Architectural design is all about space. Any given space has several attributes, such as dimensions, scale, rhythm and flows. It also has the aspect of functionality, which is directly related to how we’re going to live between the walls, openings and furniture around us.
We’ve learned through the years that bigger is better, that wealthier people have bigger homes and, that if possible, the ideal scene is to have the biggest mansion on the block. But let’s take a step back and talk about this “bigger is better” belief, which is ultimately only one of many aspects that needs to be addressed in a project.
We recently worked on a 1,200 sq. ft. home renovation in Clearwater, Florida. Single family house (lovely couple with an 8 yr old son) nice neighborhood, 3 bedroom 2 bathroom layout and a small backyard with a covered dinning area. Pretty standard, huh? At least the clients thought so, but to their surprise the project had far more potential than they expected, or to be fair, than they actually could know, because they’ve never seen a floor plan or 3D model of their house.
(Home Scan).
The first meeting was pretty normal. They had talked to different General Contractors and Designers and their hopes were pretty down to earth: gaining 1 foot for the master bathroom and opening up the kitchen.
“I think that’s all we can do, you know, this house was pretty inexpensive and we just want to make it prettier and gain some space” - This was the wife’s statement after we finished touring the house. In that moment I got curious, I knew what they thought would be possible… but now I was more interested about what they REALLY wanted.
He’s a pretty tall guy that plays several sports, so he said that he really wanted a stand-alone large tub to rest after working out. On the other hand, her main wish was to have a walk in closet and a bigger bathroom with 2 vanities (we won’t get into details but sometimes having a double vanity is better than marriage therapy). They also wanted a big dinning room space and a kitchen with an island where they could create their family moments.
(As Built Plans).
Now we were talking!
Despite the warning to not try we went ahead and took the challenge. We were determined to give them what they really wanted and doing so within their budget.
Fast forward, after scanning the space, analyzing it and drawing several options, we arrived to the ideal layout. Funnily enough we went even further than their ideal scene, the layout now included a new foyer, a bigger living room, bigger dinning room, an open kitchen concept with a 7x9 ft island with extra pantry space, a walk-in closet, double vanity, a big stand-alone tub and a great shower. All of this by moving a couple of doors and walls and using the existing house openings. No structural changes needed.
(Our Proposed Layout).
So is bigger better? Let’s just say that smarter is better and that no matter what an “expert” may say, you can always do something to make better space.
Maybe you just need a designer with a bigger vision and actual passion.
(Sketches, 3D models and diagrams used for the design).