Notes on designing, buying and delivering a home well.
From the decisions worth making before design begins to the details that determine how a space feels to live in.
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Setting a renovation budget: what a contingency is actually for
A contingency is not spare money, and most budgets miss several costs completely. Here is what belongs in the number.
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Extend, reconfigure, or move? How to decide before you spend anything
The question that comes before design. What each option really costs, what usually decides it, and why the honest answer is sometimes to do less.
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Can you start design work on a house before you own it?
Most of the preparation that delays a project after completion can happen before it, including design, planning and tendering.
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How materials change with the light, and how light changes a room
A material does not have one fixed character. It behaves differently under different light. Here is how to choose surfaces properly.
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Layout, flow and light: what really decides whether a home feels right
Three things do most of the work in a house that feels good to be in. They are inexpensive to resolve on paper and costly to fix later.
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How to write a design brief for your home
The brief is the cheapest thing to get right and the most expensive to get wrong. Here is what to include before anyone starts drawing.
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The RIBA stages in plain English
Your architect may mention Stage 3 and assume you know what it means. Here is what happens at each stage and what you need to decide.
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How to choose an architect or designer for your home
Anyone can design your house. Only some people can call themselves an architect. Here is how to work out who is actually right for your project.