9 years ago

Tom and Christine's "Our House" is featured in the Globe and Mail today! It's a fabulous piece on their deep energy retrofit and the process they took to get there. Written by the amazing Dave LeBlanc - online today and in the paper edition tomorrow! (Photo by Jennifer Roberts for the Globe). Read the article here - http://bit.ly/13lbZya

Sort by:Oldest

Comment (1)

PRO
Dept.356
9 years ago
Congratulations Tom & Christine! Place looks great.
Solares Architecture thanked Dept.356
Related Discussions
Rug colour
Q
Comments (2)
Hi Rona. The picture didn't upload. There seems to be a problem this weekend but mine have worked on the 2nd attempt :)
...See More
Kitchen Woodburner Stove ideas
Q
Comments (14)
Hi Minnie, thanks for your lovely comments. Our supplier has suggested brick slips so am just about to google them! Yes the existing fireplace is nice but always looks cold to me. I have chosen a lovely light grey coloured log burner that I think will brighten up the fireplace instead of the black surround that is currently there but I take your point of unlit log burners looking cold too! I had also thought about an oak mantle and have seen some very nice ones but thought I would wait until the chimney has I been opened up to see final effect. I also take on board your comments regarding adding texture and colour and struggle with this, on the one hand during the day when the room is bright I love the 'minimal' look and the black tops look lovely and reflect daylight and I don't like any clutter and try and keep them clutter-free but in the evening the black granite tops and splashbacks do seem dark although we have recently installed more spotlights which has helped. Thanks again for your helpx
...See More
Garden landscaping ideas wanted!
Q
Comments (7)
Hello Charlotte, Having just had a look at the picture and layout of your backyard, I would have a couple of suggestions which may be useful to you; I am not a landscaper, but as I have just completely re-vamped my own garden, I have learned a few lessons along the line ;). First of all, think twice before you remove the raised beds/borders, as they are in the right position to provide screening for your yard and it's much better to have larger plants sitting in the actual ground, as they'll thrive and require much less watering than those in planters; also, the beds look nicely part of the existing structure, so I'd probably rather try to incorporate them into th scheme, or maybe remove just a part. You could try to incorporate some of your desired seating into, or rather onto, the beds, by building (or buying) some simple seats out of decking planks o.s., therefore saving space whilst still keeping the precious(!) soil. In terms of ground cover, I think the gravel is a great idea and it will look and feel soo much better than the existing concrete! Another thing that came to mind is that you could section the floor space a little by building some raised decking where you want the seating area to be (I imagined it on the left hand side of the picture along the raised beds, but in an irregular shape to make it interesting and more natural). This will create different "zones" and will, strangely enough, make the space feel larger. It's difficult to describe all this adequately, but if you are interested in the idea I could do you a quick drawing or mockup for further explanation :) Plant wise, I would recommend to go for those varieties that do not need full sun - I can very well imagine large ferns and wild flowers, maybe some bamboo, palm trees, or hedge plants for screening. I did quite a bit of research on the RHS website for my garden; it gives you the option to look for varieties suited to your soil type and climate, which I, as a novice gardener, found very useful! Hope this helps a bit; I tried to keep it short, so feel free to get in touch should you have questions :) Best Regards, Stephanie
...See More
Patio design
Q
Comments (1)
Composite Deck? Once down you'll have very little maintenance for years. You could find a colour that matches your Ikea tiles too. Let me know if you need any assistance.
...See More

Comment (1)

Dept.356

Related Discussions

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US