A good way to make a room look expensive at a fraction of the cost is to mix standard sized windows with customised highlights. This gives you the best of both worlds, with the major part of the window being a large standard size and the smaller custom parts being less expensive. You can also create the look of customised full height windows by adding an infill panel at the bottom of the window section so it can reach the ceiling.

Deciding on the window frame material is also key. The two main options are timber and aluminium with brushed steel a third, yet pricey option. Aluminium is of course cheaper than timber and comes in a range of finishes and colours. It requires basically no upkeep and does not warp with temperature variations. The downside of aluminium is that it can look a little stark if left unpainted and the thermal properties are not as good as timber as timber.

Timber is an elegant option that can give warmth and character to a room but can cost substantially more. A good budget conscious option is to use Victorian ash timber windows which are much cheaper and come pre primed to reduce painting costs.

There are many options when it comes to suppliers depending primarily on the budget. Brio are some of the best in the business with many years of experience primarily with bifold doors and accordion style windows which can really open up a space. All their window frames whether timber or aluminium use top quality door hardware and stainless steel bearings for years of smooth function.

With windows being one of the largest factors in cold and heat entering and exiting a house it makes sense to opt for double glazing in all your windows. These days the cost is really surprisingly small and the benefit immense to both your comfort and the environment.

Anyone that has ever renovated can attest that careful planning and communication is key to making your renovation succeed on time and on budget. Make sure you take the time and really consider what you want to achieve from your renovation before the wrecking ball starts swinging.

It seems like an obvious question, but think carefully about which rooms you want to renovate. I have seen it time and time again that someone will invest in a beautiful, modern new kitchen and not touch the outdated living room that sits right next to it. Consider how the renovated room will affect adjoining areas and plan accordingly to ensure spaces flow and consistency is upheld throughout the whole dwelling. It can be as simple as using the same colour in the adjoining room or making minor modifications to floor coverings etc.

You also obviously have to be realistic and ask yourself how much you can really afford to spend. Having tons of amazing design ideas is great and be sure to let yourself be inspired by looking at lots of references, but make sure you then source accurate quotes (which might bring you back down to earth). Remember also that there often hidden costs involved that your contractor may not have included in their quote. These include accommodation for you if you have to move out for a few months, lighting fixtures, furniture and appliances. Make sure you ask your designer if these costs are included in the quote.

Once you budget is locked in, you’ll need to consider exactly how you intend to use the new space. Will it be a space for you to entertain guests, or for you to entertain yourself and your family? Will the cook have the run of the kitchen or will it be more of a communal family space. Do you have lots of things to store or are you lucky enough to have liberated yourself from too many possessions and can live in a minimalist style. Do you have kids that need their own space or toy storage. All these decisions can dramatically effect the overall design success of the renovation.

Colours have been proven to affect people’s moods, so make sure you tell your designer your colour preferences from the start. Do you like bold and bright, muted and warm, dark and moody, natural and earthy. The best idea is to have a look online at colour combinations that you like and then show these to your designer to see if they will work with the space and furnishings you already have. You really have three choices – keep with the current style of the dwelling, or take a more a radical completely different approach, or combine elements of both.

Sure, there is a place for small, traditionally hinged swinging doors in most houses, even hyper modern contemporary architecture. For many people however, its simply the mentality of “if its not broken, don’t fix it” coming to the fore and stopping them from enjoying the many benefits of Bifold Doors and Exterior Folding Doors in their homes. I have compiled the major benefits in this article, so read on and dive in and do away with your old doors!

A particularly good application for Bifold Doors is to link the interior of a building with the outside world, be it a garden, patio, wooden deck or courtyard. Unlike traditionally hinged doors or older sliding doors which generally only open half of the available space, bifold doors fold back to just a few centimetres, vastly improving the amount of space that can be utilised. This can really create a seamless transition from inside to out, allowing fresh air and light inside the building.

Added security is another reason to choose modern Exterior Folding Doors over older style Sliding Doors as the locks used on older doors are quite basic and easily broken creating easy access for intruders. Indeed, some insurers view them as such a bad security flaw that they may increase their premium accordingly. Most of Brio’s doors come standard with high quality Hardware for Folding Doors including sturdy locking systems and when installed by a professional provide class leading security. Brio creates high quality door hardware products and can use double or triple glazed glass for maxium energy efficiency.

The modern range of bifold doors have increased usability over old style doors as they are very easy to operate for people of all ages. Modern doors fold on needle bearings which are super smooth, near frictionless and virtually maintenance free. So what are you waiting for? Take the plunge and re invigorate your home.

One of the first things you need to consider is how you will access the deck. If you already have doors with good door hardware that lead outside, nice one, you’re on the way! If you don’t, you’ll need to add an opening which can increase costs quite a bit. The huge trend – and for good reason- is to install large glass bifold doors, sliding doors or some other form of exterior folding systems that enables you to completely remove any barrier between the house and the deck area. Be sure to select sliding and folding door hardware that suits your house and your deck – best to consult a professional architect on which doors to choose.

The next big decision you need to make is what material the deck will be made from. The main options are natural timber, or composite boards. Previously, timber has been the go to material for decks as it looks and feels great. However, timber requires a lot more maintenance such as oiling and washing compared to composite board. These days, composite boards are about 50% more expensive than natural timber but can pay for themselves over time due to being virtually maintenance free. Whatever you decide, there are a range of exterior folding doors that will match your choice perfectly and provided they use quality stainless steel door hardware, will give many  years of hassle-free use.

No matter where you live, you’ll want to consider some sort of covering over the deck, for either sun, wind or rain protection. Shading a deck can be relatively easy, by simply adding some large sun umbrellas which now come in excellent designs to easily retract when not in use. Protection from wind and rain can be more involved however with more permanent structures needing to be built. A great way to maximise the use of a deck can be to include a roof or awning that can be retracted when not needed. The next step is to basically enclose the deck area with large exterior folding hardware or sliding doors that virtually create a multipurpose indoor/outdoor space, which can be used in the nastiest of weather. A good idea if going to this length, is to also incorporate a pleated insect screen in the design to let you enjoy your newly created space rather than being eaten alive by mosquitoes and midges.

Are churches a great place reside? Well with over 17,000 churches sold over England the answer seems to be a resounding yes! It’s Britain’s favourite conversion, beating even barn conversions for the number one spot. However, although churches attract large groups of buyers to viewings, many people have second thoughts when it comes to the crunch, realising that it’s just too different for them.

If you are considering renovating a church yourself, take care and budget wisely as many are listed as heritage buildings and therefore need specialised work by certified craftsmen. Furthermore, many churches have large internal original features that may prove stubborn to convert into separate rooms. An effective solution can be to create pods inside the main space which use large sliding doors or bifold doors to gain entry. This way spaces can be opened or closed as desired whilst keeping the natural large volume of the church intact. I have even seen pods that move on sliding door tracks, allowing the owners to rearrange their interior as they require.

Depending on the design of the church, natural light can sometimes be hard to come by as many churches have long narrow windows that do not open and may not be allowed to be altered. However, church buildings have door entry points that can be updated to modern glass exterior folding doors or sliding doors to allow lots of natural light and air to enter the building and increase the connection to outdoors. Astute decisions need to be made however when selecting door hardware to keep the aesthetic complimentary to overall look of the church. Luckily there are many manufacturers out there such as Brio and stegbar that make quality folding door hardware to suit pretty much all looks.

Polished concrete is the flooring of choice for many modern homes and renovations. You have a lot of possibilities to work with as many colours and finishes look great against the muted grey that concrete offers. Renovating a kitchen offers you the chance to warm up that concrete if you wish by using timber or bright colours. The rich natural tones of the timber cabinetry will balance nicely with the concrete floor. Choose bright reds, oranges or yellow to give a modern industrial space a hit of fun and vibrancy and stop a space feeling too cold or austere.

Timber flooring in a host of styles and colours is also very popular option. Timber floors are very forgiving when it comes to kitchen parings. White, black and most colours work well with a light toned timber floor. Even timber veneer will look great provided you have enough white or neutral space to give all the timber some breathing room. Just make sure the tones of the two timbers play nicely together – for example if you have a grey toned cabinets and a light timber floor the floor may look too warm in comparison.

Tiled flooring has the benefits of polished concrete without the costs and works well with minimalist designs. If you have light coloured tiles, best to accommodate some contrast in your kitchen to avoid a white on white austere clinical look (unless you like this of course). Consider using some dark browns, greys or blacks in the kitchen – dark timber veneer also adds some richness and contrast to white tiles. Coloured glass splashbacks look great when paired with timber and light tiles. can deny The ever stylish black and white tiled floor works well with white, traditional and contemporary kitchens.

Lets be honest, in Europe and Britain we tend to spend quite a bit of time indoors because of the weather. We long for natural light and the sun. Natural light is completely free and makes us feel great! So how can you get more natural light into an existing home – remove those heavy curtains and install Bifold Doors. Doing so will open up your living spaces and reduce the division between outside and inside. Just make sure your get experts such as Brio to supply and install the doors with the correct Door Hardware and have all Bottom Rolling Hardware, Sliding Door Tracks and Hardware for Folding doors regularly checked and maintained. Nothing is worse than a squeaky door or doors that do not slide effortlessly. Brio’s hardware is some of the best in the business so make sure you take a look at their range if you decide to make the leap.

Fresh air – we can’t live without it. It makes us feel alive, keeps us healthy and costs nothing. If you are thinking of renovating your home, consider installing complete Exterior Folding Systems or Glass Sliding Doors that can be opened up to let fresh air and natural light in. You will also get the added benefit of increasing the living area of your home by bringing the outside in. Your mind and body will love you for it and with so many options on the market to suit every architectural style imaginable, there is really no better time to get back to nature in the comfort of your home.

Brio offers door hardware  and bifold doors which is a start for the hardworking handyperson. Once you have used a Brio system for opening and closing your patio doors you will not look elsewhere. High quality workmanship and the use of durable and good quality items means that Brio can offer what other firms cannot.

The exterior folding systems are designed for the wear and tear of opening and closing for parties or family get-to-gethers or just a delightful dinner on the patio of a summer or spring evening. The beautiful look and feel of Brio makes it possible to entertain in a very formal fashion if that is your plan. Likewise, the sensitive and neat structures allow for informal opening of rooms and outdoor spaces.

It is important to locate your patio in such a way as to ensure adequate light and shade, whatever the season requires. This will ensure your patio is well-used. If it is sunny and warm you may even be able to open up your doors on a winters day in cooler climates.

Consider such things as breeze and wind direction when deciding where to locate your patio. Seasonal characteristics, temperature ranges and north facing are considerations which are vitally important. In our southern hemisphere, that northern sun is ideal in winter, and in summer the sun is higher overhead and less likely to be a problem with a well-designed plan. If the heat is too great in summer, planting a deciduous tree is very helpful and will not interfere with winter sun, but will provide dappled shade and coolness in summer. If you live in a cooler climate, you will also find that the gorgeous colours of the tree in autumn will add greatly to your pleasure and interest.

Remember to match the design of your new patio area to the existing structure of your house. If you have a character dwelling, then an ultra-modern patio may not blend in. Having said that, lots of glass is a great compromise, as is good quality wood. To ensure your patio will not change position after it is built, a good quality timber, such as kiln dried hardwood is necessary for the flooring.

Don’t forget your council approvals while you are still planning an addition, such as a patio.

In spite of weak household income growth, demand by speculative investors is pushing up prices. In its March Financial Stability Review the Reserve Bank cautioned that when rates rise again the risk is that property prices will fall sharply, resulting in an economic shock because of a fall in household spending and wealth and subsequent bank loan losses. Australian borrowers are sensitive to monetary policy movements as the majority have their loan costs determined by the overnight cash rate. This is in stark contrast to Britain and the United States where fixed-rate mortgages are more popular. In order to boost economic activity the Reserve Bank may cut rates again in April or May.

Importantly, though, for investors and borrowers there are some stabilizing factors – population growth and immigration both mean that demand for property, especially dwellings, will continue to be a major factor offsetting the 2014 unusually strong rise in house prices and lending.  In 2015 capital is being poured into construction which will boost the economy and provide supply for this underlying demand. To this end, investors are targeting building supplies companies listed on the stock exchange, such as CSR, James Hardie and Boral. Also Harvey Norman, where consumers go to furnish their new homes, will reap the investment benefit.

Another strong advantage of the house price growth is is that prices have increased so much in recent times that they have outstripped credit growth, so the housing debt to assets ratio has declined. This means default rates are relatively low, but also the value of the collateral protecting bank balance sheets has improved.