Picture the first hour
Before naming rooms, consider where you want to be and what you want to do after waking. Drink water, make coffee, step into fresh air. Putting these small actions in order reveals useful relationships between kitchen and terrace, and the space needed beside a window.
Offer a choice of light
Rather than making every part of a room equally bright, allow both sunlit and shaded places. Being able to move a chair away from glare or sit behind a curtain gives guests control over their comfort. Review window orientation and overhang dimensions with the architectural practice responsible for design, in relation to the actual site.
Consider furniture as part of the space
One large sofa may not suit everyone. A reading chair, a small table for a drink and a bench facing outdoors create different ways to spend an unhurried hour. Considering furniture alongside the building expands the choices available.
Three questions to take to an architect
Who will you spend the morning with? What would you like to do before going outside? Which view would you like to enjoy while seated? Describing actions as well as favourite photographs helps you share the intended experience with the architectural practice undertaking the design.
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