Create Usable Space There are areas within the home we don’t think of ever using, but these areas could create architectural features. For example, walls are generally used for hanging stuff. How about designing a cantilevered ledge into the wall to create a seating arrangement which could also double us as a display stand or feature piece. Or merge the exterior and interior of the home
through concealed sliding panels? By doing so, we allow areas around the home to merge with one another, thereby enhancing the quality of the space but also allowing our lifestyle to determine the use of the space. For example, an enlarged living area allows us to entertain or create an al fresco living environment, while the same area separated recreates a more intimate setting for relaxation and privacy. Try this technique for apartments where you merge
bedrooms with the living area. Through concealed partition panels, you can expand the size of the living hall or maintain each area as its own space, depending on
what you want to use it for at that point in time. The idea is to use your home as much as you can and never leave any space empty; but this also reinforces the concept of our ever changing lifestyles. Design your home to suit what you want or feel at any point in your life.
The Beauty of Light Ask any photographer and they would tell you there is no light as beautiful as natural sunlight. The colours change through the day starting with a cold blue hue and ending with a warm red tone, depending on where you live. Introduce a skylight or picture window into the home. If the views surrounding you are unsightly, design your picture window with an array of panels composed of a mixture of frosted and clear glass to give a mosaic effect while hiding such views. For spaces with no view, look to the sky, as the view of clouds changing brings about a sense of peace, while the changing diffused light throughout the day changes the interior expression of the space. For colours, the ideal colour range to consider are the neutral colours, as these don’t overwhelm the space and at the same time they bring out the colours of nature to become the predominant palette in your living environment.
www.fswmag.com
Ergonomics The comfort level we experience in our homes is based on ergonomics, or the science of designing our interaction with our living environment. The experience we get from sleeping, eating, playing and working is dependent on how our body interacts with the furniture surrounding us. Our natural comfort levels fall within a specified range of dimensions and when that relationship is off, we feel a sense of discomfort and irritation. Look at the furniture around you and measure your work station and dining room, your seating arrangement, furniture handle heights and visual heights such as the paintings and TV. In the space we live in, the proportional composition between height, size, volume and materials makes us re-evaluate the perception of space. All these elements can have an adverse effect on our emotional psyche, and by living to the correct ergonomic composition, we would be able to improve our productivity and reduce the strain of living. As we look at ways to change our lifestyle into
the New Year, consider these design ideas as means to improving your emotional psyche through space, visualization, material enhancement, light and physical interaction. Only through improving your emotional responses to things can you lead a clearer life and make decisions that you believe are the right ones.
For more Interior Design services and consultancy, contact Chris Yeo at
chris@wofs.com or
ddcmaxim@gmail.com
JAN/FEB 2011 | F ENGSHUIWORLD
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Photos by Shutterstock
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