We live and walk through spaces that are either active, dynamic, and evolving, or entirely stagnant within our everyday life. More often than not, we’re asked to transform an area that has an issue with the latter.
When most people consider design, they think of a purely aesthetic job. After all, it’s in a designer’s very nature and name. Designing, on its surface, is about enhancing a space through aesthetics. However, at its very core, “design” is about transforming a room completely, not only at a surface level.
Accepting That You’ve Outgrown a Living Space
As human beings, we’ve learned to adapt to a mostly rooted life. Where we once lived as nomads, we now happily take up immovable habitats. However, the harm comes in when we assume that our spaces should reflect this. More often than not, our team is called because spaces and environments no longer fit the lives of the persons living within.
As with many things in life, it’s not uncommon to outgrow a current situation or environment. We can appreciate when homeowners find that the highly trafficked areas that they once adored, like the kitchen, or master suite, no longer serve a purpose in their daily life.
Many of our clients seek us out, knowing exactly where the problem lies. Maybe they’ve finally grown tired of kitchen cabinets that are more nuisance than usable. Perhaps they’ve realized they’ve outgrown their current living room space, and what once was an area for togetherness now feels disjointed or cramped. Whatever the reason, it’s healthy to admit it’s time for a change. The problems arise when a homeowner thinks the fix is purely at a surface level: aesthetics.
Although a fresh coat of paint or a change of furniture can indeed provide a sense of dynamic change, as homeowners, we’re often faced with the same issue we began with several years later. Because at its core, the problem isn’t only aesthetics, but the layout of the space itself as a whole.
Designing Around Lived Experiences
Our team understands that great design reflects not only aesthetics but more importantly a functional needs. We take into account the direct living experience of every person that calls the space their home. Transforming a space—whether it be a single room or an entire structure—requires us to understand how those housed within happily live. By investing our time and energy understanding those within a space and their everyday experiences, we can positively impact how that space is transformed for a new use.
Good design requires a great deal of patience, research and years of training. At the base, it’s our passion to create a livable balance between “luxury” and functionality for a homeowner and their family. Why is this important? Because a kitchen can be more than just a space to store food and cook the occasional meal. This space may very well be a safe place for a family to come together. A space to interact, learn, and experience togetherness.
Just like a therapist creates a safe space for open communication and vulnerability, we’re building an area around the same concept as designers. By actively learning about the lived experiences of those within a home—from passions to everyday habits—we can build a space that is as unique as they are.
How Can We Transform Your House Into a Home?
Communicating your needs helps us all find meaning. We ask the critical questions that aren’t strictly about your favorite color palettes or countertop materials. We go beyond by asking questions like:
- What elements in your current environment do you cherish or find appealing, and why?
- If you could design an ideal environment for yourself and your loved ones, how do you envision that space?
- What message are you aiming to convey in these spaces?
- Why now?
- We ask meaningful questions like what purpose does this space serve.
It’s the answers to these questions that begin the journey to a naturalistic, purposeful, and deliberate space. Together we can explore your solutions and consider the design possibilities that reflect them harmoniously. It’s only then that a space is transformed into more than just a lovely place to look at or a shelter: this is how a house becomes a home.
