Expert Shares Aspirational Home Design Features

Expectations around a property’s design, finish, and the overall living experience often grow as homeowners move up the property ladder. For some, there is a desire to enhance their homes beyond purely functional spaces, with a greater emphasis on premium features and aesthetics.

Graeme Smith, Group Innovation & Design Director for new build home developer Hopkins Homes, aims to help by highlighting key features which define high-end living and can help you create a more refined, aspirational home environment.

Open-Plan Living

According to a survey within insurance provider Aviva’s latest How We Live report, 13% of UK homeowners were looking into renovations to remove walls and create open-plan spaces.

Smith does not find this surprising though, commenting, “Open-plan layouts maximise space and light in a home and support modern, energy-efficient living.

“The flow between living spaces feels natural and intuitive as well, encouraging everyone to hang out together instead of being confined to a single room at a time.”

You can embrace open-plan spaces throughout your home, such as by adding patio or bi-fold doors to the rear of the property. These create a seamless connection to your garden and expand a living space.

Another idea is to place a breakfast bar or island counter into a kitchen, to easily transition from cooking to dining to relaxing in this part of your home. Research by the Federation of Master Builders has even found that removing an internal wall to create an open-plan kitchen can add over £48,000 in seven days to an average-priced home in London.

Wall-Mounted Fixtures

Lifting furniture and fixtures off the floor and permanently mounting them onto the walls is an ideal way to maximise visible floor space – a key aspect of luxury architecture.

“Wall-mounted features trick the brain into perceiving a room as larger, lighter, and more architecturally customised,” Smith explains. “The approach is a hallmark of modern small living room designs, making a space feel more open and less cluttered, but you can use it around every room to make sleek, integrated design statements.”

Consider securing your TV and shelving units to the walls around your living room, as well as installing bath taps into your bathroom wall instead of them coming out of the basin to make these parts of your property feel more high-end.

Effective Lighting Schemes

Smith encourages homeowners not to underestimate the transformative effect that lighting can have on a property when used correctly. He points out, “You must take the time to come up with a well-thought-out lighting plan for different parts of your home.

“Different types of lighting layered together appropriately can create a warm and inviting atmosphere, while sophisticated lighting schemes should be used to add depth into a small space.”

Here are some ideas for introducing more effective lighting arrays throughout your home: 

• Match up overhead lights with floor lamps and table lamps in the living room and bedroom to add depth to each space.
  
  
• Use under-cabinet lights in the kitchen to illuminate work surfaces stylishly and effectively.
  
  
• Place pendant lights over a breakfast bar or island unit to add personality to this space.
  
  
• Fit LED strips or picture lights into shelving or around artwork frames to highlight these features better.
  
  
• Add dimmer switches around your property, so that you can easily adjust the ambience of a room to suit any occasion. 

“Don’t forget to bring natural light into your home as much as possible too, such as by keeping window areas unobstructed and fitting either minimalistic blinds or light, airy curtains,” says Smith.

“Natural light not only makes a room feel larger but also highlights the textures and colours of your stylish living room decor.”

Sophisticated Colour Palettes

When it comes to decorating, Graeme advises looking beyond standard brilliant white and embracing a curated, sophisticated palette ideally consisting of: 

• Dark brown for a soulful room design that brings depth to a space.
  
  
• Earthy pink for a gentle neutral tone in rooms which are often sun-drenched.
  
  
• Mid green for a rich yet tranquil effect that achieves understated luxury.
  
  
• Deep reddish purple for an opulent shade that has a luxurious appeal.
  
  
• Classic creams, chalky whites, and light greys in rooms which you want to appear larger and airier. 

Smith adds, “A well-chosen colour scheme provides a versatile foundation that allows your personal style to shine through, while also creating a calm and inviting atmosphere.”

Achieving a high-end, luxury feel in your home does not necessarily require a complete architectural overhaul. True luxury lies in the details, where you can create a home that feels both effortlessly elegant and uniquely yours.

Smith sums up, “By thoughtfully incorporating elements like open-plan layouts, clever wall-mounted fixtures, and sophisticated lighting schemes, you can instantly elevate the flow and perception of your home. 

“Complemented by a curated colour palette, these design choices shift a property from a purely functional living space into a refined, aspirational abode.”

Source: Hopkins Homes

Image: Pranav Kukreja / Shutterstock.com / 2474967703

For all the very latest news and intelligence on the UK's largest home improvement and garden retailers, sign up for the Insight DIY weekly newsletter.