"We need ten more rooms for all the things we love to do!". That is a common lament, as energetic people crowd more and more activities into small spaces and busy schedule.

You may want extra room at home for anything from a craft to a second career, not to mention making music, painting pictures, challenging your pinball machine, exercising to keep fit, mediating to keep sane, running a home business, sewing, refinishing furniture, developing your own film or pursuing any number of other do-it-yourself projects.

All those extra activities that take home for life beyond the basic of eating and sleeping seem to require extra space. But they do not always require separate rooms. With creative planning, a house can contain enough activity areas to satisfy the most talented, high energy family. After all, your home may be a beehive of industry, but you probably do not want it to look to like a beehive, with a separate cell for every activity.

Shop for ideas

The rooms in this idea fall into three major types: family room and recreation rooms for gathering people together: retreats, dens, studies and home offices for activities that flourish where there is some privacy; and studio areas tailored to special equipment for arts and crafts. You will probably want to skim through the photographs and shop for general ideas before turning to the special-feature sections that focus on important considerations like lighting and storage.

More casual than living room, family rooms are gathering centers. Like scrapbooks, they contain the mementos of shared experiences, reflecting the personalities and preferences of their owner.

Many of these rooms shown have a seating area at their core, with activity areas surrounding the conversation center. A stage for musical performances, children play areas that keep toys out of the main traffic paths, desk areas, game tables, craft centers, combination family room / kitchens – these are just a few of the multipurpose areas that are neatly blended into family rooms.

While you may not discover the precise remodeling plan for your family room, you will be able to pick and choose among the many adaptable ides in this chapter. For example, a new arrangement of your furniture may make room for an additional activity area. Or a way to combine kitchen and family room may inspire you to expand into one multipurpose space.

Transforming an attached garage into this high-beamed, window-lined family room opened up the entire house. Beams hold loft for play or quiet retreat. Family can enjoy games at the game table, gather near woodburning stove for cozy conversion, or invite friends for a party in this casual but visually striking.