“Before the pandemic, I have to confess that our family room didn’t get a whole lot of use,” Tonya said. “We have three children, all of whom are active in sports and activities. My husband is an educator, and I have my own business. We were just always on the go. But now?” She laughed. “The family room is the busiest room in the house. It’s where the remote learning happens – having everyone in one place makes it easier for me to keep an eye on things while I’m still trying to get the things I need to get done done.”
The family room also houses the family’s only TV set. “The idea was that this would cut down on screen time and promote family togetherness,” Tonya said. “But since togetherness isn’t exactly in short supply right now, we’re finding that we actually need a little more space for everyone to stretch out a little bit and do their own thing.”
Family Room Additions: What You Need to Know
Family room additions are in the top 5 of most popular addition types, following closely on the heels of kitchen additions, second story additions (usually sleeping areas), and in-law suites. A family room addition can be built on the first or second floor, and is also sometimes created by converting or finishing the basement.
When planning your family room addition, it’s a good idea to consider if you want the addition to connect to your existing family room, or if you’d like the new family room to attach to some other room in the house. “That’s what we wound up doing,” Tonya explained. “The way our property is, having the family room addition built so it adjoins the existing family room would have involved a lot more work and money than having it built to adjoin our kitchen. So we wound up with two families rooms, which turned out to be perfect. Each space has its own vibe. Now we have the productive, focused family room where so much gets done, and the comfortable, relaxing family room where we kick back and unwind after a long day.”
