My Home Renovation Tips Revealed
Today I’m going to review, or so, the strategy I followed to modify and improve the interior of my own house and to roll with my home renovation process… To be exact, I didn't really envisage a lot of that kind of work during my career before. I meant that the interior designs, in general, weren't my real thing, so it may sound a bit weird, or a lack of professionalism, if I can say...
In fact, it is more informative than technical. However, on the other side, I did accomplish some renders using the 3d Max Studio software just for some clients, but I didn’t really get involved with a complete interior design starting from A to Z.
That I always wanted to, unless one before, in my early career: It was about an old friend’s house, which had tough and difficult modification constraints, though. I may have a post about it soon, so don’t miss it!...
Thus, this one was like a challenge for me, because it was my own house, and I was free to do modifications as much as I wanted… I was able to have enough time to review the work without being pushed by the client as usual, a really annoying thing.
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A variable showing the living room and the open kitchen (Made with 3ds Max Design, Ver.2010) |
The Big Challenge!
As all people know, one of the main issues or problems that confronts the architect-designer is to ensure good visualization of his ideas from the clients’ side, especially when it comes to having a good reading of the drawings; that’s because normally, people find it hard to figure out what it is about in the drawing plans.
That’s why the architect turns to modeling his designs for better understanding and visualization of his ideas and concepts. But when it comes to his own projects -and here’s the case- he doesn’t have to worry about this anymore, because he is the client and the designer simultaneously. I will be sharing some home design tips and tricks that will surely provide you with ideas for your own projects.
Okay, so now, after this long intro, let us hit the main subject we are about; the strategy that leads me to modify my own house design…
First of all, I would like to note that a part of the house, previously set as a dining and reception area, was reset as my working or place for rent. An alternative space was previewed in case of a rental occurrence which is my future working space.
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| The new office layout |
My Home in History
Contrary to what my readers seem to think, my home isn't a traditional style one; The house was built around the year 1964; So it was considered to run a full home renovation project to maintain it in good condition at least.
At that time, i.e., back in the year, it was allowed to build within a smaller plot area even if it was less than the authorized area; today’s about 250 sqm, plus the setback limits allowed were less than nowadays; before it was about 3 meters compared with 4.5 meters today. But times changed, and also the construction regulations.
- The first aim of my project is to ensure a close location from my residence to my workplace and vice versa due to many circumstances. So, I divided my area into two to fulfill my needs.
The simplest yet less expensive solution is to cut or divide the original area of the reception and dining, which will be named later in the article as the First Area, to have private access to it from outside, as shown in the drawing.
The outside access ladder was made from steel, of course, due to the restriction of heavy materials used, like concrete and others, as its location was outside of the permitted limit according to local rules (the 3 meters setback was violated at this specific point; e.g., the ladder edge, not the built edge).
- The second aim is to reduce the area of the residency part to a smaller living space due to the needs, which was done by separating the First Area from the Second one and lessening the cost of the budget reserved for the project. So by decreasing the area of work, the cost will automatically be reduced.
- The third and final aim was to generate an elegant, easy-to-live area. The meaning of having a modern house with fewer active areas without lost spaces is by reducing and even eliminating bypasses and pathways between rooms and facilities. This doesn’t mean to have the privacy of each room violated, but, on the contrary, to keep it maintained.
I will explain later, with the assistance of pictures and drawings, how I achieved the previous goal, knowing that the two other goals were already targeted.
Best Home Improvement Strategy: The Kitchen and the Living Areas were Integrated into One Single Organized Space
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| The Old Design Layout compared to the New |
The dream come true!
First, the living and the kitchen areas, previously set individually, were reorganized to become one open-plan layout. This solution was the best to gain more space and benefit from every inch left.
So, my own home renovation started with multiple goals and challenges to achieve; Normally, as going through this process, we have to reduce or eliminate the entrance area as it is usually useless in small areas and can be altered by adding it to the effective area; here, the Living room itself.
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| The current state after renovation and modification. |
So, as shown in the next illustration, the location of the kitchen overcomes the whole house; We can say that the top-left position makes the kitchen a central point where all the other parts lie around. The lighting of the kitchen is slightly even though it needs some boosts during the day. Sunlight came through the three small equal windows in the living room and from the wide frosted glass that gives daylight without sunlight, located in the small bypass between the balcony and the WC.
The living area was wider than before; as you can see in the drawing, the pathway that leads to access to the first room was now included in the actual living area, which resulted in a more spacious room. Also, the balcony door was relocated from its original place to make free circulation within the room and a more comfortable space to furnish.
As a result of widening the living room, the pathway which leads to the bedrooms was decreased in length; a thing that is good because of its significant length before the modification. (See figure below)
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| The Area gained over the unuseful spaces |
In addition to this, I reduced the pathway from the opposite side by making the door opening within a small entry to the main room, in a way to reduce the loss of space that results from the door-opening trajectory. BEDROOM-1 wasn’t modified; it is still as it was, even too small to fit our needs, but we will manage it.
And we arrive at the main toilet, which is divided into two sections: one for laundry, and the other for the essential bathroom. This division was so urgent in a way that I always wished to realize it, even my old parents' house, which was the same layout as this one. And finally, it was a come true!
More useful and easy to use, both the laundry lobby and the toilet itself were as I expected, with a small shoe closet integrated within the opposite wall. Meanwhile, the upper wall over the washing machine was reserved for another useful open closet to enclose all the bathroom accessories and more.
I made a note about the tiling; I wanted the whole tile area to look the same. So I specify the pattern and size of the ceramic tiles as 60x60 square and the color/texture similar to the light beige marble with veins crossing the tile from top to bottom. It was fixed as an open-book pattern across the house. The paint color is "Snow-White" as it will brighten the dark areas if it needs...
How to design the proper Exterior Existing Elevations?
The outside elevations, which were an integral part of the whole home renovation project, were treated with privacy in mind; so the openings were designed in a way to keep the eyes out of the field of view.
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| Elevation Sketch |
The balcony was left as it is since it’s the only one for the whole house, but with safety bars for precaution on its part, beside the kitchen, equipped with a steel gate door.
As you can see, my home renovation was simple, even though it was hard to manipulate all the above constraints. But with some smart and easy steps, I was able to solve it at the lowest cost possible.
At the end of this review, I would like to thank my beloved wife for her patience until the works were finished on the 14th of August 2014, where it was our first night in our private home. The major works ended but the house still needs a lot of accessories in furniture and others to be complete. But it’s the way when it comes to a limited and compressed financial budget.
Some Before and After Images
As I appreciate and enjoy "the Before and After" pictures presentation, here are some of the available ones from my camera archive: |
| The Before and After Process in Images, Archives of 101Architech |
Technical Notes:
- If you liked the Rendered Image at the top of this article, I'd like to share the settings and some technical notes related to it, useful for both students and professional individuals.
- FileRender info: Mental Ray rendering engine, 3ds Max Design Studio built-in, 2010 release, Mental Ray plug-in, version 12.00
- 5 Lights used in the scene: ("mr" stands for Mental Ray), essential for good rendering results.
- Sky01 (mr Sky) specified when selecting the mental ray option.
- Sun01 (mr Sun) 1 sun selected and dragged onto your scene in a sun-like location.
- mr Sky Portal01 (mr Sky P) is positioned in front of opening 01.
- mr Sky Portal02 (mr Sky P) is positioned in front of opening # 02.
All the Indirect Illumination settings and more internal light environment parameters are available and preset within this downloadable .rps file here. Enjoy!
Books Recommendation
| Sponsored by Amazon.com: Books
If you are an Interior Design amateur or even a professional, I advise you to move your experience to the next level by upgrading your knowledge by reading some good references and articles collected and indexed by a collection of professional writers through this valuable book, which you can buy on the Worldwide Online Bookstore Amazon.com: Books, through the link provided below. Enjoy!
Product details
Series: 150 Best
Hardcover: 480 pages
Publisher: Harper Design (July 4, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0062569120
ISBN-13: 978-0062569127
Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 2.2 x 8 inches
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| Cover of the book |
Editorial Review of the book (as featured on the seller's website)
Keep updated with the latest trends in interior design today with this informative and inspiring guide in the 150 Best series, packed with 500 pages of color and black-and-white photography.
Discover how internationally renowned architects and designers are revitalizing modern design in this must-have compendium showcasing 150 full-color living spaces. In 150 Best New Interior Design Ideas, Macarena Abascal Valdenebro curates the most attractive, functional, and one-of-a-kind design ideas for a diverse range of living spaces.
Renowned architects and designers from around the globe experiment with arrangement, color, texture, material, and finishes to create personalized spaces to suit every aesthetic preference.
With full-color photographs, diagrams, and detailed descriptions, this exciting volume in the 150 Best series is a fount of ideas that will inspire students, young professionals, and seasoned pros alike to create beauty in everyday surroundings. A gorgeous, up-to-date chronicle of current design trends, 150 Best New Interior Design Ideas is an essential reference for designers, decorators, architects, and homeowners.
Note About the Author
Macarena Abascal Valdenebro studied interior architecture in Barcelona and then in San Francisco, where she honed his design skills working with innovative architecture firms. Mrs. Valdenebro lives in Barcelona, where she writes about design and architecture. She is the author of numerous architecture books, including Old Houses Made New and Tiny Homes: Maximum Style.
Thank you Luei, keep on visiting for more useful articles!
ReplyDeleteThis post explains home renovation planning in a very practical way. The strategy you’ve shared is useful for homeowners who want to avoid common mistakes and manage their renovation smoothly.
ReplyDeleteFor people who prefer professional support instead of handling everything on their own, a good construction company like Brick by Brick can help with renovation planning and execution. You can check them here: https://brickbybrickworks.com/