1. Walk-in pantry instead of kitchen cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are expensive. Half of them are up high on the wall
where they’re hard to reach, and the wall space they take up could be
better used for windows. A pantry takes up less space, stores a lot
more, is much easier to use, and costs less to build.
2. Comfortable shower instead of big bathtub
My firm does a lot of work in late-70s/early-80s neighborhoods that
are loaded with huge tubs. We’re taking them all out, one at a time, and
replacing them with comfortably-sized showers (not the
racquetball-court sized ones you see in home shows) that people actually
use every day.
A shower takes up less space, uses less hot water, and is far more sanitary than a big tub.
3. Group windows together facing best views instead of scattering them around the house
Got a great view somewhere? Bring it into the house with lots of
glass. Take excess windows from bedrooms and baths and use them to
connect the inside of the house with the outside.
We once remodeled a house on the coast of Lake Erie that had one
window – one – facing the lake. Hey pal, did ya notice the Great Lake in
your back yard?
