Coastal Builders

Flex Suites — Endless Possibilities
To the traditional list of spaces in the house (kitchen, dining room, living room, etc.) a new name is appearing with increasing frequency: the flex suite. The basic concept has been around for a long time. Only now, however, are people realizing the fabulous potential flex suites offer for helping mold their homes to fit ever-changing needs. A flex suite is a universally accessible ground floor room (or rooms) within a single family dwelling which has a private or semi-private entrance, a full bathroom, and kitchen facilities.

Although very popular with seniors who wish to live independently, but close to family, other possibilities of this flexible suite are becoming more apparent--and more popular. A young married couple may use the suite for extra income. When children arrive, it can become a nursery. As the children grow it can be a nanny suite, then a play room, then a study area. Or for the parents it can be a guest room, a sewing room, a crafts room, a home office, or an exercise room. Such a suite is also ideal when adult children come back home to live for a time. Later in life, when roles are reversed, it is the ideal solution for older parents who live with their children--or simply for adults who need privacy and convenience while convalescing from an illness or accident.

Recently two trends have catapulted the popularity of flex suites: the growth of home offices and an increase in demand for home exercise areas.

No longer a cleared-off section of the dining room table, home offices are sophisticated communication centers in which business is efficiently conducted both locally and globally. Cellular phones, computers, and faxes have reduced the need for bulky equipment and complicated installations. It is now a simple matter to convert a flex suite into an effective and attractive home business office.

A home office is always a mixture of public and private. A flex suite’s ground floor location and private entrance helps keep business separate from family activities. And this separation helps the business conform to IRS guidelines in claiming the home office as a deduction.

Sometimes additional employees or colleagues also work in the office. It can be an embarrassment or irritation to the family if those outsiders need to use the family bathroom, or keep a lunch in the family refrigerator. The kitchen and bathroom facilities of a flex suite can remove that source of irritation.

The fact that the office’s outside entrance is universally accessible is helpful when you meet with physically challenged clients, but it is also very convenient when shipments of product or supplies need to be wheeled in by hand truck.

Flex suites are also being designed as exercise areas in the home. Research by the National Sporting Goods Association shows that 47.8 million people are exercising with equipment, up 15 million from 10 years ago.

Although clubs are still very popular, a growing number of people use exercise equipment--especially recumbent bikes, elliptical steppers, and tread mills--at home. Don Payne of ProMaxima, a producer and distributor of home exercise equipment, explains why people are exercising more at home. "Because people work longer hours, they find it convenient to work out according to their own schedules. This eliminates the frustration of wanting to work out, but not being able to because the gym is closed, or because of the time it takes to drive back and forth." In addition, two other factors also play an important role: cleanliness standards, and "the intimidation factor."

The convenience of the location in the house, together with the easy accessibility of a private entrance, make the flex suite an ideal exercise solution. No longer, after working up a sweat, does one have to traipse through the rest of the house to get to the hot tub or pool. When the weather’s good, the exercise suite provides a warm-up area before one goes out for a walk or jog--or for a specified outdoor exercise routine (see sidebar).

The ground floor location can support heavy exercise equipment. The kitchen comes in handy for refreshments during exercise. And, of course, the privacy of an adjoining bath area for washing up is always welcome. Such factors all add to the growing popularity of using flex suites in the home for exercise.

Flex suites: the possibilities are endless--and that’s why the idea is catching on all over. Life brings many changes into a person’s life, and a flex suite is a great way to stay on top of those changes.