SPACE PLANNING: THE FOUNDATION OF EVERY GREAT DESIGN

Fall is here and the holidays are upon us. As I reflect on the year, it has been productive and I’m grateful for the creative projects, appreciative customers, and supportive trade professionals I’ve worked with. Best wishes for a beautiful holiday season.

I’ve had the chance to attend a number of industry seminars and events since the last newsletter. Leight Kitchen offered an informative seminar in its contemporary downtown showroom and Kiwi AudiVisual did the same in its high-tech Carlsbad showroom. The NKBA design awards were held at Cosentino, presented by HGTV personality Matt Blashaw. Ferguson Vista hosted a seminar and featured American Standard’s showroom on wheels — a huge traveling trailer filled with working faucets and showers and showcasing its self-cleaning toilets. The Laguna Design Center Fall Market, as usual, was filled with inspirational designs in fabrics, furniture, tiles, window treatments and cabinets. Daltile hosted an event that’s a highlight of the year: Sherwin Williams’ Colormix, forecasting paint colors for the upcoming year. Cal-a-Vie Resort & Spa’s designer day in Vista offered a fun escape to the “French countryside.” And, ProSource Wholesale Flooring’s customer appreciation event featured festive celebrations.

Since space layout is the most important aspect of design, I’d like to share some space planning tips for your home or business.

Space Planning: The Foundation of Every Great Design

A space that hasn’t been adequately space planned can end up being unsightly, cramped and a detriment to traffic flow. Make sure that doesn’t happen in your home or business by following these five space planning tips:

1. Look at the space as a whole and balance the empty space with the useable space.
2. Determine the priorities of the space and how it will be used to support your lifestyle or business, or the lifestyle or business you want to create.
3. Consider the size of the space and incorporate or rearrange appropriate-sized items to fit into it. Use small furniture in small spaces, and a combination of large and small furniture in large spaces. Balance accessories with the size of furniture and the space.
4. Make sure the placement of furniture and accessories doesn’t block the flow of traffic, is not cluttered, and leaves plenty of empty space to move around.
5. Position the items so the space is comfortable, functional and attractive. The space should feel welcoming, enable tasks to be easily performed and look good.

Diane’s Take: When thinking about space planning, consider creative ways to use spaces for multi-function tasks or in non-traditional ways. You may be delightfully surprised at the result of your out-of-the-box thinking.

Please consider referring my services to friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers who are in the process of or are planning to remodel their kitchen, bathroom, home or business and need space planning expertise.