How you want and need the house to function will determine the room design, and how they will connect to one another. In this article we cover: Room uses and sizes and how to think about space in the home Living room: seating arrangements and what to include Kitchen: how to think of organising the […] More
Where to start with your house design in Ireland, from getting your design brief just right to house shapes and sizes. In this article, Les O’Donnell talks about: The design brief: what to include in it, what to avoid Working with an architectural designer: what to expect Common house shapes and sizes to maximise energy […] More
Practical house design is a balancing act. At the end of it you will get a beautiful, functional and affordable eco home. In this article, Les O’Donnell talks about: The basic principles of good house design How to approach your self-build How to design a contemporary home suitable for modern day living How to define […] More
Matthew and Hannah Sterrett of @ourweecountryhome share their story of building what they call the tin house: how it started and the obstacles they came up against. In this article they talk about: Contents Part 1 – Avoiding the rent trap – Skip to Part 1 Part 2 – The tin roof – Skip to […] More
In this windows step by step guide, find out when and how to order your windows and what to expect at the end. In this article, we cover the stages of choosing and installing your windows including: Step 1: Design and shop around for your windows The planning stage is the best time to get […] More
A successful house design is impossible without the windows; here’s what’s involved to get the look you’re after. Positioning Your architectural designer will have strong opinions about how the windows will work in terms of the overall appearance of the building. And of course there’ll be structural considerations too. For instance, corner […] More
Matching the window to the house has a huge impact on the overall success of the design, both inside and out. Window design and operation has not changed much over the years. The style and manner in which windows operate is still very much in line with the traditional sash, sliding sash and casement […] More
How window design affects cost and what you can do to trim your glazing budget so you still get the look, but don’t spend a fortune. In this article we cover: Your windows and glazed doors have a lot to do. They need to elevate your house design and make the most of the views, […] More
The whole mood and feel of a room, or even of a whole home, can be altered by its lighting. Despite this, we often give more thought to our kitchen tap. aylight is the oldest way of lighting a building but once the sun goes down, we need to add other types of light […] More
Brian Corry of Selfbuild+ asks self-build expert John Corless how to avoid the most common mistakes when building your home, and how to avoid having to make changes on site. They discuss: How to put together the design brief: unique for you and your site Avoiding design creep: the right house size/footprint and how not […] More
Japandi is a globally growing interior design trend where Japanese design meets Scandinavian interiors, as self-builder Miyuki Katsu Maloney explains in the context of her new build project in Co Mayo. In this article we cover: Japan and Scandinavia are more than 8,000km apart from each other, yet their design principles are surprisingly similar in […] More
Working out your house plans – Self-build advisor John Corless runs through the basic principles of proportion and making internal spaces work. Favourite More
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