My ideas
Go for aluminium Aluminium windows are a great alternative if you are wanting to save money. You can easily customise your look by breaking up the panels without a huge financial penalty A word from inside the industry - the metal that is used to make windows and doors comes in 6.5m lengths. Remember this in your height decision, if the balance of the stick of metal cannot be used you will be paying for the offcut anyway. This is why when you step away from that standard sized windows made by residential window companies you pay a premium for the height or width change - you are paying for the offcut that they potentially cannot us. So plan well and mix it up - you will have a joyous large window or door with a commercial addition
Give windows a lift Whilst these windows give the impression of customised full-height windows, you could achieve something similar with a standard-height window. Arrange the window head to sit in line with the square cornice by lifting it off the ground. Then use an infill panel at the bottom of the window. The eye will be drawn to the beautiful view, not the skirting
Wardrobes and cupboards It’s easy to see the appeal of custom-made wardrobes; they can be designed to suit your storage needs and the space perfectly. But they can also blow your budget. To reduce costs, limit how many you install and the number of drawers and specialised fittings. Or, have robes incorporated into the plastered wall. The builder plasters the inside with a simple robe rail and shelves, and installs architraves and doors from the outside. Door heights are standard, but you can individualise the interior fittings. Tip: To get the look of a custom robe without the price tag, buy off-the-rack cupboards, which come in different finishes and fittings. Bear in mind that you will be limited to standard sizes. As such, it’s best to consider them in the early stages of the design process so you can be sure they’ll fit perfectly
For a cost-effective alternative to solid timber, consider timber laminate, which has a thin layer of timber veneer on top of a cheap timber interlay. Laminate is pre-finished, meaning it’s already stained, varnished and quick to lay. It comes in a variety of species at affordable prices, allowing you to have an expensive species at a fraction of the cost of its solid equivalent. Tip: When shopping for laminate timber flooring, ask the supplier to specify the thickness of the veneer component. Some veneers are only a couple of millimetres thick and, if scratched, will expose the cheap timber underneath. Laminates with a thicker veneer allow you to sand back the floor a couple of times if required, providing a better investment
Light switches and power points They’ve become a real fashion statement of late, but choosing non-standard light switches and power points can add significantly to the cost of your build. And while there are all sorts of styles on the market to choose from, from ones that light up to touch-sensitive styles, they all essentially do the same thing – turn your light and power on. Your electrician may also charge you more to install a specialist fitting, with possible extra labour costs on top of that to cut a hole in the wall if the wiring deviates from normal. Tip: In my projects, I specify cheap light and power switches for those areas that are not seen, such as inside cupboards. I keep more costly and attractive switches for visible areas
As a rule, the more windows you have, the more expensive the build will be. Try and maximise the size and amount of glazing in your living areas where you want to enjoy solar penetration and views, and minimise glazing in spots where you spend less time, such as bedrooms. Tip: The larger the sheet of glass, the heavier it’s likely to be, which adds to the purchase and installation cost. Sometimes you’ll find that two windows next to each other cost less than one large one
For a truly versatile storage option, consider installing bench seating where you can put muddy football boots and the like, with built-in cupboards above for jackets, racquets and other lengthy items. The bench seat is a convenient spot to sit and put on shoes, and locating it near the front or back door means you won’t have to traipse dirty footprints all through the house.
If you want energy efficiency and/or comfort then bi-fold doors won't cut it. The main issue is that they simply don't seal well and will forever leak heat in and out, as well as letting draughts through. The secondary issue is that they need a lot of frame relative to the amount of glass. The frame is the weakest part of a window or door for energy efficiency and comfort. For energy efficiency and comfort, the choices are French Doors, Lift&Slide doors or a glass wall
They make indoors and out seamless----very similar floor tiles in both spaces If you want more space, what better way to create it than with an entire wall that opens up, so house and outdoor space are a continuous area? Here, the indoor/outdoor line is blurred further by the use of the same or very similar floor tiles in both spaces. Like the idea? Check with your tile supplier that your selection will stand up to garden temperatures and won’t become slippery in wet weather
They get out of the way Stacked to one side, bi-fold door panels are tidy once they’re open, so there’s nothing at all between you and the garden. To repeat the success of this design, consider frame size – a bulky frame wouldn’t stack so neatly. Think about the panel sizes that will span the opening too, as narrower panels equal more to stack. sliding doors rather than bifolds. Most bifold options either didn't come with a fly screen or had a flimsy one, and during summer flys and Mosquitos are always getting in if we keep the doors open. Therefore we thought we would never keep the doors/windows open if we had bifolds, defeating the purpose of helping open up the space Frameless Glass Curtains - https://www.fgc.co.uk/frameless-slide-fold-double-glazed-doors/ Amazing product, best of both worlds, bi-fold and sliding. Worth a look
Tubular Daylight Device (TDD) A TDD is a fixed skylight mounted on the roof. Externally it appears like a small bubble or dome and works to capture, condense and diffuse sunlight, redirecting it through an aluminium tubing system. A TDD can bounce light into darker corners, and due to its small diameter, are ideal in bathrooms, hallways and other small spaces. VELUX skylights
Location of Skylight A skylight is an ideal option in a bathroom without windows, letting natural light into a space that would otherwise have none. However, note that the skylight in this bathroom (and in images 1, 2 and 9) is placed over the shower or bathtub so that light is diffused over the sink and mirror rather than being directly over it. This is also evident in kitchen design (see images 3, 5, and 14), where skylights are offset rather than directly over the kitchen, which could cause too much glare and direct heat.
Introduce clerestory windows A great way to allow northern light to enter your home is to incorporate clerestory windows along one or more walls in your living space. These small windows are installed along the top of the wall just before it meets the roofline, oriented towards the north and north-east so they capture the light, which can then be directed to any part of your home. To draw in even more light, you can also have the roof angled to increase the size of the windows.
storage For a quick backyard clean-up, pack all the outdoor sports and gardening equipment into some bench seating. These can be either built in or purchased from gardening or homeware stores. It’s so much easier to tidy up after a game of backyard cricket if all you have to do is open a lid and drop the bat, ball and stumps inside.
Insufficient storage This often comes down to too much focus on aesthetics and not enough on function. Solution: Eye-level storage is critical in a bathroom; rather than having a mirror adhered to the wall, choose a mirror cabinet recessed into the wall that incorporates storage for everyday essentials such as your toothbrush, shaver and make-up. Plan a layered lighting scheme that includes several different lighting sources. It should feature lighting for ambience; concealed LED strips are a great option as they don’t consume much energy and can be left on to create a low-key mood. Put them under vanities and shaving cabinets, behind mirrors and in shower niches.
Freestanding baths, while fashionable, are not always the best option – particularly in a small bathroom. A 1,600-millimetre freestanding bath is very small and if this is your only option, a larger inset bath would be a much better use of space. Likewise with vanities; having a super-large vanity that butts right up to the shower does not look good and is awkward to clean. Instead, choose a smaller vanity and allow some space between the shower or bath.
Extend the nib wall along the whole length of the bathroom to create a shelf or niche- to hide water cistern in the wall concealed cistern, they look great but two things to consider: (1) if something goes wrong you may be taking a sledge hammer to the wall - are you up for this? - where possible would suggest an access panel in the wall in the room behind and/or keep a number of spare wall and floor tiles in case they are needed one day; and (2) never forget where that cistern is if there is a room on the other side. The builder I work for was close to finished on a house once that had concealed cisterns and one bathroom wall backed onto the kitchen. Despite a thick black texta box and "DO NOT NAIL HERE" drawn on the wall, the cabinetmaker shot a fixing bolt straight into the cistern. Flooding, sledge hammer, replace cistern and everything else nearby destroyed by water.
hang dry a good portion of my clothing, especially the nicer things. I was just in the laundry room hanging some clothes from the washer and thought it would be a nice idea to have a ceiling fan in there to circulate the air better.
You can create an instant bench by installing a pull-out shelf like the one in this industrial laundry. Swivel models achieve a similar effect and rotate out from your joinery then glide back in again. Pull-down benches are also available and are usually affixed to walls or the end of joinery, while collapsible benches have also given many a little laundry a big helping hand.
Integrated designs that swivel smoothly back into your joinery and fold-out ironing boards like this one can change all that. They are usually more stable, offer a streamlined look when they’re hidden away and free up tall storage space – no more wrestling with freestanding cumbersome ironing boards. great ideas I would add is a light switch connected to the outlet for electrical items ( irons) - if you forget to turn it off at least you wont forget the light.
Must be sure not to mount them much higher than 1500 millimetres or you’ll be straining to reach the back rungs. Tip: Wet washing weighs several kilos so use a stud-finder and heavy-duty anchor points to support the weight of your drying rack when it’s loaded up with clothes.Purchase a portable dehumidifier with "laundry function" (Delonghi makes a terrific one/about $450.). Can dry several loads of washing hung overhead on clothes hangers overnight ... no need for dryer. Cheaper and quieter to run than dryer. Stops mould on ceiling/walls. Dehumidier alongside freestanding laundry airers in closed room also works really well.
Enter the in-built drying rack, available in countless designs including pull-down wall-mounted versions like this one. These space-saving solutions are fairly straightforward to install and ensure your clothes will dry, whatever the weather.floating vanity would want a minimum of 300mm from the floor to the bottom of the vanity. (mine is 350mm) This allows for ease in vacuuming and mopping underneath without having to bend your back. Secondly, yes, dust and hair do accumulate there so make good tile choices for the floor. White and grey are good, think twice about black tiles that show EVERYTHING
Benches-iniatially when they came 90 cm but now people are taller-so 92 or 95 cm bettter front- loading appliances benefit from a lift to save you from crouching uncomfortably at floor level when loading and unloading them. Miele washing machine and dryer off the floor by integrating them into the joinery. Install bars for hangers to hang ironed dress good light and cross ventilation
bookshelf to frame the arch around the entry of study. the arch also frames the table and plant
doesnt have to be coming out partially- can have the door open down fully to show the plug points I'm an electrician and have done them before, tell your electrician to use a ceiling rose to terminate flex cable (in corrugated conduit) into a mounting block
Space to store small spice bottles in cabinet door
save under sink space
60-30-10 rule What about the proportions for colour in a room? When making your selection, consider the 60-30-10 rule, which is a timeless decorating principle that can help you create a balanced colour scheme. Your 60 per cent is the main colour for a room, which anchors a space and provides a backdrop for the other colours. In a living room this would be walls, sofas and rugs. Your 30 per cent is the secondary colour, which would encompass occasional chairs, bedlinen, window furnishings and occasional furniture. It should support the main colour, while being different enough to set it apart and give the room interest. The final 10 per cent is your accent colour. For a living room, this would include scatter cushions, decorative accessories and artwork. For a bedroom, think throw pillows and artwork As a rule keep my sofas, floors and walls neutral and use colour pops in cushions, rugs, pictures and the odd accessory. a couple of occasional chairs in a surprising patttern or colour. Big ticket items are best kept neutral and with simple lines; the rest can be switched up as fashion changes ...
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