Design Concepts and Ideas

Whenever we are designing for a home, we find the following concepts apply:

• Size Matters
• Function, Function, Function!
• Affordability is a Design Issue
• Beauty is Essential
• Style: Make it Personal
• Green Makes Good Sense
• Start Today

Size Matters

How much space do you need to satisfy your needs and delight your senses? While this answer will vary with people's preferences and circumstances, we believe that a well designed space is one that works and feels good utilizing just the right amount of space—and no more. Design strategies for optimizing space include:

Overlap functions.

For many of us our homes are our refuges, our playgrounds, our launch pads and our life offices in addition to places to sleep and eat. While you can try to create different rooms for all of these functions, a more economical and elegant design solution is to create living spaces with overlapping functions. In fact, these types of spaces are often richer and more enlivening than single function rooms. The classic example is the kitchen and family room where everyone gathers not only to cook, but also to do homework, to visit, to play, etc. A corollary to this idea is to design easily adaptable spaces that can serve different functions at different times during the day or, alternatively, during one's lifetime.

Light equals space.

Generally the goal is to bring in a good amount of light, preferably daylight. A well lit space feels bigger and is more useable than a dimly lit space. You can always reduce or soften harsh light if you need to make a space cozier.

Borrow visual space.

Our experience of a space includes the space we can see even if it isn't in the room. A room with view to a larger space, either out a window or into another room, feels more expansive.

Clutter cramps, clean expands.

The more visual detail in a room, the smaller it can feel. Done well this can make a room feel cozy and interesting. However if over done, or done poorly and not well maintained, details can make a room feel cluttered and cramped.

FUNCTION, FUNCTION, FUNCTION!

This may seem like such an obvious goal, but it is surprising how often function is not the outcome of home remodeling. By function we mean how something works, particularly for your needs. Function is especially challenging in the kitchen and bath, but it is a factor for all spaces and includes the quality of the light and air, comfort, size of the space, furnishings, etc.

Make a checklist.

Again, this may sound obvious, but a checklist of all the things you want to do in a space as well as the qualities you want a space to have should be the basis for your design. Start with the most important fundamental functions and qualities and make sure you address those first before considering the less important factors and other contingencies.

Be realistic

about how you behave and the outcome you desire. While the design of a space can influence our behavior, we don't often change that easily. If you don't make your bed now, a new bedroom may not necessarily change that (though an easy to make bed may help!)

Maintenance is part of function.

Everything needs to be maintained either on a daily, weekly, monthly, yearly or lifecycle basis. Needless to say, we want maintenance to be easy, quick and inexpensive. Durable surfaces and materials that are easily maintained with non-toxic cleaners are preferable. Another point to keep in mind: surface area equals dust!

Make it Flow.

Correcting awkward flows between rooms is often the chief reason for remodeling. Therefore one of the functional goals of any changes you make should include creating easy and elegant transitions within a space as well as from one space to another.

AFFORDABILITY IS A DESIGN ISSUE

One of the significant factors influencing the design of our homes is the amount of time, money and skill we have to invest. Rarely are these resources so abundant that they do not greatly influence the choices we make. Therefore a significant part of any design is determining how to achieve the project goals within the budget.

Define priorities.

This is the crux of any budget process and it takes a combination of soul searching and an ability to reevaluate and make adjustments as a situation evolves.

Creativity is a great budget expander.

In general we have found the fewer the resources, the more creative and ingenious the solutions. This is an area where we think we are especially good as designers.

Good information generally pays for itself.

Information is key to helping you make the right choices for your situation and for getting the best value for the money. Skimping on the information gathering and designing upfront may end up costing you more time and money in the end.

Invest in quality materials where it counts most.

A lot of affordability issues come down to determining where to invest your money for long term benefits such as buying more durable materials, versus where to "cut corners." The general rule of thumb is to invest in the best quality materials you can afford for items that last the longest, like the structure of your space. If you need to cut corners, either do without if feasible, or do so with things that can be replaced easily.

BEAUTY IS ESSENTIAL

For many of us, making our homes beautiful is a primary goal. Our experience is that well designed, functional spaces with green materials easily lend themselves to being beautiful.

Many earth friendly and durable materials are intrinsically beautiful

such as wood, stone, glass, and natural fabrics. Finding ways to feature the intrinsic beauty of these materials can go a long way to adding to the overall aesthetic of your home. Also, many of these more durable materials grow in beauty as they age naturally.

Create beauty in the everyday.

This concept is widespread in Japan and other places and when applied to the everyday things in your home it can increase the beauty exponentially. Pay particular attention to the beauty of details at eyelevel and to items that are commonly used.

Proportion, color, and detail.

Proportions are a key element in determining the beauty of an object and a space, and interestingly there is often widespread agreement as to what proportions are beautiful. Opinions tend to vary more when it comes to color and detail. Use these elements for expressing your individual vision of beauty.

Don't forget smell, touch, sound and taste.

In addition to visual beauty, you can add to your overall enjoyment of your home by creating smells, textures, sounds and flavors that soothe, excite, and satisfy.

We take care of the beautiful

and beauty results from our care. When your home feels beautiful, you tend to take better care of it. Likewise by focusing your attention on your home, you will inevitably begin to make it more beautiful.

STYLE: MAKE IT PERSONAL

We believe the only home style worth developing is one that reflects your personal style. Sometimes people lose sight of this and end up living in their parent's idea of home, or in a replica of something from a glossy magazine, or, as is often the case, in a space that came about by default. Don't live in leftovers! Our goal is not to impose our sense of style, but rather to help you clarify and develop your style as needed.

Surround your self with the things you love and need

and eliminate everything that is a burden and unnecessary.

Have a place for everything

including books you plan to read, dirty socks, and unpaid bills. Style shouldn't preclude function; it should facilitate it. Your style should reflect what you need and do as well as what you like.

Less is usually more.

Create beautiful empty spaces in amongst your more filled spaces. A blank wall, a shelf with a couple of well loved objects on it, or clean corner can offer visual respites in our busy lives.

Go for Timelessness,

especially in the bones of the space. Unless you have lots of money and time to spend recreating your place every few years, create the space equivalent of that little black dress that you can accessorize a thousand different ways.

Balance design elements,

but do not over coordinate them. This is one of the trickiest aspects to interior design and where confidence, experimentation and a second opinion from one's friends or professionals can help.

Make room for seasonal changes

to your space. By varying plants, colors, and even types of furniture with the seasons you can continually rejuvenate your home.

GREEN MAKES GOOD SENSE

While green design and good design are not exactly synonymous, for us good design always includes green design principles such as the following:

Use all resources as efficiently as possible.

This often starts with reducing how much is needed in the first place. In many cases, reducing the size and extent of a home remodel will save resources. When possible reuse existing materials, and after that consider recycled, renewable, and sustainably produced materials. Incorporate resource efficiency strategies everywhere you can such as good weatherization to conserve energy. Minimize waste throughout the process with good planning, reuse and recycling.

Make it healthy for you and the planet.

To improve indoor air quality use low or non-toxic materials and processes whenever possible. Likewise, if it is not healthy for you to breathe, it isn't healthy for others either. Use materials and processes that are non-polluting in the way they are made and disposed of or recycled. Look for green products that have labels verifying their claims such as Green Seal, Energy Star and Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certified lumber.

Support local businesses and a living wage.

A healthy local economy depends on healthy local businesses. Transporting goods long distances requires more fossil fuels than locally made products. Supporting business that pay a living wage or are "Fair Trade" helps to ensure greater economic equity for those who make the things we use.

Choose a location that minimizes your need to use a car.

Next to our homes, our car use has the greatest negative impact on the environment. By locating your home near the places you need and want to be, or on public transit routes, you can create a healthier life for both you and the planet.

Seek out green solutions that offer many benefits.

Green design solutions often address many issues at once. For example, weatherization makes your home more comfortable, saves you money in energy costs, and potentially improves indoor air quality and the value of your home while reducing your impact on the earth as you use less energy. There are many examples of these win-win-win solutions that we can help you find through greening your home.

START TODAY

Begin by eliminating all the extra stuff you have.

Go through your belongings and decide what is really important for you to KEEP, what you will STORE, and what you will TOSS out. For all of those things you aren't sure what to do with, put them in a box to TOSS IN A MONTH if you haven't thought about them. See what you can give away to friends, to charities, or online at places like FreeCyclePortland. Alternatively you can sell things at a garage sale or online (we like CraigsList.com). Only contribute to the landfill as a last resort. (See Metro for a list of how and where to recycle many things.)

Give yourself a storage budget. You are using your valuable resources to store your stuff, so make sure it is worth it. In end you should be surrounded only by the things you love and really need. Remember that nothing new can come into your life if it is already filled up.

Ask yourself questions to clarify what you want:

What do I like best about my home?
Where do I spend the most time?
What do I like most about those places?
What are the most positive physical features of my home?

What do I like least about my home?
What doesn't work about my home?
What spaces do I never go in, avoid or feel bad in?
What embarrasses me about my home?

How would I like to change my home?
What unmet needs would I like to meet with these changes?
What are some dream spaces I would like to have in my home?

What is my time and money budget for making changes to my home?
How many of the changes do I want to do myself and how many do I want or need others to do?

The answers to these questions begin to formulate the basis for your plan to improve your home. Start with the big decisions and work your way to the small ones. Figure out the major components of the space before selecting throw pillows.

Spend time and energy maintaining your home.

To quote Apartment Therapy, "Nothing you ever do for your home is wasted." The more energy we invest in our surroundings, the more they will reflect energy back to us. Even if you don't have big blocks of time or a keen interest, try to find ways to maintain your home on a daily basis. Be creative and multi-task: play music and do a dust dance or clean the refrigerator while listening to the radio. You may find you need others to help you. Form a home beautification support team and celebrate your accomplishments. The important thing is that you find ways you enjoy investing in your home from now on.


As you apply these concepts we are happy to help you at any point with services customized to fit your particular needs and situation.