As the year draws to a close, it is natural to look back at the mistakes and achievements that it brought – as well as remembering that failures are only truly failures if you don't learn from them.
For me, living in my home this year has really brought a few issues to the forefront. This is largely due to the fact that we made the decision at some point in the early summer to shelve the idea of moving house in favour of building an extension onto this property again.
So, with an exciting project now on the horizon, I am keen to really look at what my home taught me this year in terms of where it is lacking, what it does well, and how we can ensure the changes we make going forward result in a home we are completely happy with.
1. We really need a utility room
When I was growing up, I never realised the value of utility rooms, but, looking back, I can see that our household couldn't have done without one. Not only did we have a menagerie of animals, but we lived in the countryside – both of which equalled muddy shoes and sodden outwear that needed to be shed.
I'm not saying that utility rooms are only needed by country-dwelling pet owners though – what I need most here is a space to wash clothes, both by machine as well as by hand, to air stinky sportswear and to generally plonk all the things that bridge the indoor outdoor gap – firewood that still isn't quite dry enough to burn, smelly dog beds, appliances that won't fit into the kitchen and so on.
Whatever your personal requirements, if you can make space for a utility room, you should. One of the main reasons I originally wanted to move house was because I wanted a utility room – now it is one of the driving factors behind the extension we have planned for next year.
2. One bathroom isn't enough for a family of four
Our household is made up of me and my husband, and our teenage son and daughter. We have one bathroom upstairs and a small shower room (which doubles as a utility room) on the ground floor.
There is a huge amount of preening that goes on between those teenagers meaning the fights for the upstairs bathroom are pretty epic. I accept that the generally accepted ratio of bedrooms to bathrooms is 3:2 but, when one of those "bathrooms" is a shower room leading off from the snug, it doesn't count.
We plan on extending (again) next year and, if everything goes to plan, the end result will mean we end up with three bathrooms on the first floor – an en suite, a small shower room where the airing cupboard currently is and a family bathroom. This could transform our mornings. The lesson? Queuing for bathrooms is no fun during a morning rush.
3. A home office is non-negotiable for us
I have long been a home worker and, where it was once just me here, happily typing away on my laptop at the dining room table, these days my husband often works from home, as does my daughter. Combine that with needy pets and it can be hard to concentrate at times. Additionally, having some form of physical separation between work and home life is beneficial in other ways too, helping ensure I can focus and switch off at the right times of day.
The home office ideas I now have planed for 2026 are twofold. Firstly, we will be adding metal framed glazed double doors between the snug and dining space, which are currently open plan to one another. This will mean the snug, which already has a desk, can be shut off when needed to provide a quite spot to work.
Secondly, we plan on constructing a home office at the bottom of the garden, complete with a little kitchenette and shower room meaning it can double up as an extra bedroom when needed.
4. We need to invest in more draughtproofing measures
While we haven't totally neglected the draught proofing around our house, there are still many steps we could take to help it feel less arctic come the colder months. The majority of the windows are original and some, like the bay in the living room, are single glazed meaning they are a huge source of heat loss.
The main areas we need to address though are the front door, which lets daylight in between the door and its frame it is so poorly fitting, and the stable door in the kitchen leading to the garden, which is also a very gappy affair.
Along with adding draught proof strips to the doors, I plan on trying out a window insulating kit and investing in a few more draught excluders – but I'll be paying heed to the mistakes I made in the past and making sure that the ones I choose this time are heavyweight and robust to really make a difference.
My draught proofing shopping list
I have used this before and it is a brilliant way to quickly and affordably put a stop to any draughts whistling on in through gaps in doors and windows. This roll is 6m in length and adheres to surfaces really well.
In the past I have bought draught excluders that were too lightweight to do the job properly. This one, however, is weighted at either end to keep it in place, while the leather strap is a stylish touch.
I've often considered trying one of these out, but haven't quite got around to it – this winter I am going to give it a try. This particular kit comes with extra strong, wide tape to hold it in place and thick, tear-resistant film.
5. A central hallway is integral to busy family life
Our entrance hall has become an increasingly chaotic space during this last year. The two teenagers seem to be collecting new coats and footwear at an alarming rate, plus they are both into sports that come with bulky kit bags – all of which seems to get dumped here.
While some new storage would most definitely help (I have my eye on a hall tree), the oak-framed enclosed porch we are planning on adding to the front of the house next year will really make a huge difference too.
Additionally, we plan on sealing up the door that currently leads from the hallway into the living room and creating a new route from this space into the centre of the house by forming a doorway directly opposite the current front door. This hallway design tweak will just create a better flow throughout the layout.
I love that this modern hall tree manages to pack in so much storage and hanging space, as well as a mirror for a last minute preen, all while coming in at just 100cm wide. Behind the mirror lie four shelves too.
6. I learned I no longer like kitchen wall units
Despite completing our kitchen extension almost 10 years ago, the space has managed to stand the test of time pretty well – we chose classic Shaker units and a large format slate floor, neither of which have dated.
That said, I really feel like the wall units are dragging the whole thing down. They somehow seem to block light from flowing around the space as I'd like it to and so next year, as part of the phase two of the extension and remodelling, I plan on swapping them out for open shelving which will give the whole scheme a more open, fresher look.
Additionally, I have come to realise that kitchen drawers work much better for us than cabinets. To one side of the cooker are a set of three deep drawers, while to the other lies a large double unit. In the name of both practicality and symmetry I am going to change this unit for drawers to match those elsewhere in the room.
There are two corner units that are really hard to reach into that need addressing too – I think the best solution will be to invest in some pull out storage or carousels.
The biggest mistake I made when extending my home was failing to look ahead to our future needs. If, like me, you are on the cusp of starting a home improvement, extension or remodelling project, I'd urge you to think long-term if you don't want to find yourself looking to move on anytime soon.
