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Remodelers Council members discuss trend of specially designed and dedicated spaces

By: Remodelers Council of the Greater Houston Builders Association
| Published 09/08/2014

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HOUSTON, Texas - Homes today are no longer confined to the traditional bedrooms, dining areas, living rooms and kitchens. In many, a space may be reserved for any purpose – resulting in special-function, multipurpose rooms that are dedicated to certain activities.

According to members of the Remodelers Council of the Greater Houston Builders Association, homeowners are requesting special-function rooms more and more often.

Larissa Michael, marketing director for Gryphon Builders, said that in addition to outdoor living spaces being commonly requested, a mud room, or “drop room” are hot items.

“It’s a place for the kids to come in and drop their backpacks and take off their shoes and jackets,” Michael said, adding that flex rooms or multipurpose areas are other frequent home modifications.

“It really can be used for everything – kids’ playroom, movie room and home office,” she said. “Instead of multiple rooms that are used sparingly, you get a big room that is used all the time.”

Michael said home offices and wine rooms are other popular requests for remodelers, and occasionally a homeowner will add a craft room to accommodate a hobby.

“In remodels, we take a space that isn’t being used for anything and turn it into a wine room,” she said. “Kitchens are big these days, and people do most of their entertaining there. If they find they are no longer using a formal dining room, they may turn it into a wine room.”

Ryan Boyles with GB General Contractors Inc. said that in one recent project, he retrofitted a bedroom into a physical therapy room for a girl with special needs.

Working on special-function rooms – and remodeling in general – requires a lot of dialogue with clients, he said.

“We try to communicate as much as we can and develop projects around their needs. You have to figure out what is motivating the change, and then custom-tailor the project to your customer,” said Boyles, who often works with a designer to hone in on his client’s vision.

“We even took a part of an attic space and turned it into a media room,” Boyles said.

Larger laundry rooms have become popular as well, he said. “Some have floor to ceiling cabinets, countertops, sinks and stacked washer and dryers.”

Michael suggests that homeowners considering adding a special-function room start by answering a few questions such as: “How do I live my life? How do I organize my life? What stage of my life am I in?”

She recommends that homeowners planning a remodel set-up a folder on HOUZZ.com, an online collaborative platform for home remodeling and design, and add ideas as they see them.

“You might see something and think, this will make my life easier,” she said. “HOUZZ is one place you can go for ideas. It helps you organize your thoughts and figure out your style.”

Michael said that the GHBA’s Remodelers Council is a great place to locate contractors for home updates.

“My favorite thing about the council is that every one of those guys is so willing to mentor – and I think that’s an expression of their commitment to the industry,” she said. “These guys do it right, they have integrity and they conduct their businesses in an upright way.”

Boyles, who has been a member of the group for three years, said “You can always learn new techniques and ideas from the Remodelers Council. The networking is also great. It’s nice to surround yourself with good people who do quality work.”

The Remodelers Council is a resource for both homeowners and industry professionals. Members include contractors, designers, building suppliers, and other industry professionals. For information about the Remodelers Council of the Greater Houston Builders Association, call 281-970-8970 or visit ghba.org/consumers.

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