Multigenerational homes were on the rise before the pandemic, now they are one of the biggest trends in residential home design. In fact, a record 64 million Americans now live multigenerational homes, accounting for about 20% of the population, according to Pew Research.
Multigenerational house plans, including custom builds, offer the benefits of multiple generations living under one roof without compromising on privacy. Family members shoulder responsibilities together, such as grandparents who help raise their grandchildren, while maintaining independence in their own defined living areas.
The best multigenerational house plans are intentionally designed to accommodate family members of different ages. First, planning a multigenerational house from the ground up makes it easier to factor in everyone’s privacy and independence into the design. Second, some modifications are much more difficult (and expensive) to make to an existing home, such as widening a hallway or adding a zero-entry shower. While it’s impossible to predict the future, considering specific scenarios and how living situations can change over a short period will maximize your home’s value and accessibility. Multigenerational living can provide older family members with a vital (and more gradual) solution to aging in place.
These nine tips will help you think through what customizations will create the ideal multigenerational house plan for your family.
1. Think bedrooms first, flex and bonus rooms second
Flex rooms and bonus rooms have become so fundamental that many home plans now include them in the base design. But if you know from the start that you need a multigenerational house plan, these rooms are among the first spots you should consider making customizations. Specifically, you should consider enlarging and formally turning them into bedrooms.
Why? Because for a room to qualify as a bedroom, it must meet certain legal requirements. This includes standards like a minimum window size so the room can be safely exited in the event of an emergency. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind: It’s easier to turn a bedroom into a spare room than a spare room into a bedroom.
2. Apply open-concept thinking everywhere
When most people think of open floor plans, they usually focus on the first floor, specifically the flow between the kitchen, dining area, and great room. However, open-concept thinking can apply more broadly than that and should be when designing multigenerational house plans.
For instance, wider hallways are both more attractive and more practical. They create a sense of openness and grandeur. At the same time, they offer the flexibility to add railings or accommodate wheelchairs. The same applies to widening staircases to fit a lift chair.
Another place to consider opening up: doorways. In addition to making your home more accessible for older family members, they give you a chance to add French or pocket doors.
3. Put ensuite bathrooms on the first floor
When designing multigenerational house plans, it’s common to put bedrooms for older relatives on the first floor so they don’t have to go up and down stairs too often. To make things even easier for elder family members, add an ensuite bathroom to their bedrooms.
An ensuite bathroom either forms part of the bedroom, or directly connects to it. It not only offers privacy, but also safety. Older family members don’t have to take long walks down the hall in the middle of the night.
And speaking of those upstairs bedrooms, consider connecting them with Jack and Jill bathrooms. This style of bathroom helps save space and adds flexibility to your layout. For a look at a Jack and Jill bathroom, check out the Woodbury house plan.
4. Plan extra entrances
One of the easiest ways to honor everyone’s privacy is to build more entrances. With multiple generations living under the same roof, it’s likely your home will run on multiple schedules too.
For instance, add a side door on the opposite side of the house as your owner’s retreat. That’ll lessen traffic through the front door, especially if you add an inviting, well-lit path along the side of the house leading to it.
5. Get creative with dual-purpose rooms
Not every spare room will be practical to transform into a bedroom. However, there’s still plenty you can do to maximize these spaces.
A loft can become a playroom, art studio, or yoga space where family members can go to relax. It can also be repurposed into a HomeWork studio or additional office.
6. Turn the basem*nt into an apartment or in-law suite
If you add a basem*nt to your multigenerational house plan, you have a space ready to convert into an apartment-style dwelling. Utility hookups like water and gas typically come in through the basem*nt, so you have the opportunity to build a full bathroom and small kitchenette, or even a full second kitchen.
Combine those areas with a bedroom and walk-in closet, and it’s easy to see why the basem*nt is a prime spot for an in-law suite. Depending on the layout of your land, you might also be able to design a walkout basem*nt that’s easier for older family members to access.
7. Build a second owner’s retreat
Alternatively, bring the in-law suite to the first floor by building a second owner’s retreat. In this layout, each owner’s retreat typically sits on opposite sides of the house, and has its own sitting area so couples have a quiet spot to themselves.
For an even greater sense of privacy, set each retreat just off the main part of the house, then connect to it via covered porch or breezeway. This also creates greater definition for the great room, kitchen, and dining areas as communal spaces where family members can enjoy each other’s company.
For a look at a house plan that puts one owner’s retreat on the first floor and the other on the second, check out the High Point house plan.
8. Add an accessory dwelling, such as a Casita
A Casita, Spanish for a small house or cottage, is a private secondary dwelling that’s usually unattached from the main house, but connects to it by a path or covered porch. Though small, the layout is highly functional. It often balances a great room and bedroom, then fits a kitchen, bathroom, and even laundry room around the edges. A Casita is efficient, and it gives family members living there a sense of independence.
9. Help get the family outside
The best multigenerational house plans define distinct communal areas and create a smooth flow between them. If you build an accessory dwelling or a walkout basem*nt, look at adding a courtyard, deck, or large patio. These create convergence points where family members enjoy the outdoors together.
Want to build a multigenerational home where your family can live together? Check out our house plans at Schumacher Homes. Each one is customizable to your needs, from reconfiguring rooms to adding accessible design. You can see changes in real time, too, by visiting a design studio in any of the markets where we build.
About Schumacher Homes
Schumacher Homes, based in Canton, Ohio, is America’s largest custom homebuilder, with operations in 30 markets in 12 states across the country. The National Housing Quality award winning company has built over 20,000 homes, customized to fit each family’s lifestyle, since its founding by Paul Schumacher in 1992. Schumacher Homes takes each customer’s inspiration and gives it a home. Each Schumacher Homes location includes a one-stop shopping design studio and showcase homes displaying the latest in architectural and product trends. Stop in today, be inspired and receive your no obligation price quote.
