Majority of new home designs are including large family rooms and omitting formal living rooms. When the space is beyond normal design criteria, they are labeled as a grand room. This space is geared more toward informal living due to the leisure time many families experience these days. It is also a place to entertain close family and friends if your home is without a recreation room. If you forgo formal living space, it might be good to use the extra footage to design a family room layout.
Things to consider when you design a family room layout
Family Room Function

The primary function of this room is to provide an area for families to engage in bonding activities. It should be design for the whole family, kids and adults. If space is limited, you can design a recreation room as an extension of the family room. This is similar to adjoining living and dining rooms. In smaller homes, it may serve as a multipurpose room that include the activities of a game room or play room. With larger homes, it may act as a room for television entertainment for the whole family. In both cases, it can also act as an extension of the kitchen and breakfast room.
Location
You should locate the family room in the living area of the home. Because it is used daily by all household members, it should be near or adjacent to the kitchen. The room design should have as much separation from the formal living and dining rooms as possible. This insures that the family room will not become an extension of the formal spaces for social activities. A good example of this layout is found in our Primrose house design as well as our Reuben home plan.
Positioning the family room near the service area is another option to consider. However, be mindful of the traffic patterns this option creates. Make sure that traffic flowing from the garage, mudroom, or laundry room doesn’t create the effect of a hallway when you design a family room layout. The rooms should coexist with one another and provide a transition leading to each room without breaking the living or functional space. A hallway is not exactly necessary if you arrange the room placements to provide a nature pathway with thoughtful furniture layout.
Size and Shape
The size and shape of a family room is generally determined by how the room is to be used. Space is limited in a small home, so this room will likely be the largest area in the house. In a larger scale home, the family room may be of significant size but not an overwhelming space when compared to other rooms in the home. The goal is to get the most square footage possible in this space.
While it isn’t an exact science, the family room should at least calculate at or above 250 square feet. A room that size will feel comfortable and also accommodate an entire family at the same time. The arrangement of the room dimensions can vary; however, be careful not to design a family room layout to be too long or too narrow.