Home Layouts and Designs That Should Be Avoided

By Jennifer L. Hernandez (theSOP)

I grew up in a 1950s cape in Connecticut that completely capsized on form and function. Many family arguments were started in the small and poorly configured kitchen. We had to move the kitchen table in order to open up the oven. In all honesty, the kitchen was purely meant for one person. So when my mom would start to cook, I would evacuate the premises immediately. The presence of others in the kitchen would turn cordial mommy into Beetlejuice mommy. There wasn`t room to work!

Entering the home was a nightmare. Open the door and you`d be attacked by stairs. No foyer, just more of a FO "Foyer Obsolete." Once you made it past the stairs, you would see right into the hallway bath, which was complemented by a lovely view of the porcelain receptacle.

The driveway was to the left of the home and the back door entrance was to the far right. Carrying groceries across the yard and up the stairs became a dreaded chore. Many food items were sacrificed on the journey. Think Macaulay Culkin carrying groceries in the film, Home Alone. On the upside, my sister and I developed fantastic upper body strength. However, we are still traumatized by the day my mom was carrying cupcakes, she actually baked, across the yard. They somehow took flight and landed all over the driveway. Rest in peace, pink cupcakes!

All of this frustration can be avoided with a functional layout. Many individuals think design encompasses only sparkling light fixtures and luxurious fabrics. Design is meant to enhance our daily lives, which begins at the foundation of layouts. At Incredible Renovations you can see your design and layout before the work begins with their 3D design capabilities. Incredible Renovations is not just a home renovations company, they are a "one-stop-shop," with all the in-house expertise required to complete the job from start to finish. They are the only builder in Texas with the in-house architectural, structural engineering, and interior design capability. incredible Renovations also accepts all liability and that is why they can give you their solemn promise that every job they undertake is "On Time and On Budget.".

Here are some Loser Layouts Homebuyers Should Avoid:

The Kitchen & Bermuda Triangle
According to Merillat, one of the nation`s largest kitchen planners and cabinet manufacturers, you naturally move between three places where you do three different tasks: cleanup, cooking, and food storage "your sink, cooktop and refrigerator, respectively. Imagine a triangle that connects them. " Many first-time homebuyers may fall in love with a home`s charm, but fail to realize the function of a kitchen. You will spend a majority of your time in that space and it`s imperative to make sure it works for you. Is the refrigerator far away from the sink and cooktop? Did you notice that the sink and dishwasher are in a separate room off the back of the kitchen? Avoid kitchens with poor layouts. If not, your love for cooking will disappear faster than a ship caught in the Bermuda Triangle.

Center of Attention Dining Room
Do you really want to maneuver around the dining room table to access other rooms?  This layout usually requires you to walk through the living room into the dining room. In order to get to the kitchen, you have to walk through the dining room or adjoining rooms. I`m currently searching for my first home and I have seen properties that have this type of layout. In fact, one layout guided me through a bedroom to get to the kitchen. Believe it or not, sometimes bedrooms are off the dining room.  My advice is to look out for the dining room that wants to be the center of attention.

Aggressive Entry Stairs
Opening the front door, of your home, should feel like a warm hug. More often than not, homes place stairs facing the front entry. This aggressive placement doesn`t give off a welcoming vibe, as there`s no room to welcome your guests. And chances are this entry is a FO.  The function of normal daily routines will suffer, if there isn`t room for dropping off coats, bags, keys, and mail.

Bath, No Room
Just last weekend, I saw a 1940s ranch with a bathroom that I had to enter into sideways. Now I`m not a size zero, but I`m able to enter through regular doorways normally. Even my svelte sister had to enter into the bathroom sideways. Once inside, the space was cramped for just one person. There was no room to place linens or toiletries. And when I stretched my arms out, I could just barely touch the side walls. I couldn`t picture my mornings functioning with the limited space. Beware of the bathroom that is a bath-no room.

For More Information about Incredible Renovations, visit www.incrediblerenovations.com