A slower approach to design

“Designing homes must not start with the end in mind. They need to begin with your story.”

Designing and creating a home from scratch can be a scary process.

But when we take a step back and consider it more deeply, much of the pressure comes from ourselves.

Instead, allowing it to be a slow and considered process – that might never be quite complete – leaves much more room for the kind of freedom and joy we want when creating our own homes.

The humanist approach puts a person at the heart of a space. It’s an inside-out approach that considers how we engage and experience a space.

An approach that can be found in the Danish concept of Hygge, which often translates as cosiness but extends to how the Danes create a general sense of wellbeing.

By considering each element by how we want to feel within our space and allowing ourselves the time to engage with this process slowly and mindfully – we can begin to create the setting for the life we want to unfold within our homes and hideaways.

It’s easy to become attached to the idea of creating a certain ‘look’ within a space. But a home or a place to retreat to is more complex than that.

So that’s why the first question we always ask our clients is “how do you want to feel in the space?” or “how do you want your guests to feel?” rather than “how do you want the space to look?”

Visualising an ideal feeling when you walk into a space is one of the best ways to ensure you’ll achieve a result you feel excited about.

Trends come and go and what looks great now perhaps on Pinterest or Instagram is likely not to look as great in 10 years’ time. But when we have a clear idea of what we value, trends fall into insignificance.

If we design our spaces to evoke a feeling or an atmosphere we are much more likely to stay content with the result through passing trends.

When we’re surrounded by limitless choice and a constant stream of ideas, our values create a roadmap that is uniquely our own.