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Brian David Roberts | Interior Planning & Design
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Pro Spotlight: How to Truly Align Your Spaces to Your Lifestyle
Get a home that meets your needs and desires using these tips from a Seattle designer
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Who: Brian David Roberts
Where: Seattle
In his own words: “I started my company to get to the bottom of how people think they can live within a space, but also how they want to live. It’s an extremely collaborative process.”
Imagine your perfect space. Not the place you think would make sense or would be most practical, but the one that checks all your wish-list boxes and fits your family to a T. An airy kitchen that begs for dinner parties? A sunny living room just right for reading? A basement where you have room to tinker and play? “Think about what it would be like to live in a space that has been truly dialed in to the way you want to live,” says designer Brian David Roberts, owner of his eponymous firm in Seattle. “Decipher your ideal life and design for that.”
Where: Seattle
In his own words: “I started my company to get to the bottom of how people think they can live within a space, but also how they want to live. It’s an extremely collaborative process.”
Imagine your perfect space. Not the place you think would make sense or would be most practical, but the one that checks all your wish-list boxes and fits your family to a T. An airy kitchen that begs for dinner parties? A sunny living room just right for reading? A basement where you have room to tinker and play? “Think about what it would be like to live in a space that has been truly dialed in to the way you want to live,” says designer Brian David Roberts, owner of his eponymous firm in Seattle. “Decipher your ideal life and design for that.”
Mind reader. With all the personal intricacies of how people live and move through a space, “a lot of psychology has to come into play,” Roberts says. He can spend 15 minutes discussing refrigerator choices with clients or discussing how clients like to cook. The result is tailor-made design. “If 100 families came to me about the exact same house, I would come up with 100 different designs,” he says.
Let in the light. Roberts appreciates nature and classic architecture for its quality of light. A recent trip to Barcelona, Spain, provided further inspiration for his love of illumination. “We walked into Gaudi’s cathedral, La Sagrada Familia, with its lights and windows, and it just felt pleasant and comforting,” he says. “Watching light flow is so beautiful.” He brings that brightness to all his projects.
Ready to have your home fit you like a glove? Below, Roberts shares his tips.
Ready to have your home fit you like a glove? Below, Roberts shares his tips.
1. Dream Big
Present your wish list and let your designer worry about the details. “Start with what you want rather than what you think you can have,” Roberts says. “You’ll be surprised by what you can get.”
The homeowner at this Matthews Beach home had always wanted a beautiful view and lofty feel for her kitchen, but dark upper cabinets and an unnecessary wall made it feel closed in. Roberts’ team took down the wall, which was dividing the kitchen from the dining room, and added a beam overhead for support. The new L-shaped island lets cooks chat with guests while they prep. The newly raised ceiling, big glass openings and lack of upper cabinets create an airy effect and let in the view.
See more of this project
Present your wish list and let your designer worry about the details. “Start with what you want rather than what you think you can have,” Roberts says. “You’ll be surprised by what you can get.”
The homeowner at this Matthews Beach home had always wanted a beautiful view and lofty feel for her kitchen, but dark upper cabinets and an unnecessary wall made it feel closed in. Roberts’ team took down the wall, which was dividing the kitchen from the dining room, and added a beam overhead for support. The new L-shaped island lets cooks chat with guests while they prep. The newly raised ceiling, big glass openings and lack of upper cabinets create an airy effect and let in the view.
See more of this project
2. Make Use of Dead Space
Underutilized corners, hallways and tops of stairways are all places on which to focus more attention, Roberts says. “Think about how to get those spaces to bring you more enjoyment and work better.”
In the same Matthews Beach home, the top of the stairwell ended in a massive cabinet that reached to the transom windows, with a door to the side. Roberts closed off the door, then custom designed a floating cabinet that better suits the space. Its walnut form mimics the wood overhead, drawing the eye up to the windows.
Underutilized corners, hallways and tops of stairways are all places on which to focus more attention, Roberts says. “Think about how to get those spaces to bring you more enjoyment and work better.”
In the same Matthews Beach home, the top of the stairwell ended in a massive cabinet that reached to the transom windows, with a door to the side. Roberts closed off the door, then custom designed a floating cabinet that better suits the space. Its walnut form mimics the wood overhead, drawing the eye up to the windows.
3. Consider Light
Add both natural light and artificial illumination throughout every area, Roberts says. “Proper light flow will make for a more ethereal space.” It also makes it more usable.
For this Magnolia home, Roberts added a series of windows on three sides of a formerly dim kitchen. In the daytime, light flows over cooks standing at the stove or chopping at the counters through three long, vertical windows. At night, translucent sconces let light flow down and up to the ceiling, since “a happy ceiling is a happy room,” Roberts says. A lack of window shades lets moonlight shine through at night.
See more of this project
More: For more information on Brian David Roberts and examples of his work, visit his Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Add both natural light and artificial illumination throughout every area, Roberts says. “Proper light flow will make for a more ethereal space.” It also makes it more usable.
For this Magnolia home, Roberts added a series of windows on three sides of a formerly dim kitchen. In the daytime, light flows over cooks standing at the stove or chopping at the counters through three long, vertical windows. At night, translucent sconces let light flow down and up to the ceiling, since “a happy ceiling is a happy room,” Roberts says. A lack of window shades lets moonlight shine through at night.
See more of this project
More: For more information on Brian David Roberts and examples of his work, visit his Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Innovative and unique design services firm providing highly functional layouts and interior space planning... Read More
Review by Fred Johnson:
Brian was the perfect choice for us because we needed drawings (not technical, certified) for permits but didn’t know exactly what we wanted.
As an architect AND designer, he was able to help us desi...More