Home Renovation: Maximising Space and Comfort

*Collaborative Post

While every home is different, and every homeowner has different priorities, there are some things that just about everyone wants. A sense of space and comfort is among them.

Space-Enhancing Renovation Ideas

If you’re planning a home renovation, then the chances are good that you’d like it to feel roomy, rather than cramped. Since this is quite a common objective, renovators have, over the years, come up with quite a few neat little tricks for generating that little bit of extra space – even from homes with very restrictive floorplans.

Our most important ally here is natural light. We want the sun to find its way to every corner of every room, chasing away those shadows, and doing away with that sense of dinginess. Large windows will allow lots of light in, while light-shaded walls will reflect as much of it as possible.

The same applies to an open floor plan, which will minimise the shadows cast by walls. Open-plan properties also give you a sense of immediate space – because they literally are roomier!

Comfort-Centric Design Principles

What role does comfort play, here? Mostly, it’s a matter of the items we choose to furnish our homes and the way in which we arrange them. Look at ergonomic furniture that promotes good posture, and smart-home technology that provides extra convenience. Get used to turning the lights on and off with a voice command, and you might wonder whether you need the switches there.

The layout of your home should be informed by the use you make of it. If you find that you rarely use the television, then you might decide that the furniture no longer needs to point towards it.

Modern Materials for Home Renovation

Certain materials tend to make a great match for the modern home. Steel and glass on the staircase, for example, can create a sense of effortless style. At the other end of the spectrum is bamboo, which is one of the most sustainable timbers, and a lot more durable than many might assume. Then, of course, there’s the most reliable of modern materials: 12.5mm plasterboard, which comes in various types to suit various projects.

Your choice of material should be informed by your personal taste, and by the surrounding fabric of the building. In other words, don’t try to force a 16^th-century cottage aesthetic into a modern flat, or vice versa.

Transformative Renovation Projects

For inspiration, we might look at a few projects that have already been successfully completed. In Skye, there’s the remote eco-home built by Nick Middleton and Kate Prentice, whose massive south-facing window helps to maximise light distribution during winter. On the other end of the spectrum is the eco-friendly cottage built by John Hughes and Harriet Wilson, which is built upon the remains of an old chalet.

*This is a collaborative post. For further information please refer to my disclosure page.

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