fayewk's ideas
Acrylic is a substrate you can manipulate in virtually any way you want, so it is almost impossible to list what is and what isn’t popular – or possible. However, it’s important to note that certain applications will void warranties from the manufacturer, so you do need to take your fabricator’s advice. Acrylic tops and edges can be manipulated to create many different types of edge profiles. As with stone, you can have popular edges such as a small radius, a shark nose profile, a mitred front apron to create the appearance of a thicker acrylic, and the list goes on. Acrylic’s appeal for the manufacturer is that it requires a simpler machining process, with less complex tooling to do these things. The other advantage with acrylic tops is that when a join is made between sheets, once it is sanded smooth it is completely invisible. It can also be used in fashionably thin profiles such as the benchtop shown here, with face edges around 12 millimetres at the thinnest.
Green is a colour that is especially calming for this star sign. Virgos shouldn’t be afraid of using it to decorate throughout the house. These painted cabinets look beautiful in this bathroom and lift the sterility of the white room and fixtures. This would be the perfect combination of clinical cleanliness with subtle, soothing colour for Virgos.
This living room would be perfect for a Virgo. The stone of the fireplace and the timber shelf are natural materials and the whole colour scheme is one that will appeal to Virgos’ grounded and practical sensibilities. A mix of textures contributes to the earthiness of the room and the addition of pot plants will appeal to Virgos’ love of nature.
Anchor with colour Having lighter colours at the eyeline will help a bathroom feel clean and airy, but try balancing them with a deep colour lower to the ground (such as below a chair rail, as in this photo). This adds a sense of richness that helps keep the space from feeling too stark, without making it overwhelmingly dark. Plus, it beautifully sets off classic white fixtures.
Screening out the toilet puts the visual emphasis on areas like a beautiful vanity, but dividing the space can cause visual shrinkage. Try an airy divider screen to divert the eye without completely closing in the walls. You can have a lattice-like screen installed (painted to match the door frames and skirting boards) or use a freestanding room screen to achieve a similar effect.
3D tiles
Outdoor screens Outdoor screens are a great way to filter light into your bathroom while still protecting your modesty. This contemporary bathroom has the luxury of a large sliding door and window that open to a balcony. To prevent prying eyes from peering in, a laser-cut screen on the balcony face is punctuated with leaf-like motifs that create a dappled effect. Light and glimpses of the outside world come in, without giving too much away.
Dislikes: Being cooped up in a messy, dirty home As Virgos have an affinity for the outdoors, they should design and decorate with this in mind. The clean lines of this kitchen would appeal to Virgos’ aversion to clutter, and the close proximity of the natural world would calm their nerves when the kitchen is a little untidy.
Architectural style: Minimalism Virgos love simplicity. It satisfies their need for order and makes it easy to stay neat and tidy. They are sometimes clean freaks and a minimalist approach to design makes this more achievable. Minimalism involves limiting colour palettes, keeping furniture and design details to a minimum and providing plenty of space. It also requires that clutter is kept at bay. As Virgos are usually down-to-earth and humble people, they don’t accumulate things and don’t like to be flashy, making them well suited to a minimalist approach in life, as well as in their design choices.
Bare flooring, such as tiles and concrete, in all rooms of the house sets a tone for simplicity. For warmth, Virgos who choose these flooring materials would be wise to invest in underground heating so they can remain toasty warm in the winter months, and not sacrifice the clean look that nurtures them.
A Virgo should employ other aspects of minimalism in the home. Keeping artworks and knick-knacks to a minimum will soothe a Virgo soul, as will limited furniture. This bedroom is stunning in its restraint. It has a simplicity of design that can only help to foster a clarity of mind. Virgos loves this. Because they don’t like to be gaudy, they tend to invest in beautiful, natural materials, rather than fill their spaces with ‘things’.
This bunk bed set-up, designed by Diane Bergeron Interiors as a guest room on the Mornington Peninsula, was another hit with Houzzers. Each bed is a private sanctuary in itself with stacked curtains and orange Roman blinds to block out the light. Under-bed drawers keep guests’ things tucked away.
Is the interior space cramped? It’s amazing what can be housed inside a backyard room or studio. The owner of the one picture here is a commercial writer. “He is now enjoying the pleasure and productivity of working from home in a professional setting, rather than trying to work inside with the distractions of young children and everyday home interruptions,” says McCorkell. “This backyard room includes a built-in desk, shelves and the multi-purpose shelf-ladder (or ‘shladder’ as we like to call it), which gives access to a sleeping platform above.”
If you are using your backyard room for a special purpose that could be noisy, perhaps as a teen retreat or a musician’s studio, then siting your cosy cabana away from the main house and neighbours is wise.
How will the seasons affect the position? If you choose a shaded spot, remember that it will get cold in winter and therefore some form of heating is a must, not to mention good lighting, to make up for the lack of natural light. For opposite reasons, don’t put your ‘room’ in a position where it will be exposed to the baking rays of sun in mid summer. Short answer: find a compromise position, perhaps north-facing, protected from the westerly sun and near a deciduous tree that will offer shade in summer but allow for direct sunshine through the cooler months.
Similarly, when your backyard room has a pathway to it and a purpose-built garden around it, escaping to the ‘office’ each day becomes exponentially appealing.
Where in the garden? With local councils and governments acknowledging the multipurpose, multifunctional and multi-generational uses of single properties these days, there are few impediments to installing small-sized extra accommodation out back. “The beauty of a modular backyard room is that it can be easily placed into the backyard of any property, from a single-fronted terrace to a rambling suburban garden,” says owner and director of Backyard Room and ArchiBlox, Bill McCorkell. “Ideally it should be sited according to passive design principles, such as somewhere that is protected from the hot summer sun while taking advantage of its warmth during winter, has good cross-ventilation and so on.”
Will I need council approval? A lot of people choose to install a backyard or an outdoor room right at the bottom of the garden but just remember that if it’s positioned too near a boundary or fence, or it is over a certain size, you may have to apply for planning permission. However, in most cases, you won’t need approval. In NSW, for example, small backyard studios less than 20 square metres don’t require council approval. Although, as Chesterfield explains, there are a few additional requirements: “The structure should remain under three metres high and should be no less than 90 centimetres from any boundary.”
What do people want from a backyard room? Backyard rooms come in many guises. Most are designed to adapt to a number of uses including that of home office. “A small cabin or studio is a place to escape the chaos of a having a home office inside the house,” says John Chesterfield, owner of Melwood Cedar Sheds. “This way people can enter their office and begin their day, leaving behind the household duties. It also means at the end of the day they can shut the door on their work until the next morning.” Kristy Lochrin, co-owner and designer of Ablock Builders, believes people are increasingly looking for a unique space in their garden, yard or property to call their own. “There are many uses,” she says, “such as a craft room, a guest room, a space for relaxation, the list is endless.” In fact to support these pursuits, many companies are now pre-fabricating or customising small freestanding studios or cabanas for showroom or online order. They are then flat-packed, shipped to site and quickly erected on the homeowner’s property.
Make more of your available space For many years, the humble base cabinet has been manufactured at 720 millimetres high, with a toe-kick or plinth of around 150 millimetres, giving a finished height of 870 millimetres. Add a 30-millimetre benchtop and you have a 900-millimetre-high complete unit. The plinth can be altered up or down to create a benchtop at a comfortable height for the main kitchen user, but also keep in mind that removing some of the plinth height and adding it to the cabinets can provide around 8 per cent more storage in a similar finished height. Valuable storage gains can be made with this simple change.
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