Touchstone Design Solutions

Today at work #090714

This blog will feature daily designs that i do for various clients, their names will obviously be cropped from the drawings for privacy reasons. No need for people seeing their names flying round the internet without getting permission from them.

The software i am using at the moment is PaletteCad 3D v5.1 for interior design. One major setback (not really) about this software is that it was programmed in German! which means that every word is not familiar. The first three weeks of its use was stressful as i needed to cross check what some words meant in English ( that was in 2012). I was still switching between Google Sketchup and my new found love then. I will find time to talk about my experience with Google Sketchup and how i stumbled on it randomly while browsing then with my Nokia E63 (2010), mehn i miss that phone too.

I have gotten so used to the software now, you will be surprised at how i move effortlessly from one page to another as if German is my mother tongue. (my favourite quote in German : Alles racht sich irgendwann)

Back to the order of the day. So this client requested for some designs of kitchen, wardrobe and a closet all in Mahattan Cherry laminate. Follow me as i walk you through each designs analyzing what inspires each.

1. Master's closet

master's closet

In this room, the client requested for a lot of space for hanging clothes and folding as well, but a lot of emphasis was laid on the word Hanging" which i wrote down as i was taking the brief. So i designed an open door closet which also has open shoe rack cabinet (although) that was not in the brief, guess they must have omitted the shoe rack.

How can you have a successful closet without a shoe rack huh?

2. Wardrobe 2

wardrobe 2

The regular wardrobe space i had to play with, not much anyways so i just made sure everything of worth was incorporated into the space. Talking about hanging units, drawers, shoe racks 3 layers (not bad), shelves.

3. Kitchen Cabinets

This is my favorite part of the house #FoodThings. There is enough space at the center of the room so i said why not insert an island, why not. I have modeled various designs of islands, the other job there was to find the befitting one for each model that will work with the laminate color picked by the client.

How i love SPACE when designing kitchens, it allows me to test and play around with the designs as i like, unlike kitchens with limited space (if you missed my article on how to design a kitchen with limited space click here)

This particular kitchen comes with various accessories such as the System drawer, hydraulic wall unit system, electric hood extractor and lots more. Peradventure you missed my article on kitchen accessories you can't do without? no worries click here

4. Door

flush door with glass

The last item, is the door. I designed several doors for the client, but this particular door is meant for the dining room door to the kitchen. Peeping on them cooking is not a bad idea especially when you are famished and all you keep getting is "it will soon be ready" not as if peeping will hasten the cooking but sure it helps your worms!

The design is a flush doors with a 6mm transparent framed glass.

If you missed my previous article on doors, click here.

The comment section is available for your opinion or thought/comments on any of the designs. Remember all these designs can be done differently by another designer, why don't you tell me how you would have wanted your designs to turn out if these designs were yours.

Design Space Ltd, Abuja

Affordable solutions for better living

phone: +2348091144234

email: designspaceltd@gmail.com

I Thought You Knew (Weird People with GW Records)

In this article you will find photos of weird people – who have all become famous for setting a Guinness World Record. Personally I have always been fascinated by the Guinness Book of Records. It’s a place were not just the elite athletes can get added to the records – but also common folks like you and me. All you need is one bizarre skill and believe it or not… most people have one! It might be a totally useless one like; being able to run very fast on swimming fins- or burp the alphabet backwards. But it’s still a talent that could get you listed in Guinness’s mythical record book and leave your mark on bizarre facts history.

Physical appearance is also a category that can get you in the record book and these photos of weird people will blow your mind. Some of the people listed are born with it- while others chose for an appearance that most people will find bizarre. Here I have created my personal “Top 7 – Photos of weird people with a Guinness World Record”. Enjoy.

1. World’s Hairiest teenager… is a girl!

This girl is the hairiest teenager on the planet and proud of it!

The hairiest teenager is Supatra “Nat” Sasuphan from Thailand.(Thailand). She was measured on the set of Lo Show dei Record in Rome, Italy, on 4 March 2010. Supatra was diagnosed with a rare condition that causes hair to grow in places it normally shouldn't. Of course that condition has made things difficult for her at times. Like having to wake up 1 hour earlier than most people to comb her whole face… But Nat is perfectly happy and doesn't feel different than anyone else.

Now a celebrity, she’s starting to enjoy her fame, and was thrilled by the chance to visit a foreign country. “It’s really fun and exciting,” she said, “and it’s my first time on a plane. I’ve never been outside Thailand.” But her most exciting experience was the moment she was crowned Hairiest Child. “Being hairy makes me special,” she said, adding: “This the happiest day of my life!”.

2. World’s Largest Moustache – free grooming tips included!
Ram Singh Chauhan of India is the proud owner of the world’s longest mustache, officially recorded by Guinness World Records as 4.29m (14ft) long. Chauhan spends an hour every day cleaning and combing his mustache. “I massage it and oil it regularly and I wash it every 10 days which takes a long time,” he says. “My wife helps me.” His wife wasn't always this supporting though. Chauhan’s wife Asha says they used to fight over his mustache in the early years. “He used to take a long time to get ready, to wash and also people used to stare at him,” she says. She didn't feel comfortable. But later, as he started getting recognition for his long mustache, she started to like it and to respect his commitment. Now, she says, the mustache is like a part of the family and she shares his pride in it.

3. World’s Largest Honker
Mehmet Ozyurek is the proud title holder for the world’s biggest nose . His giant Schnozola measures an incredible 3.46 inches. That means a fart in a elevator could be downright lethal for this guy! Apparently his record has been broken by Faizan Agha- who won by a nose (pun intended) during an epic standoff in a still unknown location. However his schnauzer was never officially measured by Guinness- making Mehmet still the current title holder.

4. Longest Hair in the World
Tran Van Hay was the man with the longest hair in the world. At a young age he cut his hair once- but got really sick right after. Being the superstitious man that he is- he just decided to never cut it again. For over 50 years he let it grow and some say he didn’t wash his hair for over a decade! Hay, whose hair weighed several pounds, died in February 2010 at the age of 79.

His Leviathan shaped dreads were measured at 6.8 meters at that time.

Now the world’s longest hair record belongs to a woman named Xie Qiuping from China. She has been growing her hair since 1973 and is now at 5.62 m. She still has a long way to go if she wants to catch up with this guy- but all the best to her!

5. Eye-Popping Record

she can see the truth in your lies

Kim Goodman is able to pop her eyes out of her sockets by a freaking 12 millimeters (0.47 inches). That amazing feat giver her the eyepopping record for farthest eyeball protrusion in the World. She discovered her unique talent one day when she was hit on the head with a hockey mask (holy hell… that must have been a traumatic experience for all parties involved!).

Her eyeballs popped out much further than usual and ever since she could pop them out at will. However they can also pop out unwanted, especially when she yawns!

Amge getting formally crowned as the world’s shortest teenager.

6.The World’s Smallest Person!
Meet Jyoti Amage, a 18 year old Indian student who stands just 24.7 inches tall, making this bundle of joy stand at around the same height as a Coca Cola bottle! Amge was formally crowned the world’s shortest teenager, and stands about three inches shorter than Bridgette Jordan, the American woman who held the shortest woman title before her. Amge, who has a form of dwarfism called achondroplasia, is not expected to grow any more. Of course her size makes certain things harder for her, but she truly is a bundle of joy and perfectly happy with her size. Amge has dreamed of becoming a Bollywood star and plans to pursue a college degree.

“I feel grateful to be this size,” she said. “After all, if I weren't small and had not achieved these world records I might never have been able to visit Japan and Europe, and many other wonderful countries.”

Remember- they didn't have Photoshop in the late 30′s!

7. Tallest Person In Recorded History
Robert Pershing Wadlow (February 22, 1918 – July 15, 1940) was the tallest person in history for whom there is recorded evidence. Wadlow reached 8 ft 11.1 in (2.72 m) in height and weighed 439 lb (199 kg) at his death at age 22. His great size and his continued growth in adulthood was due to hypertrophy of his pituitary gland, which results in an abnormally high level of human growth hormone.

He showed no indication of an end to his growth even at the time of his death. The current tallest person is Sultan Kosen, but with a ‘measingly’ 2.51 m (8 ft 3 in) he would have looked like a dwarf compared to Robert.

photo credit: Google
Article: Guiness world records

Design Space Ltd, Abuja

Affordable solutions for better living

phone: +2348091144234

email: designspaceltd@gmail.com

How to get the best design for your kitchen

The kitchen is one of the important rooms of your home, so when it comes to choosing your perfect kitchen, it’s no wonder you want to get it right. If you’re looking to update or redesign your kitchen, then here are some ideas and tips to help you choose the right kitchen for your home.

In today’s market, there are plenty of gorgeous bespoke kitchen designs to choose from, in a range of styles and suitable for varying budget needs. It’s a good idea to take some time browsing the options available online, as well as going to visit ranges in store so you can get a clearer idea of what the products look like.

One of the important aspects of a kitchen design is the layout. When designing the right layout for you, it’s important to consider issues such as the size and shape of your kitchen, as well as the location of essential kitchen appliances, such as the cooker, hob, fridge and sink.

If your current kitchen layout doesn't meet your needs – perhaps you feel the sink would be better placed under the window or the oven moved from an under counter position to higher up in a tower - then re-designing the positioning and layout of items can help it work better.

A good level of storage is important too and when you’re choosing a new kitchen, it’s a good opportunity to think about how you can incorporate all your storage needs. Simply adding more cupboards and putting away items that were previously left out on a countertop is one easy way of clearing the clutter in your kitchen. There are also lots of very clever kitchen storage solutions available too, such as pull out larders, that help you make the most of every bit of space.

Sometimes it can be hard to visualise how a new kitchen will actually look when it’s completed, especially if you’re changing the existing layout of the room. This is where online kitchen planners are incredibly useful, as you can use them to design and plan out your kitchen before you part with your hard earned cash.

There are some planning tools that help you work out where things are going to go, and the basic layout of a room, but don’t give you much visual idea of what your room could actually look like when it’s finished.

The Palette Cad interior design software can be used so you can get a good idea of what the end result could look like. You can use the kitchen planner to help you decide what works and what doesn’t in your kitchen. The designs can be saved and printed out and are useful to have if you’re planning to book a free kitchen design and planning appointment.

Design Space Ltd, Abuja

Affordable solutions for better living

phone: +2348091144234

email: designspaceltd@gmail.com

I Though You Knew ( Darwin's Frog)

In this weeks edition of 'I Thought You Knew' we will be discussing an unusual amphibian. Darwin Frog!

World’s Weirdest: Frog Father "Spits Out" Young

Darwin's frog is a small species of frog, native to the forest streams of Chile and Argentina. Darwin's frog is named after Charles Darwin who came across it on his famous "Voyage of the Beagle".

Darwin's frogs can be found inhabiting beech-tree forests and fields, in the cooler regions of South America. Darwin's frogs can also be found living near and in slow streams and swamps throughout Chile and across the border into Argentina.

Darwin's frog has a very distinct appearance, having evolved to look a bit like a leaf. This means that when the Darwin's frog feels threatened by approaching predators, it simply remains very still on the forest floor looking like a dead-leaf until the danger has passed.

Darwin's frog is a small, yet round species of frog that has a triangular shaped head and pointed snout. Despite having some webbing on their back feet, Darwin's frogs do not have webbed front feet as this helps them when moving around on the forest floor.

Like many other amphibian (and indeed frog) species, the Darwin's frog is a carnivorous animal that uses it's long, sticky tongue to catch it's prey. Darwin's frogs feed on a variety of small invertebrates including insects, worms, snails and spiders.

The Darwin's frog is well known for the way in which it takes care of it's young. The female lays her eggs, which are then guarded by the male for about 2 weeks. Once hatched, the male Darwin's frog carries the developing tadpoles in a pouch in his throat until they are tiny froglets and are able to hop away.

The male Darwin's frog is the epitome of daddy daycare. His tadpoles develop in his vocal sac. But things take a turn for the weirdest when he coughs them up as full-fledged frogs ready to survive on their own.

Today, the Darwin's frog is a species that is considered to be vulnerable from extinction mainly due to habitat loss in the Darwin's frog's native habitat, primarily caused by deforestation.

(Image credits: Google)

Design Space Ltd, Abuja

Affordable solutions for better living

phone: +2348091144234

email: designspaceltd@gmail.com

Wardrobe Cabinets

Wardrobe cabinet in Sienna Calvado laminate

A wardrobe, also known as an armoire from the French, is a standing cupboard used for storing clothes. The earliest wardrobe was a chest, and it was not until some degree of luxury was attained in regal palaces and the castles of powerful nobles that separate accommodation was provided for the apparel of the great. The name of wardrobe was then given to a room in which the wall-space was filled with cupboards and lockers, the drawer being a comparatively modern invention. From these cupboards and lockers the modern wardrobe, with its hanging spaces, sliding shelves and drawers, evolved slowly.

The modern wardrobe differs in one respect from the historical one for its triple partitioning: there are two linear compartments on either side with shelves as well as a middle space made up of hanging pegs and drawers, the latter being a latter-day addition, besides a clothes’ press in the higher central space on level with a person’s chest.