Wanted! Design guidance for projects, inside and out!
dsimber
11 months ago
last modified: 11 months ago
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dsimber
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Guidance at the beginning of bathroom design
Comments (0)Hi everyone. I love this forum. It's so helpful. I'm building a house over the next few months and am working with an architect. Before we talk about the details of the bathrooms, I was hoping that you could help me figure out what I want. I've never chosen toilet appliances, cabinets, surfaces and hardware before; the existing bathrooms have always been fine. Now I have to start from scratch and am a little lost in terms of all the options available. Hopefully you can eliminate most of the learning curve and point me to resources that will be most useful. Our house isn't that big, only about 1400 feet. On the 2nd floor we have a bathroom shared by two bedrooms, with a combination tub/shower, a toilet, and a sink. For the next few years, this will be for us and our newborn baby/toddler/child. On the ground floor is a bedroom suite that will be for visiting family and guests, but we will move downstairs if our family grows. This bedroom suite needs a bathroom with a shower, toilet, and sink. It will also serve as the hall washroom for guests, so there will be two doors, and the toilet and sink might be separate from another room with a shower and sink/vanity. My wife wants separate design styles for each bathroom: one Zen and one Santa Fe. We're working with a modest budget, so lavish materials are out of the question. I'd prefer to avoid things that require maintenance, since there's a newborn in our lives now. My grandfather can't stop speaking highly of his Corian shower unit. I hear good things about Toto HET toilets. OK, that's about as far as I have gotten so far. Embarrassing, I know. So what do I do now? Do I just go to appliance websites and wander around until I find something I like? Are there websites that clearly present the choices that I have in front of me?...See MoreNew to crafting - need guidance on project!
Comments (8)There is some great advice already given but I'd like to add: There is a "Folk Art" product called "Glass Medium" that you paint/brush/sponge on glass first and let it set overnight to dry. You put it on the area you want to paint as it makes a film when it drys. It allows "acrylic" paint to adhere to the glass better, otherwise acrylic paint just doesn't stick to glass very well. A better choice for glass is "enamel" paint. As said above, letting it set for 21 days is the recommended "curing" time before washing it. I don't think you'll have that much of a problem washing it once it's cured, just don't scrub it too hard. Also know that "stencil" paint is a totally different type of paint. It's all in how it is made. You might want to check out some of the decorative painting books at the craft stores before you purchase paint. In the front of most of the books there is a section on the different paints/brushes to use for painting things. Donna Dewberry's One Stroke Painting books have that section. Her glass painting books also explain about "baking" a glass piece to cure it. There is a specific way to do it. Good luck and yes, if you're able to, please post a pic of your project when you're done. We love the pics!!! Sal...See MoreDesign steps - outside-in, or inside-out?
Comments (5)Adkbml wrote: - Is it acceptable to start to solidify design concepts with the physical floor plan? Given that I don't know what you mean by "solidify design concepts", starting with the floor plan is a common consumer approach and not one which many creative professionals use. Architects, for example, often tend to start the planning and design process by a site analysis and study, combined with a climatic study review, and a review of applicable codes and ordinances in order to identify opportunities and limitations for the subsequent design effort. While there are no "rules" as to how one must perform architectural design, not many creative architects start with floor plans. After obtaining a clear understanding of the opportunities and constraints for a given design, many creative architects begin their design search by looking for applicable "big idea" concepts--concepts with organize the design and give it meaning. This is another way of saying that many architects tend to look for and establish the big ideas before proceeding to the next level of thinking in greater detail. - If you start with the physical floor plan, what early consideration items are necessary to determine in order to assure any exterior design expectations/characteristics are accounted for within the physical floor planning process? (this would be focused on external design styles, not location influenced items like views, sun orientation, land/lot characteristics). Design styles are not where many creative architects begin their conceptual design, as I have indicated above (and has JDS), unless a particular architectural style is the single and most important ingredient, over-ruling all else. In such a case, one must clearly understand and be competent with the architectural knowledge of what distinguishes a true colonial from a true craftsman style, for example. This often takes years of study of architectural history. Even more important is the ability to see and visualize in 2-D and 3-D simultaneously. When designing any building the goal should always be to think and visualize in the other dimension. For example, when working on 2-D plans, one should be thinking in 3-D and the 3-D implications/opportunities for every 2-D idea. When working in 3-D, one should be considering the 2-D implications/opportunities. Using perspectives and models helps, but there is no shortcut for being able to do it mentally, and in quick simultaneous sketches, which as JDS says above, simply takes years of creative design experience. Hope this helps!...See MoreNeed guidance: panel ready SubZero Built-in overlay (flush) design
Comments (24)sageviews... short answer is I have no idea. Longer answer: I'm not familiar with Kitchenaid built-in models, so I can't say for sure, but... It's not so much the depth with a built-in, or the space you allow beside it, as it is the hinges on the refrigerator door. While you could leave a 1/2" clearance all the way around (and please don't let anyone tell you that looks bad, many current refrigerators require that space, and lots of people have them and it sure doesn't bother them) - your doors may still jut out a bit. Depending where you live and your personal tastes, this might be perfectly fine, or it might not suit you. Sub Zero realized a while back that integrated (flush with cabinetry) was becoming popular, so their built-ins, which are not true integrated, had hinges that operated in such a way that the door does not need to extend beyond the cabinetry beside it to open completely. Thus, if someone had the depth and space, they could install the SZ built-ins very similar to an integrated... flush with the cabinetry. I don't think Kitchenaid did this with their built-in hinges. You'd really have to go look at them, and inquire. The easiest way to tell is to take a piece of flat wood (a 1 x 8 or a small piece of plywood - or even a stiff notepad), hold it just beside the door - flush, and open the door the way. Does it hit the wood? If yes, you can't flush install. Is that horrible? If one really wants panels but can't find integrated or it's beyond the remodel budget, no, I don't think so. Just my opinion. It's kind of hard for me to explain the difference in hinges, but the SZ's allow the door to open in place, it does not need side-room. I can't tell by looking at Kitchenaide's site, but I'm pretty sure they require a non-flush install. Basically, the difference is this: SZ built in flush inset: kitchenaide built in flush inset: Hope whatever you decide, you are happy with it : )...See Moredsimber
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