Whether renovating your kitchen or your whole home there are a number of different options for your flooring.
Understanding the pros and cons of each type of flooring is important.
We look at carpet, hardwood, laminate, tile and vinyl.
Here is an extremely informative guide on the benefits of each different type of flooring and what to consider when selecting from the various options.
There you go a quick overview of the different options for the fooring for your home.
You can watch the whole video here.
Good luck with your renovating.
White is a classic.
There is something special about the colour of white that draws us all in but then at times, it can turn us away because it does seem sterile and cold.
It is very enjoyable to be able to be at your home and enjoy the outdoors without having to be at the mercies of the weather.
The growing trend of open plan and indoor/outdoor kitchens has given everyone the ability to combine the outdoors and indoors in their home.
Sometimes it is hard to get out into nature so sometimes we have to let nature come into our home, to a degree. What better way to do this then making a seamless connection between nature and your home.
We will show you 3 key points to consider when you want to open your indoors to the outdoors and to be able to enjoy both.
But don’t limit your thinking in this is the only way to enjoy the outdoors from your home.
You want to create a seamless interaction between the outdoors and indoors.
Essentially there are 3 things you need to think about when adding more light and space to your home.
Glass is the driving feature when you want to bring your outdoors inside. You can create invisible glass connections in a variety of ways throughout your home.
By installing bi-fold, sliding or stacker doors and windows you have the ability to open up any space in your home. Be it the kitchen, living room, office then this can be applied.
Can you convert some walls to glass or parts of walls, make a window as a corner window and not just a full brick wall?
Can a wall be converted into a glass door so that you have both the view plus the ability to open the door to allow the fresh air and cooling breeze through your home.
When building and open kitchen then use your benchtop as part of the wall or access to the outside. By having sliding windows across the top of your benchtop then you multiply the uses for your benchtop.
Your benchtop can now become;
Always think about multiple uses for your areas.
To learn more about this check out this informative article on house that gives you greater insight into an outside/inside kitchen.
If you are creating an inside/outside area at your home think about using the same materials for both areas. This means that you need to consider how weather proof your materials will be.
You can use the same materials for the Flooring, Benchtop. Keeping the same colours for both areas will also enhance the seamless connection between both areas.
Make sure that your outdoors area does have shelter. That way you will maximise the time you can utilise the area. With the development of outdoor firepits and heaters.
Check out the article from Houzz which will gives you some good ideas.
By thinking about these 3 areas you can make a seamless connection between the outdoors and indoors for your home and not be limited to just the kitchen area.
Bringing the outdoors inside will give you more light and sense of space and certainly turn any house into a home that is enjoyed all year round.
No room to move in your bathroom?
Time to think about renovating your bathroom?
Some bathrooms have certainly seen their use by date many years ago. So all excited people head out to renovate their bathroom.
Unfortunately they make their new bathroom a greater eyesore then the old bathroom. In fact they turn their new bathroom into a disaster.
Here are 7 things you should not do from Big Bathroom Shop. They have been doing bathrooms for years and years and they have come seen many deadly sins.
These are the 7 deadly mistakes people make with their bathroom:
Have you ever seen a bathroom with carpet? I haven’t but the people at Big Bathroom Shop have.
Given all the moisture, heat and steam in a bathroom then all you are guaranteed to do is to turn your carpet into a lovely breeding ground for mould.
All this heat, steam and moisture will turn your lovely carpet into a damp, smelly and rotting mess.
Do you really want a coloured suite in green, yellow or some off colour just because you thought it looked nice.
You may like it but no one else does.
This is particularly important when you plan to sell your home. You will detract from the value of your home with a coloured suite.
Really a nice white bathroom area is universally appealing.
If you want to add colour then there are a number of ways to add a touch of colour to your bathroom with lovely décor.
Do you really want a fish tank in your bathroom?
Is the checkered floor something you look forward to seeing after a hard night?
Just keep your bathroom design simple, sleek and practical.
It is your bathroom and the priority is that everything works well not looks good or fashionable or trendy.
As we said earlier you can add some nice touches with coloured towels, soap, flowers to really give your bathroom a nice touch.
Are you really a DIY expert?
How many bathrooms have you renovated?
Sure the reality TV shows try to show that there is nothing to renovating a bathroom and you can do it in a couple of weekends?
Just pop down to your local hardware store pick up a few things and away you go.
Do you really want upside down toilet seats, toilets too close to the doors, doors that can’t open, pipes running everywhere or worse a bathroom that doesn’t work and is out of action for a few weeks.
We all have seen them, gold plated taps, fluffy toilet covers, mermaid designed taps.
The key to a bathroom is keeping it simple.
Your bathroom involves tiles, floors, baths, toilets which are extremely hard to replace if you grow tired of your artistic taste. Leave your artistic taste to your office, living room or bedroom where items are much easier replaced.
We realise the toilet is important but don’t make your bathroom all about the toilet.
Don’t make the toilet the first thing you see in the bathroom.
Don’t position the toilet so that someone can see it with the door ajar.
Try and create some privacy with the toilet towards the back of the bathroom and the vanity up the front.
The bathroom should be about privacy.
You have you lovely designed bathroom but you can’t store anything.
Like your kitchen storage is important in the bathroom.
Open shelves, floating shelves. There are many different ways to creat storage in your bathroom.
So there you go the 7 Deadly Sins of a bathroom renovation.
You read the full article from The Big Bathroom Shop here.
If you are considering a bathroom renovation the check out or range of toilets, shower screens here.
Good luck with your bathroom renovation we hope it is successful and you don’t fall prey to the 7 Deadly Sins.
Are you thinking of upgrading your home?
What are the best ways to add value to yuor home?
We share with you the insider secrets on what are the 3 best ways to improve the value of your home.
Your kitchen upgrade can be split into 3 different levels:
So depending on your budget you have 3 different levels of kitchen renovation you can do.
Check out our specials for our latest Appliance Packages
Depending on the age of your home a number of things have changed over the years with water pressure, showers, water conservation, energy efficiency.
You make some serious changes to your bathroom that will seriously improve the value of your home.
Old and tired floors really detract from your home. With the development in different techniques and materials then you can give your home an upgrade with a change of flooring.
So there you have it. The 3 best renovation ways that can seriously increase the value of your home
To watch the full video check it our below.
To help you get more value out of your renovation or kitchen upgrade we have offer some special deals on Appliance Packages.
Planning to have a granite benchtop in your new kitchen?
Know what sort of edge you want?
Do you know your bullnose from your cove from your waterfall.
Here we show you 13 edges that you can have on your Granite benchtop. Check out each style to make sure you select the right sstyle for your home and kitchen.
As you can see there are at least 13 different types of edges you can have for your Granite Benchtop
If you would like to watch the full video click here:
Hopefully now you understand the style of edges you can have.
To help with your selection of appliances we have made some special Appliance Packages that you can check out.
20%, 30% or 50%?
Many people do not realise that 30% of their kitchen renovation budget will be spent just on the kitchen cabinetry. This is just the cabinetry. When you add design and installation then 50% of your budget covers these areas.
When planning your kitchen renovation the first thing is to set your budget and to make it realistic. You don’t want to be caught at the end not being able to pay your bills or have a half finished renovation.
We will show you how your kitchen renovation budget is generally spent and why is some cases the costs may be more then you expected. We always recommend that you use professionals and that you ask for 3 references before beginning a renovation.
Kitchen remodelling costs break down as follows:
Design fees: 4%
Installation: 17%
Appliances and ventilation: 14%
Cabinetry and hardware: 29%
Countertops: 10%
Lighting: 5%
Flooring: 7%
Doors and windows: 4%
Walls and ceilings: 5%
Faucets and plumbing: 4%
Other: 1%
Understanding the costs that make up your renovation is important.
To understand more about why your kitchen renovation budget may be so high then check out the article Why is Remodelling my Kitchen So Expensive
Or
This article further explains the costs of kitchen renovations: Kitchen Remodelling Tips
Over the years we have seen people start a renovation and then select their appliances at the end of the renovation. Then they are stuck with having to select appliances that do not suit their family or their lifestyle.
As a general rule your appliances will account for 14% of your kitchen renovation budget. To help you with the planning and investment in appliances we have made a number of special offers on selected appliance packages.
Check out or special Appliance Packages here.
Over the years we have worked with numerous customers to help them with their kitchen appliances, design and style of kitchen. Everyone has their own requirements as you do with your kitchen.
We have found the following 10 questions to be the starting point for someone when they are looking to buy their appliances. Once they have answered these questions they then can move on confidently with their appliances.
Here is our top 10 questions for buying appliances.
1. Gas or Electric - which is best?
This will be a personal choice as both have their good and bad points. We have found that if you have always cooked with a gas oven you will stay with a gas oven and conversely if you have cooked with an electric oven you will remain with electric.
If you decide to move from gas to electric oven then it will take you time to learn to control the temperature to make sure your food is cooked to your usual standards.
Gas ovens will generally be hotter at the top and cooler at the bottom so you need to ensure that your oven has a fan. If there is no fan then you will need to rotate your food.
Remember that if you choose a gas oven then you will need both an electric and gas connection to your oven. The electricity will be for the light and runnning of the fan.
With cooktops then it will depend on what you cook. If you cook Oriental food then you will prefer gas especially a gas cooktop with a wok burner.
If energy efficiency is important to you then the choice is induction, electric and then gas. Gas cooktops lose heat from the side as all the flame is not directly applied to the bottom of the pan.
2. I Hate Cleaning My Oven
There are 3 types of categories when it comes to cleaning an oven:
Pyrolitic - this is where the oven heats up to 500 degrees. At this temperature all the residue in the oven is burnt to ash.
Once the pyrolitic cleaning function is finished and the oven has cooled down, then the ash needs to be wiped out of the oven. With such high temperatures your cabinet needs to be fitted with special heat deflectors to protect your cabinets.
Steam Clean - this function allows the oven to be cleaned using water.
Your oven baking tray is filled with approximately 1 litre of water and placed in the oven. You then heat the oven to 90 degrees for approximately 30 minutes.
Once finished and the oven has cooled down then you wipe the inside of the oven with a damp cloth.
Standard - here is when the oven needs to be cleaned using a cleaning product. A variety of different oven cleaners are available from supermarkets.
To help with cleaning most ovens allow the removal of the front door to make access easier.
3. How Big is my Oven?
Always check the internal size of your oven or take your baking dish to the store to check if your trays can fit in the oven.
Look at the height so that you are certain that your roast ie chicken, turkey, beef or pork can fit inside the oven.
Check how many shelf positions you have in the oven. If you are using fan forced then you want to be able to have a number of dishes cooking at the same time. The number of shelf positions will give you an idea on how many levels you can have at the one time.
If the floor of the oven has an element then you will lose some cooking space.
Never ever put foil on the bottom of your oven. If you do this then you will end up burning your cabinetry as the foil will reflect the heat down.
4. Is an Induction cooktop really faster?
Induction cooking is the most efficient form of cooking. It is faster, safer then other forms of cooking.
Induction operates by magnetic forces which will heat the contents inside of the pan. Not like other forms which have to heat the pan first before heating the contents.
To learn more about Induction Cooking read this article: Why You Should Choose Induction Cooking
5. What is MJ/h for gas cooktops
This rating tells you the amount of energy each burner uses on its maximum setting.
Four burner cooktops should have a good range of heat ratings from slow (low heat around 3.5 - 5 Mj/h) to fast (high heat 10 or 11 MJ/h) with wok burners around 12 -15 MJ/h.
Gas cooktops are generaly set up to operate on Natural Gas. If you are using LPG then your cooktop will need to be converted. Most manufacturers include injectors for LPG. Your plumber or gas fitter will need to change the injectors for you.
A number of gas cooktops are fitted with flame failure. This is a safety feature that shuts the gas off if the flame goes out.
6. What is the meaning of dish settings for a dishwasher?
If you have a 12 place setting then your dishwasher can handle all the plates from a 12 place dinner setting.
Collapsible shelves in a dishwasher are a handy feature that allows you to place large oven baking dishes in the dishwasher.
Check if the shelves are height adjustable. Then you can move the shelves up or down to handle larger pots and dishes.
7. What Do All the Cooking Functions Do?
Ovens can come with 3 to 11 cooking functions. Here is a brief explanation of the various functions.
8. What is airflow for a cooker hood.
Airflow is about moving the air from your cooking away and replacing it with clean air.
The airflow you require will depend upon the size of your kitchen and the type of cooking you do.
To work out the airflow required for your kitchen you simply take the volume size of your kitchen and multiply this value by 10.
As an example say your kitchen was 3m x 4m x 2.7m = 32.4m3 x 10 = 324 m3/h.
So any product that provides an airflow over 324 m3/hr will suit your kitchen and give you efficient ventilation of your kitchen.
As a general guide we use the following:
9. Do I duct or recirculate my hood?
This depends on where your kitchen is located in your home.
If your hood is where you can access the roof cavity or outside then you are best to duct the air away.
If the hood is located in a kitchen that is central to the home and has no external access then you will need to recirculate. When you recirculate it is recommended that you use carbon filters to help with the cleaning of the air.
10. What is my warranty?
The warranty period will be between 2 - 5 years. In most cases it is 2 years.
You can buy extended warranty if you so desire. We don't recommend it.
Warranty should cover the costs of labour and parts. The warranty will start from when you purchase the goods.
For any warranty it is important that you keep a proof of purchase either from your kitchen manufacturer or retailer.
That is it our top 10.
Have a great week. If there are any extra questions that you have then drop us a line and we will answer them for you.
Love Your Cooking
Recently Houzz conducted a survey of over 2800 people to gain an insight to their ideas thoughts and plans for renovating their kitchen for 2015. This survey gives a good insight into the thinking and planning for Kitchen upgrades in Australia.
For us there were 3 key takeaways:
These responses generally fall within the feedback we receive from our clientele.
For the questions that related to appliances and sinks there were 3 key takeaways:
For a full copy of the survey please click on the link below.
Check out our latest video showing you how to select the right kitchen applainces for your home.
With over 15 years experience in the kitchen and home renovation market we have benefited from listening to hundread and hundreds of customers to learn what they felt worked well and what didn't when selecting the appliances for their modern kitchen.
As a result of this we have been able to produce an 8 point checklist which will guide you on what to ask and consider when selecting your new applainces.
Check out our video below.
Let us know what you think. Talk soon.
The laundry will have noise, humidity and water. Unless you are building a new home then you cannot move your laundry. Because there is noise involved it is best that your laundry is located close to the outside and away from sleeping or living areas so you don’t disturb people.
As we mentioned previously the tasks you will do in the laundry include sorting, washing, drying, folding, ironing. To get the best out of your laundry then your layout should make this workflow easy and simple, and one should lead into another.
Your sorting area should lead to your washing then drying, then folding and airing of clothes and finally ironing.
This is where your washing machine and sink are located to help with plumbing and keep this area compact
Consider installing a clothing rod next to your dryer to hang items to air-dry. Immediately hang permanent press items to keep them from wrinkling.
A place for an ironing board (stand-alone or pull-out) close to the dryer and air-dryer is a good idea if you need to quickly iron something.
Your benchtop needs to be close to your dryer either directly above or next to it. This will give you a place to fold your clothes as they come out of the dryer.
Your laundry needs a place to hang clothes straight from the dryer or for delicate items that you like to air-dry (if not using your clothes line).
Similar to your wardrobe sturdy clothes rods are good and there needs to be enough space for clothes hangers.
If space is limited then consider a wall-mount clothing valet. It will fold down to hold the hangers and then can be folded up when you are finished.
As with anything if you are organized then it will flow easier.
A built-in ironing board saves space and hassle. Have a power point handy plus consider an extra light to just highlight the ironing area.
Natural light is good and the preferred option.
Task lighting for work areas is the best option. Consider the lighting of your benchtop area as you will need light to match socks and to check stains for pre-treatment.
Remember lighting to be directed at your washing machine or dryer to check that nothing is left inside.
Tiles are good for the floor for when you have to use the mop.
Smooth surfaces for the benchtop are the best so that you prevent snags when folding clothes.
Handy tips for your laundry
As with any renovation in your home then a little thought and planning before you start will save you a lot during the project.
As with the kitchen and bathroom the laundry combines water, electricity and heat. So a logical and simple workflow will make sure you get the best out of your new laundry.
The idea of a renovation should be to improve your lifestyle so that you can enjoy the finer parts of your life. Good luck with your next renovation project.
Have a great week.
Talk soon….
