After I had finished my Archi Masters I was working for an architecture firm who also did a small amount of work for a volume builder. They were actually a pretty good quality builder and at least got the orientation of their 'pre-designed' plans correct. We had the ability to make minor changes to every job and it pained me to see so many simple to implement passive options not being incorporated. Had most of their clients known that they would be saving MONEY over the longterm by making a few minor changes to suit their site, they all would have done it. The problem is unless someone can sell this idea to them as a financial/lifestyle choice, many just think it is about saving the world. It is a no-brainer if you have in interest in it, but for those who don't know, there is no-one there selling it to them, especially on the lower end of the market.

Hi siriuskey. Not sure how to place the furniture yet. Still trying to work it out.. I am selling my dining table and chairs. My new chairs just arrived today. I bought some hooks to put my mirror up.I am going to order those prints shortly. Also trying to find a round dining table I like. Getting there slowly : Thanks for asking. Thank you Julie. Very kind of you. :) Thank you legendaryflame :)

Hi, I’m very late to this conversation so I apologise for butting in. I refer only to your console table in this pic and you said it looks bulky. I think the issue is the vase and the candlesticks are too similar in height so they add bulk and not enough contrast. I would remove the candlesticks altogether and place the vase offset in front of the picture with the small dish in front again. The picture would be even better if you changed the frame to a white or black with a white matt surrounding the picture, similar to the frame below. Also the lamp casts a yellow light which would be better if it was white. Either it’s the globe or the shade. If the shade, change to an off white or very soft grey. That’s my two cents worth anyway. Hope it helps 😏

The tiles look a browner shade of red . The folding downstairs door looks quite nice ,that cove has potential , that other wall shown is pretty plain and also I hate symetrical , but I assume the design with the small upstairs windows is mainly due to your climate ? It's too late now , but using that design I would have been tempted to do your favoured red bricks up one side or the other of that front or end of the house , from the corner in to the relevant window . And then render the rest in a very light off-white . That would break up the uniformity of that end/side of the house . Oh , but try and keep those 2 break lines as it adds interest . BUT you can't really add that now , as the bricks will be too deep , possibly try a veneer with the bricks sliced down to only be 15-20mm deep ? The other option would be to do a full width planter box in the red bricks across that end , with the house rendered in the very slightly off-white . And then the longer side with the cove , I would render it , have a large terrace the width of that cove but protruding at least as far out the front as it is deep , with 2 150mm diameter wooden poles , and a slightly sloping pergola roof , all stained in charcoal . Possibly have the walls of the cove lined in a warm stained natural wood too , although render would work , and be cheaper too . Maybe have red bricks around the base , or as paths , or even as a planter alongside a path . Basically , that would be your colours -- reddish roof , off-white walls , red brick features , and a charcoal pergola . Plain but modern and effective and noticable , at least in this part of the world .