When designing a home, many people consider what they need right now, whether it’s a two bedroom starter home for a new couple, a small cabin for empty nesters, or a four bedroom house with a spacious layout and nice backyard for a growing family. Gelotte Hommas tries to leave as small of a carbon footprint as possible when designing a new home for someone or while remodeling their current one. Though you may take care to examine green design for the homes that you build, it’s also important to think about the environmental impact of the number of homes you’ll inhabit. One family decided to design their first home as their “forever home”, creating a space that they plan to enjoy as they raise their children and on into their elderly years.
David and Mayuko Lai, as featured in Dwell, took five years to design their home. In it they feature elements of universal design so that it will accommodate their young family now and them as they age. One of the most interesting aspects of their story was that they had the freedom to give the home little touches that they knew would be great for them, without having to consider how it might effect future residents or the resale value of their home.
What kind of changes would you make to your home, or what features would you include in a new build, to make it more of your forever home? Tell us about them in a comment.