Another month and yet another RBA rate cut. In addition to the rate cut the government has also announced a tax cut applicable for most income earners. (more…)
After an unchanged official cash rate since 2016, the RBA has just announced a rate cut of 25 basis points.
What does this mean for you? The answer is, it is good news for most. Whether you are a business, real-estate agent, exporters or property owners, the rate cut will put extra cash savings back into your pocket. Although with a rate drop it may improve housing affordability, it will not make a huge difference as prices has already been on a down-wards trend.
Whilst the rate drop may stabilise the real-estate economy, it still makes selling in the immediate future grim due to how much prices have dropped already in the last 24 months. The extra cash savings however will produce a nice buffer and extra budget to action more of those renovations that are months or years overdue. What better time to do renovations than when:
– You have extra cash savings from your existing mortgage due to the rate cut
– Contractors have a lot more availability due to the current housing down-turn
– House prices are slowly stabilising however are still in a dipped state
As with every change, there are always losers. In this case, the savers who has cash in a savings account will be feeling the rate cut in a negative way. Property prices stabilising may also spell trouble for First Home Buyers in terms of affordability especially in major cities like Melbourne and Sydney where current prices are already out of reach of many.
As we approach the tipping point of what looks like a recession, one may wonder why it is the prime time to do a renovation, or how the 2 are even linked. (more…)
Everyone stands to gain in the long run with the wage and personal income tax cuts being the core focus of the 2019 Australian Federal Budget. (more…)
As we are closer than ever to hitting a recession and house prices tumble further, it is a wise choice to line-up a home renovation and here’s why.
As pollution increases and our planet’s health becomes an increasing concern, we all strive to do our part in improving the condition of the planet we call home. (more…)
As we move swiftly into 2019, another year comes together with all the new year resolutions that we promise ourselves to embark on between now and 2020. 2019 is going to be an interesting year for all of us, with much happening around the world.
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Often we confine the use of glass and its properties as minimalism and space magnification. However the reality is, glass is a lot more agile in design terms and its potential application.
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Design and Ideas5 Tips and Ideas on How to Use Mirrors in your Next Renovation or Home
07/11/2018by simplyframe
Mirrors have been around since approximately 600BC. They are now widely used both in home and office environments throughout the world today.
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The collective focus on the wellness of our body and soul is a trending topic much discussed in the previous years but also in 2018. As the fast-paced digital life evolves around us, we find ourselves needing to dedicate more focus and concentration on our general well-being. (more…)
Record summer temperatures have been set in the Northern Hemisphere earlier this year, with a new record high in Tokyo, Japan (41.1℃), Africa in Algeria (51.3℃) and hottest overnight minimum (42.6℃).
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Whether it’s a renovation or a new house, one of the the most challenging to design for is the bathroom. It is often the area with the minimum amount of space and lighting with the most number of necessities to cram in.
Have you ever wanted to let your imagination run wild and see how various aspects of your house will look with different material? Advancements in software technologies and 3D rendering means that conceptual ideas and reality has never been so close to each other.
Various modelling software such as SketchUp makes it a relatively painless experience to conceptualise your ideal kitchen or bathroom prior to renovation work; no more excuses for not knowing how things will turn out anymore as advanced modelling can pretty accurately visualise what previously was just pure imagination.
Stuck for ideas? Here are the most popular ones to give you a jump-start:
- Over-sized / Dual showers with a large shower screen – magnify that space and never cramp in a small confined cubicle again.
- Kitchen splashback colour – matching your splashback to your kitchen theme is extremely important; pick the right colour to match and the glass splashback will look clean, modern and elegant.
- Lucky enough to have a swimming pool in your backyard? Enhance the beautiful colour of the water in the pool with minimalistic but strong glass fencing.
- 2-storey house? Make your stairs stand out and your corridor open-up with a classy glass stair case.
Do not confine yourself and think outside the box. Glass is ideal to use in many different places around your home; take advantage of its inherent unique properties hard to find in other substituting materials.
If you are still not sure about how or where glass can help, get in touch with Simply Frameless and we will be more than happy to assist where we can.
Have your eye on a bathroom renovation or designing your brand new house and need some ideas? Check out these popular ideas that will hopefully give you some fresh new ideas on bathrooms styles that last 2018 and beyond.
The trend of late for homes have been increasingly open and modern to give the spacious and sophisticated feeling. Bathrooms are no exception to this and, much like the kitchen, we like our space and feeling of a beautifully large and modern area.
Some factors essential in achieving the modern and spacious effects to consider are the height of the roof, colour, placement of mirrors and the use of glass. Without actually increasing the size of your bathroom, these components have a powerful ability in influencing how space is perceived and can magnify even a tight space if used correctly.
Oversized Bathroom Tiles are widely used and trendy as it gives a more positive perception of space compared to smaller conventional tiles which seem tightly mapped and crowded. Larger tiles are also a lot easier to clean which is a big deal when it comes to bathrooms as this is the place where they will be continually exposed to moisture and water. Choose a modern colour matching other components of the bathroom to get that perfect modern look and feel.
Glass with Timber Combo; the ageless combo. And this isn’t exclusively coming into trend in 2018, it has already been widely used previously. This combination never seems to get old and is the perfect look in almost all parts of the house including the bathroom. Magnify and stress the beautiful timber and wooden elements of your bathroom as well as other parts of the house by positioning glass elements in front, behind or on top of element viewing angles.
Ceiling Showers have been used extensively in luxury hotels and resorts world-wide. Why not give yourself the feeling of luxury at home by implementing ceiling showers? Not only is the feeling of water coming down from overhead enjoyable, it is also elegant and a space saver.
Catch onto these trends in 2018 and make sure you future-proof the bathroom of your dreams!
As we enjoy booming prices of properties in Melbourne, more and more signs are pointed at market corrections and decrease in prices for both houses and apartments in 2018. What does this mean for you as property developers?
With the trend of property prices looking increasingly likely that it has peaked, many of us are bracing ourselves for a dip / correction, which may translate to slower market sales in 2018.
With the market slowly shifting in favour of the buyers, property developers need to ensure projects that are set to kick off in 2018/2019 are top notch all-round. In an increasingly competitive market the quality of the finished product is more important than ever before. Buyers’ expectations will be high and the quality can potentially influence buyers to sway for or against your product.
Ensuring maximum quality in design and build will boost buyer confidence.
Do not take an unnecessary risk, get in touch with us today to see how we can help you with all your frameless glass and mirror needs.
Happy Australia Day weekend from the team at Simply Frameless.
As we say goodbye to 2017, we welcome 2018 with open arms. The arrival of a new year comes with the usual “New Year Resolution” targets we set for ourselves. Why not start 2018 with a customary new year tidy-up?
We are however not referring to your every-day spring clean. Past experience and some surveys have suggested that unnecessary complexities can cause stress and anxiety. Keeping things simple can mean a much more stress-free lifestyle which makes a huge difference to health and well-being in the long run.
Your principle place of residence is where you relax and wind-down. Such an important place to one’s everyday life should have the qualities to give optimal relaxation and tranquility. Unnecessary clutter and complexities at home can hinder your ability to have the much-needed rest after a hard day at the office, so why not make your new year’s resolution a complete tidy-up of your home so that you can come back to a spacious, relaxing environment for the rest of the year (and foreseeable future)?
Keeping things simple is easily said, but harder to achieve. The main principle to remember is to not have too many “elements” visible or happening at once.
Mirrors and glass possesses unique properties to magnify space. Having more space (or the perception of) naturally reduces clutter and busyness which in turn achieves the minimalism and simplicity we are seeking for.
Talk to Simply Frameless today and see how little changes around your home can yield big results in the long run.
From the team at Simply Frameless, happy 2018 and safe travels.
Before we know it, Christmas is less than 4 weeks away. Where did 2017 go, we hear you ask. Got that long overdue renovation for the pool-side or bathroom that you have been procrastinating since the beginning of the year?
Don’t let the final few weeks of the year slip by and get it done! Whether it’s the bathroom, kitchen or that pool-side renovation, get it completed and put it into action over the festive season.
It’s all about family and getting together this time of the year, make it a stylish one and impress by making your home look magnificent. It is summer after-all and a relaxing pool-side swim will most certainly be on the cards for everyone. So why not make it an unforgettable experience for your family and friends?
Feeling stuck? Don’t worry. Just take the step to reach out, and our experienced staff at Simply Frameless will guide you to the best solution satisfying your particular requirement whilst fitting the timeline given. But don’t delay further as we are fast approaching the end of 2017.
Mirrors have been around for a long time. Although not perceived positively by everyone, one will struggle to argue against its uses in interior designs which until modern day is still current and utilised extensively.
Mirrors have had a long history with one if its first dating back approximately 600 B.C. The first mirrors were extremely simplistic and were often made out of pool of water in a dark coloured container, or later evolving to be made out of copper, silver bronze and gold. The modern manufacturing process of mirrors were only developed in the 1800’s.
Although there are many uses for mirrors, it has also had its fair share of bad publicity. There are sayings of negative events happening around breaking a mirror or using it incorrectly. These superstitions often originated from the ancient times and have been passed down through generations until today.
With the ancient superstitious sayings aside, mirrors are wonderful to work with when used correctly. They are functional, reflective and can have a positive effect when designed into a room with limited space.
When used in conjunction with interior design, mirrors are often referred to have the properties of space magnification, endless ceiling and flotation effect. Being a focal point as well as many styles of decoration is also something that mirrors possess the abilities of enhancing.
Puzzled about when and where to use mirrors in your new or renovation project? Speak to Simply Frameless for professional ideas and directions today.
Great looking Kitchen Splashbacks are an integral part of designing a modern-look cooking area. Let’s go through some of the most popular Splashback trends and why glass may be your choice of the bunch.
The truth is, there are a wide range of materials available for Kitchen Splashbacks. From slab tiles to glass and the rustic-looking stainless steel, one would be spoilt for choice when renovating or designing a new kitchen.
There are many factors to consider when making the call on the material of your Kitchen Splashback, here are a few factors to consider:
- How do you want your kitchen and house to look overall?
- Design and space constraints; will this affect and limit your choices?
- Practicality; is it easy to clean and how good can the material sustain residue such as heat, oils and moisture?
- Affordability; this does come into play as some materials are simply more expensive than others.
If you can answer the above questions with confidence you will probably already have shortlisted a few different styles in mind. One of the most popular materials chosen for Kitchen Splashbacks and with ever-increasing popularity in the modern-day design is glass. There are a few appealing properties to glass that makes it the ideal candidate when considering your next Kitchen Splashback:
- Because of the materialistic properties of glass, it is often very easy to clean and maintain in the long run.
- Glass Splashbacks are often very design-friendly, comes in a wide range of both colours / variations and gives the modern style look to your Kitchen.
- Recent advancements in production and technology means that it is now safer, more resistant and as cost-effective as ever to design and install Glass Splashbacks for your new or existing kitchen renovation project.
Interested in finding out more?
Get in touch with Simply Frameless and speak to us for an obligation-free consultation on your next kitchen project.
There is no doubt that glass possesses a lot of qualities. We see and use it everyday without knowing; it is all around us and has become an important part of our lives. But did you know these things about glass?
- The first evidence of man-made glass dates back to approximately 5000 years ago.
- Ordinary glass turns brown when it is exposed to nuclear radiation.
- Glass has the ability to be recycled indefinitely all whilst retaining its original quality.
- It is estimated that more than a ton of natural resources can be saved for every ton of glass that is recycled.
- One can have enough energy to power a 100w bulb for a considerable amount of time (1+ hours) by the energy saved from recycling a single glass bottle.
- China were late to the game (approximately 5 centuries late) but now has approximately 34% of the global market; in other words the largest producer of glass in the world.
- Decomposing glass completely and naturally will take more than a million years under normal landfill conditions, making it pretty much indecomposable.
- When glass breakage occurs, the crack inside the glass travels at approximately 3000mph.
- It is estimated that the use of recycled glass has helped and will continue to help cut air pollution by approximately 20%.
- The official “Glass Recycling Month” is September.
Have you done your glass recycling this month?
Glass is one of those things that most people have come to love, whether its part of design for your home, convenience or safety. The technology of glass has come a long way and as it is widely used, therefore continual improvements and advancements are being made everyday.
Glass has many enhancing properties that makes it the ideal candidate for your upcoming renovations and projects. Whether it be balustrades, showers or pool-fencing, glass makes everything look modern and elegant.
Here are some advantages of glass to consider in helping decide material of choice for your next renovation project:
- A wonderful way to showcase your beautiful home, glass will enhance the overall appearance of your home in adding a touch of stunning.
- The see-through property of the glass substance will give the perception of larger space.
- For being environmentally friendly, glass is 100% recyclable without degradation.
- Glass allows natural light through meaning a brighter home and more sunlight in winter months.
- Being fully weather resistant, glass is the ideal candidate for both indoor and outdoor use.
- Because glass is glossy, it has a stunning and sophisticated look and can also be easily maintained / cleaned.
- Glass can be strong (dependent on which type), and can also be shatterproof to improve safety.
Make use of glass today; take your next project to a new level of elegance, simplicity and beauty!
It is common in Australia to buy off-the-plan. With substantial savings in stamp-duty as well as a few other benefits, it makes a lot of sense financially to be purchasing off-the-plan. But do you know exactly what you are buying into?
One of the big caveats to buying off-the-plan is obviously the fact that the property you are buying into has not completed yet (or in some cases has not even started the construction phase). Developers will nowadays provide excellent quality renderings and models of what the completed build will look like internally and externally. This is an excellent way to gauge how your future home is going to feel and let your imagination run wild.
However, much attention needs to be put into looking at detailed specifications as renders may not 100% accurately portray what the end result will be. Common things to consider include:
- What are the characteristics of the property? Is it a small apartment unit, or does the property get less sunlight than the average house / unit due to its facing or location?
- How does the property rate in terms of utilisation of scarce space?
- Does the property maximise the amount of natural light with glass and/or mirrors?
Buying off-the-plan is a big step towards a commitment and investment. Make sure you make an informed decision and scrutinise down to the fine details of the build to ensure both ultimate comfort of your future home and also maximum potential for return on investment.
Unless you are a big fan of eating out regularly, your kitchen is probably one of your most utilised places at home. This is even more so if your place of residence is housing more than a couple of people, so why not let this workspace at home encompass your characteristics and style?
One of the bigger trends that we are seeing in 2017 is unique and personalised kitchen splashbacks symbolising expression of character. Long gone are the boring splashbacks which came stock-standard with the house, let your kitchen have a breathe of fresh air and revitalise the area to make cooking and food preparation fun again.
With the recent advancements in technology, custom splashbacks are now a lot more mainstream and commonly adopted. Depending on your personality and the overall design of your home, splashbacks can be customised to encapsulate various colour schemes, abstract prints or even photos. Expression of character should always be more important than worrying about resalability of your home in the future.
Get in touch with Simply Frameless to find out how you can best reflect some character and personality to your kitchen today.
As it may seem, the trend of darker tones are coming back and on the rise again. There’s something about the darker tones coupled with simplicity and modern design giving a futuristic soothing feeling.
We all need a bit of light and many of you would agree that a bright room full of lighter pieces of furniture as well as decorations liven up the room. But there’s something about the darker trends and themes that makes an aged home look modern and cool again.
Dark is easy on the eye. It may not be the best for summer, but it’s surely more warming during those miserable cold winter days. Want the feeling of sophistication? The darker theme at home may just be the differentiation you are looking for if you are seeking a contemporary looking home as it often gives a modern and futuristic vibe. Effective use of dark shades coupled with elegant glass concept pieces will enrich and change the whole outlook of your home.
Play the dark shades right, consult an interior designer together with Simply Frameless for expert advice on how you can maximise your return for investment to get everything to look exactly the way you want it to.
As the cold weather starts to set in, we farewell the beach and bikini days of summer. It’s not all bad though, as we welcome the much-needed rain and dust off that puffer jacket readying it for some daily routine outings.
As we creep into the wintry months of the year, our exposure to daylight shortens. In 2017 Winter Solstice will be on the 21st June and as we approach this day we creep under 10 hours of daylight.
We all need exposure to some sunlight to keep healthy and for some to keep grumpiness and depression at bay. Make sure you are getting the maximum exposure to the scarce and limited supply of sunlight at home by looking into where you can optimise and allow sunlight to shine in. By brightening up your home, you can brighten up your day which can improve your productivity throughout the gloomy season. Your energy bill will also likely to drop, as optimal amount of natural sunlight are being leveraged to organically warm-up your home.
Care for some ideas on how you can brighten your home? Speak to Simply Frameless today and see how we can help you lighten up your daily place of residence.
With summer at final stretch, we still have a good amount of sunshine and warm weather until that inevitable drop in temperature hits. Most parts of Australia are known to have beautiful beaches, but nothing is better than being able to go for a quick dip in your own backyard!
If you are one of the lucky few that has a private pool in your own backyard, don’t let it go to waste. Water features and swimming pools, albeit smaller than commercial ones, can still increase your property value as well as overall presentation for your home. If you are thinking of selling, don’t neglect that swimming pool as it is an important feature.
Even if you are not putting your property on the market, its still smart to utilise such a nice feature. Its surprising how a simple revamp, clean-out and addition of a nice balustrade can change the whole outlook and give the deserted area a breath of new life. Your visitors will suddenly want to sit outdoors, kids will start hanging outdoors more often and the backyard will suddenly be fun.
If you have the drive to make your swimming pool look better but don’t know where to start, get in touch with Simply Frameless and we will be more than happy to give you some professional advice on how you can enhance and renovate appropriately with efficiently.
The new year is once again upon us and whilst many of us are actively seeking for new year resolutions as we all do every year, let us make a suggestion that may just become your most constructive one yet.
Many of us look for resolutions in the form of self preservation or health regime, why not be a little different in 2017 and dedicate this year to improving one of your most valuable assets? After all, your home is your place of residence and most probably also an important element of your diversified investment portfolio.
Home improvement and renovations are often overlooked, but should not be underestimated as an easy task. One needs to carefully plan and architect what needs to happen to ensure the success of such endeavours and that the investment in time and money yields maximum impact. Cutting corners will not do and is a recipe for disaster. Be vigilant every step of the way and make sure you do all the necessary due-diligence prior to moving ahead.
Simply Frameless has been helping both renovators and developers with bathroom, mirrors, balustrading and glass concept requirements. We are trusted in the industry and have a long history of previous clients to backup our quality work. Should you need some obligation-free advice or assistance with your unique new year resolution of 2017, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Design and IdeasYour Melbourne home may be the hidden gem you have been looking for
29/11/2016by simplyframe
Do you think the house prices are incredibly expensive and out of budget? You are not alone. As house prices surge, home buyers are forced to look further and further away from the city in order to counter the price-rise. But do you already own a home and only looking to upgrade? You may already be sitting on the hidden gem you are looking for.
A lot of home owners prep their homes to sell off with much overdue renovations, fixtures, fittings and even landscaping; effectively turning their old and aging home into a much refreshed and modern one. We only then realise how much potential and how nice the home we are living in actually is, but often by then its too late and the new home-owners are the ones to enjoy and reap the benefits.
So before going out to the market and looking at relocating your place of residence, first look under the hood to see what you already have; whether it makes more sense to spend money carrying out various componentry renovations and enhancements or if the actual upgrade and move to another property is more worth-while. It is surprising how much a simple renovation can modernise an aging home.
The three signs that you should consider renovation over selling / buying:
- You are the owner of your home (i.e. you are not renting) and your property is either a house or townhouse
- You are already located in a relatively good suburb and the maturity of the surrounding infrastucture are in place
- The structure of your home whilst isn’t new, is sturdy, low maintenance and you like the layout as well as the feel/vibe of your current residence
The first step is always realisation. Discover the possibilities; make a wise and informed decision.
Design and IdeasThe Never-Going-To-Happen Renovation; Stopping the Procrastination
17/10/2016by simplyframe
Seems like its never the right time to get around to renovating that house of yours until it is ready to be sold and you are moving on? You are not alone.
We have a lot of things in our lives that we have to juggle on any given day; and 24-hour days just seems too short to get everything that we would like to do, done. Many of us out there feel alike; we never get to renovate our much-loved place of residence until it is time to sell it off and then we realise how nice the place actually is after it is properly done up. The sad thing? The new owner will benefit from all the renovation and not you.
Have plans to renovate but keep putting it off? There’s no better time to start than right now. It is never the right time, but we all have to make an effort to create the right time in order to actually get it done. However in saying that, it is never good to rush into things especially when we are talking about something as big as a renovation. To take the first step and get you started here are 3 important steps you should consider prior to actually committing to or actioning anything:
- Scope out all the components that you are planning to renovate; this way you can have an overview of “the job” and quantify some scope.
- Prioritise the components identified for renovation; in order of importance. This will help you identify the more “pressing” items that need to be done and what the “nice-to-have’s” are.
- Budget projection for the components identified for renovation; this may involve some research and obtaining quotes for parts and labour of the work required.
Once the above steps have been completed, you should have a fairly good idea of how to go about executing your grand renovation plan. Talk to us and see which components of your home renovation we can assist you with.
Stop procrastinating and start today.
The ever-evolving modern day home interior and exterior designs are keeping all of us on our toes whether we are designing a new home to move into or renovating our beloved existing properties we come home to everyday.
So what is the trend and where is everything going? Well, apparently we like open-plan living. Various statistics have shown that in the last 2 years leading up to now and possibly moving forward in the near future, our preference for open-plan living will continue.
Open-plan living isn’t all without its problems though, as unrestricted space overlapping kitchen, living and dining areas are often the cause of unwanted food smells as well as surplus acoustics that can easily be avoided with conventionally defined living, kitchen and dining areas.
With the disadvantages aside, modern and well-architected open-plan living is simply breath-taking. The spacious feeling is simply irresistible for those that do not like to be crammed into small living rooms or kitchens that are confined in its own space. Beautiful glass architectures in stairs, kitchen splash-backs, doors and mirrors help magnify the sense of openness and space.
Talk to Simply Frameless and see how we can help you make your open-plan living area a reality and how our glass, splash-back and mirror solutions will supersede your expectations.
Last but not least, have a happy AFL Grand Finals Day this weekend from our Simply Frameless Team in Victoria.
Whether you are a SME or large corporate organisation, looking after employees and giving them a workplace they look forward to being part of every day of the week is one of the most important factors to reducing staff turn-over. Unfortunately many organisations are overlooking this influential aspect which could be the difference between employees decision to stay or look for opportunities elsewhere.
Environment at work is important due to the sheer amount of time we all spend at the office. We do not compromise on our sleeping environment, so why should we for a place we spend nearly as much time as we are in bed every week?
Workplace is not necessarily all about work, as keeping healthy and having a lifestyle at the same time is equally as important. This will ensure our longevity both with our well-being and also loyalty with employers. Having the correct facilities to encourage workplace lifestyle is a good starting point to driving this positive initiative.
Does your organisation encourage interaction and activities during work hours? Are there proper facilities to encourage these initiatives in the first place? Give your workplace stylish bathroom / showering facilities and modern glass concepts; something that your employees will look forward to everyday.
As they say, little things can make big differences in the long-run, and it’s never too late to start.
The simplicity, elegance and functional aspects of Scandinavian Design has a large following not just in European countries, but all around the world. There is something both calming and reassuring about the aesthetics of simplicity and practicality.
Incorporate this fluid concept of minimalism and excellence into your new residential or corporate design to ensure full functional use of space without the clutter and complications. Organic functionality is something that is inherently found in Scandinavian design, which also makes such designs natural and green due to the use of elements such as wood, granite and leather in combination with glass and other exquisite materials.
Custom designs both functional yet cosmetically pleasing are hard to come by nowadays; set the standard in your next project whether it be residential or commercial by coming up with elements of design attractive yet pleasantly ergonomic.