Square metres alone won’t make you happy. You may have a large living room, but what’s the point if you can’t relax in it? You may have a huge house, but if you always end up sitting in the same corner at the end of the day, what does all that size give you? What really matters is not how big the space is, but how it accompanies your life.
Questions to ask yourself
- Is the walk to the kitchen in the morning a long one, or is everything at hand?
- Is the home filled with light, or does the place where you spend the most time stay dim?
- Is every room in the home used, or do some areas just “exist”?
- When guests come, does the home feel crowded, or can you host everyone comfortably?
Not bigger, but right
A 150-square-metre home can be very tiring if it is poorly arranged: long corridors, unused corners, disconnected areas. By contrast, an 80-square-metre home is more than enough when it is planned well. The right plan means moving freely, breathing and a home that is truly lived in.
The ingredients of a home that feels good
Light
When the most-used areas get daylight during the most-lived hours of the day, the feel of the home changes fundamentally.
Layout
The relationship between the kitchen, dining and seating areas determines how easy the daily flow will be. We described the effect of planning mistakes on daily life in our article can planning mistakes affect a marriage.
Storage
Sufficient storage in the right place keeps even a small home feeling spacious; see creating storage space at home.
We start a project with a day
We architects start a project not with square metres, but with a day that will be spent in that home. Because the point isn’t to live big; it’s to live in a home that truly feels good and doesn’t wear you out. The first step of this approach is the principle of plan first, decorate later.
Frequently asked questions
How can a small home feel big?
A plan that reduces circulation, open and flowing common areas, plenty of daylight and well-designed storage are the most effective methods.
When buying a home, which matters more: square metres or the plan?
Both matter; but for the same budget, a smaller but well-planned home is often more comfortable than a bigger but poorly planned one.
To design your living space around your real life, take a look at our architectural design service.
