What do you think of this?

Kicking and screaming in my case!!

Sometimes I think we get presented with woeful design because the "design professionals" are simply bored. They want a challenge. They need to strike out into new territory in the hope of discovering something good. They don't care so much if something is good and logical, that's boring for them.

Of course someone does need to push the frontier of design - no argument there, otherwise we'd still be reclining to eat on Roman couches.

Problem is that I feel many designers are like tabloid journalists. They want to shock, or impress, create instant reaction and controversy. It's the 'tame' edge of modern art. It's not whether it's good or bad, it's whether it gets a strong reaction. Reaction = good.

That's what I keep seeing on those TV home shows. Everything is show pony stuff. Rarely do we have advanced thinking applied to ergonomics or building economics; or houses presented with all the things that people usually own & use. Houses are peppered with halogens just because they're fashionable - bugger the fact that for many people they can extremely difficult to reach & replace; that they're expensive to run, and sabotage insulation. Gardens have ridiculous little patches of grass, edging that will simply generate years of useless toil, screens that screen nothing, paths that lead nowhere etc etc

For me "architect-designed" is a synonym for "ugly". Those houses invariably cost a lot more; have a dog's breakfast mix of styles and materials; have no aesthetic symmetry; and will date to a joke.

Phew ! That's my rave for today.

Good rave, Cabinfever!

(((Sometimes I think we get presented with woeful design because the "design professionals" are simply bored. They want a challenge. They need to strike out into new territory in the hope of discovering something good. They don't care so much if something is good and logical, that's boring for them.)))

We must have posted at the same time …..Becouse I missed this one!!!!

I don’t have enough time at the moment to reply to THIS comment…..but question for you Cabinfever……are you a cream, beige man? Do you wear ties even when it’s not necessary?

I’m seeing a banker, lawyer, IT, accountant….someone who is very conservative?

By the way NOT all designers want to shock the hell out of everyone some of us are VERY practical people!!!!

And the award for funniest comment of the year......Royalblue.....come on down!

LOL -
What a classic comment Ash

But that'd be about right. Wild types need calming types to balance them... It's allright mish, we'll keep your secret safe on the internet for you

But hey Cabin, Totally with you - but we can't generallise either.

The green is out there and yes it is not for me, but I would not mind visting a hosue with it. Till it dated then it's out of fashion.

But re architects - Some Achitects are "out there" and lets face it, they became an arhcitect because they like creating and designing things and sometimes they have to push the boundaries to get some break throughs from "What's the norm"

Generally people don't like change, so sometimes you have to shock them so far past what's thought of as acceptable so the public then see's the not so radical as an acceptable change.

As for not being practical - that exisits in all sorts of people and maybe there are more in the architects community who are in that category, but others would be classed as so conservative that they are really glorified draftsmen.
So it's a balance.

I totally agree re the halogen light fest, it is poor for insulation, costly lights etc etc. And that's the media, doing a makeover as cheap as they can, and getting an audience. personally these shows don;t do it forme, I'ma catalyst, OZ story watcher and SBS watcher of their architects shows etc and then I'm otherwise volunteering my time or renovating.

But I do beleive 100% that the right architect can design highly efficient houses to the point that they actually don't even measure up on the basix rating, yet the house can pump out more electricty into the grid every year than it can use, and be extremely energy efficient.

I have personally been to 3 houses this guy designed and they are fantastic, very nice designs, energy efficient and are not always that expensive to build.

http://www.emilis.sa.on.net/emil_80.htm

Yes they do have a different to look to catch the sun etc, but not radically so, and it is time that Australian society learnt that the british house design of brick etc and making it look like a box is not the way we need to go.

Open up the design priciples, let peeople build energy efficent, designs, that are the same or lesser cost to build (Heaps cheaper to keep running) and the world will be a better place.

It has to start with councils not being so bloody minded and closed in their thinking, and govts wanting to open up the guidelines to allow it to happen.

Banning Incadesants is a start.

How about they make some stamp duty concessions for energy efficent houses, half the GST to 5% based on the total house cost and it's true energy rating.

Mandate that the developer must split the blocks to maximise the suns ability to shine onto EVERY block after the houses are built.

Make the architects fees for an energy efficent house design tax deductable.!!!

Yes it will take time, and it needs some radical designs to help people think outside the box and move out of their own comfortable little worlds.

But it is possible.

Thats my rant !!!

Passion is a wonderful thing !!!
Steve

Aaahh Michelle, I was wondering how he could manage 4 professions. Quite a dynamic guy I guess.

Funnily enough, I see CabinFever as female, over 30 and a more down to earth person who lives a more practical life. I also suspect that she is very creative but in a more practical and thought out type of way.

A well designed house should look good but more importantly be easy to live in. I think a merger of Michelles and Cabinfevers ideas would probably be the ideal balance.

3xb

So Cabinfever…what gender are you…..I always thought you were man?

Male?
Girl?
Dude?
Lady?
Chap?
Dame?
Gent?
Miss?
Bird?

Still confused.

I love the lime green kitchen.

We used lime (Porters paints) as a feature wall in our daughter's room. It looked fantastic with white and blue and it is amazing how much of it is used as an accent colour in kids bedlinen and curtain fabrics. The only challenge is that we found we had to be careful we didn't confuse it with apple. I bought a couple of items for her room and found that apple and lime do not live together very well at all .

I am tossing up whether to use lime in our kitchen as a feature i.e. glass splashback. Here's hoping it will look good against white cupboards, walls & composite benchtop. Throw in some stainless steel and hey presto ... you have our new kitchen.

The other bonus is that IMO green looks great against wooden floors.