Window Blinds Pros and Cons

Renovating or building a home isn’t always easy. We’re confronted with loads of options of brand, material and cost it’s sometimes hard to know where to look. We’re here to help. Our blog seeks to provide useful blogs that make your decisions a little easier.

This week we’re looking at outdoor window blinds pros and cons.

PVC Shutters

Pros:

• Really durable and typically come with a 15 plus year warranty
• Hold up well in wet conditions
• They’re cheaper than aluminium and timber
• Great heat insulator

Cons:

• They generally have a maximum width of 600mm
• Slats can become saggy and floppy in the heat

Aluminium shutters

Pros

• Can be made to look like timber
• Also a great heat insulator and handle windy weather well
• Decent air flow control
• They can be lockable for safety
• Come in many colours

Cons

• They can be expensive
• They can be a bit noisy

Awnings

Pros

• Work well motorized
• Can be made in mesh which is good for natural lighting and to cut glare
• Generally cheaper than any other option

Cons

• Need to be rolled up in bad weather
• Can become mouldy

Got any questions or comments we can help with? Looking for any general advice on building your outdoor kitchen Houzz page or contact us here.

Add Vintage to a Modern Kitchen

Adding Vintage to a Modern Kitchen

Having a modern kitchen with a vintage flare is both charming and unique and can reflect a beautiful minimalist style in your home. We all work so hard to make our homes as modern as we can, only to then see loads of amazing vintage styles, products and knick knacks come on the market. It's hard to keep up with it all but why not do both?! Here are some ideas and tips to help you add vintage to a modern kitchen.

1. Chairing is caring

The best thing about this is that it's not only easy to do but it's cost effective and fun! You can pick up old chairs from just about any recyclable furniture or antique store or if you're lucky and enjoy a hunt you could even just get out and about on hard rubbish days and get creative with upcycling. Aside from looking awesome and stylish adding 'old school' chairs actually means you're buying a good quality piece of furniture that is built to last at a more cost effective price than buying from a large chain.

2. Pull out the stops with a table top

On the flip side you could stick with modern chairs but add vintage to a modern kitchen with an old table. The benefits of this would be much the same - cost effective and a solid piece of furniture to own that adds the vintage style. As far as which one to go with (chairs versus table) we'd reccomend spending on the chairs as you want something comfortable for your guests.

3. Crockery

If you want to keep your kitchen modern and with some secret vintage, crockery is a great way to do this. You can keep the vintage touch packed away and bring it out when you're ready to add vintage it. Vintage crockery can be picked up but flee markets, charity stores or online. The Brighton Market or Port Adelaide Market for instance is a good local spots to pick up some treasures. Keep an eye out for white basis with floral prints, dashes of gold and pastel colours. All very vintage. Good news is - they don't need to match so no need to commit to a set.

4. Embrace the clutter!

This tip isn't for everyone but one way you can add vintage to a modern kitchen is to make cluttered mismatched corners. If you don't want to commit to vintage across your whole kitchen, just focus on a corner where you can store your vintage crockery and a few other vintage items like a scale, jars or storage cans.

5. The Post its with the mostists 

Another super way to add a dash of vintage is with a vintage poster. You can keep a modern poster frame or times your vintage by two and add a vintage frame which you can also pick up from a antique shop, market or upcycle it yourself!

If you're into the idea of using recycled or upcycled materials in your home check out this post on the benefits of using reclaimed timber. Thanks for reading! And don't be shy - if you liked it - share it :)

Awkward Kitchen Corner Ideas

That awkward kitchen corner. Most of us have one and aren't sure what to do with it. Of course it could always be used for cupboard space but we've found some creative kitchen corner ideas to make the most out of your  awkward kitchen corners.

Eating Space

Re-vamp the kitchen corner into an eating space. Why not up-cycle some old furniture into a kitchen corner seating area and throw in a table for the perfect eat-in space?

Clever Cupboard Space

Deep drawers and lazy Susan's are a great way to make better use of that awkward corner space. If storage space is problem then this idea will make your cupboard space go a bit further. 

Display Cabinet

Use the kitchen corner to put up a cabinet or shelves to host some decorative items to add some character to your kitchen.

Office Space

Use the kitchen corner to create a mini office or study nook. Check out more ideas for kitchen office space here

Floating Shelves

Floating shelves are quick and easy to put up and can be used as storage for decor or just in case you need them!

Space Savers: design ideas for small kitchens

Having a small kitchen isn't any disadvantage.  There's been a big move towards smaller housing to save space and energy and there are plenty of things you can do to get the most out of your space. Here are some design ideas for small kitchens...

1. Sleek appliances

Sleek appliances (particularly in black and stainless steel) can create a less clunky looking space. If you can find multi-purpose appliances that is even better!

2. Wall mounted mugs

Putting up a couple of hooks or railings with hooks on your wall to hang mugs or cups is a great space saver and really achieves that popular hipster look a lot of home owners are going for. Just make sure you use the right materials to ensure the mount is strong enough to hold any crockery you choose to put on it.

3. Double up

Get more out of your wall space by putting up a shelf where you can utilise the shelf space as well as the area beneath it to hang mugs.

4. Mirrors

Our favourite design idea for small kitchens - mirrors! Check out our last blog on having mirrors on your kitchen. They are a great way to create space your in kitchen through light and reflection.

5. Let it hang

Hanging pots from the ceiling (preferably above a stove or seating area) is another great design idea for small kitchens. Not only does it make the pots easily accessible but if you don't have the cabinet space hanging pots from the ceiling is the perfect solution.

6. Hidden storage

Work storage into as many other areas/pieces of furniture that you can. A table for instance is a great opportunity to create extra storage you may not have had.

Kitchen Mirrors

Vain or genius design? We say genius design! Kitchen mirrors are a hot trend at the moment. Not only can they make your kitchen look bigger but they can also reflect a good view making your kitchen more attractive and it's perfect for achieving that Fen Shui style.

Above a stove

If you fancy keeping an eye on yourself while you cook, this could be for you! OR if your oven is situated in an area that reflects interesting kitchen items an above the stove kitchen mirror can be considered!

Full Length

Make your kitchen look bigger with a full length mirror. Perfect for student apartments and people on the go who may need to check themselves before leaving the home.

Splash Back Mirror

These are quite high maintenance to keep clean but look really great in the right kitchen! Be sure to install tempered glass rather than household mirrors as these will crack under heat.

Above the sink

This is probably the most popular location to place a mirror. Try picking a mirror style that mimics a window.

Mirrors on cabinets

Installing mirrors to your kitchen cabinets can add style and heaps of light to the room.

Pizza Oven Types

Pizza has been a popular food since the 18th century when the people of Naples began adding tomato to flat bread. Since then pizza has become a well love food in most homes and a pizza oven has become the perfect addition to a BBQ or outdoor area. There are several pizza oven types that we thought we'd share with you in case you're thinking of getting one for your kitchen!

Conveyor oven

Typically bought for commercial use as they cook pizzas nice and fast and push them out in an orderly fashion which makes them suitable for restaurant owners. They're generally much larger than other pizza oven types.

Wood-burning oven

Our personal favourite! Pizza cooked in a wood-burning oven gives pizza that authentic, rustic, smoky taste that you can't seem to get from electric oven. These ovens contain wood or coal heated at high temperatures (around 1000 degrees) The oven is built in a dome shape which reflects and intensifies the heat. These ovens can be small or large.

Pizza deck oven

These ovens contain racks that can cook multiple pizzas at once. Because of this feature these ovens are also often used in restaurants, however mini pizza deck ovens can also be bought.

Convection oven

These are commercial or residential and are usually pretty cheap to run. They can be electric or run with gas. They tend to be a lot more energy and cost effective that some of the other ovens.

Countertop oven

These small ovens are perfect for the home as they are small and easy to store away.

Our product picks!

Kitchen Island Types

The kitchen is probably one of the more difficult areas of the home to design and if you're keen on having a kitchen island it's worth knowing the different types of kitchen islands out there and what purpose it's designed for...

Dining

A kitchen island can double up as a work, storage space and a dining area. If you have the space for a kitchen island but not a kitchen island AND a dining table this is a good option.

Cooking

Some home owners opt for a cook top on their kitchen islands so that they can 'cook to a crowd' rather than facing the wall. This design is one for family orientated home lovers who love to cook. This design can be quite expensive though as ventilation can needs to be installed above the island.

Dining and Cooking

If you have the space kitchen islands can double up as a cooking and dining area. For this combo design the dining area is usually raised or lowered slightly in order to keep guests away from the heat of the cook top.

Teppanyaki

If you aren't keen on having your cook tops on the kitchen island why not consider teppanyaki grill? These are really unique to any kitchen, are great for entertaining and are easy to clean. Here's a bit more about teppanyaki cooking.

Washing

Washing up facing a wall can be demotivating! Having a sink for washing up or even for rinsing in your kitchen island can be very handy. You could also install a dish washer in your island. Check out our blog on picking the right kitchen sink for you.

Movable

These are perfect for smaller kitchens. If you want a kitchen island for food prep or storage but don't have the space these work really well. They can be rolled to the centre of the kitchen when needed and rolled off to the side when not in use. You can store crockery in shelving too. Big movable kitchen islands work too!

Kitchen Office Ideas

Working from home is a big thing in today's modern world but without a clear work space it can become tricky to focus. Here are some ideas of home offices in kitchens to inspire that clean, tidy and effective work space in your home!

Empty space

There's often unused space or a spare wall in or close the kitchen. Use that space to set up a small working area. You may have cupboard of shelf space that you don't use that can be removed and replaced with a desk. You can always re-purpose existing cupboard space.

Cork and chalk board

Having a chalk and cork board/splashback in your kitchen office is a great way to keep your bills or reminders organised and visible so you don't forget them!

Organisation

A board with railings to hang storage baskets is an effective way to keep your kitchen office organised.

Power points

Make sure you plan your kitchen so that your office appliances can reach the power points. Check out our blog on kitchen power point planning here.

Mount the monitor

Consider mounting your computer monitor to the wall to save yourself some desk space.

Folding office chair

Get a foldable office chair to save some space. Alternatively if the space is there get an exercise ball or stool that can be stored away under the desk.