November 22, 2013

IKEA Small Spaces – Fitting a Laundry Room Into a Small Bathroom

When renovating in Paris you get to see your share of small spaces. This bathroom is only 2.7 square meters. It looks like it is 1 meter wide by 2.7 long or in inches that would be something like 3 foot 4 inches by just over 8 and half feet.

Wow! Now that’s small.

The designer does a great job maximizing the space using cabinets from IKEA. If you have a small bathroom these design ideas are definitely worth noting.

The laundry cabinet with the holes in the doors for presorting laundry is a great idea.

Also, the moveable dry rack is outstanding. The only thing with the video is the captioning is a little much. Just press the little ‘cc’ a the bottom right of the video and they go away.

Great job IKEA.

Keep up the good work.

Posted in Bathroom, Before and After, Cabinetry, Design Ideas, IKEA
Tagged Bathroom, Bathroom Accessories, Business, Construction and Maintenance, Home, Ikea, Materials and Supplies, Paris, Square metre
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November 21, 2013

Kitchen Design Ideas

A small kitchen – technical drawing. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In a home or apartment renovation kitchen designs can be challenging, especially in Paris where the space you have to work with can sometimes be so limiting.

In this video they have a few things we found interesting.

The wall mounted wine racks get a thumbs up. This is a stylish option when contemplating storage solutions in a small kitchen design.

The rolling cart and moving the appliances of the counter tops are also great tips.

And they also touch on something that is rarely addressed.

Different people have different cooking styles. For instance men sometimes approach the kitchen like a construction site and spread out all over the place.

If a couple enjoys cooking together but their styles clash, giving each their own area is also a very good idea!

Posted in Drywall, Kitchen, Renovation in Paris, Tips and Tricks
Tagged Business, Design, Home, Home and Garden, Home improvement, kitchen, kitchen design, kitchen designs, Paris, Shopping, Tips & Tricks, wine racks
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October 30, 2013

IKEA – Refresh Your Bedroom

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When renovating a home, whether you realize it or not you are always thinking in ‘zones’.

There is a zone to store materials and a zone to store tools, you need a wet zone to access water, a zone where to stage the debris etc…

These zones should not conflict with one another and should be organized to maximize work flow.

Here Designer Dad Stephen Saint-Onge from IKEA asks ” Do you want to change your life?” And then continues, “Good design does have the power to change you life.”

He asserts that the by looking at a bedroom in ‘zones’ that are pleasing to the eye as well as functional, one can increase the pleasure of using that space thereby giving you more comfort and rest which in turn, adds more vitality to your life.

Makes sense.

Change your room.

Change your life! 😀

Posted in IKEA, Tips and Tricks, Uncategorized
Tagged Bedroom, Business, Family, Furniture, Home, Ikea, Renovation, Stephen Saint-Onge, Storage ideas

October 17, 2013

How To Prevent Moisture Condensation In A Bathroom

Moisture (Photo credit: chrisblackburn)

Moisture condensation can be particularly difficult to deal with because it’s not always that easy to notice at first.

Then before you know it there is mold and moisture damage everywhere sometimes so invasive that the only solution is to replace the drywall.

Before you spend money needlessly on a preventable bathroom renovation and repair here are some great tips on how to keep the moisture away and the mold at bay.

Posted in Bathroom, Ceiling, Drywall, Paint, Shower, Tips and Tricks
Tagged Condensation, Drywall, Environment, Home, Indoor air quality, Moisture, Moisture condensation, Mold, Ventilation (architecture)
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September 23, 2013

Get The Smoothest Wall Possible – The Level 5 Finish

Believe it or not there is is more than one way to finish a flat, untextured wall surface.

We’ve had some clients who were very particular about what they were looking for.

One client who lived in England specifically requested that his apartment in France be painted by brush and not by roller. He said he ‘hated’ the texture that paint rollers left.

We had to let him know that this meant more time therefore more money. He was willing to pay the added expense and was delighted by the result.

In this video we present the Level 5 finish which is the smoothest finish one can deliver using conventional drywall and plastering techniques.

The presenter does a good job breaking the process down into 6 easy steps.

It takes a bit longer but for the client with a discerning eye it just may make all the difference.