July 09, 2015
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.
March 10, 2015
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.
December 12, 2014
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….
September 01, 2014
August 27, 2014
August 19, 2014
Well-designed kitchen lighting with different options and controls will add great value to your kitchen and offer a very good ROI (return on investment)
Whether you're remodeling your kitchen, or having your home built from the ground up, it's essential to arrange all elements to make the kitchen functional and attractive.
August 04, 2014
Why do you need to be aware of it I hear you ask. Well when you are planning your new kitchen you need to consider the following common accidents. Then in your planning process you can plan to minimise the risk of these accidents occuring.
This way you will ensure:
So when planning your kitchen consdier these 6 most common accidents:
This typically happens after the item has already been removed from the oven and is still scalding hot but now sitting innocuously on the counter.
While there's really no reason any person would touch something that's hovering around a couple hundred degrees, chances are, pretty much everyone has done it anyway.
From carelessly brushing the side of the oven while putting something in, to foolishly trying to move a pan that's just been taken out of the oven, there are few things that give you an embarrassed, "I can't believe I just did that" reaction like burning yourself while cooking.
Leaning across a burner or forgetting to put a mitten on.
As dumb as it sounds, fire related accidents are the most common ones and the ones that could cause you more harm, as well.
Avoid wearing loosely fitted clothing while cooking. Sleeves, sashes and shirt tails can get caught on knobs or catch fire.
The floor of a kitchen can be full of hazards, and way too many people end up slipping and falling.
Of all the possible ways to injure yourself while cooking, slipping on something you just spilled is easy.
One can only imagine the majority of these accidents go unreported, since there aren't a lot of people anxious to brag about their own accident.
However, between all the oils, liquids, and even flour that gets tossed around in the average kitchen there's plenty of ways to create your own little skating rink.
Even small puddles of liquid can cause you to slip and fall.
Leaving spills on counter-tops can cause cross-contamination.
Another seemingly avoidable accident that typically comes about from just not paying close attention to what's going on.
Knocking over a pot of boiling water (or a similar hot item) is a great way to immediately ruin even the best of days.
Sometimes it's the result of a handle that was left askew, and other times it's a misplaced elbow bumping into something it shouldn't have.
Either way, spilling hot water on yourself is a clumsy accident that can do a huge amount of damage.
Cutting yourself while attempting to slice food claims more fingers and palms than any other item.
Knives Are More Threatening Than They Look! Be sure to keep your knives in safe place in your counter or in your kitchen.
If you’re not a trained cook, be sure to slice slowly and in a dry enough place.
Do not lose attention and be careful of those little scares of the day! (Your phone ringing, your phone vibrating, etc…)
Have a great week.
Talk soon.
July 28, 2014
July 21, 2014
A kitchen renovation can be a big issue for everyone, including the most experienced renovator.
As a result of all this feedback and knowledge we have compiled the top 10 tips to a good renovation:
July 14, 2014
July 02, 2014
April 15, 2014