Nagle found that these practical concerns were more important than having a door for the occasional private business appointment. The same was true for being able to close off the office to hold a business conversation without background noise.
LAUNDRY, PETS, AND MOREThe laundry room, it turns out, is being used for much more than cleaning clothes. It has become more of a utility room, a place for pets to eat, and a storage space. “This is our laundry room/throw all/everything room,” one family member said. “It's a real multifunctional room.”
Nagle found that people would like additional room in this space, if they could get it. They wouldn't mind having a place to iron, hang dry cleaning, store bulk purchases, and put brooms and vacuum cleaners. A TV in the corner wouldn't be bad either.
Most of the families had pets, but there was no clear place to put the dog when visitors arrived. Some had cut holes in doors or walls to provide pets outdoor access. One was fortunate enough to have a floor drain in the laundry where the dog could be washed.
HOUSES OF THE JAMMED: Families are finding that new homes lack sufficient practical storage space: Garages (above) hold anything and everything except cars; kitchen islands (bottom left) become waystations for bags, coats, and mail; and home offices (top left) disappear under paperwork. BUILDER's Reality House, premiering at the 2006 International Builders' Show, addresses this issue.
This much is clear: Life in a new home is nowhere near as calm and organized as builder sales models would have you believe. Moreover, those rascally homeowners aren't living in their homes the way builders and designers thought they would.
Next month: Part 2—How multigenerational families really live.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR RESEARCH, OUR SPONSORS, AND THE PLANS FOR OUR SHOW HOME, VISIT OUR WEB SITE AT WWW.BUILDERONLINE.COM, CLICK ON “THE MAGAZINE” TAB, AND THEN CLICK ON “BUILDER ARTICLE LINKS.”