What to do with louvered doors

 I have a love hate relationship with louvered doors.   I like the free flow of air into closets,  but I dislike all the vertical lines and fussiness.   Many houses built in the eighties sport this type of door.  We have removed some of ours and replaced them with a contemporary looking slab door more in keeping with the streamlined look I like, and we decided to update others.  


And here's the last remaining set we have just waiting for a facelift.....

How to update louvered doors

Designing Home: Updated louvered doors 

All you need is 1/8 inch MDF or plywood  (some doors may have enough room for 1/4 in. ) and construction adhesive, (PL Premium is my favourite). 

 Lay the doors on a table or bench and measure the size of each panel area.  Cut the wood  to cover each  louvered panel section,  add a dot of adhesive every third slat next to the border and press the wood panel in place.  It should fit snugly, if not you can always caulk any seams before painting.

Use clamps or add something heavy to hold each panel in place and let it dry overnight.  Add new handles of your choice.

Reusing louvered doors for new projects 

When you remove the doors in favour of new ones you are left with two perfectly good doors that need a new life.  

Designing Home: Louvered bathroom cabinet

Here's the cabinet my husband made for our summer house  from the top half of two closet doors.  It nestles nicely into a small alcove in the main bath and holds things you don't want on display. It also gives you a great surface for changing vignettes.  We decided against hardware because you can easily open by using a louver as a pull.  It also gives it a more contemporary feel. And now what to make from the bottoms???

There are so many creative ideas for louvers on Pinterest.  I admit that many of them have a very country or beach feel to them,  but if you crave a more contemporary look there are ways to achieve it.

These are my top three faves:

Headboard 

source

Painting the louvers  black  the headboard  a very contemporary feel that I quite like.

This treatment is much more country, but could be updated  if they were painted charcoal and the bedding was adjusted accordingly.


Sofa table 

The straight lines of this table make it suitable for any decor. Colour and what you put on it can automatically update the look.


Standing Shelves 

Jessica Monroe

If you wanted this to have a more contemporary feel you could paint shelves and sides the same colour and add plain crown to the top and bottom.

So many creative uses for louvers.  I love to see materials getting a new life!

Blending Exterior with 8 Mind Blowing Designing Thoughts

                      

We all wish for a home that stands out among the rest, but we also want it to merge in with the surrounding buildings and the environment, fully well.  Exterior design is a bit complicated where the materials, line, and shapes of structural constructions have to be carefully chosen. Some key points have to be followed to make better decisions in designing the right exterior.

While everybody wants an amazing home that sticks out among the rest we desire a home that blends using its surroundings and neighbourhood.

Creating the outside of a house could be a complicated procedure for colour options, materials, balancing shape and contours.

Do you question why is a home exterior aesthetically appealing? Why are there certain homes on the street that make you stop in your tracks and gawk in awe of its beauty It's most likely that individuals jaw-shedding houses have adopted some key design concepts.  Yes, every design, exterior or interior, must follow some simple “rules” of design in order to make the home visually appealing.

1.  Symmetrical Balanced Shape

Symmetrical balance is used to convey a sense of formality, order, rationality, and permanence. Like in most kinds of design, balance and symmetry play a huge role in achieving a properly-designed space. The facade of each and every home needs some impression of balance and symmetry so that it would appear pleasing and correctly designed. A well balanced symmetry is a sign of well balanced effort in order to make a perfect shape. Symmetry hence ought to be taken seriously. 

2. Exterior Influences Interior 

What's the purpose of your house? What are you planning to apply your home for? Consider all of your family’s needs after which determine what is needed in your house to be able to accommodate individuals’ needs.

The outside of your house will mimic the type of the inside designs you have selected. You may be a painter who chose large home windows since you need natural lighting to paint/create. You may need a grand suite within the garage, so the outside of the house includes a dormer to be able to result in the window for the reason that room look balanced. Remember that your interior planning affects the outside one, too.

3. Materials & Textures for House

With all the different options, it's very hard to determine what materials we are going to use for house exterior. Between cedar plank shingles, vinyl siding, aluminium, brick, wood, stucco, steel, how will we choose?

It is advisable to balance sturdiness with appearance. Obviously, you would like the outside of your house to mirror your individual style. You might want tumbled stone and cedar plank shingles.

4. Colour Combinations For Exterior

How can you decide what's the right colour for your house exterior? Would you go bold or fundamental? As with all designing, colour option is vital. It may hide defects or when done poorly, highlight defects.

Effective and safe method of colour positioning would be to choose two tints or shades in the same colour strip. Either the lighter or even the more dark shade might be used for your system and also the opposite for that trim. Another contrasting accent colour could punctuate the doorway.

Colour can play an important role for your home exterior. Paint your front porch a bright fresh white to draw the eyes to the cosy entrance, or make your too-tall home look shorter with a dark colour on top and a lighter colour on bottom. The ways that colour can trick the eye and play up the positive are endless!

5. Right Roof Selection

A sturdy roof is imperative. Selecting a roof covering for your house is more than just determining upon colour and appearance.

You will find a lot of building options, with different costs.  Material like slate and tile may appear ideal but don't forget that they're very heavy, so make sure your house can transport the burden.  Asphalt shingles appear to become at their peak because of their less expensive and simple installation. Remarkably, wood is another viable choice with similar existence expectancy as asphalt shingles. Slate and metal are pricey and high options, but might work with some designs.

While you will find numerous options, they don't all work within budgets and residential design. Always consider cost, sturdiness, weight, and just what suits your houses style best.

6. Elegant Entryway

The first thing someone looks at is the entryway when they see your house. Make the doorway brighter and Flashy so that your house gets a bold feel which exudes a warm welcome to the people who enter.  Add storage solutions, coat hangers, and boxes for house keys to make the entryway more productive. Entryway should be elegant, catchy and wonderful which ultimately shows the true gesture of welcoming. 

7. Effective Landscaping

It is very much essential as it gives you a natural feel. It is hard to know what plants to use for landscape. Ask a Greenhouse staff and find out what works best for your house. Remember, patience should be there when it comes to landscaping. So, wait for some time to get the green grass growing. Landscaping not only beautifies the whole arena but also gives a classy look to it. Hence, adding a proper Landscape is a must. 

8. Home Should Be Lighten Up

Home fade into the darkness is a strict No! Proper lighting is necessary for home safety and night time appeal. Apart from the obvious light fixtures that overlap your doorways and garage doors, there are other lights that should be placed around your home.

Lights that mimic your homes style should be chosen. Traditional homes look great with lantern-style chandeliers hanging.  Angular steel lights add appeal to the entryway of modern homes. The picture below shows a well-lit home; there are lights that lead to the entry, roof lines and are flanking the garden as well.

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Naturally Luxurious - Kapil Aggarwal of Spaces Architects creates a home in New Delhi for the Sobtis family.

Kapil Aggarwal of Spaces Architects creates a home in New Delhi for the Sobtis family, comprising rooms for three generations where they live harmoniously together and nurture each other. 

There are any number of situations that impact the linkage between a designer and client; and it is safe to assume that the quality of this linkage has an impact on the final outcome of the project. Sometimes it happens that the homeowners are not too sure about the kind of house they would like. But while they may not have crystallised their design vocabulary, what they do have is a broad agreement with the kind of look created by a specific architect/designer and they are happy to put their faith in her/him. Something like this seems to have happened between the Sobtis and Kapil Aggarwal of Spaces Architects. 

The Sobtis had a shell of a home on two floors of a builder flat in New Delhi and these had to be connected internally to create a home for three generations. Kapil Aggarwal, who has done plenty of such modeling of given spaces, set about the job by pitching the entire layout around the fact that the family is a lot into meditation. The lady is a medical practitioner while the gentleman is a businessman. Their two children, a son and a daughter, and their parents have their age specific requirements and these had to be respected, says Kapil. One of the advantages that the site had was that it was open on three sides. Capitalising on the abundance of natural light, Kapil’s layout ensured that ample light would flow into the interiors.

 The formal living room has a glass wall, which feeds this light into the rest of the house. Supplementing it, is the large glass window of the dining area. The ‘heart’ of the house consists of a special platform created for meditation. Demarcated by solid timber pillars, the platform becomes a distinctive area, and a water body close to it heightens the feeling of peace. The primary function of the public areas is to keep the three generations connected with adequate and appropriate facilities. Hence a lounge close to the dining area allows everyone to communicate, while obviating the need for them to be eating together at the same time to communicate. One could just be in the lounge relaxing while the children are dining and so on.

 The kitchen has been kept open on three sides while the cooking counter remains at a discreet distance from the dining table. From the living room end its smart SS chimneys and white fixtures with SS trimmings look extremely stylish. There is a splash of colour in warm and cool tones on the back splash, but it is the graphic floor tiles in shades of grey that tie it all up. On the lower level are the living, dining, meditation areas beside the kitchen, the parents’ and the son’s bedroom. A timber and glass staircase connects the two levels and the double-height volume gets a touch of lightness through a set of interesting lights, which also form a part of the formal living area. The landing of the stairs is embellished with another set of wall fixtures, which in some ways echo the design theme of the lights from the ceiling. Clear glass with minimal fittings makes for a very clean look, keeping the general flow of light uninterrupted. 

All along the stairs and also at the mezzanine, it is but strips of timber that break the line of vision. All the rooms have been treated with a subtle colour palette on the walls keeping the décor light. A play with textures on stone and 3D MDF panels on the headboard walls keep the rooms from becoming staid and dull. Naturally appearing grains and veins in materials, be they wood or stone are the mainstay of design here, punctuated by clear glass and the house is painted lavishly with natural light. The upper floor has a lobby, which connects the three bedrooms.

The master bedroom and the daughter’s room are located in the front and the guest bedroom at the rear. A bright lounge is the meeting point here. With double-height fixed glass windows going right up to the ceiling, there isn’t a dark corner here. The well of the house is luxuriously endowed and smartly embellished with a judicious mix of art and artefacts. Each room has a little touch that distinguishes it from the others. The daughter’s bedroom has a little feminine touch in the form of flower stencils and colours, the master bedroom has a sober 3D headboard while the son’s room has a masculine flair.

 The double-height connecting the two floors is interestingly lit with multiple coloured lights hung from the ceiling, creating a composition and also complementing the colourful painting. The daughter’s room has abstract wall paneling at the rear with an interesting laser-cut panel on the ceiling. The master bedroom has a 3D panelled wall at the rear, the space enhanced by the natural light filtering through the front glazing, highlighting the grey and blue tones used in the room. Thus without getting boring or predictable yet with a control on colour tones, Kapil and his team have infused life and character into this 4,500 sq ft city home. 

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Designing an inviting home

Have you ever gone into someone's home  and it was so perfect in every way that you were almost afraid to sit down or move?

When everything looks new, co-ordinated and just so, you end up with an unwelcoming and often boring home.   Such spaces can make visitors feel confined and uncomfortable.  Nothing invites you in because when  everything is  perfectly matched objects become a blur.

 Is there a middle road?

What makes an interesting  and inviting space? Do you need a large budget to have a great home?

Fortunately you can have a very interesting space on a modest budget.  It just takes a little ingenuity.  As with most things in home decor what someone finds interesting  or inviting is dependent on their likes and dislikes;  I can only write about what I find interesting in a space.  Here are some of the characteristics I think   create interesting spaces.

It has a collected feel

That simply means that the home has objects that have been acquired over time and in different ways.   It could be objects collected from travels, antiques, personal items,  family heirlooms, original art etc.  The space does not look like you went out to several stores on one day and outfitted the place. It definitely does not look like a model home!

source 

The rooms are arranged for conversation

Nothing is as bad as going to someone's home and not feeling like you are meant to be there.  You can have that feeling for many reasons, but  it often boils down to not feeling part of the conversation or not having a comfortable place to sit or lay down a beverage.

I would love to spend an evening here chatting with friends.

 

There's a mix of old and new

Pristine is not that interesting.  Often when everything is new you don't appreciate any of it.  You need a yardstick against which you can appreciate the newness, and that means having some things that are older.  Another great thing about  old pieces is the sense of history and intrigue they create.  Visitors are left wondering why the pieces are so important that you've decided to keep them.  If you like very contemporary or modern decor, there is still a place to add interesting objects with a history.

Briggs and Solomon 

There's a mix of hand crafted and manufactured products 

In our world of mass production, it is so easy to forget the importance of the marks left by the hands of an artist and the presence of ideas in objects.  Having  art, fine craft and the hand made is like having a whole pile of interesting people over at one time.  There is a merging of ideas and various takes on the natural and man made world. Then there's the one of a kind aspect.

Designing Home/Margaret Ryall

Everything in this space is hand made by various artists.   Even the plant was grown locally.

The natural world is referenced  

Designing Home/Margaret Ryall

This unique vessel titled Barnacle by Anita Singh plays nicely with the glass bowl of sea urchins and wild ferns.  The nautilus design on the pillow supports the overall outdoorsy theme in this casual summer house.  The table in the photo above can be seen in the background. 

 Accessories are moved/changed 

Designing Home/Margaret Ryall

Another week and a different  wild flower arrangement  and vessel by Anita Singh on the little  hand painted table.  The objects and flowers add colour, texture and variety in forms to the vignette.  A painting by a local artist peeks out behind the chair, something new to be discovered.  Candles are always inviting. 

Thought has been given to space planning 

The room is arranged as well as it can be given the space available.  The layout is conducive to flow through the space.  There is an obvious visual flow as well as  defined traffic lanes.  There's variety in heights of objects and  textures. Even a monochromatic colour scheme needs contrast.

 Designing Home

There are surprises to be discovered

I love a bit of the unexpected.   There are all kinds of ways to achieve this.  It could be a colour that you might not think about pairing with your colour scheme.  It could be an a family heirloom, some of your child's artwork scanned and made into a book, a vase you made in high school art, the work of a friend,  a display of framed post cards from trips you've taken arranged in a grid, a piece of furniture in a place where you wouldn't expect to see it, etc.  The sky is the limit.

How pleasant these doilies look backed with blue and enclosed with white frames .  Such a great way to display family heirlooms.

source 

 I am intrigued by the chain hanging from the candlestick.  Does it have significance to the homeowner? Did a visitor drop it and it's placed here to keep it safe?  Did the homeowner change her mind just before going out?

source 

 Each piece has its own compartment that acts like a mini frame.  Together there is coherency in the pieces and it is very pleasing to the eye.  My favourite is the white doll.  Where did that come from?

source

And why not end with glowing forsythia, bold in scale and vivid in colour? The arrangement look so great in front of a simple, repetitive composition of fish. 

What tricks do you use to create an inviting home?

Ancient building technique may help future designs to be more eco-friendly

Every child learns early on that moist sand is the key to building a sturdy sandcastle. Now researchers at Durham University have studied this principle so it can be better applied to an ancient eco-friendly building technique of using rammed earth.

Rammed earth is a manufactured building material made up of sand, gravel and clay, which are moistened and compacted between two forms – or molds – where the mixture is allowed to set as a wall.

It was developed in ancient China about 2,000 BC, but it has been enjoying a resurgence in popularity as a sustainable building method in recent years, as it reduces the need for lumber and the forms holding the rammed earth in place can be reused.

The researchers, led by experts at Durham's School of Engineering found that the strength of rammed earth was heavily dependent on its water content. They also found that rammed earth walls, in a suitable climate, dried without losing all their water. The small amount of water that remained provided considerable strength over time.

The team believes that further study will help reduce the reliance on cement in building materials, which is responsible for 5 percent of man-made carbon output, and in doing so, cut carbon emissions. The environmental impact of rammed earth is further minimized since rammed earth materials are commonly sourced locally, which means it doesn't need to be transported long distances.

According to the researchers, their work may help the future design of buildings using rammed earth, and as the link between strength and water content becomes clearer, conserve ancient rammed earth buildings by putting methods in place to protect them against too much water entering a structure, which weakens rather than strengthens it.

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