Your house is your castle. It’s not just a place to keep your stuff – it’s where you live. And as such, it can feel overwhelming at times, especially if you’re someone who likes to plan. 

Designing an entire house from scratch is no easy feat, and doing so involves a lot of decisions. From the layout of the rooms to the materials used on the ceiling and walls, many factors go into designing a house. However, with careful planning and research, you can make this process much easier. 

In this blog post, we will be exploring 11 helpful tips for designing your lovely dream home. Making sure that your new home ticks all the right boxes requires some serious thought beforehand.

1. Before you start: Know what’s important to you

Before you start making any decisions when it comes to designing your new home, first ask yourself: “What do I want from my home?” Although this may seem like an obvious question, many people who design their own homes don’t take the time to think about what’s important to them. 

Having a clear idea of what matters to you is essential to a successful design. It will help you to make informed decisions, and it will make the entire process far less stressful. There are a few factors that can help you to decide what’s important to you when designing your new home. 

Some of the most important ones are the size of the house and the area it’s built on, the layout of the rooms, the proximity to amenities and public transport, the style of the house, and the type of neighbourhood it’s located in.

2. Decide on a budget and stick to it

Before you start designing your dream home, you must decide on10 a budget and stick to it. Although it may be tempting to go over your budget, it’s important to remain realistic. After all, there are plenty of other expenses during the house-building process, including obtaining planning permission and hiring contractors. 

It’s also important to remember that a larger budget doesn’t necessarily yield a better outcome. Sometimes, less expensive materials can produce better results than high-end ones. 

The best way to find the right budget for your home is to do plenty of research beforehand. Take a look at similar houses in your area and see what their budgets were. You can also speak to a contractor and ask what materials tend to be more expensive, and which ones are a better value for money.

3. Plan your space

When designing your house, you must plan your space properly. It’s not enough to just decide where the rooms go and how big they are. You also need to think about what’s between each room. How do people get from one room to another? Are there corridors? What are the entrance and exit points like? 

When designing your space, you must think about more than just the furniture and fixtures. You also need to think about how people will get around the house, and where they’ll go when they’re not in their rooms. 

A good place to start is by drawing up a floor plan. You don’t need to be an expert to do this – most of the time, you can find premade floor plans online and use them as a template for your house. Once you have your floor plan, it’s easier to see where your furniture should go.

4. Hire an interior designer

Although it’s important to plan your space, it’s also important to let go of the reigns now and again and hire an interior designer to handle the rest of the design process. 

Interior designers are well versed in the latest design trends and they know what materials work best in different rooms of the house. They also have experience in designing houses and know how to navigate the tricky design process with ease. 

Hiring an interior designer is often worth the cost, as they can help you to avoid common design pitfalls and make better design decisions. If you decide to hire an interior designer, make sure that you choose one that is experienced in designing houses and that they have a portfolio of previous work.

5. Decide on your materials

When it comes to materials, there are plenty of options available to you. You can pick materials like timber for the roof and walls, aluminium for the windows, and bricks for the flooring. You can also choose materials like marble for the kitchen countertops and sandstone for the walls. 

When deciding what materials to use in your new home, there are several things to consider. It’s important to choose aesthetically pleasing materials that fit your design. You also need to make sure that they’re durable, so they can last for the long haul and aren’t prone to wear and tear. 

There are many factors to consider when deciding on your materials. Some of these are: How much they cost, how easy they are to maintain, their aesthetic appeal, and how durable they are.

6. Think about lighting

Another important factor when designing your home is lighting. You want your home to be bright and welcoming – not dark and dull. There are many ways that you can implement good lighting in your home and make the most of it. 

While designing your home, it’s important to think about where you want the light fixtures to go and how bright you want the rooms to be. You also need to think about what kind of light you want in the rooms and whether it’s better to go for natural light or artificial light. 

Depending on the layout of your home, it may be beneficial to install skylights or fixtures that bring in natural light from above. You can also install LED lights in the rooms, as they provide bright light and consume less energy.

7. Colour is a key factor when designing a house

Another important factor when designing your house is colour. Although you may think that the colours of the walls aren’t important, they have a huge impact on the way that your house feels. 

The right colours can create a warm and inviting environment in your home. They can also help you to save money on energy bills. The wrong colours, on the other hand, can make your home feel cramped, cramped, and can make it difficult to relax and unwind. 

Before deciding on the colours of your walls, you need to consider the style of your home. If you’re designing a modern home, it’s best to go with crisp and clean colours like white and light blue. If you’re designing a vintage home, it’s best to pick bold colours like red and yellow.

8. Factor in ergonomics

Another important factor when designing your new home is ergonomics. Ergonomics is the study of designing a space so that it’s comfortable and easy to use. When designing your house, you must keep ergonomics in mind. You want your house to function well, and for it to be easy for everyone to get around in it. 

The best way to do this is to draw up a floor plan. Once you have your floor plan, it’s easier to see where your furniture should go and how your rooms should be laid out. You can also use your floor plan to identify problem areas, such as narrow walkways or areas that aren’t well lit. From there, it’s easier to come up with a plan on how to solve these issues.

9. Don’t forget about luxury items

It’s normal to want a stylish and luxurious home, but it’s important to remember that designing your home also involves some practicality. That being said, it doesn’t hurt to add in a few luxury items, especially if you’re on a higher budget. 

Adding in luxury items such as marble countertops, gold fixtures, and unique furniture will instantly enhance the design and value of your home, while also making the experience of living in your house a little more indulgent.

While a fireplace may be functional and provide warmth on a cold winter day, it can also be a decorative item that provides elegance to a room. While an espresso machine may be functional and help you to make your morning pick-me-up, it can also be a luxury item that makes your house feel even more like home. 

10. Don’t be afraid to experiment

As we mentioned above, designing your house can be pretty overwhelming, especially if you’ve never designed a house before. When starting, it’s important to experiment with different layouts and designs. Experimenting with the layout of your house allows you to create a truly unique home. 

There are several software programs available that can help you design your dream home. These programs allow you to experiment with different layouts, as well as add in various room designs, such as bathrooms and kitchens.

11. Don’t forget about functionality and maintenance

While you should experiment with the design of your house, don’t forget about functionality and maintenance once you’ve come up with a layout you like. Before making any design decisions, make sure you consider how each layout and design will affect the functionality of your house. 

As well as this, don’t forget about maintenance; a beautiful design will be completely useless if you don’t have the money or time to maintain it. It’s also important to consider the maintenance of any materials that you choose to go throughout the house. For example, if you’re thinking of adding wooden flooring throughout your house, make sure you consider how often they’ll need to be maintained.

A final note

Designing a house can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. By keeping these 11 tips in mind, you can create the perfect home that ticks all the boxes. Before diving head-first into designing your dream home, make sure you consider each of these factors to create the perfect house for you and your loved ones.