GOOD DESIGN ISN'T JUST ABOUT HOW YOUR HOME LOOKS
GOOD DESIGN ISN'T JUST ABOUT HOW YOUR HOME LOOKS
TAGS: LIVING ROOMS, PRESS
When I work with couples, there's often one person who says they're pretty hands-off when it comes to the design. Then we start talking about how they're actually going to use the home, and it turns out they do have opinions.
And they should. They live there too.
That's why I don't think good design starts with what a room should look like. It starts with the people who are going to use it and what you want life in that room to look like.
Start With the People Who Actually Live There
When we're designing a home, I'm thinking about more than the homeowner standing in front of me. I'm thinking about their spouse or partner, their kids, family who visits, friends they entertain and sometimes even the person who helps care for their children.
The question becomes: What choices can we make that help this home support those relationships?
Let's say you have a sitter or nanny regularly caring for your kids, and you want them interacting, playing and learning together. Where is that actually going to happen? If you want everyone down on the floor playing, is the floor comfortable? Is there somewhere for the toys to go? Would a rug, carpet or floor cushions make sense? Does the adult need a comfortable place to sit nearby?
Those questions may sound small, but they're what turn “we want a family-friendly space” into actual design decisions.
In my own home, my kids and their sitter tend to play in the bedrooms because there's carpet and it's comfortable to be on the floor. I also prefer the toys to stay tucked away in their rooms instead of spreading throughout the house. That's what works for us. Another family may want the exact opposite, with a play area right in the middle of the main living space.
Neither answer is more correct. The point is to design around the way your family actually wants to live.
Pay Attention to What You Do Over and Over Again
Some of the most important design decisions aren't the ones that get the most attention in photos.
Think about how many times you'll load and unload your dishwasher over the years. It's such an ordinary task that you probably don't think much about it. But if the things you need are awkwardly placed every single time you unload it, you're going to experience that design decision over and over again.
The same thing can happen when you're entertaining. If your kitchen sink isn't deep enough to hold the dishes and everything starts piling up across the counter, that can change how the kitchen feels while people are gathered there.
Those aren't necessarily the details you're saving to an inspiration board. But they're the details you're going to live with.
This is why I want to know about routines before we get too far into selections. Where does everyone gather? Do the kids do homework at the island? Do you entertain often? Do grandparents stay with you? Where does the clutter tend to land? What frustrates you about the way the house works right now?
The answers help us design for your actual life instead of someone else's version of what a beautiful home is supposed to be.
Start With the Experience, Then Work Backward
Before you start making decisions about a room, try asking yourself:
What do I want to happen here?
Maybe you want your family cooking together in the kitchen. Maybe you want the kids to have a comfortable place to play while an adult is nearby. Maybe you love entertaining and want people to gather without everything feeling chaotic. Maybe you need a bathroom that works better for two people getting ready at the same time.
Once you know what you want the experience to be, you can work backward into the design. Where should people sit? What needs to be within reach? What needs a place to be put away? What happens when several people use the room at once? What gets in your way now?
Of course I want your home to be beautiful. But beautiful and functional shouldn't be competing goals.
A beautiful kitchen can also make unloading the dishwasher easier. A beautiful family room can make it comfortable to get on the floor with your kids. A beautiful home can make it easier to have people over and actually enjoy having them there.
Good design isn't just about how your home looks.
It's about what your home makes room for.
Danielle Perkins is the founder and principal designer of Danielle Interiors, a San Diego interior design firm helping homeowners create thoughtful, functional homes through kitchen and bathroom renovations, phased home improvements and new construction.
