Houzz Tours
My Houzz: Making Room for 3 Generations
A Salt Lake City home creates privacy and independence for grandparents, parents, kids and dogs
Bryant and Aimee McConkie set out to create a multigenerational home after she suggested that his parents live with them and that they build a house for them all. “Ultimately, the biggest design challenge was how to build a home wherein two families could live together, but not on top of one another,” Bryant says. “The challenge was to ensure that people felt a sense of privacy and independence, but under the same roof.” With the help of architect Jack Hammond, designers Ann Larsen and Susan Taggart, and contractors from Centurion Builders, the couple were able to create a modern Craftsman multigenerational place suitable for eight members of their family near Salt Lake City.
Bryants’ parents live in their own quarters with a private entrance.
Each side of the house includes bedrooms, living and dining areas, and a kitchen, but the best spot in the house is the area that connects each side. “The most unique feature is the center portion of the home that we call the ‘neutral zone,’ ‘common space’ or the ‘DMZ.’ If my parents need the space, they open the doors on their side. If we need the space, we open the doors on our side,” Bryant says. “When we have family parties, we open both sides, serve food from both kitchens and have plenty of space to dine.”
Before the home was finished, the family confirmed that the multigenerational concept was going to serve their purposes. “The proudest moment as a homeowner was when, not long before completion, my grandmother asked to come live with us. She was a fiercely independent woman who was 92 years old. She resided with us for the last year of her life, and being available to assist her was one of the greatest blessings all of us have ever participated in. She died peacefully in the home, surrounded by family. Personally, as the father of four daughters, the fact that they got to know her better was also wonderful.”
His daughters continue to enjoy this relationship with their grandparents since they always have someone to talk to.
Before the home was finished, the family confirmed that the multigenerational concept was going to serve their purposes. “The proudest moment as a homeowner was when, not long before completion, my grandmother asked to come live with us. She was a fiercely independent woman who was 92 years old. She resided with us for the last year of her life, and being available to assist her was one of the greatest blessings all of us have ever participated in. She died peacefully in the home, surrounded by family. Personally, as the father of four daughters, the fact that they got to know her better was also wonderful.”
His daughters continue to enjoy this relationship with their grandparents since they always have someone to talk to.
“The other amazing feature is that because the common space has doors on either side, it acts as a sound buffer. Quite literally, you never know that someone is on the other side of the common space unless you check, because the common space reduces sound heard between both sides of the residence. As we have a young family and our children can create noise, we appreciate this feature,” Bryant says.
This common space is a favorite family area. “We have had, and will continue to have, wonderful and open discussion there,” Bryant says.
On each side of the common space is a private kitchen. Although there are doors separating the areas, the open feeling continues throughout the kitchen and dining areas for both families. The natural wood floors have a clear stain and help with the sense of flow.
While each side of the house is similar in style, they are not identical since each family selected their own colors and finishes.
Aimee chose zebrawood for their cabinets and appliance panels. The quartz countertops are a favorite part of the room. She loves that they look like marble but are so easy to clean and maintain.
Aimee chose zebrawood for their cabinets and appliance panels. The quartz countertops are a favorite part of the room. She loves that they look like marble but are so easy to clean and maintain.
“I also like the cement overhang,” Aimee says. “On the top, I had a cement slab poured that is movable. I like putting decoration pieces on top of it.”
The grandparents’ kitchen also has similar open shelving and a contrasting countertop, but they opted for a slightly different layout and gray tile backsplash.
The bedrooms provide plenty of private space and a chance for everyone to incorporate their personal tastes.
“I love the seating area,” Aimee says about the master bedroom. She also likes the blend of newer pieces and antiques within the room.
Bedding: Anthropologie; artwork: Crate & Barrel
“I love the seating area,” Aimee says about the master bedroom. She also likes the blend of newer pieces and antiques within the room.
Bedding: Anthropologie; artwork: Crate & Barrel
The grandparents’ room faces the backyard, with a view overlooking a field and a distant farmhouse. “The benefit of the design is that they don’t see us, and we don’t see them,” Aimee says. “It gives a more isolated feeling.”
This bedroom belongs to the couple’s oldest daughter, Ava. The hanging chair is an ideal place to lounge while enjoying the backyard view, and the playful wallpaper pattern adds personality to the space.
“We moved in when Ava was 13, and I wanted to design a room that she would emotionally grow into, not a tween-type room,” Aimee says. “We also have lots of places in the room for her to put up pictures and other memorabilia.”
Wallpaper: Osborne and Little; swinging chair: Ikea
“We moved in when Ava was 13, and I wanted to design a room that she would emotionally grow into, not a tween-type room,” Aimee says. “We also have lots of places in the room for her to put up pictures and other memorabilia.”
Wallpaper: Osborne and Little; swinging chair: Ikea
After Bryant’s grandmother passed away, what had been her room was converted into a library. This experience allowed Bryant to realize his success in the purpose of building a multigenerational home.
“I believe that all of us get the most joy out of the reality that we are available to help each other. Thus far, we are all still quite healthy and not in need of extensive care like my grandmother was, but without question, those days are coming in some form, and to know that we will be close by and available is comforting. I also get joy out of the relationship that my daughters share with their grandparents.”
More: World of Design: See How 7 Families Live in Multigenerational Homes
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style:
Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
“I believe that all of us get the most joy out of the reality that we are available to help each other. Thus far, we are all still quite healthy and not in need of extensive care like my grandmother was, but without question, those days are coming in some form, and to know that we will be close by and available is comforting. I also get joy out of the relationship that my daughters share with their grandparents.”
More: World of Design: See How 7 Families Live in Multigenerational Homes
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style:
Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Aimee and Bryant McConkie; their daughters, Ava, Gwendolyn, Mae and Beatrice; Bryant’s parents, Judith and James McConkie; and their two dogs, Lola and Phoebe
Location: Millcreek, Utah
Size: Six bedrooms, five bathrooms
“When we first thought we would build a multigenerational home, we proposed a courtyard. Jack convinced us that we did not want to stare into each other’s living quarters, and came up with a design that allows people to live on their own side of the home without staring into the other family’s living space,” Bryant says.