Cathy Dean of interior architecture and design firm Studio Dean explores how thinking like an architect about how your home functions can transform the way you live your everyday life
I love this definition of architectural interior design: “if you were to take the space, turn it upside down and shake it, the interior architecture is everything that doesn’t fall out.” Of course, interior architects also manage all the things that do fall out, but we just get to it after transforming your everyday life, with functional spatial planning.
Interior architecture is an ‘inside out’ approach to your home. We work with our clients to truly understand the clients’ lives, needs and daily actions and fix any problems that their current space causes. It really is about living in your home, not looking at it. I am forever reminding clients that the outside is important but the inside is what you interact with every single day. Of course we want the outside to be beautiful, but your neighbours look at your house, you live in it, so prioritise what you need.
With an ‘interior architectural head’ on, we will always think first about how you move most efficiently within a space. How can the flow be changed to ensure all of your real estate is being used effectively? It’s about making sure you use every single inch of your home.
Problem solving
Embarking on a self-build or renovation journey enables you to rethink the way you live your everyday life. We often ask a family to keep a tally for a week of how many times they use each room in their house. They are often amazed at how many spaces are unused. Interior architects also create spaces to help you. If you use a Peloton for exercise in your bedroom every day but have an unused guest room, why not create a mini gym?
We think about how you move through the space, whether that range cooker is really the best option, if the staircase being where it is is going to cause flow issues. Do you need bifolds or simply a large window to connect to the outdoors – fully glazed walls look great, but create a whole surface that you can’t use for anything else.
It takes a lot of thought to perfectly landscape your interior. Using CAD interior architects will often work through 30 or 40 iterations of a layout, looking at how you will move within the space, and what is most effective for function, cost and finally, aesthetically.
Design for life
Getting your interior architecture right not only improves your life, it also increases your home’s life, enabling you to be happy there for longer. By solving spatial problems at the root, you eliminate everything that annoys you, making it less likely for you to need to renovate ever again.
In short, interior architects question everything, and really think about the changes that will truly elevate daily routines for clients. A large family bathroom might make your evenings more enjoyable, bringing more benefit than an ensuite that gets used twice a year. Moving your kitchen to the east side of your house might elevate your mornings and solve more issues than even considering an extension. Do you need a dining room if you hate formal seating and much prefer entertaining in your kitchen? And don’t get me started on the life-changing benefits of adding an upstairs laundry room to any home!
Remember, it’s not always about creating new space by extending or drastically changing layouts and plans, it is all about making the most of the space you already have to play with.
Cathy Dean is CEO and founder of Studio Dean and homeware brand The Studio Dean Edit