Ease Design Studio

15/10/2026

My client had her heart set on a double Belfast sink, ideally positioned under the kitchen window but there was a problem with the extension plans.

The wall where the sink made the most sense wasn’t quite long enough.

There was a soil pipe in the corner that they didn’t want to move, then a short section of wall, the window, another short section of wall and finally a large set of bifold doors.

With the soil pipe staying where it was, we needed to find another way to make the layout work.

My suggestion was to shift the bifold doors slightly and extend the section of wall alongside them.

That small change gave us the extra wall space needed to accommodate the double Belfast sink under the window, exactly where my client wanted it.

And she could still have her lovely bifold doors opening onto the garden.
This is exactly why I think it’s so important to plan the kitchen, furniture and storage alongside the architectural layout, rather than waiting until the extension is built.

Sometimes it’s not about making big changes to your plans. It’s about spotting those small adjustments that can make a real difference to the finished home.

If you’re planning an extension, make sure you’ve thought about what you want to fit inside it before finalising the position of your doors and windows.

Save this for when you’re reviewing your plans.

14/10/2026

A ceiling full of spotlights might make your room bright, but will it give you the right lighting for how you use the space?

Especially in an open-plan kitchen, dining and living area, where you might be cooking, helping with homework, entertaining friends or relaxing on the sofa, all in the same room.

This is why I always think about lighting in layers when planning an interior.

💡 Ambient lighting – Your general lighting. This could be spotlights, pendants or wall lights that provide enough light to comfortably move around the space.
💡 Task lighting – Lighting for specific activities. Think under-cabinet lighting for food preparation, a reading lamp next to the sofa or a pendant over a dining table.
💡 Accent lighting – Lighting that highlights features and adds depth to a room. This could be lighting inside shelving, highlighting artwork or washing light across a textured wall.

The important part is being able to control these layers separately.

You might want bright, practical lighting when you’re cooking dinner, but softer lighting when you’re sitting down in the evening.

This is something worth planning before your electrician starts work, because the position of your furniture, kitchen cabinetry and even your artwork can influence where lighting needs to go.

My advice? Plan your furniture layout and how you’ll use each area before deciding where all your lights go.

Save this and if you’re planning an extension or renovation get in touch.

11/10/2026

Open-plan living is often at the top of the wish list when families are planning an extension.

A big kitchen, dining and living space where everyone can spend time together sounds lovely but .But once you start planning the layout, there’s quite a lot to think about.

How do you make the living area feel cosy when it’s part of the kitchen? Where can the children play without toys taking over the whole room? How do you create a space that works just as well for a busy weekday morning as it does when you’ve got friends over?

You don’t necessarily need walls to create separate areas, you create zones differently.

Furniture placement – The position of your sofa, dining table and kitchen island can help define different areas. Even the direction your sofa faces can make the living space feel more separate from the kitchen.

Lighting – Think about how you’ll use each area at different times of day. You might need bright, practical lighting in the kitchen, a pendant over the dining table and softer lighting around the sofa in the evening.

Storage – If the children are going to play in the living area, plan somewhere nearby for their toys. Built-in cupboards, low-level drawers or a storage bench can help keep everything organised without having to carry things from room to room.

Flooring and rugs – A large rug can help define the seating area, while keeping the same flooring throughout can make the whole space feel connected.

The aim is to create areas that have their own purpose but still feel like part of one home.
And this is why I always recommend planning your furniture layout, storage and lighting together, ideally before building work starts.

Because adding more space is one thing. Making that space work for how your family actually lives is another.

Planning an open-plan extension? Send me a DM and tell me what you’re planning.

10/10/2026

I know, we all love the idea of a big wall of glass opening onto the garden but
But here’s something I’d want you to think about before finalising your plans.

The more glazing you have, the less usable wall space you’ve got.

This affects where your kitchen cabinets, sofa, TV, storage and even radiators can go.

You might end up squeezing everything onto the remaining walls, or struggling to find a good position for your furniture.

Sometimes, making those doors slightly smaller or moving them along the wall can give you a much better layout, without losing that lovely connection to the garden.

So before you decide how big your bifold doors should be, make sure you’ve planned the layout of your extension.

Save this if you’re planning an extension and get in touch to find out how I can help.

09/10/2026

07/10/2026

A slightly different post from me today…

Yesterday I had a hair cut. I went from shoulder-length hair to a shortish graduated bob, and looking through old photos made me realise just how many versions of my hair I’ve had over the years. 😂

Short, long, blonde, dark, somewhere in between… and now back to shorter again.

Actually, I think our homes can be a bit like that too.

Our style changes. Our lives change. What worked for us ten years ago might not feel right anymore.

I don’t think your home has to follow every trend or look like the perfect interiors you see online. Just like a haircut, it needs to feel right for you.

When something really suits you whether it’s your hair, your clothes or your home, you feel different in it.

Anyway… back to short hair I go. ✂️

I think this one might be staying for a while, but maybe not 😂

04/10/2026

It’s easy to focus on how much extra space you’ll have but more space doesn’t automatically mean a home that works and flows better.

I’d be looking at what isn’t working in your home now and making sure the new layout actually fixes the issue.

✨Maybe you need better storage near the entrance.
✨A place for homework or play that’s close to you but not in the way.
✨Better flow between the kitchen, dining and living areas.
✨Or simply enough storage so everything its dedicated space.

You are investing a lot into extending your home, so you don’t just want to make it bigger, you want it to flow and work better for the way your family lives.

If you’re planning an extension, renovation or building a new home and want help working this out before building work begins, get in touch.

03/10/2026

I think a lot of people can relate to this.

You’ve saved hundreds of beautiful extensions and perfectly designed rooms on Instagram.

You know what you like when you see it.

Then you start planning your own home and there are so many decisions to make. The layout, kitchen, flooring, colours, materials, lighting, storage, joinery… somehow it all needs to work together.

When you’re investing so much into your home, of course you want to feel confident about those decisions.

You don’t want to get to the end of the build and realise you wish you’d planned something differently, added more storage, thought about the lighting earlier or chosen materials that worked better together.

This is why I like looking at the home as a whole before building work even starts , the layout, how you’ll use the spaces, the storage you’ll need, the style and how you want your home to look and feel.

So when the decisions start coming thick and fast during the build, you already have a clear direction to work from, and far fewer “I wish we’d thought about that earlier” moments.

30/09/2026

When you’re planning an extension or renovation, it’s easy to think the interior decisions can wait until the building work is underway.

However so many of them are connected.

Your furniture layout affects your sockets and lighting.

Your kitchen and bathroom layout affects plumbing and electrics.

Your storage needs can affect walls, doorways, window placements and how rooms are planned.

Your open-plan space needs to work as a whole, not just look good on a floor plan.

That’s why I like to work through these decisions before the builder starts, when there’s still time to make changes on paper rather than trying to solve them during the build.

If you’re planning an extension, renovation or self-build and want to get the inside your home properly thought through, send me a message and tell me what you’re planning.