Home Design: Research Mode
Where to start when you don’t know where to start? You might not be building for a few years or you might be diving into the design of your dream home. You don’t know what you don’t know. If you’re keen to learn more about home design here are a few practical and possibly little known-resources to get you started. The best part - some of these are podcasts so they’re easy to squeeze into a busy life.
Don’t forget to pop over to the more well-known online resources such as Houzz, Pinterest, and Instagram for more design ideas.
Learn Your Needs
“Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life’s
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.”
It’s easy to make assumptions about what we need or don’t need based on what we (sometimes subconsciously) covet. Sometimes it can be most rewarding to wipe the slate free of preconceptions and start from the beginning with fresh eyes.
The Art of Decluttering (Podcast)
So many clients come to me believing they need a lot more storage or more space. I’m not a hard-line minimalist but as somebody who is championing sustainable life-styles I encourage people to use and enjoy what they have.
Sensibly decluttering your home will make you feel lighter and as though you have more space. Well-designed storage will help you get more use and enjoyment out of what you own.
https://www.theartofdecluttering.com.au/010-kitchen/
Note: The hosts are a bit “waffly” at the beginning so skip ahead if you’re an impatient listener like me.
How to Brief Your Architect
Do you feel like you've got lots of design info, ideas, advice, and even 'rules', but no idea where to actually start? Or have you started planning, but don't know if you're on the right track?
We can help with that. We've put together a little tool called "What’s my story?" - it's a very simple way to make sure your design reflects your personality.
https://www.whiskerarchitecture.com/qanda/how-to-brief-your-architect
The Basics of House Design
“We shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us.”
At Whisker Architecture we strive to design built stories for the conscientious life-long learner eager to replace everyday frictions with daily delight. We feel so strongly about you having a built environment that supports you because once you stop feeling like you’re fighting against your environment it enables you to focus on living [in] your values and giving back to your community.
Undercover Architect (Podcast)
Like many during lockdown I considered starting a podcast to spread the information I have in my head to the masses. Turns out Amelia Lee beat me to it by 12 seasons - and the best part is that she is Australian based so there’s no ‘translating’ to southern hemisphere design principles.
Start at the beginning for a great sequential introduction to home design principles.
https://undercoverarchitect.com/podcast-00/
Your Home
A great Australian government resource that promotes environmentally sustainable design. Learn more about core principles like the Design Process, Passive Solar Design, Energy and Water Efficiency, and Accessibility.
The image here is of a living room design that’s taken into account a resident with future mobility difficulties, or perhaps a future resident with mobility difficulties.
Free house designs available on this site.
https://www.yourhome.gov.au/
Talking Home Renovations with the House Maven (Podcast)
“Talking Home Renovations with the House Maven is an educational and entertaining podcast that will ease your fears. Join architect Katharine MacPhail as she interviews contractors, vendors, other architects, and homeowners and gathers tips and cautionary tales about home renovations. Learn about materials, systems, sustainable practices, what to expect, what to avoid and how to make the most of the money that you will spend on your renovation.”
https://open.spotify.com/show/2jXO0VGvabVNImwtr5t0Ue?si=76Gv0GfNRTyXnbjkEX0ZQg
Style, Beauty & Inspiration
“Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness.”
I recently saw an award-winning home design from the 70s. It was a beautifully designed home then and is still stunning today. The best and most sustainable designs are those that are so wonderfully designed that you feel like a vandal changing too much about it 40 years later. These are legacy pieces - like a piece of jewellery passed down through generations. We invest so much into our homes - time, money, memories - to allow them to be throw away items, anything less than our legacies.
“The Biggest Decor Trends the Year You Were Born” - House Beautiful
Our dream homes are often influenced by surprising sources - for some it might be a home from their childhood they associate with happy memories, for others it might be a TV series with a character we aspired to be like as a teen, or even current trends repeated to us from magazines and websites, echoing through out social media feeds.
Styles get old and go out of fashion. Good design, regardless of the style, is timeless. The most important thing is to match the style of your home with what YOU value. Here is a handy compilation of past trends. Which ones resonate with you?
https://www.housebeautiful.com/design-inspiration/g3498/decor-trends-year-you-were-born/
“McMansion Hell: The Devil is in the Details” - 99% Invisible (Podcast)
Australia and America have been vying for the dubious honour of the largest house sizes in the world for a decade or so now. I’m not sure which country is currently in the lead but it’s not an honour I’m keen for us to win if the results are “McMansions”.
Listen to this educational, and occasionally snarky, episode to learn more about keeping classy.
https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/mcmansion-hell-devil-details/
Green Magazine
Sustainable architecture and design is no longer just for hippies in remote desert earth-ships. It’s classy, comfortable, on-trend, and it’s achievable on some level with just a little forethought and planning.
If you’re looking for glossy magazine inspiration skip the Vogue’s and House & Garden’s and start here.
https://greenmagazine.com.au/
Ready to get started? Have a question that’s not covered here? Let’s chat about your project in more detail, make a customised plan, and go through exactly what to expect next. You can request a meeting through the website, Facebook or call me on 0410 151 790.
I can't wait to meet you!
