It doesn’t matter whether you need to spend a lot of money or use expensive materials to make a beautifully designed house. If you want, you can create a house with a simple yet beautiful design, which will meet all your needs in practical terms. You can even use natural materials to build the house if you want. It all depends on what ‘home’ actually means to you and your family members.
Here are 10 of the most common home design mistakes. The list is not sorted. Many people make these mistakes while designing the house. And there are many ways to correct mistakes. Carpenters, masons have been solving these problems for us for many years. Again, many people nowadays, especially in foreign countries, do DIY (Do it yourself) to fix home design errors. In this the beauty of the house is increasing, they themselves can enjoy the joy of solving the problem.
1. Additional Storage Space
Having cabinets around the house may seem classy and comfortable to many. However, if the room is filled with such cabinets, the condition and atmosphere of the room may not look soft and shabby. If there is more storage space, it can be seen that the house is filled with many unnecessary things. Again, when storage space is low, many things cannot be found when needed.
When designing most of the rooms, the mistake is made with the closet. The walk-in closet used in American homes wastes a lot of space. Although such closets are quite popular among people. You may consider using cabinets instead of closets. They are as functional as they are beautiful and versatile. And the cabinet will not only store your belongings, but also provide ample room for air circulation.
2. Lack Of Proper Ventilation
Few people in industrialized countries can enjoy clean air. After being in AC everywhere in the office, home, they also travel daily in air-conditioned vehicles.
Outdoor air quality, safety, noise etc. depend on letting air into the house. As seen in many older houses, the windows are closed and painted over. Also, in many new houses, the windows are nailed for safety reasons.
Keeping windows closed may keep out the cold, but it can be a huge risk in times of danger. Every home design should have an emergency exit plan. Older houses need renovations to increase security. Sealed doors and windows may seem secure, but the risk of various types of criminal activity remains.
3. Lack Of Electricity And Light
Famous architect Richard Meier once said, “There are very few rooms in which natural light is properly utilized.”
An MIT study found that 25 to 40 percent of a building’s total electricity consumption is spent on lighting and lighting alone. But natural light is good for both our health and pocket. From natural light we get almost perfect white light, which is good for our vision.
Again, it cannot be said that having more windows means better. Natural light also has some problems. While the warmth of the sun’s rays is pleasant in winter, it can cause discomfort in summer. Then protection from sunlight is required. Again, having too many windows is a hassle to clean and privacy can be compromised. Windows should be checked periodically to see if privacy is compromised. For many, neighbors’ windows next to private spaces can also cause discomfort.
People like balance when it comes to lighting. Things like over-reliance on artificial light, over-lighting, wiring lights or using extra curtains on windows can cause problems.
4. Improper Use Of Barrow Or Multi-Purpose Room
There may be one room in the house that will be used for different purposes. You can use the room as an office or reading space, and you can use it for any other purpose.
Many families do not practice sports, it is normal for them not to have a games room. In fact, you should use the bathroom room to meet your needs. But it should not be that you have to have such a room in your house just because others have it.
If you want to start something new, a separate space for that will come in handy. Suppose you set up a room for exercise, where a variety of items are piled up. Then this room will not be of much use for your exercise.
5. Overlooking The HVAC (Air Conditioning System).
HVAC refers to heating, ventilating and air conditioning. Your home’s HVAC system should be simple but efficient. And these should not be noticed from the outside. If the HVAC system is not installed correctly, it can cause additional costs for you.
If you don’t have an HVAC system of the right capacity, you may have to deal with excess humidity, AC noise, or poor performance. If the ventilation and air-tightness of the house is not correct, the occupants may suffer from excessive cooling or heating. Excessively high ceilings, too many or too few windows, and a variety of design issues can also compromise a home’s air conditioning.
Again, the maintenance needs of each house are different from house to house. For example, Mediterranean-style homes often require whitewashing to reduce fungal infections. Again, Asian and Victorian style woodwork adds to the beauty of the house, but cracks or gaps in the wood also have to be solved.
Keeping your home equally comfortable in all seasons while keeping your budget and comfort in mind should be your aim.
6. Average Water Management
Many areas do not have piped water facilities. In these areas, it is a good idea to have a drain hole some distance away from the house and kitchen. So the question is, why is the bathroom next to the dining room and kitchen in some western houses?
The reason for this is the water line. They are placed nearby to supply hot water lines to kitchens and bathrooms. The pipe line is placed downwards so that smoke does not rise up from these two places. There is also a problem in the bathroom, because the toilet and shower have to be done in the same place.
Such old houses are also a bit troublesome for guests. Because the only way to use the bathroom is to wait for others sitting at the dining table to finish eating.
The number, location and arrangement of bathrooms in the house is very important for large families. It is also very important in homes where there are elderly people. If the room has multiple parts, it needs to have up and down movement facility. Arrangements should be made so that the children at home go to school and the adults go to work so that others are not disturbed.
7. Improper Use Of Kitchen Space
Kitchen space you can use for storing things, or just for preparing food. When buying a new house or renovating an old house, the design of the house should match the needs of the residents. Keeping a separate space for the kitchen, or enjoying cooking together in an open kitchen, is a big decision.
In 1946 there was a study of how much walking housewives in the United States had to do to prepare a meal. It turns out that housewives only need 70 steps to design an ideal house. And if the design is not right, it can be up to 454 steps. Researchers recommend placing cabinets, drawers and accessories on two walls of the kitchen.
These types of designs are quite popular among the modern designs these days. The kitchen island is used here for additional counter and storage space. As a result the counters become L or U shaped.
Frankfurt Kitchen was once popular in Germany (1926). These kitchens were very useful for household work. As they were small, they were also very easy to clean. The size of the kitchen was 6.2 feet by 11.2 feet. That means it’s actually a kitchen for one person.
A lot has been taken from these researches in modern kitchens. Space has also been placed to create a connection between the kitchen and dining. But if designed like this, there is a risk of cooking smells spreading into the living rooms.
8. Lack Of Planning In The Use Of Room Space
If you want to bring a different dimension to the design of the room, the cost may be a little higher. For this you have to arrange wooden items, carpets, windows and doors according to your choice. After World War II, the ranch house design became popular in the United States. Architects such as Cliff May and Frank Lloyd contributed to this. These houses have a main living room, and the rest of the rooms are spread around this living room. It makes the room feel open.
Ranch-style homes may look modern and attractive, but without proper planning, they can end up looking like long, lonely boxes. Meaning, ranch style houses are nothing more than a few rectangles and squares if not planned properly.
Still western houses are more influenced by rectangular design. But adding different types of decorations brings a different dimension to the design of the room. Many people try to give old rectangular ranch houses a modern look by adding large open spaces.
9. Not Using Proper Construction Materials
Building a house with cheap building materials can be compared to wearing poorly tailored clothes. Both can disturb your peace.
Using low-quality drywall in the corners of walls or thin concrete floors can pose a risk to the entire installation. Cracks and voids may appear in the walls if poor quality construction materials are used at the junction of walls and ceilings or walls and floors. At the same time, excess pressure can be applied to the area with heavy loads. There are various problems with wooden materials. If wood beams and particleboard are not treated, they can have problems such as shrinking, over-stretching. In such a condition it is prone to insect infestation and water spoilage.
However, a skilled inspector is able to accurately assess the house’s maintenance costs by examining its foundation and supports. A study by the National Association of Home Builders found that 50.2% of homeowners lived in their home for at least 10 years. However, only 27.6% of homeowners stay for more than 20 years. There are many people who only think about the short term and build a house. So it is important to prepare the house with the right materials for the longevity of the house.
10. Lack Of Planning Before Building The House
Wondering if your home has enough room for current and future needs?
Many people make this mistake. Many of us don’t think about elderly people, raising young children, or growing families in the future when designing a home.
Whether the family stays together or separate depends on the location of the room and its entrance. No matter what kind of house you make, small or big, whether the family will be close or isolated, it depends a lot on the design of the whole house. Where family members want to stay, what kind of privacy they need, and even how the young and old will be able to move about comfortably, must be kept in mind.
If you design with the future in mind in this way, your home design will not become outdated over time.
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We can say that a house design is good only when there is a combination of aesthetics with practicality and it is made keeping in mind all possible needs of present and future.
Some of the most well-known mistakes include not using natural light properly, not having proper AC or HVAC systems, not having enough storage, and not having the rooms properly positioned. However, many mistakes can be avoided if the right materials and family needs are kept in mind. A good kitchen, common space for various activities, and proper distribution of rooms can greatly increase the quality of life of residents.
If the elderly and people with special needs are kept in mind while designing the house, then the house can adapt to any need. Smart design and use of the right materials will not only increase the comfort and practicality of the house, but will also make the house livable for a long time. So by avoiding some common mistakes, any house can be made into a durable, comfortable and wonderful place to live.