A space that is forever, is ultimately one that you feel at home within and many modern home builders in Melbourne seek to create homes that last for many years to come. Whether it’s to be passed down to future generations or sold for a tidy profit at some stage, there are certain aspects of home design that have proven to last the test of time. Read below for our tips regarding interior and exterior design that will look good today and into the future.
Quality
The most important aspect of ensuring a home’s longevityis to use high quality, durable materials and designs that suit the environment they will be exposed to. Humid and tropical locations, for example, need to account for high heat and also dampness in order to avoid ongoing mould issues or the premature decay of their facade. Therefore, do your research in order to determine what materials will best suit the site on which you want to build. In Australia, there is a strong need to incorporate passive solar design in order to shield a home’s occupants from the harsh sun, although people in Tasmania will probably not share this immediate concern!
Style
Interior design is so subjective it can be difficult to pinpoint what will look good in decades to come. Instead of trying to predict what will best suit you and your lifestyle in the future, many people opt to design their permanent fixtures with a more minimalist emphasis and allow their personal taste to shine through in their knick-knacks, art and removable items like furniture. Even things like wall paper or paint are not too difficult to change over time, depending on your definition of hard work, but tends to be updated less frequently then homewares or curtains.Enduring interiors will often have shades of neutrals, such as white, on the walls, an abundance of natural light and a sense of flow or logic to the order of rooms in the house. Some people also adhere to the principles of fengshui to assist them in placement of objects or floorplan designs in to maximise harmony and balance in their living quarters.
Function
You may not have noticed, but many of these aspects that make a house suitable for a lifespan (plus more) will adhere to universal design principles. Universal design strives to provide environments that are useable to all people.Design that appeals to users is not only aesthetically sound but is practical and able to be regularly used, not many people want to live in a museum! Some of these specifics include no-step entrance ways, lever-handled doors, a bathroom on the main floor, easily accessible power mains, rounded edges (benches etc.) and these days, technology capability that does not overwhelm the living space.
Not only does universal design increase the value of your property but can be used by people throughout different life stages and abilities from young babies to the elderly, and is accessible to varying levels of mobility.
