Why is this an iconic San Fransisco photo?

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.

Timeless Design 2

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.

A Secure, and Welcoming Front Door

Your entrance should provide a welcome to your guests, not look like a fortress!

Consider this as an opportunity to sweep guests off their feet.

For many, the house entrance and the front door can also be a conversation starter. Hence, you’ll want to make this impression a good one.

More than just the design aspect, don’t forget its functionality, too.

It should still tell potential thieves that your home would be a harder target than the average house. . . Sounds contradictory?

Well, here are front door and home entrance ideas that give you both the balance of functionality, security, and aesthetics.

Attractive but Solid Door

Even though this carved door is very attractive it can still be seen to be a very solid door, without looking like a fortress

Although you may not want to spend as much money on a carved door, you will still many good looking doors with a solid appearance.

The key here is in making your front door look thick, hard, and difficult to get through.

Plus, solid doors are also a classic.

They may be costly, but they’re going to last you through years, both to its lifespan and its design.

Plus, solid doors also go with just about whatever home designs you’d like to copy.

Good Lighting

That doesn’t mean  those movement activated integrated floodlights with a harsh glare.

This entrance demonstrates a soft but effective illumination of anyone at the door.

It provides a strong signal to any criminal that there is a high risk they will be seen if they are trying to break into your home.

Frame It With Plants

The plant and garden craze may seem like a new one, but there’s absolutely no reason for you not to join in the bandwagon.

If there’s any place in your home to add some green plants, it’s the front door; frame up your front door with plants.

This will instantly make your home feel more relaxing and inviting.

Can Be Seen From Street

The front door should be obvious to visitors as they approach your house, you don’t want them wondering where it is.

Similarly to lighting, criminals don’t want to be visible to a casual passer by.

Double Locks

Two locks are at least 300mm apart means two separate point of attack to get through the door.

I prefer a good quality handle with integrated lock around 1.20m from the ground with a matching deadlock at a height of around 1.50m.

Avoid Glass Panels

Even if you’re up for an airy or modern house design, you might want to skip glass panels on the front area of your home.

Glass panels in the door, or even alongside the door are an area of weakness.

Rather than inviting guests over, it invites thieves.

Glass panels in the door, or even alongside the  door are an area of weakness.

It’s quite easy for a criminal to break a small pane of glass to get get his hand to the back of the door to let themselves in.

A criminal may also be able to see into your house and check out the situation without appearing suspicious.

Go For A Bold Color

If you could paint your door another color, choose a bold one.

This doesn’t necessarily mean a screaming orange or pink (unless it’s what you want).

By bold, this means creating a stark contrast from the door to the wall that it’s set on so your front door stands out.

For instance, your house has walls in white or gray.

If you’re adventurous enough, you can go for a dark blue door.

If you’re up for something more classic, dark brown or black will do as well.

Takeaway

Of all the parts in your house, it pays to give special attention to your entryway.

After all, this is the very first part that your guests are going to notice.

For others who may never get inside your house, your front door is also the only glimpse that they may have, regarding the overall style of your home. 

At the very least, you’ll want your front door and the entire front entrance to feel homey and welcoming.

If your door could speak, it should be saying “Welcome, and come in.”

 

 

Why Adding a Patio to your New Home is the Right Choice

Guest post by Bryan Alexander

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.

Patterned Brickwork

What do you think of patterned brickwork?

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?

 

Roof Ventilation – Are Whirlybirds The Best Solution?

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?

  1. If you are still building choose a light coloured material of even plain galvanised tin to maximise the reflected heat.
  2. Make sure you have enough incoming air, such as unobstructed eaves vents, or gable vents.
  3. 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.

 

Aerial Location

I don’t know if this post should be titled Aerial Location, or Roof Colour, but it illustrates some points worth remembering.

  1. Birds like to perch . . . . and when they fly away they like to lighten their load.
  2. TV Aerials make good perches.
  3. Dark roof materials show bird droppings more obviously than lighter materials.
  4. Unless you absolutely need the height its better to put an aerial off the edge of a roof rather than on the ridge.

It could have been worse they could have been sh%#ting on solar panels!

Tacky Facade

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.

For more thoughts see this link: What’s the Side View?

Electricity Meter Box Location

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.

 

For more posts see Electrical

 

 

 

Window Abbreviations

When you are looking at builders plans it can be hard to understand what all the abbreviations mean!

Here are some common window Abbreviations /Acronyms:

AL – Aluminium (also Alum)
AW – Awning Window
CG – Clear Glass
CLR.OPG – Clear Opening
CR – Curtain Rod
DG – Double Glazing
DH – Double Hung
FG – Fixed Glazing
FO – Finished Opening
FR – Frame
FRG – Fire Resistant Glazing
FS – Fire Shutter
GB – Glass Block (also GL BLK or GLB)
GP – Glazed Partition
HSW– Horizontal Sliding Window
IS – Insect Screen
LVR– Louvre
MUL – Mullion
OB – Obscured (e.g Frosted also OG -Obscured Glass)
OPG– Opening (also OW – Opening Window)
PG – Plate Glass
PW – Pivot Window
RS – Roller Shutter
SD – Sliding Door
SGS– Silicone Glazing Sealant
SH – Side Hung
SW – Sliding Window
tr – Transom
UPVC– Unplasticised PVC
VP – Vertical Pivot
VS – Vertical Sliding
WERS– Window Energy Rating System
WF – Wood Frame
WG – Wired Glass
WS – Window Sill (or Cill)
WW – Window Wall

If you have seen an acronym you don’t understand, then let me know, and I will try to give you an answer.

See Jargon for more posts

 

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