The New Rules For Space, Practicality & Comfort In The Home

I guess it would make sense that now that we are spending more time then ever in our home space that design ideas and goals would start to change. I do wonder how many people threw out their sofas and purchased new more comfortable ones now that they’ve spent more time on them than ever?! I’ve always been pretty practical with my spaces. They need to work for the people living in them first and foremost!

(This is a contributed post, for more information about my compensation please read my disclosure policy)

Since the dawn of the first day of January, there has been a rumbling right across the entire interior design world. This tremor of change began in late 2019. It has since grown and grown and has suddenly overflowed with multiple calls for a new beginning. First, it was a revamp of style. Brighter colors, no more neutrals, and furniture which was more catered to comfort than outright style.

Then, came the futuristic home, with technology being fully integrated into every part. Now, as we are steaming ahead with this home revolution, practicality and comfort are drastically changing. Spacing, fluidity in use and room design are being altered in so many ways. Would you like to be part of the rewriting of the rule book? This is how you can lead the way in your own home.

Floor Spacing Alterations

In the previous decade, we saw a rapid rise in the open floor plan design. This was a nice adaptation of many classical and traditional homes as they had floors which incorporated the kitchen and living room together. Open floor plans were rather short-lived because suddenly, everyone forgot they quite liked having privacy.

You can’t have a private chat with someone if those in the kitchen can eavesdrop on you. So, we’re back to having floors how they were, with multiple walled rooms. But floor spacing is still a huge issue because we like to have the feeling of freedom and large open spaces in our homes, deliver just that. 

Rearrange Furniture

The long and narrow approach is one of your options. If you have a kitchen and or dining area which is merged but you still have walls separating your living room, this is a great option for you. The trick is to keep all your large furniture in the corners. This will visually elongate the room, making the space between the doors and the decor feel longer. The seating will essentially become part of the wall and leave you with a long strip of empty space.  

Less is More

For your living room, do you really need to have more than one chair beside the sofa? So many rooms have a 2 or 3-seat sofa, along with two separate sofa chairs.

Even if you place them in the corners ‘out of the way’ they are still taking up space. Maybe you could have just one chair instead of two. Instead of a 3-seat sofa, how about a 2-seat instead? If you find that the seating is rarely used, you should adopt a less-is-more approach.

Center of Gravity

A tried and tested design that has really been forgotten by modern homes. The central area of your living room should be where all your furniture is placed.

The coffee table, sofas, chairs and even an area rug should be smack in the center of the room. This allows for the space around the decor, to be empty. You could use it to stand side tables and place plants on top of them or just leave it bare to use as walking space. 

A relaxing relationship with technology

Homeowners are concerned about the practicality of their homes. Purely relying on the technology itself isn’t enough, you need integrated technology. As a good rule of thumb, you should be able to use 75% of each room, without having to move. That seems like a bold statement, but if you think about it, the home’s remote should be in your pocket. Your smartphone should be able to operate the lights at a bare minimum.

C-Smart

The C-smart smart switch is a motion-sensing dimmer. It works just like a regular dimmer as you can physically use it to tone down the intensity of the ceiling lights, by hand. But that is so last century.

If you have installed Google Assistant on your phone, you can use voice commands to brighten or dim the lights without ever having to touch your phone. As long as it’s within earshot and the mic can pick up your voice, it’s quick and easy to set the lights however you want. 

Samsung Smart TV

The television is still an integral part of the modern home. Despite tablets, laptops and desktop computers being the main platforms we consume entertainment at home, the television is still very popular. The Samsung Smart TV can recognize your voice commands. This makes it easier to navigate through playlists, recorded shows and find whatever kind of movie, sitcom, documentary or even, YouTube video you would like to watch. The issue is, this type of TV needs clear space between you and it, to pick up your voice.

So, placing it on a wall is better than placing it on a tablet in the corner. Search for a ‘tv mounting service near me’ and professional installers will mount a strong bracket to your wall. It will connect all video and basic audio components thanks to its skeletal design. This will also address the wiring issues and create a neat solution. 

Bedside lamp

Bedtime reading is still a thing but now, we do it using our tablets and smartphones. However, the features on our devices aren’t very nuanced. Unfortunately, the blue light filter option isn’t very powerful or very adjustable. That’s why bedside table lamps are very popular.

However, no one wants to get up to adjust the light, so a smart lamp like the Phillips Hue Beyond is so cool. Using your smartphone, you can control the intensity of the light using Google Home or Amazon Alexa. If you’d rather not even tap away from your book, just utilize the voice control option. It also has a light duo feature, which shines one color light downward and another less powerful light, outward.

Is the Patio Dead?

A patio provides a lot of practical and mental benefits. For one thing, you get to sit outside on very hot days, enjoying the weather and listening to the birds singing. On the other hand, it gives you a place that is technically outside the home and this is great for our mental health.

Sometimes the four walls of our house can make us feel like we’re trapped. With a patio, you get to sit in an open space, where there’s plenty of fresh air and sunlight. However, more and more homes would like a better solution to their outdoor space. Patios are only usable if the weather is tolerable. But what if you would like to be more connected with the outdoors even when it’s rainy and cold?

That’s why conservatories are rising in popularity in 2020. This old school British style of outdoor leisure is gaining ground because it also adds more value to your home than a patio or decking would do. With a conservatory, you have extra space. You need not place a lot of furniture in your living room. You can have a television in your conservatory, along with better more informal seating.

Bean bag chairs, wicker patio furniture and lounge chairs are more suitable to the conservatory than the modern living room. And yes, the Chaise lounge chair is still incredibly popular. Only these days, it’s being made out of velvet, cotton and wool instead of just leather. It’s a great structure which you can use for your leisure. Your decor in your living room can, therefore, be lessened and you have more usable space in the home as a result.

The Clutter Eaters

No matter how hard you try, sometimes there’s just no way of stopping the accumulation of clutter in your home. This is something that needs to be acknowledged and not made part of your normal lifestyle. Clutter is sometimes unavoidable. Unless you want to live in a minimalist home, you have to accept that you will need to practically solve the issue.

Chest cabinet

A cross between a chest of drawers and a cabinet design, it offers a lot of practical internal shelf space. However, unlike a display cabinet, it does not have glass doors so you cannot see inside it.

This can hide the shame of a messy room quite usefully! A chest cabinet is, however, quite heavy and sometimes, isn’t very pleasing to the eye. It’s a good idea to make sure you look for natural wood instead of artificial fiberglass moulds that fit over a lightweight wooden board. It can, however, be dressed with ornaments, figurines, plants and lamps.

Sideboard cabinet

Much sleeker and modern than the chest cabinet, the sideboard cabinet is a low profile piece of decor. Sideboard cabinets were once very popular in bedrooms but now you’re more likely to find them in hallways, foyers and living rooms. Because they are low to the ground they stay out of the way, visually speaking. They are much lighter and cheaper than their contemporaries. 

Technology has become part and parcel of our normal lives. Any home that doesn’t allow most of its features to be used with just a few swipes or voice commands, is really living in the wrong decade.

(This is a contributed post, for more information about my compensation please read my disclosure policy)