double bedroom with skylight

Things to think about when designing a room

Size

Think about how long the person will be living in the room. If it is a long period of time it might be better to have 2 bigger rooms in addition to the master bedroom, as opposed to 3 smaller rooms (in addition to the master). A primary school child now might want a desk for high school and uni so allow for this.

double bedroom with skylight

Allow for Walk In Robes (WIR) VS Sliding Robes

It’s worth considering the depth as you may want to install drawers later on which can be done by a cabinet maker.

Window sizes

Full height windows are always fantastic for allowing as much light in as possible and make the room feel larger, but may limit you to what walls you can utilise with furniture. Consider taking your windows to the height of a bed head or desk so you won’t lose the wall and ruin the overall look of the room. Also consider things such as sliding windows and awning windows. Sliding windows tend to allow for better ventilation but aren’t as protected as awning windows.

Doors used in the rooms can make a big difference

As an example, when we built the Settlers View on display, due to the orientation of the home we were worried the hallway would be dark during the day, so instead of installing a skylight in the hallway we installed doors with a frosted glass insert which allowed light from the rooms to come into the hallway. This made the hallway look more visually appealing when the doors were closed.

Lighting is always important

Lightning is often influenced by the orientation of the house and how much light the room receives. Downlights are always the most favoured but tend to be the most expensive. Consider LED down lights for energy savings but be prepared to pay a higher price. If the rooms are just spare rooms, keep it simple as the extra expense generally isn’t worth it.

Consider power points

Allow the room to be furnished in two ways. Too often people allow for the room to be furnished one particular way but don’t allow for change over time. Add furniture pieces to the room that require power such as a desk with a lamp, or even a fish tank or TV.

You may also like

covered alfresco area with country views

What does work-life balance look like?

Less doing, more just being. Building a home in the country or by the coast is the perfect opportunity to define what a healthy work-life balance might look like for you. If 2020 got you thinking about re-balancing things, you’re not alone.  As a result of the pandemic, more ...

the daintree retreat statement artwork

Talk about being the centre of attention

Statement pieces Whether it is a gracefully hanging chandelier, a bold furniture item or a powerful artwork, there is a sure way to turn heads in any room – a statement interior design piece. According to The Rural Building Company Principal Designer Robert Kirkovski, what transforms a regular item into a ...

open plan living with neutral colours and high ceilings and windows

5 ways to add contrast to your rural home

Playing with juxtaposition can be fun and rewarding. Here are a few simple steps you can try to add contrast to your rural home. 1. Bring monochrome into the mix Black and white is the ultimate contrast which you can introduce into your home. You can do this by painting walls ...