Green living walls

Bringing the outside in has been a feature of the Australian housing market for some time. We like to be surrounding by nature and our climate means that we can have big open spaces that face our open spaces like our gardens. However now I have noticed the trend to make living green walls part of the architecture of the home. Living green walls have become a feature that many home lovers are getting on board with.

What use to be confined to a commercial use in foyers and window dressings are now making their way into our homes.They’ve recently become some of the most striking and important eco-friendly features in buildings across the world.

When vertical gardens are used on the interiors of buildings, they can help improve air quality not only because plants naturally remove carbon dioxide and produce oxygen-rich air, but also because plants can filter the air around them by absorbing and cleaning pollutants. When they’re used inside, living green walls frequently act as a three-dimensional, living piece of artwork, providing an aesthetic component as well as a health element.

Where there isn’t the inclination to look after a living green wall some have opted for a mural or wallpaper which gives the illusion of a green space as a backdrop to a room.

My wife is a big advocate of garden and green spaces and so I am encouraged to think more about green spaces when designing homes, especially in tight spaces where a touch of green can really make the space come to life.

Changing spaces - the affect of COVID on living and working from home

With over 13 million of us in lockdown currently, we are really getting to know our homes well. We are also finding limitations around creating spaces to do work, places to home school and places just to get a space to peace. There is no doubt how we use our homes is changing and I look at some of the ways we can be creative in the short term and projects in the longer term. Just as the Spanish flu gave us the vanity room, which originated as a hand-washing basin immediately inside the front entrance of a home, COVID-19 will influence innovation in home design.

Open Plan - not working during COVID?

Where people choose to live and how they want their houses to function may change after this prolonged period of lockdown. It’s likely that for many families, this period has also highlighted that when they are all in the house at the same time, it can be hard to find any personal space.

Home office - makeshift corner

A popular trend in recent years has been for open plan living. Open-plan, ever-larger houses have ruled the market for decades, even though the family size has shrunk and middle-class real earnings have remained flat. This often involves opening up several ground floor rooms to create a single, open-plan, multi-functional space – usually a kitchen, dining, living, utility and workspace. These open-plan areas usually function on the premise that any homeworking parents can occupy this space during the day before the family comes together to socialise in it in the evening. 

This, however, relies on a “phased” pattern of occupation, whereby different members of the household occupy the home at different times of the day. This is very different from the “concurrent” pattern of occupation – whereby all members of the household occupy the home simultaneously – that lockdown has made more prevalent. Home-based jobs call for better home offices. A larger home-based workforce will drive designers to balance job requirements with the privacy and safety of the family.

Being able to supervise children while working may be beneficial for some. But for others, the lack of privacy afforded by these large, open plan spaces has no doubt presented challenges. Particularly when, for example, you might want a quiet corner in which to hold online calls. Self-isolating is also more difficult in such spaces, as is quarantining objects coming into the home.

Pandemic thinking will likely favour less-open spaces (though people will crave nature-positive spaces), perhaps reviving cosy dens to supplement living rooms. Spending may shift into less obvious enhancements of safety and comfort. Better interior insulation will enable quieter places.

Change in requirements
It is likely that changes in commuting or work habits could also prompt a fundamental shift in what people perceive as priority features in the home. 

People who regularly work from home use their heating far more to maintain a comfortable working environment. So an increase in the number of homeworkers could see a wider preoccupation with thermal comfort and the energy efficiency of their homes. Homeworking could now bring more considerations around:

• WorkSpace - More attention will be given to the arrangement of the workplace at home. The spatial organisation will change, with the place to work at home no longer a desk with a parody of an office chair and a lamp, slotted somewhere in the corner of the living room or under the stairs. Now it will be a completely separate room with large windows, blackout curtains. we’ll want our new home offices to be light-filled, engaging spaces, not dark, windowless dens

• Noise

• VIsual outlook - access to nature

• Air Quality - Split HVAC systems can prevent sickroom air from being pumped into everybody’s space. Such mini-HVAC systems with no ductwork have become very affordable. Water and air filtration systems are now table stakes for new builds.

• Natural Light - will continue to grow as a trend, as will maximising opportunities for light and air to penetrate spaces and the preference for natural materials and textures

• Places to study

• Entrance -. In the aftermath of the pandemic, the entrance area will be separated so that we can leave our shoes, clothing and belongings on the street, rather than carry dirt into the living quarters.

• Self Sufficiency - Growing own food. The goal will be independence from the outside world, minimising risks in the case of a full shutdown.

• House not flat - after forced self-isolation on different floors above the ground, often without a balcony or terrace, we will all desperately want to have a house. It can be small, but with a courtyard and a terrace where you can have coffee in the morning.

• Hugh MacKay thinks the demand for high-tech antimicrobial materials will be “very strong”. There are reports of increasing interest in using chemical agents in surface coatings and treatments to fight the spread of bacteria, fungi and viruses. And Hugh predicts we may also see a resurgence of copper and brass (copper has natural antibacterial properties) for taps and door handles.

• Locally supplied Materials - locally sourced products preferred to imported options, due to vulnerabilities in the supply chain.

• Multigenerational living -As a result, we will likely see the rise of granny flats or self-contained suites within the home, with bedrooms, living spaces and bathrooms to accommodate older children or elderly relatives.

  Many will be rethinking the kind of life they want to live post-pandemic, along with the role their homes could play in this. When buying a home, subconsciously, people will be seeing any new space, in the midst of the pandemic, we quickly imagine what it would be like to be trapped there for months.

  Values ​​will change, our lives and habits will change, and our homes will also change under that influence.
  
  

Fall in love with your home, all over again.

How many of you love your home V like it. Falling in love with where you live is so important. We spend so much time in our homes, especially with COVID, it is a place that is our work office, and sometimes classroom for our kids.

Sometimes it is time to do a refresh to make our homes feel anew and so we can fall in love with it all over again. It might be giving it a new lease of life with a coat of paint, renovating a section or planting a garden.

A new piece of furniture can often change the way you use a room. If you are like my wife, moving pieces of furniture around from time to time can give you a new outlook and appreciation of a view or create a different mood.

Experimenting with new linen, towels in the bathroom or pillows can change the room without the big cost of renovating. We use warmer colours in our bedroom in the winter and cooler in the summer. Do you change your decor to suit the season or your mood?

It’s Valentine’s Day today and many people will be buying flowers and chocolates for those people they love. Maybe another idea is to create a room you really love by changing something about it. Maybe it is rearranging the furniture, adding some colour, or maybe it is time to create that room your love rather than like with a renovation?

Australia By Design Series for great inspirational ideas for your home.

It is a great show with lots of ideas. Worth watching on You Tube or Channel 10 Catch up. Hope to have my next project featured in 2021.

Also the final Australia by Design Interiors. Well worth a watch.

What is your design style?

When designing a new home or renovation, the clients that I work with are forced for the first time to really narrow down their design preferences. I have developed this simple quiz that might just assist you to determine your style preferences when designing your dream home.

So what is your design style? Are you a Minimalist, Hoho, Hamptons, Farm-house, Scandi or other?

Take the quiz and find out.

Don't put your design dreams on hold. Seize the day!

If anything this pandemic has taught us is that the future is uncertain and we need to embrace life. Living in close quarters with other members of your family and spending more time at home now, this is the perfect time to revisit how you want to live. It is a great time to collect your design thoughts for your home revamp.

Is your dining table a makeshift office, classroom and craft room?

Here are 5 ideas to start your Design Dream of a Renovation Project.

1. Create a scrapbook/lookbook - these days collecting your ideas can be done on Pinterest, Houzz or another app. Having an area where you keep images you like can be a great starting place to refine what your style and design bent is.

By visualising your ideas you can start to see a new future

2. Decide on the amenity you need. As we face lockdowns and a new environment the home has taken on new functions. Deciding how you use your renovation space is an important step. While as an architect I can assist you with how the home functions and looks, you need to scope out what you really need. Understanding that is best done by creating a list of needs and rooms. This should take into account your family lifecycle and plan for the next 10-15 years. Will your kids still be living with you? Do you need to plan for the care of your parents? Are you likely to be working from home more in the future?

3. Get your original plans. Having your original plans from your local council is a great first step. It will assist you in knowing where the walls and boundaries of your property are and if there are any issues with the building envelope.

Ask your local council for your house plans

4. Inspiration is everywhere. Now is the time when we have more time at home to look for those little ideas that can change the way you live and make it easier. Looking on Instagram, Pinterest and housing magazines can create some new ideas and inspiration.

Know your style and aesthetic

5. Set a realistic time frame and budget

Most renovation timeframes are over a year. The permits and approvals can take 6 months depending on your council and plans. It is good to have a realistic timeframe so you can plan your life and key events around the renovation. Setting a budget is more difficult and you may need to scope your project first and then get a quantity surveyor to price it.

So as you can see there is a lot you can start to do to plan your renovation. Use your time wisely and start the process today.

How we are dealing with Corona virus and renovating

While Australia is well placed to fight the COVID virus it has changed the way we work and live.

The survey, of more of 2,200 Australian homeowners using Houzz, found that nearly two-thirds of homeowners (62 percent) – who were in the midst of a home renovation or design project when the coronavirus pandemic was declared on March 11, 2020 – were able to continue with their renovations. Only two percent cancelled their ongoing project. 

I have found that most clients are keen to continue with their plans and being at home more has created a sense of urgency.

Image source: unsplash ionut-vlad

As we have moved to working from home, the need for the balance between open plan and seperate working spaces is more important. While some families may have opted in the past for a fully open living, dining and kitchen area, now some are opting for that seperate study area as a priority.

Image source: Unsplash tran-mau-tri-tam

Others are wanting that space for their extended family with a kitchenette and seepage bed and lounge area so they can take care of their parents or even have a space to isolate.

Photo by Blackfish Homes Ltd. - Look for family room design inspiration

Whatever your priority, one thing for sure, COIVD has placed more importance as our home as a multifunctional space that can be a retreat and sanctuary but also a rear that we can be productive in for work.

How house design has changed due to COVID restrictions.

Since the Coronavirus the use of our homes has changed.

Searches for “small offices”, “garden offices” and “desks” went up significantly.

Here are some key trends that have been uncovered during this time.

1. Flexibly is the key - becoming crucial for homes to have multi-purpose rooms with dedicated workspaces or spaces that can easily and quickly be reconfigured depending on the time of day. We are spending more time at home so zones need to be functional and flexible so they can be used for relaxing working and or exercising

2. Automated and contactless - this trend was already on the rise before the COVID but this become more of a home design requirement. Electric blinds, smart tap, smart homes, virtual assistants like Alexa and Google Home as well as cleaning robots are all considerations now.

3. More than sustainable your home needs to be energy efficient and a healthy home. Health conscious materials are now a consideration for the build. From low VOC paints to antibacterial building materials are some examples of how this trend could manifest in the home.

4. The garage that can be the multipurpose room: that is now the granny flat, yoga room or sunroom. Flexibility in having a space that can be used for a extra space is worth gold.

How to make the most of the Corona Virus Lockdown to plan your reno.

We are all stuck inside for so much more time than we are use to. If you were planning to update your home with a renovation this is valuable time you can use. Here are 5 tasks you can start while you are in lock down.

1. Ask your council for your original plans. You need to have your original house plans so your architect can see what envelope we are working with. This will also confirm your land boundaries and any pits or council services that you can’t build on.

2. Start a crap book of ideas. These days you call them Mood boards but you can start one of these on Pinterest or Houzz. This gives you time to consolidate ideas about what you like and dislike. This will be very useful as you work through the design pallet and room functions.

3. Talk with your partner. We all have time together, but it is amazing how many couples haven’t totally agreed on the needs of a new renovation. Locking down those key elements takes discussion.

4. Contact your Architect. It takes time to build the plans for your renovation. You can use this 4-6months to get your plans done and finalise any permits through council. Most architects can still meet with you (all be it 1.5 metres apart) or can conduct zoom meetings online. Building 3D models allow you to walk through your project before it starts out on site.

5. Decide on a budget. The hardest step is often determining a realistic budget, but it is an important step. It helps define the design scope, finishes and sometimes timing of the renovation. By being transparent about your budget, your architect can work within that and provide a estimate of costs using an expert quantity surveyor.

So time is ticking. When you are bored at home, why not set up a Pinterest page and start collecting ideas. Ring your council for plans and book a time to talk with your architect to get started.

5 Tools To Make Interior Design Made Easy.

I guess we all have that special combination of ideas that make our houses feel like homes, however there is a difference between your design and having a guiding hand to assist you make the best design ideas shine.

These days there are many tools that you can use to create your ideal home. Let’s look at some of these.

1. Haveny.com - This website service while based in the US currently has some great ideas that you can leverage. Take their design style quiz to narrow down your concepts into design categories.

2. Floorplanner

Floorplanner lets you design and decorate your space in 2D and 3D, which can be done online and without having to download any software. While its interior decorating function is an excellent feature, the strength of this tool lies in its functionality as a floor planner. Then, once the floor plan is completed, you can switch view and decorate the space in 3D mode. You can Auto-furnish feature to furnish your plan with a few clicks or pick furniture items one-by-one from our library that has over 150.000 3D models to choose from.

3. Colour911 - iOs $4 app

Create and save color palettes for your next decorating project with the Color911 app. Color specialist Amy Wax has generated more than 80 downloadable color themes, but you can also create a palette based on a photograph taken on your device and organize favorite colors into folders, then share with friends or designers by email.

4. Pinterest is one of the best places to create mood boards. A collection of images on different rooms can start the story of your hew space and make it easier when you are dealing with other professionals to see your ideas. It is a great place to look for inspiration.

5. Morpholio Board - Moodboard

Awarded “Best App,” Board is the interior designer’s dream software. Called “Ideal” by Interior Design, “Addictive” by ELLE DÉCOR and “Stellar” by Design Milk, Board combines your perfect product library with powerful tools and the mobility to work or present anywhere.

Celebrities share their renovation stories with Houzz

If you are in the mode of renovating then you will have heard of the Houzz app. The latest from Houzz is they are sharing celebrities stories of where the celeb has used Houzz to collect ideas and find the right architect, builder or designer. It is a great idea to share these stories as it show cases their service and makes the content extra juicy.

Here are a couple below that I liked:

Mia surprises her parents with a refurb of their apartment

Kristen surprises her sister with a house reno.