High Style for Real Life
Your home may be gorgeous, but does it enrich your life? Below, some tips for a soul-satisfying mix of high style and functionality
Bud Dietrich, AIA
March 12, 2012
Houzz Contributor. My name is Bud Dietrich and I am an architect located in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. I am licensed to practice architecture in Illinois, Florida, New Jersey & Wisconsin. Since 1996 I have worked from my home office and provide full architectural services exclusively to the single family residential market. My passion is to transform my clients' houses into their homes. I strive to have the "new" home accommodate my clients' lives without fighting them at every junction. I look to add curb appeal to encourage a beautiful streetscape. And I design any addition to look and feel like it has always been there.
Our projects have won numerous design awards as well as having been featured on television (CBS News Sunday Morning, HGTV, CLTV, etc.), in magazines (Better Homes...
Houzz Contributor. My name is Bud Dietrich and I am an architect located in the Tampa... More
In his book The Poetics of Space, author Gaston Bachelard urges designers to consider the experiences a design will engender as the driving force for a house's design. A house designed for the lived experience, he says, offers a richer and more fulfilling environment than a house designed around abstract notions of visual appeal.
Of course many of us will simply say, "No duh." But homes all too often are designed based on their visual appeal only — think of the ubiquitous model home in many developments. These houses seldom stand up to the lives that are lived in them.
Good design is never about giving up visual appeal and abstraction for experience-based design alone. Nor is it giving up experience-based design solely for visual appeal. The best designed houses combine these elements into one.
So here are some tips for doing just that.
Of course many of us will simply say, "No duh." But homes all too often are designed based on their visual appeal only — think of the ubiquitous model home in many developments. These houses seldom stand up to the lives that are lived in them.
Good design is never about giving up visual appeal and abstraction for experience-based design alone. Nor is it giving up experience-based design solely for visual appeal. The best designed houses combine these elements into one.
So here are some tips for doing just that.
Go big. Little windows with little grids with fabric coverings, shades and shutters are fine. But if you have a great view, let it in with great big windows that stretch from bottom to top. If you don't need cabinetry everywhere, don't put it in. A room of magic and delight will always trump that little bit of storage.
Go small. Whether it's a small home, a garden shed, a teahouse or a pavilion for your tub, not everything should be big. Creating intimate places for dreams and alone time is a sure way to stay balanced in a fast world.
Create a background. Our lives play out against the walls, floors, ceilings and other physical features of our homes. So design those features to enrich your life, letting you live the way you wish and allowing for the unexpected and meaningful.
Create a foreground. There are times when we want to be the audience rather than on the stage. Look for ways to create a vantage point from which to watch the world pass by.
Insist on structure. Rather than being mazelike, the rooms in your home should be organized in a clear and intelligible way so that you can easily move from room to room and easily find what you want.
Insist on life. Our lives can run the gamut from crazy to quiet, from messy to orderly, from chaotic to serene as well as every shade in between. So make sure your home isn't so minimal that it is thrown off by having the things you love around.
Celebrate you. No matter if it's in the front foyer or the most remote closet, organize the favorite things from your life in a display that puts a smile on your face and joy in your heart.
Celebrate others. Whether in small or large groups, we get to experience our homes with children, parents, spouses and friends. So your home should foster these shared experiences, even if right now they seem small and insignificant.
Find a path. The journey, not the destination, often counts. So enjoy the journeys around your house and be open to what you see and learn along the way.
Find a place. Include a place to rest, recharge and refocus before starting on the journey again.
More:
Design Leaps of Faith
Decorate With Intention: Create a Vision for Your Home
More:
Design Leaps of Faith
Decorate With Intention: Create a Vision for Your Home
Related Stories
Bathroom Design
5 Secrets to a Smooth-Running Family Bathroom
Pros say these are the must-have features for creating an efficient shared bathroom
Full Story
Working With Pros
Which Pro Should You Hire for Your Project?
Find out whether you need a contractor, an architect, an interior designer or another professional for the job
Full Story
Bathroom Workbook
How to Remodel a Bathroom
Create a vision, make a budget, choose your style and materials, hire the right pros and get the project done
Full Story
Bathroom Design
How to Prepare for a Bathroom Remodel
By Becky Harris
Ease the disruption of a bathroom renovation with these 10 tips
Full Story
Decorating Guides
15 Ways to Create Separation in an Open Floor Plan
By tidgboutique
Use these pro tips to minimize noise, delineate space and establish personal boundaries in an open layout
Full Story
Kitchen Workbook
How to Remodel Your Kitchen
Follow these start-to-finish steps to achieve a successful kitchen remodel
Full Story
Remodeling Guides
How to Survive a Major Remodeling Project
By Eva Byrne
Get expert tips for improving your home while preserving your sanity
Full Story
Working With Pros
10 Questions to Ask Potential Contractors
Ensure the right fit by interviewing general contractors about topics that go beyond the basics
Full Story
Life
9 Secrets to Successfully Remodeling a House Together
By Laura Wheat
Learn how to put your stamp on a project while avoiding unnecessary conflicts
Full Story
Modern Architecture
How to Improve the Comfort of Your Midcentury Modern Home
By Colin Flavin
You can maintain the era’s signature style in your home while improving its thermal performance
Full Story
thanks