Nice Home Live

Architects have lots of things on their hands whenever they do some projects. They specially need rock-solid contracts to protect their interest in design and construction projects. But in reality, they do not have the time to write their own contracts and manage all the endless legal reviews involved in their projects.

The solution lies on AIA Contract Documents which was developed by the American Institute of Architects (AIA). This has been the standard for all home construction and inspection forms. It was designed to accurately reflect industry practices and to fairly represent all the interests of all the parties involved in the construction design project. Read the rest of this entry »

An efficient kitchen is basically one where it is easy to move around and when you cook a meal everything is within easy reach, and you don’t find yourself having to walk from one end of the kitchen constantly to get things done.  You should be able to manoeuvre from your Westinghouse fridge to the bench and to your stove in a few steps.  Always be careful when cooking as many house fires start in the kitchen.  Always make sure your home insurance is up to date.

Photo: yvestown

The basic triangle
You should have your kitchen designed so that it is in a basic triangle.  This means that you should have the fridge, the stove and the main bench area all situated at one of the points of a triangle, so you can simply turn around and take a step or two and everything is easily at hand when you get your food, prepare the meal and cook it. Read the rest of this entry »

So, what do you think this article might be about then? Hmmm… difficult one… well, not really! Proportion is one of those interior design essentials which many people assess instinctively rather than applying any science, let alone a ruler. The relationship between the size of a space and the things in it is a key factor which will determine the look and feel of any room, regardless of anything else you do with colours or textures and so on.

Photo: These Days Blog

We are all able to identify the basics: sparse furnishings create a minimalist look, overstuffed furniture a cosy feel and so on but what about the more subtle spacial relationships. For example, if you are purchasing new bedroom furniture to revamp you bedroom you may want a particular piece to become the focal point. To do this, you need to make a bold statement and make sure that the rest of the pieces in the room don’t ‘fight’ visually. A huge and ornate four poster bed will look fantastically dramatic in a large bedroom, but needs to be surrounded by plainer furniture to really present it to the greatest effect. In a smaller room you may decide to feature a large, elaborate mirror which will change the proportions of the room through reflections alone. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’ve recently started work on a ‘do-er up-er’ you are probably feeling like the renovation work will never be over. There is always a lot to be done, and more often than not additional jobs surface once you get started that are impossible to anticipate – areas of rot for example or perhaps unsafe wiring. It can all get very frustrating.

Photo: j l t

The most important thing to remember is to get the work done in a sensible order. There is no point decorating the hall, landing and stairs with delicate wallpaper and then moving all your heavy furniture into the upstairs rooms – damage would be inevitable. Similarly, the jobs which create the most dust and mess should also be tackled ahead of fitting carpets and soft furnishings. Read the rest of this entry »