Aaron O'Hanlon asked:
Lifestyles have changed significantly during the last 100 years. At the turn of the last century, most homes were built with drawing rooms and parlors. These functioned as places to receive visitors, places to entertain close friends and family, places of instruction, and places for families to gather.?
Homes built between the 1940s and the 1960s were designed with huge living rooms. These were formal to semi-formal rooms that were intended to be the center of all family activity from quiet family gatherings to spaces for formal entertainment.?Families that needed smaller areas for cozy family time built dens, and those who needed places to play built recreation rooms.?The withdrawing room (drawing room) where people got away in cozy spaces and the parlor (where guests were greeted and entertained) disappeared from most new homes.?
In more recent years, homeowners wanted larger and more casual multi-functional living space and smaller formal living rooms.?In some home designs the living room disappeared, and a great room became the standard multi-functional family living space.?
The first step, therefore, in planning and designing a new living room is deciding how the room will be used. This will enable you to make decisions about where to place the addition and about the size of the new room.?Where you add the room will also be determined by several other factors:
The architectural style of your home Keeping the addition in proportion to the rest of the house The contours of your lot Local zoning and land use regulations Building code specifications Effect on the view from other rooms How it will affect the view of the front (or back/side) of your home How the new roof will connect with the existing roof Where you are willing to give up some of your yard
The next thing to consider is who will do the work and when it will be done.?A living room addition is not a weekend project for a do-it-yourselfer. You will need to schedule tasks in the correct order and arrange for contractors, sub-contractors and workers to be available on a schedule that will save you money and not disrupt your family’s life.?
Local building codes will help you with specific requirements for exterior materials, height and other design elements, and with requirements about which work must be done by licensed professionals (electrical, plumbing).?You will need to create, or hire a professional to create, a clear and detailed plan for your addition that includes air flow for heating and cooling, framing and structural support, excavation for footings and foundation, proper insulation, windows and doors, and even where you will put electrical outlets and connections for home technology and entertainment services.?
With careful planning and professional guidance you can create a new living room that will provide space for your family’s lifestyle and increase the value of your home (if done correctly). Your new room will provide years of living comfort.
Lifestyles have changed significantly during the last 100 years. At the turn of the last century, most homes were built with drawing rooms and parlors. These functioned as places to receive visitors, places to entertain close friends and family, places of instruction, and places for families to gather.?
Homes built between the 1940s and the 1960s were designed with huge living rooms. These were formal to semi-formal rooms that were intended to be the center of all family activity from quiet family gatherings to spaces for formal entertainment.?Families that needed smaller areas for cozy family time built dens, and those who needed places to play built recreation rooms.?The withdrawing room (drawing room) where people got away in cozy spaces and the parlor (where guests were greeted and entertained) disappeared from most new homes.?
In more recent years, homeowners wanted larger and more casual multi-functional living space and smaller formal living rooms.?In some home designs the living room disappeared, and a great room became the standard multi-functional family living space.?
The first step, therefore, in planning and designing a new living room is deciding how the room will be used. This will enable you to make decisions about where to place the addition and about the size of the new room.?Where you add the room will also be determined by several other factors:
The architectural style of your home Keeping the addition in proportion to the rest of the house The contours of your lot Local zoning and land use regulations Building code specifications Effect on the view from other rooms How it will affect the view of the front (or back/side) of your home How the new roof will connect with the existing roof Where you are willing to give up some of your yard
The next thing to consider is who will do the work and when it will be done.?A living room addition is not a weekend project for a do-it-yourselfer. You will need to schedule tasks in the correct order and arrange for contractors, sub-contractors and workers to be available on a schedule that will save you money and not disrupt your family’s life.?
Local building codes will help you with specific requirements for exterior materials, height and other design elements, and with requirements about which work must be done by licensed professionals (electrical, plumbing).?You will need to create, or hire a professional to create, a clear and detailed plan for your addition that includes air flow for heating and cooling, framing and structural support, excavation for footings and foundation, proper insulation, windows and doors, and even where you will put electrical outlets and connections for home technology and entertainment services.?
With careful planning and professional guidance you can create a new living room that will provide space for your family’s lifestyle and increase the value of your home (if done correctly). Your new room will provide years of living comfort.
