Colour is a powerful emotional engine. It can uplift us when we’re feeling down, it can soothe and relax, it can inflame passions, and it can chase us out of a room entirely. Depending on who we are and our emotional backgrounds, different people react to colours differently. A colour that can energize one person will make another feel agitated; what relaxes one person might bore another. We are looking to colour to help balance things out for us, it [...]
One of the problems we were trying to solve as part of this project was a ridiculously wavy ceiling. We had removed all of the ceiling drywall, installed the wiring for the lights, but now we had some levelling to do. Justin knew that the cause of the ripples was that the floor joists were not level with each other. Some were slightly higher, some lower, so that when the drywall was fastened to them the ripples were produced. There [...]
Designing a lighting scheme can be a delightful challenge, but every dream requires solid planning if it is to become a reality. Any light needs a power source, and that means connecting it to the electrical system of your house. How much power will each light draw? How many lights can you have without violating electrical code? How will the wires connect lights to switches, and the switches to the circuit panel? A wiring plan is a complex thing. Before [...]
Many homeowners are terrified of opening walls and ceilings, and I can definitely sympathize. The old cliché “you always find problems when you open things up” turned out to be very true in our case. In the end, however, I am glad we took the drywall off the ceiling, because the problem we found could have worsened over the years. “Well, at least we know what was causing that bump in the ceiling,” Justin noted after the dust has settled [...]
If you have a “dead” space in your house that’s more often used for dumping things than for activities, that’s a sure sign that you need to do some design work to make the space more useful. My partner Justin and I have been working on our living room ceiling for over a year, and now that we can see the finish line, it’s time to start telling the story of our biggest renovation adventure. The problem was that the [...]
Like many people I have a kitchen that is much smaller than I would like, and there is very little available counter space. I have always tried to increase the feeling of space by not storing too many things on the counter, with some success. But one major contributor to countertop mess that I have not been able to vanquish was the need to store dishwashing tools and sponges on the counters. These are tools that need to be kept [...]
DIY renovations are a financial necessity for many of us, especially in this tough economic climate. Doing your own repairs and home improvements not only saves money but also adds to the value of a home. I have come to realize, however, that there are many ways in which DIY can make you a better person. Here’s how: Increased Strength and Stamina While it would be ridiculous to claim that renovations work is kind to the body, it does bestow [...]
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. [...]