Q-My wife and I recently had a large room addition project completed. We spent months with an architect developing the plans. Now that we are moving into the space, the furniture layout seems cramped and the floor plan is awkward. What did we do wrong?
A-The description of your planning meetings tells me that you “forced the plan.”
This concept describes what happens when you draw a shape for a room or several rooms and then decide what will happen within the room or rooms. I frequently refer to it as working from the outside in. Proceeding with plans in this fashion can be a recipe for disaster.
It is very common for some architects or homeowners to start their planning with a certain size room on a piece of paper. The planning then progresses through stages to see what will fit in this room. Sometimes things are squeezed into the room. Doorways, hallways and closets can end up in strange places.
Some of the best plans for rooms, room additions, or homes are created when you decide to work from the inside and proceed to the outside. Simply put, decide what you want to do in the space and then put the walls and ceiling on your “space” to protect it from the elements.
Interior designers have specific training that allows them to comfortably place furniture and other fixtures in such a way as to maximize function and minimize the space necessary to achieve this function. They are not to be confused with interior decorators.
The training for architects, on the other hand, tends to be oriented more toward exterior design, scale and form. They often receive specialized schooling with respect to various types of building materials and how the use of these materials can influence the way a structure will look. Many architects are exposed to interior design, but not to the degree of an interior designer.
Depending upon how complex a project is, it may become necessary to have an interior designer work in conjunction with an architect. Their talents can be blended and the end result can be spectacular. Projects that are not complex may require a minimal amount of time spent with an interior designer.
The design process should generally start with the architect. This individual is knowledgeable concerning zoning laws and setback requirements. It usually is a good idea to obtain from the architect a simple site plan to indicate the limits to which the room addition or home can extend on the lot. Then take this simple plan to the interior designer. Allow the designer to develop a preliminary drawing. At this point you should be able to turn the bulk of the work over to the architect. Periodically allow the interior designer to do a quick check of the plans as they become more and more refined. This may seem like an enormous amount of work, but you will be rewarded with a dramatic and functional project.
Remember, the entire concept of this process is based upon working from the inside out. You must try to create a workable plan that provides you with the necessary space to do everything you wish to do. Add your exterior walls and roof only after you are satisfied that the plan will in fact work. Don’t fall into the trap of starting with an empty room.
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Have questions about the remodeling process? Write to Tim Carter, c/o The Chicago Tribune, P.O. Box 36352, Cincinnati, Ohio 45236-0352. Questions will be answered only in the column.
For information describing simple interior design techniques for residential projects, send $1.50 and a business-size, stamped, self-addressed envelope to Tim Carter at the above address. Ask for Builder Bulletin No. 198.
