Where can I source the bed? It's gorgeous!
Marie Chanel
10 years ago
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Kristie Barnett, The Decorologist
10 years agoMalcolm Duffin Design
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Comments (0)We all have watched countless episodes of Grand Designs and similar TV shows, us architects do as well. We probably look at it slightly differently, but these episodes are great fun nonetheless. There is a pattern emerging. The clients have an ambitious project, a reasonably good budget, or so it seems at the start at least, they may even have had an architect help them draw up their ideas on paper. They found the perfect plot, fell in love with it, here in the UK or somewhere sunny in a foreign country. The start is promising, and if it wasn't for Kevin McLeaod's trademark style of we would expect the episode to go on without much drama, and finish timely with another realised dream home. So why do these problems happen on site all the time? I may be generalising here a bit of course. As a matter of fact, problems or more often queries on site are the norm, there is always something happening which requires a quick decision. You may be the one getting that early morning phone call from your builder, that he needs an answer or he cannot continue as planned. If he stops for longer, he may need to move his men to another site, as otherwise you are paying for them to sit around. Even a relatively small project like an extension or loft conversion requires several decisions at key times, which mostly need to be taken in the correct order to avoid financial or even legal trouble. The work itself requires a thought process and planning of the house as a whole "organism". It is prudent if not completely necessary to think on how you would like to use your new part of the house - where you intend to place your desk or bed, what kind of sanitaryware you like and also their size and location. While a lot of these are really nothing out of the ordinary, they may not be that obvious to you, but they certainly are to us architects. Please do not mistake the above for anything else than good advice. I am simply giving you a real life example of what it means to manage a project on site. Again, if reading the above you felt you would be able to respond to the builder with confidence, you should consider yourself a good manager. But, and this is the long story short - even if you feel that you have got the time, knowledge and patience to oversee your and your family's "Grand Design", believe me when I tell you that inviting a good architect to help you with it will benefit this in so many ways that if I asked you after the process if you would, you most likely would agree. Advice Retain your architect for the whole duration of the process. Let him manage the building contract and also advise your builder on everyday queries or when additional drawings are needed. He will remain the single point of contact for you for any queries, changes or issues you may have. Us here at Vorbild offer fixed monthly payments which include any and all necessary site visits and drawings which you or the builder needs - info@vorbild.co.uk...See MoreTired 3 bed 1900's terrace. How can I make the exterior look nice?
Comments (18)Hi I’m also a developer/PRL, and the best price of advice I was given when I was starting out was to remember that on low to mid range profit projects (if not all projects) controlling your spending is the most important thing to remember, and every £ you spend is a £ less profit. I too hate uPVC windows and would not have them on my own home, but many people do like them and see them as a positive when it comes to buying/selling – just look at the houses either side of your house, and I assume along the whole of the street; people do like them! With my developer head on I would suggest that you try to work with what you already have - clean the uPVC frames inside and out with a solvent based professional cleaner, these really shift dirt and marks, and to a certain extent make scratches less noticeable as it removes the ingrained dirt. Replace the interior handles – new ones can be found online at around £1.99 each if you bulk buy. Replace any worn seals with a new universal fitting seal (approx £16 for 20m). If any of the windows are blown/misted, look at replacing the sealed glazed unit instead of the whole window, again the sealed units can be found quite cheaply online. With regards to your porch, it looks like it is integrated with the front window, so removing it would be a time consuming and costly job, so I would leave it as is and possibly look at just replacing the outer door, ideally one with a glazed panel to give a bit more light. I know you said you don't like uPVC doors, however, composite doors are more expensive. As you won't be living there does it really matter if you install a white uPVC door, as long it is the most tasteful and least offensive one you can find. An alternative would be to install fully glazed French doors with both sides opening, which would possibly mean that the doors can open inwards. All of these can be bought online and be fitted yourself – however, you will need to check if you will require a FENSA certificate issuing for the work, otherwise this could cause issues when you come to sell. I wouldn't advise painting the uPVC, as it is really difficult to obtain a good finish, and nothing looks worse than poorly finished paintwork either inside or outside. As others have said, remove the nets, put up some nice curtains (these can be removed and reused on other projects), don't worry regarding privacy, as again you will not be living there, and it will allow more light into the room. If the privacy angle does bother you, you can always put a plain white voile (costs around £2 per m, and a couple of £ for the rod) up at the window with little or no fullness, which gives a more modern, less fussy finish. I would move the dustbins to the rear of the property, and put a couple of large pots in the front garden – I tend to use Olive trees as they can be shaped and don't mind too much if they aren't watered regularly – these can also be removed and used on other projects. Hope this helps – and good luck for the future!...See MoreHow can I decorate the wall above my bed that is off center?
Comments (6)Ours is off centre, but that’s because of the door opening so it’s not that obvious. We have 3 frames hung in a row above bed. You could add a small chair or free standing tall mirror in the corner...See Moregingerclaire
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