Architect Ric Blenkharn questions why we need so much stuff

Coming home, I looked around the house wondering if we need all the stuff we’ve accumulated over the years.

Sure, there are many things of sentimental value, which are to be treasured-but there are many, many items which never see the light of day and surely could be recycled or re-homed elsewhere.

In the job that I do, it largely involves working with homeowners on new houses or major alterations to their existing property. I usually ask about their needs and whether or not they actually need more space.

Could not existing spaces in a property be replanned so that they are made better use of.

Why, for instance, is a dining room used only once a year for Christmas? What’s the point of having an empty room for 364 days a year?

I make the point to emphasise how we should think more creatively about the spaces we use on a daily basis, to ensure that they fulfil a function without being superfluous to need.

Areas such as the study, could dual as an extra bedroom, rather than making a spare bedroom used for occasional visitors. A ground floor wc could be turned into a wetroom, to assist with visitors or perhaps for the use of elderly relatives.

Most clients we work for are looking for a large open dining/living/kitchen and is there really a need for a separate living room?

These are all questions to ask of oneself to ensure that the design and performance of our home, suits our needs.

Look in the cupboards and in the loft to consider a purge of those items which haven’t been used for years as the process of decluttering should be cathartic, allowing you to then focus on items of real value to you and then create the setting they deserve.

In the design of a new home or redesign of an existing home, those items of value can be given a place where they can be admired-be it a focal point painting, a piece of furniture or even a collection of small objects.

Together all these items make the home individual for you. It’s one of the joys of the job, rearranging space to create a distinctive habitat for homeowners.

The transformation of space coupled to uncluttering, should give the home a sense of calm and enjoyment. Stuff often gets in the way. It fogs the mind. It becomes burdensome.

Take the first step of uncluttering perhaps, before you embark on a remodelling project. Think hard if you really need to create new space, just for the sake of it-then when you do create new space, make it special.

Give it the time and love it deserves, so that your daily life can be enhanced and make you happy.

Happiness, is certainly not everyday vocabulary for the practising architect, but it is manifestly evident, that architecture plays a pivotal role in our everyday lives. Be it at work, home or play, our material surroundings have a massive impact on our sense of wellbeing.

If we work or learn in stimulating environments, our minds are sharper, and outputs greater. If we play in exciting spaces, our energy levels are high and our performances are improved.

*Ric is a founder of Bramhall, Blenkharn Leonard architects, Malton, www.brable.com