Everyone has different living requirements, and a good home layout will adjust to fit your unique lifestyle and needs. A home layout can make or break just how much you enjoy your living space. In general, room layouts tend to have a few elements that need to be put in certain places-your couch might only fit against one wall, or your TV and shelving might take up a certain amount of space- but for those items that you have the option of moving around, little things like their placement, which room they function best in, and how you store them can make a big difference in the feel of your household. With this in mind, take a look at a few rules to live by when organizing your home layout.
Work with What You Have
If most of us are being honest, the furniture we own and the space we have to work with aren’t perfect. While you may want perfection out of your living space, you have to consider your existing furniture and your budget. Money can be tight after a big move, so the fewer pieces you have to purchase the better. Make the most of the things you already own.
If you want a change, but your budget is tight, see what can be repurposed, restored, or repainted before you decide it has to be replaced. You’d be surprised what a little craftsmanship can do for an old coffee table. Don’t forget, you can always replace things down the road.
Make Sure It’s Comfortable but Productive
A lot of the time we make the mistake of overpacking a room with things. In the name of making a space comfortable we can add that extra couch where it doesn’t fit, hang on to those five extra couch pillows that we don’t need, or make the mistake of trying to put a desk in a really distracting space because its closer to comfortable amenities.
One rule of thumb to judge whether or not you have a productive space by is if you have room for walking traffic. If you can’t move around a room, chances are you have too much stuff and it can be distracting and overwhelming you. Make sure that you are giving yourself enough physical space to get things done, and chances are it will cross over to your productivity as well.
Make the Most of Your Kitchen
A kitchen can be one of the most frustrating places to figure out the layout for since oftentimes the majority of appliances like your stove, sink, refrigerator, counters, and dishwasher are built-in and can’t be moved around. As a result, it becomes even more important to understand how to efficiently utilize space.
There are two major things you can do to prevent yourself from getting more frustrated with kitchen space. The first is making sure that you aren’t clogging the area in front of your sink or stove too closely with a table, chairs, or other appliances. Those essential large kitchen appliances are what you use most, and therefore you need easy access to them to feel like you have adequate space to prepare food.
Next, if you have a small workspace, try and avoid storing appliances, decorations, or food items on that surface. You’re going to end up wasting time clearing that space just to cook, and a lot of the things that are typically placed there can find storage somewhere else in your kitchen.
Overall, if you make the most of the space around the items you use most, your kitchen will feel much larger.
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A Few Homey Touches go a Long Way
When you’re moving into a new space it can at first feel odd seeing your things from your previous home in a new space, but something that can combat this change in environment is making sure that those old memories stay a part of your new home. You can accomplish this by making sure to put up lots of pictures of family and friends in your new home, especially in those rooms like your living room which are dedicated to spending time relaxing and bonding with guests. It will give the room a more homey feel and will also allow you to feel more established in the space.
Don’t Forget to Visualize the Space
Before you make any decisions in terms of layout, do you best to picture what it will be like. Can you see yourself spending time there, can you imagine yourself utilizing the space? Don’t just take yourself into account either. If you have a family, make sure there are plenty of places your kids can play, our your significant other can accomplish their tasks or relax. Consider hosting company, is this a space your guests will feel comfortable hanging out in? The chances are that your end result will be a bit different from what you envisioned, but at least you’ll have a general idea and you can weed out bad ideas.
When it comes to designing your home layout a lot of your spacial decisions are ultimately going to come down to what you value most in a room. However, it is clear that having access to the things you use most, and being able to feel productive and at ease in your environment should be an overarching goal for every new homeowner. If all else fails, you’ll always have Feng Shui to fall back on! Make sure to keep all of this in mind when prioritizing your next home layout.