HOME STYLING
MAXIMISE YOUR SPACE
Jessica Smith of Curated Spaces and Studio Smith Interior Design shares her top tips for maximising space, improving fl ow and avoiding costly mistakes during your project.
M
ost people assume an interior designer comes in at the end, once the walls are up, the kitchen
is in and the hard decisions have been made. In reality, that’s the wrong way round. An interior designer needs to be one of the fi rst on your design team to help add value from the beginning, saving you from costly mistakes and making the whole self-build process more effi cient.
WHERE SPACE MEETS PURPOSE Space isn’t just about square footage. Its about fl ow, proportion, light, and the relationship between rooms. Get those right and even a modest home feels generous. It’s also about everyday practicality.
Where do you put your coats, shoes, hoover and all the things that don’t have a home? Often overlooked during renovations, interior designers consider storage at the layout stage as it shapes everything that follows.
Most clients come to an interior designer after experiencing the cost of a poor layout – wasted spaces. A good fl oor plan does the hard work upfront, giving clarity before the build begins so you’re not second guessing decisions. It reduces stress onsite, avoids costly changes and quietly supports your everyday life.
A HOME THAT WORKS AS ONE The biggest mistake in renovation projects is treating each room as a separate problem. In reality, every space affects the next.
Layout decisions don’t sit neatly within
one room. A small change, like moving a door or adjusting a wall, can affect how the rest of the fl oor works. Looking at the whole home allows decisions to be made together, so the space fl ows properly and nothing is fi xed in isolation.
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Map how you move throughout your home before you make any major design decisions.
CLARITY BEFORE CONSTRUCTION Extensions are often the go-to solution when a home doesn’t work. However, the problem is rarely a lack of space; it’s a poorly considered layout. Before committing to a major
project, work with an interior designer to interrogate the existing footprint. Rather than extending, one wall may need to come down, or the kitchen and dining rooms could be swapped. Dead circulation space could be absorbed into living areas; these changes are often more cost-effi cient and impactful than building out. That’s not to say an extension isn’t the right answer, but it should come from a clear understanding of what you already
have. Understanding how your rooms are performing and what you need them to do ensures the result adds real value to everyday life.
ARCHITECT OR INTERIOR DESIGNER? Architects and interior designers aren’t interchangeable, and the best self-build projects use both from the start. An architect works on the structure: the bones of the building, planning permission and the technical drawings that make a build legally and structurally sound. If youre extending, reconfi guring the layout, or making changes that require consent, you need an architect or architectural technician. An interior designer works on everything within those walls: how spaces function, fl ow, feel and are specifi ed and furnished. They consider details like the height of a light switch and where
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