Want a Big Family? No Problem! We'll Help You Make Room for Everyone

If the only thing stopping you from having more kids is the thought of where you'd put them all, go forth and procreate!

13 April 2015
Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well. Follow her photodocumentary about pets and the people who love them on Instagram @unfoldingtails
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Some people were born to be great parents and nothing gives them greater fulfilment than packing a lunchbox with one hand and rocking a sleepy baby with the other. If this sounds like you, or you just can’t shake that yearning to have one or two more, read on. It’s not really the done thing to have more than two or three kids these days, but don’t let society’s expectations stand in your way. These big-family solutions will make your decision clear cut – just don’t show this to your partner if he/she wants more kids and you don’t – you won’t have a leg to stand on. Some of these ideas are fanciful, some are practical, but they’re all likely to make you say: “Why not?”
Contemporary Kitchen by User
User
IN THE KITCHEN

Leave room to grow
But there only five stools in this kitchen, you may say. Yes, that’s true, but the beauty of this kitchen is that there’s plenty of scope to add at least three more. I did say we’d be talking big families, here – when I say big, I mean big. Turning the corner with stools around an island bench is a good way to make a kitchen not look too regimented.
Contemporary Dining Room by Mills Gorman Architects
Mills Gorman Architects
Gather together for meals
Sitting down to eat as a family is important, so there’s no getting around having to have an enormous dining table. I love that this table has room for two parents and eight kids, but there are still two extra seats off to the side … just in case they’re needed.
Rustic Kids by Jett Thompson Antiques & Interiors
Jett Thompson Antiques & Interiors
IN THE BEDROOM

Stack them up high
There’s no need to have a separate bedroom for each child. What kid wouldn’t prefer a shared sleeping room as amazing as this one. Every night will feel like sleepover, yet each child still has his or her space. Making use of every centimetre is the key. There are even two play zones – one upstairs and one down.
Contemporary Home Office by MR.MITCHELL
MR.MITCHELL
Stretch desks out long
This desk is only set up for one but it could easily cope with two, three or even more. Overhead storage is key if you don’t want the desk becoming cluttered up with anything other than laptops.
Contemporary Bathroom by Bonaventura Architect
Bonaventura Architect
IN THE BATHROOM

Make a space for everyone
It’s great being part of a big family, but it’s essential that everyone is treated equally. Giving each child storage space in the bathroom will give them a sense of ownership … and keep mess to a minimum.
Contemporary Bathroom by Austral Masonry
Austral Masonry
Split it up by tasks
With multiple kids getting ready at the one time, separating your bathroom into zones is a must. A sliding door like this one provides privacy without blocking the light, and the toilet is in a separate room again. Two basins and a heated towel rail with capacity for numerous towels make this bathroom ideal for as many kids as you can cope with.
Contemporary Home Theatre by Gaile Guevara
Gaile Guevara
IN THE LIVING ROOM

Stock up on bean bags
Bean bags serve a myriad of purposes. They don’t just provide extra seating for movies, reading and hanging out, they’re also spot on for cubby building and creating a soft landing pad for tackling games. Best of all, they can be hung up out of the way when not in use. Simply attach a fabric loop to the top of each and hang on designated wall hooks.
Contemporary Living Room by Interior Solutions Brisbane
Interior Solutions Brisbane
Go for open plan
This design is perfect for even the largest of families. With so many zones in the one open space, everyone can be doing different things but still be together.
Traditional Family Room by JWT Associates
JWT Associates
Add a multi-purpose window seat
Make it wide enough and a window seat can work as a daybed that provides plenty of room for kids of all ages to snuggle up and read or watch TV.
Traditional Bedroom by JWT Associates
JWT Associates
This one is even wider. I’m putting this one on my bucket list. I can just imagine parents reading books to their kids in this cosy nook.
Transitional Living Room by Elizabeth Reich
Elizabeth Reich
The window seat in this lovely living room provides some valuable extra seating. It just goes to show, you can still have a ‘good’ or formal living room, even if you have a house full of kids. The three ottomans can also be used for extra seating in a pinch. What a great spot for a family meeting.
Transitional Laundry Room by User
User
THE LAUNDRY

Go all out
Ah, the laundry. There had to be a downside, right? That washing is going to pile up sky high the minute you turn your back, so plan ahead. It doesn’t hurt to put an organised laundry with plenty of storage space like this one on your wish list – you’re going to need it.
Modern Patio by Darren James Interiors
Darren James Interiors
OUTDOORS

Make your backyard fun
Too much time cooped up inside is a recipe for disaster, no matter how well behaved your children usually are. Letting them loose outside to burn off all that energy is the only solution. A poolside cabana like this one will let you keep an eye on swimming kids and give you some valuable alone time, too. Cocktail? Yes, please.
Rustic Exterior by Trestlewood
Trestlewood
Needing time alone doesn’t mean you don’t love them, it just means you want to grow old with your sanity still in tact. The same goes for your children, though. There will come a time when they need to escape for their own peace of mind. Give them the means to do so in safety – this dream cubby house is sure to be as popular with your kids as it is with their friends who flock over. Let’s face it: a few extra mouths to feed just isn’t going to make much of a difference.


TELL US
If money were no object, how many kids would you like to have? If you’ve already got a big family, tell us about it in the comments below – what works and what doesn’t at your house?

MORE
20 Fabulous Family Bathrooms the Whole Brood Will Love
15 Playful Updates for Family Rooms
My Island Home: 10 Kitchen Islands for Families
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Four Cheeky Monkeys
I love the room where all 4 kids can share. My two eldest girls once shared but it came time to give the biggest her own space. It was only then that I realised the problems associated with the oncoming comments "she is in my room", I never once heard that when they shared. Might pop them all back together one day.
   
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fiona4000
We have four kids in a 96 sq m house - smaller than my brothers three bedroom unit. But its on a wonderful bush block. Years ago we considered extending and put in a pool instead that is almost the same area as the house and has had a LOT of use. Everyone walks out the back and goes, WOW, look at the pool! Hoping to build a house next year that will suit the pool, using an architect we found on HOUZZ!
   
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fiona4000
I knew a family with 6 girls in one bedroom and 4 boys in another bedroom.
   

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