How To Avoid Design Regret
Regret is not usually for one ‘bad’ design choice. A thousand cuts of the smallest decisions deferred until they had to be made with everyone watching and only one option costing double. The best defence against scope creep is to nail down a couple of big decisions up front before you sign off on drawings, and before the builders are booked.
Open with the way you want to use your living quarters. Draw up daily routines: morning logjams, where bags and shoes are dumped, how you cook/whether or not you entertain – your whole life! Think about layouts, storage and circulation rather than images from Pinterest.
Determine must-haves vs nice-to-haves. Get to the point: a laundry room with indoor clotheslines or three-seater kitchen island. This helps your architect know what is critical and absolutely must be defended when the budget or plan pinch (as all projects face constraints at some point). For Residential Architects Kensington, visit www.rbddesign.com/architects-design/architects-kensington-and-chelsea-rbkc/
Decide the rooms and furniture in advance. Even with a perfect plan, if that sofa doesn`t fit or the dining table sits directly where you walk into from your living room, then you’ll be sorry. Specifications - check maximum dimensions against existing furniture; test the layouts in real life.
Consider natural light, glare and privacy when you plan sockets and think about how where to place lighting layers or data points to suit the way that each room is used.
In whatever case, hash out your allowance and finish level in the beginning. Choose whether to splash out (windows, insulation, kitchen) and where you can afford not too.
Design is a series of decisions. Get the large ones out of the way early and save yourself from costly changes and leaving you with a house that does not feel right from day one.
