Contents
- 1 From a Building Designer Hobart
- 2 The Impact on Health, Wealth, and Relationships
- 3 Design like Beethoven
- 4 Embrace Variation and Creativity
- 5 The Genius in Small Elements
- 6 Change The Nay Saying For The Yes And
- 7 Bring The Wow To Your Home
- 8 How I Transformed A Small Footprint House And Brought Back The Wow
- 9 Your Turn To Make A Big Space Out Of A Small Footprint While Bringing The Wow
From a Building Designer Hobart
Making the most out of the space you have is something close to my heart. Whether you’re in a cozy apartment or a compact house, there’s always a way to make it feel bigger and better. Let’s dive into some tips and tricks and explore how the way you design for maximising small footprints can positively impact your health, wealth, and relationships.
The Impact on Health, Wealth, and Relationships
Did you know that living in a space that feels bigger can actually improve your mental and physical health? A well-designed space that feels open and airy can promote relaxation and a sense of well-being. It’s all about creating an environment where you feel comfortable and at ease.
Maximising space isn’t just about comfort – it can also boost the value of your home. Homes that are designed to make the most of their space often have higher real estate value. But it’s not just about selling; it’s also about the perceived value to those living in and visiting the home. A well-organied, spacious-feeling home can make a huge difference in how people perceive its worth.
Designing spaces for connection and for privacy can also have a positive impact on your relationships. When your home feels spacious and inviting, it becomes a better place for personal time, for socialising, and for spending quality time on your own or with loved ones. Whether it’s dinners with family or friends, game nights, or just hanging out, a thoughtfully designed space can enhance these experiences and strengthen your bonds.
Design like Beethoven
Early in my career as a designer, I learned about Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations and have used this concept ever since. The Diabelli Variations are a set of 33 variations on a simple waltz composed by Anton Diabelli. Beethoven took this modest theme and transformed it into a series of imaginative and diverse pieces, showcasing his genius in exploring a wide range of musical ideas and emotions. This approach of creating numerous variations from a single idea has deeply influenced my design process, encouraging me to explore multiple solutions for a design and refine them to achieve the best possible outcome.
I try to be introspective and observe the way I design so that I can improve the way I do it. With the passing of time and with each new design I’ve taken note of the simple principles that allow me to apply a Beethoven’s approach to my work. Here’s a few ways I do it:
Embrace Variation and Creativity
Starting with a basic concept and exploring multiple variations can lead to innovative and unique solutions. I experiment with different layouts, materials, and styles, rhythms, structures, feelings, and concepts to find the best fit for a space and their users. This process encourages creativity and ensures that the final design arises after a thorough process of looking into the untapped potential that’s sometimes hidden in a place.
Beethoven’s process of creating numerous variations before settling on the final set can be likened to the iterative process in design. I experiment and iterate with different ideas and during this stage of the design I encourage myself to explore and experiment with unusual and unexpected solutions. I have fun and enjoy pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. I ask myself, what would this space be if anything was possible? In my experience the most effective solutions show themselves and stand out asking to be refined.
The Genius in Small Elements
The genius in Beethoven variations lay in the ability to take small core elements of the original music and build upon them. Similarly, paying attention to the small essential details in a design can make a significant impact. I tend to design from the inside out, imagining the people in the house going about their everyday doing things here and there as they move around the space. How do they want to be influenced? What do they want to feel? How can I make that happen for them? How can I overdeliver and give them even more than they can imagine and influence them in a subtle way to help them have an wonderful life?
Beethoven’s variations are not only technically impressive but also emotionally engaging. When designing I consider both aspects to create spaces that are beautiful, emotionally touching, memorable, and practical. Whether it’s the choice of lighting, the texture of materials, or the arrangement of furniture, these details can enhance the overall feel of a space and create a cohesive and harmonious environment.
Change The Nay Saying For The Yes And
When designing, it’s important to keep an open mind and not let negative or doubtful thoughts block your creativity. I’ve learnt to avoid using words like “no,” “but”, and “however,” as they can stop ideas in their tracks and in time become self-limiting. Instead, I am mindful of welcoming any new ideas, even the ones that seem to be really out there, with a “yes and… let’s include that detail here…” or “yes and… how about we improve this bit here and that bit there and see if it works…”. In my experience looking into the ideas that arise with curiosity and patience while focusing on the potential that each of them might bring can be rewarding and make your design process less stressful and more enjoyable.
Bring The Wow To Your Home
Creating a “wow” factor in your home can make a small space feel much bigger. High ceilings and exposed handmade trusses, for example, can draw the eye upward and create a sense of grandeur. When people walk into a space and say “wow” or stop to admire, it means you’ve successfully created a space that brings out unexpected positive feelings. Think of iconic buildings with high ceilings and trusses – they leave a lasting impression and make the space feel expansive.
It’s possible to maximize a space and improve on quality. And this is what I set out to achieve when I recently redesigned a 100m² home that was messy and labyrinthine into one with a big memorable wow factor.
How I Transformed A Small Footprint House And Brought Back The Wow
In one of my recent house renovations, I focused on creating a “wow” factor by incorporating several key elements. I started by changing the messy layout into a defined two main areas: private for the rooms, and social for the living areas. I experimented with fewer and fewer walls to allow for a more open flow and to create a spacious, light-filled, and functional area to encourage communication and movement. Every millimeter that would have normally be used in hallways or extra unnecessary walls I passed on to each or the spaces. The result was a kitchen-dining-living half the size of the house, the addition of an extra bedroom, and of an ensuite bathroom in the master bedroom.
To add a sense of grandeur, I used double-height spaces and vaulted ceilings, which immediately draw the eyes upward and make the rooms feel more expansive. I then established focal points in each room and created or improved their views to the garden, street, and river. I also created seamless views and connection from the kitchen to the living spaces and to the terrace allowing natural light to flood the space and connect the indoors with the outdoors. Unique lighting elements, like skylights and well-placed long windows, further enhanced the ambiance and create a grander space. Additionally, I designed exposed hand-made timber trusses to add a striking visual effect and a touch of farmhouse cottage charm. Finally, I designed a dramatic entry experience with a door that opens right into the main double height living space ensuring that the first impression was unforgettable.
The original house had two bedrooms and one bathroom in 95m2. After the redesign to maximise and bring the wow, the house now features three bedrooms, one bathroom, and one ensuite in a 98m2 in a stunning special design.
Your Turn To Make A Big Space Out Of A Small Footprint While Bringing The Wow
Think about what it would take to turn a small footprint space into a bigger one. Gather some paper and start sketching your vision and see where your imagination takes you.
By embracing the idea that there is always room for wow, for a bigger space, or for a space that feels bigger, we can create homes that truly enhance our lives. Let any small space in your home be the canvas for your experimentation. And you’ll know when you’ve succeeded if after your redesign you really want to spend time at home because it makes you feel good.
Get Your Design Project Started With These FREE Resources to help you on your building designer journey
- Get Marisol’s FREE Book “How To Get The Most Out Of Your Home Designer…Even If The Designer is YOU” here.
- Watch Marisol’s FREE Workshop “Home Design Secrets” here. Would it be too out there for you to get started with your home and follow the same steps I followed to redefine my home? And how about me guiding you the same way I guide my clients when I design their houses? Step by step, you’ll find it all here.
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- Marisol Miro Quesada works as a building designer, architectural designer, house designer, interior designer, and landscape designer specialising as home designer. Schedule a call to chat about your project or get a free quote here.