Essentials for moving into a home or condo
At this time last year, I was dreaming of my 50th birthday wish for December, which was to move into a new residence.
What started as a joke with my family became a reality. I still have mixed emotions about leaving our ancestral house, which sheltered three generations, for a condominium in the heart of a central business district.
The most difficult task now is to purge. Moving from a big house to a 300 sqm unit is quite a challenge when more than one person is a hoarder of beautiful things. I would think that it’s part of my job being an interior designer to love nice objects!
Moving into an old condo requires a full renovation. Aside from the required plumbing, electrical, sanitary and mechanical works, there are furniture and fixtures needed to make the home more comfortable.
Since we have collected a number of pieces through the years, we have non-negotiable, necessary details to be added as well. These should be considered when making an overall budget if you’re planning to move into a home or condo unit.
Here’s my list of essential items to have and details to check when moving into a new space.
1 DOOR
The main door is the first detail that the guest sees as he or she enters the space. It is the first giveaway of the design of the space.
When you have a chance to redesign or create a new door, I suggest to do this nicely since this is also for security and safety. It should be stable, strong, built to last, sturdy, of good quality and have good hardware.
You can even customize a handle by a sculptor. The door jamb/frame can be designed to match the door with a different finish.
2 KITCHEN
I don’t really cook but the kitchen is the heart of the house where food is prepared to keep the family happy.
The kitchen should be clean, well planned, spacious, well lit, should have customized storage for the user, and easy to maintain. The storage should be well thought of and easy to use. A kitchen can be small but efficient.
3 BATHROOM FIXTURES
I am a bathroom person so all the fixtures of a bathroom are important to me.
Moving into a new home calls for all new bathroom fixtures—built to a high standard of quality, with durable materials and finishes, reliable plumbing, and fantastic waterproofing.
Try sitting on the watercloset before purchasing. Test the water flow of both faucet and shower to get a feel for your actual pressure. Do you need a bidet? How many robe hooks do you need? Do you need a toilet paper holder with a cellphone stand?
GOOD FLOOR FINISH
A good floor finish is one thing that you shouldn’t overlook. These should be safe and non skid, easy to clean and durable. For bathrooms, I am strict about using non-skid finishes for the flooring.
LIGHTING
Make sure that there is good natural light coming in. General lighting on your ceiling is good enough to move in. Decorative lighting such as chandeliers, pendant lights, wall lights, table lamps and floor lamps can follow.
MATTRESS WITH BEDFRAME
This is a need! A mattress provides sleep comfort for a good six to eight hours so this should be chosen wisely. The bedframe should follow. Bedsheets should be considered as well since these contribute to temperature and skin comfort.
7 SOFA
The sofa determines the space size of a living room–it’s the first item we draw on a furniture plan. Choose this together with your family. It’s similar to choosing your car–is it good for the back? Can you get up from it easily? Can I eat while sitting on it? Can I sleep here?
8 DINING TABLE AND CHAIRS
This is my third requirement since this takes up the whole dining space. Again, this has to be chosen with family. Dining chairs should be chosen based on comfort and height. The dining table should be considered for other uses such as for work, entertainment, and meetings. I always love a multi-use dining set.
9 CLOSETS AND CABINET
Without these, you cannot move in. Storage planning takes a lot of my time when doing residential interiors. The existing items of the user is put into consideration including shopping habits.
There should be storage for clothes, shoes, toiletries, winter clothes, luggage, unused clothing, photo albums, gift wrappers and gift bags with ribbons, Christmas décor, tableware, flatware, glasses, pots and pans, cleaning materials and appliances, laundry detergents, food pantry, recipe books, coffee table books, antiques and collectables, exercise gear, car cleaning materials, emergency go bags, gift storage, and many more you can think of!
The author is the founder of Chat Fores Design Studio, an award winning and recognized interior designer known for redefining and elevating spaces. She specializes in residential, hospitality and amenity spaces for different real estate companies. Chat has also collaborated with international design firms to create residential interiors in Manila
