Lockdown Over – Time to Lock Into Your Home Renovation Plans

With extra time spent at home in the past two months – tidying the garage, playing with the kids and turning a hand to bread making (FYI did you know bread maker sales have increased 1184% between March – April). And with all that time spent at home, you might have also thought more intently about future reno plans. And that’s a good thing! Why? Because it’s good to give all renovation dreams serious thought before you go jumping into them down the track. Mulling over, jotting down and coming to grips with all the ins, outs and whys of alterations in your pad, ensures that money’s well spent and time invested when push comes to shove.
We know that everyone will have different reasons for wanting to bust through walls and expand spaces – or shrink rooms.

Here’re just a few points that might sway you towards changing up your space . . .
– Nothing flows together – i.e. the kitchen’s jammed next to the main bedroom, which is down the other end of house, miles away from the lounge, which is facing the road instead of north towards the backyard, which means the front deck never gets used.
– It’s locked up – i.e. the kitchen, dining and lounge are all packed into a space which are hidden away from each other with wall, after wall – which means you run a rabbit warren just getting from couch to kitchen sink.
– Old bones playing up – i.e. remedial works might be needed if you’ve sprouted a roof leak, the cladding’s coming away or joinery needs replacing.
When it comes to getting the most out of any reno – big, small or in between – speak up, ask questions and don’t be afraid to keep talking.

The right architect will have a listening ear, great communication pathways and expertise to ensure a job well-done from beginning to end.

Blender Bender – Stir don’t shake your architectural styles . . .

Oriental Warehouse LoftArchitect: Edmonds + LeeLocation: San Francisco, California

What we want in our 20s isn’t always going to fare well in our 30s, 40s – and beyond – it’s just life. Same, goes with architectural design, those white walls and spiral staircase options or New York loft-style apartment living visions, may fade out as family come to the fore. Which is why knowing how to blend your architectural styles from one life stage – or taste change – to the next is paramount for a job well done and home enjoyed.

So, before you go transforming your 1940s villa into an industrial estate, sit down with pen, paper and conscious thought.

  • Building new? Enter the 80/20 rule – think of it as a style casting – two different aesthetics shouldn’t have equal representation – you don’t want to end up with a 50/50 split personality look. So, for example, if you’re going for the modern country and industrial aesthetic. Preference either 80% modern country and 20% industrial – or vice versa. This makes for a logical following – especially when choosing big ticket items like your window types, cladding materials, roof pitch – you opt for the 80% design influence. And when it comes to your secondary options, like your fixtures, hardware and trims, this is where you call on your 20% design preference. Voila!

  • If you’re updating / renovating your existing home, aim to respect the integrity of the bones of the house and only initiate ‘big moves’ if you think you can pull it off i.e. busting down walls to create greater open spaces. Get the design to work – but don’t force it i.e. a new large glass sliding door can work to create an industrial feel in a rustic barn.

  • Simplify the design elements you like of each aesthetic – and then incorporate. For example, rectangular roof and gable ends (geometric style), combined with large exterior windows (modern edge).
  • Find your common thread – you’ll be surprised at just how many design aesthetics share similar styles. i.e. Rustic and industrial styles both embrace natural materials, earthy colours, handcrafted textures. Once you have your thread, work on weaving that ‘connection’ through your architectural design i.e. in the case of hybrid between rustic and industrial they could meet at ‘parred back, organic environment’.

It’s okay to dare to be different but ensure your home style blending is stirred not shaken, reach out to us for a no obligation chinwag.