If you’re going to go through the process of a remodel to adjust aspects of your home to suit your lifestyle, it’s important to understand the key aspects of functionality and aesthetics. Your new space should match the look and feel you want in its design style as well as have practical features that suit your needs. In terms of having a “well-designed” space, the functionality and the visual appeal should both be considered essential and should be balanced in the overall solution in your remodeling plan.
When we use the term functionality in the context of home design, we’re referring to the practical or utilitarian aspects of the home (or any given room or space.) This includes the layout, safety concerns, and how well or easily you can perform any of the tasks you need to do. The term aesthetics in this context refers to the visual elements, such as design style, colors of the materials or finishes, and even the mood of the space. The optimal solution for a room is for these two things to both be present and be in balance. An overly functional space might lack warmth or comfort, while a purely aesthetic space may fail to work for your everyday needs.
In order to strike the balance in your remodel, you’ll need to think about two categories of considerations – your needs and your preferences. Your needs are going to be the things you feel you must have. They can be functional or aesthetic since your list of needs will be dependent on how you'll use the space and how you'll want to feel while you do so. Preferences, on the other hand, can be thought of as “nice-to-have” items. These are the things you’d like to have in the space, but if your budget can’t account for it, or it’s not an available option, you’d be fine doing without.
Designers will typically focus on the practical aspects of your space first. This is because it’s easier to layer style on top of a plan that works for your functional needs rather than to figure out how to fit your needs inside established aesthetics. In general, the room plan should account for things like storage capacity and location, traffic flow and safety, appliance and utility locations, and architectural considerations before a single color or finish is decided on. This also allows your designer to help you manage your budget effectively by outlining the rooms necessary features so you know how many aesthetic items will be needed.
Every type of room will have its own practical and visual balance. In a kitchen or bath remodel, functionality is incredibly important and will dictate the majority of the room’s plan, whereas the visual components will provide the “wow” factor. In a living space, such as a finished basement or master bedroom, aesthetics may take up more of your design energy and budget while function simply works to ensure you can move around the space, see where you’re going, and do what you need. In all rooms, your lists of needs and preferences should serve as a guide for how to balance the remodeling plan effectively.
Your remodeling budget limit is the largest constraint that will force function and aesthetics to find their balance. When your budget goes to more of one consideration than is necessary, the other can greatly suffer. To work effectively within your budget, there may be some decisions that can check the box for both considerations at once. This might be something like using a lower-maintenance countertop option that has the look of the natural stone you’d prefer, or opting for more interior cabinet organization solutions to reduce the amount of cabinet doors and hardware your kitchen needs. This may also be where couples can find some common ground between different opinions on what’s essential.
Balancing functionality and aesthetics in home remodeling is an important process that requires communication, planning, and collaboration. The good news is that finding the balance is possible and you can have a space or home that is not only beautiful but also highly functional and enjoyable to live in. This balance will make your home a place where form meets function in the most harmonious way.
