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in Advice, Basics, Design, Extension/Renovation Advice, Interior Advice, Interiors, The design brief and getting the space right

Interior Design Flow Explained

Hallways, corridors and access points may not be the most glamorous part of designing a home but they’re crucial in achieving the ‘flow’. Synonymous with flow, circulation is the architectural term given to the way that people move and interact with a building, be it horizontally via entrances, hallways and verandas or vertically, via stairs […] More

by Caroline Irvine July 20, 2018, 9:50 am
in Advice, Design, Extension/Renovation Advice, Interior Advice, Interiors, The design brief and getting the space right

Open up to pocket doors

That said if you choose a regular door handle to slide the door open and shut, then this will be your stopping point and the door will protrude slightly from the wall. That’s why more common is a fingertip closer which consists of a metal plate on each face of the door. Encased in a […] More

by John Flood July 11, 2018, 9:32 am
in Advice, Design, Free Content, Provisions for on-site electricity, water

Solar panels lowdown

With the price of photovoltaic (PV) modules falling significantly since 2009, by up to 80 per cent depending on installation type, it’s starting to really make sense to invest in solar. In this article we cover: Ireland actually enjoys a very healthy amount of solar radiation, not unlike that of the South of England. To […] More

by Patrick Waterfield May 29, 2018, 2:26 pm
in Design, Extension/Renovation Projects, Extensions & Renovations, Kitchen and bathroom designs, Projects, Two Storey, Ulster

Kitchen renovation in Co Antrim

A kitchen renovation is all it took for this home in Co Antrim to be given a new lease of life. That, and an insulation upgrade. In this article we cover: House Size Before: 119 sqmHouse Size After: 144 sqmPlot Size: 530 sqmBuilding work: replace and insulate floors, insulate walls, replace kitchen, knock down wall between kitchen and living […] More

by Astrid Madsen March 14, 2018, 4:06 pm
in Advice, Design, Extension/Renovation Advice, Heating systems, Interiors

Heating and hot water systems: boilers

A boiler is a device that heats water for space heating and hot water. The most common fuel for a boiler is natural gas. But diesel oil, liquid petroleum gas (LPG), electricity, biomass, heat from the air or the ground, and even logs or coal can be used as fuels. This article covers: For safety […] More

by Andrew Stanway March 8, 2018, 2:39 pm
in Design, Heat emitters, New Build, Projects, Self-build Projects, Two Storey

Passive house pioneer

Find out what changes Tomás O’Leary made to his home, which was the first Passive House certified self-build not only in Ireland but in the English-speaking world. But the Passive House method had been tried and tested in Germany so, undeterred Tomás set about replicating it here. This despite the fact that Tomás had to […] More

by Astrid Madsen January 3, 2018, 2:47 pm
in Advice, Choosing the kitchen, Design, Extension/Renovation Advice, Interior Advice, Interiors, Kitchen and bathroom designs, On site

Planning the perfect kitchen

The key to a perfect kitchen isn’t just the ‘triangle’, it’s making sure it will adapt to your changing needs as a family. Roughly every five years your needs as a family will change. As the children grow up and, eventually move out of the house, you’ll see a shift in how living areas are […] More

by Paul McNally December 4, 2017, 10:15 am
in Advice, Basics, Design, Energy Efficiency, Airtightness & The Environment, Heat emitters, Heating systems, Pre design

Passive house: how to build without central heating

The most widespread standard to building a house that doesn’t require a centralised heating system comes from the Passive House Institute in Germany. Here are the basic precepts. This article covers: To qualify as a passive house from the Passive House Institute in Germany, you need to heat your home with very little energy, roughly […] More

by Astrid Madsen December 4, 2017, 9:41 am
13 Comments
in Advice, Budget & Financing, Cost savers, Cost Series, Design, Free Content, Pre design, Selfbuild Q&A

How much does it cost to build a house per square foot?

We tackle the most debated topic outside of Brexit and rising property prices: how much does it cost to build in Ireland today? In this article we cover: A good analogy is to think of what a car costs per square foot. It’ll depend on whether it’s new or second hand, a people carrier or a […] More

by Kieran McCarthy November 30, 2017, 12:30 pm
in Advice, Choosing windows and doors, Design, Extension/Renovation Advice, Interior Advice, On site, Windows and doors: Watchpoints

Window Shopping

Looking for new windows and doors in Ireland? Here are the main things you need to check for when window shopping. In this article we cover: When deciding which windows to choose, you must first and foremost ensure you satisfy any requirements stipulated when receiving planning permission and ensure you satisfy local and national Building […] More

by Paul O'Reilly November 27, 2017, 3:01 pm
in Advice, Design, Designing the outside space, Interiors

Biophilic design: natural interiors that nurture

Biophilic design is about rediscovering the intuitively obvious – natural interiors and finishes. Here are ways to go green in your home in Ireland. In this article we cover: With the stress of modern day living, designing our homes in a way that enhances our health and wellbeing has become increasingly important. One way to […] More

by Joe Clancy October 30, 2017, 12:57 pm
in Advice, Extension/Renovation Advice

A crash course in extension design

Even if your extension is considered exempted development, you really should concentrate your efforts on the design, however small your extension. It sounds obvious but the function of the extension comes first; is the room to create a new living area? A bigger kitchen? An additional bedroom? You then need to consider the context of […] More

by Mark Stephens October 20, 2017, 11:49 am

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