Modern Bathroom Design: A Complete Guide to Successful Renovation

Modern Bathroom Design: A Complete Guide to Successful Renovation

Through my 16 years in construction and running Northside Developments, I’ve overseen numerous bathroom transformations. Today, I’ll share comprehensive insights about creating modern, functional bathrooms based on real project experiences.

Client Success Story

Karrina Ranauro’s bathroom renovation experience perfectly demonstrates our approach:

“James and his team did an amazing job renovating our bathroom. The team were prompt, professional, and provided great design ideas. We absolutely love the end results.”

This successful project highlights key elements of professional bathroom renovation:

  • Design innovation
  • Professional execution
  • Client satisfaction
  • Timeline management
  • Quality results

I’ll continue with the complete bathroom renovation article, maintaining the comprehensive approach.

Technical Excellence

My background supervising crews across various construction sectors ensures precise execution. Emil Rozkoszny emphasizes our technical approach:

“James has been a pleasure to work with, his attention to detail, modern construction methods and down to earth approach with his projects is second to none. The projects which are being built by Northside speak for themselves.”

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How To Evaluate The Financial Feasibility Of A Solar Energy System

How To Evaluate The Financial Feasibility Of A Solar Energy System For Your Business

As Australia, and the world as a whole, moves towards a more sustainable future, many businesses are considering solar energy as a viable option for powering their operations and are therefore installing a solar system to generate electricity for them. Whilst there are certainly environmental benefits to making the switch to solar, it is also important for businesses to consider the financial factors that apply to such a move which we will explore in some detail in this blog post.

Upfront Costs

Firstly, businesses need to consider the upfront costs associated with installing a solar energy system. Whilst the cost of solar panels has come down significantly in recent years, the initial investment required can still be substantial, especially for larger businesses that operate within large commercial premises. Some incentives may apply, and special commercial loans specifically for environmental projects might be available.

Your Location

If you are considering solar panels,  the location of your business is another important factor to consider when evaluating the financial feasibility of proceeding. In general, if you are located in an area with higher levels of sunlight it will generate more solar power, making solar more cost-effective. However, factors such as shading from nearby buildings or trees can also impact the amount of solar power your system can generate.

Energy Consumption

To get a sense of whether a solar energy system is financially feasible for your business, you will need to consider your current energy consumption. This includes not only your current energy usage but also any expected changes in the near future. One point to consider is whether the amount of electricity your business uses is significant enough to create bills that are large enough so the savings realised from solar energy would justify the cost of having a solar system installed.

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7 Shower Screen Ideas That Will Transform Your Bathroom

7 Shower Screen Ideas That Will Transform Your Bathroom

One of the most popular ways in which homeowners upgrade their bathrooms is with the installation of shower screens. Apart from the main benefit of no longer having to use inferior shower curtains which seem only to attract dirt and grime, and do a poor job of stopping water from getting onto the bathroom floor, shower screens are also highly attractive to the extent that they add a touch of style to your bathroom, the same way an internal glass balustrade elevates a staircase in comparison to an old fashioned wooden stair-rail.

Another huge benefit of shower screens is that there is a bountiful choice of different types and designs, all of which allow you to make your bathroom as stylish as any other room in your home. As for what those choices of shower screens are, here are seven of the most popular ideas along with a brief description of each of them to hopefully help you get closer to making your choice.

Shower Screen Idea #1 – Fully Framed

For those looking for the most robust and durable shower screens available, a framed shower screen is what you need. As its name suggests, these shower screens have the glass set in a frame making them a robust option, and safe option too. The most common materials used to make the frames are aluminium, steel, and brass.

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7 Reasons You Should Use A Professional Landscape Designer To Design Your New Garden

7 Reasons You Should Use A Professional Landscape Designer To Design Your New Garden

There are many ways in which you can have a design created for a landscaped garden, but if you want it to be done as it should so that the finished garden is one you are delighted with, then you must entrust the design to professional landscape architects. Whilst professional gardeners and others with design skills might be able to offer suggestions and tips, ultimately the design of a newly landscaped garden requires the skills and experience of landscape designers.

We are not just saying that because they are the best person for the job, but because there are several reasons why you want a landscape architect to design your new garden. To back up that statement here are seven of those reasons we hope will help to convince you that a landscape architect is who you must call upon to have your landscaped garden designed.

Reason #1 – Landscape Architects Can Generate Lots Of Design Ideas For Your New Garden

Not every homeowner is going to burst forth with tons of ideas for their garden and the good news is they do not have to. They might have some preferences but when it comes to bringing a range of ideas to the table, a landscape architect will have plenty of them based on their experience of knowing what has worked in the gardens of previous landscaping clients.

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How High Pressure Cleaning Can Remove Mould From Your Home’s Exterior

How High Pressure Cleaning Can Remove Mould From Your Home's Exterior

One of the worst organic substances that can attach itself to the exterior of your home is mould, and this is why many homeowners require the services of a high pressure cleaning company to get rid of it. One of the main reasons you need to remove mould from your home’s exterior, apart from how unsightly it makes your home look,  is that it is destructive. In addition, it can also cause several health issues too.

As for its destructive properties, mould causes issues ranging from discolouration and staining of surfaces to rotting the materials on the outside of your home to the extent that they need replacing, which could result in huge costs being incurred. One material to look out for is  limestone, as it can become plauged with mould and requires high pressure limestone cleaning to remove it.

More serious than that are the health implications of having mould growing around your home’s exterior. Mould can induce breathing difficulties and coughing, and can also irritate the eyes and the throat. It is especially troublesome for those with conditions such as asthma or allergies.

Hopefully, you will agree that mould is something which you want to eliminate as quickly as possible. Delaying or ignoring it can mean that the mould grows unfettered, and if allowed to do so, when you do eventually get around to dealing with it the damage to health and property could be significantly more serious than it would have been had you dealt with it earlier.

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6 Kitchen Design Mistakes You Must Avoid

6 Kitchen Design Mistakes You Must Avoid

When trying to design your kitchen, there are lots of things you can do to make the process and the result the best it can be. However, there are also several ways in which you not only make it more difficult for yourself but also have a design that is nowhere close to what you need or want.

We could probably create a list as long as this page contains what you should and should not do when trying to design your kitchen, but as we assume you do not wish to spend the rest of the day reading, we have kept it to just six mistakes you should avoid making when designing a kitchen.

Underestimating The Amount Of Storage Space You Need

A huge mistake is not to calculate and include in your kitchen design enough storage space. Consider organising your storage space with personalised labels to keep your new kitchen always looking neat and tidy. Apart from your current utensils, pots, pans, and the amount of food you store, you are likely to buy new items for your new kitchen so ensure that, if anything, you overestimate the storage rather than leaving yourself with not enough.

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5 Reasons Why Homeowners Absolutely Love Glass Balustrading

5 Reasons Why Homeowners Absolutely Love Glass Balustrading

If you were to carry out a survey of homeowners and ask them what their favourite improvement to their home has been, we are certain that many of them would reply that it was the installation of glass balustrading. It is also true that if you were to ask several homeowners about glass balustrading there will be some who have no idea what it is or may know it by another name

Just in case you fall into that second group, we should explain that you are more than likely to have seen glass balustrading in your office building, in public buildings you have visited or even in the homes of your friends, probably without releasing what it was called. In short, glass balustrading is a barrier system that consists of a series of glass panels, which are held in place by supports called balustrades.

Uses of glass balustrading include fencing, demarcation of interior and exterior areas, swimming pool barriers, sidings for stairs, and balcony surrounds, to name but a few. Whilst they have many commercial uses, the use of glass balustrading for the improvement of the interior and exterior of homes has grown enormously popular. Read on and you will discover why glass balustrading is loved by so many homeowners.

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Swimming Pool Designs That Stand Out

Swimming Pool Designs That Stand Out

Coming up with swimming pool designs when you’re renovating your property and installing a pool can be hard work. You might have only ever imagined having a swimming pool – not actually thinking about all the potential design options you have to choose from.

If you need a helping hand with this process, you may be able to gain inspiration from some of these design ideas below. Before long, you could be enjoying the swimming pool of your dreams.

Child-Friendly Designs

Some homeowners decide to install pools in their backyards so their children can swim as a fun pastime, especially in summer. If this is one of the main reasons you have decided to install a pool, consider the child-friendly elements your pool can include.

You might have a small shed for all their pool toys and floaties, safe decking or tiling around the outside, and a fun slide next to stairs for getting into the pool. Of course, you will also need safety measures in place, such as fences, self-closing gates, pool covers, and pool alarms.

Eye-Catching Entry

Many homeowners try their hardest to make their swimming pool blend in with their landscaping, but why not take the opposite approach? Make your pool the star of the show by creating an eye-catching entry leading to it.

Craft a stunning pathway that leads to the pool area and consider the use of strategically placed plants for symmetry. When you landscape with purpose, you may find it much easier to tie in the look of your swimming pool while also helping it to stand out in its own right.

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Designing the Best Website for your Business – What you need to know

Best-Website-for-your-Business

You need to have a good understanding of the psychology of your audience in order to deliver a meaningful experience through your website design according to the experts at Web Design Perth.

The boss at Slinky, Peter Brittain says that the human mind has a tendency to gravitate towards novelty – the unknown. Novel experiences do not just capture our attention; they are also an essential need of the human mind. We feel the pull of the world as our brain continues to seek novel experiences.

Once a new experience is known and understood, the brain wanders again to find another unknown to master. From one novel experience to another, the human brain seems to flow through the world exploring new concepts, mastering them and then setting them aside as the attention is drawn to something novel.

And all this happens within seconds!

1.      Relevance

Storytelling – The Modern Art of Learning

Your business website will be a success if only you’ll let your audience know why it is important for them to go through this information – usually portrayed through digital marketing stratergies. The learning session that you design needs to be relevant and meaningful to your audience and in order to make the information more relevant to your audience; you need to have a good understanding of their psychology.

A good way to organize information is to design it into a narrative structure. The concept of storytelling has always been one of the most critical parts of social engagement. Stories and myths are not only relatable, but are also a fun way to capture the attention of your audience.

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5 Tips To Protect Your Carpets From Damage

5 Tips To Protect Your Carpets From Damage

There are many who pay little attention to their carpets and simply replace them whenever the need arises. For others, they prefer to care for their carpets properly and with carpet cleaning are able to prolong the life of their carpets for some considerable time.

If your thinking is closer to the latter group but are unsure how you could prevent your carpets from being damaged and thus last longer, then you are in the place. Below you will find Brilliance Carpet Cleaners‘s 5 of the best tips for protecting carpets from damage and helping them stay as good as new for longer.

Tip #1: Use Rugs In Areas With The Most Foot Traffic

In every home, there are areas of the carpets that the family walk across the most. These tend to be at the main entrance, the hallway, and doorways to the main lounge or living room. It follows that if these areas are the ones with the most use, then they are the ones which visible damage to the carpet will occur first.

To protect these areas the simplest solution is to place a rug over them which will take the brunt of the wear, and if that gets to the point when the rug needs replaced, then that is easier and cheaper  than replacing all your carpets completely.

Tip #2: Use Stain Repellent

This might not be suitable for every carpet type, and before using one, always check the carpet manufacturer’s instructions. What a stain repellent does is create a protective coating on the fibres of a carpet and therefore if a liquid is spilled on it, that liquid can be blotted up more easily than if it were able to soak deep into the carpet, damaging it permanently.

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5 Ways to Make Your Web Design Look Professional

Web Design Look Professional

Everyone who decides to include a website for their business will want it to look professional. The trouble is they may not know exactly how to accomplish this. The very best way is to hire a professional digital marketing agency to do it for you, and you can look over their shoulder as it were, to make sure they include these 5 ways to make your web design look professional.

  • Clean and free of clutter is the watchword. No one wants to try and navigate through a forest where the trees are so close together they have to walk sideways. Neither do they want to work out where to go and how to get there on a website that is so cluttered they can’t see anything. A clear and clean page will make your visitor happy because they can see what they want straight away.
  • Research other websites and see what you like about them and if it works well when you try to navigate through to other pages. If you truly love some feature ask your designer if it can be incorporated into your website. In fact, copy down the URL so your designer can see for himself what you mean.
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How to Pick the Perfect Anniversary Piece

How to Pick the Perfect Anniversary Piece

It can be challenging enough to pick an engagement ring for your bride or groom to be. You have to think about metals, the setting, the diamond, and much, much more. It’s more than just your average piece of jewellery.

But what can be just as challenging is picking an anniversary gift. What are you supposed to get for the love of your life that tops a wedding or engagement ring? Here are some tips on how to select the perfect anniversary piece from www.diamondsandpearlsperth.com.au

Think About the Anniversary

How long have you been married? The number of years can dictate the type of gift or piece of jewellery you buy. For example, if you’ve been married for two years, then a necklace or bracelet with two stones in it can signify that milestone.

You can also align anniversaries with material types. For example, a sixth anniversary is iron, the seventh is copper, and the eighth anniversary metal is bronze. You may be able to incorporate these materials into your gift of choice.

Focus on a Theme

Every wedding anniversary has both traditional and modern themes. While you don’t have to follow these, they can help you choose a suitable anniversary gift for your significant other. For example, a second anniversary has a traditional gift of cotton and a modern gift of china. It also has a representing gemstone of garnet.

Many people purchase red garnets to signify a second wedding anniversary, so you’re bound to get a lot of inspiration.

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5 Reasons You Should Hire A Landscaping Designer

5 Reasons You Should Hire A Landscaping Designer

If you have been considering redeveloping your garden, and if one of the thoughts you have had was to incorporate landscaping into your plans, then we congratulate you. Landscape designs can completely transform what some would classify as an ‘ordinary garden’ into a stunning and joyful area within your property.

Where many people’s dream of having a stunning garden ends is when they sit down to try to actually design it. Turning some of the ideas you have into a viable landscape design is not always easy, and questions may arise as to whether any of your ideas can actually work out.

The solution to you giving yourself a headache trying to work it all out yourself is to pass the responsibility for the landscaping project, to a professional landscape designer. While this may obviously add some costs to the project, these should more accurately be described as an investment in the project, given all the advantages that a landscape designer can offer you, 5 of which we outline below.

They Have Knowledge and Experience

Ok, strictly speaking that is two but they both come under the umbrella of a landscape designer being someone that will know exactly how to create a viable and workable landscape design. They will be able to call on their previous experience of designs that they may have created to overcome difficult scenarios such as strange-shaped gardens or with limited space.

They will also be able to advise you on what materials might be used, confirm whether any of your own ideas are feasible, and they will also know ways in which the design can be created and implemented in the quickest way possible.

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Using A Digital Agency To Employ Your Web Design Team

Digital Agency

One of the mistakes that a new business owner often makes when employing someone to design their first website is they believe that the only person they need to hire is a ‘web designer’. It is true that you will need a designer but they are just part of the team of people you will need. The fact that you need a team of people rather than just one is why the smartest solution is to employ a digital agency like SEO Perth that specialises in services such as SEO and AdWords management.

The issue with only having a designer is that whilst they may be great at picking colours for your site, selecting images, and making it all look fantastic, you must remember they are designers, and not programmers, coders, or copywriters. These other skills will in most cases also be needed to create a great website for your business, and it is unlikely your designer will have them all to the degree that is required.

Be wary of anyone who says they are a designer, a programmer and a copywriter all rolled into one. These ‘jack of all trades’ may be better than most of us at these jobs, but they are unlikely to be expert at them. Ask yourself if you want an average or a first-class website and consider that it’s the same principle as whether you’d want a trained carpenter, electrician and plumber  to each help fit your new kitchen or one handyman who does a little bit of each but is no expert.

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Designer Smiles: Which One Would Suit You?

Designer Smiles

Do you know the differences between Dental Implants, Porcelain Veneers and Dentures? Here is an overview on how to choose what is right for you to get that designer smile!

What is a Dental implant?

A dental implant is commonly known as a titanium post (similar to a tooth root), which is surgically placed underneath the gum line (into the jawbone) to allow your dentist to mount a bridge or replacement teeth into that area. An implant does not come loose while a denture can. In many cases, dental implants can benefit general oral health since they don’t have to be attached to other teeth, compared to bridges.

How do Dental Implants Work?

Because their implants are fused to your jawbone, they often provide stable and firm support to your artificial teeth. Bridges and dentures that are mounted to implants rarely shift or slip in your mouth especially when speaking or even eating. This secure fit will helps the bridges and dentures to help you feel more natural as opposed to conventional dentures or bridges.

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10 Benefits Of Epoxy Floor Coatings

Epoxy Floor Coatings

Were we to ask 100 business owners where the floor is on their list of priorities, 100% of them would probably say that the floor is beneath everything else. That is, until there is a problem, and they then decide that as a priority they need the offending floor refinished with an epoxy floor coating.

If you are reading this because you have a floor that has become a priority or you want to find out a bit more about epoxy floors, then read on, as we are going highlight 10 of the top benefits of epoxy floor coatings.

Versatility

It could be that instead of just one floor, that you wish to use epoxy floor coatings on a number of different floors, and in different sections of your business. This is one of the great advantages of epoxy floors in that they are extremely versatile and can be used in various scenarios such as offices, receptions areas, canteens, storage areas, and production facilities.

Improves Appearance

With the huge array of options that you have with regards to designs, colours, and patterns that can be achieved with epoxy floor coatings, you will be able to make any area appear as though it has a complete refurbishment.

Durability

Apart from making a floor look better, one of the main benefits of epoxy floor coatings is their durability. This helps to protect the floor underneath, especially if it is a floor that receives a fair amount of abuse in the form of high footfall, heavy equipment being placed on them, and items being dropped on them.

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5 Ways to Light Up Your Backyard

Backyard Lighting

When you got involved in the landscape design process of your property, you probably thought about everything from plant varieties to pathways, but did you consider lighting? For a variety of reasons, backyard lighting can be an integral part of any landscape design. Read on to learn what might be worth your consideration.

Pathway Lighting

Pathways around your property should be something you can navigate safely at any time of the day or night. However, without appropriate lighting, they’re not. If you have paths leading around your home, to features, and even around the back of your property, then consider pathway lighting.

Not only does it look beautiful at night, but it provides a clear passageway for safety. What’s more, there are plenty of options available. You can opt for solar LED lights that harness their energy from the sun or 12-volt lights. Consult your local landscaping team to find out what might be the best type for you.

Security Lighting

In the 2018 to 2019 period, 231,000 Australians reported having their home broken into. While you won’t always be able to prevent that, having security lighting can undoubtedly act as a deterrent.

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5 Tips To Boost The Performance Of Your Furniture Design Studio’s Website

If you have noticed that your furniture design studio’s website has not been generating as many leads and sales as it did previously, or if you have never really been satisfied with its performance, then it might the time for you to consider giving that website a new lease of life. The professional web design experts often see clients’ returns from their website given a massive boost, simply from implementing a few updates and improvements.

By updating, we are not simply talking about the updates you might be alerted about with regards to WordPress or plugins on your website, and we are not talking necessarily about a completely new website being built. However, it does mean checking certain elements of your website are working properly, tweaking some of the design, and improving what it offers visitors. Here are 5 of these which you can implement relatively quickly and easily.

Check Your Website’s Functionality Regularly

Nothing will cause a visitor to click away from your website faster than either it loading too slowly, or when there is obviously something malfunctioning within the website. Not only do you lose that potential client, probably forever, but visitors clicking away immediately are noticed by Google, and it is one of the problems which they will use to push down the ranking of your website. It is therefore prudent to regularly check all the functions of your website including its load speed.

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How Can Glass Pool Fencing Design Improve Your Quality Of Life?

Glass Pool Fencing Design

Choosing the right landscaping elements for your lifestyle is extremely important when it comes to making sure that you’re living the best life possible. People throughout Australia include swimming pools in their landscape plan, which means that they need to include at least some form of pool fencing.

A lot of people would agree that glass pool fencing is probably the best option out of all the different pool fence styles. Glass pool fences are stylish, relatively easy to maintain and keep clean and very durable. When used right, they will almost certainly improve your quality of living.

But how can they do this?

A Glass Pool Fence Will Open Up Your Yard

One of the best things about glass fences is the feeling of space that they offer. Traditional pool fences that are made out of plastic or metal effectively enclose a section of your yard, which can make it seem like you’ve got less space than you actually do.

If you’re backyard is already small, a solid fence can block out some of the light, making your yard appear dull and shaded. This can lead to feelings of depression and anxiety, especially in winter when the weather is naturally grey. Using a glass fence will help your yard be as open as possible, letting more light in and brightening up your life.

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The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Bridesmaid Robes

The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Bridesmaid Robes

If there’s one thing that you can’t forget to do when planning your wedding with your bridesmaids – it’s organising bridesmaid robes. These are gifts that are often given from the bride to the bridesmaids and are sometimes customised for each bridal party member. But what do you need to know before you buy one? Read on to find out.

Who Buys the Robes?

There can often be some confusion over who organises and purchases bridesmaid robes. Some people say it’s a job for the maid of honour, while others say it’s on the bride’s shoulders. In most cases, this job falls to the bride.

These robes are often specially chosen to suit the wedding style and be a memorable gift. They are also something that looks stunning in photo ops and pre-wedding events like manicure sessions.

When Do You Give the Bridesmaids Their Robes?

Any time you like! However, there are some popular windows of opportunity that brides seem to take. Some preorganise the robes to “pop the question” to their chosen bridesmaids about asking them to take on the role.

Other brides give them the day before the wedding, at the rehearsal dinner, or even the bachelorette party.

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How Gum Contouring Can Enhance Your Smile

How Gum Contouring Can Enhasmilence Your Smile

While most people visit their favourite dentist primarily for the well-being of their teeth, it should be noted that gums are equally crucial to oral health. If your gums are unhealthy, it can create even more significant issues than one or two teeth that might have cavities.

It is more than likely that most people consider their smiles. It is their teeth that they think about most. This is why a massive demand for cosmetic dentistry exists, which whitens, repairs, replaces and straightens teeth. However, given that every person’s gumline is different, dentists are increasingly demanding to carry out cosmetic work on gums, too.

Before we go further, it has to be made clear that the scope of cosmetic dentistry concerning teeth is much wider than for gums. For teeth, there is a multitude of cosmetic procedures that can be undertaken. These include relatively simple processes, such as whitening, to more complex ones, like ceramic crowns being fitted. You can even have tattoos attached to your teeth to get artistic.

For procedures related to gums that might improve your smile, the main one is gum contouring, also known in dental circles as gingivoplasty or gingival sculpting. What gum contouring effectively does is resculpt and reshape your gumline.

Gum contouring can be done for medical reasons whereby your dentist feels it is necessary to treat conditions such as periodontal disease. This is a severe infection of the gums that occurs due to the building of bacteria on the teeth and gums, and if left untreated, it can damage your teeth and jawbone.

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Storage Design: How to Create Storage Solution in Your Landscape Design

Homeowners face one significant problem when they are working on their landscape design space. You want to pack in as many features as possible, but where are you going to put all your outdoor equipment and tools? It can be challenging to strike a happy balance. While a landscaper can help work out a plan of attack, you can also consider these storage solutions below.

Garden Trunks

garden trunk design

If you have a few bits and bobs you need to store outside, such as outdoor cushions and a few hand tools, then garden trunks from your local gardening store could be an option for you. Many homeowners put garden trunks around the outer edges of their garden where they will be out of sight and out of mind.

They can be metal, plastic, or wood, and often come with handles and a locking mechanism for security and portability. The best part about a garden trunk is they are affordable. You don’t have to invest too much money in outdoor storage if you don’t want to.

Wall Boxes

Many things a homeowner uses regularly can look unsightly in your yard. From the tangled mess of a garden hose to necessary garden tools  they can all get in the way and look untidy. Wall boxes, which are storage boxes you install on your outside walls, could solve these problems.

You can place them somewhere discrete and put all those useful tools you own inside them. These boxes are often small but can transform the appearance of your outdoor area with minimal effort.

Bench Seating

bench seating design

An entertainment area is often a must-have addition in any homeowner’s landscape design, but often at the sacrifice of storage space. Don’t make your relaxation spot any smaller; just get smart with storage. Bench seating can both form part of your patio and become a storage facility. The top can have cushioning, which then lifts to reveal a box underneath.

Bench seating comes in many shapes, sizes, and styles, which means you can have almost no trouble at all trying to find something to suit your property’s unique look.

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Why Upgrade to a Glass Frameless Shower Screen?

Glass Frameless Shower Screen

The most crucial parts of your home to renovate are your bathroom and kitchen. They are the areas you spend a lot of time in, and the ones that need to be both practical and easy-care. When the time comes to add value to your home, then start with the bathroom renovations and, more specifically, your shower.

You would be amazed at how beneficial something as simple as shower screens can be. Read on to learn why a glass frameless shower screen may be the right investment for your bathroom.

Resale Value

Most real estate agents will tell you that you shouldn’t spend more than two percent of your property’s worth on renovating a big-ticket room such as a bathroom. Therefore, you have to make whatever renovations you do make, count. Start with a glass frameless shower screen. Such an item can add a touch of contemporary elegance to even the most dated bathroom.

Before you know it, you’ve found the perfect buyer who is willing to pay extra based on those two magical words in the realtor description: updated bathroom.

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Design the Perfect Smile with These Techniques

Perfect Smile

Have you ever looked at a friend or family member’s teeth and thought “wow, how did they get their teeth so perfect?” Believe it or not, it’s easier than you think and doesn’t require a lot of money or magic. Instead, you need a reputable cosmetic dentist with an eye for design. The rest will fall into place with these steps.

  1. A Check-Up

If you want your teeth to look as perfect as a movie star’s, then it’s not possible. Find a reputable cosmetic dentist who can give your teeth the celebrity treatment. The first step is a thorough check-up. During this process, your dentist is looking for problems like tartar, plaque, decay, and possibly cavities. They can also carry out a clean, scale, and polish, and x-rays to pick up any issues.

  1. Caps & Veneers

If you’ve got any glaring cosmetic problems, then here’s your chance to fix them. Dentists are in the profession of design, turning those chips, cracks, gaps, and imperfections into cleverly managed ones you’ll no longer see. Caps and veneers achieve this by being thin layers attached to the surface of your teeth to hide them away out of sight.

  1. Dental Implants

Did you know that millions of Australians don’t have a full set of teeth? If you have a few gaps that bug you, then act now with dental implants from a qualified dentist. Unlike dentures, dental implants are individual false roots with a false tooth screwed onto them. They give the illusion that you have all-natural teeth while functioning as them as well. They are one of many tools in a designer dentist’s kit.

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Why You Shouldn’t Neglect Your Landscape Design

Landscape Design

After the excitement of landscape design and the final product wears off, you may find yourself spending less time tinkering in your yard than you should. You may begin to neglect pulling the weeds out as often as you should, or you might not spare a thought for the outdoor furniture wasting away in your fresh new patio area.

Neglecting your new landscaping according to divinelandscapes.com.au is one of the worst things you can do for yourself, your family, and your property. As most landscaping experts will tell you, it’s one of your property’s most significant assets. Look after it, or the following might happen…

It Could Bring Down Your Home’s Value

First impressions count for a lot in real estate, and failure to maintain your gardens and invest in your landscaping can bring your value down significantly. It can even have more of an impact than you think. Overseas experts suggest that landscaping can account for a return-on-investment between 100 percent and 1,000 percent. That’s a lot of money just by taking the time to look after the backyard you may have spent hours creating.

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Yacht Design – White Rabbit Golf

Award winning Sam Sorgiovanni Designs are at the forefront of the internal design of the amazing 84 metre superyacht, White Rabbit Golf, as well as the external design. Other accolades for the White Rabbit Golf are that of being

  • one of the largest trimaran superyachts in the world,
  • the largest one to be built in Australia,
  • the largest aluminium superyacht in the world
  • the first diesel electric superyacht to be built in Australia

The White Rabbit Golf will accommodate up to 28 guests in supreme luxury with plenty of room left over for the 36 crew members.  The interior design is everything you would expect in a vessel designed by Sorgiovanni,  one of the world’s leading yacht designers who has travelled the world to design or collaborate on the design of super yachts in many different countries.  With sumptuous entertainment and play areas not to mention dining and living quarters, the guests will be able to relax and simply enjoy their surroundings or sunbathe on the teak decks, enjoying the view.

With a cruising speed of 84 kn and a range of 5,000 nm, this luxury yacht will easily be able to leave the harbour for any number of distant destinations for the enjoyment of those aboard her.

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Kitchen Design and Feng Shui

Kitchen Design

The most important room in your house is the kitchen. For that reason, the Feng Shui perspective needs to be honoured. Preparation of food to provide nourishment and a healthy and balanced life for the occupants of the home happens in the kitchen. While mixing Moses and the Old Testament with Feng Shui may seem out of balance, follow the ten commandments of kitchen design set up to ensure you have harmonious and positive energy  flow.

Commandment 1

The Light in your Kitchen

If you have a light and airy kitchen, then people will want to linger there as they find it a happy place to be.

Fact is that the longer the time spent in the kitchen, the more careful we are with how we prepare and cook the meals.

Commandment 2

Don’t make your kitchen an obstacle course

You want energy and flow in and around your modern kitchen, so make sure there are no obstacles. Kitchens usually have that square design with cupboards and sink and appliances making it a sharp room with angles that do not promote positive chi. Therefore, it’s not a good idea to create more obstacles by placing tables, island units, and block benches in the middle of the kitchen floor.

Commandment 3

Beware of Poison Arrows

Poison arrows are a bit like the furniture mentioned in the previous commandment. They are outward pointing angles of 90 degrees that hinder the flow of energy. Hide or disguise your poison arrows.

Commandment 4

Your Kitchen should not be seen from the front door

When you walk in the front door and you can see your kitchen, you are more than likely going to make a beeline for the fridge.

Ideally your kitchen should be well away from your front door.

Commandment 5

Don’t make your kitchen an obstacle course

Aim for a clutter free kitchen

When we talk about clutter, the whole house should be free of it, not just the kitchen. We mention the kitchen specifically because it has the greatest tendency to gather great amounts of clutter. Don’t think that clutter is rubbish – it isn’t. Clutter is just stuff you don’t need right now.

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Landscape Design and our Future

Landscape Design

Our time in the outdoors is always something we treasure. It’s a puzzle then as to why we devote so little time to better landscape design.

It’s interesting to work out what value we place on the great outdoors. If you ask people to talk about their visits to cities like Melbourne, Sydney, New York or Paris, and what they liked most about being there, most would answer that their best experiences involved the outdoors. Memories of a city visit or a trip into the wild have little in common apart from being outdoors.

Better Lifestyle

Studies by Landscape architects have shown that individuals live a healthier and happier life in areas where they can experience nature and the green urban spaces. Landscaping design of outdoor spaces is one of the cheapest you can do, and provides the highest return on investment. We’re talking about community life, health and wellness as well as the surrounding businesses. More people are making the move back into cities, and green public spaces and colourful streetscapes are attracting factors.

Indoors V Outdoors

In spite of this, we have the tendency to provide greater financial support to buildings and interior decorating than we do to outdoor spaces. Values are set as to how many dollars a square foot costs for buildings, but we don’t apply the same for the outdoors. Isn’t it time we made a strong business case for the landscaping design of outdoor spaces? How can it be done? The first step is to utilise the combined skills of talented landscape designers and architects who are the best able to design and create amazing outdoor areas.

Utilising Landscape Designers

If ever there was a time in history for landscape designers to speak up, then this is it. Landscape design is a profession that works on a holistic basis. They have the ability to interface and mesh the natural environment with the built environment. Give them an inch and they will take the mile in providing leadership for shaping spaces outdoors and also making the public aware of them.

There are virtually hundreds of talented and inspired landscape designers who can lend their vision and design to outdoor spaces.

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Why A Proper Business Card Design Is Still Important To Your Branding

Business Card

In these days of online marketing, you may be forgiven for thinking that having a properly designed business card is no longer an important part of your branding. Well you would be wrong. A business card may not have the high-tech appeal of a Facebook page or a YouTube channel but remember, not every business interaction or meeting takes place online.

As a business owner, it is highly likely that you will encounter potential business associates and customers in the world that exists offline. In these scenarios, if your business card is just a boring old piece of card, or worse if you haven’t even bothered to create a business card, you and your business are at a huge disadvantage to those businesses and business owners who have had the foresight to create a business card to use as one of their branding tools.

So now that you know you must have a business card to help brand your business, here are simple rules in terms of its design to ensure it does so effectively.

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Shade Sail Design For Your Business

Shade Sail Design for Business

When you have a business it is important for your customers to feel welcomed and to be comfortable when they are there.  In a hot climate, shade sails from Shade Sails Perth can be really helpful in keeping the building cooler and reducing the glare from those large shop windows so customers have an enjoyable shopping experience.

There are many advantages to adding a sail to the outside of your business premises.

  • They cut the glare from your display windows, especially good if they are facing west.
  • By throwing shade over display windows, the goods that are on display are protected from excessive heat and from fading; important for clothing displays, or anything else made from fabric that can fade in sunlight.
  • Shade cloth outside can make a pleasant place for customers to wait, or to sit and enjoy their coffee or cold drink if you have a coffee shop.
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Security Technologies Designed For Your New Home

security door design

According to the experts, the need for security technology is also increasing with the increasing crime rate. Installing protective doors, windows, fencing, and screens is a rational decision in such instances, especially when you are investing highly in a new home. If you live in areas where crimes occur every other day, install the needed security equipment and protect your home, family, and yourself from harmful incidents.

Security Doors

When the security question arises, people focus a lot on the doors, as they are one of the outlets from which the burglar can enter the house. This is why security doors play a significant role in reducing breaking and entering scenarios and guarding you against such harm. The security door’s material can range from wood and glass to steel and aluminium.

With different materials, there are also different styles of security doors. These comprise sliding security doors, bi-fold security door, hinged security doors and many more. Some doors come with triple lock systems, whereas others protect you from kick-breaking and shoulder-slamming entries. See-thru doors allow fresh air to enter your house without compromising on security.

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4 Ideas to Make Your Landscaping Pop

Landscaping Designs

Proper landscaping around your home enhances the street appeal, makes it more attractive and utilises all those small or narrow spaces that are otherwise never used.  By using your imagination and thinking outside the box you will be able to make every part of your garden and lawn look amazing and get the best use out of it all instead of only some of it. Even narrow or very shady parts at the side of the home can be renovated so that they look wonderful instead of like the town dump.

Here are 4 landscape ideas to make your Landscape Design pop.

  1. Add a water feature – there are many water features that do not take much effort or skill to install. Even a small backyard will rock with a water feature installed on the fence or wherever you want it. You can even have one on the back deck. Water features can be as simple as a half a wine keg filled with water, a plant and a fish. It can be a column topped with a glistening ball, a waterfall running into a pool, a statue with a spray of water coming from it or a set of three tipped up buckets that water drips out of. Simple or complicated, water in the garden will certainly make it pop.
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Garden Design

Garden Design

There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned garden mаkеоvеr, plants here, paths there, turf over the main area, оr a more creative landscaping job that garden landscapers just love to do. Well, that’s what they tell us and hope we believe. Garden landscapers are real outdoors-type blokes, tanned legs and arms that are always exposed to the sun, and they are a hardy breed of men who were probably seen more often hanging off scaffolding structures making suggestive remarks tо lаdіеѕ раѕѕіng іn the streets bеlоw. Well, they used to, but it’s politically incorrect to do that. As that famous singer pointed out, the tіmеѕ they are a-сhаngіng.

Landscaper’s Knowledge

A properly qualified garden landscaper needs to be a bit more than a person that builds a few garden beds and fills a few planters. It’s a competitive business and customers are looking for an expert who can transform their yards into something that will grace the front cover of Better Homes and Gardens. Fountains, ponds, and waterfalls are common enough requests from homeowners looking for a nice, peaceful place in which they can relax after work.

His Assistants

The garden landscaper is more like a technician now, a person who needs specific skills and certainly a lot more knowledge with regard to irrigation, garden lighting, pond and waterfall formation, water pumps and of course, the most suitable plants and lawn to put into your garden for the very best effects. The best landscapers are able to call on other trades as required such as electricians, horticulturists, fencing contractors and they need to know all about the garden machinery that is used to make your garden dream turn into reality.

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Home Design for the Smart Home

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Home design for the Smart Home starts right at the planning stage, however it can be installed after the home is built if necessary.  The main thing is to have the wiring in place so that all the latest technology can be installed as the home is built – or even added afterwards. Once the wiring is in place, adding components after the building stage is easy.

Having what is called a Smart Home is not only about entertainment and convenience; it is also about safety. For instance, you can have an alarm for the other end of your driveway that will alert you when any car or person enters the drive. This is good for those homes with long driveways that may not all be visible from the house. Your house alarm can be automatically de-activated as you drive in yourself and reactivated when you leave. The same goes for lights, heating and cooling which can all be automatically switched on or off as you enter and leave.

Smart Lighting and Sound

In fact, Electrician Perth Experts advise that lights can not only be turned on and off remotely, they can be dimmed for an evening or even change colour at the flick of a switch. LED lights can now integrate with this kind of technology.

Smart home design also encompasses things like being able to turn sound on and off and also adjust it and being able to monitor the baby visually and with audio from any room in the house. If you work from home, and are designing your home office, you can have a screen to monitor who is knocking on the door and speak to them without opening it. And of course, you can unlock the door remotely as well.

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7 Tips for Landscape Design

Landscape Design

Landscape design is all about making the best of your property, whether it is small or large, rectangular or an odd shape, sloping or flat. If you are working out what you want by yourself, the best idea is to take it slowly, especially if you’ve just moved in and are not sure about the prevailing wind direction, soil type or exactly what you want.Landscape DesignIf you rush the process it is highly likely that you will inadvertently make mistakes and some of them can be difficult or costly to fix later on. For instance, planting a tree in the wrong position; you’ll either have to cut it down or have it pulled out. Worse still, if you had concrete or tiles laid somewhere and then found it was not the best spot due to heat or wind.

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Why Full Gyms are a Great Design Idea for the Home

Full gymnasiums have been part of up-market home designs for a while now, but the trend has now spread to luxury yacht design as seen in the yacht Nirvana, designed by Sam Sorgiovanni. Having a gym on board is a great way to get some exercise to stay fit and shed the kilos from those luxury meals, given that the space is limited.

Of course, in a yacht of over 88 metres in length it may not be quite as limited as you first thought. And there are usually one or two swimming pools that can be used for exercise, but what if the weather is too cold for swimming? Head for the gym and get a great workout on all that fine equipment.

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5 Different Kinds of Outdoor Spaces

outdoor-spaces

An outdoor space is meant for the whole family to enjoy, giving them a chance to get out in the fresh air after being at work, or at school – or just inside – all day. When work starts early and finishes late you are likely to get mining syndrome; feel like you never see the sun or even the light of day. This is not good for you, but can easily be fixed by creating an outdoor space with comfortable outdoor furniture so you can enjoy being outside in the late evenings or at the weekend.

gazebo

If you come home from work and have to start getting the evening meal almost straight away, your time outside will be minimised. That is why an outdoor area should include a barbecue, a pizza oven or some other means of cooking along with some beautiful decking from Decking Sydney. You can then get everyone outside to enjoy what’s left of the day while dinner is cooking and you can keep an eye on it and the children as well.

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Great Landscape Design and Time for Leisure

Everyone loves to have some kind of landscaping for their property to enhance their own enjoyment and make the place attractive to others.  However, garden chores are often heavy and time consuming, and if you work all day you might prefer to keep your weekends for playing sport or just relaxing rather than weeding, mowing and doing all of those other  never-ending gardening chores. There are several ways you can have the best of both worlds; great landscaping and time for leisure as well. How?

Lower the Maintenance

First off, you need to plan your garden to be a low maintenance one. This means forget the annuals that are so showy and need to be planted, watered and weeded every season. Instead, find perennials or permanent shrubs and bushes that offer attractive flowers, seedpods, autumn foliage and bark so that your garden will have something of interest in it all year round. If you dearly love annuals, grow a few in pots that are quick and easy to replace. Garden Design Photo Courtesy of LandscapesWA

Low Maintenance Landscaping Ideas

Shape Rather Than Colour

Think in terms of shape and different shades of green to give the visual interest you need. Have plants with narrow, spiky leaves, fat round leaves, tiny oval leaves – and so on. Many plants have multi-coloured or variegated leaves and flowers and new leaf growth that is pink. Have tall and short, erect and weeping types of plants; deciduous and evergreen. Choose trees and shrubs that do not have large seedpods to drop over your lawn and look untidy. Read more: Deciduous and Evergreen Trees

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The Importance of Good Lighting in the Bedroom

Bedroom-Lighting

These days when space is often at a premium in the home, the bedroom can be used for more than just sleeping, so long as there is good lighting in there.  With the addition of a simple easy chair or sofa and a small side table, you can use it for doing craft, reading or just relaxing. It would also be a good place from which to make private phone calls.

So what kind of lighting do you need? It all depends on what you want to do and what is there already.  You may have plenty of natural lighting, but this won’t help in the night time when you want to read. At the very least you’ll need bedside lamps, but these may not cast enough light for doing fine work.  Here are some points to consider before you start changing the lighting.

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5 Different Gazebo Design Styles

Gazebo Design

A gazebo as opposed to an outdoor patio is a structure that stands apart from the house and is usually located somewhere in the garden to create a focal point. The idea of having a gazebo is that it gives you a place from which to enjoy the outdoors while still having some kind of comfort and shelter. Perhaps you want to recreate a holiday feel in your backyard similar to what you may have enjoyed at a luxury Bali villa or some other exotic location.

The roof is shelter from the hot sun and sudden shower, while the furniture inside – whether comfortable sofa or plain bench – offers a place to sit and rest for a while. It is up to you what kind of gazebo you have and what you have inside it.

Gazebo Design


Gazebo Design


Here are 5 different styles of gazebo you might like to choose from.

  • Octagonal or hexagonal. These are the two most popular shapes for gazebos, though they can be oval, square, rectangle or even round. The round one is not considered to be efficient in what you can fit into it for the size, however it may suit your purposes better than the others.
  • Another distinction between gazebos is what they are built from. You can choose almost any type of building material, with timber being one of the most common and popular. There is also powder coated aluminium, steel or even plastic. Metal gazebos are almost maintenance free which is why they are popular. Timber must be treated to prevent rot and warping, but it gives a timeless look in many different styles that is always popular.
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Kitchen Design – How to Make Your Kitchen More User Friendly

Kitchen Design

Not all kitchens are user friendly, especially those older ones that were designed before new innovations had been thought of. Today there are many ways that are very cost effective to ensure your kitchen is easy to use. If you are designing a home or plan to renovate the kitchen, it is easier still to add components that make working in the kitchen much more pleasant.

Counter space is an important part of kitchen design. If you don’t have enough space to prepare dishes you will always find the kitchen difficult to use. With a kitchen that is already built, additional counter space can be added in several ways.

  • Install an island or butcher’s block in the centre or side
  • Purchase a special tray designed to go over the sink
  • Add a fold out table at one end of the counters that are there
  • Find a spot to have a small table
  • Clear stuff off the space you already have to make the most of it

Appliances are often simply left on the counter top, taking up valuable space that could otherwise be used for food preparation.  Storing them in cupboards or adding a shelf above the counter for them will free up space on your counter.

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Limestone Products To Give An Ideal Design Touch

The dilemma facing most stylists, landscape architects, interior designers as well as interior decorators is what kind of finishing to suggest. This dilemma of old is solved with the current industry which in fact has diversified the incontestable limestone products in the perfect choice of material for luxury yet still covering affordability. Stone products can be seen in villas at www.luxury-villas-bali.net – on floors and especially used as stone wall cladding.

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Limestone finishing could be in a variety of products:

  • Limestone tiles.
  • Polished limestone surface finishing.
  • Honed limestone surface finishing.
  • Brushed limestone surface finish.
  • Antique surface finish.
  • Bush-hammered surface finish.

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Limestone tiles
Limestone tiles used as stone cladding are in a wide variety of shades to fit the customer’s specific taste. The wide variety of limestone tiles give you a sense of nature indoors. From the earthen shades of brown to lighter grey-white shades of shell, to cream-yellow shades which give a touch of yellow sand. All these to be enjoyed out of the limestone tile-finishing.

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Graphics and Visuals – Can they improve the attractiveness of your website

Go viral with a difference with engaging graphics and visuals! The success of sensory marketing is largely based on its visual appeal. A lengthy chunk of text, even if it is exceptionally well written, can bore the readers after a while. On the contrary, people tend to retain 50% more information when it is presented to them in the form of enticing graphics and visual cues.

We humans like to believe what we see and perhaps this is the primary factor that does wonders. More and more digital agencies are starting to realize that humans are likely to retain more information when it is presented to them in the form of interactive graphics and engaging visuals than in the form of simple boring text which just shows how much of an impact visuals and graphics can have on human mind.

Visual Storytelling – The Art of Communicating through Visual Cues

Because seeing is believing!

Telling the story of your brand is not an easy task for most businesses. Start ups in particular find it difficult to communicate effectively with their target market. Writing your ideas is one thing but demonstrating your brand to the world using creative graphics and visuals is an altogether different dimension.

So why go for tried and tested boring marketing tactics when you can offer your target audience with much more? Visuals and graphics therefore offer a great way of getting the customer a glimpse of what you’re offering to them to help them satisfy their needs, how they can avail your services and what makes you different from others.

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Home Elevator Design – 4 Different Types

home lift design

Have you even thought of installing an elevator in your home? Having a home lift will make life much more convenient and pleasant for you, with access to the top floors just a step away. It is not only the frail elderly that need a lift in their home. Stairs take a great deal of energy to use and are actually quite dangerous, especially if you are carrying goods – or the baby.

Lifts these days have undergone a transformation; they don’t all look like a square box in the wall and they are certainly not something the home handyman should attempt to install. In fact, you can even get an octagonal or tubular lift for your home, depending on your needs.

However the main difference in lifts is the way they work.

Cable Winding Drum

This is one of the most affordable home elevators to install; unfortunately, the ongoing costs are fairly high because cables eventually stretch and wear, so have to be replaced. This can happen every 2/3 years, so you may not save as much as you thought. Another downside is that it does not give a smooth ride. You may not mind feeling the tremors; many people don’t. However, if you are not expecting it, you may think something is wrong with the lift. It is also fairly noisy, which could be a problem. Read more here

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4 Great Design Ideas for the Modern Kitchen

Kitchen Design

There are many ways to change your utilitarian kitchen to one that is modern, distinct and a pleasure to spend time in. While an old trend was to eat out or buy fast food, these days’ people have become more conscious of their health and realise that good food cooked properly is not only tasty, but very healthy for us.

Children especially need healthy food if they are to grow up strong and healthy.  The old adage ‘you are what you eat’ still holds true and when you employ highly experienced cabinet makers for a modern kitchen, it will help you to prepare food that makes your family healthy and energetic.

Here are 4 great ideas you may be able to incorporate in your kitchen to make it more modern and easier to work in.

  • The butler’s kitchen – If you are designing your home or renovating the kitchen you may be able to incorporate this idea. Basically, it is to have a workspace for food preparation off the kitchen so all the messy part of cooking is not so noticeable. This space can also contain the washing machine and dryer, but it should major on counter space and storage. The main part of the kitchen will contain the stove, dishwasher and sink along with a breakfast bar and stools. It will lead into the dining area.
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5 Ways Your Home Design Can Save You Money

Most people are interested in ways to save money. If you are planning a new home, now is the time to start thinking along these lines as the design is an important factor in the costs of running the home.

If you intend to stay in your home for many years you really don’t want to choose design elements that are going to always be expensive. It is simpler than you may think to ensure you include cost-saving elements at the design stage, but many of the simpler ones can also be added after the home is built, so don’t feel dismayed if you are already in your home.

Here are 5 ways to save money with your home design.

  • Consider the climate. In a warm climate, large windows installed on opposite side of the home will enable cooling breezes to flow through. This means the air conditioner will not be needed so often. Find out which direction the prevailing breeze usually comes from and go from there. In cooler/cold climates, smaller windows may be better- or you could have double glazing. Larger windows on the sunny side of the home can often bring in natural warmth. They also increase natural light so you will not need to have lights on during the day.
  • Room placement. This is not always possible, but if you can have the living rooms on the sunny side of the home you will find life more pleasant and the need for heating/lighting reduced. Some floor plans can be reversed to facilitate this.
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3 Modern Trends for the Home Office Designs

Home Office

The upsurge of modern technology means that it is now possible for many more people than ever before to work from home. But to do so they need some kind of office space, thus the home office has evolved from a spot on the end of the table or sofa to a dedicated space. One major contribution to a change in home office space is the laptop or tablet.

Many people who work from home do not need to have a large computer desk with room for a tower. A sleek table where they can use their laptop is sufficient and looks much nicer. All that is needed in addition to the table and chair are a few shelves for storage. This can also be minimalist due to the ability of the laptop to store more information than ever before. In fact, cloud storage solutions are even better as they are safe from physical harm such as fires or vandals and available whenever you need them. So the home office continues to evolve, but what you actually need in your personal office space will depend on how much work you need to do on your computer.

People who sit for hours typing away on the computer may feel that a larger screen and keyboard is essential. Even a roll-out keyboard still leaves you looking at a smaller screen. A larger screen will save your eyes from strain and a full size keyboard may help prevent RSI and even shoulder and arm strain. People with wide shoulders find it difficult to force their hands to stay close together for long hours on the keyboard. They would benefit from a split keyboard so they can spread out a bit.

That said, the home office has evolved and is still evolving into a personal space that will suit your needs and workload. Here are three modern trends seen in the home office.

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Restaurant Interior Design Trends

Restaurant Interior Design

The word from interior designers who see a lot of different restaurant designs come and go over the years is that those dark – and somewhat morbid – colour schemes known as industrial chic are going out in favour of the light and bright. Who wants to sit in a dark cave to eat anyway? Here are 8 more hot trends in restaurant design that will delight and inspire you.

  • Let there be light. Lighting that does its job is more in favour these days. It is brighter while still giving an intimate feel to the setting.
  • Adding to the light and bright look are the pastel colours that have now gained favour for restaurant design and decor. These offer a light and airy feel that everyone enjoys.
  • Sustainability can be seen in every area of the latest interior designs for restaurant, from the use of natural materials for the furnishings, walls, ceilings and furniture. Marble, stone and timber elements are incorporated into decorative elements as well as the essentials such as floor and walls.
  • Handmade artisan tiles from the local area are now emerging from the amenities rooms to decorate splash backs on bars and perform new work as table and bench tops.
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How Colorbond Roofing can Enhance Your Home Design

If you are building a new home, you will be aware of the many choices you need to make regarding building materials and home design both inside and externally. One of the major considerations is the roof and roofing materials. There are several choices for roofing materials, from various types of tiles through to Colorbond roofing, which is made from steel and has the coloured finish baked on.

The actual design of the roof can make a great deal of difference to the look of the house, but sometimes you are limited by the capabilities of the material you build with. For instance, generally speaking tiles cannot be used on a flat roof – at least not without a lot of waterproofing underneath, because rainwater would run under the joins and leak into the ceiling cavity. This does not happen with steel sheeting.

Colorbond steel roofing can enhance your home design in several ways: –

  • Colorbond comes in 23 colours, most of which are suitable for the roof. There are light colours and darker colours that all reflect the natural environment of Australia. You will find a greater variety of colours in Colorbond than in any other kind of roofing material; creams, greys, greens, blues, ochre tones and even deep red and black.
  • The special way the colour is baked into the surface of the steel increases its insulation properties, giving you a home that is cool in the summer while still being warmer in the winter. While this aspect is not a visible home design enhancement, it certainly makes a difference to the comfort of the residents.
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Home Design – Where to put Your Home Office

House Design

When people first started working from home their home office was usually a spot on the end of the dining room table. Or if they had a laptop, maybe it was on the most comfy seat in the living room. However, the home office has now evolved to become a dedicated space more suited to the user’s needs.  Where you put your home office will depend a lot on your lifestyle and stage of life as well as on what you use the office for.

If you have children at home that need to be supervised, your home office will need to be somewhere in the home from whence you can see them and tend to their needs, rather than a room you can go into and shut the door. A corner of the family room would be a good place. Here you can set up your desk and have some kind of storage. You may also want a box of toys to distract the children with so you can get on with what you are doing.

If your children are at the stage where they can amuse themselves or are going to school, you can still have your home office in the corner of the living room as there will be no distractions through the day. However, if you have a spare room you might consider converting it to a real office space, especially if you need to use it a lot. You can have a space that is all your own and be sure that there will be no disturbances.

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How Can Great Pool Design Add to your Already Exceptional House?

Do you think a pool adds beauty to a house? Does it increase the market value of your property? Investing in a pool is good for leisure; however its preference varies from country to country depending on the weather condition and lots of different factors. Let’s find out how a pool can prove to be beneficial for your upscale house.

Market Value: Up or Down?

Although there is an ongoing debate regarding pools adding value to the house; in upscale areas, pools are considered to be a necessity. The National Association of Realtors has published a study which shows the rise in home market value from 8% to 15% after the installation of swimming pools. Regionally, the Southeastern side depicts a growth range from 5% to 10%; whereas the Southwest region increment is from 8% to 13%.

It is better to install pools on big properties in rich neighborhoods as this investment will pay back in the end when you will put your property up for sale, because the buyer will want luxury in everything.

People who live in a warmer climate benefit the most from the addition of pool. The size of the pool should also be according to your property. If your property is not of much worth, installing a pool won’t be a rational investment at the end of the day. So if your backyard is big enough, you can add a garden or play area to double the fun and value.

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Designing Your Move Interstate

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4 Difficulties You May Encounter When Moving Interstate

Moving interstate is somewhat different from moving across town and not only because of the extra distance, although that is certainly a factor.  The longer a truck is on the road, the more likely it is that misadventure will affect it in some way. There can be bad weather, heavy traffic, accidents and breakdowns that are all likely to cause delay in arriving at the destination. It is essential to take this into account when planning times and dates.

  1. Keep in contact

It is also essential to give your professional removalists several ways to contact you in case of emergencies or hold-ups.  Otherwise you could be waiting at your new house wondering when your furniture will ever arrive. Your mobile phone, phone numbers of friends or family who can contact you and even an email address will all be very helpful for the removalists to stay in contact for whatever reason. And don’t forget to keep that mobile phone charged up and on at all times until you and your furniture are all reunited in your new home.

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Pool Design – Are Robotic Pool Cleaners Environmentally Friendly?

Robotic-Pool-Cleaners

Installing a swimming pool in the backyard is an added responsibility even though it brings a great deal of pleasure. Cleaning the pool can take a lot of time and effort, unless you purchase one of the robotic pool cleaners that are available. A pool cleaner will take the burden of work off you, but are they environmentally friendly?

The answer is yes, and here’s why.

  • Pool cleaners have a very low voltage, so they don’t take up as much power as you might think, even if they are going for several hours. Some only cost 15 cents to clean the pool.
  • Using an automatic device to clean your pool on a regular basis will reduce the amount of chemicals needed to ensure the correct ph of the water. Less chemicals is always a good thing.
  • Cleaners remove algae, leaves, sticks and other debris that falls or blows into your pool, making the pool water cleaner and more fit for swimming in, so that is being eco friendly too.
  • Being electric, they don’t have any dirty emissions from the motor, so can’t pollute the air.
  • Some newer types of cleaners can be powered by the pool pump and are very quiet.

There are a lot of different cleaners on the market so it is important to do some research to ensure you get one that is suitable for the pool you have. Another consideration that many people forget about is the weight of the cleaner. You have to lift the cleaner in and out of the pool.

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Fence Design – How to Make Security Fencing Attractive

wood-secure-fence-design

Security fencing is often chosen by homeowners to ensure their homes are secure from harm and their lifestyle safe from intruders. It gives you peace of mind that no unpleasant things will happen and that your possessions are safe. However, if you have a nice property with attractive grounds the last thing you want is an ugly fence to spoil the look of it and to spoil your view, so what can you do? Choosing a fence design to suit the grounds and the home is a good start.

Choose the Style and Colour

While the options may be limited, there are still some. The main choice is between a chain link or mesh fence and one with steel posts and rails. The latter gives a higher level of security and can be powder-coated so there is some choice of colour. Choose the colour to blend with your grounds and landscaping. For instance, if there are a lot of trees with dark coloured trunks on your property, a dark brown fence would blend in with them well. If your grounds are more cleared with lots of lawn, green would be more suitable.

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Moving Your Design Firm

Many people try to save on costs when moving into a new home or office by asking friends to help them move, or by hiring a truck, or asking someone who owns one to help them out for a small reward such as a 6-pack. You may think these options could save you money in the short term, but they are likely to  cost more in the long run. How?

  • You cannot really trust anyone other than professional removalists like Removalists Perth to get it right. For starters, they are not likely to know how to pack your goods into their truck in a way that will stop them from moving. Scrapes and dents on your favourite pieces of furniture are likely and fragile treasures may get broken beyond repair.
  • A non-removalist will not have the right insurance, so if anything gets broken you will have to pay the cost of repair or replacement yourself. And what happens if they are involved in an accident enroute to your new home? Most of your furniture will end up broken and you will have to pay for that, too. You may also have to pay for medical costs or truck repairs.
  • If they are doing a freebie for you and suddenly a paying job shows up, they may ‘forget’ your deal and leave you without a truck at the last minute. It is almost impossible to hire a professional removalist at short notice, so your moving day and organisation will be thrown into disarray.
  • A friend won’t be able to supply the correct packing boxes or offer extra services such as wrapping, carpet cleaning and packing like most professional removalists do.
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Designing Cleaning Products

eco friendly carpet cleaning

For many years the only carpet cleaning products available were toxic chemicals. That was before people realised just how bad they were for the environment, not to mention the people who worked with them. It took longer for anyone to realise that such chemicals were also bad for those who used the room afterwards.

Unlike eco friendly carpet cleaning products, the fumes from chemical cleaners caused breathing problems, skin rashes and allergies. The ingredients in some chemicals are also known as carcinogenic, which means they are linked to causing cancer in some way. This in itself is a good reason to choose a professional carpet cleaner who uses environmentally friendly products to clean your carpet.

In the workplace it is important that staff can work in a room as soon as possible after it has been cleaned. If toxic fumes are rising from the cleaning products, their safety will be compromised and they will find it difficult to concentrate on their work. They could feel sick or even have problems breathing. Besides, no one wants to stay in a room that smells awful.

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Choosing A Theme For Your Bedroom Design

Bedroom Design

Whether you are deciding on the interior design of a new home or redesigning an existing one, the bedroom tends to be the room that gets pushed to the back of the queue. It is understandable given that the living room is the main room of the house and others like the bathroom and kitchen generally require a fair degree of remodelling.

Nevertheless, if you are in design mode remember that the bedroom is where you are likely to spend a third of your time when you are at home, so its design warrants some careful thought.

The first consideration is whether you share your bedroom with someone else such as a spouse or partner. If you do, then before you even so much as pick a pillowcase, you need to discuss the design with them. Now it could be they are happy to sit back and tell you that they’re willing to let you choose everything, and at first, this may seem a perfect scenario. However, you can bet your bottom dollar there will be something that you pick that they won’t approve of.

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