Their Design….Our Design #1
Here’s how we would have designed it
It seems like every home we move into, Andy and I have to change something about it’s design. We start picking apart everything in the house - discussing what walls should be moved, removed or added. How could this home flow better?, How could we get better use of this space? What would make this room feel cozier? How can we get more light? It’s constant.
Thus, “Their Design, Our Design.”
In this blog, we’ll show you how “they” (the builder, previous designer, previous homeowner, etc.) designed a particular space and then show you how we would have originally designed it. These are real examples where we didn’t like the design in our home so we changed it (thanks to Andy’s hard work).
Keep in mind, this is not to say the previous design was wrong. But as they say, there is more than one way to skin a cat! We made these changes to make the space work better for us. For the next guy/gal, it may not. If you work with us, you’ll know that our approach to designing a smaller home all begins with the client and their way of life. Because everyone’s preferences & needs vary widely, the design must still work for the homeowner regardless of our preferences or recommendations.
THE SPACE: A rarely used closet across from the living room. The closet housed the stereo and security equipment, internet switches, and provided extra storage. The area in front of the closet cannot be used because anything placed there will block the closet door. This area is located near the front entrance to the home, however, the entry is very large and has ample closet/storage space.
THEIR DESIGN
2D VIEW:
BEFORE
3D VIEW:
BEFORE
OUR DESIGN
NEW DESIGN: We moved the opening for the closet into the hallway and made the closet slightly smaller (note: the back wall of the closet was brought forward to make additional room in the master bath which we will show later in “Their Design….Our Design #2”). Now, we can use the space in front of the closet for a wet bar while maintaining space for electronics and other storage.
2D VIEW:
AFTER
3D VIEW:
AFTER
TAKEAWAY: Simply by moving the door (and in this case we created a doorway instead of using a hinged door), we gained extra space yet maintained the storage we needed for electronics and other items. Even if you chose not to add a wet bar, bookshelves, or cabinetry, the space could still be used for artwork, extra chairs, etc. now that the door has been moved.
Because Andy was doing the work, the cost of this re-design was negligible for the benefit we received. If this had been the original design, the cost when built (without adding the wet bar) would have been cheaper because there was no need for a hinged door plus the trim/casing that went with it.