When most people design of their project, one of the most fundamental steps is often overlooked: the Needs Analysis. This is one of the most important steps in planning, and yet most people haven’t even heard of it. A needs analysis is a process of discovery through questions and answers that seeks to fully ascertain the purpose of the room, and the different kind of people the room needs to work for. In “Bathrooms – Just Add Water”, Terence Conran [...]
There are lots of great reasons to renovate, but your ultimate success will be defined by how well you really understand what you are truly trying to achieve. You may start out thinking you want to change something for one reason, but later learn that the real problem is something else. Creating a statement of purpose is the first step in ensuring you have the correct definition of the problem(s). For example, you may say in your Statement of Purpose: [...]
Before any renovation can move into the construction phase, there has to be a plan in place – even if it’s all in your head. A plan needs two basic parts: a design for what you’re going to do, and a schedule of events that links the order of tasks in a way that makes sense. The schedule is dependent on the design. Planning a renovation or construction project, therefore, combines the skill sets of interior designers and project managers. [...]
From September 30th to October 2nd, Ottawa’s Landsdowne Park hosted the Ottawa Home and Design Show. I’ve lived in Ottawa for a long time, and had often seen Bank Street turned into a virtual parking lot by the traffic headed for one of these large trade shows. But I hadn’t really made the effort to attend. After all, these things were for people with serious amounts of cash and square footage numbers that resemble the GDP of small countries, not [...]
Many of us would love to work with an interior designer or decorator when improving our homes, but just can’t afford it. Others are concerned that they’ll be getting someone else’s look, not their own. There area variety of reasons to study and practice interior design and interior decorating. These factors play only a small part in why I’ve begun studying these areas. For me, it’s about a love of creating functional beauty, a love of learning, and excitement about [...]
In a small home or a small room, the challenge in using colour is to create a space that doesn’t make you feel like you’re living in a shoebox. With the rise of the downtown condo there has been more focus on small space living advice. I’ve noticed that a lot of the advice is consistent amongst designers, whether in books, in magazines or online. Here is a summary of what I’ve learned over the years, in one convenient package! [...]
In my own experimentation, I have seen that a simple adjustment in lighting can dramatically alter the look of a room. Simply changing light bulbs and seeing how the quality of the new light interacts with the flooring, paint, and furnishings of the space has taught me a lot. For a long time I’ve wanted to investigate lighting design, and have been searching for a book that would give me what I need to deepen my understanding. This book is [...]
Once of the challenges with exploring the available lighting products in the market is getting mesmerized by items that could be considered novelty lighting, but also have practical information value. Using LED lights within faucets to is something that is very tempting to me. I don’t know if I will actually use this in my future bathroom renovation, but it’s fun to think about. There are lots of videos out there that showcase tons of products. The charm of the [...]