The high-traffic areas in your home are where the heart is. Those spaces house the people you love doing the things they enjoy. However, inefficient rooms can become more of a curse than a blessing. So, maybe it’s time for a home expansion to avoid another traffic jam. Let’s find out.
What Is a High-Traffic Area?
A gridlock in your garage is one thing. You store oversized items out there, and some of them you seldom use. It’s common for attached spaces to become cluttered with personal items, but what about your living room and kitchen? When was the last time you felt like the spaces in your home were as practical as they are pretty?
High-traffic areas are places where your family gathers the most. The flooring usually takes a beating because of the foot activity alone. Meanwhile, each person wants to store their possessions nearby for later use. And over time, the most popular spot in the house can put your loved ones at a greater risk of having accidents or getting injured. Plus, homeowners frequently lose things because they don’t have enough storage space for it all.
Inefficient floor plans are also breeding grounds for dirt and bacteria. They hide pockets of dust and shield debris even when you clean. That’s why the busiest areas of your home require straightforward and streamlined layouts. Simplicity is the best way to provide a comfortable atmosphere.
Unfortunately, designing for a high-traffic area isn’t all about the flooring and wall paint. While the power of color and durability always matter, an open-concept floor plan could also help. But how do you construct a high-traffic haven without sacrificing your family’s sanity? Begin by learning which design elements are the most counterproductive.
Home Design Elements That Can Cramp Your Style
Kudos for trying to handle this situation on your own until now. Your home is beautiful, but you’re probably not making the most of it. That’s because some of the design elements in your house are no longer serving their purpose. Or your family has grown to proportions that don’t suit the space. Either way, the property is really cramping your style.
Do you know how to fix the issue without selling the house? Moving isn’t always an option, nor is it easy. The most efficient approach is a custom home remodel to remove or renovate specific features. You can work with a design team to determine the details and structure a budget. Then sit back and enjoy the transformation as experts erase these impractical aspects:
#1. Lousy Lighting
Crummy lights in your home can cause more problems than you realize. Imagine trying to get things done in a dimly lit space. You’re likely to move where you can see better, which just condenses everything into a smaller section of an already cramped zone. Better lighting means better flow, resulting in happier people and healthier interactions.
DID YOU KNOW: You can sync your lights with intuitive technologies to turn on/off at your command.
#2. Sloppy Scale
The size of your furniture, appliances, and fixtures is also critical in high-traffic areas. The reason is that large home decorations can clog your path and cause countless mishaps. You might have to circle back, move around, or step over specific items to reach what you need. Plus, oversized décor can draw attention from more important aspects of the space.
DID YOU KNOW: Many retailers sell household items as a set to avoid mismatched scales and finishes.
#3. Funky Flooring
Raise your hand if you’ve ever been in a house with stained or damaged floors. Did the homeowner try to disguise the issues with strategically placed decorations? Most homeowners do, but it seldom helps. Funky floors are not only dangerous, but they’re also disgusting. And you shouldn’t have to arrange the rest of your house to hide them.
DID YOU KNOW: Some flooring materials let you replace small sections instead of entire rooms.
#4. Poor Doors
Oddly placed doors and entryways can complicate a floor plan and make decorating a headache. You have to buy specific furnishings to fit between gaps, then try to coordinate style and scale as you go. Poor room layouts can also decrease the amount of natural light in your space. But you can’t add the lighting you want because of the fudged floor plan.
DID YOU KNOW: Contractors can relocate doorways that aren’t connected to load-bearing walls.
#5. Wacky Windows
Window location is crucial, especially in high-traffic areas. For example, picture a bathroom with a large opening that faces the neighbor’s house. Now imagine the same window in your dining room overlooking the scenery. It’s not always the size nor the curb appeal that matters most. Sometimes, you just need a little more privacy or a lot more natural light.
DID YOU KNOW: You can install windows that help block the views of onlookers.
Design for heavy house traffic by first removing these five fudge-worthy features. Then consult an interior decorator and design/build team for the restoration.
How to Design for High Traffic Areas in Your Home
It’s home. Make the most of it. Design for the high-traffic areas and let the extra activities flow into other spaces. Or make your favorite spots more efficient with intelligent yet attractive transformations. You don’t have to sell, move, or regret for another day. Just follow these four simple steps instead:
Step 1: Determine the Roadblocks
Go through the list of potential issues above. Do any of them sound familiar? If so, you’re probably not enjoying your home’s full potential. Make a list of the things that bother you about each space. Then jot down the issues that prevent you from fixing them yourself. Remember, an expert interior designer can also help you see problems you didn’t know existed.
Step 2: Create an Allowance
Calculate your home remodeling budget to stay on track while enjoying a room refresh. Cornerstone Remodeling pros can create a material allowance mockup to help integrate your wishlist into the new design. Meanwhile, they’ll offer cost-effective alternatives and feasible suggestions to ensure you love every square inch of their work.
Step 3: Get Design Inspiration
Telling your designers and home builders what you want is challenging when you don’t know what that is. They can give you ideas, but you must make the final call. So, look at beautiful houses online or in your neighborhood. Then note the most appealing features to see what your budget allows. However, avoid design trends and strict themes because they don’t last.
Step 4: Gather Your Team
Look at the Cornerstone Design Portfolio to discover what our teams can do. We were voted Baltimore’s Best Home Remodeling Firm in 2021, by the way. That means our crew offers superior customer service and consistently excellent results, with countless homeowner reviews to back up our claims. Are you ready to make the most of your home? We are.
Let Cornerstone Remodeling Direct the Traffic
Cornerstone Remodeling professionals are dedicated to quality home renovations, interior design, and homeowner satisfaction. We understand how important it is to love where you live. So, we manage the minute details to help you cozy and content. Our specialties just so happen to be high-traffic areas in the home, such as kitchens, bathrooms, and basements.
Discover why we’re the best in town. You can contact us today or set up an appointment when it’s more convenient. We offer affordable financing to those who qualify. And you can get a quote in-person or virtually using our sophisticated software. Let us direct the traffic and help build the home of your dreams.
