DIY has been big news this year as more time at home has led many of us to want to create interiors that work better for us. This focus on our immediate surroundings will continue into the new year and our plans may well become more ambitious. Not content with merely reducing clutter and changing the colour of the walls, some of us will fundamentally change the way our homes work.
In recent years, we’ve started to see a move away from open-plan to ‘broken-plan’ spaces in which structural elements such as glass partitions and half walls create distinct areas for different uses within a larger space. In many ways, broken-plan is the best of both worlds as it provides separation and privacy whilst retaining the light and spaciousness of open-plan living. With multi-generational living on the rise, the desire for broken-plan living can only increase.
Some of us will go further in our quest for form and function. How about putting your kitchen in the centre of the house and the living spaces near the light? The architect Frank LLoyd Wright advocated this over one hundred years ago and it does make sense if you think about it; kitchens function beautifully with artificial light and won’t suffer by being placed in a dark part of the home. This frees up rooms with lots of natural light to be lived in and enjoyed. Equally, why have the living spaces on the ground floor of the house and the bedrooms above if the top floor receives more light. We expect to see the concept of the ‘upside down’ house gaining ground in the coming year!