Designing for Your Lifestyle

I was reading a recent poll that was published by a national trade magazine in which designers were asked a series of questions, with what I thought were disappointing statistics. For instance, 3 out of 4 designers surveyed for kitchen designs are using function before form [a design that fits a client’s living and cooking style]. Three out of four??? I think that means that 25% of design professionals are focusing on how something looks without regard to how you would actually use the space– unbelievable! Imagine a beautiful new kitchen that frustrates the end user because there isn’t anywhere to prep a salad. At least you know you have a 75% chance that your designer cares about how a space will be used, LOL. Even if you don’t cook, you may want your designer to know where you’d like to store the take-out and make it easy to clean-up

I believe that a good home, and kitchen, and laundry area, and every other built environment can be designed to work for your lifestyle and also be beautifully designed. Start with lifestyle and infuse ergonomics with a touch of feng shui. 

Your lifestyle is a really important factor in designing you a space and I love to have the conversation with people about their lives because I know that is one of the most important factors in good long term enjoyment of home. I am sure there are more parts to the make-up of “lifestyle” but I think it is knowing the daily routines of the family now while understanding where the family is heading. How old are the children and what type of interests do they have? Who and how many are cooking at home? What type of down time does the family have as a group? And also the true nature of the neighborhood and how they participate in it. One of hundreds of examples would be the difference in 2 families that love to ski; one family owns a ski home so they don’t have a need for easy access and storage for winter items because it will all be up north. The other family goes every other weekend for day trips and would welcome a solution for packing easier, and unpacking when they get home.

Ergonomics in a home environment is about blending the lifestyle with how you want to “be” in your home, as well as how you will move about. In a kitchen or bath, there are more mechanics about process of course. Good ergonomics in whole would allow the occupants to have the space they need when it is time to get together (dining, talking and relaxing), and when they need space (homework, working from home, or reading while the children trash the basement). Two sets of stairs can aide in this if the home is long and linear- especially if the stair isn’t in the center. But two stairs too close to each other can actually impede on ergonomics if the space used has more value than saving a few steps.

Feng Shui is an ancient form of [tongue in cheek] lifestyle meets religion that has a lot of great information about how architecture should cohabitate with nature, and the people using it. Literally translates as “wind-water” according to Wikipedia. One example of good feng shui in a home design that you can move through your home the way a river would run with least resistance, aka:”ergonomics”. With interior design, it is bad feng shui to open a front door, and be able to immediately see the back door. They refer to this as an avenue for your spirit to leave, and offer a solution of placing rice below a red matt to keep your spirit from leaving. I believe the real translation would be that upon entering home, one should feel first embraced by it, and allowed to take in “home” before moving on. If you have ever enjoyed the seat in the corner of a room where you can see everything around you, that is known as the Tiger position. The opposite feeling would be present if a room was oriented with seating facing away from where others are gathering, with no connection or ability to know what is happening behind you. Many of you know why you have your bed facing a certain direction now, and who sleeps closer to the door :)