Staying put? Then you're free to break all the design rules you want

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Published Date 1/21/2020

It's becoming a fact of real estate today. People aren't moving as often as they used to. If you're one of those stay-put types, it means there is less reason to use age-old design advice than ever, and to personalize your home to your heart's content, defying many design edicts.

In his Zillow article on the topic, Chris Stout-Hazard quotes Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier, one of the greats of Modernism, who said, "A house is a machine for living in." Stout-Hazard admits that the challenge we all face as homeowners is in adapting our houses to our unique lifestyles instead of worrying too much about obeying tradition, design TV shows or our neighbors. "And there are so many rules!" he says.

He goes on to describe how he defied some basic design rules when arranging his Omaha home, including dispensing with the idea of a dining room. "One of the biggest pitfalls people fall into when decorating their home is being afraid to change the purpose of a room," he says. "Sure, a kitchen is always going to be a kitchen, but dining rooms, formal living rooms, and bedrooms are ripe for repurposing."

"So this is the dining room," says one TV commercial actor in a dry voice who appeared never to venture in there very often. Do you use your dining room to entertain often? Or has it become a place where kids do homework, or you set up your paperwork and laptop? If you are not prone to throwing dinner parties, take heart. No one says you have to keep that chandelier in place. Dining rooms and dining areas not contained within kitchens are easily repurposed to become offices or play areas.

And what about that formal living room? Times were when people expected friends or family to "drop by," and the living room was one of the only places kept pristine, fluffed, and inviting. But as those times changed, people began using the space to double the amount of space they had for a number of other purposes. Stout-Hazard puts it this way: "Suddenly, we doubled the amount of space we have for casual entertaining, while creating a spot for a flat-screen TV for watching movies. The result is a cozy, calming room that the British would call a 'snug.' We think that describes the space perfectly."

Are you a lover of color but feel limited using it because it's not everyone's cup of tea? What about that cool dark blue color you've been in love with for years? Stout-Hazard says to just do it. "In many instances, a darker wall or ceiling color will have no effect at all on the perception of room size. "Very dark colors can, counterintuitively, make walls and ceilings appear to recede from the observer, creating the illusion that the room is deeper. So, the jury remains undecided." Besides, dark colors can also create an environment that is cozy, elegant or romantic.

Designers and furniture aficionados often talk clients out of certain layouts in a particular room, such as a too large a sofa. But if you prefer to have a piece of furniture upon which it's easy to lay flat, and it takes up an entire wall of the family room, it's a free country. Stout-Hazard weighs in: "While it's true that the scale of furniture matters, you can often get away with putting more into a room than you might imagine. It's all about placement and maintaining pathways."

If you intend to stay in your house for the foreseeable future, remember that your house is your castle despite what you see in magazines. And if walking into what was once your dining room that now contains blue walls and your big screen TV does it for you, pat yourself on the back for taking a stand.

Source: Zillow | TBWS

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