that often weren't built to serve them," says Sarah Susanka, a Raleigh, N.C., architect and interior designer who spreads the "Not So Big House" gospel via books like Inside the Not So Big House and Not So Big Solutions for Your Home, as well as the Not So Big House website. Rather than adding on or moving, "you end up with a much more functional, efficient home if you create rooms that do double-duty," she says.
Discover how to design spaces that work double-time — and that look great doing it — with these 12 tips for making rooms multitask.
- Rethink little-used rooms.
- Make the most of "forgotten" spaces.
- Get into the zone.
- Divide and conquer.
- Create "rooms within rooms."
- Strive for stylistic unity.
- Opt for flexible furnishings.
- Think small and scaled-back.
- Incorporate storage.
- Build in functionality.
- Dress up utilitarian fixtures and furnishings.
- Light the way.
