New year resolutions for your home in 2022

Unlock your home's potential in 2022 with these top five tips from our architects, including planning advice and tailoring your design.

4 min read

Whether you’re reading this at the start of the year or towards the end, no doubt you’ve landed here because you want to use 2022 as a year to unlock your home’s potential. If so, you’ve come to the right place!

It’s easy to get into a rut with your home. To accept it’s flaws, the inconveniences, and to shrug them away as something you’re stuck with. Perhaps you think moving is the only way forward. In 2022, we want to challenge this way of thinking and get more homeowners geared up to take control.

If you’re looking to breath new life into your space, consider these five 2022 resolutions for your home…

Put yourself first

Are you guilty of designing a home for someone else, namely an imagined future buyer?

While it’s wise to have an eye towards the future, the prospect of selling your home shouldn’t be the sole focus of the design. This might sound obvious but we’ve found many people prioritising the imagined needs of another family, even when they themselves have no intention of selling in the near future.

If this sounds like you, use 2022 to rethink your home. How do you and your family use it? Do you actually use the dining room? Is your breakfast bar more countertop than social spot?

In talking to our customers, our designers often have them consider these key questions…

  • Which room is most often in use?
  • Do you or someone in your home enjoy any hobbies? If so, what space is required?
  • Is storage an issue in your home?
  • Do you feel like you’re making the most of your outdoor space?
  • Do you have enough natural light?
  • Do you have young children? If so, does your home make parenting easier or harder?
  • What area of your home do you consider most neglected?
  • If money wasn’t an issue, what would be your dream project?

These are just a starting point. To go one step further, why not talk to a member of our team? Our free consultations are a great way to reframe your thinking, to see your home as space for YOU.

Up your storage game

Storage, it’s not the sexiness home feature but it makes it a big impact. After all, it’s hard to enjoy a room that’s filled with clutter.

However, in 2022, think beyond your classic shelving unit. Now there are plenty of creative ways to hide your junk.

From converting your loft, creating hidden nooks, to transforming your stairs into a hideaway - check out these helpful storage blogs…

Reassess the layout of your home

Tired of people going on about open-plan? Well, we’re afraid this trend is here to stay - especially for those with young children.

By making our ground-floor open-plan, families are able to socialise that much easier. No more having to split parental duties between the living room and kitchen, with open-plan you can spend more time together, even if one of you is on cooking duty and the other acting a playmate.

Not to mention, by losing those pesky corridors, you can maximise the space in your communal areas. So, if you’ve not looked into open-plan yet (or even its cousin, broken-plan) this might be the year to do it.

Make your home more eco-friendly

With every passing year, our eco-credentials become more and more important. Not only that, with fluctuating prices on our bills, there’s never been a better time to take control and make your household as energy-efficient as possible.

Whether you opt for…

  • Updating your glazing
  • Insulating your loft
  • Installing solar panels
  • Improving your water management
  • Or simply making your home better customised for an eco-friendly lifestyle

There’s plenty of ways to help both yourself and the planet. Check out our extensive guide to going green at home.

Do your research

Last year the larger home extension scheme, after a great deal of uncertainty, was made permanent - or so we hope!

Planning policy is an ever-changing beast. What was legal in the 2010s, might not be so in the 2020s. This could give you less or more in terms of what you can do to your home. The lesson? It pays to do your research.

If looking into planning rules and regulations isn’t your thing, then make sure you get an architect by your side who loves swotting up. A good architect should be guiding you towards getting the most out of your home, expertly navigating the ins and outs of policy.

Want to know what’s possible with your home in 2022? Book a consultation now and our team will provide a step-by-step plan to make your house a home - what better way to kick start a new decade?

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