Planning Living Areas
What is a Living Area? Living Room Dining Room Family Room Entryways
Living Room Center of activity in most households Living Room Uses include: ◦ TV room, conversation area, entertain guests, play indoor games, listen to music, hobbies Lifestyle of the household will determine the location, size, arrangement and function of the room
Living Room: Location Typically located in the front or back of newly built homes Living rooms shouldn’t serve as a main circulation route into and through the home ◦ Main entry should open into a foyer or hallways to avoid traffic directly coming into the living room ◦ Change in floor level can also place the living room apart from other rooms of the home and eliminate traffic Living room should be located near or adjacent to the dining room. Consider noise from other rooms when placing the living room (kitchen and bedrooms)
Living Room: Size & Arrangement feet wide by feet in length Designed in many different sizes and shapes The size of the room is determined by the number of people using the room, furniture needed, and size of the other rooms Every living room needs to have a conversation area which occupies a circular shape of 8-10 feet in diameter (primary conversation area) As a result of the conversation area, a living room needs to be feet wide. Rooms greater than 14 feet can be tough to decorate. Traffic flow should avoid conversation areas- consider placement of entrances
Dining Rooms Main purpose is to set aside a place for eating, however the decision to have a separate dining room depends on the lifestyle of the household Closed Plan – Rooms are like cubicles, limit sharing between rooms Open plan – Minimal walls used to allow sharing between rooms
Dining Rooms: Location Best location is between the kitchen and living room ◦ Should be near kitchen so food can be served easily ◦ Should also be near living room so guests can move easily after the meal
Dining Room: Size & Arrangement Determined by number of people using the space, furniture needed and space for circulation 2 feet of table length should be allow per person (3 ½ ft. x 5 ½ ft. table seats 4-6 people) Minimum of 32 inches space between table edge and the wall, buffet, hutch inches allows for walking space around seated guests Size of roomNumber of People 80 sq. ft4 people 120 sq. ft.4 people and buffet table 180 sq. ft.4-8 people, hutch, and buffet table 200 sq. feetSeveral pieces of furniture
Family Rooms Helps to separate various activities in the home AKA: multipurpose room, rec room, playroom, media room
Family Rooms: Location No set rules for where to place a family room however the following are considerations ◦ Typically centrally located ◦ Opens to the kitchen allows for those working in the kitchen to participate in activities in the family room ◦ Can be separate from the rest of the home Basement or attic ◦ Near a living room will provide overflow space
Family Room: Size & Arrangement Size depends on the activities planned and number of people who will use the room Minimum space of 12 ft x 16 ft is recommended You should also think about storage space in the family room Furniture should be comfortable and durable for this room – Sturdy table with chairs would work well for games, dining and hobbies
Entryways Allow people to move from one area to another Types ◦ Main or guest entries Opens to living area, typically called a foyer Guests will see this first, create a first impression ◦ Special-purpose entries Allows access to patios, decks, and courts Typically has French doors or sliding doors ◦ Service entries Leads to a work area (kitchen or garage for example)
Size Recommendations Minimum space necessary for one person to fully open a door is 3 ft x 5 ft however 5 ft x 7 ft is more convenient & comfortable A foyer shouldn’t be smaller than 6 feet square, excluding closet space Minimum closet size is 2 ft x 3 ft however 2 ½ ft deep and 4 ft wide is more pleasing. ◦ The closet should be located 4 ft x 5 ft from the doorknob side of the door, not directly behind the door