Well this solar passive 7 STAR design is available for free.
Check out the yourhome.gov.au website to look at the various options for 2 and 3 bedroom versions..
Drawings plus specifications for each state can be downloaded from the website, a real bargain.
But only if you are shorter than 900mm.
For the full story check out www.weirdnj.com
Typically a standard builders shelf spacing is a 400mm vertical spacing between shelves in a pantry, linen press, or for clothes storage.
The top shelf will be around 1600mm from the floor.
The trouble is that you can’t find things at the back and things are piled too high for easy access.
To improve the situation I normally install half shelves.
These are typically 200mm from the supporting shelf and half the depth of the cupboard.
Doesn’t seem much but its surprising the difference it makes.
Don’t believe me just install one, and you will soon want more.
This horrible piece of workmanship is just round the corner from me!
How would it have been to:
Make sure you have planned for all your services before .he driveway is constructed.
Not got space for a swimming Pool?
Would you like a spa/hot tub?
I know when I go on holiday I quite enjoy getting in a hot spa at the end of the day.
Before you make the decision to buy it’s worth thinking about what it’s going to cost.
Besides the cost of the initial unit there is where its going to be located.
*Pools and spas can put future buyers off a property.
Typically the biggest cost is going to be heating. . . . Increasing the water temperature from 20ºC to 35ºC for a 1,000 litre spa would take around 17kw hrs of electricity costing around $5.(even using a heat pump its going to cost around $2) An insulated cover will help a little.
Other cost will include; running the spa pumps, running filter pumps, disinfection, and ongoing maintenance and repairs.
Additional water usage due to refilling the spa, and evaporation losses.
Even though I enjoy a spa, every time I have looked at the costs, I’ve decided against it. . . so it remains a holiday treat.
I hope it is nice inside. . . . because it has zero ‘kerb appeal’
A Guide to Framing Your Holiday Photos
Guest Post by Hubert Dwight
The holidays are a time of love, fun and creating memories to last a lifetime.
Displaying these memories can make our house feel like a home and remind us of these times and what better way to display your holiday memories than hanging them on the wall?
Though framing pictures can seem rather daunting, there are many ways to make it simpler and fun.
Placement
Placement is key when hanging photos.
You don’t want them to be hidden away in a dark corner, rather, you want them placed to compliment the room.
Try hanging the photo in a well-lit area without much clutter, as we don’t want to overpower the room, just accessories it whilst displaying happy memories.
You want to pick a frame that compliments the room and the photo, whether that is large or small, simple or ornate, etc.
Make sure the frame is the right size for each photo. For example, get an A3 frame for an A3 photo.
You have the choice of a ready made frame, or a custom picture frame.
There are so many options and choices to choose from, so just have fun!
The photograph itself is where you want the focus to be, not the frame.
If you do choose to go a more complex route with your frame, you can find subtle ways to complement the photo.
For example, you might choose a textured frame that works to complement (but not detract from) the work.
A textured frame can provide a room and the work with more personality without overwhelming and add can accentuate the feel and style of a room.
Depending on whether your pictures are in colour or black and white, there are different frames and choices for each.
Colour photos give you a lot more to work with in terms of frame design – you can keep it simple, or you choose to play up the colour scheme of your photos with a complementary framing colour scheme.
With black and white photos, however, you’re limited to a greyscale colour palette.
That is, generally speaking, black and white photos work well with either black, white or silver frames
Matboards are cardboard surrounds for your photographs that come in an array of colours and can be as slim or as wide as you choose.
Photos are usually full of detail, and a matboard can provide a visual “breathing space” between the photo and the frame, this helps the frame design look balanced.
They also provide protection from the glass.
In humid environments picture frame glass can experience condensation which can cause your photographs to stick to the glass permanently.
The holidays can sometimes mean a lot of photos and you have the choice of framing them all singularly or in a multi-window frame.
Whilst framing them all in a multi window frame is very convenient and perfect for larger rooms such as living rooms, they aren’t as moveable as singular window frames.
With so many creative options to choose from, you can really express yourself and display your holiday photos with style.
Framing these holidays memories should be fun and enjoyable but when in doubt, you can always ask professionals for help.
I was brought up in an English terraced house, and a significant source of heat in winter was the heat radiating from the wall against next door’s fireplace and chimney.
Even the cat knew which was a nice warm spot!
If you are planning to build a detached house with a fireplace don’t position it on an outside wall.
There is going to a lot of heat you have paid for that will be lost to the outside.
A hundred years ago, when all cooking was done on a wood stove, there was a good reason for the kitchen fireplace to be on an outside wall.
Cooking on a hot Australian summer day meant that you wanted to minimise the heat going into the home, so an outside wall could be a good choice.
These days with almost all of us cooking using electric, or gas, that reason no longer applies.
Check this link to see how I designed a house with a central fireplace: Bubble Diagrams
You had better like the way you look when walking up to this house! . . . it’s covered in mirrors.
It’s actually a temporary art installation in Fern Tree Gully, an outer Melbourne suburb.
To find out more click on this link:
It’s by no means unique, if you enter “mirror house” into ‘Google Images’ you will find several examples.
