No, we’re not turning into bats - upside down living is the name of a new architectural trend. It means shifting where rooms belong in a multi-storey house, in other words ‘upside down living’. Tradition states that bedrooms belong upstairs, while living rooms and kitchens are strictly on the ground floor. But why exactly is this?
Perhaps we like the safety of sleeping far away from the front door. Maybe. On the other hand, having bedrooms on the top floor means the popular ‘living’ areas miss out on the best views in the house. Bring a guest round, and all they might see is a view of the garden fence or the outside road.
Instead, imagine hosting a dinner party and dining before great bay windows on the second floor. The view is naturally going to be better; you’ll see more skyline, more treetops and fewer rubbish bins. The same goes for cooking and washing up. The great British tradition of ‘people watching’ is best done on higher ground. Those who live in flats can vouch for the calm and soothing qualities of watching folks go about their business while scrubbing the mucky plates.
Besides this, upside down living is different! We love to bring quirks to our home - that’s what makes them ours - and what better unique streak than to totally reshuffle how the house works? We totally understand the upside down dwellers, and commend them for their boldness in innovating home architecture.
One caveat - swap one room, and you have to swap them all. For convenience, the dining area, lounge and kitchen have to be on the same level, otherwise you risk carting hot dishes up and down the stairs every time you serve up.
What do you think of upside down living? Got any snaps to share? We see many homes in our trade, but these are particular rarities!
