Your house is your oasis, your home, your little piece of heaven. And if you’re lucky enough to build your own or have some sort of renovation budget, you should do it big.
These cool house ideas will help you take a house and make it a home.
1. A Sunken Living Room
It’s a trend that’s back, and it was featured in the last Incredibles movie if you were paying attention. Having a sunken living room gives your home the illusion of having more space and gives it cleaner lines.
It’s not the best idea for people who are older (more stairs) or those will small kids (fall risks).
But if you don’t fit either of those descriptions, then you should bring back this 60’s/70’s trend.
If you’re looking for a way to get a big sectional in a smaller room, this is the way to do it. Just make sure you put some sort of rim around the outside of the sunken walls, even if it’s just the top of the couch sticking up.
Shag carpet optional.
2. Drawers Under the Stairs
We’re all looking for different creative storage options in small-medium homes. What if you could use that negative space where the vertical part of each stair is?
You can. Those stairs make great drawers, even if you just do the first couple of stairs. They’re shallow drawers, so you won’t be able to store appliances in them or anything.
But they’re great to store vacuum-bags with sweaters or seasonal clothes in, or even shoes if you’re a non-shoe household.
Tripping hazard, be gone!
Just make sure your builder makes some sort of magnet or latch system on the drawers so you don’t slip and accidentally open one.
Option 2: Side of Staircase Drawers
If you’re not trying to put drawers inside your stairs, use that negative space under the stairs for pull-out drawers. You can work with your carpenter to create pull-out-of-the-wall drawers that look invisible, thanks to molding or other design details.
Option 3: Dog House Under the Stairs
If you’re not looking for storage for stuff as much as for your loving pet, you can carve out a recess under the stairs. There you can put a dog kennel or just leave a space for the dog bed.
Some people take this even farther and make a kind of secret play space under the stairs for their kiddos.
3. Spiral Wine Storage Cellar
In Florida, most of us don’t have basements (or cellars) because of how waterlogged the ground gets with all the seasonal rain and storms.
But you can install a spiral wine cellar in your kitchen or dining room.
It’s an expensive option, yes, but if you’re a big wine drinker, it’s a great option. You’ll need to custom build this into your home since it takes a lot of construction.
First, you’d have your builder dig a hole, about five feet deep, and install shelves along the wall. Then you’d put in some sort of climate control system. Finally, you’d install a small-step spiral staircase to access your drinkable assets.
4. A Fridge in the Island
In the south it’s common to have an extra fridge out in your garage, but why go all the way out there in this heat?
Install a small two-door fridge on the side edge of your island. You can leave it for bigger things, like cake pans and casserole dishes.
Having that extra storage right there is such a big help when you’re cooking a big meal or have leftovers from one.
5. Pull-Out Drying Rack
A lot of people in Europe hang dry their laundry. Washer dryers are less common in older homes, which are popular in big cities.
Though you’ll likely have both a washer and a dryer, you can install a retractable hanging system over your units.
That way you don’t have to take out the awkward open-folding hang dry unit and it’ll be easier to take care of your delicates.
Laundry Room Option 2
Have your handyman or builder build you a platform out of plywood that can hold up your washer and dryer. Then, have them install pull out drawers inside of that platform.
You can keep extra laundry supplies under there, and keep your clutter to a minimum.
You can also have shelves custom-built above your units, for extra storage. Don’t have the vertical room? You can build a set of skinny drawers that pull out between your units.
6. Glassed in Bathtub
We’ve all seen glassed in or glass-door showers, they’re nice, but sometimes you just want to take a bath.
If you want to keep the glass vibe going or start one, have your builder install a bathtub with a glass outer panel. You’ll have it tiled in on the rest of the walls, so you’ll need to pay for that as well.
Pair your glassed-in tub with recessed tile shelves built into the opposite wall. It’ll keep the streamlined look going and create storage that you’ll lose from having the edge of a bathtub.
7. Cool Landscaping
There are tons of options for things you can do with landscaping, especially if you have a good sod company. Make sure you have a vision you can show a landscape designer before you hire anyone else (or start on it yourself).
Cool House Ideas
What did you think of these cool house ideas? Would you ever put one of these in your home? In a future home? We hope you’re inspired.
See more about lifestyle on the rest of our blog.