LIVE Renovation part 3

Wow....I can't believe how busy things have been lately that it's taken me over a week to be able to write this new post. Without further delay, you can imagine that a lot has transpired between my last post and now so let me get you up to speed on the 'goings-on'.

We left off last with the ceilings been prepared for plaster work or P.O.P as they call it here. They have gone a long way now and everything is taking shape

So as you can see a lot of work has gone on with the reception area ceiling and let me make a slight confession here. This wasn't originally what I planned for the effect. I wanted the oval shape to be recessed in but then my work men discussed with me and they convinced me that why not have alternative effects in each area and after a bit of consideration, it made sense so we went ahead and I think you will agree the effect looks good, though keep in mind it isn't finished yet.

Equally the reception area too has had work done to this level, let's take a look.

You can see the skeleton (noggins) of the ceiling that was there originally

 

In the process of doing this, the client has also decided to do some extra work like the empty space at the front of the building is now being turned into a small meeting/store room.

Let's take a quick look at the layout to remind you how it's supposed to be.

It's the room on the left of the diagram in the bottom left corner. We will be looking at that in the next post. I hope again you have found this insightful and till the next post. Ciao!

LIVE Renovation part 2

Hi all.....let me start off by saying sorry for the delay in the next instalment of the LIVE renovation going on but I promise to get you up-to-date on all the goings on thus far.

OK, so a lot has gone on and its all starting to take shape nicely. I most confess though as always with any re-design like this you have to have a very strong vision of what you are doing as trust me the contractors/workmen working for you will try and convince you to do things their way, so be firm.

So were did we leave off?......O yes, the workmen had began gutting the place out so we can have a blank canvas as such to work with.

 

From the picture above you can see how the place looks gutted especially the ceiling. Next step now is for them to partition the place into 2 so we now start fixing the two separate areas as they are.

The partition wall with doorway which will have a glass door

The guy in the blue coat is one of my main foreman on site standing in the doorway of the new partition wall.

The conference room side of the partition wall. Double layer of rock wool been added to the wall for sound proofing

Close up of the inside partition wall

One of the main features I wanted to play with is the ceiling of both areas hence why I had them strip the ceiling bare. This picture below is the working progress of the reception area ceiling. It will have an oval shape drop down, meaning it will extrude.

Reception Ceiling:

3D view of how the ceiling effect will look like

Conference room Ceiling:

3D view of how the ceiling effect will look like

I'll confess that we've come up with slightly more issues with the ceiling in this area as they tried to dodge and do something less than I wanted so again I'll , if you are not using a professional to project manage your renovation make sure you have a very clear idea/vision and stick to it.
Let me not over-load you guys, so I will stop here for now but check back for the next installment of the LIVE renovation.

LIVE Renovation in progress

So let's switch things up a little bit and show you a LIVE office renovation I am working on.....in a sense I'm going to start putting my money where my mouth is. As you know, I've been following trends and showing you what's hot in interiors at the moment but for the next couple of posts I want to look at the process involved in a re-design of an interior space.

This is exciting as I will be able to show you the different stages of what goes into the re-design of a space from space planning/concept to finish, thus allowing you to be better educated and at the end know what you should and shouldn't expect when you too enlist someone to do such for you. Remember, that one of the strong bones of contention I have in Nigeria is poor workmanship, but since people don't know better they can't do better.

So here we go......

Let's start off with the before pictures of the space.

From entrance into the space

End corner of the room

Looking into the space from the main entrance

The brief for this job simply put, is that the client wants this space to have a dual functionality as they need a reception area as well as a conference room. After establishing a good brief, next step is to do 'space planning', example below:

Existing Plan

Proposed Plan with dimensions

 

The area of focus is what is marked in the red oval. So follow me on this journey and let's see the transformation process of this space.

Wallpaper vs Paint

I remember when I was younger, wallpaper was all the rage and unlike today when it's just used on one wall as a 'feature', it was used throughout the room in favour of plain paint but then it died out but for the last couple of years it's making a steady come back thus adding another level of detail to a room or help soften a room. Funny enough the trend is reversing and we are now seeing entire rooms done in wallpaper. Tone to tone, Metallic and Hand-painted are the 3 big trends this year.

Tone to tone: If you're looking for a more subtle vibe, tone-on-tone papers can be the way to go for you. They can make a dramatic statement with color, yet leave a lasting impression once the subdued pattern is revealed upon further inspection. They're also great for added elegance in small spaces such as entryways and guest bathrooms where a larger, louder pattern might overwhelm the space.

Tone to tone wallpaper

Metallic: Nothing is more dramatic and attention-grabbing than metallic ANYTHING, but this is especially true of wallpaper. From soft golds to rich bronzes and sharp silvers, a metallic wallpaper is a fabulous way to create instant glamor and decadence in a space. If you're looking for a way to add some definite oomph to a room, metallic wallpaper just can't be beat.

Metallic Effect

Metallic Effect

Metallic Effect

Hand-Painted: For the ultimate in decadent wallpaper, how about trying on some hand-painted and hand-screenprinted papers for fun? These beauties appear more as fine works of art carefully created upon your walls than your average big-box off-the-shelf paper. Many wallpaper companies including Graham & Brown, Hygge & West, and Flavor Paper carry hand-painted or hand-screenprinted in their collections. If you're looking for a statement room, hand-created is the way to go.



Hand-Painted wallpaper

Lots of colours have emerged this year in all aspects of design and this is also true of wallpaper. There are some wild wallpaper designs available that can add impact and drama to any room. In addition to colour there are also lots of new textures available in wallpaper. Also, if you don't like none of the trends mentioned so far you can also opt for Digital print and have a picture that you love converted into wallpaper.



Digital print wallpaper

When choosing wallpaper do remember that it isn’t as easy to replace as paint, but the overall effect can be so much more enjoyable than plain painted walls so go ahead and consider adding a new level of detail to your space with wallpaper.

To the Koko

I've had a request to look at kitchen's - the heart of the home...the Koko!I absolutely love modern /contemporary kitchen designs that are well thought out in design while also considering the needs of the client.
In my search I have found this great designer called Darren James and he has done some fab work on kitchens. Here is my favourite one below of his work. (This is very up market)

Keep in mind this is very modern/contemporary and may not be for everyone so further down we'll look at other types.

Note how lighting here also plays a big role as it reflects off the surfaces chosen to add more drama

Did you notice the clever way that the fridge has been place at the end of the wall units?

 

 

Still keeping in the contemporary style, check out this kitchen below. Need I say that this is defiantly for the bold at heart or those that like to make a statement in their homes.

Like I've said, this may not be your cup of tea wen it comes to kitchen designs so lets look at slightly more 'traditional', ready available designs. Remember though that every kitchen in some way or another is bespoke (tailor made to your kitchen size/taste) but some kitchens like the Darren James kitchen's are very much custom made and will have extra features that 'off the shelf' kitchens won't.

Country style kitchen with a modern twist

This is the more contemporary end of the 'off the shelf' kitchen designs

When designing a kitchen, I would say the most important thing besides choosing the design, is the space planning. Planning the layout of your wall units/island unit is very important and key elements like how the space flows is a very important part of what makes a kitchen work or not, i.e rule of thumb is that the sink, cooker top and fridge should always be in a triangle shape of each other.

I can go on and on sharing gems with you but let's leave it for now and I hope again this post has given you some food for thought on some of the things that can be achieved in kitchen designs and I have to say that here in Nigeria, kitchen standards are very bad, so let's pass the message along to someone whose kitchen you may think desperately needs a makeover.

Any comments or questions please don't hesitate to ask!