Designing your own space is a lifetime opportunity. It is your chance to make the house your heaven with the right layout, colours, light fixtures, cabinetry etc. It can allow you to bring your life experiences to create a vision and turn that vision into a beautiful reality. All your inspirations from different places you have visited can come to life with the right design. The right design can offer comfort, luxury, ease of use and great happiness. In this blog, we would like to impress upon the points you must consider before you decide which design to choose:
- List down your inspirations – As different designs have different names around the world, it can all get pretty confusing. Forget the terminology and list down your preferences derived from your own experiences. You might have seen a house exterior during your travels or must have seen a big bedroom layout in a luxury hotel, a quiet reading corner in a library or a large island in a luxurious condo. Put your thoughts together and list your requirements for the right design.
- Consult your family members – When you live with your family, it is important to also consider the choices of the young and the equals in the family. It might open up your horizons to newer perspectives as their experience combines with yours. If there are conflicting opinions, find a middle ground that makes everyone happy, after all, home is where the family is.
- Observe your current home – What are the things you currently like or find comfortable in your existing space? Would you like to rearrange stuff, renovate the entire structure or settle somewhere in between? While there is a lot that you may want to discard, figure out the stuff that you need in your new design. Once you know the stuff you like, it gets easier to design the aesthetics accordingly.
- Make a wish list – The new fireplace that you saw at your friend’s house, the new island that can seat a bigger family, a small office in the den or a new powder room; all these are reasons to make changes to the existing design of the house. Some may need a renovation to be fitted in, some might just need a little bit of space to be freed up. Once you have a wish list ready with all your new requirements, it is easy to move forward. The finer the wish list, the better it is.
- Set a budget – Once you have got your designer hat on and creativity kicks in, the only thing stopping you can be the finances. Budgeting is a crucial deciding factor in the renovation/ design overall of your home. It is important to take stock of your finances, decide on a budget and work backwards on what is possible within the budget.
- Get expert advice – While it may seem like you have everything under control, it is recommended that you speak to an expert designer about your requirements and plan. With years of experience, a designer can bring in technical insights that you may not be privy to. More often than not, the design philosophies brought in by the designer coupled with your inspirations can help you create something very unique and beautiful that reflects your signature style.
Different styles of homes refer to different architectural characteristics and design elements, such as Victorian homes, Colonial, French country, Mediterranean-style homes, etc. However, combining the best aspects from all your inspirations can help you put together the best design in your home. Be sure to research and spend time and effort on finalizing your design requirements before you begin.
You can also reach out to Cynthia Lucas, our design expert and lead designer at Livwell Collective for any design or renovation requirements.
