With a parent set to move in, our recent clients asked us to help them transform their West Windsor home into a functional, multigenerational space that would accommodate the whole family—from teenagers to an aging grandparent. To give everyone adequate space, a 700-square-foot addition was definitely in the cards, but it needed to flow well with the rest of the house and everything needed to reflect the homeowners’ contemporary style.

Separate Suites

Starting with the addition, we created a private space for our client’s parent with a bedroom, bathroom, and separate entrance. Rich mauves and deep purples lend a richness to the suite, with gold fixtures and pops of white adding just the right amount of brightness to the look. Finally, a separate HVAC system means this portion of the house is completely contained.

We then reimagined the house’s second floor into a “princess suite” by adding a new bathroom in a pink and white color palette. A light-grained marble countertop and sleek, modern hardware elevates the vanity while a stunning teal tile accent wall creates a wow-worthy moment in the new walk-in shower. A custom nook holds all of the essentials, while a rain shower head and a handheld wand ensure a luxurious bathing experience.

Finally, we remodeled the existing hall bathroom on the second floor in a chic grey-white-and-neutral palette before connecting it with the second bedroom for another private suite experience.

To finish off the second floor, we also moved the laundry room upstairs to make chore days easier.

A Dark and Dramatic Kitchen

To create the kitchen of our clients’ dreams, we enlarged their existing space by removing a wall. Then we leaned into their love of contemporary and eclectic style elements to enhance the space.

Frameless, European-style cabinets in an impressive matte black dominate the space for sleek floor-to-ceiling storage. In the center of the room, a spacious island topped with a quartz countertop provides ample seating and houses the sink for easy cleanup. Along the back wall, the oven looks out onto the back deck through a custom picture window—the perfect way for the home chef to feel connected with guests while hosting.

Integrated appliances throughout, including a specialty wine fridge, add yet another layer of quiet luxury. A custom dining table in a rich redwood with a waterfall edge provides plenty of seating while injecting just the right amount of warmth. Stunning tonal wood floors add visual interest as they stretch across the space, and for the finishing touch—and a bit of glam— bright, modern lighting fixtures draw the eye up.

Design-Build Details

No home transformation would be complete without addressing the essentials. To give the outside of this house a well-deserved facelift—and to ensure the addition matched the rest of the structure—we replaced the siding, opting for a warm taupe color. For maximum efficiency, we chose to use Anderson windows throughout, including for the custom picture window in the kitchen. Finally, our design team selected paint colors from Farrow and Ball to set the mood in each of the spaces we renovated.

The final effect of this home transformation is truly show stopping! With a modern and dramatic flair, careful planning to give everyone a space of their own, and touches of luxury throughout, our clients couldn’t be happier with their transformed home.

Although it can seem tricky to create a multigenerational layout that meets the needs of everyone in the family without losing any style, the possibilities are truly endless with a bit of design ingenuity.

Looking for a way to make your house work for your expanding family? The Flansburg team can help — schedule a consultation with one of our design experts today!

Your dream home might be perfect for now, but will it work in ten, fifteen, or even twenty years in the future? As families grow, change, and eventually age, so too should homes to accommodate future needs, and with a growing trend of multiple generations living together under one roof—or older homeowners choosing to age in their well-loved home instead of moving to a retirement community—a thoughtfully-designed space is an absolute must.

Choosing a Familiar Place

Now more than ever in recent history, parents, their children, and their grandchildren are choosing to live together under one roof for a multitude of reasons, ranging from being able to help with the grandkids and enjoying the bustle of a full house to circumventing the expenses (and long wait lists) that come with retirement communities. Whatever the reason, families are looking for ways to reimagine their homes to carve out space for all three generations to comfortably coexist.

In the same vein, large numbers of empty nesters are choosing not to relocate, opting instead to stay in their beloved homes, with some much-needed modifications to ensure their safety and comfort as they age in place.

For the design-build industry, these two distinct groups of clients each have their own needs, but approach firms like Flansburg with the same goal: to create a space that’s as functional as it is beautiful.

Designing With Elements That Work

Gone are the days of plastic shower chairs, makeshift modifications, and ugly grab bars stuck to the walls. These days, there are endless accessibility-related products, materials, and design elements that are stunning enough to make a statement, but still safe enough to support the needs of aging family members.

In bathrooms, curbless showers, built-in grab bars and benches, nonslip flooring, and easy-to-reach storage are all options that our design team recommends to accommodate your—or your family members’—needs. Whether your style leans traditional or more modern, we can create the perfect spa-like experience while still putting your needs at the forefront of the design.

Throughout the rest of the house, key elements that are always worth incorporating (stylishly, of course) include doorways wide enough to comfortably fit a wheelchair or walker; transition-less flooring from room to room; and easy access to different levels of the house with ramps, a stairlift, or even an elevator.

Making Room for a Well-Lived Life

The point of these living options centers on creating a high quality of life as you or your older loved ones age, and a lot of that has to do with creating a space that feels just right.

In a multi-generational home, a full in-law apartment with its own separate kitchenette and laundry area might make the most sense. With accessibility considerations at the forefront (Think: lowered countertops, easy-to-access storage, and smaller appliances to fit the space), these apartments have the freedom to take on any style that their resident would like, just on a smaller scale.

For aging-in-place situations, it’s worth thinking carefully about how best to modify your home’s layout to help you preserve your independence. Does it make sense to move your primary suite to the main level now rather than eventually incorporating a chair lift? Is your outdoor living area just as accessible as the inside of your house? What about a guest space for family members who may need to come for extended visits to help out? You’ll also want to think about smart home options that might make life a bit easier, from alarm systems, doorbells, and thermostats to light switches, appliances, and even toilets.

No matter how you or your family members plan to live the later years of your life, the Flansburg team can help you do it in style in a space that was made just for you.

Ready to transform your space to better fit your family’s needs? Contact us today to schedule a consultation and see what’s possible!