Recently I spoke to a prospective client, James, moving from the inner city suburb of Coburg to Upwey near the Dandenong ranges. He called it their version of the current trend for a sea change due to COVID. We’re hearing a lot about how COVID has been the catalyst for people to move to more regional areas. Key to this sea change being successful is creating functional rooms in your home.
James wanted to know ‘how it works?’ The ‘it’ being interior design and working with an interior designer. He was concerned that I would create a beautiful ‘display home’ type place that would be completely impractical.
So, I explained to him that at the heart of the interior design process is creating functional rooms. Every piece that goes into making a space, in the first instance, is about supporting the function of the space. There was one room he wanted to focus on.
The room was downstairs and had a stone feature wall. James thought it might become a library, chill out kind of space. But my first thought was, that it might be a bit dark, cold and cavernous. I suggested to James that they move in and experience the house first.
Experiencing a space and how we interact with various aspects of a space such as shape and light, helps us to determine function. We have 2D floor plans that helps us plan spaces and furniture layout but wherever possible, especially if you’re moving to an existing home, it’s wise to experience the house before engaging an interior designer.
Only through this experience will you understand how to determine the function of a space. This will be decided by factors such as proximity to a bathroom or the kitchen. Whether the space receives enough natural light? What it feels like and whether it’s too cold or too hot.
Creating functional rooms in your home requires some thought and consideration. When we’re building or renovating we don’t have the opportunity to experience space beyond a 2D floor plan or 3D visualisation. But if you’re moving into an existing home, live in it before engaging an interior designer. This experience will produce an extraordinary outcome.
Cover photo by Sven Mieke on Unsplash
