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Feb 27, 2009

Interior Design Plans & Project - Learning Interior Design


If you want to redecorate your entire home, then learning interior design and decorating might be the thing to do. So, with that in mind, interior design software could be one of your purchases, especially if you don't want to employ a decorator. There are of course advantages and disadvantages to the whole idea of "Do It Yourself". First, If you're not a computer-friendly person then you might find it a bit difficult to pilot the waters of interior design software. Again, there is always the alternative, to get yourself an interior decorator where you will shell out substantially more than you can afford. Which in turn, means that you might have to cut down on some of your decorating needs. If you are anything like me, you would be saying right now - "I don't think so!"


Now, here you are, you have made the decision to give it a go yourself. Leaving the designers and decorators behind. Congratulations! It needn't be as difficult as you think and can even be absolute incredible fun. The only time that you'll truly might get a worry is when you need to do your budget. After that it's a matter of sliding your way downhill through your home interior design plan. And hopefully with barely any bumps or detours. But, those can be exspected, so don't get discouraged, keep moving forward in your interior design plans.


ow back to the software. If you're not too well-situated with your artistic abilities and visual image skills you might look to some relief of a well know friend to help you understand the software. However, if you are a die hard and want to learn it yourself, by all means, don't hesitate. The learning will pay off for you. It doesn't actually matter either way how you go about it as long as you get you home interior design project off the ground


After all there's only so long that you can stand and watch your house fall to pieces around you. Ok, Though that might have been a bit of an exaggeration, if you're thinking about home interior design or remodeling then now is the time to do it. If you put it off now, there's no telling when and if there will be a next timeAnd one of the very first things you can do for your home interior design project will be to decide precisely what you're going to do. For example, are you going to go through the entire house one room at a time or are you going to do only one or two rooms right now. This is an important decision, so take your time and make sure it is what you want to do. This decision dictates the how, what and when of then next phases.


After you decide that, then you can move on to the next phase which is provision, what you're planning to do. And this is where the home interior design software comes in handy. I told you earlier, the learning will pay off, well guess what, here is where it pays off. With this little visual image aid you can imagine what your redecorating plans will do to your rooms and make your life just that much more easier. And in the end that's really what you want isn't it, to make your life easier. So, stop putting it off with excuses. Learn the fundamentals of interior design and decorating, get yourself a good piece of interior design software and bring you home back to life.

Feb 25, 2009

Coffee-Light


Coffee-Light

Die Unterschrankleuchte Coffee-Light vom Antholgie Quartett wurde im Jahr 2004 von Bernhard Stellmacher entworfen.

Die dekorative Kaffeetassenleuchte ist einer klassischen Limoges-Tasse nachempfunden und wird zur Montage inklusive eines kleinen Trafos geliefert.

Die Collage aus stereometrischer Grundform und Alltagsgegenstand bietet sich nicht nur zum Einsatz in der Küche an, sondern verblüfft durch ihre Einfachheit und Witz überall dort, wo man mit Geschirr umgeht.

Material: Porzellan
Leuchtmittel: 1x12V 20W G4 (inkl.)
Abmessung: ø 150x65mm

Feb 23, 2009

FlexibleLove 16 - Stretchable Chair seats 1 to 16

Lexible_love_closed

My friend Robert has an eye for design and tipped me off to an incredible "folding chair" by Pinzaan -- although folding is a bit of a misnomer. To say this chair folds is akin to describing origami as merely folded paper. This chair is less about folding than it is about expanding. While we're at it, "chair" is a bit misleading too. So consider this a story about incredible expanding seating.

Flexible_love_16

Made of honey-combed cardboard, the FlexibleLove is a cross between Frank Gehry'sWiggle Chair (at least the cardboard part) and Richard James' Slinky. Closed, it weighs all of 55 lbs (25kg) and compresses to a very slinky 25" x 22" x 8" form (wide enough for one 5-year old -- or an adult's solo butt-cheek), but it expands to nearly 24 feet and can withstand up to 4230 lbs! (The manufacturer calculates the capacity to be adequate for 16 people -- which might be tolerable on a subway during rush hour but not for any prolonged casual seating. We Americans like our space.)

But why quibble about mere details of whether or not it is 12 or 16 bottoms that can be loaded onto a "bench" that can be transported home in the back of a car. It is the answer to every holiday dilemma of "how will we accommodate all these people." Further, with its patented accordion design, the FlexibleLove can be snaked and shaped to fit virtually any space. (See the FlexibleLove morph.) 
Fl16round

FlexibleLove is the brain child of Chishen Chiu, a Taiwanese designer who first saw honeycombed cardboard being used to create palettes in lieu of wood. Available only in cardboard brown -- the love seat is decidedly green as it is made from recycled paper and wood. The paper is currently untreated -- so you do have to worry a bit about spills. 

For inquiries, write Pinzaan directly. Available in four different lengths, prices vary USD300 to USD540 retail.  -- Diane



Feb 10, 2009

Why Scale Matters


Whistle

Floor plans must accurately depict the sizes of real-world objects—buildings, furniture, appliances—in relation to each other.


This requires scaling down the dimensions of all the objects by a common proportion, known as the floor plan's scale.

Scales are usually specified as a ratio, like 1:4. The first number represents units of measurement on the floor plan and the second number represents the equivalent measurement in the real world.

A scale commonly used on floor plans is 1": 48" or 1": 4'. This means that one inch on paper equals 48 inches or 4 feet in real life. This scale is also called the quarter-inch scale (1/4" : 1 foot).

Scale

SmartDraw's built-in standard floor plan SmartTemplates are set to the quarter-inch scale by default (metric templates are set to a 1 cm : 0.5 m scale). If you want to change the scale, go to thePage tab and choose Scale from theRulers & Grid group.

Feb 9, 2009

Drawing with a Floor Plan Template

Drawing with a Floor Plan Template

Floor Plans

In order to make drawing floor plans as easy as possible, SmartDraw comes with hundreds of SmartTemplates you can use as a starting point. Just pick the type of floor plan you want to draw and choose the appropriate template.


SmartTemplates

SmartDraw's SmartTemplates are not really "blank". They open with all the correct settings to make drawing as quick as possible including docked libraries, a drawing specific SmartPanel with all the key shortcuts to making a perfect diagram, and SmartHelp with step-by-step by instructions.


SmartPanel

Using the Floor Plan SmartPanel and SmartHelp

To help simplify the process of making a complex floor plan, all the floor plan templates in SmartDraw will open with a diagram-specific SmartPanel to the left of the Work Area.

The SmartPanel condenses drawing your floor plan into a few easy steps that walk you through whatever you need to create with SmartDraw. If you need more help, you can reference the attached SmartHelp for more instruction.

You can go from a blank page to a completed diagram in just minutes—just follow the instructions on the panel!

Feb 8, 2009

11 Tips for Effective Space Planning

You can save yourself a lot of time and trouble by taking careful measurements and thinking through the following issues before you start drawing.

1) When measuring existing spaces, lay your measuring tape flat on the floor and measure room dimensions in several places, especially where furniture will be a tight fit. Don't assume your walls are parallel.

Measurements

2) Before laying out furniture, look for projecting windowsills, and note the location of electrical receptacles, light switches, vents and thermostats.

3) When placing a desk or chair, ask yourself "What do I want to be looking at when I sit there?"

4) When planning an office, first determine whether the occupant's back will be toward the door. Some people feel very strongly about this. Other design decisions will flow from this basic choice.

5) To reduce glare, try to avoid having computer monitors directly facing windows.

6) Leave enough empty space in front of filing cabinets to fully extend the drawer, plus at least 18 additional inches (1 foot, 6 inches) if the drawers will be accessed by a person standing in front of them. *

Additional Inches

7) Allow adequate working space at desks or cubicles. The distance from the working side of a desk to the nearest wall or furniture should be at least 42 inches (3 feet, 6 inches), although most people find 54 (4 feet, 6 inches) or 60 inches (5 feet) more comfortable.

Adequate Working Space

8) The walkway between a piece of furniture and a wall should be at least 30 inches (2 feet, 6 inches) in a residential space (36", or 3 feet, is preferred). In a public space it should be at least 36 inches (42", or 3'6", is preferred). *

9) To get a feel for the width of a walkway before placing furniture, put a tape line on the floor to see how different dimensions would feel.

10) When placing furniture on a residential plan, remember that most furniture will actually sit 2 or 3 inches from the wall.

11) Don't line all the furniture up along the walls. Break up spaces by placing pieces out in the room. Setting rugs, sofas, or other furniture at angles can help avoid an overly rigid feel.

Break Up Spaces

What is a Floor Plan?

Floorplan
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