The importance of rituals in home design
When considering a home design project, an aspect we often overlook is the importance of our ‘rituals’ and the role they play in the way we live, how we move through our space and the way they make us feel.
Rituals, are the quiet, often subliminal actions we perform with regularity, helping us to achieve certain goals or feel a certain way. There are likely to be several of these that you, your partner, children or pets perform, without consciously thinking about it. Much like your commute to work, or journey to the grocery store, when you arrive and don’t remember your journey. The movements are so ingrained that your brain and body co-ordinate to get you there safely, whilst your thoughts meander towards dinner tonight or mull over that conversation you had last night.
As a starting point for our design process, I’ll ask you about your routines and your rituals for the space you’re looking to renovate. Thinking for example, about a kitchen, the routine may be ‘sorting breakfast for the children and getting them out of the door for school,’ whereas the ritual may be, ‘I make myself a coffee before the kids get up and get their lunch bags out so they don’t get forgotten.’
This helps us to zone in on your exact needs for the space and how we need to make it feel and function for you. In the instance above we’d look at incorporating a breakfast station into the kitchen design so all the elements you need from cereal, to coffee machine and space for storing lunch bags are located in one space, all within arms reach. As you like to steal a moment to yourself with a morning coffee, we’d look to incorporate a seat that is comfortable to sit on within the space, this may take the shape of an armchair by the window, a window seat, banquet seating within the dining area or simply opting for a soft, upholstered bar stool instead of a hard one.
Here are a few rituals to consider for different rooms within your home;
Pets
Many of us have a pet at home, and around 13 million of those pets are dogs* - so here are few elements to consider when renovating a kitchen, utility room (mud or boot room) or indeed your bedroom (because, yes, as much as we have all said we wouldn’t let our dogs sleep in our bedroom many of us do!)
You and your dog may not wish to be parted at night but you may not like to have them in your bed, so consider a trundle bed. This is a pull out bed that comes out from underneath your own. That means you have all the space you need and your furry best friend gets the ultimate luxury, a mattress of their own!
If you’re redoing your utility room, consider sectioning off a unit of space (a standard size would be 600 x 600 mm) for a dog washing station - this may be a small shower like space or just a deep sink with a spray tap. Add underfloor heating so it’s quicker and easier for your dog to dry after a wash or just a damp walk outside.
Consider the space beneath the kick boards in your kitchen or utility, these are often void space and can be turned into neat pull out drawers that can hold food bowls or even a small bed (depending on depth) - they space saving and great for those who want to avoid floor clutter!
Laundry
No-one truly enjoys laundry, but with great design, this activity can go from chore to a bit of a cheeky delight (I should know, I recently got a steamer and its changed my life!).
Consider how much laundry you have on a weekly basis - is this driven from a variety of work clothes, or the number or age of people in the household?
If you are renovating and the property has a first floor, have you considered locating a laundry room on that floor? After all, our clothes and bed linen (the majority of items that we wash) are located on that floor. We carry them down the stairs to wash and back up to wear / use / store. I’m all for getting in my ‘steps per day’ but wouldn’t it make sense to have our laundry located upstairs not down? Worth considering if you have the space or potential!
Bathroom
The spa like refuge we all seek in our homes! Achieving this is high on my agenda this year as I’m taking on the rip out and renovation of our master bedroom en-suite (you can follow progress on this via the @stephanieelaineinteriors instagram page). So, if you are embarking on something similar or are just looking for a baseline from which to collate your thoughts - consider the following rituals you'll want to ensure your new design lends itself to;
Are you an early morning shower person or a late evening soak in the tub?
How many of you use it? Are you a couple sharing an en-suite? Do you often clash when you get up in the morning or are your schedules at different ends of the day? In which case, consider the value and space required for a double sink.
Alternatively, is this a room used by guests when you have people to stay? If so, have you thought about low level, motion sensor lighting - meaning no scrambling around for a light switch when they, unfamiliar with your house, get up for the loo in the middle of the night? Use of low level floor-washers also avoids the rude awakening caused by the glare from bright ceiling lights hitting half asleep eyes - not to mention the energy saving value of motion sensor lighting to those who share a household with small (or not so small) hands who frequently forget to turn the lights off!
Consider the type of experience and function you need from your shower. Do those who use it have any specific wellbeing requirements? Would incorporating a steam function actually be value for money long term? Do you or your partner have long thick hair that just doesn’t get washed thoroughly unless you have powerful water pressure? Considering each of these elements will help you to identify how to prioritise your budget to give you an overall result that ensures the longevity of your renovation.
If reading the above has struck a cord or you have your own specific design challenge you’d like to talk through, get in touch and we can arrange 60 min consultation call.
In the meantime, remember, it’s not always about the size of your house, it’s the way you use the space you’ve got!
*Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/308201/leading-ten-pets-ranked-by-population-size-in-the-united-kingdom/