Interiors writer Linda Clayton on why bigger isn’t always better

More space equals a happy home, yes? Not always. If you’ve not thought through what you want to achieve by removing walls or extending, it might not work for your family. Linda Clayton reveals why the emotional side of living is as crucial as square footage

The late, great architect Zaha Hadid once said, ‘Architecture is really about wellbeing. I think people want to feel good in a space’. While nobody will argue with her sentiment, how many of us neglect to think about how we will feel and ‘be’ in a room when we decorate, alter or extend? Too often, we get caught up in the excitement of adding more space only to discover living in an aircraft hangar doesn’t ‘spark joy’, especially when it comes to cleaning that vast expanse of floor. ‘If you knock out the walls before you’ve thought about how you’re going to use and enjoy the new space, you are certainly creating more room in a house, but not necessarily a home,’ says Nicole Grey, senior interior designer at Pavilion Broadway (pavilionbroadway.co.uk).

When we added our kitchen extension, the old (pokey) kitchen and (even pokier) utility room became redundant. I nabbed the latter for my office/the kids’ playroom and decorated in bright colours that would wake up my brain and make the girls smile. But the first time I sat down to my desk, I knew it wouldn’t work. The room has big windows but it’s north facing and cold. I slapped the heating on, but it wasn’t the physical warmth that was a problem. The sun just doesn’t get in there and the windows are too high to enjoy the views at my desk. After spending nine months working at the kitchen table of our sun-filled, south-facing extension (overlooking rolling Devon hills, no less), it was deeply depressing. I had to get out. If you work from home full time, it needs to be in a room that doesn’t make you feel miserable. On the plus side, the girls are very happy in there. Since they’re prone to nosebleeds if they overheat, it’s probably the best room for them.

In my case, it was the natural lighting (or lack of) that had the biggest impact on my mood, and I am not alone. Estelle Derouet (aka @savageinteriors) admits to making an expensive mistake when extending her kitchen. ‘We didn’t put any skylights on the extension roof in the original plans. When the builders put up the structure with tarpaulin over it, I stood at the entrance and went, “erm... NOPE!”,’ she recalls. ‘We added four large Velux windows, then the kitchen design had to be altered to centre the range cooker and extractor between two of them. It was absolutely the right thing to do but the kitchen company wasn’t too impressed with me, and of course it cost more to add them in later.’ We’d all love every room to be filled with daylight but most have at least one that doesn’t catch a glimpse of direct sunlight from dawn to dusk. And this is not the room to be spending all your daylight hours in. Study the sunlight and add more windows if possible. If not, consider giving it a new role that doesn’t require much daylight, like a snug or living room you head to in the evening, or a utility. ‘If you’ve just moved in, spend time in each room at different times of the day and imagine it with alternative uses before you get too fixed on what it’ll be,’ adds Elaine Penhaul, owner of home-staging specialists Lemon and Lime Interiors (lemonandlimeinteriors.co.uk).

The layout and flow of a space can also have a huge impact on your emotional wellbeing, and how you end up using it. A common mistake is to focus on its primary function. You’re adding a kitchen extension so spend hours researching cookers and worktops, but what happens when everyone has eaten? Is there somewhere to sit back in comfort? What about homework – is there room on the island or will textbooks get splashed? Thinking about how you’ll use the space throughout the day will also help with the positioning of lighting, sockets, flooring, etc. But don’t overcrowd. ‘A home should flow easily from one room to the next with sufficient space for key features or elements that you want to incorporate,’ adds Nicole Grey at Pavilion Broadway. ‘If you try to include too many, even in a large interior, you are at risk of creating a chaotic environment in which you’ll feel lost and uncomfortable.”

The psychology of colour tells us that specific colours have mood-boosting or calming properties.

Yet we don’t always apply this knowledge to our home. If you follow Unmumsy Mum Sarah Turner, she revealed on her reno account (@ theturnerhouseproject) how she how she fell for the Instagram trap of choosing an on-trend dark blue because it looked HOT on the grid. It should have been perfect for creating the cosy living room vibe she wanted. In reality it made her feel so low she stopped going into the room, and repainted six months later. Of course, it’s impossible to know how a colour is going to affect your mood until you’ve lived with it, but you can increase your chances of success by going for shades you already love – look to your wardrobe/cushion collection for inspo. Focus on how different colours make you feel.

So instead of starting your planning by working out just how close to the neighbour’s fence you can risk extending, really think about how you want to enjoy the space – be it lazy mornings watching the birds, hosting family or even doing your tax return. Discuss these ‘moments’ with your architect and/or designer. With any luck, you’ll end up with sun-drenched seating by the window, space to spread out a buffet and a quiet spot to file those expenses.

‘spend time in each room and Imagine it with alternative uses before you get fixed on what it’ll be’