Contributed by Kathy Flaxman. If your home could speak, what would it say? How about: “I want to stay flexible to explore my potential!”
According to Cabbagetown-based architect Monica Kuhn, who has partnered with Weenen General Contracting Limited on numerous projects, design layouts that allow for families to grow and change with minimal physical changes to the house are popular. “This means rooms that could have multiple uses over time and designs that allow for aging in place and accessibility for seniors,” she explains.
A home office may turn into a nursery as a family grows and change back as the nest empties. Aging in place options can enable living on one level, dispensing with the need to use stairs. “The possibilities can be built into the design and may be useful in the future,” Monica explains
A terrific way to allow a home to adapt is optimizing basements including underpinning and going for full decorative finishes. “Basements are a great source of added room and we frequently encourage our clients to explore this renovation option,” Joe Rozman of Weenen General notes.
Cabbagetowners, Monica says, often opt to stay in their glorious neighbourhood, rather than moving. “Flexible designs allow families to easily adapt as their needs change,” she points out. “We take pride in working with our clients to make their homes the best they can be,” Joe stresses. “It’s very important to consider the future, as the homes will last for countless decades. Some are over 100 years old now, which proves the staying power.”
