Room by Room
The hallway is doing more work than any other room
It is the space every visitor sees first, that everybody passes through daily, and that almost nobody designs.
Room by Room
Kitchens, bedrooms, hallways and what each one is actually asked to do.
21 articles · updated August 11, 2026 · page 1 of 2
Room by Room
A kitchen is a workflow before it is a look
Most kitchen regret is about distances and surfaces, not about finishes. The layout decisions are the ones you live with.
More in Room by Room
Room by Room
Bedrooms are lit for cleaning and used for sleeping
The overhead fitting in most bedrooms is the brightest thing in the room at the moment you least want brightness.
Room by Room
Bathrooms fail at ventilation and storage long before they fail at tiles
The two things that determine whether a bathroom stays good are both invisible in the photograph.
Room by Room
Seating plans are conversation problems, not furniture problems
A living room that nobody wants to sit in usually has its seats too far apart, all facing the same wall.
Room by Room
Open plan solved one problem and created three
Removing walls gives light and sightlines. It also gives noise, cooking smells and nowhere to be alone.
Room by Room
The dining room did not die, it moved
A room reserved for eating twice a year loses its argument. A table that is used daily wins it back.
Room by Room
A desk in a bedroom needs a boundary you can see
Home working failed for most people at the point where the work never visually stopped.
Room by Room
Children's rooms are storage problems that change every two years
Everything bought for a five-year-old is wrong by eight. Designing for the change is the only durable approach.
Room by Room
The utility room is the most undervalued space in a house
A machine, a sink and a metre of worktop absorb a startling amount of the mess that otherwise lands in the kitchen.
Room by Room
Stairs and landings are rooms that nobody counts
They occupy real floor area on two levels, take heavy traffic, and are usually the last place anyone thinks about.
Room by Room
A spare room that is only spare is empty eleven months a year
Guest bedrooms are the least used rooms in most houses. The ones that work have a job the rest of the time.