Space Planning: the foundation of practical design
“Our living spaces need to do more than just look good, they must efficiently serve our daily needs.”
- Rory Everitt
Space planning is the first step in creating a functional interior. It involves analyzing how a space will be used and creating a program to design to.
All good designs starts with critical thinking, which is facilitated by writing. Who will use the space and how?
Assessing Your Needs
Ask yourself:
How do you use the space?
Who else will be using the space?
What activities will take place there and how often?
By thinking through answers to these questions - and other questions like them - you can create a plan that works for your unique lifestyle. Write down a bulleted list of activities that are must-have vs nice-to-have. This is your interior program.
There will usually be tradeoffs to be debated and activities that need to be prioritized. For example, if you host 16 people once a year, do you optimize your dining arrangement for that Holiday or for the daily meals that you and your partner enjoy together?
A good interior designer is well versed in ethnographic research and excels at uncovering your needs. They can also help navigate tradeoffs and competing priorities between stakeholders, to arrive at a functional room layout that will be pleasurable for all parties involved.
Overlay the program on the spaces
Take your program (aka the bulleted list of activities) and assign each bullet to a space within your home. This is your space plan.
In this entryway example, we can break the progam up into the two primary spaces in the architectural blueprint
Public entry - for house visitors to use
Place to sit, while visitors take their shoes off and on
Space to temporarily store up to 10 pairs of shoes
Place to set down a heavy package or other items being carried into the home
Hooks to hang jackets, hats, and scarves
Place to set or hang purses and bags
Mudroom - for the family to use, with primary access coming from the garage
Place to sit, while taking shoes off and on
Space to house 30 pairs of shoes, including tall boots
Place to set backpacks and school supplies
Place to hang child jackets, at height appropriate for an elementary-school-aged child
Quick access to jackets, hats, scarves and other items in heavy use
Hangars for storage of other jackets
Storage for sunglasses, gloves, hats, sunscreen, umbrellas, and shopping bags
Storage for kid and adult sports equipment
Drop zone for mail and things coming out of the car
Create a space plan by assigning functional needs to specific areas within your home
Create Zones
In larger spaces, consider creating zones for different activities. For example, in a living room, you might have a reading nook, a TV area, and a play space for children. This zoning helps to organize the space and makes it more functional by creating visible spaces for key activities.
Our living spaces need to do more than just look good, they must efficiently serve our daily needs. Many design websites showcase rooms that look great but are impractical. Coming home at the end of your day, who wants to walk far to hang up their jacket, set down their keys, and dump the pile of mail they just picked up?
Sacrificing function for form is a surefire way to bring more angst into your life. Of course, one can go too far into the comfort-only zone and wind up with spaces that are uninspiring. Instead, let us teach you 5 key principles to create spaces that are not only beautiful but also pragmatic.
Ready to Elevate Your Home?
A well-designed home brings joy every day because it’s both practical and beautiful. Schedule your introductory call to see how Rory Everitt Design can help.