Askin Architects is a group of dedicated Architects, Engineers and Interior Designers who have joined hands to turn your Dream Home into reality. Since its inception in June 2002, Askin Architects has designed hundreds of residences of various sizes; and proven itself to be a leading Home Designing Company and our homes have been featured in leading design magazines. Askin's unique Home Design Methodology helps you take the first step towards getting your customized Home Plan.

21.11.07

Pre-cast Door and Window Frames





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Saiju Mathew
Changanacherry

1. What is your opinion about pre cast door frames and window frames?

2. Is Malaysian Teak wood durable?
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Ans:

1. What is your opinion about pre cast door frames and window frames?

If the Company that manufactures Pre-cast Door & Window Frames has strict quality control measures, with proper concrete mix, curing and reinforcement, then Pre-cast Joinery can be an excellent alternative to traditional Wooden Joinery.

Pre-Cast Joinery can be painted with good quality enamel paint to resemble lacquered wood finish. However, if the Concrete mix and Curing is of poor quality, it would result in being a nuisance in the long-term, with brittle edges and cracks.

2. Is Malaysian Teak wood durable?

Being a hardwood, Malaysian Wood is as durable as the timber available in the local market. However, if the wood was cultivated in farms, it would not have the density or pest-resistant properties of natural forest wood.
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17.11.07

Three Questions- Plumbing/Timber





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Shanavas
Karaparamba, Calicut

1. What are the advantages/disadvantages of the built-in water tank as compared to the ready made ones available in the market? What is your suggestion?

2. What are the things we should do to get the speed (force full) water supply to the taps?

3. What is the difference in quality of the following wood used in frames/shutters? Rates are almost the same.

a. Irul Wood ("Nadan"/Forest)
b. Irul Wood (Foreign)
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Ans:


1. Branded and Quality Inspected Ready Made Water Tanks are much hygienic than Cast In-Situ Water Tanks. You just have to find a way to hide it from view or blend it with the design. The added advantage is that it can be replaced after a period of time.

2. Height is the factor that Increases pressure in Water Supply taps. If the Top floors do not have enough water pressure as the water tanks are not very high above them, Pressure Pumps are available in the market and can be connected to the outlet from the tank.

3. Foreign (Malaysian/Indonesian) Irul and Forest Irul are two entirely different species of trees. They are both called Irul in our State because of very similar properties. Forest Irul is usually slightly heavier and darker than Foreign Irul. Any variety is OK as long as you get the Core-wood (Heart wood) of Irul without the outer veins (Vella).



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14.11.07

Low-Cost House: 2 Lakhs budget

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Pradeep
Alappuzha, Cherthala

We are planing to construct a low cost house - Maximum 2 Lakhs budget. Is it possible in the present situation?

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Ans:

We appreciate your effort in trying to construct a house of Rs 2 Lakhs budget. Before you embark on this mission, do prepare mentally for the extra hard work you need to put in planning and budgeting all the activities to be performed right from design stage to completion.

First, what you need is a very cost effective design that incorporates all your requirements without over-utilizing space or structural elements. The design has to be worked and re-worked until it is Cost-effectively Optimized. Take extra time and effort in finalizing the design.

The next step is to decide on the materials to be used. With a constrained budget, you cannot afford to have a margin of error. Find the most cost-effective building materials in your area. It would vary depending on the location of your residence. Eg- Laterite Stones are Cost Effective in the North Kerala Malabar Region. Do research on the most cost-effective wood, flooring, roofing and other materials in your region.

Study your Site Conditions to avoid any unexpected future setbacks. Do make sure that the Site did not previously have wells, ponds or clay fields that were filled without proper soil consolidation. Use the most appropriate foundation depending on the soil condition.

Appoint a Contractor who has previous experience in Low-Cost House Construction. You may contact the local branch of Cost-effective Construction Agencies like Nirmiti, Costford, Habitat etc. Have long and extensive discussions with the Contractor and be very clear about the various stages of construction and the time and cost incurred at each stage.

Once Construction starts, stick to the schedule without a break in the work. Any delay may further increase the cost and material wastage. In short, constructing your residence on a tight budget requires meticulous planning and execution.

To get a Cost-effective Design for your site, send us your Site Plan and List of Requirements as in>> AskinArchitects.com
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7.11.07

Product of the Week






In this Section, we look into New and Innovative Products and Aspects of House Design.

SOFA SETS

HOME THEATRE

BONSAI TREES

TOILET ACCESSORIES

HARDWOOD FLOORING


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Roofing






If you decided to do roofing by yourself you should get enough information to be sure you know what you are doing. To install new roofing is not an impossible process, but it requires some specific knowledge. You can order roofing materials from a retailer, but first you should have the exact idea of what you want to order.

You need to know the size of the roof and choose a roof shape. The last one is basically dependant on the area you are living in. Some roof shapes are not so good with the water that will stay for months on top. The standard roof shapes are hip, gable, canadian and victorian.

Next you should decide which one of the tile options you would like to have. Practically, you can have whatever style of your roof you want. As an idea, you can check up dakota, citadel and harmony terracotta options.

Roof color is also a decision you have to make. It is pretty much does not matter what kind of terracotta tile option of your roof you will choose, you still have options in colors. The most practical, and therefore popular, colors are: terracotta, brown and grey.

Now you are ready to place an order. There are a lot of companies selling roofing. You do not have to limit yourself only to your area. Make an order in another city. The advice we would want to give you is to hire professionals that will do roofing for you. You don’t want to have any problems in the future because of poor roofing installation. Mangalore Pattern Terracotta Tiles now do come with Weather-proof Coating, Exterior Grade Acrylic Paints and also Ceramic Coated Tiles. Lafarge Roofing; Comtrust Tiles, KAP India etc are some reputed Tile Manufacturing Companies in Kerala.


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Home Theatre in modern Kerala homes


Home Theatre is considered to be the ultimate in Home Entertainment; at least among Modern Kerala Home Builders. Many even consider a house to be incomplete without a dedicated space for a Large Plasma TV and Surround Sound features.

Television viewing, now being an integral part of the Malayali culture, like elsewhere in the world, optimal Viewing Angles and Acoustics add value to the time spent watching Movies, News and Favourite Television Series.

From Custom-Assembled Sound Features connected to the Television Set- to Branded Complete Solutions, the Home Theatre market has a wide range in terms of both quality and pricing. You could make costly mistakes by not knowing how to start or where to look for the Home Theatre System that most suits you.



If you are one of the many people around the world who loves the sound quality of watching movies in theaters but hates the hassles (crying babies, people talking, cell phones ringing, etc) of actually going then I hope you are seriously contemplating the value that a home theater or surround sound system could bring to your movie enjoyment. In fact, a good surround sound system cannot only improve your overall enjoyment of blockbuster hits but also your favorite music and video games as well. Surround sound is far more than a tool for watching movies at home, it is an entirely new way to look at and listen to your television in general.



You do not have to begin your home theater or surround sound experience with a top of the line piece of equipment. It is quite possible to start small with a surround sound system and build a better system as you go. In fact, I seriously recommend that people invest heavily in speakers from the beginning and sacrifice the number of speakers in favor of better quality speakers. In addition to this there are many box kits out there that are designed for almost any budget on the market. You can find box kits for everything from basic surround sound systems to home theater in a box. If you are seriously considering the enjoyment this can bring into your home there is no time like the present to start checking out your options.

I never recommend simply walking into the store and purchasing the first kit you find though you are certainly welcome to do just that. I feel that you might walk away from the experience a little jaded however and highly suggest that you go to a local retail center that has sound rooms set up in order to listen to the many options that are currently on the market and compare the sound and the quality of the sound within those items in your price range. I suggest that you start on the low side and work your way up rather than starting at the high end and working your way down.

When you find the quality of sound you are most comfortable with, this is the system I recommend you go home and research. Compare prices online to see if you can find any major values and bargains. The Internet is usually full of good deals for consumers that are willing to sort through many companies that market online. While the Internet is the land of opportunity for some, I also recommend that you take the lowest price you find online to your local retail store and see if they can match it or throw in a few perks to sweeten the deal. You could find some interesting deals by doing this and it costs nothing to try and could save you money in the long run.



The point is to get the best system your money can buy (without sending you to the 'poor house' in the process). Once you have decided on the system you want all bets are off when it comes to finding the best price. We live in a consumer driven marketplace and as a consumer you do have control over where your money is spent and whether or not you are willing to pay the price of spending your money elsewhere.

You know the quality you expect, as you've listened and compared in the stores, and you know the price that you are willing to pay for that quality. Most consumers are learning this fact and willing to make concessions in order to compete with those companies that operate online. See what your local retailers can offer you and if they can't match what you've found online you should be willing to go with the online service. This is a great way for you as a consumer to know what you are getting and feel as though you've gotten a good deal in the process. More importantly you get to bring the theatrical experience you love so much into your very own living room. Now the only kids crying over your movie will be your own.

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Interior Design






Interior design is one of the topics that have no limits. Why is it so? Simply because it directly connects with your imagination. Does your imagination have any limits? We hope not.

When you are in a home renovation process you probably have this idea about changing your current interior design. Your home is part of your identity, sure thing you want to have it match. If your imagination keeps moving every time you think about your interior design, it is probably because you need to change the current one. Help yourself. Browse the internet or read the books to get as much information as possible about interior design. Pay attention to different styles, colors and issues that may occur in your own creativity. The benefit of creating your own interior design is that you will have exactly what you wanted. Your dreams can come true. The whole interior design process can be very interesting and can be seen as a game of creativity. We are all kids deep inside.

Another piece of advice is to consult with professionals and ask them for help. They know much more than you do. They have studied interior design for several years. They have experience in creating interior designs and they do know what is workable and what is not. They will definitely save you time and effort. It is up to you, if you want to hire professionals and let them do the interior design of your house, or if you want them to guide you in your unique interior design process with small changes as needed. Anyway, it is your house, and your decision is the most important. Design your interiors in a way that will make you happy every time you are at home.

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Swimming Pool






This page is about swimming pools. In Traditional Kerala Architecture, houses had adjacent ponds where the house hold would bathe & wash. With the advent of Interior Plumbing, the practice of building ponds had come to an end. Now, health consciousness has created a market for Swimming Pools as swimming is supposed to be the one exercise that caters to the whole body.

The size and shape of the swimming pool totally depends on your choice; and the space you have at your back yard. If you still have not decided if you need a swimming pool or not, just think about. Think what swimming pool can give to you. Well, after the crazy business day, especially when it is hot outside, swimming pool can be just what you need. Swimming pool is good for relaxation. It is very good for your health. Swimming pool gives a refreshing feeling. Is not it worth it? We think it definitely is.

If you still have some concerns – think that the swimming pool can make your children happy and keep them busy. If this reason is not good enough for you, but you are a social person, well, swimming pool can be a good reason for your friends to come to your place even if you live far from the center of the city.

Another good thing about swimming pools is that you will not have to spend a lot of time on swimming pool shopping and installation. You only need to come to the store and tell to the swimming pool sales person the size and the shape of the swimming pool you wish to have. The rest will be up to the sales person.

You can try to install the swimming pool by yourself with the help of a contractor. But keep in mind that eventhough it does not seem to be very difficult there are some specifics and some rules that has to be followed. If you want to be sure that the swimming pool is installed properly and everything does work in a way it should be, ask for a professional help. These people know what they do and they will do it fast. So, one day you don’t have a swimming pool the next day you do. Is not it great?

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Bathroom Accessories/ Toilet Fixtures


This week we take a look at an often overlooked aspect of Home Interiors- Bathroom Accessories.

Although more emphasis is given on the functional aspect, aesthetics also do have an important role in the choice of Towel poles, Toilet brush caddies, Toilet seats and the like. Matching all accessories to a common theme and colour really makes the time that is spent in the Bathroom, a very pleasant one.

Traditional Kerala Architecture had put Toilets way below in the designers priority list, mainly because interior plumbing was not known, and home-attached toilets were a luxury reserved for the upper strata of the society.

Until recent times, in modern Kerala Homes, although toilets were well designed, the accessories were often overlooked mainly due to lack of awareness and not enough variety in the market. Things have since changed and a wide range of Bathroom Accessories are now easily available. Specialized Designer Toilet Showrooms in cities even let you visualize your Bathrooms before they are Installed.

Toilet brush caddies- Caddies make up nice bathroom accessories. The caddies are ideal, since if you just leave the toilet brush lying in the floor it dirties up your room. In addition, if you do not clean brushes after using them in the toilet, it can build up residue and leave a foul smell. As you can see, toilet brush caddies are nice necessities.

How to choose toilet brush caddies?
Musa, Chateau, Home, Outline, Wind, and Freestanding make a nice selection of toilet brush caddies. If you are searching to accomplish organic embellishments, you may like the crystal glass selections. The glass wear is sometimes structured with pure brass and wood wenges. Musa just created the latest wall-mounting caddies. You will find the latest chrome polish styles and the satin nickels.

How do I choose a caddy to match my bathroom?
The caddies made by Musa, i.e. most designs are crafted to fit any modern bathroom. The items are shipped from foreign legions, i.e. Italy. The items are basic, yet it will bring a classy style to your modern bathroom.

The toilet caddies come with accessories. Few companies sell with the item, wood wenges trims, tumblers, soap dish, and other holders. Most items sold by Musa are made of purely cut brass. Clear crystal glass is gorgeous and will fit any room. I mentioned that the caddies are designed for most modern bathrooms, yet the item will match nearly any style in Victorian rooms, regal baths, country style, and more. You may not want to choose the item to install in child baths, unless the children are older.

How do I choose other bathroom items that go with the caddy?
You have a list of items to select, including the glass corner and vanity shelves, tissue holders, robe hooks, towel bars, soap dish, tumblers, and so on.

How do I choose items designed by Chateau? I am not partial to silver, yet Chateau made the latest brush caddies that attracts the eye. The latest brush caddy is polished in both chrome and brass. You will find a variety of matching hooks as well, which include polished brass, chrome, combo, and the brush nickel. If you choose the combination of gold and chrome, try mixing it with the chrome and brass polished hooks.

You can also mix the brass/chrome caddies with towel bars, designer mirrors, robe hooks, glass holders, and more. The item comes from Sweden, which the country’s crafters has proven faithful in designing elegant bathroom accessories.

If you intend to purchase the chrome/brass caddies, you may want to purchase a gold bath tissue holder, and a vanity glass shelf. The combination will make your guest think you are living high on the hog. If you do not like the glass vanities, then consider the décor mirrors that light up and mount on your wall.

Freestanding has a nice selection of brush caddies also. The gold are nice, yet in images it stands out loudly. I am a gold fan, i.e. I like gold tones, shades, colors, etc, yet the color in this instance is a bit disturbing to the eye. In this instance, you may want to consider the Oil Rub Bronze-Plate designed with steel. As I look at the image, I feel that the brush caddy would look nice in an antique atmosphere.

I love the wind so I had to check out the images designed by Wind Collections. The brush caddies are nice if you like chrome with spurts of gold. One of the bathroom accessories you want to consider with this series is the shower corner baskets.

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Cabinets






In your home renovation process you can have a lot of fun while searching for the right cabinets to install. Why? Because, there are really a lot of variety; which is not limited to cabinets' color choice or cabinets' materials. They are also about style, design and position you would put the cabinets in. If you have not realized yet where you can put cabinets we can give you some examples. You can have kitchen cabinets, office cabinets, home cabinets, bathroom cabinets, storage cabinets. There are also different cabinets’ designs, like: wall cabinets, corner cabinets, pantry cabinets and so on.

Now, when you realized the variety you will be dealing with in your cabinet searching stage, we would think that couple of advices would be in place. One of the advices is on matching. Try to match your cabinets to your home or at least to the room or place you would want to place these cabinets. It will even help you to make your house bigger and will look better. Even if you put lots of cabinets the identical design will only help you complete the picture. This idea also works with colors. Cabinets matching colors to other furniture would be aesthetically a better home or office.

If you don’t have an idea of what kind of cabinets you would like to have, you can always visit local stores and get ideas from them. Or you can search the internet. You can also talk to professionals, who will give you guidance on why a particular kind of cabinet will be much better is a particular way. The important thing you should decide before you go to the local stores, is the size of the cabinets.

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Lighting






If you are on the lighting system stage of your home renovation, you should be very patient. It is not the easiest stage, and the wide variety of choices we have now are not making this process simpler.

The first thing that usually comes to our mind is that we need more lighting products. We would like to want them everywhere. Well, at least the good news is– with current technology you can allow yourself to have a lot of lighting products and still save money and energy. For this, you simply have to buy energy- efficient lamps.

Well, but this does not solve all your problems. You still have to decide what kind of lamps or bulbs you want to have. You should figure before-hand the quantity of lighting products you will need; the style of lighting products; the luminance of lighting products etc. These all questions have to be answered before you buy new lighting products. It will not be a bad idea to consult with Power & Lighting professionals. Someone, who can help you not only with physics and calculations, but also with design and security.

We would advice you to take a look at your house first before you ask a professional help with lighting. Make some notes of which parts of your house do you want to highlight and make brighter, and which parts do you want to hide. Get your idea about lighting first. It will help you in the conversation with the contractor and you will feel confident that you are following the plan you have in your mind. Creating your own lighting style can be a fun. It’s just better when it is supported with knowledge.

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Bonsai Trees






Interior landscaping, if well-designed, is a treat to the eyes. With the greenery that Kerala has been blessed with, the house can be designed so as to bring the surrounding nature indoors in a fascinating blend. This week's feature comes from our Landscape Designer's Desk- Bonsai Trees.

Bonsai Trees are otherwise natural trees that have been trained to grow into a miniature, instead of the full size. We have watched these green midgets in wonder at the flower shows and Agro-exhibitions in our State. With a little time and effort, even you can grow your own Bonsai garden at home.

How to choose bonsai herbs

Laurus Nobilis or the sweet bay laurel is an aromatic tree with evergreen shrubs. In nature, the tree grows up to 40-feet tall in warm areas. When the tree is potted however, it only grows a few feet at a slow pace. Sweet bay laurel is one of the difficult species to reproduce organisms. When the plant is grown in gardens, you will need to cut and seed frequently to entice the plant to root, or propagate. The roots and seed are difficult to grow at the start.

If you purchase the sweet bay, choose the smaller plants that are designed to grow in gardens, or outdoors. The plant in suitable growing conditions will flourish. However, as the plant starts to develop suckers you will need to remove them. Otherwise, the bonsai will loose its shape. During the winter months, you want to bring the plant indoors. Use brilliant lights, and situate the plant near the south window.

The sweet bay is a long-lasting bonsai, yet it is not idea for beginners. If you are a new grower, you may want to view the list of rosemary herbs instead. The rosemary is the Rosmarinus Officinalis group, which the herbs are easiest to grow. You can keep this plant indoors, since it can handle humidity. Rosemary bonsai is similar to pine. The plant will endure indoors or out. The rosemary group has a selection of colors and styles. Rosemary grows scented flowers, which are pink, light to dark blue, and/or white. Rosemary adds variety, and the plant type has a wide array of foliages.

Like the sweet bay however, rosemary is difficult to start growth. Rosemary requires a degree of cutting in order to propagate. You should trim the plant during growing season, i.e. around summer. During the winter months, rosemary can tolerate cooler weather, yet you should place the plants near the south, west, or east area of your home, near a window. Rosemary includes the pine fragrance. Experts recommend that all rosemary plants have limited peat added to the soil, especially in pots. If you use less peat or sand, it will assist in keeping rosemary from drying out or having too much moisture, the required care for the rosemary plant.

Santa Barbara rosemary’s are attractive bonsai. If you plant the Santa Barbara in your garden, make sure that you surround it with debris, or objects such as timber, flat rocks, etc. The plants can benefit from the shield. If you fail to provide the shield, the Santa Barbara bonsai has a tendency to grow outside of its boundary. Prostrate rosemary is another herb trained as the bonsai. The creeping rosemary is the same as prostrate, only known as creeping in different areas. Each member of this herb named is a cascade-style so to speak. Rosemary plants require warmer environments, drier surroundings, and ventilation to prevent mildew.

How to train:
When you train, cascades follow the instructions provided to you. Few cascades are best off if you plant them at the edge of an elevated bed. The bed should trail to the other side of the bed. Rosemary is also grown for adding flavors to meals or making perfumes. Again, if you are a beginner, the rosemary herbs are the plant of choice. In fact, rosemary is a beautiful plant that you will enjoy for years to come.

Rosemary, cascades, Santa Barbara, etc, are of the tender perennial group. If you starting out, we recommend that you learn more about the plants, including training, caring, types, styles, classes, etc, to help you grow your plants effectively.

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Garden Design






Eventhough this web-site is about home remodeling, Landscaping is a topic that you would have to deal with anyway. Garden design is something you will be returning to over and over again. It does not matter what season it is, you can practically start thinking about garden design at any time.

Your Garden is one of the first things that your guests will pay attention to when they visit your house. You can create the garden design in a way that will match to your house; you can go with the unique garden design or choose garden design from the most popular one. You can actually create a garden design that will help you to hide the spots of your existing house you would like to hide.

However, before you will make a chose of the garden design style, you should really study the weather and climate of the area you live in. Not all garden design styles will be possible to have in all areas. Our advice is to consult with professionals. This will save your time and might give you additional assurance that the choice of your garden design is a workable one.

After you’ll get answers on your questions as to the climate and, therefore, the type of plants you can have in your garden, you can start choosing the garden design style. Remember, garden design style is not something permanent; you can always change it in the future. You can also try different garden design styles in different parts of your garden and then stay with one you’d like the most. There is no right or wrong garden design style. It is your choice, your time, your work and your money. Even plants that are growing perfectly well in your neighbour's house might not grow well in yours and vice versa. Garden design is very personal. You can get some advices, but the final choice will be yours.

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Choosing your Sofa Set






Buying a sofa is one of the biggest furniture investments you’ll make—and one of the most permanent. You’ve got to love your sofa because you’re going to have a very long relationship with it.

There is no such thing as a “temporary” sofa. Expect to have it for at least 10 years even if you plan on having it for just two. What happens is that the sofa gets demoted, moving from the living room to the family room to the basement to the dorm. Before you know it, a decade has passed. And that impulse buy has become a part of your life.


To make sure your selection will appeal to you over the long haul, consider some of the following questions when buying a sofa:

Style

If you're buying a sofa for a traditional room, consider one with traditional lines.
Make sure you're buying a sofa that complements the style of your décor. If your interior is traditional, look for a sofa with rolled arms, a contoured back, skirting or tufted cushions. Contemporary sofas tend to have cleaner lines, fewer flourishes and understated upholstery.


Scale

Consider the proportions of the room and determine what height, length and depth of sofa would look best in the space. If you’re uncertain, mock up a footprint on the floor using masking tape or blue painter’s tape. (If that’s not enough, consider “building” a sofa out of empty boxes, then living with it for a day to see if the size feels right.) Allow at least three feet of circulation space on each side that traffic must pass.

If you plan on spending a lot of time laying on the sofa, figure out the length you need to do that comfortably, and buy a sofa that has at least that much space between the arms. (Don’t choose a sofa based on length alone, because a sofa with wide or rolled arms may have less space between the arms than a shorter piece with straight arms.)


A common furniture shopping mistake is buying a sofa and discovering that it won't fit through the door or into the elevator. Make sure you measure all the openings the sofa has to fit through, and check to see whether the legs are removable.

Armless Sofas

If you're buying a sofa for a small space, consider an armless model.

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Kitchen Furniture






Kitchen furniture is probably one of the first things you do and would want to change when you do your home remodeling. There are lots of kitchen furniture decisions you have to make. They start from the different design and end up with the material the kitchen furniture is made of.

Kitchen furniture is not just pieces of furniture that you should fill in a part of your house. Kitchen furniture is something more. Kitchen furniture can inspire you or your spouse to make something delicious and spend extra time in the kitchen. For some people kitchen furniture is just useful tools, for others it’s part of the family tradition that keeps a family together in one place. In any case you will still have to spend quite a lot of time in finding the best kitchen furniture that will fit to all your requirements.

So, before you go shopping for kitchen furniture you should have an idea of the type of kitchen furniture you would like to have. You should measure the space and also decide on where and what kind of drawers and counters and other kitchen furniture pieces should be.

An advice about colors. You can chose the one you would like, however, it is important to make the right choice about the material the kitchen furniture is made of. Browse the internet to check which material will be the best in your case. Modern Kerala Kitchens use Wooden, Block board or Aluminium Fabricated Cabinets and Furniture.

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Living Room Furniture






This webpage about living room furniture- to give you information that will help you organize your thoughts and have a clear idea of what you want before you go to the living room furniture stores and get confused by the variety available.

First you should decide what kind of living room furniture material you would like to have. There are various choices: from oak to cedar, from pine to maple. Remember, the cleaning process will depend on the material of the living room furniture. When you buy a cleaning powder always check if it is ok with your type of furniture.

Another advice is color. Although you might not have a huge variety in colors after you choose certain material, but you still have some. Remember, dark colors are good for big rooms and light colors are better for small rooms. Why? Because light color will create an illusion of a big room.

The next thing you should have an idea about is design. Check different magazines and internet, get an idea of possible designs (i.e. modern, classic, antique etc), try to fit the chosen design to your house. Ask yourself if it would match with the rest of the house? Or at least, would it match to you and your own style. Do you have enough space to fit it in?

And the last, but not least advice is about buying living room furniture set. It is cheaper, rather than buying all separate, plus you will get the whole set at the same place. Remember, it is not only about money saving, but it is about your own satisfaction. Satisfaction you get when you spend time in your remodeled living room.

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Dining Room Furniture






One of the furniture sets that you would want to buy is dining room furniture. There are certainly advantages in buying the complete dining room furniture set. One of them is to make your dining room stylish. The complete dining room furniture set will help you with it. Another one in having dining room furniture set is about comfort. It is not only the comfort that you will get from the nice chair you will sit on, but also from the various cabinets and draws for plates, towels, table-cloth and other dining accessories. Another good reason in buying dining room furniture set is that the complete set will cost you less than if you buy piece by piece dining room furniture.

The good news is that now you have a huge variety in dining room furniture. First you should decide on what kind of material of your dining room furniture you want to have. You can choose oak or maple, pine or bamboo, with glass or metal parts and so on. You should also think about color you want for your dining room furniture. Keep in mind, even if the natural color of the wood of the dining room furniture you choose is lighter then you wish it would be, you can always ask to make a color darker, and put as many layers as you want.

The one more decision you will have to make during your research of dining room furniture is design. There are so many designs that it might be better for you to first have a picture of your preferable design in mind and then look for the dining room furniture. Order different catalogues; visit as many local stores that sell dining room furniture to find the right one. And you sure will.


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Bedroom Furniture






When you are into home renovation and decide on having new furniture, bedroom furniture will appear in your list. Bedroom furniture is not just a set of pieces that you use to sleep. For most people bedroom furniture is something more and the bedroom is one of the most important places in the house.

Come to think of it. What is so important about bedroom furniture? Bedroom is the place where we sleep. Psychologists say that our dreams may be influenced by the quality of bedroom furniture. The bedroom could be an old one or a new one. The most important thing is that you like it. Bedroom furniture should help you relax even after the most tiring day. Bedroom furniture should give you a feeling of warmth and relax you so that when you wake up you will be in a good mood. Isn't this important.

That is why you should carefully choose your bedroom furniture. Bedroom furniture is a part of your identity. The good news is that the variety in bedroom furniture is so vast that you would not face a problem in finding the bedroom furniture that most suits you. You can choose from different colors and different materials. Some people like wooden furniture, and others metal. Spend some time to find the exact bedroom furniture you would want. If you are not able to find it in a store, don’t worry, you can order one directly from a manufacture- that will be made from a material and design that you choose.

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Antique Furniture






If you don’t have antique furniture in your house yet and you want to buy new furniture, antique furniture is probably one of the furniture styles that come up to your mind. Antique furniture looks great and stylish. It is true that antique furniture is expensive, but it would stay for ages. Antique furniture is an asset for which the price will increase year after year. Antique furniture is unique. You can find different size and shapes for your antique table or antique bookcase, antique bed or antique shelves. The good thing about antique furniture is that by having antique furniture you would never look cheap.

Well, if you finally decided to get antique furniture –, you have a wide variety of choices in antique furniture- the colours and wood it is made from. Find store catalogues that will give you ideas. When you finally make your decision about antique furniture, don’t forget to check the information on how to clean your future antique furniture. You should be very careful with the cleaning process. One of the ways to find this information is to ask at the store where you buy your antique furniture.

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Furniture






One of the main steps in your house remodeling is more likely buying new furniture. Furniture is something that shows the identity of the house. Furniture helps to create a certain and unique style. Eventhough you might think about furniture as a movable asset that does not cost millions and can be easily replaced, you do agree that in a real life we don’t replace furniture very often. That is why it is so important to make a right decision on what kind of furniture you want to buy at the first time.

You might say that it is so easy to buy furniture. What is a bookshelf – 2 boards connected with 3, 4 or more other boards (shelves). How can it be difficult to buy one. Well… there are a lot of choices to be made from.

First you should decide what kind of colour of furniture you want to buy. Colour is very important, because you want to keep a room in a uniform style, and therefore, have all furniture in a similar color. Depending on the colour, you go to the next step – furniture type. You can choose teak furniture or mahagony furniture, rosewood furniture or maple furniture, aspen furniture or cedar furniture, pine furniture or simply blockboards. You can also choose other materials like Stainless Steel, Tempered glass and Polycarbonate fibreglass for furniture.

The next step is furniture design. Design is an unlimited topic. It goes as far as your imagination. Don’t hurry with the furniture design. Make a clear picture in your mind on what kind of furniture design you would like to have before you go to the store. You should decide if you want curved or rectilinear furniture; Antique furniture or modern and How high the furniture set should be and how big. And only after this should you go to the specific store and buy the one that would suit you the most.

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Carpets






When you are thinking about house renovation you most likely will begin with replacing or changing your current flooring. One of the options for you would be carpeting. Well, carpets are the most popular floors now. It is not only because carpets have been used as flooring for ages. It is also because of several very important advantages.

One of the advantages is the variety in prices. You can find very inexpensive carpets and very expensive carpets. If the design of your house is in antique style, you can find antique style carpets. They might cost more then other carpets, but the result of having antique carpets will be amazing.

Carpets are also very good for those who have children. Carpets can be very soft and protect your child while falling down or things that will fall down. Carpets also help to keep your feet warm. This might be a very valuable function especially for those who live in places with very cold weather.

You can find carpets with different designs and colors. You can create your own design. The good thing is that you can even install carpets by yourself. This will prevent you the trouble of contractor placing carpet details in a different way than you intended. Doing it yourself will also help you save money.

Carpets are very easy to clean. Just don’t forget to consult with the sales personnel who sells
you the carpet about what kind of the cleaning powder to be used.

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Laminate Flooring






This webpage is about laminate floors. It will give you an idea of why laminate floors are Sso popular?

Laminate flooring has a big variety in price range. Laminate flooring can be one of the cheapest types of flooring or it can be expensive depending on the quality. The good news is that laminate flooring is very easy to install. You can even do it by yourself and save money on professional services. Doing something by yourself is not such a bad idea, because in this case you can make your floor look exactly like you want it. You can choose from a huge variety in laminate floors' colours and design.

You might need to know that there are three different laminate floors: glue-less, pre-glued at the factory, and laminate flooring that requires special glue. Browse the internet to get more information about these different types and what kind of laminate floor will be the best for you. You can also ask for professional advice at the store or meet with construction companies and ask them.

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Bamboo Flooring






Home renovation is not an easy process. There is no quick way to do it when you want to have a result of your dreams. If you are changing your flooring, this information can be useful for you. This page is specifically about bamboo flooring. Bamboo flooring is very popular these days. One of the reasons why bamboo flooring might be so popular is because of price. Bamboo flooring would not cost you that much. Bamboo mainly grows in China.

Another reason of bamboo flooring popularity is probably because it looks nice. The bamboo flooring looks actually very stylish.

From the manufacturer's point of view, bamboo flooring and bamboo itself is a very good material. It grows much faster than regular wood. Bamboo regenerates every five years, at the same time hardwood takes from 15 to 100 years, depending on the wood. Bamboo is superior to wood in terms of hardness, stability and elasticity.

What you should keep in mind about bamboo flooring is that the bamboo flooring installation process is not so easy. You have to follow all instructions and be very careful. Ask for professional help to install bamboo flooring.


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Flooring






Flooring is one of the main parts in your house. It is one of the major things you want to change or replace when it comes to home remodeling. There are a lot of different floors on the market. Your choices are not so limited. You will need to make a search to find the best and optimal solution in flooring.

Perhaps, you never realized how vast the variety of flooring is. You can have ceramic, vitrified, granite or marble floors; or even laminate flooring or carpets, bamboo flooring or hardwood floors, concrete flooring or cork floors and so on. So, you need to get more information about flooring, that will help you to make a final decision.

Before you make a decision what kind of flooring you want to have in a particular area or areas of your house you should make a list of important things or qualities that a floor should have. It can be based on functionality: for example for the kitchen the flooring should be easy to clean; for children's-room you might think about having soft floor. Or, it could be a budget issue. It even can be a style issue. We encourage you to browse the internet to find out all pros and cons about different floors. Check our web-site for more information as well. Find the flooring that will optimize your needs and will completely satisfy you. It is very possible to find a flooring that will meet your finance as well as functionality needs.


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Interior Doors






For some people interior doors are the starting point in home renovation process, for others it’s the very last. The most important thing is to understand that interior doors are very important. They help to complete the architectural style and design of your house. You can match your interior doors to your exterior doors or not- it is your choice. You will be very surprised by the flexibility and choices you will have, regardless of if you’ll want to have unique interior doors or not.

So, the decision you’ll have to make will start with the choice of material for the interior doors. You can have wooden interior doors or fiberglass. If you go with wooden interior doors your choice will range from Teak and Irulwood to Mahogany and Rosewood.

The other important point that you have to keep in mind is to choose the interior doors' architectural style. There are some questions you can ask yourself- Would you like to have modern interior doors or classic ones, should all your interior doors be of the same sort or not, what kind of patio doors you would like to have. Despite the fact that patio doors are exterior doors they are bearing interior doors' attributes. Your choice also ranges on whether you’d like to have french, swinging or sliding patio doors. You should also remember that you can ask consultants for guidance and, therefore, simplify the interior door decision.


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Exterior Doors






Even though you might think that exterior doors are the last step in your home renovation, you should always remember that exterior doors are the ones that will give the first impression on all your visitors and friends. This will be how you meet and welcome everyone else. Therefore, exterior doors have a very important aesthetic and functional purpose.

There are choices to make in exterior doors- they can be hardwood or steel, they can be made with fiberglass or even include some plastic details. It is definitely your choice what kind of exterior doors you wish to have.

One of the most popular types of exterior doors is the hardwood one. It’s true that hardwood exterior doors are classic. You can find them in an old traditional design as well as modern ones. Hardwood exterior doors provide a natural warmth, as well as rich appearance to match any architectural style.

If you are looking for a low maintenance exterior door you will probably go with steel doors. They are practical. In this case galvanized steel with custom-fitted polystyrene core installation will be probably the best choice for you. There is definitely the benefit of safety in having steel exterior doors.

As for high-grade fiberglass exterior doors, you may choose them because they are comparable with the beauty of wood with the advantage of easy maintenance in any climate. You should know that fiberglass doors will not dent, crack or split. We hope we gave you couple of ideas about exterior doors and the rest is up to you.


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Doors






If you are on this page you are probably looking for some information about doors. Well, you are at the right place. Doors are something that don’t need a deep research; just a little bit of your time. However, doors still need this time. Your doors' choice should have considered at least two factors: security and design/aesthetics.

Security is especially very important when it comes to entrance doors. There is no need to explain this. One thing we would bring your attention to is that there are different materials that doors can be made of, and this is one of the main keys for your security. Thus metal doors or solid wood doors would be more secure than fiberglass doors.

As to the design point of view, doors are a part of your house and, therefore, your identity. It is your choice which one or ones you will choose. You can keep in mind that the bigger doors you have the bigger and deeper house illusion will be. You can choose the same style for your entry doors as for your internal doors; or not. It is up to you. There are also choices in color and design. You can visit a local store and consult with professionals or search the internet to get a better idea about doors.


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Doors & Windows






Are you looking for doors and windows? We know how hard it is to find details in one place or one web-page that would have information about doors and windows. We have created this article to bring your attention to some details and give you an idea about how to choose doors and windows. Feel free to browse the whole web-site for different aspects of your home renovation process.

Do you know that now you can pretty much choose between any kind of door and window. What kind of doors and windows you are looking for? One design consideration is to match the design of doors and windows. Another is to consider the security/ protection aspect.

There are some issues you might keep in mind when you think about security of your house. Your doors should be able to give you necessary protection. You should feel comfortable and safe in your own house. We would say you want to think about it one time and follow the same idea for all your doors and window.

Doors are kind of face of your house. You can make or buy simple doors and windows or you can order unique ones. At any case, don’t forget that there are choices and choices in colors that you might choose from for your doors, choices in design, choices in materials, choices in size. We would like to bring your attention to the last one. Here is a small tip: the bigger doors and windows you have the bigger illusion of the space and depth they help you create. Think about doors and windows from different points of view. After all, you don’t want to reconstruct or change them soon.


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Kitchen Sinks






Now, kitchen sinks is not just a kitchen tool with primary dishwasher functionality, but an integral part of a kitchen. That is why when you are choosing kitchen sinks, beside the quality, size, functionality and brand factors, you also have to analyse the material a kitchen sinks is made of. Your choice can range from stainless steel to granite. You need to find out pros and cons of each type of kitchen sink.

For example, you should remember that even though stainless steel kitchen sinks are very popular these days, you can’t prevent it from having scratches over time. Therefore, if the scratch-factor is very important to you, you can choose a granite sink. The nice thing about granite is that granite kitchen sinks have a very flexible color-spectrum. So, it will be easy for you to match a kitchen sink to your furniture type, style and color.

When you are choosing a kitchen sink you should also consider functionality and maintenance factors. Thus, for those who like defrosting food, some kitchen sinks can have a hygienic surface especially for this. If you are budget-conscious, you should choose kitchen sinks that will have the lowest maintenance costs. It absolutely does not mean that these kitchen sinks will be the cheapest ones. They might be of the best quality at a reasonable price.


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