I recently enjoyed watching Kirstie and Phil’s latest series Love it or List It on Channel 4. In this series the pair are pitted against each other, the challenge being to help a couple one of whom wishes to stay in their existing property whilst the other wishes to move. Phil seeks to find them their new dream home whilst Kirstie seeks to show them how their existing property can be made to work for them.
One aspect of the show I thought was a great idea for people in this situation was that before embarking on any changes, video cameras were installed to record how the family used the property. You may already have an idea which rooms you use the most or what for but your perception and the reality can be very different. When planning any interior design project, but particularly one that involves remodelling a space, it is essential to have an understanding of precisely how the space will be used. How many people will be using the space and what for? An understanding of these questions is vital to the success of the project whether an extension, a re model or a simple update. It is relevant to issues such as lighting, placement of power sockets, furniture and even colour scheme.
In in the series the use of video cameras was primarily to assist in the understanding of what changes should be made to the existing property but if you are planning your next move then it could also provide a valuable insight into what you should be looking for in your next property. We all have the wish list but sometimes head can rule heart and the list goes out of the window when we fall in love with a property. That is not to say that head should always rule heart but a wish list based at least in part on hard evidence can certainly focus priorities.
This is exercise could also help when selling, by giving you an insight into which areas of your property might benefit from changes and where to focus when preparing the property for sale, homestaging.
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