I have recently been looking at property, lots of property.
From new to old there are many homes on the market and we are once again looking to change locales and with that comes the need to search out all the possibilities.
What I am stumped by is the lack of flow and balance in most homes.
Even homes which are new seem to have very abrupt stops and starts and the general flow of many homes seems interrupted. When designing a home it is a good idea to look at the balance and flow in your home so that the whole in its entirety is considered. If you are building or doing a major renovation you have the opportunity to create flow and continuous balance throughout the entire interior as you plan the design.
When considering flow in a house it is imperative that the entire home compliments itself. Often when I am designing I will be comparing elements in the kitchen to elements in the family room and clients will often say “Well that tile won’t be in the bedroom,” which is true but it is still important that the texture, colour and even repetition of shapes flow throughout the entire home.
The ‘travel through’ space of a home is very important and often this aspect is missed.
If possible you should focus on always walking into the ‘face’ of a room. The focal point of a room should usually be seen upon first entry and if possible, a strong focal point such as a fireplace should be balanced with lesser focal points such as windows so the room doesn’t seem too one-sided. The open concept homes which are so popular right now are a good example of how good flow and balance are achieved.
If you are considering a home that already has established spaces, you can use colour to effectively create a flow throughout the home.
Generally a home will have one main colour with accents on different architectural features or rooms. The main colour used will be in most areas especially small spaces lacking natural light such as hallways and stairwells. Take a look at the visually busy spaces in the home such as a hallway or a vestibule area that has many doorways.
Often these areas are cluttered with doors and wood trim and it can be an unruly space to manage. You can consider painting the doors and the trim out to blend more with the walls which will open up the space and make it seem less chaotic.
If you want to use a strong colour in your home, make sure you drag that colour to other spaces in the home even if it is in smaller percentages. As you meander through your home it should tell a colour story which will help people travel through your space as they put the pieces of the colour puzzle together. While many will not actually recognize this design excellence, they will know that the space has balance and flow as they observe the colours being smoothly utilized from room to room.
Even if you are working on one room at a time, have a plan in place so that going forward you will be able to make the rooms meld together (in a general sense) to create balance in the home.
Kim Meckler is an interior designer in Red Deer with Carpet Colour Centre.
