Design

The Mystery of Henry Hoke

JonathanGreen — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:55:11 +1000

Like many readers of ManSpace, we at the Institute of Backyard Studies (IBYS) are big tool collectors. Most Sunday mornings you’ll find us out at garage sales, swap meets or the trash’n’treasure, casting expert eyes over piles of rubbish and junk in a search of that elusive little beauty. A Stanley plough plane from 1923 perhaps... or maybe a Wilkinson folding drawknife is just sitting there, waiting for our loving touch. You live in constant hope of that big find and some days are good.

On the go again!

wrenton — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:35:25 +1000

It’s been a while since the last update, but there has been quite a delay with the supply of the steel for the upper level, and once a again it felt like there was very little happening. Quite a few of the wall frames had been completed but erecting these all depended on the steel being in place.

Going back a month or so, the bricklayers did a fantastic job with all the lower walls being completed in just under two weeks. It would have been nice if the steelwork had come along as well! Anyway, the clock cannot be wound back, and, as of this week everyone is back on the job.

Having a bar of it

JonathanGreen — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:36:57 +1100

In the launch edition for ManSpace we asked readers to send in personal stories about their space. Darren Gallagher has answered the call and gives us a first person account of The Flying Sailor Bar & Brewery; his garage retreat inspired by beer, blues music and cool cars: Never a truer word has been spoken since young Tobias talked it up in the 18th century. There is something fantastic about being young and hitting the high seas (which led to being hit from time to time, or from port to port). Having moved around as a lad because of my father’s employment, little did I know that he ...

Like a giant Meccano set

wrenton — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:04:51 +1100

With the holiday break behind us the action on ‘The Block’ is picking up. Early January the scaffolding was put in place, then from that point on there didn’t appear to be much happening. However, we were assured there was plenty going on behind the scenes.

PRODUCT NEWS: Frostdale nanogrid Z-Wave lighting controls

Darcy — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:42:13 +1100

Frostdale's award winning nanogrid Z-Wave lighting controls are now available in Australia and New Zealand.

Jetsons 2.0 - live rent-free in a smart home for a year

Darcy — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:39:13 +1100

Ausgrid today announced that the search is on for one lucky family to live rent-free in a swanky energy-efficient smart home in Newington, Sydney, for 12 months.

So you have at least 3 quotes, now what?

matthew — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:57:20 +1100

If you have carefully selected your tender list, then choosing your builder should be relatively easy. If you have read my previous blogs you would have already selected builders that can provide what you are looking for. So once you take this variable out of the equation it comes down to scope and dollars.

What you are trying to do here is get all of the builders to price exactly the same scope. Once this is done you can either just go with the cheapest price, or negotiate with your favourite.

The slab is in!

wrenton — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:46:14 +1100

It is hard to believe, looking at the concrete slab, how much work has gone into getting the project to this stage.

The initial setup was done, and once all the string lines were set out the lower corner of the floor seemed to be so elevated it was difficult to get everything in perspective. The fall of the block seemed to create an optical illusion. However, it was a case of wait and see as the preparations continued.

Progress at last!

wrenton — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 11:26:25 +1100

Who could believe that after signing the building contract, not a blade of grass had been disturbed in three months!!

We finally have some action shown in the photos. The clearing of the block has been completed, the cut has been done for the downstairs, and now the foundations have been poured.

REVIEW: Swans T200B Professional Multimedia Monitor System

Darcy — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 09:38:49 +1100

Read our review of the Swans T200B Professional Multimedia Monitor system - are these the audiophile's answer to good computer speakers?

REVIEW: Sonos Zoneplayer S5 multi-room system

Darcy — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 09:36:04 +1100

We test drive the Sonos Zoneplayer S5 multi-room audio system, to find out how it stacks up against professionally wired multi-room options.

PRODUCT NEWS: Epson WirelessHD 3D projectors and iPad/iPhone dock projector

Darcy — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 09:35:06 +1100

Epson recently announced the launch of two new ranges of 3D 1080p home theatre projectors, featuring WirelessHD - and another projector with iPhone, iPad and iPod connectivity.

Quotes, and taking the razor to the plans

wrenton — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:31:32 +1000

The three builders quotes have come in and to our horror they are all more than 30% over our original budget. We will now get the razor out and look at where we can reduce the cost of the whole project. We met with each of the builders again and went through in detail all the areas where savings can be made without jeopardising the overall design. They resubmitted their quotations and we have chosen Jake - a local builder who is very keen to build our home. The next step is to complete the Project Building Specifications as required by the Master Builders Association. This is a 30 page ...

Jumping through hoops - permits and builders!

wrenton — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:53:39 +1000

Our planning permit was finally approved six months after being submitted to Council. The approved plans state that the works must be in line with the stamped plans, which note that the Manna Gum tree at the front of our property ( on Council land) is to be removed at our expense: The next step in our building project is to meet with our architects and proceed the advanced stage of the design development and working drawings. Further on from there we were presented with our interior design drawings which include all interior specifications including cabinetry, kitchen design ...

A Day Made Of Glass - by Corning

Darcy — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 11:14:29 +1000

A captivating video that looks into the many interesting roles that glass may play in future technology.

Cable management in everyday furniture

Darcy — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 11:02:19 +1000

Proper cable management can make a simple installation look impressive or a high-end system look cheap. Here is some furniture that brings a touch of class to your AV.

Home theatre seating

Darcy — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:54:02 +1000

Comfort is a vital aspect of home theatre seating.

A carefully considered seating arrangement is a vital part of a well set-up home theatre. Not only will it affect your comfort, but it'll also affect how sound travels through the room.

Home theatre ventilation

Darcy — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 13:26:03 +1000

Windows are a necessary evil in home theatres.

Most of the time, home theatre design focuses on restricting how light and sound enter and exit the room. As a result, home theatres are normally very tightly sealed rooms.

Acoustic treatments and sound proofing

Darcy — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 11:52:11 +1000

Sound proofing and acoustic treatments are often given too little attention in home theatre design.

Not everyone appreciates the importance of acoustic design in home theatres - including installers - but acoustic designs are a critical part of good home theatre designs.

Home theatre lighting

Darcy — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 11:22:13 +1000

The right lighting can make or break your home theatre.

Lighting design is often taken for granted in custom installation projects and is often relegated to generic lighting scenes.

Windows and doors in home theatres

Darcy — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:54:58 +1000

Changes to the Building Code mean that home theatres, like all other rooms in a new house, now need to include a certain amount of access to natural light and fresh air. But what does this mean for acoustics?

Windows are like kryptonite to home theatres.

Why are windows necessary in home theatres?

Retrofit vs. new build

Darcy — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 22:50:13 +1000

What is Smart Wiring?

Darcy — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 14:36:16 +1000

Smart Wiring helps to future proof your home.

There's a great deal of wiring even around homes. Phone and fax lines, pay TV cables, audio cables, computer and internet cables and connectors, cabling for lighting, security and home automation.

How to design a smart home

Darcy — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 10:28:35 +1000

Make your home a smart house

Darcy — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:08:44 +1000

There are many ways you can turn your ordinary home into a smart home.

Decided that you want to retrofit 'smart home' technology into a house, but you're not sure what's involved? The first thing you'll need to do is figure out what sort of systems you're after, and how they'll be integrated.

What is a smart home?

Darcy — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 09:57:20 +1000

Tablet controls are a popular option for smart homes.

What is a smart house?

PRODUCT NEWS: LP Morgan Club Lounge

Darcy — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 11:44:12 +1000

LP Morgan has introduced a new exciting colour to the CineTheatre Club Lounge range – Ruby Red.

PRODUCT NEWS: Fortress cinema seating

Darcy — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 11:41:43 +1000

Fortress seating offers a completely customisable approach to home cinema seating.

PRODUCT NEWS: TK Living laser-cut grilles

Darcy — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 11:38:46 +1000

The new TK Living laser-cut grilles are designed specifically to conceal speakers and add a unique decorative feature to theatre columns and pilasters.

PRODUCT NEWS: The McTiVia

Darcy — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 11:22:34 +1000

McTiVia wirelessly sends and displays any content from your Mac, PC, iPhone, iPad, Android and BlackBerry devices to your TV.

Racks and mounts

CF — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 16:56:30 +1000