How to Design a Town House
A town house is a type of home which shares at least one wall with another home. Town houses may be surrounded by other homes on one or both sides. These are popular and affordable housing options, which are present in urban areas because they provide a lot of housing in a compact space. Designing a town house poses certain challenges.
- Begin with the interior design. Most town homes must take advantage of vertical space. For this reason, many feature multiple floors. Most town homes have two floors, but others have three or more. Consider the square footage that you have to work with and design the home with a reasonable number of floors to accommodate all of the home's features.
- Place the rooms carefully. People who reside in a town home might feel as though they are climbing stairs all day long. You can reduce the amount of stair usage by planning the room placement carefully. Consider putting all of the bedrooms on the upper most floor or floors of the home. All of the daily living spaces, such as the living room and kitchen, along with at least a half bath, should be located on the lower levels of the home.
- Make the home comfortable. Many town houses have limited natural light. Sharing walls with your neighbors makes it impossible to have windows on the side of your home. Be sensitive to this and add appropriate lighting to make the space feel open and bright. Consider installing sky lights on the top floors to let in as much natural light as possible. The windows in the front and rear of the home should be large. Open floor plans will allow the sunlight so spread throughout the home.Try to maintain continuity between the floors by using similar flooring materials and paint colors.
- Make the home blend in with the neighborhood. You should choose exterior siding in a color that allows the home to fit in well with it's neighbors. Your paint colors and fencing choices might be dictated by an HOA membership, so be sure to look into any regulations and requirements that pertain to the exterior appearance of your home.
- Take advantage of your outdoor spaces. Many townhomes feature limited outdoor spaces, and the majority have a terrace or deck, rather than a yard. Use landscaping and outdoor furniture to make the space as inviting and comfortable as possible.