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Journalism of Courage
Once you have made the decision to build rather than buy your next home,the biggest step after finding the right building lot is to design your future abode. This can be tough; putting together a home design that reflects your taste,yet also fits your needs and budget is a balancing act that takes planning. The following are guidelines to help you on your way.
You must first decide what type of home to build. House styles today are as varied as those who live in them,offering you a bouquet of ideas from which to borrow.
EFFICIENT SPACES
When mapping out your floor plan,make sure there is a logical flow to your home design. You want to simplify life for your contractor while he builds and for your family while they live in it. Some things to consider:
Design direct access to the kitchen from the garage
Design all your plumbing in one general area,reducing pipe distance
Place your heating ventilation and air conditioning system as centrally as possible,allowing for better temperature balance throughout your house
Bedrooms should be isolated to reduce noise and increase privacy
Place your washer and dryer on the same floor as bedrooms for two or more story homes
Make sure all doorways,hallways and stairways are wide enough to move furniture through
Make sure that light switches are placed appropriate to traffic flow and that outlets are conveniently placed.
Remember that window placement affects the inside and outside look of your house. Whether you live on a corner or in the middle of the block,the sides of your home are going to be seen. Design the look of your home so that you would be proud to let anyone walk around it,putting small design elements.
PAINTS,COLOURS ET AL
Light coloured external walls and roof sheeting absorb less heat from the sun than dark colours,ensuring the home remains cooler.
Although bathrooms are private spaces,they the most used places in any house. Depending upon the number of bathrooms that you have in your home and where they are located,they can range from strictly functional areas to inspirational retreats.
Due to the high moisture levels that are present within the bath,this space is prone to mildew and surfactant leaching. Therefore,experts at the Paint Quality Institute recommends the highest quality sheen or semi-gloss paints that contain mildew protection as well as stain resistance. Several paint manufacturers have designed special kitchen/bath paints that are specifically designed to accommodate these spaces.
Depending upon your familys lifestyle,dining rooms traditionally exist as formal entertaining areas or as an active,everyday part of the home. The way in which your dining room functions will help to determine the areas style as well as décor. The use of color can help to define the tone of the dining room.
Highly used,active dining rooms require high quality paint that contains a higher sheen that can be easily cleaned. If the informal dining room is attached or open to the kitchen,you may wish to consider implementing a monochromatic color scheme or incorporating the grouping of colors that appear within the kitchen.
As the first and last place that we see each day,bedrooms are reflective of our distinct personalities. Indicative of a personal and private space,the bedroom space particularly signifies a creative place where our individual tastes and needs are outlined. Representing a private sanctuary,there is more flexibility with regard to style,décor and color within the bedroom space.
Quiet,muted hues are favourite bedroom color choices,as they tend to be more comforting and relaxing. Cool colors blues/greens provide a soothing feeling that adds everyday livability to the bedroom space. Cool colors also contain the added bonus of visually expanding small bedrooms and making the space appear larger.
Choosing adjacent colours on the colour palette for a bedroom colour scheme allows for a particularly well-blended space. Neutral colors are another favourite choice for bedrooms,as they allow the occupant to inject a dash of unexpected color throughout the space. Neutral tones also provide for easy rearranging of accessories as well as seasonal decorating within the bedroom. Maximise neutral color schemes and monochromatic color schemes in the bedroom by adding sufficient texture,via interesting bed linens,window treatments,floor coverings and wall coverings.
The author is creative director,Elvy Lifestyle
