Thinking outside the box… from urban Leeds to the Thames Valley!
Angles, levels and alcoves can make for distinctive and satisfying rooms
I recently went to stay in an apartment block in Leeds for a weekend away. The apartment was in an award-winning building in an upcoming area on the waterfront, popular with young professionals, sandwiched between railway arches and the canal. Like many city centre buildings, it is tall, to make the most of a limited footprint. Also typically these days, it’s mixed use, with offices and restaurants on the lower level and residential apartments above enjoying expansive views and reduced urban noise.
Wedged in… in a good way!
The exciting difference with this block is that it’s circular in plan. The staircase and lifts go up the centre, so the flats are shaped like the “cheeses” in a Trivial Pursuit counter!
As a result, the rooms in these apartments are not square either. Spending 24 hours in the apartment, I was struck by how the shape of its rooms contributes hugely to the success of the interior spaces. The splay of the diverging walls makes an open and inviting aspect towards the gorgeous riverside, industrial and urban views across the city centre and beyond. The wider spaces are used for the expansive-feeling bedroom and living room areas: the narrowing space towards the centre of the building made what could have been a galley kitchen feel much more generous, rather than like a confined corridor.
In other narrower spaces, the designer has slotted unusually capacious storage, a bathroom and en suite. The apartment was bright, dynamic and spacious, sensitively furnished and with lovely personal touches to complement the building design.
Inspiration for suburban design
When I visit clients to discuss what they want in their house extensions, it’s very common for them to think about adding or expanding rooms in terms of square boxes. I can understand why, because conventional wisdom says it’s the most practical and shape for a room, to maximise the space. But I like to encourage them to think outside the box in more ways than one!
(Un)boxing clever
In fact, we can create a more engaging and pleasurable environment when the walls, ceilings or even floors are designed in a more dynamic way. For instance, walls on an angle encourage the direction of view along the angle, so they can highlight a particular aspect, feature or function. Nooks or indentations in rooms create interesting and appealing areas for bookshelves, seats or cupboards - an alcove to display a treasured object or a shelf for the shampoo in the shower. These are small tweaks that disrupt the monotonous line of a wall or square room and give an extra dimension to the way a room is used.
Design without walls
A big square box of a room sometimes fails to respond to variations in the way a room needs to be used. Although large, it wastes central space that could be used more effectively to suit the way people use the room. But you may not want to break up the space with a restrictive wall. Changing the level of the roof or floor is an alternative way to define a different use for the space without enclosing a separate room. Designed cleverly, the result can be a space that’s really well suited to the way you want to use your room, while maintaining the sense of open spaciousness that we all crave.
Spaces to rejoice in, not just exist in
A simple departure from the basic box shape can give vibrancy, light and a ‘wow factor’ to a highly practical space. These extra design features can make all the difference to your sense of comfort and belonging, so you can personalise the space to suit your needs. It sounds a bold claim, but I believe design like this can elevate the experience of living in your house from satisfactory to life-enhancing. It’s the difference between an adequate space and one that’s a pleasure to live in.
PS… see for yourself!
Leeds is a wonderful city full of new and renovated buildings with a vibrantly redeveloped waterside and exquisite Victorian arcades and market alongside hyper-modern retail new builds. I totally recommend a visit. If you’d like to stay in the fabulous “Trivial Pursuit cheese” apartment that inspired this post (or take a look at some more photos of it) you can book it through AirBnB.
Thinking outside the box… from urban Leeds to the Thames Valley!
Angles, levels and alcoves can make for distinctive and satisfying rooms
Wedged in… in a good way!
The exciting difference with this block is that it’s circular in plan. The staircase and lifts go up the centre, so the flats are shaped like the “cheeses” in a Trivial Pursuit counter!
As a result, the rooms in these apartments are not square either. Spending 24 hours in the apartment, I was struck by how the shape of its rooms contributes hugely to the success of the interior spaces. The splay of the diverging walls makes an open and inviting aspect towards the gorgeous riverside, industrial and urban views across the city centre and beyond. The wider spaces are used for the expansive-feeling bedroom and living room areas: the narrowing space towards the centre of the building made what could have been a galley kitchen feel much more generous, rather than like a confined corridor.
In other narrower spaces, the designer has slotted unusually capacious storage, a bathroom and en suite. The apartment was bright, dynamic and spacious, sensitively furnished and with lovely personal touches to complement the building design.
Inspiration for suburban design
When I visit clients to discuss what they want in their house extensions, it’s very common for them to think about adding or expanding rooms in terms of square boxes. I can understand why, because conventional wisdom says it’s the most practical and shape for a room, to maximise the space. But I like to encourage them to think outside the box in more ways than one!
(Un)boxing clever
In fact, we can create a more engaging and pleasurable environment when the walls, ceilings or even floors are designed in a more dynamic way. For instance, walls on an angle encourage the direction of view along the angle, so they can highlight a particular aspect, feature or function. Nooks or indentations in rooms create interesting and appealing areas for bookshelves, seats or cupboards - an alcove to display a treasured object or a shelf for the shampoo in the shower. These are small tweaks that disrupt the monotonous line of a wall or square room and give an extra dimension to the way a room is used.
Design without walls
A big square box of a room sometimes fails to respond to variations in the way a room needs to be used. Although large, it wastes central space that could be used more effectively to suit the way people use the room. But you may not want to break up the space with a restrictive wall. Changing the level of the roof or floor is an alternative way to define a different use for the space without enclosing a separate room. Designed cleverly, the result can be a space that’s really well suited to the way you want to use your room, while maintaining the sense of open spaciousness that we all crave.
Spaces to rejoice in, not just exist in
A simple departure from the basic box shape can give vibrancy, light and a ‘wow factor’ to a highly practical space. These extra design features can make all the difference to your sense of comfort and belonging, so you can personalise the space to suit your needs. It sounds a bold claim, but I believe design like this can elevate the experience of living in your house from satisfactory to life-enhancing. It’s the difference between an adequate space and one that’s a pleasure to live in.
PS… see for yourself!
Leeds is a wonderful city full of new and renovated buildings with a vibrantly redeveloped waterside and exquisite Victorian arcades and market alongside hyper-modern retail new builds. I totally recommend a visit. If you’d like to stay in the fabulous “Trivial Pursuit cheese” apartment that inspired this post (or take a look at some more photos of it) you can book it through AirBnB.
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