BEACH HOUSE
8. Recycled window frame display. Put a roadside freebie to good use by decking it out with your favorite beach finds and vacation photos. Whenever you pick up old painted items, be aware that they run the risk of containing lead — if you have young kids around the house, be on the safe side and hang it well out of reach.
2. Driftwood shape. Start by tracing and cutting out a base shape (like the sea horse here) from foam core, poster board or something sturdier like Homasote. Lay your driftwood pieces on top of your design and play around until you get them lined up in a way that fits — you may want to experiment with lining them up straight, making a crosshatch pattern or making them radiate from the center of your design. Small pieces of driftwood can be trimmed to fit with pruners or kitchen shears. When you’re ready, grab a hot-glue gun and start gluing!
Consider orientation. Choosing the best place on your roof to locate a skylight is a critical exercise. Here are the basics: North. Of the four orientations, this provides the coolest color temperature (bluer) and also the most even indirect light. East. Intense early morning light. For the remainder of the day, the light will be similar to that of a north-facing skylight: even and slightly cooler. South. Intense and bright, with a high potential for overheating spaces. Making the window operable will help curtail this. In northern climates a south-facing skylight can help to passively heat a home in the winter. In southern climates a south-facing skylight can introduce extreme cooling loads.
Think bigger. Oftentimes skylights are deployed as small interventions in large spaces. This bathroom illustrates the power of thinking bolder and bigger. The skylight runs the length of the bathing space and a full half of its width. Not only does this preclude the need for lighting during the day, but it reinforces special zones in the space. The bathtub and sink area have a lower ceiling and are by contrast darker. Tip: Consider self-cleaning glass for your skylights; it has a special coating that breaks down surface dirt, leaving it free to be washed away by the rain. The upfront cost is higher, but the long-term advantage is, um, clear.
Bifold doors. Whether you’re on a mission to bring the outside in or vice versa, your success, er, hinges on these glazed beauties. Fold them right back and you effectively remove a wall, opening up the living area and increasing the sense of space. Make sure the floor levels in the house and garden are the same to create a seamless transition between the two.
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