“A doctor can bury his mistakes but an architect can only advise his clients to plant vines”. Home design is there to stay unless you have enough in the kitty to demolish and re-establish several times. Thus, you must not indulge in home design mistakes, especially those which are avoidable.
Let me take you through three errors which should never occur and yet keep occurring.
Home Design Mistake #1: Not keeping North in mind when planning living spaces
I am given to believe that I am writing largely for my Australian readers however if you live in the Northern hemisphere, please replace the ‘Norths’ with ‘Souths’.
As a first, ensure that your rooms face north unless you want chilling winters and sultry summers. Sometimes, a suburban block might come in the way of natural sunshine for you.
In such cases, start with pushing a majority of living area to the north of floor plan. Keep the master bedroom towards the north-east and the kitchen towards either north or north-east.
Avoid the afternoon sun penetrating through the western flank of your home. Ideally, you should construct garage or laundry space or a thickly insulated wall in the west.
Restrict the sizes of windows and doors on the western walls as much as possible and take enough care to insulate walls accordingly.
Home Design Mistake #2: Forget that ‘Open’ is good ‘Too Open’ is not
We are intelligent people looking to construct aesthetic and scientifically sound home for ourselves. Amateurs do not know where to stop but we do. So here is one from the rulebook- Keep the plan open but not too open.
Too open a plan creates obstacles when it comes to soundproofing or seeking privacy. Ideally, you should amalgamate open spaces with cosy private areas. The combination of flat walls and hardwood floors can be deadly.
If you have an open plan area, go for more walls than initially intended. Use modern-day rubber or new age linoleum finish for the floor; they readily absorb noise. Keep the ceilings in the range of 2.4 metres to 2.7 metres.
Use insulation batts or even more effective thermal barriers apart from taking care of soundproofing (talk to the paint guy)
Home Design Mistake #3: Fail to be observant about external finishes
A house needs to gel with its immediate surroundings. So often, home owners make the mistake of creating an effect that is neither in sync nor a contrast. The in-between thing sits pretty unaesthetically on the human eye.
To prevent any unsightliness conduct an inspection of your neighbourhood. Talk to people and seek their recommendation. Choose those products which have been used at large in your locality.
Need for high-pedigree designers
Professionals of high pedigree are required to design a house. An incompetent architect or builder can mar your whole dream.
Choosing quality craftsmen is non-negotiable. You can consult me if you are giving home building a serious thought. I will be only glad to share your joy in your dream venture.
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