I am sure you have seen many different photographs of these houses if you have seen any publicity about San Francisco.
They are known as the Painted Ladies. . . but why are they always photographed?
I think the houses in the next block in the same street are more interesting.
Well the reason relates to the way our brain reacts to what it sees.
Experts say that the brain likes to see patterns so we find the repeated pattern of the Painted Ladies pleasing.
The more interesting different houses along the street are a bit more jarring.
So what does this mean for your new house?
Well I am not suggesting that you build an identical house to next door, . . but you could think about making sure your house does have some recurring pattern.
For example:
Aim to have the windows the same size and shape rather than a mix of sizes and shapes.
Use a similar colour and style for the house and garage doors.
Avoid too many different materials across the front facade.
I am spending some of my time, while I am travelling in the USA, looking at Architecture.One of my favourite architects is Frank Lloyd Wright (FLW) and this is me in front of the Martin House in Buffalo.
I often talk about timeless design rather than following the latest fashion and this house is a great example.
It looks as though it could have been built last year although it is over 100 years old!
This is the Robie House in Chicago, which FLW considered the best example of his ‘Praire House’ style.
Below is just one of many FLW houses in Oak Park a Chicago suburb where Frank Lloyd Wright also lived.
If you happen to live in Western Australia, you get to experience more sunshine hours than almost anywhere in the world,
With the outdoor lifestyle firmly embedded into the culture, you really should spend some time thinking about your outside area.
With a little creativity and a suitable budget, you could transform the most important area of the home, and make it a special area for you, your family, and your friends to enjoy.
A Comprehensive Solution
There are online companies that are dedicated to transforming outdoor areas, and for those who live in Western Australia, Perth Better Homes provide patios in Perth, and their in-house design team will help you to explore the possibilities, and whatever the outcome, they have the resources and the know how to make it happen.
They are experts at designing and creating unique outdoor areas that blend in perfectly with the home, and they can work to the client’s budget, which is ideal.
This type of company would be able to arrange landscaping, awnings, lighting and garden furniture, and if you wanted to start from scratch, they would have the resources to complete the project.
Maximise your Summer Enjoyment
Having a nice terraced area with adequate shading and nice furniture is by far the best way to experience the long summer days and evenings, and with an outdoor kitchen, the patio is complete.
Entertaining will take on a whole new dimension, and your party dates will soon be etched on everyone’s calendar, and with some professional help at the design stage, you really can’t go wrong.
Add Living Space
If you have a very comfortable terraced area, you have effectively increased your living space, and with the right screening, the area can be turned into a room and can be used all year round.
If the patio is adjoined to the rear or the side of the property, you can install some sliding or bi-folding aluminium doors, which gives you easy access to the outdoor area.
Al Fresco Dining
There is definitely something special about enjoying a nice meal in a quiet, shaded area of the garden, and if al fresco is up your street, the perfect ambience can be achieved with the right awning and some suitable garden furniture.
This Mediterranean style is very popular in Australia, as the climate is ideal, and with the right lighting, the evenings will give you and your family a warm, inviting glow.
Complement the Property
You probably have your home just as you want it, but imagine what you could do if you added a stylish patio?
It would certainly add value to the property and with the right design,and would complement the residence, and you and your family will always have a special reason for looking forward to the arrival of summer.
With the right help, there is no limit to what you can achieve in the garden, and the unlimited design options means your garden will have a truly unique look that will be the envy of all.
I think it can look well if its used with restraint and understanding.
Unfortunately I don’t think this example that I recently saw qualifies.
Those triple block features at the window are supposed to represent Quoins (stone blocks to reinforce corners) . . . .that and the over complex single pattern on the building corners are the opposite of what you would see on a genuine old patterned brick house.
A much better option would be to have the ‘Quoins’ on the corners and a plain brick window edge.
Do you agree? . . or do you think I’m just being picky?
If you have ever been in the roof space of your house on a sunny day you will know that you very quickly start sweating!
Why it gets hot
Well the average roof size these days is probably around 200m2.
On a clear sunny day that means around a kilowatt of heat per m2 being radiated onto the roof surface.
So 200 x 1 kilowatt = 200 kilowatts of heat . . . That is a lot of heat coming into a small volume!
Even with a light coloured roof that reflects up to 50% of the heat the roof space is still going to get really hot . . . which means the inside of the house will be harder to cool.
Is a whirlybird going to help?
Go round your local DIY shop and you will see plenty of whirlybirds for sale . . . some for less than $100.
Seems cheap, not too difficult, and no running costs, so why not fit one?
Well they may not be as effective as you hope for of several reasons:
Without an adequate source of incoming air, such as eaves vents or gable vents, the whirlybird will struggle to remove much air from the roof.
A typical whirlybird will only extract around 100-200 cubic m per hour, not enough to make a large impact when there is 200 kilowatts of heat falling on the roof.
On a hot still day the effectiveness of the whirlybird will be much reduced. It needs a wind speed of upwards of 5m/sec to be effective.
Typically manufacturers of whirlybirds suggest that at least 3 will be required for a typical domestic roof. . . so do you want your roof to be more like a factory
So what should you do?
If you are still building choose a light coloured material of even plain galvanised tin to maximise the reflected heat.
Make sure you have enough incoming air, such as unobstructed eaves vents, or gable vents.
Consider alternatives such as
Thermostatically controlled mains powered fans (Has low running costs and will remove large volumes of air when you want it removed)
Solar Powered Fans (No running costs and most effective on sunny still days)
A final though is . . . . Installing solar power panels will provide shade for a large portion of your roof reducing the area subject to solar radiation.
I have been in England recently . . . and of course couldn’t resist spending some time looking at houses.
This house has just about the tackiest facade I have seen in a long time.
I don’t have a problem with people spending a bit of money on the front of the house. . . but this house breaks two of my rules for good design:
Think about looking at the house from the side rather than just from the front. If you have a clear view of the side it needs a transition, or in this case a continuation of the white render along the side of the house.
Make sure that the ends of the facade are well detailed. This looks so obviously ‘Stuck On’, but if it had been set between two projecting walls it would look much better.
Have you thought about where your meter box will go?
As you can see from this photo it is often one of the earliest things to be installed . . . . . Don’t like it in the location and its going to cost big dollars to change!
Because the Meter Box is normally at a height of around 1m above ground and fairly large its much more obvious than the water and gas meters.
The first Australian House I built and I completely forgot about the meter box until I saw it in place, in the middle of a blank wall facing the front of the property.
It ‘Stuck out like a Ruckman at a Jockey Convention’.
Some Thoughts On Location
Have a look where the box is on the Display House.
If you want it at the side of the house think about where your fences are going to be, you don’t want it behind a fence.
The box needs to be convenient to find if a Circuit Breaker trips at night.
If you are planning Solar Power the closer it is to the panels the better.
Although I am not a big worrier about Electromagnetic Radiation there are some people who recommend that you don’t have a meter box on the same wall as a bedhead.
Probably the best site is next to the front door if you can find a space.