Agree wiuth Barbara and anyone thinking iof putting a paint-loaded brush or roller anywhere near a vintage timber piece of furniture..."it would be a... SIN! Seems the compulsion of the mass renovcators is to paint everything....and its the easiest solution. Don't think happy renovators and DIY-ers have changed much over the years either. I have just finished stripping five coats of enamel from the most beautiful set of silky oak french doors with etched frosted glass...how many SINS there!!! Silky oak is an open grain timber so the last coats had to be done by the funny little man out in his bush shack restoration shed...and Oh what a beautiful job! I am over the moon and do not care what it cost...although it was not a lot compared to what I'd have paid in Sydney. Here a tip for any appreciators...(.if there are any left) of fine timbers. All you need is an old enamel bath tub and gallons of metholated spirits....just give it a bath and save yourself hours of scraping and fumes and burns. SORRY about the deviatiuon but this is my latest Soap Box...don't paint vintage timber! About your problem Wendi, I think, with Barbara, wait until you have your whole dining set and then stain the piece to fit in with the timber in that...( unless you are going to get a white one...( tongue in cheek). I've seen some really nice dining sets with the best of both ...legs and table frame in a (cringe) painted colour and table top in timber...saw a really desirable inlaid table top at my favourite little man's shed last week..the rest was painted and had a drawer for each place....with old metal handles. Legs were on castors.. The chair seats were upholstered...but needed recovering and the frames were metal...could have been an alloy of sorts. The combination of unpainted- stained timber..especially in inlay, with the painted parts, the metal frames and upholstered chairs just fitted together perfectly...so best of both. You migh be lucky enough to find the perfect table with a natural timber top...( and I wish you to find one with an inlaid design featurting timbers of different hues....) then your lovely little cabinet/sideboard might fit perfectly! There are some lovely timber stains around today...timber can be stained any colour...as long as its a transparent dye. A wonderful product is FEZLAC...that's the base and it is a shellac. To this you add the stain -colour you want. I've used it to put designs (fake inlay) on the backs of some really lovely old chairs...imitating the different natural timber hues in real inlay....So above are a few words, tales and suggestions that I hope will inspire you NOT to paint that cabinet.

I'm a big fan of black as both a statement and accents (e.g. high gloss kitchen bench tops and splash backs, matte black main vanity and floor tiles, lounge, Art Deco sideboard etc). It seems to collect and show dust on the floor more than most, and can suck a lot of light depending on its location and application. Why not 'test drive' your black flooring idea (cheaply) with some wide black gardening plastic from a hardware store for a few weeks before committing to an expensive and potentially irreversible step. The plastic can always be used as a drop sheet later! You may find that having your black in furniture (such as Japanned table or sideboard) and accessories, together with the odd touch of jarrah, may be the look and colour balance you seek.

Hi Clareg4 - Thankyou for your kind remarks on my comments, in reading your reply I'm a little bit more aware of your intentions. Although you have mentioned the northerly aspect it would be a help to mark the north position on the drawings if you could. There are a few more comments in regards to the overall process and the look of the proposal that you might like to consider. In the face of the building - the general entry it might be more pleasant to make more prominent the part of the building forms the entry - thus that part is closer to the street and service areas like the garage would recede further back. This mighty need to be repeated on the other side to retain balance. At the moment the whole of the front is basically on a straight line, with the garage actually being more forward than the rest of the remaining part of the house. The emphasis to people coming to the house is the garage - not the entry, and maybe verandahs that might surround the entry should be further forward. It might be interpreted as if you are saying that the garage is the most important part of your house, as it is the "item in front" of the rest. One of the ways that you can save money in any Building Design, is to detail your spaces in such a way that all your furniture is included. This will allow you to trim where you have wasted space, and reduce any space due to excess circulation. This might require further detailing but it will show up areas of wasted or bad circulations and large areas. When you consider that building cost might average $2,000 a M2 or more, if you reduce your area by 10 M2 you have saved $20,000, and 10 M2 is not much on a project of this size. Also if you have 3D software number of views are always good to get an understanding of the proposal especially if you have to "sell/include/convince/persuade" other stakeholders in the project. (If you can not do the 3D pay someone to do it, the investment is generally worth the cost - there is also free software that you can use on the web - found by a simple search) Some of the windows in the kitchen- opposite the bench top - which I assume are facing north might be a bit abundant making the work areas very hot in summer. You might consider reducing the number of windows and/or increasing the eaves - a 1meter square window due north in summer is equivalent to a 1 bar electric radiator - not only would make the areas difficult to work on, but food would spoil very quickly in summer. relocating the kitchen might provide a more pleasant solution. I notice in the initial design that you have a verandah outside the laundry which I assume you were trying to include a "mud room area". In my humble experience with the countryside I must say that mud room proper is a must - there is nothing like putting your gum boots in the morning and finding out that the occasional friendly creature has crawled in during the night - not a good feeling. Also, it is good to have a proper storage for coats, jackets, boots weeps and leads. These items tend to be expensive and generally need regular maintenance as to avoid frequent replacement. I noticed, or I missed it, that you have not provided any spaces for pets like dogs washing facilities, or cat litter areas in the laundry. You might consider this a little trite but it helps to avoid issues later on, again larger scale detail of the laundry areas and say mud room might allow for this consideration for the nonhumans that might share yours and your family life. Your proposed position of the pool is certainly well placed, if you are keeping that layout it would work well. However, you would have to include the pool immediately after you finish building as a bushfire will always occur when you don't expect it, especially if you were going to build the pool "the following year". It would be good to include you fire rating assessor (BAL - if in Victoria) and your energy rater as early as possible, this will help in reducing costs in re-design. If you can afford it, you should look at windows that have a "thermal break" this means that you have windows that are low maintenance and good energy performers, they do tend to be a little expensive especially when you include double or triple glazing and high performing glass. I hope my comments are of some worth, not all might be applicable but if it improved the overall result it is always worth while. You might also like to look at my website FAQ for further points in the construction and design process. FAQ's http://www.newhomedesign.com.au/index.php/faqs-article-based General Website http://www.newhomedesign.com.au/index.php Wish you the best with the project. Michael Manias - mm407p@gmail.com - working online from Tasmania, Victoria, NSW, to Northen Queensland and Western Australia. Serving clients using Skype, Dropbox, Google drive and other Building Design Software and other methods as requested by the client.

Tricks to clean parquet floor You seem intimidated by cleaning parquet floors, don't you? Most architects and designers love wooden floors. Provides a classic and formal tone to both homes and premises or offices. However, despite its innumerable advantages, cleaning and maintenance can be intimidating. Do not worry! Today in the cleaning company we bring information about the characteristics and tricks for the care of the parquet floor . Wood floors are ideal for cold climates; they constantly contribute to the warmth of the place and are easy to combine. Wood provides prestige and beauty to any space; depending on the type of wood and its proper maintenance, you will give durability to your house or apartment. Among the disadvantages of wooden floors, is the incompatibility with water or general humidity. With parquet floors, ‌forget about scrubbing and scrubbing the floor as if it were ordinary tiles. Wood needs to be kept dry, so with a slightly damp mop you can keep it clean and hygienic without drowning it. Parquet floor Parquet is a floor covering in hardwood such as oak or chestnut, which includes a classic and traditional design. The parquet boards can come in different formats, which by joining them and creating the design, different shades can be highlighted that, with the help of natural light, decorate your home authentically. Do you know how to clean it? In the cleaning company we have cleaning professionals in the area, who together with the best tools and products will solve your life in a short time. We invite you to read our recommendations to leave your parquet floor impeccable. Parquet Floor Types glued parquet The term “glued” is assigned thanks to its way of installation, as it translates as fixed or adhered to the base; I did this before polishing and after varnishing the wood. This type of parquet floor has a top layer of resistant wood such as oak, which guarantees its durability. Floating parquet or flooring This installation technique has become increasingly popular among households because of the speed and economic effect of its execution. Floating parquet, as its name implies, is not attached to the floor, and therefore, an insulating sheet and polyethylene foam must be placed between the floor and the parquet in order to ease the irregularities of the floor and the pieces of wood that are joined. We properly applied each other's staples or screws. Industrial parquet This type of parquet is thicker than the aforementioned glued parquet and parquet flooring, since we made it with the leftovers from the selection of wood. Contrary to your impression, when reading what we described above, industrial parquet is of very good quality. Its. resistance is proven, and it also provides a visual aspect similar to a mosaic that, by adding a special enamel or oil, presents spectacular finishes. Cleaning techniques for parquet floor Among the general conditions for the good maintenance of the parquet is the fact of avoiding excess water at all costs and scratches on the floor because of moving furniture, rubbing of chairs, furniture and in case you have pets at home! Pay close attention to them! Because their nails usually cause irreparable damage on this type of floor. Remember that we install the parquet evenly, and once the boards have been applied and sealed, the only way to replace them is to complete. Besides this, it is important to note that if you buy a specific brand product to clean your parquet floor, you must follow its instructions to the letter to avoid counterproductive results. We will describe below a variety of easy and quick-to-apply homemade mixtures so that you safely experience the cleaning of your parquet floor: Natural oils: allies of the parquet floor In a bucket with approximately 4 liters of water, add 10 drops of the essential oil of your choice (lavender, tea tree, eucalyptus or lemon and pine) and mop the floor. You will get a shiny parquet and a pleasant and perfumed atmosphere in the rooms that apply it. Vinegar and Soap Vinegar has become popular among recipes and mixtures for the effective cleaning of different areas, and parquet is no exception. Dissolve approximately 50 ml of vinegar in 4 liters of water and a tablespoon of soap powder, rinse the floor with the help of the mop and let it dry. Sodium bicarbonate Baking soda powder is ideal for treating scratches on parquet flooring; sprinkle a little on the affected area, and with the help of an atomizer spray a mixture of water and vinegar, then you will remove it with the help of a clean cloth, delicately and smooth until you see them disappear. To finish, we recommend that if your parquet floor is old, and you have seen it lose its shine over time, try polishing it with the help of a professional cleaning company in Melbourne. You may also contact a cleaning company for a tailored quote if you don't have such a tool.