With ANZ, Homes to Love is exploring the ways we live now, under the theme of ‘Flexible Spaces’ – and how this trend allows us to live and build today.
Half a century ago, rooms in houses were tightly defined by function, strung out along a hallway and sharply divided into public and private zones. In the 21st century, the opposite is true: families have evolved and changed – and they go on changing. Accordingly, houses need to be able to adapt to their owners’ varied needs.
The 5 rules:
- Build less but build better: a small house with clever spaces is better to live in than a house with redundant square metres.
- Be, um, flexible: sometimes the most beautiful spaces have no fixed purpose, as with Jack McKinney’s studio.
- Choose furniture that is light and easy to change around.
- Build cabinetry or bookshelves instead of walls. You might need a home office now, but will you later?
- Not every function needs its own room – maximise your use of space with similar purposes, such as den and spare room, or put a home office next to the kitchen.
If you’re thinking about building, buying or renovating use the ANZ home loan calculator to work out how you can achieve it. Visit anz.co.nz/homeloans for more information.