Enriching Design

Once you start a home renovation project, it can be useful to want to finish it all, down to the last detail. This might not the best option, for either your budget or your happiness.

If you’ve gone through the earlier episodes of the podcast, you’re now ready to start coming up with ideas to fix your home’s layout or style.

Too often we focus on the number of rooms we want in a home, but this isn’t the best way to maximise space in a small home.

Open plan living is often touted as the best option for a small space, but it might not work for everyone.

From extensions and outbuildings to smart furniture choices, there are a number of ways to increase space in your home.

People living in the same home don’t experience it the same way, so one person can love it whilst another wants to list it and sell up.

A home shouldn’t be judged on how it looks, but on how well it works for those who live there.

Is there an ideal housing density? You might think you’d love a big home, but when that leads to urban sprawl it’s not so good for us. Is high rise, small space, apartment living like Hong Kong the answer?

What makes a home ideal? What would it need to be able to do in order to be your dream home?

If we want buildings and cities that enrich our lives and the world, the 4 brains is a useful model when designing.

The last in the series looking at designing to make your 4 brains happy.

This episode looks at the 3rd brain, the Human brain. This is about the location of your home as well as its contents.

The cat brain is all about emotions, comfort & interest, but beware of shiny new object syndrome.

I look at how design can make you (or your lizard brain) feel safe. And it might not be the same for everyone.

I think the latest colour of the year by Pantone is beautiful, so what's wrong with it?

How can design affect our connections with other people?

If you can understand how your brain reacts to space, then you can see why some places might look great but feel uncomfortable.

Why choosing colours can be tricky, especially when we don't all see colours the same way.

Should you be trying to achieve the wow factor in your home, or is there something better?

Is taste and ideas of beauty all completely personal and subjective or are there some core design rules to follow to create a beautiful home?

All about sustainable materials in design. What makes a material sustainable?

In this first episode I explain what I mean by Enriching Design