WHERE DO YOU EVEN START WITH HIRING SOMEONE TO DESIGN YOUR HOUSE?
I hear this a lot, and honestly, I’ve watched people get so bogged down in the technical stuff that they forget what actually makes a house feel like home. Years back, I worked with a couple who came in with this massive spreadsheet—every eco-friendly material you could imagine, all these efficiency targets. But when we started talking about how they actually lived (they loved to cook together, needed space for their dogs, wanted a spot for their morning coffee), none of that was on the list. We ended up scrapping half their “must-haves” because they realized the flow of the kitchen and a cozy breakfast nook mattered more than triple-glazed windows everywhere.
Not saying energy efficiency isn’t important—it is—but if you don’t love being in your own space, what’s the point? I always tell folks: start by thinking about your day-to-day life. Where do you hang out? Do you need quiet corners or big open rooms? Once you nail down how you want to live, then it’s way easier to layer in the green stuff without sacrificing comfort.
Funny thing is, some of the most efficient homes I’ve seen are also the ones where people really thought about how they’d use every inch. It’s not about picking between comfort and sustainability—it’s just about getting the order right. And honestly, no one ever brags about their insulation at dinner parties... but everyone remembers a great kitchen or a sunny reading spot.
WHERE DO YOU EVEN START WITH HIRING SOMEONE TO DESIGN YOUR HOUSE?
I get what you’re saying, but I’ll admit, I was the person who obsessed over the techy stuff first. I wanted the “smartest” house on the block—solar panels, radiant floors, you name it. Turns out, all the gadgets in the world didn’t make up for the fact that my living room felt like a waiting room. Ended up redoing half of it just to get a fireplace and some comfy seating in there. Lesson learned: you can always add more eco features later, but if the space doesn’t actually feel good to live in, none of it matters.
Totally get where you’re coming from—everyone wants the latest gadgets, but if your house doesn’t feel like home, what’s the point? I’ve seen folks drop a fortune on tech, then realize they can’t stand hanging out in their own living room. Honestly, I always tell people: focus on the flow and comfort first. You can wire up for smart stuff later, but you can’t retrofit soul into a space that’s all wires and no warmth.
You can wire up for smart stuff later, but you can’t retrofit soul into a space that’s all wires and no warmth.
I hear you, but I’ll play devil’s advocate for a sec—sometimes people get so focused on “soul” they forget about practicality. I’ve seen houses with tons of character but zero storage or weird layouts that just don’t work. It’s a balance, right? You want it to feel good, but if you’re tripping over your own furniture just to get to the kitchen, that’s not exactly homey either. I always tell folks: comfort and function first, then layer in the tech and the personal touches as you go.
I’ve seen houses with tons of character but zero storage or weird layouts that just don’t work. It’s a balance, right?
That balance is honestly the trickiest part. Reminds me of when I built my own place a few years back—got so caught up in the “vibe” that I ended up with this gorgeous reading nook... and nowhere to put the vacuum. My partner still teases me about it.
What I learned the hard way: you can add soul with art, colors, even the way you arrange your bookshelves, but if you forget about where the laundry basket goes, you’ll notice every single day. I had to get creative with hidden storage and built-ins after the fact, which was way more of a headache than just planning it in from the start.
I guess I lean a bit more toward function first, but I totally get wanting a space that feels like *you*. It’s just wild how fast “charming” turns into “cluttered” if you’re not careful.