Designing outside the box

While studies at the Academy of Design in Toronto gave Melissa Condotta the foundation for her design business, it was correspondence courses taken through England’s Rhodec International that provided its unique twist.

Studying online and sending in class projects via email gave Condotta the idea that she might be able to provide the same thing for her clients.

“If I could give them a comprehensive package, a blueprint, for how their home would look, it would allow them to follow through at their own pace,” she says. “And it would dramatically reduce costs because they wouldn’t have to pay me travel time to source at shops. They could do it themselves, or I could give them a list of online sourcing.”

Once everything has been pulled together into a storyboard, Condotta emails it in PDF format to the homeowners. She also provides Option A and Option B so the clients can choose which will work best in their specific circumstances. For example, if they like to hold dinner parties for eight or more people, but there’s no dining room, she might provide a storyboard with a coffee table that can adjust to table height along with folding chairs that can be kept in the storage locker. Or she might suggest purchasing a large coffee table — or ottoman with trays — that would work well for serving a tapas meal and drinks.

For someone who’s got a shoe or clothing fetish — and who doesn’t? — and has a tiny bedroom, Condotta suggests redesigning the closet with custom closet organizers. It’s something she often does for clients, and it doubles or triples the functional space.

One thing she recommends before buying is to try and walk yourself through the floor plan to see if it will work.

And keep an open mind when it comes to bargain shopping. When Condotta was a student, she often “shopped” in the garbage. “People would throw perfectly good stuff out. All the piece might need was a hinge, or to be repainted, or a few knobs added — and Anthropologie has incredible hardware that works great on old furniture. You can save so much money, and older pieces are usually built better. Some are even iconic.”

Another money-saving tip is to shop at the homes of from relatives — she has a large credenza that her grandfather got when he first came to Canada. She painted it white and keeps her collections in it.

The main thing in saving money is to be creative. Although Condotta mainly provides concept boards for furnishings — in other words, no renovating — she has occasionally forayed into home renovations. One project, a 1986 Scarborough custom-built home, had a good quality but very dated kitchen and a minimal budget of just $10,000. There was no choice but to reuse the existing cabinetry. But rather than paint them, she turned the doors inside out so that the simpler beveled interior detail was face out. Then she had them professionally spray painted and got new hardware. To create more light and open space, one row of uppers was eliminated, and the drop ceiling removed to install recessed lighting. The existing white porcelain floor tiles stayed but Caesarstone countertops and new appliances were added.

A storyboard pulls together all the elements of your design, whether it’s for just one room or a whole house. It should also incorporate the practical things, such as measurements, prices and where to find items.

Start by interviewing yourself: who lives here? Single, couple, downsizer, family of four, pets? How large is the home and do you have any space constraints or special considerations? How do you like to entertain, formal or casual, small intimate gatherings or large crowds? Do you like to cook? Figure out how each room in your home is used and whether any spaces can multifunction (dining room as library or homework station). And most important, what is your budget?

Next step is to read — shelter magazines or decor websites — and clip or download pictures of rooms, furniture or accessories that appeal to you. You will also need to include a scale drawing of the room’s floor plan including the room’s measurements and location of electrical switches and outlets, windows, doors, light fixtures, columns, fireplace, and built-in bookcases. Include a couple of furniture layouts, so that when you shop you will know what will fit.

These can be kept either tacked onto a corkboard or in the plastic sleeves of a three-ring binder. In a small envelope, attached to the back of the storyboard or tucked into the binder, keep notes on where things can be sourced, prices, measurements and any special considerations. Also keep a notebook with you for jotting down things you see that might work. And don’t forget to carry a tape measure with you at all times.

Modern is the new look for fireplaces

Those flames dance around shiny, colored glass, synthetic river rocks or ceramic balls instead of the usual simulated logs. Some have built-in LED lights so the flames or the simulated embers appear to burn red, blue or green. New technology has made it possible for long, continuous burners to allow for a smoother mix of gas and air that results in a more natural-looking flame. The latest glass doors are metal free.

Still, if you love the traditional look of logs, you can get them in a gas fireplace, even if you opt for one of the 40- to 60-inch wide fireboxes or one in a round or geometric shape.

If you're in the market for a new fireplace, consider:

The brand-new styles are stark and sleek, featuring frameless fireboxes that sit higher on the wall than the traditional box that rests at floor level.

That ultra-modern look might not blend with your traditional, Southern family room. So if you love the new look but don't want it to clash, consider using that contemporary unit as a second fireplace in another room where it will fit in a little better.

Do consider second and third fireplaces. Lots of homeowners are adding fireplaces to bedrooms and kitchens for a combination of warmth and ambiance.

You have lots of choices. So if you visit a fireplace showroom with only a few styles, keep shopping. From super-sleek to traditional, there's a firebox out there with your name on it.

Decide whether you want your fireplace to help heat your room or just look pretty. Starting in April, manufacturers of purely decorative fireplaces will not be allowed to advertise them as heaters or equip them with thermostat controls. Only fireplaces that meet energy-efficiency standards will qualify to claim they are heaters. That way, you'll know exactly what you're buying.

If you're updating your firebox, consider replacing the backsplash and hearth to complement the new look. Stone veneer, brick and porcelain tile for both come in practically limitless styles.

Now is the perfect time to equip your patio with an outdoor fireplace, fire pit or chiminea. Especially if your patio doubles as an outdoor kitchen or the place where your family's football fans gather on Sunday afternoons, you'll enjoy it more if you can stay warm while you're outside.

If you still have a wood-burning fireplace, consider switching to gas this fall. A gas fireplace is easier on the environment and way simpler to keep clean.

Hire a professional to clean your chimney regularly, whether you burn gas or wood. And install carbon monoxide alarms near bedrooms if any of your home's appliances are gas-fueled.

Korea’s Namdaemun rises from the ashes

Five years ago, as he watched TV images of South Korea’s foremost historical treasure being engulfed in flames lit by a lone arsonist, Hong Chang-Won remembers having to turn his head away.

“It was too heartbreaking to see such beautiful architecture being destroyed like that,” said Hong, a registered master craftsman who specializes in traditional Korean ornamental painting.

Seoul’s 600-year-old Namdaemun (South Gate), listed as “National Treasure Number One” and a source of immense cultural pride, was burned pretty much to the ground on February 10, 2008.

The largely wooden structure that had managed to survive the devastation of the 1950-53 Korean War was reduced to ashes by a disgruntled 69-year-old man with some paint thinner and a cigarette lighter.

Nearly five years later, following one of the longest, most expensive restoration projects ever undertaken in South Korea that involved scores of highly-skilled artisans like Hong, Namdaemun is ready to return.

The restored landmark is set to be unveiled, on schedule, in late December.

From the outset of the 25 billion won ($22.7 million) project, the Cultural Heritage Administration had decided that the reconstruction work should be carried out as faithfully to the original as possible.

“It has been extremely difficult, but given that it’s Korea’s landmark, we put traditional methods and materials as our highest priority,” said the head of the administration’s restoration team, Cho Kyu-Hyung.

“The building holds not only a historical significance, but also a great symbolic meaning for all Koreans,” Cho told AFP during a preview tour.

Historians and master craftsmen using traditional construction techniques were invited to review documents dating back centuries, as well as a blueprint drawn up in 1963 when the government dismantled the gate for repair work.

“The only modern ‘tools’ that we used were trucks to deliver the stone and timber. Otherwise everything was done using original technologies,” Cho said.

Molten steel was poured into special moulds to fashion traditional-style nails, while all 22,000 roof tiles were handmade. Hundreds of pieces of pine timber had all been cut and allowed to dry out naturally -- a process that takes several years -- and the stonework was cut and crafted with traditional tools.

Decorative paints, however, had to be imported from Japan, since the art of making them in the traditional fashion, without chemicals, had been lost among Korean specialists.

Six master craftsmen specializing in stonecraft, woodcraft, roof tiles and ornamental painting were invited onto the project, said Cho, with each craftsman assisted by as many as 40 licensed apprentices.

As the expert in charge of the painting, Hong’s team was the last to work on the project and he watched carefully as the apprentices followed his outlines of lotus flowers and leaf patterns drawn on the giant timbers.

“We tried hard to restore the colors and styles of the time when it was actually built,” Hong said.

“At first glance, the newer Namdaemun might look less colorful and rather toned down, but it will look much more serene and graceful,” he added.

The dominant colors were of light blue and dark green, with more vivid tones of orange and red used only as highlights. The patterns were copied from temples built around the same time, as well as pictures taken from the early 1900s.

“And since some pillars remained intact even after the fire, we also took them into account,” Hong said.

The pagoda-style, two-storey gate located in the centre of downtown Seoul was first constructed in 1398, then rebuilt in 1447 and renovated several times after that.

The structure that burned down in 2008 had still contained some 600-year-old timber. The fire took out the entire roof, most of the upper floor and some of the lower floor.

Proposals to give the restored version a fire-resistant coat was rejected, Cho said, because it would have caused some discoloration of the paintwork.

“We did research and tests and came to conclusion that the best solution was to take every possible precautionary measure, such as installing thermal sensors around the building,” Cho said.

The destruction of Namdaemun sent shock waves through the country, with sorrowful Seoul residents swarming around the charred ruin, laying flowers and writing grieving messages.

Celebrating Structural Impermanence at Peveto Gallery

Renée Lotenero's works occupy an in-between space. They're piles of rubble creating something new as sculpture, while at the same time still remnants of something that used to be. They're photographs of tiles that once lined a floor or wall, digital replicas of these missing pieces that are now there, but still not there. A wall installation can be seen as the epitome of this impermanence -- it's a piece that occupies the space now, only to come down once the exhibition ends.

It's fitting then that the Los Angeles artist's show of new works at Peveto Gallery is titled "Structural Impermanence." The exhibition, the second here for Lotenero after her Houston debut five years ago at McClain Gallery, is chock full of new ideas and directions for the artist. Along with her trademark drawings and sculptures, there are some firsts -- photography, collage and installation -- and they all have another thing in common -- repetition.

In the wall installation The Back of a sculpture, the photograph of, yes, the back of a sculpture, which Lotenero had made four years ago, is used over and over again, printed at various sizes. It stretches out across the wall like the branches of a tree, as if organic. The artist's collages use a similar photographic effect, piling mounds of the same image over and over again into a slope. You'll have to get up close to the images to even realize that they're constructed in this manner, like a mountain of a deck of cards. In four photographs, Lotenero documents site-specific work she's done with tile. Their use isn't really functional; the images of the tile are like viruses, invading kitchens, a family room and a front yard. This artwork is playfully alive.

Among all these new experiments in medium, one element is still crucial to the artist -- scale. This is no clearer than in the sculpture Remnants of a small building with a new fig path installed, a piece of stainless steel surrounded by photographs of a repeated image. The ankle-high sculpture is comically small. It looks like an afterthought, as if it's not even supposed to be there. But there's as much going on here as in her giant wall installation, once you come down to its level.

“Wooden cladding is very trendy these days –– both for interiors and exteriors. For the interior walls, real wood is preferred for cladding. But when it comes to exteriors, the material has to be moisture and heat resistant,” said Ansari.

“For the exteriors, cement boards with a wood-like grainy texture are often used. Shera and Fundermax are some of the commonly used brands for wood-finish boards,” he said.

Among natural stones, gra-nite, marble, slate and sandstone are popular. Granite tiles with ‘flame finish’ give a rough look to the walls and makes them look different from the granite laid on the floor.

Natural stone look-alikes avai-lable in the market are thinner and lighter and are easier to fix and maintain. These tiles are available in several textures and colours.

Metal cladding has become quite common with commercial buildings, especially technology parks, as it lends a “high-tech” appearance to the structure. Metal cladding looks equally good on residential buildings.

Mostly, aluminium composite panels are used for wall cladding, as they are lighter and are easy to be fixed. The panels come in different finish, including wood and marble. Along with metals, glasses too are used for cladding both exterior and interior walls of houses. Glass is one main component in green buildings due to its energy-saving benefits.

Renovate, reshape or remove

Fall is often when you look more closely at your swimming pool and realize you need to make some changes.

Perhaps the decking is cracking and peeling, or the interior needs resurfacing. Maybe you want to redo the deck or add a waterfall or fireplace.

Maybe you’re no longer using your pool. The kids have moved out of the house, and you now own one of the thousands of home pools in Arizona where no one dips even a toe in the water anymore. Maybe you want to get rid of it or change it dramatically. Is that even possible?

Pool builders say that many pool owners want to make cosmetic changes like building waterfalls or fireplaces along the edges of pools or adding tile trim inside the pool rim.

When it’s time to redo the pool deck, builders say, many people choose pavers over concrete; another common choice is tumbled travertine tiles. Whatever the decking, it will heat up in summer, but lighter-colored materials are slightly cooler. It’s probably best to redo the deck in a paving material to match your patio, or you’ll probably have to do the patio as well.

You can actually renovate the pool in other structural ways to make it more attractive. How about adding what builders call a Baja sun shelf? This is an enlarged entry step at the shallow end where sunbathers can relax on lounge chairs nearly covered with water.

Another recent trend is for homeowners to remove their diving boards and make their pools shallower at the diving end, according to Doug Sydenham of Postorino Pools in Scottsdale. This renovation can appeal to those with children or grandchildren or someone who wants to swim laps but always wants to be able to touch the bottom. As a bonus, it can be safer to get rid of the diving area, because many older pools with diving boards aren’t deep enough to meet current building standards.

According to pool companies, for a depth change like this, the pool’s floor is chipped out and drains are relocated or stubbed up. Then, an aggregate base of crushed rock is put in and compacted. A steel grid connects the remaining parts of the old shell with the new area and shotcrete is sprayed into the grid. Finally, the pool is resurfaced.

You can also make a pool smaller, believe it or not. It’s not cheap to do, but you can move the walls in on a big pool to create more deck space. Many times this requires removing all the walls to change the configuration.

Some fixes like these can actually cut water and heating expenses for the pool a little bit — but certainly not enough to pay you back for the changes during your years in the house.

To end utility and maintenance costs forever, you can remove the pool completely. That may sound like an extreme measure, and it can be pricey.

The cost will depend on the size of your pool, but it also depends on access. Can an earthmover be moved easily into your yard? One demolition company told us it can cost from $2,700 to $13,000 for the entire removal. Afterward, landscaping and fencing might have to be moved or replaced to accommodate the work.

Removing an in-ground pool is not easy, and sometimes it is never completely “gone.” Here’s what happens. Often a pool company will subcontract the demolition. Be sure that the contractor has checked with your city to get any permits required. Cities vary in their regulations about how the removal must be done. The utilities — typically water and power — must be turned off.

The water has to be drained out of the pool, of course. Then the demolition contractor digs a 5-foot by 5-foot hole in the bottom of the pool that gets filled with an aggregate base of crushed rock. This will provide drainage from rainfall or other water after the pool is filled in.

Generally, cities require that the top 2 feet of the pool walls plus the decking be removed. Often the demolition contractor will dump this debris into the hole rather than carrying it away, if the owner agrees to it. Finally, top soil is brought in to cover the site, and the area is graded so a homeowner can relandscape.

Craig O’Grady of Desert Sun Pools, which specializes in renovations and building, says he will do the job only if the entire pool is removed. The concern is that a homeowner who later sells the home might not disclose to a buyer that a partial pool is still in the backyard.

There might be legal problems if a new owner tries to build something in the backyard, such as another pool or a villa, and then discovers a carcass of a dead pool underground.

So, unless your pool is in terrible shape, you might consider renovating instead. After all, an attractive swimming pool can add value to the price of your home when you sell.