Architecture & Design

Architecture & Design | 25 Once you have come across the perfect space (don't lose heart… it may take a few disastrous viewings before you walk into the space and feel that THIS is the one). It is then time to start thinking about how best to go about designing the property so that you benefit 100% from every nook and cranny. The best way to start this is to determine your needs. Look into how you live and develop a brief. If this feels too daunting a step you have the option to commission a designer or architect to help you develop a brief and then help you along your design journey. A design brief is one of the most important steps of any project - ask yourself all kinds of questions. What do you do as soon as you get home? Do you need storage for coats and shoes by the door – maybe a built-in storage and seating space would make entering and leaving the home easier. Do you entertain often, or are your dinners mainly in solitude in front on the television? How do you decompress at the end of a long, hard workday? Is a hidden margarita machine necessary for those wild weekends? Is a bath essential or do you make do with singing in the shower? What about clothes, books and general storage? Where are these all going to go? Ideally you draw up two lists: the first with what spaces you would like and the second with all your objects. This process is key to the start of the tiny house design process. Once that is done, experiment with floor plans. Look into where things can go; think out of the box. Can your walls be turned into storage space? Can you use curtains as dividers instead of walls? Making the most of your space means looking at it in a different way – storage is important in a tiny house as clutter makes the space look smaller and you want to feel comfortable and able to move around despite the space being limited. One of the oldest tricks for increasing the feeling of space is to take out walls and maximize the passage of light – look into using a storage wall with a hidden door leading from one space into another or possibly a textured glass wall instead of a solid gypsum wall to bring light into an area. Custom modular furniture, screens and curtains change the look of the space – it is important to look at your initial list of needs and work towards incorporating them into your space so that you are happy in your living environment. Do you need a desk to work from home? Incorporate it underneath the stairs making the most of the area – if possible, integrate the design of a skylight or a window into the space so that it is bright and airy. Not much room for chairs in the dining area? Integrate a nook into the kitchen cabinetry, making space for you to move around and bring out chairs that you have cleverly stored away when you have guests over. Make sure that any dead space is designed as storage, you never know what you're going to need. Think of Tiny Living as the Marie Kondo method on a larger scale. "Life truly begins after you have put your house in order" – you need order in small spaces so that they become a happy place sparking joy.

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