It's not big... but it is clever

Julia Kendell, interior design expert for the Homebuilding & Renovation Show, on why smart design beats square footage every time. By SAM WYLIE-HARRIS

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WHEN interior designer and presenter Julia Kendell first started her career, she says property value was measured in one blunt metric.... square footage. “Bigger was better, full stop.”

A speaker at the Homebuilding & Renovation Show for the best part of 20 years, she says whenever anyone was building an extension; or new property from scratch, it was always about “let's build the most we can get away with”.

However the 57-year-old says: “Clever design can make a compact home feel richer, more luxurious and liveable than a poorly planned larger one.”

Here, she shares some top tips to achieve that illusion...

Think height before width

Ceiling height is one of the most underrated indicators of quality, highlights Julia.

“Even a modest increase, from a standard 2.4 to 2.6 metres can transform how a room feels.

“Higher ceilings improve light, airflow and visual breathing space, making rooms feel calmer and more expensive.”

She says that if structural changes aren't possible there are still tricks worth employing, pointing out: “Ceiling-mounted curtain tracks, full-height doors and vertical panelling draw the eye upward.”