Space Planning Archives - Interior Design Scottsdale, AZ by S Interior Design

Livable Garage Space

August 31, 2016 by Suzanne Lasky Leave a Comment

Below is a guest post on the subject of converting your garage into livable space to then rent out as a source of income. Maybe a good idea , maybe not….but even if you don’t want or need to do a conversion of the garage to lease out, you may still want to use it as additional living space for yourself. Perhaps a teen hang out space? Or a men’s den?

While it is not as easy to do as simply putting down an area rug and adding a sofa, it can be done much more easily than building an add on structure from the ground up.

Converting Garage Into a Living Space

Cities all around the country are experiencing tremendous growth in real estate and asset prices, and people are looking for ways to cope (or cash in) on the recent spike in rent prices. If you are a homeowner who perhaps is recently out of work, or just are looking for another stream of income, then perhaps you should consider converting your garage into a living space.

Perhaps your child has just graduated college and is having trouble finding work. While their old bedroom has been demolished and rebuilt into your new library, the garage is still a viable spot for them to live, with a quick renovation. San Francisco, New York, and other cities in the United States are seeing astronomical rent prices, so there’s a chance that your new rental space could be quite a cash cow, even if it is just a spruced up garage. here are several reasons to consider renovating your garage into a living space. There are several aspects to consider, which we have outlined below.

Remodeling Essentials

When you are remodeling your garage into a living space, there are several key considerations to keep in mind. If the garage is attached to the house, then you will need to think about how the renter will be able to access this space. Will they be passing through the main house to access the space? A detached garage will require more insulation, as it is a separate structure from the main dwelling. Many people are renting out these spaces as “mother in law” units, especially in college towns where students are looking for a cheap place to sleep.

Insulation and Temperature Control

Windows and doors are where the vast majority of heat is lost from a structure, so your first priority is ensuring that these areas are insulated with high quality materials. Insulated windows and doors can do an incredible job on cutting heating and cooling bills, and they are definitely worth the investment. Since a garage door is much larger than a standard door, insulating this door is especially important for temperature control.

Living spaces likely require more privacy than the typical garage, so be sure to install blinds and curtain rods. Likewise, you will want to make sure that the door used to access the room has a lock and is working smoothly. If the floor is concrete, then it can be dreadfully cold in the winter. Installing snap-in wooden flooring is a relatively cheap way to make the space more attractive and livable.

Interior design Considerations

Garages are small, so you should focus on creating utilitarian shelving and storage spaces that allow people to organize their things and avoid clutter. Installing a wooden or vinyl flooring will ensure that the floor is more comfortable and cohesive.

Pay attention to the lighting in the room. A nice floor and new blinds won’t make up for a single lightbulb dangling bare from the ceiling, attached with a bright orange extension cord. Even a cheap overhead lighting fixture coupled with a lamp or two can make a space look much more cozy. Christmas lights are popular lighting choices for students, and they’re quite affordable to boot.

Shelving and modular furniture can be very useful for using a garage as a living space. A futon is another student staple, and the ability to use it as a couch and a bed makes it very attractive for someone living on a small budget. Tables with integrated cabinets and storage can meet a variety of needs in one piece, allowing you to save space and maximize usefulness to the user.

Natural wood materials are very on-trend and also match the rustic charm of converting a garage into a living space. Consider drying a tree stump and using it as an end table. Raw wooden planks can also be painted with bold colors for a more edgy look. No matter what decorative palette you use, it will be a hit as long as the space is inviting and functional. Following these tips will help you renovate your garage a desirable and attractive living space. Renters will be flocking to rent out your space, and your wallet will be much heavier.

What Every Home Buyer Wants

October 21, 2015 by Suzanne Lasky Leave a Comment

Below is a guest post that discusses what a new home buyer may be looking for in terms of features or upgrades. S Interior Design has added commentary (shown in italics ) throughout the posting.

What Every Home Buyer Wants

Every new home buyer, has some wishes that he/she looks for before making a step towards buying or owning a home. Different features and factors which include home location, the size of the home and also interior features are mostly common in any buyers wish lists. This determines how willing/interested a buyer will be when it comes to purchasing the home.

Many buyers are willing to spend more money above the price of the home to have certain interior and exterior features put in place. Some of the wishes that every home buyer will look for when buying a home (and something you might want to consider when remodeling or doing home improvements) will include the following:

Stainless steel appliances
Most home buyers prefer having stainless appliances fitted in their homes ranging from doors and other indoor appliances. This is because stainless steel is more attractive and makes the house have an elegant view.

While stainless steel appliances are still desirable, black, slate and even white appliances are becoming more popular.

Security

A well secured home with quality doors and locks will be mostly preferred by home buyers. Good quality and affordable doors can be found with barn door hardware. The hardware offers better quality doors in different designs. They also offer track systems and other door accessories to make sure that your home is well guarded against break-ins. In some homes, break-ins are inevitable and home buyers are looking for homes where a warranty is given in cases of break-ins or wear out. A home warranty is considered as a major component before buying a home.

Key pad entry pads and even wireless entry is now available .

More Bedrooms

Privacy is key in any bedroom and home buyers will prefer a home with more bedrooms which can accommodate more people in case there are visitors. Anyone should feel comfortable sleeping in a bedroom in which there is privacy. A walk-in closet in the bedroom is also a status symbol since most people want to have more clothes, be more organized and on top of that, look presentable.

You can add privacy door sets to any room in which you desire extra privacy. Every home buyer/home owner has distinct needs. More is not always better!

More Bathrooms
It’s no doubt that washrooms are a very sensitive area of the house. To maintain hygiene and a healthy lifestyle, washrooms should not be shared among every person who lives in a house. Therefore, most home buyers will prefer having more bathrooms in their house to maintain hygiene.

Keep in mind more bathrooms mean more bathrooms to clean!

Laundry Room
A place where people can wash, fold clothes and store other laundry materials will be a key factor to anyone who wants to own a home. Laundry rooms help people to keep the mess out of their living room keeping it tidy and homey.

Older homes may have a laundry area or space versus an acutual room. You need to think about where you will fold your laundry and iron in the house if there is not a dedicated room for that purpose.

More Exterior Lighting

A well designed exterior lighting captures customers’ attention on the first sight. Be it wall lanterns and landscape lights above the ground provides a scenic view which attracts potential buyers before they even get inside a house. The light illuminates paths at night.

Good Kitchen Design (Eat-In Kitchens)
For home buyers, especially those with families, an eat-in kitchen is a must have. This helps people interact during breakfast or dinner since they congregate in the kitchen for their meals. The kitchen should be spacious enough to accommodate a large number of people.

Your specific lifestyle and family make up will help to determine your needs in terms of how large of a space and eating table / area is needed.

A Fireplace

One or more fireplaces may become more popular as speculated. This is because many people spend less time watching TV. A fireplace will be an ideal place where home owners can relax or just share highlights from their day with family or friends.

We have not witnessed this trend. Our clients are fully committed to having televisions in multiple rooms of their homes. Fireplaces in dining rooms and bedrooms are are great option along with the more standard living room or great room spaces.

Spacious Garage and Storage Room

The increase in resources results in home buyers looking for spacious storage to accommodate equipment used in homes. For buyers with families, a spacious garage is most likely to have an upper hand since a family may have a number of cars to accommodate in a garage. A seller should ensure garage and other storage rooms are spacious.

Good storage spaces are definitely a plus especially in areas such as Arizona where basements and storage areas in basements are less commonly available.

Floors /Design
Though carpets are considered to conserve energy and offer a comfortable feeling, they may be hard to clean. Most home buyers who host guests often, prefer hardwood floors, which are durable and easy to clean.

Other hard floor surfaces to consider are laminate, luxury vinyl planks, cork and porcelain tile.

Home Office

Most people take office work home so that they can work on it either in the evening or during weekends. Buyers may prefer to have a place in the house where work-related documents are kept (e.g. books, laptops and more). Home offices make your work more manageable.

Overwhelming desire for the majority of home owners! Most newly built homes will offer 1 or more options for home office space.
Though the list is endless depending on people’s tastes and preferences, most home buyers are willing to cough up extra money to have their homes customized. In this digital era, a good home should therefore contain modern facilities which are not only attractive, but also act as a status symbol to many.

Living Large In a Small Space

September 18, 2015 by Suzanne Lasky Leave a Comment

Below is a guest post on the subject on how to live comfortably in a small or smaller space. Many of you have seen the uptick in interest in micro houses. Some of you may be down sizing now that the kids have left the nest. Regardless, the article below provides good information on how to declutter and get creative with storage even if you are not in a small space or down sizing scenerio.

Living Large in a Small Space

One of the latest trends in home or apartment living these days is in downsizing space. In fact, some people are building their dream homes to be fewer than 300 square feet. You may not be dealing with these kinds of spatial constraints, but there are a few simple rules to follow if you need to make the most any small space. From storage options to decorating tips that give the illusion of openness, you can easily make a cramped room feel more spacious.

Clean up the clutter.
One of the easiest and quickest ways to open up a cramped living or work space is to declutter the area. This isn’t just a matter of cleaning up; it’s a careful editing of what’s taking up precious space. For example, if you are de-cluttering a general area such as a living room, go through items on bookshelves, coffee or end tables and start the elimination process. These are areas that tend to collect a lot of extraneous stuff. Take a good, hard look at your decorations and choose only a few statement pieces to make the most impact. If you have several picture frames or artwork on your walls, consider taking some down to open up wall space. When you’re ready for a change of scenery, you can swap out some of your decorations with things you have stored and get a whole new look.

Get creative with storage.
Anyone who has lived in a small space can tell you that efficient organization is key. Take advantage of items such as storage ottomans that do double-duty as a piece of functional furniture that can keep things like extra blankets or linens out of sight. In your kitchen, office or bedroom, use drawer separators to both organize and make the most of every bit of space. And don’t forget the backside of cabinet or closet doors. Various over-the-door organizers can store everything from shoes to extra bottles of shampoo or cleaners. You can even create a small storage area of your own by adding a sliding door in front of a small alcove or cubby. Visit your local home improvement store to pick up a pre-fab door and sliding door hardware to construct a simple DIY storage space of your own design.

Bring in the light.
Once you’ve done your de-cluttering and have your storage options in hand, you can use some simple decorating tips to give the illusion of more space. Use mirrors to take advantage of the light in a room and visually enhance your space. You can even choose an area of the wall to create a wall of mirrors, giving the appearance of an extra room. Also, consider opting out of curtains on windows. This may not be practical in a bedroom, but your living room will feel more spacious if you don’t create any visual breaks around your windows. Finally, choose paint or wallpaper colors that won’t make you feel boxed in. Lighter colors and patterns will make any space feel more open and airy than dark colors. If you’re painting your walls one color, continue that same color on the ceiling. It will make give the room a sense of higher ceilings.

Living in a small space doesn’t have to put a cramp in your lifestyle. In fact, smaller spaces often include smaller utility bills and general upkeep, leaving you with extra money for the things you love to do. With a combination of space-saving storage options and simple decorating tips, you can feel like you’re living large in even the smallest of spaces.

Downsizing? Small Works !

November 16, 2013 by Suzanne Lasky Leave a Comment

I have heard myself saying to several different new clients within the past 6 months-“Small can be great!” As one example, you can probably afford the very expensive back splash tile if you are using it in a smaller sized kitchen or bath remodel; and you need less furniture to furnish a smaller great room.

That said, there are tried and true tips that can give you a larger feeling space—mirrors, lighting, clutter control to name 3 top ones. A guest post about how to make small spaces feel larger is shown below. The author is from the U.K where overall spaces tend to be smaller than in the United States where the mantra seems to be-bigger is better.

How To Make A Small Living Space Feel Bigger

Whatever your current living situation, if your house, apartment or shared accommodation isn’t quite as palatial as you’d like it to be there are lots of different ways to adapt your space to make it feel bigger.

It is possible to transform the rooms you occupy at home with a few simple tricks of the eye, making them appear lighter, airier and much more spacious. Here are some ways to decorate and organise your home to give the impression of much more space than you might have.

Use Of Mirrors

Whether you place them above the mantelpiece, incorporate them into your wardrobe door or even prop them up against the wall, mirrors can dramatically alter your perception of a room and also help to reflect light, giving a greater sense of space. Entire mirrored walls are often used in bars and restaurants to make them seem twice the size they actually are, so why not emulate this at home?

(Image credit: Sam Agnew)

For maximum effect:

opt for large mirrors
position them opposite windows or doorways where light enters
don’t be afraid to have more than one in the room- in fact, the more mirrors the brighter the room!

Pick A Light, Bright Colour Scheme

Dark colours, if on every wall, can have the undesired effect of making small rooms appear even smaller. To maximise every inch of available space, choose from a light colour palette of neutrals and pastels.

(Image credit: Mazzali)

There is no need to forgo the dark, bold colours that you love, as these can still look great and add character if used in small doses. Perhaps have a feature wall painted in your accent colour and pick soft furnishings to match.

Choose A Light Floor Colour

Choosing anything other than a light floor colour is certain to highlight the small size of a room by drawing the eye downwards to the exact dimensions of the floor space. Opting for a neutral colour which flows uninterrupted up to walls of a similar colour will open up the space and draw the eye up and out to the rest of the room.

Size Does Matter

Unlike mirrors, which can be as big as you like (in fact the bigger the better!), overly large paintings, ornaments, rugs and pieces of furniture dominate small spaces and serve to highlight the size of a small room. Opt for chairs and tables which aren’t too chunky, those with a lighter ‘footprint’ will take up less floor space.

The size of furniture and decorative items should be in keeping with the size of the room, so buy for the space you have rather than the space you’d like to have!

Hide The Clutter With Clever Storage

Cramming lots of paintings, pictures and ornaments into a small room will only serve to highlight how cramped everything looks. To maintain a calm, unfussy environment keep surfaces as clear as possible by storing all non-decorative items away.

(Image credit: PoshSurfside.com)

Built in storage will aid in de-cluttering and saving space. Think about incorporating:

cabinets built in to alcoves
wardrobes built along walls
bench seating which contains drawers and storage space

Let There Be Light

Clever lighting can create the illusion of more space by making the most of every square foot available. If you don’t have large or south facing windows then create light with strategically placed lamps and mirrors. One large central light creates a clinical look which leaves corners and other nooks and crannies in shadow. Light such areas with up-lights, spotlights or lamps.

(Image credit: Doug)

Make use of other reflective materials, such as glass and metals, to increase light. Why not place lamps upon mirrored trays for maximum light reflection, for example?

Knock through to create an open plan living space

If the structure of your house is such that you occupy a series of small box rooms, the simplest way to transform it into a living space which feels much larger is to knock through adjoining walls.

(Image credit: Jeremy Levine)

An open plan living space increases space, adds light and unites the social spaces in your home. Being able to see how large your floor plan actually is and move around it with ease is one of the best ways to make a small space feel larger.

Adopting a less is more approach when it comes to decoration and aiming to maximise available light with neutral colours and reflective surfaces are the best ways to make small rooms appear larger.

About The Author

Hi there, my name is Loren, I love being creative with living spaces. I live in a small but very cosy apartment, I love my creature comforts and I don’t like clutter! I work at http://sofasofa.co.uk who sell comfy sofas, sofa beds and other bits and bobs.

LED Lighting– Good to Know

May 1, 2013 by Suzanne Lasky Leave a Comment

An article from HOUZZ describing the benefits of LED lights and showing some of the most common applications. As designer, I am specifying LED lighting for all of my remodel projects.

The Lowdown on High-Efficiency LED Lighting