I’ve been in my house for 13 years. That’s obviously a lot of time to think about and make home improvements. One thing I know for sure is that there is a benefit to living in a space before you start changing things on a structural level. They say it you need to live in a house through every season before making any design or decor choices and that definitely rings true for me. It can also pay to get some advice from an architect. Make sure you find an architect who shares the same vision as you as there are quite a lot of options out there.
For example, a friend of mine recently used an architect who was also a busy working mum of three, she had a fantastic awareness of what you need in order to keep a house clutter free when you have school age children and a dog. She came up with all sorts of clever little ideas that have proved invaluable for my friend and she couldn’t have been happier with her newly renovated home. I still have a lot of things I’d like to do while we are in this house and as such, here is my home improvement wish list which I’m excited to share with you!
1. Add an extension
I’d love to create a new kitchen/dining area at the very back of our house. It would be so nice to be closer to the garden, to open up the back of the house and to be able to look out at the changing seasons. I would have a partial glass extension to capture the sunlight and allow it to flood into the house. And if there was an option for an upper floor extension too, to perhaps to include another bedroom too, that would be an added bonus.
2. Change all of the windows
This is very much on our to-do list. Our current windows are drafty and, quite frankly, not in keeping with the age and style of our home. We could really benefit from new, energy efficient windows. My husband has said over the years that he would really like to change to traditional sash windows and I think he is right, they are the answer we are looking for.
3. Add a porch
There is space at the front of the house to add a porch. We overlook a field and our house is on a hill so the front of the house gets all the weather thrown at it. It would be lovely to have somewhere to shelter as I shepherd the children into the house.
4. Make the lounge window a bay window
The front of my dad’s house was very flat and lacking in any real structural design features. He has added interest by installing a bay window on either side of the door. It looks amazing. I’d definitely like to explore the idea of doing this to my house. Internally it really seems to boost the light in the room too.
I hope you found my wish-list useful? We all have different priorities but most of us want to make the best of our homes and I always enjoy reading about other people’s plans too. If you fancy sharing your intentions on here, then please do comment below. Thank you for reading!
