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Choosing the Right Floor Plan Layout for Your Lifestyle
Your home should reflect how you live, not just how it looks. This guide explores how to choose a floor plan that supports your routines, enhances flow, and adapts to future needs.

Karenna Wilford
2 days ago3 min read


Architect vs. Builder vs. Interior Designer – Who Does What?
Architect, builder, or interior designer? If you're planning a renovation or new home, understanding these roles is crucial. This guide breaks down responsibilities, overlaps, and why a good architect can bring it all together.

Karenna Wilford
Jan 163 min read


Budgeting for a Renovation or New Build: What Clients Often Forget
Budgeting for a home project goes beyond bricks and materials. This guide reveals the commonly overlooked costs—from VAT and surveys to architect fees—helping you plan more accurately and avoid unpleasant surprises during your renovation or self-build.

Karenna Wilford
Jan 92 min read


How to Create a Clear Architectural Brief (With Templates & Checklist)
A well-crafted brief sets the tone for a successful design journey. This guide explains how to articulate your needs, preferences and practical constraints—and includes a downloadable checklist to help you build a strong foundation with your architect from day one.

Karenna Wilford
Jan 22 min read


Outdoor Living Spaces: Designing Gardens, Terraces and Balconies for Modern Homes
From garden terraces to rooftop retreats, this guide explores how architecture and landscape design can work together to create cohesive, stylish, and functional outdoor living spaces. Ideal for homeowners seeking elegance, flow and year-round enjoyment from their exterior environments.

Karenna Wilford
Dec 19, 20252 min read


Maximising Natural Light: Architectural Strategies You Should Know
Maximising natural light is more than adding large windows — it’s a nuanced design process. Learn how architects use light mapping, clever glazing, and urban-friendly techniques to enhance wellbeing, efficiency and space perception.

Karenna Wilford
Dec 12, 20252 min read


Navigating Planning Permissions: Tips for Building or Renovating Your Dream Home
From paperwork to policy, the path to planning permission can seem complex. This post simplifies the process and shares key architectural strategies to help your dream home get approved.

Karenna Wilford
Dec 5, 20253 min read


The Art of Blending Modern and Traditional Architecture
From timber beams to sleek glazing, blending traditional charm with modern design can be both beautiful and functional. This post explores how homeowners can upgrade classic homes without losing their character.

Karenna Wilford
Nov 28, 20252 min read


Maximising Space: Innovative Design Solutions for Small Homes
Small homes demand big ideas. This blog explores how innovative architectural design can unlock space, light and functionality—without sacrificing style. With case studies and tips, we show how compact layouts can feel expansive, calm and beautifully crafted.

Karenna Wilford
Nov 21, 20252 min read


Sustainable Luxury: How Eco‑Friendly Design Can Elevate Your Home
Sustainability and luxury are no longer opposites. This blog explores how high‑end architecture can embrace eco‑friendly materials, energy efficiency and natural design principles—creating homes that feel elegant, enduring and environmentally responsible. Discover how conscious design choices can elevate both style and substance.

Karenna Wilford
Nov 14, 20252 min read


The Architectural Brief as a Conversation, Not a Checklist
An architectural brief isn't just a list of requirements—it's the beginning of a creative relationship. This blog explores why the best briefs evolve through trust, dialogue, and collaboration, setting the foundation for homes that reflect not just your needs, but your aspirations.

Karenna Wilford
Nov 7, 20252 min read


Beyond the Build: How Good Architecture Enriches Everyday Rituals
Architecture isn’t only about form and structure—it’s about how you live. This blog explores how small design decisions, like window placement or quiet corners, can transform daily routines into moments of ease, comfort, and joy. It’s the little things that make a house a home.

Karenna Wilford
Oct 31, 20252 min read


Designing With Purpose: Architecture That Reflects Your Values
Architecture isn’t just about form—it’s a reflection of what matters to you. This post explores how values like sustainability, craftsmanship and longevity can be woven into the very fabric of your home, creating a space that feels authentic, ethical and enduring.

Karenna Wilford
Oct 24, 20253 min read


Designing Spaces That Flow: The Synergy Between Architecture and Garden Design
Architecture and garden design are most powerful when planned together. In this post, Karenna Wilford Architects and Karen McClure Garden Design share how their collaborative approach results in cohesive, beautiful homes where indoor and outdoor spaces flow seamlessly, enhancing both lifestyle and landscape.

Karenna Wilford
Oct 17, 20252 min read


From AONB to High Weald National Landscape: What the Change Means for Homeowners and Architecture in Sussex
The High Weald AONB is now the High Weald National Landscape—but what does that mean for homeowners and planning? This blog from Karenna Wilford Architects explores the implications of the rebrand, and how thoughtful design can meet both planning policy and lifestyle aspirations.

Karenna Wilford
Oct 10, 20255 min read


Post-Pandemic Homes: What Clients Are Asking for Now
The way we live in our homes has changed—dramatically. This blog explores what clients are prioritising in post-pandemic design, from hybrid work solutions to spaces for connection, solitude and wellness. Discover how today’s homes are being reimagined for resilience and balance.

Karenna Wilford
Oct 3, 20252 min read


The Power of Quiet Design: Minimalism with Warmth
Minimalism doesn’t have to feel cold. In this blog, we explore how quiet architecture can achieve balance—where calm simplicity meets comfort. Discover how natural light, tactile materials and gentle colour palettes can transform your home into a serene and inviting retreat.

Karenna Wilford
Sep 26, 20252 min read


Designing to Disappear: Architecture That Blends into Nature
In greenbelt and rural locations, the best architecture doesn’t dominate—it disappears. This blog explores how thoughtful materials, soft proportions and careful siting can make homes feel like they’ve always belonged, creating harmony between people, place and the natural environment.

Karenna Wilford
Sep 19, 20252 min read


A Place at the Table: Designing Kitchens as the Social Heart of the Home
More than just a place to cook, the kitchen has become the beating heart of the modern home. In this blog, we explore how design can turn kitchens into warm, connected, multi-use spaces—perfect for cooking, gathering, working, and living together.

Karenna Wilford
Sep 12, 20252 min read


When the Land Leads the Design: How Site Shapes Concept
At Karenna Wilford Architects, every project begins with the land. In this blog, we explore how topography, views and natural features inform site-specific architecture—resulting in homes that respond to their setting and feel truly rooted in place.

Karenna Wilford
Sep 5, 20252 min read
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