What exactly is Space Planning?
When we talk about space planning we are really talking about getting the most out of any given space – be it in your home, your office, or any other non-residential space. Sometimes this involves solving space-flow problems in your kitchen, family room, or master suite.
Other times it may involve laying out the interior of a building that you just purchased for your business and you want to convert it to your suit your needs for your new restaurant, law office or medical practice.
Using every square inch of your space efficiently is our forte, so take advantage of this. We work with new construction as well as existing buildings.
Other times it may involve laying out the interior of a building that you just purchased for your business and you want to convert it to your suit your needs for your new restaurant, law office or medical practice.
Using every square inch of your space efficiently is our forte, so take advantage of this. We work with new construction as well as existing buildings.
Space Planning is really about Interior Architecture …
Interior architects and space planners—that’s really what we are—we will look at your space from a very different perspective. We start on the inside and work our way to the outside. Why do we do this? We do this because you live inside your home. We even take it a step further than what a custom builder will do, because we see possibilities that you (or your builder) may not see. We transform a standard box of an interior into something that is not only very functional but beautiful as well. To us, space is like clay for a sculpture: we mold it into a work of art that is as useful as it is beautiful.
Which means: you get something that is—in every sense of the word—truly designed. But this design takes time…takes energy…takes expertise…takes work.
A design for a medium-sized kitchen usually takes between 10 and 20 hours of our work to create. So the cost for the floor plan could be $2,000 or more.
Here’s a breakdown for a recent client in Lancaster and their $2,500 Floor Plan: Case study # 74
Case Study #65: Lynn and Andy H’s Kitchen
Step 1: Preliminary Design Meeting*
Interior architects and space planners—that’s really what we are—we will look at your space from a very different perspective. We start on the inside and work our way to the outside. Why do we do this? We do this because you live inside your home. We even take it a step further than what a custom builder will do, because we see possibilities that you (or your builder) may not see. We transform a standard box of an interior into something that is not only very functional but beautiful as well. To us, space is like clay for a sculpture: we mold it into a work of art that is as useful as it is beautiful.
Which means: you get something that is—in every sense of the word—truly designed. But this design takes time…takes energy…takes expertise…takes work.
A design for a medium-sized kitchen usually takes between 10 and 20 hours of our work to create. So the cost for the floor plan could be $2,000 or more.
Here’s a breakdown for a recent client in Lancaster and their $2,500 Floor Plan: Case study # 74
Case Study #65: Lynn and Andy H’s Kitchen
Step 1: Preliminary Design Meeting*
- We visited the client in their home, and had an in-depth conversation with them on what they wanted from their kitchen.
- Specifically, we discussed what their complaints were about the space.
- We listened to their initial thoughts about possible solutions, such as putting an addition onto the house.
- After hearing their complaints, and after interviewing the couple at great length, we asked if they would consider foregoing adding more space to their house if we could show them that they already had lots of space—it just wasn’t being used well.
- They liked the sound of that very much, because it meant saving a lot of money!
- First, we measured the entire first floor.
- We looked at not just the room (“the box”), but at the entire space: we looked at how all the rooms relate to each other. (In some cases, it makes sense to remove some walls to integrate spaces or even add walls to help define spaces. NOTE: The average kitchen planner is not going to do this. He or she is just going to go out there and look at just your kitchen space and nothing more.
- The average new-home builder does not think this way either. His (or her) focus is on building a house that has a certain number of rooms, and can be built for resale for so many dollars per square foot.
- We take informal pictures of the interior and exterior the home.
- We document details of a client’s home (location of electrical panels, location of ductwork, etc.), so that when we propose a new design we know that it will be accurate and it will be buildable.
| Gavi’s Free Advice…
One of the reasons contractors enjoy working with us is our attention to detail. We know exactly where the load-bearing walls are, where the ducts are, etc...so that when we propose a new design we know that it realistically can be built. Be wary of other “designers” and decorators who draw their visions that are not “doable.” We hear this complaint from contractors all the time. Interior Dimensions’ Designs are doable, because we have the expertise and we do the proper research on your home to give you something that will work.
|
Step #4: Appliance Shopping and Selection
Back at our clients’ home, we sat down and unveiled our presentation.
- In this case, we spent about 3 hours with our clients at a kitchen appliance showroom. The clients and I looked at many different appliances, reviewed each one’s features, and figured out which was the best selection based upon what they wanted, how they would use the appliances, and their budget.
- Most people mistakenly think that this is the longest phase.
- Although it does require expertise and time, it’s actually pretty straightforward. In this case Study #65, we just took our design in rough form from tracing paper to vellum, then to blueprints.
- The next step was to present our drawings to the client for discussion.
Back at our clients’ home, we sat down and unveiled our presentation.
- We started with an overview of how their new kitchen related to the first floor and their whole home.
- We then went through each element of the design, explaining why we designed what we did.
| “We spend many hours getting inside the heads of our clients—understanding what they want, getting a clear idea of what they are looking for. We have a tried and true method for doing this. And the real secret? The clients really enjoy this process “- Gavi Fiedler, Senior Designer/President, Interior Dimensions. |
Case Study #17: You don’t need a $50,000 edition; you just need a mud-roomette”
| Client challenge: Amy and Tony wanted to have a larger more functional kitchen and two distinct living spaces; one for adults and one for the kids. They also wanted a mud room to hide their two preteen boys’ “stuff,” such as school book-bags, jackets, etc. When she first called us, Amy thought that they would have to put an entire addition onto the house that they had built eight years ago to gain more space. (Most people have no idea how much space they are actually sitting on!) Interior Dimensions solution: After interviewing both Amy and Tony in great detail, we recommended removing the wall that was formerly between the dining room and the kitchen. This opened up the space and doubled the size of their kitchen. (More and more, we find that people want to do away with the ”formal” dining room, which in most cases gets no use at all. Nowadays, even when people entertain large groups, they seem to prefer a more informal atmosphere). However, what REALLY made a huge impact on their existing space was that we added a few walls right at the entrance from the garage. We didn’t take much space, only enough to create what I call a small “mud-roomette”. Client reaction: They were thrilled! Both Amy and Tony LOVED this idea. Not only did it get the boys’ “stuff” out of sight, but it redefined the kids’ living area by separating it from the rest of the kitchen. “Nobody in our neighborhood will have a kitchen like ours! When I saw the final result, I realized that the $11,500 that we paid for the design plan and the full set of construction drawings was well worth it. There’s no way they would have been able to verbally explain this to me,” our happy client Amy told us. By working with certified design professionals such as Interior Dimensions, you can “find space” within your existing square footage. I came up with a simple idea – tall storage cabinets we called “lockers”; one for each child - with a beautiful frameless arched opening to transition between the mud-roomette and the kitchen. No addition was necessary. The clients didn’t have to deal with digging a new foundation, pouring footers, connecting roof-lines, or a hefty price tag. It was just a simple mudroom-ette.' |
