A granny flat is a small, independent dwelling attached to a main house. It gets its name from its typical function as a place for grandparents to live when they visit. The multigenerational household has gained popularity and is now commonplace. Granny flats provide an extra layer of protection as an additional dwelling on the property.
Designing a full-scale residence requires work to have every room look good and serve its purpose. Because you're not working with a blank slate while constructing or building a granny flat, there are many limitations to consider. Granny flat designs overcome obstacles and limits to create a pleasant, homey space.
How to Get a Stunning Granny Flat:
Light and air circulation
Your granny flat design should make good use of sunlight and airflow by including plenty of windows and air vents. Make sure you let plenty of light and air into your home by strategically placing windows.
Increasing the Ceiling Height
Maximising the height of the ceiling is one creative way to improve the aesthetic value of your granny flats. Your square footage should be safe, with a ceiling height of up to 15 feet. The effect is one of expanded visual volume. It is also possible to investigate a structure with an arched roof. Granny flats can benefit from various techniques for creating the illusion of a larger interior area.
It Needs to Have Lots of Room and a Great View.
Even small homes can feel more spacious thanks to the use of long-view locations in granny flat designs. Therefore, it is preferable to equip stairwells with obstructive walls and doors. If you absolutely must put things like decor or junk there, make sure to leave passageways in between them.
Before building a granny flat, it's important to consider storage options. The storage solutions you select could have an impact on the overall aesthetic value of your house. Keep the storage areas clear and organised so that you can quickly locate the items you need.
Appropriate Tone and Form
It's important to pick a colour scheme for your granny flats that will leave you feeling upbeat and revitalised. The amount of room you have to work with can inspire a colour choice. Go for lighter colours in smaller rooms to make them feel more open, and use darker colours in larger rooms to make them feel cosier.
The Value of Artistic Granny Flat Design
- This will help your loved ones remain close by. A large dwelling is necessary for a large family. A granny apartment allows multiple generations to coexist together on one property.
- It'll also be useful for making room for visitors. You may need more sleeping arrangements and storage space when guests are over. The senior residents and their guests will benefit from well-thought-out granny flats designs.
- It is possible to convert a granny flat into a workspace by selecting suitable plans.
- Your home and land will be appreciated as a result.
As such, planning a granny flat will provide you with a small, self-contained dwelling on your land. You can make your dream of having a granny flat in your backyard a reality by transforming your existing home into one of several predetermined layouts.
Features Your Granny Flat Must Have
Modern granny flats are spacious and comfortable, with all the amenities of a regular house.
With our top five guidelines for a well-designed granny flat, picking the proper elements is a breeze.
Living spaces
The layout of today's granny flats is centred on the living quarters. This is simple to accomplish with an open floor plan that makes the most of spaces for socialising by combining the cooking and eating areas. Combined with an outside space, these multipurpose rooms are perfect for entertaining no matter the season.
Accessibility
An easily navigable granny flat has generous room dimensions. Consider the potential use of wheelchairs and walkers and design accordingly. Remove any outside steps leading into the apartment and any interior steps, such as those in the shower recess, to reduce the risk of injury.
Low Maintenance
An easy-care granny flat layout will let you concentrate on the finer things in life. There is less lawn care and maintenance to deal with compared to a larger house.
If you equip your granny flat with amenities that require little upkeep, you can leave it locked while you're away. Choose low-maintenance flooring, fixtures, and landscaping.
Extra Room
The most popular option at Summit is a granny flat with two bedrooms and one bathroom. An extra bedroom, even if only one person uses the granny flat, is useful for hosting overnight visitors and can even be used as a study or a sewing room.
Smart Orientation
In order to make the most of the sun's light and warmth, today's designs for granny flats typically face south. Building your house on an east-west axis with the daytime living rooms facing north is something the design specialists at Summit can help you with.
Advice on Layout for the Ideal Retirement Home or Granny Flat
Granny flats are a great option for caring for elderly relatives since they allow them to have their own space while still receiving the assistance they need. They are also a fantastic option for using otherwise wasted real estate. These secondary dwellings provide a secure environment for your family while you're away from your primary residence.
Open Up The Space
Granny flats have a reputation for being simple, little dwellings. Most will consist of a few rooms, including a kitchen, bathroom, and sometimes a living area. One of our favourite techniques to create the illusion of a greater room is constructing a house with vaulted or high ceilings.
You can add extra light and open the home by installing skylights, clerestory windows, or openings along the roofline.
Reducing the amount of hallways can make rooms feel more spacious. You can make the house more open by knocking down walls and combining rooms.
Use Glass Windows
We don't like how narrow the windows are in most granny flats. Those little windows do more than block the light from outside—they also block the vista. Large glass windows allow you to see outside without obstruction.
Using glass windows is very helpful for older people with trouble getting around. But ensure you get good drapes to screen the heat during the hot summer.
Build a Patio Outside
Local governments have responded to the rising demand for granny flat designs by enacting ordinances restricting the size of these additions to existing properties. If you need more space, consider constructing a deck or porch, so you and your family can enjoy the outdoors. The area doesn't have to be particularly large. Leave enough room for a small table and chairs to enjoy some downtime.
Consider the Importance of Privacy
You may enjoy having your parents or grandparents nearby but still require some personal space. When planning a granny flat, it's important to consider privacy by strategically placing windows, rooms, and drapes. For this reason, it is important to strategically arrange landscape elements in homes with limited space in order to restrict the view.
Pick A Style That Complements Your Primary Residence
Uniform buildings will fetch a greater price if you ever sell your house. Some municipalities even mandate that accessory dwelling units look like the main house. But even if you stick to the same basic outline, you may give it a more tailored look by adapting the interior to reflect your family's tastes.
Choose A Sustainable Design
An updated granny flat design will increase your property's energy use. If you haven't already, consider incorporating eco-friendly features into the modern granny apartment.
High ceilings and plenty of windows let in natural light and breezes while keeping the house cool in the summer. A builder can also help you determine the optimal placement for windows and doors to maximise cross ventilation throughout your home.
Put in insulation to keep the house from getting too hot in the summer or too chilly in the winter. The use of climate control systems, and thus heating and cooling appliances, can be considerably reduced.
Ensure Accessibility
When considering where to put your elderly relatives to live, a house that can be easily navigated is essential. Here are some accessibility measures you may incorporate in granny flats to accommodate residents with disabilities, illnesses, or other special needs.
- Roomier entrances
- Safe and sound ramps to enter
- railings for use in walk-in showers
- Places easily accessible by wheelchairs and walkers
- More permeable boundaries
- Kitchens with easily accessible cupboards
- Lie down
- Luminous settings
- Nonslip flooring
Select the Right Colors
White is a great colour choice for houses because it helps to reflect light and creates an airy atmosphere. However, this doesn't imply that a granny flat has to be decorated in drab shades of beige and brown. A room with only neutral tones, such as brown or grey, might become boring and even impair one's disposition.
Alternatively, you may use splashes of colour to make the room feel more welcoming. Adding 70s-style colours like burnt yellow, orange, and light teal is a great start. If you want to paint the walls white or cream, you can draw attention to them using colourful drapes or rugs.
Include Enough Storage
Even more so in a granny flat, where every square foot counts, storage is a major issue for compact houses. That's why it's important to think ahead and designate convenient storage spots in key rooms like the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom.
The granny flat tenant may also require mobility aids like walkers, walking sticks, or wheelchairs. Consider your loved one's requirements when designing the granny flat's layout to maximise its usefulness to them.
To illustrate, consider a slanted roof for the home. Its loft provides useful extra space for stowing any extra luggage.
Gather Magnificent Images
Match your home's aesthetic. Selecting a new colour palette or designing a complementary addition can add value to your home.
Create a smaller dwelling that is in the same architectural style and colour scheme as your primary dwelling. Alternatively, create a difference between your main house and the granny flat. This is a fantastic plan if you own a home built in a bygone era and wish to bring it up to date.
Conclusion
A granny flat is a small, independent dwelling attached to a main house, typically used as a place for grandparents to live when visiting. These multigenerational households have gained popularity and provide an extra layer of protection as an additional dwelling on the property. To create a dazzling granny flat, consider several factors, including light and air circulation, ceiling height, room and great view, storage options, and color scheme.
Artistic granny flat designs help families stay close by, allowing multiple generations to coexist on one property. They also provide room for visitors, making it useful for seniors and their guests. Planning a granny flat can transform an existing home into a workspace, enhancing the overall aesthetic value of the house.
Modern granny flats are spacious and comfortable, with all the amenities of a regular house. The layout should be centered on the living quarters, with an open floor plan that maximizes socializing spaces. Accessibility is crucial, with generous room dimensions and consideration of wheelchairs and walkers. Low maintenance is also essential, with low-maintenance flooring, fixtures, and landscaping.
Extra room options include two bedrooms and one bathroom, which can be used for overnight visitors, study, or sewing room. Smart orientation, with daytime living rooms facing north, maximizes the sun's light and warmth.
Granny flats are ideal for elderly relatives who need their own space while receiving necessary assistance. They provide a secure environment for the family while away from the primary residence. To create a spacious layout, consider using vaulted or high ceilings, installing skylights, clerestory windows, or openings along the roofline. Large glass windows can block out the sun and provide a better view, but ensure good drapes to screen the heat.
Build a patio outside, as local governments have enacted ordinances restricting the size of these additions to existing properties. Consider privacy by strategically placing windows, rooms, and drapes. Choose a style that complements your primary residence, as uniform buildings may fetch a higher price if sold. Choose a sustainable design, incorporating eco-friendly features like high ceilings, plenty of windows, insulation, and climate control systems.
Ensure accessibility by incorporating roomier entrances, safe ramps, railings for walk-in showers, places easily accessible by wheelchairs and walkers, more permeable boundaries, kitchens with easily accessible cupboards, luminous settings, and nonslip flooring. Choose the right colors, such as white or 70s-style colors, to make the room feel more welcoming.
Include enough storage in key rooms, such as the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom, and consider mobility aids like walkers or wheelchairs. Finally, gather magnificent images by matching your home's aesthetic or creating a difference between your main house and the granny flat.
Content Summary:
- A granny flat is a small, independent dwelling attached to a main house.
- It gets its name from its typical function as a place for grandparents to live when they visit.
- The multigenerational household has gained popularity and is now commonplace.
- Granny flats provide an extra layer of protection as an additional dwelling on the property.
- Designing a full-scale residence requires work to have every room look good and serve its purpose.
- Because you're not working with a blank slate while constructing or building a granny flat, there are many limitations to consider.
- Granny flat designs overcome obstacles and limits to create a pleasant, homey space.
- How to Get a Stunning Granny Flat: Your granny flat design should make good use of sunlight and airflow by including plenty of windows and air vents.
- Make sure you let plenty of light and air into your home by strategically placing windows.
- Maximising the height of the ceiling is one creative way to improve the aesthetic value of your granny flats.
- Your square footage should be safe, with a ceiling height of up to 15 feet.
- The effect is one of expanded visual volume.
- It is also possible to investigate a structure with an arched roof.
- Granny flats can benefit from various techniques for creating the illusion of a larger interior area.
- Even small homes can feel more spacious thanks to the use of long-view locations in granny flat designs.
- Therefore, it is preferable to equip stairwells with obstructive walls and doors.
- If you absolutely must put things like decor or junk there, make sure to leave passageways in between them.
- Before building a granny flat, it's important to consider storage options.
- The storage solutions you select could have an impact on the overall aesthetic value of your house.
- Keep the storage areas clear and organised so that you can quickly locate the items you need.
- It's important to pick a colour scheme for your granny flats that will leave you feeling upbeat and revitalised.
- The amount of room you have to work with can inspire a colour choice.
- Go for lighter colours in smaller rooms to make them feel more open, and use darker colours in larger rooms to make them feel cosier.
- This will help your loved ones remain close by.
- A large dwelling is necessary for a large family.
- A granny apartment allows multiple generations to coexist together on one property.
- It'll also be useful for making room for visitors.
- You may need more sleeping arrangements and storage space when guests are over.
- The senior residents and their guests will benefit from well-thought-out granny flats designs.
- It is possible to convert a granny flat into a workspace by selecting suitable plans.
- Your home and land will be appreciated as a result.
- As such, planning a granny flat will provide you with a small, self-contained dwelling on your land.
- You can make your dream of having a granny flat in your backyard a reality by transforming your existing home into one of several predetermined layouts.
- Modern granny flats are spacious and comfortable, with all the amenities of a regular house.
- With our top five guidelines for a well-designed granny flat, picking the proper elements is a breeze.
- The layout of today's granny flats is centred on the living quarters.
- This is simple to accomplish with an open floor plan that makes the most of spaces for socialising by combining the cooking and eating areas.
- Combined with an outside space, these multipurpose rooms are perfect for entertaining no matter the season.
- An easily navigable granny flat has generous room dimensions.
- Consider the potential use of wheelchairs and walkers and design accordingly.
- Remove any outside steps leading into the apartment and any interior steps, such as those in the shower recess, to reduce the risk of injury.
- An easy-care granny flat layout will let you concentrate on the finer things in life.
FAQs about Granny Flats
Clever storage solutions, multifunctional furniture, and an open floor plan can maximize space efficiency. Work with a designer to create a layout that optimizes every square foot.
Yes, you can personalize the exterior with various finishes, colours, and architectural details to match your taste and complement the main house.
If you plan to use the granny flat for elderly family members, consider features like wider doorways, no-step entries, and accessible bathrooms. Universal design principles can be applied.
To estimate costs accurately, consult with builders and contractors who can provide detailed quotes based on your chosen design, materials, and local construction rates.
Modifying the design after construction has started can be costly and may lead to delays. It's best to finalize the design before construction begins to avoid complications and added expenses.