Most of us start out by renting our homes. This leaves us with very little say in planning the rooms. However, there are still many things one can do irrespective of whether they are renters or homeowners. In this post, we are going to explore the basic spaces in almost every apartment and house and the functions they serve.
Once we understand the basic function, the planning, organising and ultimately the decor becomes easier.
1. The Hallway or the Entryway:
This is the first space or room in your home. It is a space where you welcome your guests and therefore it is only natural that it should be warm, bright and welcoming.
Since this is the first point of entry into the house, it is also the dirtiest. It's where you take off your outside shoes to slip into house slippers or as we say in Germany Hausschuhe.
So it makes sense, that the floors in this space should be easy to clean.
Typical furniture in this space is storage or racks for coats, bags and cabinets for your shoes.
This is where we keep our umbrellas and the Baby's stroller. We also have a letter caddy here with incoming and outgoing mail.
2. The living room:
The living room is a warm and comfortable place where you relax and unwind after a long day. It is also the place where you entertain and connect with friends and family.
Since it can be both, a relaxing place as well a place for entertaining it should be warm and sound absorbent. By sound absorbent I mean carpets and rugs that help to keep down noise levels especially if you have kids.
This is also where you can show off your decorating skills and play with textures, patterns and materials. This post explains it in more detail.
3. The dining room:
The dining area is not just a place where you sit and eat. It's so much more than that. It's a place where you can connect with one another, with loved ones and share a meal . The dining area is a warm place. A place of connection with food and with people.
The floors and surfaces should be easy to clean. Storage in this area typically consists of a Buffet or a vitrine. Done tastefully and in accordance with other elements in the room, it can add a lot of character and style.
4. The kitchen:
There is a saying that goes,'the kitchen is the heart of the home'. And rightfully so.
The kitchen sustains us. It fulfils one of our primary needs - to eat . However, it's not just a functional place. It's a bright and happy place that is always full of life. There is always someone in the kitchen, cooking something. It could well be one of the most lived in places in any home.
The floors and surfaces in the kitchen should be durable, yet bright and cheery. They should also be easy to clean. Choose flooring that is not too harsh on your feet. The storage in this room is typically for kitchenware and food. It can also double as a mini pantry in small apartments.
5. The bathroom:
The bathroom is a place that needs cleaning most often.
The floors should be waterproof and easy to clean. This is especially important as bathrooms tend to breed mould. Some apartments have no windows in their bathrooms and this poses a problem with the mould. In this case, it is important to regularly clean the exhaust fan / ventilator.
Storage in the bathroom is usually geared towards toiletries, medicines, towels and cleaning materials. This is also where washers and dryers are sometimes placed.
6. The Bedrooms:
The bedrooms afford their occupants to really personalise the space and bring their unique styles and characters forth. It is a place of solitude and reflection and of course, sleep.
For children, this space should be bright, comfortable and stimulating.
The colours in the bedroom should typically be in cool tones if it receives a lot of sun and in warm tones if it receives less sun. The floors should be warm, soft and sound absorbent. Storage in this space is usually for clothes and personal effects for example, cupboards for clothes, wardrobes, cabinets and shelves.
This brings us to the end of our room by room functionality.
I hope you've enjoyed this post of mine and I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject. Feel free to leave me a comment and I will be happy to get back to you.
For more on this topic, you can see this post:
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