Every home has an interior design ‘superpower’ – so what’s yours? Some superpowers are obvious, others don’t jump out at you and need to be encouraged. But every home can have a superpower which adds to its appeal and resale value. 
Cathy Dean, Founder & CEO of Studio Dean, says: “The key is to not think about your house like everyone else would. It’s surprising how many assumptions we can make about certain builds and how this can affect our interior design and architecture choices. Just because you have a terraced house, doesn’t mean it needs to act like every other terraced house on the street. Own your home’s USP (unique super power) and plan everything around it.”
SYMMETRY
“Symmetry is the key to beauty, and beauty is power, so if your home has it, use it! Georgian houses have beautiful symmetry, but sometimes it doesn’t suit how we live now. You should always try to keep the proportions and regularity in place and keep everything symmetrical, so please don’t turn windows into doors as it will make the house look lopsided.”
“We always prioritise function over form and understand that you need to flow easily between your spaces. This doesn’t always mix well with leaving symmetrical architecture alone. If you want to step outside from your kitchen but patio doors would be an architectural compromise, consider opening up the space on another side and create or move your main garden space for better access.”
PERIOD FEATURES
“If your house is of a certain age, it was built with its own inherent superpowers. These give it character and tell a story of its age and origin which you can’t replace or fake. Original fireplaces, coving, window frames, doors and flooring are all treasures, unique to your home.”
“Our mantra is “what’s old is old and what’s new is new” so we will never try to make period features modern, or put period features in modern homes (yuck). We celebrate homes for what they are. Keep all the history and features that you can, and use colour and decor to frame, spotlight and personalise them.”
COLOUR
“Did you know that features were only glossed white in the past because it was cheaper? There’s no reason why you can’t paint skirting boards, doorframes etc. in bold colours.”
“Pick windows, doors and fireplaces out with bold colours. Even if they are not super – this will power them up. Draw attention to key windows to frame superpower views.”
LIGHT
“The way the light hits and enters your house through the day can be a real superpower if you harness it well. Observe how light falls at different times of the day and year, and then think about what you can do to make the most of it. It might be useful to speak to an architectural interior designer at this point.
Options could be to open up some skylights and create double-height spaces to move light through the house vertically. Or enlarge windows and remove interior walls to let light flow through horizontally.”
SPACE
“Super spatial planning will take your interior architecture and make it perfect for your lifestyle. Maybe you don’t need three ensuites that you never use. Maybe one larger family bathroom would work best for you, and then you can have a cheeky yoga space or upstairs laundry room. To maximise function, we love to add butler’s kitchens, pantries, boot rooms, mud rooms and even dog-washing and drying rooms – all superpowers!”
FLOW
“Optimising the way you flow through your home immediately elevates the whole space, and makes your life easier. There are several ways to power up your flow. Architecturally, you can move, remove or add stud walls to improve function and flow. You can add, remove or disguise doors to direct flow to and away from public and private spaces.”
“To make your whole home flow, keep your flooring consistent all the way through, this makes your interior design instantly cohesive.”
VIEWS
“Sometimes it’s what’s outside your home that is your superpower. If you have a gorgeous view to one side of your house, redesign your interior architecture to harness it throughout. Move all the rooms that you spend quality time in to the ‘view side’ so you are waking up, eating and relaxing with the view. Open up sightlines by removing walls through the house so you can see the view throughout. Put lesser used rooms the furthest from the view – such as bathrooms, boot rooms and snugs that are usually used when it’s dark.”
“Work with the theme of your view. If it is coastal or countryside, bring those colours into your interior design. Be careful not to become kitch – just because you are near the beach you do not need seaside things. There are ways of saying coastal without a sign saying ‘gone fishin’’. Instead use the same woods that are outside or use driftwood. Look at colours outside and reflect them in art and fabrics. Don’t buy artwork pictures of the coast. Your view is that. Try abstract images and representative sculptures instead.”
WHAT TO DO WITH A NEW BUILD WITH NO PERIOD FEATURES?
“Don’t fake it. Bring in modern architectural features that make an impact. Adding modern wood panelling or other features to ceilings adds character and won’t look out of place.”
“Use consistent materials, colour and texture to create a cohesive superpower. Use interesting wood all the way through to feel purposeful. Bring in a natural material through your flooring – maybe a glorious stone or wooden floor. Use all five walls (fifth is your ceiling) to make a statement, using fabric effect wallpaper.”
“How you use materials is important too. Create features and tie them in. Use bespoke joinery. Wrap windows in interesting materials. Don’t be tempted to add in period features such as a Victorian sash window to a new build, it is a pastiche.”
PICK A ROOM
“If there is a particular space you enjoy spending time or entertaining in, make that your home’s superpower. It could be a kick-ass games room, a state-of-the art gym, showstopper kitchen or a sunken outdoor fire pit area in your garden. Smaller spaces can also be powered up – like a wine store, library or biophilic wall.”
FIRE
“There are several ways of bringing fire into your home, just don’t add a fireplace where there would never logically have been a real one, it will look out of place. Log burners are the only exception as they look great anywhere.”
“If you must add a new fireplace, take a whole wall and design a big feature. Integrate the TV, shelving and fire into the same structure. It hides TV and makes fire the focus. A wow-option is to punch through fireplaces to outdoors to make an indoor/outdoor fireplace that connects spaces and can be used all year.”
Images: Studio Dean
See also: House Prices Near Record High
