Understanding Family Dynamic is Key!
Family dynamic has to be one of the most fundamental things that designers need to understand. Every family is unique and has very different requirements. When designing your home it is so important to focus on how your daily life works; the more you communicate with your designer the more they can help achieve the perfect home for you.
When the children are small one of the most frequent comments we hear from mums is they want to be able to see their little ones – to keep an eye on them and not be at the other end of the house. So, it is not really a surprise that many of us choose a more open plan living approach.
However, with children comes mess, disorder and toys – we need rooms that work for everyone. Brilliant storage solutions that can quickly and easily hide what has been going all day and transform the room to make us feel human again, if only for an hour or two….
The ideal is to attain long lasting practical solutions.
Can you make the all important kitchen or dining table progress from craft and ‘Lego central’ in the early years, to a hub of study and homework for all the family and then – with minimal effort – morph into the focus for social gatherings and entertaining?
Perhaps your teenage daughter can reliably go and study in her bedroom whilst your son needs a little more encouragement to revise under your watchful eye before he can happily disappear and relax in his own space?
We are all guilty of wandering around the homes of our friends and acquaintances and questioning their decisions, being armchair critics and debating how we could have done better ourselves. However, what works for some people isn’t the correct solution for other family dynamics.
Not all houses lend themselves to open plan living and indeed some people much prefer them not to. Perhaps more formal living is your priority; whether you want to kick off those heels for all to see or sit cozily surrounded by books listening to classical music with glass in hand.
It’s a cliché but designers want to help you look at your house as a home. To achieve this understanding the family dynamic is vital. Does the man of the house need an all-important shrine to himself in the downstairs loo? Are there treasured collections to be housed and displayed?
Is there a sentimental piece of furniture or picture that is loved and consequently a design to be found to compliment it? Does the lady of the house need a quiet spot to have a moment to herself – perhaps a landing window seat or simply a tranquil bedroom?
Who comes to stay regularly and what can be done to ease the invasion?
It is always helpful to try to focus on what causes the most arguments in your home. Lack of personal space, extensive shoe collections, kids mess, homework location or who wants to watch what on the box. Whatever causes that stress and emotion, by sharing your concerns and dilemmas from the start, it is so much easier to try to find a solution that works for everyone.
You need to think about the present but also plan for the future; as a team at JBI we have amassed a wealth of experience on all levels, both personally and professionally and it is our joy to share that experience with you to create your perfect home.