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Designing your perfect home is often a monumental task. People often have dozens of ideas or have seen many references they would like to incorporate. Articulating these ideas can be overwhelming in itself. So, today we are going to take you step by step through the process of creating your brief. By following these steps, you will be able to communicate your ideas in a clear and organised fashion.

First things first, understand that there are two type of briefs. The visual and the written, also known as the aesthetic and the functional. Let’s start with the written.

The functional brief:

1. Observe your current living situation. Take notes on how you live, how you move throughout the spaces. You need to understand how you use rooms, because you don’t want to design a house that doesn’t work for you.
2. With these notes, start compiling a detailed list. The key is to prioritise what is more important. Of course all aspects of what you want is important, but we need to know which ones take priority over others. I would suggest marking these from 1-10 for example.
3. Give examples! Once you have your list, give a couple of examples of how you actually use the space so that your designer and builder can ensure they are producing a finish product that reflects what you want and need.
4. Once you have your list outlining how the smaller spaces work individually. Think about them on a larger scale. How do you want the floor plan to work and the circulation of the house to flow? Do you want direct access to the outdoors from certain rooms? Do you require certain bedrooms to be on the ground floor and away from stairs etc. Note this in the next section.

The aesthetic brief:

1. Okay, I am assuming here that you already have about 200 pictures saved on your Pinterest board. Don’t worry, we have a lot more. It’s time however to cut these down. Section up your board into rooms, landscape and general external house finishes.
2. Choose your colour palette. Your preferred colours generally will pop up in patterns of the photos that you save onto your new boards. Make sure you sick to these hues and tones. If worst comes to worst you can change it later – but have an organised order of direction for now.
3. Include atmospheric image references too. This is super important because you do want your house to be a home, and for your home to be healthy and enjoyable place for you to be in.
4. Mark it all up! Highlight, circle, write notes next to the actual aspects of the image you like. This is helpful if you take a step away from the brief and cant remember exactly why you liked it in the first place.

Finally, understanding exactly why you are doing the design, how you want it to work and how you want it to look will enable you to be able to navigate the many decisions that come with the territory.

If you need help organising your thoughts for your project, please contact us today!

Indoor Outdoor

Outdoor rooms and synergy between the outdoors and indoors have become a sought-after feature in homes. As our summers linger longer it makes sense to have more of the outdoors indoors. Also consider the titillating feeling of winter sun radiating warmth through us and bringing positivity and circulation to our lives and our veins. Indoor-outdoor connections in architecture can create spaciousness and enable us to make maximum use of every square metre we call home.

Celebs who inspire, such as George Clooney, Ellen DeGeneres, Ralph Lauren, Diane Keaton and Khloé Kardashian to name a few; have all made stunning outdoor rooms part of their living experiences. However even those who are restricted by budget and space can still plan a clever contemporary indoor-outdoor space. Roth Architecture has designed for both ends of the spectrum.

Alex Roth believes there’s something cosy about an outdoor room surrounded by rooms “It can be likened the centre of the nest and if it’s north facing can be a great light and sun collector which really makes the whole place sing.”  This natural light can be transformative for our mental state. There’s also something tropical about making a room such as the kitchen a stylish pass through between the inside and outside of your property and this can open the house dramatically.

Roth lived in Japan in between finishing one university degree and starting his second. He was completely inspired by Japanese architecture. “They are so genius and masterful at what they do; you’ll usually find Japanese design themes in my work.”

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Roth architecture can help you to figure out the goals of your outdoor room; is it a place to find inner peace and calm, or a place to entertain or both? You’ll want it to be a place of beauty. It may be a more casual pared down version of what’s going on inside, or something quite different, providing a graceful surprise factor. Roth is never short of thoughtful clever touches when it comes to his designs.

Roth can only ever recall being fascinated by space. His lifelong curiosity about perfecting his surroundings is a fundamental part of what drives him to push boundaries. “It’s such a good feeling when you open people’s world up for them through your designs.” He’s thought about how to dissolve the edges of your home to give that indoor-outdoor connection.

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He understands how features such as foldaway walls can provide the flexibility you crave in relation to your space. You might use awnings that help bring the outside inside, small pools, pocket doors, lush green foliage, gorgeous rugs, a fire place or pit, wooden slats, oversized tiles and lavish pots or sculptures. The way the timber of kitchen cabinets matches door frames and decking can reinforce the sense of cohesion between the inside yin and the outside yang. Rooms without corners and glass bifold doors with multiple ceiling skylights, perfect blending of the elements, innovative and ingenious use of light can all be facets of bringing the outdoors in and taking the inside out.

If you’ve been fantasising about introducing the indoor-outdoor element to your home be assured that Roth Architecture has a strong relationship and experience with these design features. Outdoor rooms are the kind of renovations that can often be easily implemented and bring much lightness and joy to everybody who resides in the dwelling and thrill the visiting guests.

Colour theory has been explored by human creatives for centuries. We can track the thoughts and beliefs throughout poems, art and writings. The same research has transgressed into the 21st century, with studies focusing on how colour can effect mood and what mood colours procedure. This idea has particularly taken the limelight in recent years with mental wellbeing a topic of much discussion. As interior designers and architects, the spaces we create are created with the aim of nurturing a sense of wellbeing, so understanding colour is important to us.

Today, we will explore different colours and the effects they produce, as well as where you should place them for the greatest result.

colour

red & clay:

An emotionally charged colour, red is linked to breathing, the stimulation of the heartbeat and general circulation. This colour is helpful to be around when you wish to raise your pulse, but also be mindful of it. As it is quite intense, we tend to recommend using it as an accent piece in furniture or decorative ornaments. Try using terracotta as an alternative solution if you enjoy this colour family but don’t want the rush.

white & clay:

Society links white with calming and pure energy. While this is true, it is also suggested that using more raw colours such as clay and raw earthy tones. Its is the perfect colour to place in your bedroom to create a connection to nature and earth. It’ll also still create the pure and calming atmosphere without feeling like you are in a hospital sterile setting.

blue & green:

Both green and blue encourage relaxation and calm. They are both also useful devices when trying to combat illness or pains. Blue in particular is known to help with stomach and muscle pain while green is linked to fighting infection. Of course overall, they both link back to mother nature and act as refreshments to the environment. Always try and place greenery via plants within the space. When possible decorate with touches or blue or position the seating towards a view of a window and sky to keep that connection alive.

yellow & orange:

Optimism and joviality has being linked to this colour but when it is too bright also associates with the activation of the anxiety centre of the brain. Therefore, the lightest shades will be the option to choose when looking for a stimulating and revitalising environment, but you must be careful with the brightest yellow as it could evoke negative connotations. Orange, as yellow, suggests health and vitally, yet again, when too bright it can be too exciting. A great option to place these colours is to use them in a piece or a few pieces of decoration as a way to accentuate the good qualities that the colours evoke without making it overwhelming.

purple & pink:

Historically related to the royalty, it evokes luxury. The lightest shades will provoke a calming effect in the brain. Pink is portrayed as an innocent colour and usually linked to femininity. A nice option to place in a bedroom.

Take into account that colour reflects light. The darker the colour, the more light it will absorb; and the lighter, the more light it will reflect. That will be important when thinking about the aspect of the environment you are trying to create.

If you need help with planning your renovation or your future home, office or commercial property than give us a call today. We aim to collaborate to create a space that is healthy and happy. while being functionally perfect and aesthetically pleasing.

Tags: architecture, art, colour, design, education, interior, tips

The Life of Frank Lloyd Wright

Today we take a look at the life and work highlights from one of the worlds most influential artists. Frank Lloyd Wright is an iconic and widely known architect among the architecture industry. He has contributed and guided the direction of the profession and left us with structures we can admire and learn from even in today’s day and age.

EARLY LIFE:

Frank was born to William Wright and Anna Lloyd Jones, a preacher and a teacher. While his birth town was Richland Centre, Wisconsin, due to his fathers profession the family travelled quite often, living between Rhone Island, Iowa and Massachusetts. Also due to his parents professions, the family did not have financial stability.

In 1885 following the divorce of his parents, Frank began working for the dean of the University of Wisconsins engineering department in order to assist the household’s financial situation. While he would of learnt a lot during this role, it is said that he was already aware that he wanted to become an architect.

Following this position, Frank travelled to Chicago where he worked at a couple of firms before landing a role at Adler and Sullivan. It is here that he worked directly under Louis Sullivan in a stint that lasted six years. It is through this that he and his bride Catherine Lee Tobin were able to build their own home together. After settling on a five year contract with the firm, Frank and Catherine purchased a lot in Oak Park and built an East Coast Shingle Style residence with a gable roof.

This structure showcases his skills and his love of experimenting with geometric shapes and his love for the home continued as he added to it as they added to their growing family of six children.

COMING INTO HIS OWN:

After going out on his own (and causing a rift that lasted twenty years) Frank opened his own office and began to design homes for his own clientele. With his very first commission being the William H. Winslow House, he started gaining a reputation with the local population. He became known for his low-pitched roofs, deep overhangs and long horizontal shapes, with the aim to create the new standard for American architecture.

Some of the most iconic buildings he completed during the next few years include the following:

• The Darwin D. Martin House, Buffalo, New York, 1903
• The Avery Clooney House, Riverside, Illinois, 1907
•  The Frederick C. Robie House, Chicago, 1908
• The Larkin Company Administration Building, Buffalo, New York, 1903
• The Unity Temple in Oak Park, 1905

After a break in Europe from 1909, Frank returned with his new wife to start back up his architectural practice. He received commissions that took him over seas to Tokyo, where he worked on the Imperial Hotel. Following the death of his second wife, he worked on a number of projects in Los Angeles including the Hollyhock House and Olive Hill.

For a decade after this time of rejuvenation, Frank experienced a creative and financial downfall. While he still worked on commissions here and there, his home ‘was repossessed by the bank. He was eventually shielded from any further financial loss when some admirers set up a corporation which owned his properties, talents and even debts.

From 1929 Frank took up lecturing in Chicago, New York and New Jersey due to the market crash which halted all architectural works in America.

When the economy improved Frank was commissioned to create a weekend home near Pittsburgh. This commission would come to be known as ‘Fallingwater’ and would be one of his most recognisable pieces of work. This, along with his next commission the admin centre for S.C Johnston would be the reason for the influx of commissions of all types and sizes. The biggest would be the Guggenheim Museum in New York City and the Marin Count government centre in San Francisco.

Frank died on April 9 1959 due to complications from an operation. His legacy however, lives on till this day.