How to make your kitchen look bigger

January 8, 2016/in BiFold Door, Bifold Window, Gold Coast, Home Renovation, Redecorating /by Lyn

Having a small kitchen doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice all the fun of current design trends or entertaining. There are many ways to update your kitchen and get it ready for summer entertaining without having to extend. With our simple renovation and stylish tips, you can flawlessly fake a larger kitchen to create the illusion of space when you don’t have the luxury of adding that real extra footage.

Let There Be Light

The first tip to creating the illusion of a larger room is to flood the space with light. Whether your kitchen is painted in pale or darker shades, having light beaming in will help it to feel as large as possible. To allow it as much light as possible from the sun, keep window treatments or dressing minimal or non-existent. Painting cabinets the same colour as the walls can also help to erase visual boundaries and ensures that the kitchen does not look overcrowded. Paint them white for best results, as the combination of this single hue and the natural light will make the room feel even larger.

Open Up with Bi-Fold Windows

Function and attractive, bi-fold windows provide the best of both worlds for your home. Bi-fold windows can create a moving glass walls that literally opens up your home to the outside world. Enjoy the benefits of fresh air, natural light and beautiful views with no barriers in sight. Bi-fold windows are easy to open, even easier to clean and provide superior security for the home.

Double Up with Bi-fold Doors

Instantly increase the space of your kitchen by using bi-fold doors along an exterior wall. As with bi-fold windows windows, these will combine the indoor and outdoor entertaining spaces to create an expansive kitchen space, rather than 2 individual spaces. Not only do bi-fold doors add an abundance of natural light to the space, they create a great social, spacious entertainment area for the host or chef to enjoy those summer barbecues and Christmas gatherings while preparing food in the kitchen.

Smarter Storage

In order to make your kitchen appear larger, you need to include plenty of vertical storage space. This will allow things to be removed from the counters and stored out of sight to prevent the kitchen appearing visually cluttered and small. Increase available shelf space, overall kitchen space and add depth by building cabinets or shelving into the wall between studs. You can even enhance the perception of depth by painting the carved space a deeper shade of the wall.

If carving into the wall isn’t an option, replace existing cabinets with taller versions that reach the ceiling. This will subtly draw the eye upwards and make the overall room appear more spacious. You can also incorporate open or glass shelving into furnishings, which further reduce visual weight and lend to the illusion of a more expansive kitchen.

Get In Touch

Need more ideas or advice on how to create a bigger kitchen without a full renovation? Contact us today.

Easy Window Makeover Ideas

November 19, 2015/in Gold Coast, Redecorating /by Lyn

Making over your windows is an easy way to breathe new life and a fresh new look into your home. Updating the style of your windows can be as easy as installing new window dressings and treatments in stylish new trends or classic, sleek aluminium products. The days of heavily draped windows, tab curtains and gathered valances have given way to dressings of simplicity and understated style. With an emphasis on crisp, clean lines, the focus for windows is once again creating the flow of natural light and space in and around the home.

Curtains

Printed curtains are making a huge comeback in home décor, but don’t panic — they’re not the same nauseating patterns that were popular back in the eighties. Recent designs have been pared back to subtly add colour and character to any room. Current curtain trends include geometric patterns, trellis designs, large-scale florals and single, bold block colours. Even sheer curtains are once again having their moment in current home design, thankfully minus the frills and lace that were once the go-to choice for everyone’s grandmas back in the day. If you’re not yet convinced about statement curtains, perhaps ease yourself in by choosing curtains or drapes with a stripe print, as stripes tend to never go out of style.

A clever trick to add classic romance to your bedroom or visual width to living room windows is by mounting drapes that rest beyond the window frame. Drapes that are longer and wider than the windows themselves make your windows appear larger in scale. Using luxurious materials like velvet and silk add to the decadence of this look.

Casement Windows and Shutters

For a coastal feel (or to complement your coastal home, Queenslanders), opt to install casement windows. Designed for extreme weather conditions, their stainless steel fastenings minimise corrosion whilst opening your home up to the outdoors. Casement windows subtly bring attention to the windows with their traditional appearance, whilst also providing ventilation. Also traditional in appearance, window shutters are one of the easiest and most cost effective ways to improve your home, as there are endless ways to customise them to perfectly suit your style and decor.

Go Natural

Add a fresh, natural feel to your living space by incorporating natural materials, textures and colours in your window dressings. Bring the outdoors a little further indoors with organic materials like wood, grasses, bamboo and reeds. Bamboo blinds, for example, are stylish and made to shade indoors. The subtle imperfections in these materials have a natural, simple beauty.

Bi-fold Windows

Increase natural light, ventilation and provide unobstructed views by installing aluminium bi-fold windows. They can be used to create a moving glass wall, opening the interior of your home to the outdoors. The innovative designs of bi-fold windows make them ideal for updating and creating defined entertainment areas. With fixed hinges and no visible screws, bi-fold windows can ensure a flush appearance that blends into an existing home design. Aluminium bi-fold windows are powder-coated for better durability and are available in a wide range of colours.

Get In Touch

Speak to an expert at Southern Cross Windows today for more advice and window makeover ideas. Contact us today.

Open bi-fold doors opening into large living room with dining area

How to create an indoor/outdoor living space/alfresco

October 28, 2015/in BiFold Door, Bifold Window, Gold Coast, Home Renovation /by Lyn

Australians love alfresco dining and with its idyllic climate, there’s no better place for it than in Queensland. Creating the perfect indoor/outdoor living and Entertainment space in the comfort of your own home can be easily achieved through some simple renovations. Sliding, stacker, hinged and bifold doors provide scope for design projects that create a seamless transition from your homes interior through to the outdoors, opening up your existing space to become the ultimate alfresco area for dining and relaxing all year round.

Here are our top tips on how to create a seamless indoor/outdoor living area, along with helpful design examples for great looking alfresco spaces that blend in with your existing indoor living rooms.

Pergolas

Pergolas create the feel of an outdoor room, blending all the fresh air and heat or cool breezes of the outdoors with stylish and comfortable furniture. Pergolas are an easy way to create an indoor/outdoor flow in your house, with its framework simply built as an extension to your home. Pergolas can either stand alone as a signature feature, or connect your indoor entertainment area with your outdoor space. Pergolas are popular for providing a shady spot for summer dining and have the potential to add great value to your home.

Bi-fold Doors

One of the most popular and striking methods of linking indoor and outdoor entertaining areas is to install bi-fold doors. These days, bi-fold doors are smooth and effortless operating systems that provide a stylish, reliable and functional statement for your home. Bi-fold doors with large windows frame the view of your outdoor surroundings and let in beautiful natural light when closed. They provide the flexibility to transform the flow of your entire house. Aluminium bi-fold doors can be specifically coated to integrate with timber decking outdoors or your home’s interior.

Stacker Doors

Similar to bi-fold doors, stacker doors are a great way to create an easy extension from your indoor kitchen or living space to an outdoor entertainment area. Stacker doors also provide maximum daylight with minimal vertical distraction. With stacker doors, you can either open just one portion of the glass door for day-to-day access, or all portions, to create a seamless flow from the inside, out.

Bi-fold Windows

Create a moving glass wall and open the interior of your home to the outdoors with aluminium bi-fold windows. Both functional and attractive, bi-fold windows provide unobstructed views of your surroundings, as well as natural light and ventilation. Their innovative design makes them a unique and ideal feature for use as a counter window from your kitchen to your outdoor entertaining and dining areas. Aluminium bi-fold windows can also be coated in a range of colours to perfectly suit the look of your home.

Expert Design Advice

Need help deciding on the right way to create an indoor/outdoor space in your home? Speak to an expert at Southern Cross Windows today for more design advice.

Bifold Door Design

September 25, 2015/in BiFold Door, Gold Coast /by Lyn

When selecting a Bi Fold Door you must consider how you want to design (configure) your doors to suit not only your home but the new opening and what you want to achieve (the smooth transition from the inside to your outdoor entertainment area) as an example. Aluminium Bifold doors can have an active door which is a door that is opened and closed easily without having to open two or three sections for access. This door can be positioned in the middle or at one end depending on how many doors you have but we can help guide you in this process and see what is best suited for your home. Your Bifold can also have an even number of panels folding away in the one corner.

With bifold doors you have many different configurations and here are just a few:

(1 ) Your doors can all open to the left, stacking to the end.

2. They can open to the right, stacking to the end.

3. The doors can even open from the middle, allowing half to open to the right and half to the left.

(4) Your doors can open in or out.

(5) The doors can be made in certain widths up to 1000mm wide which may vary to suit the look or use you would like to achieve.

Please see our gallery for just a couple of options you could have in your home…..

Bi Fold Door widths can impact on space when opening in and or out into your entertainment area. Some people reduce the size of each door panel to combat this. There are advantages and down sides to both options. If you reduce the panels to much you reduce the size of visible glass making it look too busy, but you generally can fit it into any space.

For more information or design tips on what works for your home, contact us here at Southern Cross Windows on the Gold Coast and we will happily organize a Free Measure and Quote take you through the many different options we have available.

Selecting Windows and Doors for your Home Renovation

April 7, 2015/in BiFold Door, Bifold Window, Gold Coast, Home Renovation /by Lyn

3 Simple Solutions To Help You Decide on the right Window or Door for your Home!

It can be so frustrating and time consuming!

You know when you think you know what is right for your home renovation but then you see something spectacular and YOU JUST WANT IT!!

So what should you do when that happens?

You need to see what’s going to work for your home as windows and doors are a key part of a home’s character and atmosphere – they provide views, daylight, ventilation and a sense of spaciousness.

There are a range of factors to consider when choosing the right windows and doors…

1 – Function

Windows and doors by definition are expected to provide uninterrupted views and control airflow, whilst operating effortlessly. You need to ensure the window suits the area so for example you wouldn’t put a bifold in a toilet. But being on the Gold Coast and you love to entertain a bifold window would be great addition to your kitchen. A lot of homes now have the bifold window with no bottom sill if the kitchen bench top runs from the inside to the outside and you don’t want a break in the stone top (as seen below).

Bi-fold Window Design

2 – Design

You may have your heart set on a certain product mainly because you see them on TV or at a prize home. Now this is fantastic but these homes have been built to have this design incorporated and the structure is designed to suit the free flowing bifold doors onto a deck etc. Now if you are doing a full renovation to your home to have this than fantastic and we can offer free advise and the best time to have your new bifold doors installed so there minimal disruption to your renovation.

Our Last tip….

3 – Affordable Quality and Value

Windows and doors are expected to perform at peak levels for an extended period of time. Selection based solely on cost may be regretted over time. Consider factors such as maintenance and resale value. Your aim should be to get the quality you want and the options you desire, at a price you can afford.

We use Stainless steel components and heavy duty rollers and hardware on all doors giving our customers peace of mind that our doors are here to stay.

We work with you on your selection so you don’t have an off the shelf product; it’s precision cut to be 100% accurate each and every time and we have specifically trained a bifold door specialist to ensure your product is correct to meet your requirements.

If you are still interested in a bifold door or window or any other glass window or door for your home renovation contact us and we’ll be happy to assist you

Bifold Doors for Home Extensions on the Gold Coast

March 31, 2015/in BiFold Door, Gold Coast, Home Renovation /by Lyn

You live on the Gold Coast so you want to create the feeling of the inside to outside free flow. You may even want to extend your entertainment area but don’t want to be restricted in the capabilities and the free flow from your new deck from the alfresco are to the newly laid timber floor boards. Then our bifolds are exactly what you need to achieve this wonderful feeling.

Our Bifold doors have the ability to stack to one side, or multiple to both sides and can be top hung or bottom rolling depending on what suits your home and what you want to achieve.

Our bifold doors are strong and durable and built to last; we are based on the Gold Coast and know all to well the environmental factors you need to consider. We have done this for you and use only the highest componentry so it will outlast the competitors and be working for years to come.

Southern Cross Glass Windows and Doors allow you to combine your living areas with your entertaining areas on those warm summer days when we supply and install your new bifold door.