Flex Rooms

Every home seems to have one—a multipurpose, catchall room that tends to serve a variety of purposes at different times of the day. Kids' playroom. Computer center. TV/media room. Hobby room. Exercise room. Its purpose can also change throughout the years as family needs evolve. There are creative ways, however, to design organized, flexible rooms for not-so-flexible lives.

According to a report released in November 2004 by the U.S. Census Bureau, an estimated 5.5 million people were "stay at home" parents in 2003. The rise in stay-at-home parents has helped perpetuate the flex room trend. Changing lifestyle patterns of active empty nesters and baby boomers are also spurring builders to incorporate flex rooms into home floor plans. These new spaces are purposely designed to be flexible, yet functional and beautiful, over a long period of time.

The flex room may be located on an upper level, in the basement, or in a bonus space above the garage, but with today's open floor plans, it can also be adjacent to the kitchen or living room. Whatever its location, the flex room is an area with unique storage needs. Here are some tips for turning "simply flexible" rooms into "simply fabulous" rooms.



Think in future tense

In planning flex rooms, think about the here and now, but also the later and greater. How will the room be used? By whom? At what times of the day? How will the room be used five years from now, perhaps when the children are at school during the day? Ten years from now, when the homeowners become empty nesters? Fifteen years from now, when the grandchildren come to visit?

Clever use of stock or semi-custom cabinetry components can cover multiple functions in a flex room—not only for today, but for several years down the road. Built-in cabinetry provides an aesthetically pleasing solution to storage problems, while creating design continuity throughout the house.

For example, a built-in entertainment center in a tasteful and hardworking design can store and organize electronics as well as provide a great focal point for any room. It can showcase the TV and turn the space into a media room, while storing everything from games to photo albums to workout gear behind closed cabinet doors. Other touches such as moldings can be taken to ceiling height to enhance the built-in look.

Incorporate a wine cubby with a wet bar, and the room becomes a place to entertain. Or, use the cubby to store craft or hobby essentials, rolled up yoga mats or small kids' treasures. Add low-to-the-ground shelving units to store toys where little ones can reach them. When kids are grown, showcase treasured books or antique collectibles on the same shelves.

Install a dimmer in the room and the space can become a home theater for watching DVDs at slumber parties or watching football games and NASCAR races on TV. Add counter-height cabinets with easy-care surfacing along one wall, and the room provides buffet space for serving everything from pizza to holiday dinners, while providing extra storage below.



Think multiple generations

Another flexible cabinetry component is a built-in desk, which can meet the needs of people of different ages. By day, the desk is a place to pay bills while keeping an eye on the kids; by night, it's a homework station or computer game area. Having the computer out in the open also allows parents to safely monitor their child's Internet use. When kids are not present, the desk becomes a work-from-home or email station for parents, grandparents, college students or adult children living at home.

When designing flex rooms, it's important to be a flexible designer. The key to choosing multipurpose cabinetry is to define the direction and create your own rules.



—Cathy Hitz is senior brand manager for MasterBrand Cabinets, Inc., where she coordinates day-to-day activities across all of the company's core brands, including Aristokraft.