Whether it’s the appeal of stronger family relationships, the ability to care for relatives, or the financial incentives, many families in Boise and Treasure Valley are considering multigenerational living. As a custom home builder serving Treasure Valley, Idaho, we’ve helped many families to build and design multigenerational homes. From custom ADUs for older generations to single-family residences with multiple en-suites, there are many ways to design a multigenerational house and many different things to consider to make sure your home design creates a comfortable space for each generation. Here we’ll review several of the top items we encourage families to think about as they are designing a multigenerational home.
Types of Multigenerational Living Arrangements
One of the first things you’ll need to determine as you design a multigenerational home is the type of living space you want. There are several different ways to create a home that supports multigenerational living, each with its own unique benefits.
Single Residence With Multiple En-suites
For families that love the idea of living together under one roof, a single-family home with multiple en-suites, an attached mother-in-law suite with its own kitchenette, or even a full wing of the home dedicated as a secondary living space, makes a great option.
One of the greatest benefits of this multigenerational living arrangement is the proximity. Because everyone is under one roof, there is typically greater interaction between family members in shared living spaces. Families planning care for older or younger generations often find this is a great option.
This is also a great option if there are building restrictions or regulations in place in your jurisdiction that make it difficult to build a second residence or ADU on your property. Additionally, this option may be the most cost effective; however, this is highly dependent on home size, design, and features.
Primary Residence + ADU
There are many benefits to building an ADU in Boise, one of which is the option to use your ADU for multigenerational living. With this setup, families can retain the benefits of living in close proximity while also providing each generation with additional privacy and independence. Many families with adult children find this setup to be ideal.
This option, a primary residence with an ADU, has the added advantage of flexibility should your family needs change. For example, when you no longer need the space for multigenerational living, the ADU can be rented out, used as a home office, or converted into a guest suite, among many other options.
Another instance when an ADU may work best is when you already have a primary unit on your land. Building an ADU may be less expensive than renovating your current primary residence.
Most counties in Treasure Valley have regulations on when, where, and how you can build an ADU on your land, so before making this multigenerational living option your choice, be sure to check with your jurisdiction to confirm your property is eligible.
Here are a few resources that may help you determine the ADU regulations in your jurisdiction:
Two Residences
A third option for families designing a multigenerational home is actually two homes on one lot. This option provides families with all the benefits of a single family home and the benefits of multigenerational living. With this setup, each generation has both privacy and independence as well as proximity to one another. A second residence may also allow for a larger living space, depending on the size of the homes that are built.
One potential disadvantage of two residences is that it may cost more than the other two multigenerational living options that we’ve outlined here. However, this will also be dependent on the home style, size, home builder, and other details.
In certain areas, two residences on one lot won’t be applicable due to zoning laws, or you may need to first complete the process of subdividing your lot, so be sure to confirm this option with your jurisdiction before moving forward with the planning process.
What To Consider When Designing A Multigenerational Home
As you are determining the type of multigenerational living setup you’d like, it is helpful to take into consideration each family member’s privacy, comfort, and a few logistics to help you both design a multigenerational home and decide which type of multigenerational home would work best for your family.
Designing A Multigenerational Home: Privacy
When designing a multigenerational home, it’s important to consider privacy for each generation. If you’ve decided to build a primary residence and an ADU, the separate living spaces provide built-in privacy. When building a single residence as a multifamily home, there are several things to incorporate in your home design that build privacy even when everyone is under the same roof.
Separate The Bedrooms
Designing a multigenerational home that separates the bedrooms in different areas of the home is a great way to create privacy in a single residence. This can be achieved either vertically with bedrooms on two levels or by building a multigenerational home that has bedrooms on opposite ends of a single level, as is the case in our Ponderay home plan.
By separating the bedrooms into different areas of the home, everyone has a little more privacy in their own space than they would if the bedrooms were all together in a single area.
Build Private Entrances
Another method to create more privacy is adding separate entrances for different members of the family. This allows family members to come and go on their own, giving them more privacy and independence.
When building our Pathfinder home plan with the optional mother-in-law suite, you’ll find separate entrances and a separate outdoor living space are already incorporated for added privacy and personal space – perfect for multigenerational living.
Consider Sound Proofing
Soundproofing is an easy way to add privacy in any residence. Pathway Builders already includes some soundproofing in our walls as standard, but if you need more, we can add additional insulation between walls during your build, or you can add soundproofing features, like soundproofing wall panels, after your new home build is complete. Either way, the sound blocking creates an environment of privacy for all family members that can also make the home more comfortable for everyone.
This is particularly helpful when different generations have different sleep schedules and interests. For example, a family with young children and grandparents all living under one roof can have much different sleep schedules, or adult children who come and go when other generations are already asleep.
Designing A Multigenerational Home: Comfort
Comfort is another big consideration when designing a multigenerational home, and there are easy ways to ensure that the home you build is designed with everyone’s comfort in mind.
Optimize Shared Living Spaces
In any multigenerational home, shared living spaces are key – think kitchens, living rooms, and dining rooms. Each of these spaces is used almost daily by most generations, so designing with comfort in mind can make each household’s daily routine much more comfortable.
When designing the kitchen, consider oversize islands that can provide additional prep space and seating. In the kitchen, you may also want to incorporate multiple ovens, a larger range, a prep sink, or a separate beverage station. Some families may find it helpful to have a separate kitchen or kitchenette to give everyone space to cook independently when desired.
Ensure that dining areas have space for ample seating so that everyone has a seat at the table if desired. Also, keep in mind everyone’s entertaining habits. Does it make sense to have a larger dining area or separate entertaining spaces? If so, be sure to incorporate these into your design plans.
Similarly, in the living room and outdoor living areas, ensure there is ample space for everyone to relax together.
Add Zoned HVAC
It’s common that even family members of a single generation don’t have the same temperature preferences, so expect the same when you have family members of different generations all living under one roof.
To make everyone’s space more comfortable, incorporate zoned HVAC. Depending on the layout of your home, this might look like different systems to support different wings of the house in addition to the main living areas. This may also include separate HVAC zones for different levels of the home.
HVAC is also one of the areas you can optimize most to build an energy efficient home. When you design a multigenerational home, using zoned HVAC can create even greater efficiency and savings while also keeping everyone more comfortable.
Find more information on how to choose the best HVAC for new construction.
Use Customizable Lighting
Similar to temperature settings, it’s almost guaranteed that not everyone in a multigenerational household will have the same preferences for lighting. Older generations may require brighter lighting in general, some family members may prefer brighter lights for certain activities like cooking or reading, while others have specific needs for hobbies or activities.
Customizable lighting makes it possible for everyone to get the light settings they prefer. This can be as simple as dimmable lighting and different lighting options in the same room like ceiling can lights, pendant lighting, and spot lights, or it can be as advanced as smart lighting with preference settings for each household member.
However you choose to incorporate custom lighting when you design a multigenerational home, it will certainly make a difference for everyone’s comfort level.
Consider Accessibility For Aging in Place
For many families considering multigenerational living, aging in place is a goal. If this is the case for your family, you’ll want to incorporate features like zero-step entrances, zero-entry showers, grab bars in the bathrooms, wider hallways, and a bedroom on the first floor.
Even if you don’t plan to age in place, consider that this is the goal for many families considering multigenerational living, so incorporating accessibility features can make the home more sellable in the future.
At the same time, incorporating these features in your initial multigenerational home design is often more cost effective than adding them later. These savings are another reason to consider features to make aging in place more comfortable, even if this isn’t in your current plans.
Designing A Multigenerational Home: Logistics
In any home, the layout and space you have impacts every day logistics. Logistics become even more important when there are multiple generations living together. An intentional layout and structure when designing a multigenerational home can make your home more comfortable and make everyday activities much more enjoyable. Here are a few things to consider.
Include Ample Storage Space
Storage space is one of the top considerations for many families looking to build a custom home. Whether it is for a single family or multiple generations, ample storage space is one of the most important aspects to consider.
In the kitchen, include additional cabinet space by upgrading cabinet sizes and adding more cabinets than a traditional kitchen might have. Also consider a larger walk-in pantry or potentially multiple pantries to ensure the kitchen has ample space for everyone’s items. Even if your plan is for everyone to share, with more family members, you’ll have more of everything, so the additional storage space will be more than welcome.
In bedrooms, consider walk-in closets to create more storage space for each family member. Also consider adding built-in storage for greater convenience in areas like mudrooms, laundry rooms, living rooms, and entryways.
When it comes to storage space, it’s unlikely you’ll regret the extra space, so when in doubt, opt for more storage options over fewer.
Our Panorama floor plan is a great example of a multigenerational home design that includes intentionally added storage with a larger laundry room, walk-in closets in all bedrooms, and an oversized kitchen pantry.
Expand The Garage
The garage is an often overlooked area when designing a multigenerational home; however, it’s a great place to incorporate extra storage and potentially additional living space, without a significant increase in the cost to build your home.
When planning the garage size, consider not only the number of cars you’ll have but also the amount of space you’ll need for other equipment like snowmobiles, RVs, and other hobby equipment or tools. You can also add space for general storage in the garage to free up indoor storage.
At Pathway Builders, we recognize that a multigenerational home often requires additional garage space. You can customize any of our existing house plans with a third or fourth garage bay, or add an RV garage, a shop, or a boat bay for greater flexibility.
Incorporate Flexible Spaces
Speaking of flexibility, this is a key component of any great multigenerational home design. Having the ability to use a room or space for multiple purposes makes a difference when you need to adapt your home to new family members, hobbies, and activities.
This can include a junior suite that starts as a guest room and changes to a room for your in-laws. It can be additional rooms with a door that double as a bedroom, craft room, or home office. It can also include a bonus room that is first a playroom, then an office, and eventually a room for adult children in a separate area of the home.
A bonus room is also a great way to add value to your home with the additional square footage. Get more information on how to add value when building a custom home. All of our Plus house plans were designed to automatically include a bonus room and take advantage of this value.
View our Ponderay Plus 3,000 square foot home plan as a great example of how to incorporate the bonus room when designing a multigenerational home.
Outdoor living space, like the bonus room, can also be a flexible living space and add additional square footage at a lower cost. Think about outdoor kitchens, an outdoor lounge area, or an outdoor dining area. This space can be used by everyone and creates a separate space for these activities when privacy is desired.
Additional Outlets
With more people at home, it’s likely you’ll have more personal electronics and devices that need an outlet space. Like storage space, it’s unlikely you’ll ever regret the additional outlets you add, and it will be more cost-effective to add these when building than to add outlets later on. When in doubt, we recommend opting for more electrical outlets than fewer.
For ideas on where to conveniently locate your outlets, take a look at these electrical considerations when building a custom home.
Key Questions To Ask For Better Multigenerational Home Design
In any multigenerational living arrangement, good communication between family members is one of the most important aspects to make the arrangement work. This communication should start before your home is ever designed or built. These are a few of the key design-related questions you can discuss with your family as you start the process of designing a multigenerational home.
- Who will live in the home now, and who might join later?
- Is this living arrangement short-term or long-term?
- What does each family member’s normal daily schedule look like (i.e. sleep and wake schedule, work schedule, etc.)?
- How often do family members plan to entertain?
- Does anyone plan to work from home?
- Does anyone have mobility issues or special requirements?
- Do any family members have particularly loud hobbies or hobbies that require a designated space?
- How much time do you plan to spend together vs apart?
- What does privacy look like to each family member?
- How much storage does each household need?
- How many bedrooms and bathrooms are needed?
- How many vehicles will there be?
- Does anyone have any dealbreakers that would prohibit multigenerational living?
- Do we need to make the home accessible? If not now, how easy would accessibility updates be in the future?
- Will the home work for resale if needs change in the future?
- What happens if family members move out of the home in the future?
- Should outdoor spaces be shared or divided?
Discussing these questions in advance will help with the design process and provide the information you need to design a multigenerational home that is comfortable for everyone.
Summary: How To Design A Multigenerational Home
- Talk with your family members to determine lifestyles and preferences, and approach the design process with this in mind
- Select the type of multigenerational living arrangement that will work best for your family
- Incorporate home features that enhance privacy and comfort
- Build in details that enable easier logistics for a greater number of people – storage space, outlets, flexible use areas
Ultimately, your family’s lifestyle and the reasons you’ve decided on multigenerational living will determine the best way to design a multigenerational home that fits everyone’s needs.
If you are considering building a multigenerational home in Boise or elsewhere in Treasure Valley, take a look at our multigenerational house plans or contact us for a free consultation. Our team is here to guide you as you design a multigenerational home that is perfect for your family.
Need inspiration? Take a look at a few of our past multigenerational home builds:
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