Residential architecture is an essential part of the built environment that we experience every day, and creating house plans in Kenya is the norm for an architect. We all sleep, eat and live in the confines of a place we call home, no matter how formal or informal it may be. In this article, we wish to consider what makes a good design for a house, and what factors contribute to a successfully implemented house design.

Some of the basic activities that we undertake within the home setting include resting and sleeping, simple recreation and living, food preparation, cooking and eating, storage of supplies, bathing and cleaning up, washing up, storage of general facilities and study. These activities do occur from day to day and are part of the lifestyle of every individual.

House Design Tips: The Place of the Lounge in House Plans in Kenya

a beautiful lounge design

In the context of today’s residential architecture, each of these activities can be designated to a particular space. One is able to create the space according to the size needs that each particular activity demands, and according to the number of users that space will require. An architect normally carries out this analysis immediately after receiving the client’s brief.

House plans differ from each other according to their user requirements as well as their site restrictions. Even the most standardized scheme in estates can differ from unit to unit during construction through issues such as topographical changes, and design tweaks that may become necessary at the point of implementation.

The basic activities in a home may not vary much from residence to residence. Their differences may come in terms of quality of construction, and their configurations, fittings and their interior décor. We wish to consider the various spaces that ought to be included in each basic unit.

The living room as the focal point of house plans in Kenya.

The centerpiece of living space within the house, it is the largest and most public room of the house. Generally this is where most families create a lounging environment, and is the place for receiving visitors in the home.

Smaller house plans often double up this space to flow into the dining space. Larger more ornate housing arrangements may couple this space with a family room or TV rooms to further demarcate these activities adjacent from the main lounge area. It is also a great idea to allow the lounge area to flow into external semi enclosed spaces like balconies or terraces, and external gardens.

Lounge finishes should epitomize good interior design in the house

The living room should be made the signature room within the home, as it is experienced by all – both residents and visitors. It should therefore bear the mark of its owners and can be the focal point of all interior décor. The living room can have various accents applied to it, e.g. textured paints on walls, interesting material changes on walls, creation of display niches, integrated furniture and fittings, electronics, cozy fireplaces and the like.

Creative manipulation of spaces within House Plans in Kenya

In order to make the space even more grand, and as budget allows, an architect or interior designer can physically manipulate the space in order to create a sense of grandness or intimacy by changing levels or creating dropped ceilings, intimate alcoves mixed with double volume space.

The use of ornate sweeping staircases that can frame this double volume lounge space can add an even more dramatic effect along the vertical planes of this space. This should be crowned off along the upper horizontal plane (ceiling) by the use of beautiful chandeliers or similar decorated light fixtures. Playing with the ceiling planes through the use of recessed ceilings and concealed lights can add more drama to the overhead plane as users occupy the room.

The lounge offers huge opportunities in use of embellishments to enhance a lounge’s interior design. Mixing of materials such as stonework intermingled with smooth plastered surfaces, wall slates and textured finishes can ensure that there is no end to the drama unfolding within.

Timber fittings in interior design of the living room.

Timber treatments to walls, doors, windows and other cabinets are a delightful way of ensuring that the rooms get a homely intimate ambiance. The use of timber boards along the edges of windows, doorframes, cornices and skirtings, as well as in the framing of niches and alcoves can guarantee a warm natural feeling to a space.

Choice of hardwoods or softwood can give added zest to the room, as well as its color choice. Dark woods can be used to create an antique feel to the furnishing of a room, while softer light wood colors have a somewhat industrial, modern feel. Indeed beech melamine veneers are often associated with fabricated artificial boards with a timber effect. Pines, cypress and cedar can also be used to create a similar light feel in timber fittings.

Mahogany and walnut timber can be utilized to create a darker more antique feel to a room. Furniture created in darker hardwood timber also tends to feel heavier and gives a cozy homely feel, while lighter furniture may be more associated with office or commercial space. However it is up to the individual’s tastes and various furniture options can be mixed.

Soft Furnishings Offer Versatility To Design of  House Plans in Kenya

One of the quickest ways to decorate your home is through the creative use of soft furnishings. There are plenty of fabrics that are available which can be used to create soft furnishings in the home. Use of decorating elements like curtains, carpets and rugs, wall hangings and the like offer wonderful options for the interior designer to harness. Textiles add vibrant colors and textures to a room, ensuring that they have a homely feel. One can use bold prints to create vibrant patterns in the lounge, especially on the carpet and curtains. This can liven up space tremendously. Even use of seat covers and cushions are part of soft furnishings that can completely change the ambience of your lounge.

The obvious advantage of soft furnishings is the fact that they are temporary in nature and can be changed at will. Commercial establishments like hotels take advantage of this to renew the ambience of their rooms every so often, by replacing carpets, duvets, curtains and blinds. The resultant effects of this change can feel very different as the room takes on new colors and textures.

Endless opportunities abound in the selection of materials for use as soft furnishing in the lounge. Layering of these textiles can create interesting patterns in the course of the day. For example, the soft morning sunlight streaming in through open blinds at daytime will give a totally different ambience from the evening light reflecting off closed curtains. The somewhat gloss effect of leather or polyurethane finished furniture piece contrasts with the matt finish of a fabric sofa set.

The designer should create house plans in Kenya thematically.

The lounge is probably the focal point of interior décor in a residential house plan. The creative interior designer will approach each section of a house plan in Kenya with an intent of creating a statement that will fit within the content of the whole.