Design – Before you do anything
do this

Designing your home can be both as exciting as it can be daunting. There are many elements to consider, some more important than others but what I will say is absolute key, is correct space planning and the functionality of your home. Routine and organisation in all areas of life but particularly in the home is something I feel is key to minimise stress in life and be as productive as we all want to be.
So many of my clients come to me and explain that despite all the rooms they have in their home they tend to all pile into the smallest, cosiest but generally least functional space. So, before I start to design any clients home, I always ask them to think about how they want to live. And no unfortunately, I don’t mean on a yacht in the Bahamas…

Do you work from home?

Do you need a place to work out/exercise?

Do your children need a play area?

Where and how do you want to eat? Casual in the morning, formal at night? Casual all the time?

How often do you have guests stay?

Where do you make your husband sleep when he’s snoring?

Where do you put shoes and coats when you get home?

Think of as much detail as possible as this is going to become your check list and your own ‘brief’.
As a designer, once I have all this information I then work backwards and try to incorporate each element into the relevant area of the home.