Effortless Living: Styled for Low Maintenance
Designing for Easy Maintenance: Creating Spaces That Prioritize Cleanliness and Functionality
In contemporary architecture and interior design, the concept of “easy-to-clean” design has evolved beyond just aesthetic preferences; it is now essential for creating functional, low-maintenance environments. The rising demand for designs that combine beauty with practicality has led to the embrace of minimalist and modern styles. These styles create homes that are not only visually striking but also highly livable.
Vipp Chimney House, Copenhagen, Studio David Thulstrup, photographed by Irina Boersma.
Harmonizing Styles with Ease of Maintenance
Minimalism and Modern design both share the common thread of simplicity, with an emphasis on decluttered spaces, sleek finishes, and a harmonious color palette. These styles align perfectly with easy-to-clean materials such as glass, stainless steel, and large-format tiles that reduce joints and seams.
Hawaii House by Walker Warner, Photo by Douglas Friedman. Outdoor Shower shown
Thoughtful Floor Plan Design for Everyday Comfort
When designing for easy upkeep, floor plan considerations become critical. For example, an outdoor shower or dog shower in the garage can prevent organic exterior matter from being brought indoors. In the same line of thought, the strategic placement of a laundry room near the mudroom allows for easy access when you’ve been rained on or have worked in the yard, while allowing it to be closed off when full of freshly cleaned linens. This separation can be vital in high-traffic zones, where dirt and moisture might otherwise accumulate.
Prior to entering, covered entries and paved exterior surfaces help minimize mud tracking, keeping both interiors and exteriors cleaner. A porte cochere—a covered entryway between a garage and front door—offers an additional layer of protection from the elements, ensuring that guests can stay dry when arriving.
Miko bathroom collection by Scavolini
For the everyday spaces inside the home, wall-hung vanities and built-in cabinets with doors not only streamline visual aesthetics but are also easier to clean and maintain, preventing dust accumulation and moisture intrusion. Providing storage, spaces near bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms for cleaning supplies also minimizes the effort required to sanitize and preserve the quality of the spaces.
Managing Moisture and Mold
To maintain a healthy indoor environment, especially in high-humidity spaces like bathrooms, an effective mechanical system is necessary. Bathroom vents can drastically reduce moisture levels and combat mold. Whole home dehumidifiers address this holistically in more humid climates and can be complimented by UV lights and HEPA filters to ensure that dust, allergens, and bacteria are kept to a minimum. These systems work invisibly to maintain hygiene, further contributing to a low-maintenance design.
Kaldewei combined steel and Glass
Material Selection for Effortless Upkeep
When it comes to materials, metals such as stainless steel and aluminum, alongside glass, porcelain, and ceramic tiles, offer durability and ease of maintenance, providing surfaces that are resistant to stains and corrosion. Laminate cabinet fronts and large tiles with minimal grout lines reduce edges that trap dirt facilitating cleaning. Similarly, opting for Hardwood floors over carpets also allows for better hygiene, as carpets can trap dirt and dust, while hardwood floors are easier to wipe clean.
Additionally, opting for stain-resistant fabrics or leathers for furniture, as well as machine-washable comforters, rugs, and curtains, simplifies maintenance. Furniture with minimal edges also reduces the sides which need to be wiped down in dusting or cleaning.
Shower tray Tempano Series
Plumbing and Fixtures
In the pursuit of minimal maintenance, integrated sinks, single-lever faucets, and wall-hung toilets help maintain cleanliness by reducing crevices where dirt and bacteria can accumulate. The use of shower trays with clean lines, such as those in the Tempano Series by Duravit, is another clever way to minimize grout lines and ensure water flows away easily, reducing the likelihood of mold and mildew. In high-use areas like bathrooms and laundry rooms, adding in floor drains allows for easy moping and reduces the risk of standing water, further contributing to the hygienic integrity of a home.
Geberit Plumbing
For commercial spaces, touch-free faucets and foot pedals are becoming increasingly essential, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic. Brands like Geberit have pioneered this shift, making hygiene both a practical and hygienic concern for everyday spaces.
Best Practices for Cleaning
Maintaining easy-to-clean surfaces doesn’t end at design; it requires a consistent routine. One of the most important things to remember is that different materials require different care. For instance, harsh cleaners can damage protective coatings leaving materials unprotected from staining and often discolored. PH-neutral cleaners are typically recommended for natural stone surfaces like marble or granite though always refer to the material specifications to ensure proper care and sealing regimens to preserve their longevity.
Conclusion
An easy-to-clean design doesn’t simply address aesthetics; it ensures that a home or commercial space remains functional, hygienic, and easy to maintain over time. By embracing minimalist and modern design principles, thoughtful layout planning, and materials and fixtures that prioritize cleanliness, architects and designers can create spaces that are both beautiful and resilient. The result is a home or building that effortlessly balances form and function while offering long-term convenience and minimal upkeep.
Works Cited:
Thulstrup, S. D. (2019, July 1). Vipp Chimney House by studio David Thulstrup: Living space. Architonic. https://www.architonic.com/en/project/studio-david-thulstrup-vipp-chimney-house/20052215
Jane Englefield |19 March 2021. Hawaii House by Walker Warner architects house hugged by Volcanic Rock. Dezeen. https://www.dezeen.com/2021/03/19/kua-bay-residence-walker-warner-architects-house-hawaii/
Dezeen staff l 24 April 2024. (2024, April 24). Miko bathroom collection by Scavolini. Dezeen. https://www.dezeen.com/2024/04/24/miko-bathroom-collection-scavolini-dezeen-showroom/
Gallery of Shower Tray - Tempano series - 1. ArchDaily. (n.d.). https://www.archdaily.com/catalog/us/products/30835/shower-tray-tempano-series-duravit/300149?ad_source=neufert&ad_medium=gallery&ad_name=open-gallery
Dezeen staff | 26 March 2020. (2021, January 28). Kaldewei combines steel and glass to create easy clean bathroom surfaces. Dezeen. https://www.dezeen.com/2020/03/26/kaldewei-steel-enamel-hotel-bathroom/
Dezeen staff | 25 June 2020. (2020, November 1). Geberit offers touch-free bathroom solutions for Hotels Post-coronavirus. Dezeen. https://www.dezeen.com/2020/06/25/geberit-touch-free-bathroom-hotels-post-coronavirus/
