Old with the new

Still on the energy of the last post, I am feeling a bit stressed because – let’s face it, I put way to much on my plate. The first one to go is the competition – I just cannot make it in time. However, if time and inspiration allow for it, my proposal may appear on the blog to be compared to the official entries.

Next – how useful was the last post’s exercise? Not much – in the end of the day the responsible fuse for my future hot plates was a different one – professionally tracked by the handymen. Hint: if you’re planning to install a massive consumer, and you have a really over-dimensioned fuse in the switchboard – chances are great that they are matched. Overall verdict for the switchboard exercise is not negative though, I insist you must know your home.

I used the word professionals in the above paragraph, and you probably thought like professional electricians? I would say – 50%. The other 50% is extortionists – because here in Brussels work costs a lot, people are made to wait, the results are seldom promising. And as long as we are not able to do the works ourselves- we’ll have to live with it. I say – drop some stuff from school programmes (philosophy, dead languages, sports?) – give us carpentry, electricity, plumbing. Also tiling and brick-laying for the advanced. At this point in time this is a joke, but if the situation won’t change, I say viable realistic future.

And now something new – again step back from the kitchen, or from speculations on project two! Back to project one, back to bookcases!

While I was very happy with what I got on my shelf-pimping stimulation, I was also sad for having to give up on the furniture I already have. And indeed, the colour, which visually scored best with my proposals, I already have in my furniture collection. So, logically the next exercise is – can I reasonably integrate those items in the future layout?

Sketchup is there to help me find out – because – those are two terribly popular ikea pieces: HEMNES chest of drawers and HEMNESTV furniture. They were really easy to locate on the 3D warehouse!

Given that I know where my TV should be (when I get one) – it is the chest of drawers that I have to fit! If you’d remember myelevations – I had already decided, sort of, that I would have a sofa in front of the book case – so this limits the area for chest of drawers or doors. That part of the book case must be open front!

Next limitations are determined by:

-      Light switch must be able to reach for it – therefore 18 cm away from doorframe I’d place the first unit (unless it is under 115 cm – I am writing those words to my own surprise, because this option has never been checked!)

-      My current choice of sofa – ikea’s convertible asarum. I like its compactness, structure and practicality. Moreover, for a small person, such as myself, the seating is unbelievable confortable. Downsides: upholstery has this terribly cheap feel. So, if I stay with asarum – new fabric is in order. But, back to the topic, and there you go – from the opposite wall the limit is 83 cm – that is the depth of the sofa before first opening door or drawer.

Obvious conclusion, if I work with modules of 40 is that 2 modules must go, in order to fit in my 57 cm wide Hemnes chest, and there is going to be some breathing space too!

All of this boils down to two solutions:

-      The symmetrical – chest in the middle and two identical towers on both sides or

-      The asymmetrical – keep the bookcases together – finish off with the chest!

I have my winner, but if you share with me yours, and especially why would it be like that, I will be really happy!

I seriously wish to be able to foretell the next post – but up to now I’m mostly wrong! It might be something about kitchen, about tiling. Or about light fixtures – you have not failed to notice that I have a lamp in my project one now?.. stay tuned, you’ll find out, never hesitate to comment!

Preparatory works

This one is not going to be so much about the interior design, I’m afraid. So, if looking for beautiful helpful pictures, stop right there! We’ll have a look into just how much has to be known about a house, when wanting to change a detail.

To illustrate this concept, I will send you back to scratchingthe surface post, where I told you about my first steps in redecorating. I painted my kitchen knowing full well that so much more needs to be done. Among those things, several electrical tasks. I shared my wish list in before after and encore post. It is encore time now, and you'll see hopefully as a result, more afters!

Sadly, electrical works, need electricians. One such keeps me waiting just now and the situation is on-going for 3 days and counting… But, there are things we can do ourselves, such as work out the electrical loops.

This last thing is important, because there is a limited number of consumers one can hook to a loop.

So, somewhere in your house there is an electrical switchboard, with fuses, like this one:

And, surely, if you’d follow the blog and care about your home redecoration, you may have already drawn a floor plan.

Next thing, in order to establish the loops, is mark down:

-   Lights – fixtures and switches

-   Electrical power outlets

-   Permanently connected consumers – such as fridge, washing machine, and others.

Next part is fun: set all lights on, and back to the switchboard – go on turning off the fuses – one by one. You’ll know which lights or permanent consumers go to which fuse. Mark it down.

It is trickier with the power outlets- ideally you’d have a desk light to connect and see when it goes off. That involves some more coming and going. When all is noted down – you can start drafting!

I connected the consumers to the relevant fuse and used different colours to make it easier to identify the loops:

Beautiful, but incomplete!

At this point in time I am missing the order of connections. In fact, I wouldn’t even know if it matters…

I am also missing the resistance power per fuse – would be nice to know if I’m planning to use an important consumer. For the time being though, this should work! The purpose was to find out if my gas cooking plates can go electrical, and they apparently can!

This update is a part of my original concept for the kitchen, which at present looks like that:

Ideally, I’d have new electrical plates, more lights and, the creative challenge: new tiling!

This last one is a subject for a future post as there is so much to decide and test before doing something.

Also, in the near future:

-   Painting project 2 – paint colour has to be matched to the wall-paper, sample is delivered. Now is time to find out if it really is a match!

-   Working out some colour details on project 2

-   Doing some furniture “tests” with project 1 – place identical piece where future pieces should come, see how the volumes work (note: not the shapes and not the colours!)

-   Window treatments – a very to-the-season-topic – it is the time of the year when it is hard (but necessary) to keep the sunlight out.

-   If some more time is left – take part in a competition. About this last one – while a competition is a more realistic experiment of what working with clients is like: their taste-their home-their budget, it is possibly less attractive, when I have my own house to deal with.

So, stay tuned! June will be a busy month – hope to find enough time to keep the blog going! If you have remarks on the electrical schedule – please shoot! The purpose of my blog is mostly to learn something – so go ahead and share!...