When we built our house, I had a feeling which room would be my favorite and I made decisions to ensure that we loved the space.
If you follow me on Instagram, you've probably heard me share on stories that when we were planning our house, we deemphasized the bedrooms and emphasized the main living spaces (like the living room, kitchen and dining room). We wanted to really focus on the spaces where most of our guests would be spending their time. Have you guessed which room is my favorite? It's the living room!
A couple of things we kept in mind when we were creating the living room:
We knew we wanted it to be a transitional space, meaning that if we need to extend the dining room, we could. If we wanted to fill the living room with people, we could. My husband has a huge family so the open floor plan was a no brainer to make sure we could accommodate everyone.
The fireplace should be the focus. We chose a shiplap fireplace that went all the way to the ceiling (which peaks at 15'), with a brick inlay to add texture.
A statement light should draw your eyes to the space. That's why we chose the large wagon wheel chandelier, to be a simple statement that still catches your eye.
Natural light should fill the space. We were very thoughtful with windows, choosing to have most of the back wall to have large windows (3'x5').
We also thought about how the other areas would impact the surrounding spaces. For example, we put a lot of windows in the dining room and chose a door with windows as well to continue to brighten that space. That way you get light from both sides and it creates a space that is bright, inviting and cozy which was what we wanted for the room.
It's important to note that we built on a budget, which is why we had to deemphasize a space to emphasize another. If you are not building a budget, that would probably not apply to you. However, if you are building on a budget, please do not get discouraged! There are so many ways to make your house the way you want it without breaking the bank.
If you are building on a budget, I would encourage you to think through three things:
How do you want to use your home?
How do you want other people to use your home?
Where do you want people to spend the most time in your home?
Answering those questions will help you know where to direct time, energy and resources and what is less of a priority for you.
Be sure to check out my Instagram stories every Wednesday to hear me Building 101, including the perspective of our weekly guest host!
Comments