Setting out on a home renovation can feel daunting and exciting in equal measure. Knowing where to start can be tricky, with so many considerations to weigh up. With our Don’t Move, Improve shortlisting, we’ve put together some of our best tips.
Dream Big
Our advice would be to allow yourself some initial thinking space – to let your imagination run free with all the ways in which you would like your dream home to work for you.
In our opinion, the beauty of architecture is that there is never a right or wrong answer, simply different arrangements of spaces that work for different people at different stages of their lives.
Are you keen cooks, intent on opening up the kitchen as the central hub of the house? Do you long to retreat to a cosy snug at the end of a long working day? Do you want to be able to watch the kids play in the garden while you potter about the house?
Reflect on your priorities, and immerse yourself in the many websites and resources offering inspiration such as Houzz or Pinterest. You might even want to begin creating your own mood-board at the start of the design process, which we can review together and bring to life in the right way for your home.
Master planning
The main aim when briefing in your architect or designer is to be clear about your needs and preferences. Which spaces do you wish were bigger or smaller? Where in the house are you in desperate need of additional storage? Are there any parts of the living space that cause you a real headache? Where in the house do you spend most of your time?
Having all of this clear in your mind upfront will allow your architect to push these themes forward through the design. It will ensure your new home reflects your living preferences and is not held back by stereotypical layouts or constraints.
Also bear in mind that flexibility in design gives a family the right setting to grow without wholesale future redevelopments. A layout within which rooms can change function when required helps achieve this, and we recommend seeing your design as a master plan for the property - giving you a blue print which you can work towards over a number of stages if needed.
