How great design can help you live larger with less
If you're downsizing and worried you'll have to sacrifice to live with less, think again. With good design, you don't need more space, you can have everything you want and live large with less. Here's how great design can help you live larger with less...
Space for everything and everything in its place
Storage is the difference between a space that feels cramped and cluttered and a space that just seems to work. With a considered, quality design, your architect will think about your lifestyle and consider all the items you will need to store in your new home, so everything can have a dedicated space. Whether it be built-in robes with baskets, rails and shelves in all the right places, a kitchen with clever storage solutions or a built-in credenza with space for your heirloom china, designing storage solutions to suit you and your lifestyle will dramatically improve your sense of space. Custom storage will make your downsized home feel more spacious than your previous home!
Clever spatial solutions ensure your home is neat and tidy, helping it to look larger than it actually is, because everything has a place.
Flexible space that can change when you need it
A bedroom doesn't always need to be a bedroom. With a bit of foresight and planning, you can create spaces which are flexible, so your spare room can be a luxurious, Hollywood-inspired dressing room then, with a moment's notice, it can transform into a comfortable guest room so you're ever the hospitable friend. This is the beauty of a well-designed home, it can incorporate all the things you want and need in a home, but by thinking laterally, you can have all of this in a much more compact home. So when designing your home, think flexibly.
Volume, light and a connection to the outdoors can make a room feel much larger than its actual square metres.
Volume, light and connection to the outdoors
You don't need a sprawling four-bedroom suburban home to still have a feeling of spaciousness. In fact, with three secret ingredients your home will feel large, even if it's a downsize from your previous home: volume, natural light and a connection to the outdoors. Even with a small floor area, a higher ceiling or double-height space will leave a room feeling much larger. The same is true of a connection to the outdoors. With large windows opening onto the backyard or a view, you effectively borrow space from your outdoor area so the room itself feels much larger. In a similar way, letting in plenty of natural light will help to make your home feel larger than in actually is. Incorporating windows to catch light during the day or illuminate a corner will dramatically improve the sense of spaciousness. The added bonus is you can open the windows to catch a breeze or air out your home. It's important to position your windows well so they don't overlook a fence or an undesirable view but, instead, frame a view of the sky or distant treetops, create a glimpse of a lush light court or catch the winter sun and draw it deep into your home. This is why it's important to invest in good design, to ensure you maximise your assets and minimise the drawbacks of your home.