Hi Everyone,
How is everybody doing now that we are into the second week of isolation? We are busy here juggling our new routine of home schooling, working from home with three children under your feet and keeping our sanity in check. But the most important thing is we are all healthy and well and we will aim to keep it like that. This is a very stressful and an uncertain for everyone but it is important for you to remember you can only control the controllable and you can not control this situation. So in order to give us some structure and comfort we look at what we can control, in this case it is our environment. You can choose what you surround yourself with and what you see everyday, for now this is your home so let’s make the most of it.
1. Declutter
Get rid of the dead weight. There is nothing more satisfying than going through your things and organising it. Start small, start will a shelf in the sitting room or the kitchen and go from there. Clear out your wardrobe that you have been putting off months, I’m telling you will feel so much better for it.
2. Zone It Up
With the new demands on your home such as home schooling, home office as well as the usual activities it is more and more important to zone your space. Make new space for yourself, give each zone a definite function, no, the home office area is not where you play with the play dough! Zoning will give yourself the feeling of structure and in control.
3. Tidy Up
With more people at home now for longer periods things are bound to be noisier, chaotic and much more messier. At the end of each day it is a good idea to do a good tidy up. Put everything back in their right places. Get the kids involved, even the little ones, after all they are the ones that made the mess, right. Also, this will entertain them for another little while so it’s a win win! Tidying up will also give you a better environment for the evening time, it will give you a sense of completion and you will be able switch off, put your feet up and relax …with that glass of wine.
4. Let It Shine
One of the positives (and there are many) of this situation is the weather. Spring is coming, the sun is shining and with the clocks going forward this weekend the evenings are going to be much brighter. Let as much light as you can into your home, draw the curtain, pull up the blinds, open some windows and let’s breathe in some fresh air! Your home will be much more brighter and feel bigger. Let the outside in. Use the garden as much as possible, people tend to forget this is also another room to your home.
5. Rearrange Furniture
Something as simple as moving your furniture around into a different a position can have such a traumatic effect to your environment. As they say a change is just as good as a rest. Try rearranging your furniture, look at the room from different perspective, moving the couch around, move the dining room table, it will make a difference.
6. Give Yourself Space
Give yourself more floor space. In order to make the best use of your space you need to give yourself space. Try getting everything off the floor. If possible get a bracket (online) for your T.V and wall mounted it. Replace floor storage cabinets with shelving systems, removing rugs will give your flooring a better continued flow and you space will feel much bigger.
I hope this helps you with your space and most importantly keeps your mind active.
Stay safe and stay at home.
Eleanor
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When you decide you want to renovate your home, add an extension or simply to do it up, your first thought maybe I’ll have to employ an architect. However, employing an architect is not always necessary and here’s why:
Firstly, let me state architects are highly trained professionals and are mre than capable of designing and planning for your new extension. However, as most of us are not looking to replicate the latest Dermot Bannon masterpiece, there are other options than architects. We are just looking for a home extension, that works for our family, improves our lifestyle and most importantly is not going to break the bank.
So, what are the other alternatives?
1. Package Companies
There are many other alternatives to choose from rather than an architect. One stop shop building package companies have become popular, mainly with first time experienced home owners. The concept is they take the stress out of it all, ie they take control of the project, from design to construction. However, the snag is as they own the design, and in order for you to go ahead with it you would also be required to sign up to their particular materials package and this is where they make their money.
2. Go It On Your Own
You could have a go of it yourself? It is possible. There are many free 3D software packages available such as google sketch up and you tube tutorials. I believe with enough interest and passion you could definitely do it for yourself. However, sometimes an opinion and passion are not always enough, where self designers fall down are on experience and knowledge. The space may have been designed but the aesthetics of the room may not have been considered, certain structural support may have been overlooked or misunderstood. In this case, it is more about what you don’t know than what you know and all of which can cost you time and money.
3. A Designer
Designers can have many titles, marriage counselor’s, therapist, mind readers, even miracle workers. I was once called ‘a little ray of sunshine’. I’ll take that! Our professionally titles can be Interior Designers, Space Planners or Spatial Interior Designers. In hindsight, it actually doesn’t matter what we are called, it’s actually what we do that is far more important and that is designing a layout for your home that best suits your family’s needs. Designing the flow and function of your home that enriches your lifestyle ultimately change the way you live and you don’t need an architect for that. A designer can produce scaled plans and 3D visuals that your builder can easily work from and project manage the build. This way you have control of the decision making as you have a better understanding of your project, You can choose the materials you like and can afford. Sounds very stress free and inexpensive to me?
For the majority of extensions planning permission is not always required, Generally, you will not need planning permission to build an extension to the rear of the house which does not increase the original floor area of the house by more than 40 square metres and is not higher than the existing house. You can also check with your local authority. This is why and where having a spatial interior designer to design your layout has many advantages, particularly those doing modest kitchen extensions or interior alteration work on a budget.
Ultimately, the design person or persons you choose to design for your home is based on the level of service you require. For more complex designs where planning permission is required then hire an architect. Where the concentration of design is more about the flow and function of your home rather than the style of roofing then I would be recommending a designer. If you are looking to reconfigure your existing space, or to add a four-sided extension, a designer can do just a good job as an architect and the bonus being they would be a fraction of the cost.
The aim, to always find somebody who is on the same wavelength as you, who speaks the same language and understands what you are looking for. The good news is, that person doesn’t need a multi of letters after their name, experience, knowledge, desire, passion and understanding are the words that I would describe some of the best designers.
The choice is yours.
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Where do I begin? Where do I start? I have too much to do! I have a small budget!
When you have many things that you want to have done to your home, you can quickly become overwhelmed with the thought of doing anything. Sometimes it is as simple as taking a step back to analyse the situation and each issue step by step. First of all, break it down room by room. That way you won’t feel too overwhelmed by the whole process. Which room is the most important to get right, which room is effecting you the most, which room needs to change or needs your attention the most.
Below are tips to consider before starting a home makeover.
1. Plan
Plan, Plan, Plan. Planning is so important. You have to have a vision, an idea, a thought process. This keeps you focused on a schedule and gives you a vision of the room you are working on. What is it that you want to achieve, what do you want to get out of what you are doing? How long to you want to get out of it?
2. Color Scheme
Picking a colour scheme or style for a room can be difficult. This is chosen by one, what style you like and secondly what is staying in the room. If something is staying in the room you then have a starting point. Look at the colours in it. Pick a colour, texture or shade from the piece and let that lead your decision, allowing the rest of the room to bleed off that. If you are starting with a blank convas then research and collect images of interiors and styles that you like and pick out elements from the images and work from there.
3. Budget
Decide on the budget you are going to allocate to each room to. Once you have a budget, you can break it down. Deciding on which pieces you are going to invest in and which would be the most expensive items. Look at what you can recycle from other rooms with your home, sometimes moving things around can change the vibe of a room an this would keep your budget down, bonus! Right?
You will spend the rest of your life doing up your home so enjoy this process. Enjoy taking your time, there is no need to rush…… unless the whole family are coming for Christmas!!
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Everyone remembers the feelings you had when you first bought your new home. There was a huge sense of excitement. Hope for the future, contentment, relief and satisfaction are emotions that flood to mind. You have a great sense of peace and happiness as to what may come. A chance to start over. However, when space becomes an issue within your home it can have such a negative impact. You can feel quite claustrophobic. Your home life can become disorganised, chaotic and a complete disarray. Lack of storage can be a huge factor which can cause frustrations and struggles within your home.
1. Zoning
Very often in small spaces, one room must serve many purposes, multi-functional designs are fundamental. Creating ‘zones’ within the room, defining space and function which in turn make it easier to organise, providing a calming peaceful environment.
2. Go Up
When you don’t have a lot of space to work with, getting items off the floor and utilising vertical space is essential. When you can’t get go out, you go up. Creative storage and clever use of space become principal solutions to such design challenges.
3. Optimise
With the housing crisis likely to last for the foreseeable future, what was meant to be your first home may now be your forever home as first anticipate thus why is it so important to optimise every inch of space within your home, creating designs and spatial opportunities to suit each function your family requires.
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