Whether contemporary or traditional, the creation of a great interior design fundamentally starts with the shell. Wall paneling and wainscoting can add architectural credibility or enhance existing design details by creating rhythm and warmth and setting the underlying tone to an interiors architectural structure. The correct use of well-designed wall paneling can manipulate scale and […]
Interior Architecture and Design Development Checklist
Whether your Sydney home is large or small, traditional or contemporary, on the beach or in the centre of town, setting the right tone and style is paramount. Interior design is far more than choosing your favourite colourways, a remarkable piece of furniture, or even the amalgamation of different styles. It’s the careful consideration of […]
Cabinet Making – Face Frame Construction Versus Overlay
Face frame is a traditional construction style and is a direct response to aesthetics; it is the application of layers to achieve three dimensional detailing and is ideal for intricate designs, for example, Classical and Gothic styles used in the construction of Façades and their crowns. Rails and styles affixed to the carcass frame the […]
Home Libraries – Organising Your Book Collection
Once you have decided on the room/s for your home library / book collection it is preferable to break down your collection into categories, and it seems that we do this in many different ways. Chronological order: organized by time line, which can be either with most recent at the beginning and going back in […]
Home Libraries – Caring for Your Book Collection
Although it appears to have finally stopped raining in Sydney, the recent moisture levels have not been kind to our book collections or our home libraries. In 1880 William Blades, author of The enemies of books, wrote “Treat books as you should your own children, who are sure to sicken if confined in an atmosphere […]
Talking About Books – Now Isn’t That Nice!
Talking About Books – Now Isn’t That Nice! Many years ago I read a book by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. The absurdist classic ‘Slaughterhouse Five’. It has a narrative that combines autobiography and time travelling aliens, highlighting the absurdities of war. It had a profound effect on me. A few years later I heard him interviewed […]
Cabinet Making – Room for Technology
The sophistication of the modern world has seen our homes invaded by equipment and technology to make life easier and more enjoyable. Home offices, home entertainment systems, surround sound, movement detectors, temperature sensors and computer-controlled gizmos for this, that and the other are filling our living spaces with electronic gadgetry and all the associated wiring […]
Home Libraries – For the Love of Books
The Sydney Writer’s Festival kicks off shortly so let’s talk about the ultimate place in a home for literary lovers, the library. Private libraries were once the domain of the gentry, a grandiose room where wealthy estate owners could pen ink from a feather quill or sneak tots of whiskey from a sturdy mahogany shelf. The public […]
The Archibald Prize 2013 – The Face That Stops a Nation
Harry and I braved the Sydney weather last night and headed to the evening session at the NSW art gallery. Harry is my youngest son and the art lover in the family, his appreciation of art is growing steadily but on occasions struggles with the whole concept of “What is art?” (This became evident on […]
Groth & Sons – Sydney’s Finest Cabinet Makers
Groth & Sons “The bespoke home library outfitters” are Sydney’s – cabinet makers with a difference, dedicated to providing their clientele with something a little bit out of the ordinary. Not only can they furnish your dream library, they can also attend to all your cabinet making and Interior design needs. With a strong history of […]
