Curb appeal or functionality of space; Which to choose?
Have you ever been faced with choosing between great curb appeal and interior functionality? Which did you choose? Which would you choose? Or, do you believe there’s a way to have both?
One builder I met recently said that if the homeowner is involved in the design process, the home will be designed from the inside out. By this the builder meant the focus will be on room layout, traffic flow and functionality of space, because that’s what matters most to clients. The builder then said if an architect is in control of the design process, the home will be designed from the outside in. The implication here was that architects will focus on a home’s exterior rather than giving clients an interior space that functions well.
While I’m sure this builder had some bad experiences with architects that drove him to this conclusion, painting with a broad brush is never the right way to go. So, let’s not go there. Instead, let me take a shot at explaining the design process using a TV commercial I remember from years ago.
The commercial used a long, skinny balloon to explain the process of buying a car. One man stood in front of this balloon, which represented the total cost of the car including fees, taxes, rust-proofing, and so on. He explained that if the dealer decreases the fees, which he illustrated by squeezing one section of the balloon with one hand, the rest of the balloon — representing other costs — became larger. Then he squeezed the section of the balloon labeled “taxes,” while we watched the rest of the balloon get bigger. The point of all this was that a dealer could play with fees, taxes and other costs all day, but ultimately the total cost is the same.
I think this balloon analogy can be applied here, but in a good way. If the exterior is disproportionately fantastic compared to the interior, the solution is to sacrifice a little curb appeal for the benefit of the interior space. If the kitchen is the gem and the master suite is less than satisfactory, take away from the kitchen to add to the master suite.
Perhaps recalling the TV commercial was an unnecessarily long way to go to make my point. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve over-explained something. But my point remains valid.
Or does it? What do you think?
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July 19th, 2010 at 3:50 am
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July 19th, 2010 at 4:57 am
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July 19th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
I would have to agree that many architects design for curb appeal. They also fail to provide enough closets, linen storage for bulky comforters in off-season, bathroom storage, and pantry space. When my closet in my 1550 square feet house is larger than the closet of a 6000 square feet mini-mansion an architect didn’t do their job!
July 19th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
My clients care about both & so do I. To quote Henry Louis Sullivan “form follows function” and it is this philosophy that is the base from which all my designs are built upon. Yes I start on the inside but at the same time I already have a good idea of how I want the outside to look as well. Each has an effect on the other and good design requires that attention needs to be given to both. The first and primary purpose of a home is to provide for the needs of its occupants which is why I start inside. Once I get a layout that deals with the needs of the interior spaces (eat, sleep, work, play, etc.) I move to the outside but it doesn’t stop there. Good design is an evolutionary process so after working on the outside for awhile I go back inside to massage the interior spaces to create the desired effects to the exterior forms. I use the word massage because it is important that changes to the forms must not compromise the function of the interior spaces. How many times I need to go back and forth between the two varies from project to project. The bottom line is that I’m not done until the inside meets the needs of its occupants and the outside is pleasing for them to look at.
I have a book in my reference library Titled “American House Styles” by John Milnes Baker. In this book he takes one basic conceptual floor plan and by making little adjustments to that plan he illustrates a multitude of different architectural styles (the exterior look). This is probably the best example of why I believe that there is no excuse not to have both. Anything less is simply poor design!
There is a third and very important factor to be considered in every design and it is called ”affordability”. For this reason I always include the contractor in the design process, this helps avoid producing a design that the client loves but can’t afford. Tell your contractor friend he can contact me @ mddesignhomes.com. I would be happy to help him out.
July 20th, 2010 at 9:28 am
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