Change of use
There is no rule which says that the living room should be downstairs or beneath the bedroom. Indeed, in a tall terraced house the first-floor rooms are often brighter and have a better view than those on the ground floor. If ground-floor rooms are gloomy, keep them for evening occupation - as a study or dining room, perhaps- or for use as a guest bedroom, which will not be in constant use (ground-floor rooms are particularly beneficial where visitors are likely to be elderly).
- Kitchens and bathrooms often require restructuring. A small scullery can be amalgamated with a small kitchen to create a kitchen/dining area, while a box or dressing room can be opened up to enlarge a tiny bathroom. But think carefully before you tamper with the original layout of a house. It may seem a good idea to knock two rooms into one to provide more light and space but remember that a heavy joist will almost inevitably be needed to support the ceiling, and as front rooms were often built to a different scale and style to those at the back, you may be left with a room that has different ceiling heights, or two disparate styles.
- If there are two fireplaces, you will either have two focal points or, should you remove one, a fireplace at the extreme end of the room. Alternatively, in open-plan homes you may want to make sub-divisions that will create more personal spaces, or that relate to particular functions. Perhaps an extension is the answer to your problems rather than structural alterations.
- This needs sympathetic handling, using materials appropriate to the overall style and design of the house and should not overwhelm the original layout. On the following, there are many examples of ways to restore, renovate and create structural and architectural details in the home. In some cases, you may decide to disguise them and reduce their significance in the decorative scheme of things. In other cases, the fireplace, window or staircase, for example, might become a focal point.
STRUCTURE & STYLE UNDERSTANDING YOUR HOME Living spaces today are more diverse than ever, ranging from large houses subdivided into apartments to industrial structures and warehouses, ecclesiastical and farm buildings, all of which are being requisitioned as exciting environments in which to live. The possibilities now open to the home decorator are limitless, but whatever your personal environment, it should complement your particular lifestyle. Take into consideration at the outset any special needs and the activities that each room will have to accommodate.
Does the layout work or could it be better organized? This may be a simple matter of re-arranging the furniture, or a more substantial structural alteration such as lowering a ceiling, closing off unnecessary doorways, opening up two small rooms into one, or converting loft space into an extra room.
Decide which rooms should be in close proximity - a kitchen and dining room, for example - and which rooms should be kept apart, such as a children's room and a study. Apart from answering your own needs, a room should be decorated sympathetically to reveal its true character, with an interior that complements the exterior of the house.
Assess the potential of a room before you start planning a decorative scheme: are there special features, such as architectural details, which might be highlighted, or problem areas like radiators which need to be disguised? Are the size and proportions of a room aesthetically pleasing? Is it flooded with natural light or does it have a darker aspect? Having established the character of a home and what changes need to be made, you can now start to look at the solutions to the problems.
