We crated him until he was about 7-8 months. Then,we got a couple expens and used them to block off part of the room so that he would have plenty of room to run and play. I think you might want to think about the expens. Also, we have always had him in the living room which is where we are all the time. When we go to bed we move the expen into our room, with his bed. We set up stairs next to the bed to allow him to walk down into the bed which is in the expen and this gives him the option to sleep with us or move around. He was much happier in the expend then the crates.
Here is the link to what we used.
Portable Exercise Pens: Precision Pet Pro Handler Indoor Outdoor Exercise Pens at PETCO
We got the 36 height. We got two so it gave us more versatility. The panels open up completely so you can use it like a fence too. Good luck.