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Designers are not declaring every familiar renovation choice obsolete. They are asking a more useful question: does this decision suit the home’s architecture, the room’s scale, the site and the way people actually live? In a September 14, 2026 feature, Architectural Digest writer Jessica Ritz collected eight such reconsiderations from architects and interior designers. The alternatives range from keeping selected walls to replacing a media room with a wellness space, and from using natural texture—including lime wash, plaster and wood—to completing one room rather than stretching a firm budget across an entire house.
These are attributed professional perspectives, not an industry survey or proof that one approach works for every property. Use them as a set of design questions, especially when a renovation includes painting, plaster repair or other finish work.
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1. Open plan as the default: try thoughtful boundaries
Why designers are questioning wall removal
Pascale de Fouchier says she often talks clients out of removing walls simply to make a house feel more open. Her objection is not to connection between rooms; it is to treating maximum openness as an automatic improvement. Boundaries can create architectural rhythm, establish intentional circulation and let rooms feel distinct while remaining visually or physically connected.
For a painting project, retaining a wall can also give you a deliberate transition between colors, sheen levels or textures. A short passage, partial-height divider or wide cased opening may separate functions without producing a series of sealed-off boxes. The right solution depends on where privacy is needed, how people move through the house and which views should remain aligned.
How to decide
- Map daily paths before drawing demolition lines. Note where cooking, working, resting and entertaining overlap.
- Identify sightlines worth preserving and activities that need acoustic or visual separation.
- Test a boundary with furniture, a temporary screen or painter’s tape before committing to structural work.
- Ask whether a connected sequence of rooms would support the home’s original proportions better than one uninterrupted volume.
Open floor plans are not disappearing. The more precise shift is from “remove every wall” to “keep only the boundaries that make the house work.”
2. The tallest ceilings possible: choose a room-appropriate height
Scale matters more than maximum volume
Elizabeth Bennett and Mallory Robins of Kobel + Co argue that exposing a ceiling all the way to the rafters can throw a room’s scale out of balance. In some homes, lowering the ceiling or adding a decorative treatment creates a better relationship between the room, its occupants and the building’s age. As they put it: “Having the space doesn’t mean you need to expose it.”
That perspective is particularly relevant when a painting or plaster job follows structural changes. A very tall plane can dominate a color scheme and make ordinary light fixtures, trim and furniture appear undersized. A lower, carefully detailed ceiling may let wall color, molding or a hand-applied finish read as part of a coherent architectural whole.
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Questions to resolve before opening the roof volume
- What ceiling heights are typical of the house’s period and neighboring rooms?
- Will the exposed structure look intentional, or will mechanical services and insulation become the visual focus?
- Does the room need intimacy, acoustic control or a stronger connection to existing trim?
- Could a coffer, beam treatment, plaster detail or other decorative finish provide character without maximizing height?
Designers’ recommendation is not a universal ceiling dimension. It is a reminder to match height and treatment to the home’s architectural provenance rather than assuming that more cubic volume is always more luxurious.
3. Grand, sweeping staircases: design steps for longevity
Comfort and access belong in the concept stage
Tim Barber describes rethinking dramatic staircases by lowering risers and widening treads. He connects a gently rising stair with safer, more comfortable everyday use and with mobility over time. The feature presents this as his professional perspective, not as a measured health outcome or a substitute for local building-code requirements.
A stair is used repeatedly, often while carrying laundry, groceries or a child. Its visual drama should therefore be balanced against the effort required on every trip. A modestly scaled stair can still be a focal point through paint, a runner, a sculptural handrail or carefully lit wall surfaces.
A practical review sequence
- Have the architect or builder verify riser, tread, landing, handrail and guard dimensions against the applicable code.
- Walk the proposed geometry at full scale if possible; pay attention to turns, headroom and places where two people pass.
- Plan lighting and durable wall finishes for the impact zones along the route.
- Consider future mobility needs, not only how the stair feels on moving day.
Longevity is a design criterion. A staircase that is easy to use can serve the house longer than one whose only objective is a sweeping first impression.
4. Perfectly smooth, uniform surfaces: use natural, varied textures
Variation can make a finish belong to the building
Kaitlyn Wolfe recommends allowing natural imperfections instead of insisting that every surface look machine-perfect. She names plaster, lime wash, concrete, stone, wood and other hand-applied finishes as ways to introduce variation. In her view, material character can connect a room to its architecture, surroundings and occupants.
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For painters, lime wash is a category of finish rather than a guaranteed solution. Its appearance and suitability depend on the substrate and on project conditions, so the wall must be assessed before specifying it. Plaster repairs, masonry, previously painted drywall and wood each call for different preparation and application decisions. A sample on the actual surface is more informative than a color chip alone because absorption and tooling affect the final movement.
Where texture helps—and where restraint helps more
- Use a varied finish to reinforce an old building’s material history or to soften a large, flat plane.
- Keep adjacent surfaces calmer when a textured wall is already carrying visual attention.
- Expect hand-applied finishes to show variation; that is part of the intended result, not necessarily a defect.
- Confirm maintenance, patching and future repainting requirements before installation.
The alternative to uniformity is not careless workmanship. It is controlled variation that respects the material and the architecture.
5. Upper cabinets: consider a full-height pantry wall
Consolidate storage instead of scattering it overhead
Anand Sheth describes using a full-height pantry zone to consolidate storage, appliances and everyday clutter. With those functions gathered in one wall, the remaining kitchen can feel more open and connected without requiring every upper cabinet to disappear. This is one designer’s strategy, not a rule for all kitchens.
The choice changes both circulation and finish planning. A tall bank of doors creates a strong vertical element that may need a deliberate color relationship to the island, lower cabinets and adjacent rooms. Painting the pantry wall as a quiet architectural backdrop—or giving it a contrasting but coordinated finish—can make the storage read as a single composition rather than a collection of boxes.
Check the trade-offs
- List the appliances and supplies that need daily access, then measure the wall required to house them.
- Protect clearances for doors, work aisles and ventilation before finalizing the layout.
- Decide which items should remain visible and which should be concealed to reduce visual noise.
- Compare the pantry wall’s capacity with the storage you would lose by removing upper cabinets.
Households with limited wall length, accessibility needs or a preference for open shelving may reach a different answer. The useful principle is to organize clutter intentionally, not to remove a cabinet type on principle.
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6. Media rooms: explore a wellness space
Design for the sensory experience you actually want
Margie Lavender says some clients are moving away from a dedicated media room and toward a different sensory experience. She cites a wellness suite, cold plunge or sauna as examples. The feature supplies no equipment specifications, costs or purchasing guidance, so these ideas should be treated as program options rather than ready-made packages.
Begin with use, not the label. A wellness area may require privacy, moisture control, drainage, ventilation, electrical planning and surfaces that tolerate heat or humidity. A quiet room for stretching or recovery has different requirements from a wet installation. Painting and wall finishes must be selected for the actual environmental conditions and maintained according to the finish manufacturer’s instructions.
Questions for the planning brief
- Will the space be used daily, seasonally or only when guests visit?
- What plumbing, waterproofing, ventilation and structural work would the proposed amenity require?
- Does the household want an active exercise function, a quiet retreat or both?
- Would a flexible room serve changing needs better than a permanently specialized installation?
A media room remains a sensible choice for a household that values shared viewing. The reconsideration is about matching the room to the experience residents want to repeat.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.7. The “money shot” as the sole design focus: evaluate the whole site
A compelling room can depend on what happens outside it
Todd Beyerlein of Hoedemaker Pfeiffer recommends looking beyond the single dramatic view or photographable interior. A tree may provide privacy or frame a view; a darker, enclosed area elsewhere may make a brighter room feel more dramatic. In this approach, the property is designed as a sequence of conditions rather than a collection of isolated “hero” spaces.
That wider reading affects exterior paint choices, window-wall colors and the order in which rooms are experienced. A finish that looks subdued in one photograph may support the transition from a shaded entry to a sunlit kitchen. Before selecting a focal color, walk the site at different times of day and note neighboring buildings, vegetation, glare, privacy and seasonal changes.
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Build a site-aware brief
- Record which trees, walls and rooflines screen views or create useful framing.
- Mark rooms that need brightness and rooms that benefit from enclosure or contrast.
- Coordinate exterior and interior palettes so important transitions feel intentional.
- Protect valuable vegetation and confirm how construction access could affect it.
The goal is not to suppress a beautiful view. It is to ensure that the rest of the property supports it.
8. A long wish list: focus the renovation scope
Finish one room before spreading the budget
Dafna Kikuchi recommends completing one room from start to finish when a budget cannot accomplish everything at once. The feature gives no cost figures or quantified savings; her point is project control. A fully resolved room can establish a dependable pattern for detailing, paint colors, hardware and workmanship before the next phase begins.
For a painting-led renovation, focused scope also reduces the risk of buying materials for surfaces that later change. It lets you prepare walls properly, resolve trim and ceiling relationships, and observe how daylight affects the chosen finish. Document the final colors, substrates and application methods so later rooms can match—or intentionally develop—the first room.
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Turn the idea into a phased plan
- Choose the room whose completion would improve daily life most or unlock later work.
- Define the complete scope, including repair, preparation, lighting, trim, flooring interfaces and cleanup.
- Set a contingency within the available budget instead of assigning every dollar to visible finishes.
- Record decisions and unresolved items before starting the next room.
Phasing is not a failure to renovate the whole house. It is a way to protect completion quality when time, cash or decision-making capacity is limited.
How to use these ideas without turning them into new rules
The eight suggestions share a decision method: start with the property and the people, then choose the visual language. A boundary should answer a circulation or privacy need. A ceiling should fit the room and its provenance. A stair should remain comfortable as bodies and routines change. Texture should express the material rather than disguise it. Storage should reflect how the household operates. A wellness room should support a genuinely desired experience. Site planning should account for privacy, light and sequence. Budgeting should favor a finished result over an impressive list of unfinished intentions.
For a renovation that includes painting, write those criteria into the brief before choosing colors. Note the existing substrate, architectural period, natural light, adjacent finishes, maintenance expectations and the order in which rooms will be used. Then ask the designer, architect or painter to explain how each proposed finish serves those conditions. This keeps a popular look from becoming an expensive mismatch.
What the source does—and does not—establish
Jessica Ritz’s September 14, 2026 Architectural Digest feature reports named designers’ opinions and project examples. It does not provide statistics showing how common these shifts are, comparative performance tests, universal dimensions, equipment specifications or renovation prices. No single alternative is presented as mandatory. The value is in the questions the professionals raise about scale, access, texture, storage, sensory experience, site context and scope.
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