Design
Window Fail
I was out walking the other day and saw this unusually shaped window. So why do I think it’s a FAIL? As it occupies the full front of a dormer there is no way you can fit a curtain or…
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Flameproof Doesn’t Mean Bushfire Proof
A CSIRO report on the Victorian 2015 Wye River fires has revealed that there are some problems with the current regulation on Bushfire protection. Of the seven houses built since 2009 to comply with the regulations four were destroyed. (In the area of the…
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What Is The Focal Point?
What is the ‘Focal Point’ of your new living room going to be? This is something to think about when you are planning your new house as it will involve the layout and furniture of the room. Generally there are…
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Floor Loadings
One of the things with blogging about houses is you can’t stop looking at buildings. I was on holiday in Cairns a couple of weeks ago and looking out of my hotel saw this balcony. What a great idea to have…
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Is Low-E Glass Worth The Money?
What is Low-E Glass? It is a normal glass that has an extremely thin, transparent coating applied. (Single glazed low-E glass is peculiar to Australia) The coating reflects part of the ultraviolet, and infrared light, while allowing most of the visible light…
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Forever House, or For Now House?
One of the phrases I frequently hear is this is our “Forever House”, but how realistic is this? We have been married for 38 years. . . and the longest we have lived in any house is 10 years. (and…
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Window Lighting Levels
A recent question I received concerning my post on Window Size was “What size window will I need to receive reasonable light levels?” Well this photo shows the window in one of our bedrooms. This, South facing, window has an area of approximately…
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Bushfire Preparation – Protective Clothing
This is a singlet . . . . . it is not protective clothing! Yet every year (including this week, December 2015) I see on the news someone fighting a bushfire around their property wearing a singlet and shorts. If you…
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Butler’s Pantry? or Bigger Fridge?
One of the ‘Design Trends’ that I have seen over the last two or three years is the ‘Butlers Pantry’. But how many of us have a Butler? In my opinion its just another marketing idea to make you pay more…
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Are Waterfall Islands A Good Idea?
Looking around Display Homes I see a lot of island benches with waterfall ends. Although I would agree that they can look very great there are some downsides that it is worth thinking about. Less Flexibility Most of us use an island…
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