GALERIALAM IN NST -BLOGGER'S SAY

Passion to help others build dream homes

NST -Blogger's Say - MONDAY 9 March, 2009
by Rozana Sani

A home or office makeover is often daunting when you have neither the time nor experience for it. Although many people are reluctant to consider this, enlisting the help of an interior designer could get you the look and ambience you long for with less pain.

Juliana blogs about her passion and offers advice to those seeking to refurbish their homes

To find out what an interior designer can do for you and what you should be looking out for when hiring one, visit the blog GaleriAlam at http://galerialam.blogspot.com.

Set up in 2007 by Juliana Abdul Rahim, here she explains the concept of interior design, the scope of services of an interior designer, and how to look for an interior design consultant.

An architect by training and interior designer by choice, Juliana shares the trials and tribulations of what she calls the “Design-Demolition-Decorating” process that makes up the profession.

“GaleriAlam represents my thoughts on issues related to interior design. It is also a platform for me to reach out to prospective clients,” said the 40-year-old, who is based in Kemaman, Terengganu.

She is also creative director of her company which deals in interior design, Galeri Alam Design & Crafts Sdn Bhd.

Before deciding on the design for her clients’ homes, she helps them determine their lifestyle first. “Each home or dwelling is a reflection of the owner’s tastes and living requirements,” she explained.

Her blog features discussions on past and current projects that she has undertaken. There are also tips on how to organise one’s home. For users who want to know more about interior design, check out the links on the blog to other interior design sites and product catalogues of interior design materials and furniture suppliers, and art galleries.

Galeri Alam Design & Crafts also undertakes various phases of refurbishment work, from conceptual plans and interior reconstruction to the finished concept of the interior décor.

To help clients understand what they are in for, Juliana asks prospective clients to check out her blog first before appointing her company for any job.

“This is to give them a better understanding of my vision so they can accept my design flair or trademark.

“Listening to clients is important, and I want them to be able to identify with their environment and the designer,” she said, adding that the blog has brought clients from outside Terengganu.

Juliana welcomes suggestions and comments, too.

“Their feedback will help me improve myself as a designer. Hopefully, I will get more projects through the blog, gain more valuable experience and come up with better design solutions.”

GALERIALAM IN NST

Self-made Webpreneurs

NST- Tech&U 1 JUNE,2009
by Rozana Sani and Siti Syameen Md Khalili

WHENEVER a potential client requests to see her portfolio, Juliana Abdul Rahim points them to her blog at www.galerialam.blogspot.com, which showcases her interior design and architectural services business.

For Juliana, the Web is key to her over-a-decade-old venture as it is one of the main channels for clients to get acquainted with her style. It is also one of the platforms for engagement and discussion. Some 16 years ago, as a graduate architect, Juliana worked in a few firms in Langkawi and Kuala Lumpur. She was last employed in 1997 in a small architect firm in Kemaman, Terengganu.

“Due to financial problems the company faced, I was one of the four retrenched... and I was four months’ pregnant. At first, I thought I could do with the much-needed rest. But later I felt the loss– half of the family’s income gone... but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise,” she shares.


After having given birth in April 1998, Juliana tried to pick up the pieces by working for another architect firm, but it only lasted a month. This was followed by “experiments” in other professions, but she was floored by a number of reasons – not least, a new baby needing care and attention and Juliana’s interest in interior designing.

“Finally, I bought myself a computer and started designing. My first few clients were my husband’s friends who commissioned me to draw up their house plans and do some small renovations. It was difficult financially, more so when my husband also left his job of 12 years in 2001 to venture into interior design with me,” she says.


At first, Juliana thought the biggest challenge she faced was having no money to set up and operate a company. “But later I realised that the biggest challenge was actually myself. I discovered that I had to be strong and motivated at all times and the discipline to juggle between work and home,” she says.



Juliana’s husband managed to get a few projects and the profits were used to run the company.

“The business has its ups and downs, but I’m satisfied with the results. Although I had never thought of myself as an entrepreneur, I will now never leave this for a nine-to-five job,” she says.

TAB CURTAINS

Kak Juli’s all time favorite style for curtains is the TAB CURTAIN. This style is simply pleasing to my eyes due to less fabric used , cost saving, easy maintenance and easily fit in any modern concept interiors.

Furthermore, endless possibilities of embellishments could be added to a plain piece of panel should you get bored with it.

Plain tab curtains are sold ready made in most departmental stores. Get a designer look by adding ribbon, buttons, faux flowers or beaded trim to achieve the desired look to match your room. Just don't over do it.....remember...LESS IS MORE....

Note: Curtains are the only fabric item not meant to be washed regularly. Just vacuum as needed.

DENGUE AND DRAIN

I quote…

“Primary prevention of dengue mainly resides in mosquito control. In urban areas, Aedes mosquitos breed on water collections in artificial containers such as plastic cups, used tires, broken bottles, flower pots, etc. Periodic draining or removal of artificial containers is the most effective way of reducing the breeding grounds for mosquitos .For reducing the adult mosquito load, fogging with insecticide is somewhat effective..”










I guess another favorite breeding spot for aedes is in a concrete drain like the above photo......water collected in drain due to clogged sump ....lots of food and abundance of O2 for the larvae to pupate and in a matter of days turn into ferocious aedes mosquitoes...!


Today I wish to highlight a drainage system that could possibly help reduce the spread of dengue plague(my personal opinion only)….This system is commonly used in golf courses / parks , but lately a lot of bungalow projects have opted to this system to replace the widely used half round glazeware concrete drain around the house perimeter……no maintenance...hassle free...aesthetically pleasing...


For some it’s called French Drain (as the system originated from France ,of course) but in Malaysia we call it SUB SOIL drainage system… Here’s how the drain is constructed:

Step 1: Digging the trench
Digging the trench is the most labor intensive part of the project. Your trench should be 5" - 6" wide, in extreme cases (where a large amount of water has to be re routed) a larger trench of 12" - 18" may be required. A French drain should be no deeper than the foundations of the nearest building. Your trench will run parallel to the wall of your building, horizontally across the slope. This will stop the water as it runs downhill towards your property and allow it to run off through your drain.



Step 2 : Line with gravel
On completion of the trench, line with 2"-3" of coarse gravel.



Step 3: Lining the trench
Next, line the trench with landscape fabric (reinforced geotextile membrane) leaving some excess on either side, you will later fold these inward to create an enclosed drain pipe and gravel structure, this will help prevent dirt from clogging up the gravel.
Refer to online catalog : Nylex

(If you have an existing perimeter concrete drain, begin with step 3)


Step 4: Lay the drainage pipe
Lay the drain pipe on top of the lining and fill the trench with coarse gravel. Leave 4”-5” at the top of the trench. If you are using perforated pipe, ensure the holes are facing downwards.



Step 5: Enclose the gravel and pipe
Fold the excess liner over the top of the gravel.



Step 6: Fill and Finish!
Fill the rest of the trench by shoveling on some coarse sand, add a few inches of topsoil, seed or turf, or most prefer to lay with river pebbles, and the job is done! Voila!

Seemed "kacang" enough for you to DIY ?If not, please get an experienced contractor to undertake this project.

I wish for everyone of us to play our part in preventing the widespread of dengue...be it the smallest gesture of trashing your empty drinking bottle in the bin...cause usually its the innocent ones who are victimized by our non- civic mindedness...

LANDSCAPING

Everyone (including moi) wishes to have nicely designed garden in our homes…..for those living in apartments or condominiums, you’re actually lucky to have the management provide you with swimming pool and gardens that you can enjoy without having to maintain (all included in your maintenance fee ,right?)

Building a garden is not an easy task and maintaining a beautiful garden needs time commitment (unless you have a gardener ….well, most of us don’t). Even planting grass should not be taken lightly as you need to provide good irrigation for the ground water to flow. Replanting mature trees also requires daily monitoring for months before they can adapt to the new environment. Once your garden is set, watering, weeding and grooming your garden regularly is a must. Here are some of my project fotos of the process towards achieving a well designed garden…

HOOKED ON IGOR

My weekday morning routine from 8am -9am is to meet up with Igor. With my morning coffee , a pencil and sketch pad , I’m glued to the old sofa for the next hour. Dressed in dusty overalls with a sledgehammer at hand, Igor is my dream handyman from the tv show “Restaurant Makeover”(Channel 703 AFC).

The show is about a selected restaurant interior renovation that involves makeover of both the interior décor of dining area and kitchen /menu upgrade , where a top interior designer and a renowned chef are assigned to assist in each project. The show will match the owner’s budget dollar for dollar eg. Owner’s budget 15K , they will do renovation worth 30K.

“Restaurant Makeover” is one of many interior design and cooking tv programs that I regularly watch. What makes the show different is of course Igor (and his team), the celebrated handyman / demolition man / builder whose one man skill is beyond comparison to the local construction workers that I’ve ever worked with. Despite his occasionally cynical remarks towards the designers’ designs (which I can sometimes agree with him, not always though, since he is not a designer), I would rather work with someone like Igor (in a million years) than all the over-confident –yes I can do all- cheaply - builders in the local market.
However I wish I have someone like Igor, I am quite content with Mr W the carpenter, Mr A the tiler , Mr P the painter, Mr H the skim coat / plasterer and Mr T the wallpaper installer whose been loyal working with me for the last 5 years. I hope they’ll be there for me forever. As for now, all 5 of them, minus the sarcasm, summed up equals one Igor…..

Note to self: A good design is useless without a good builder (repeat 100x)

LAMINATED WOOD FLOORING

Over the years I’ve used various brands of laminated wood flooring for my residential and office projects. I’ve encountered various problems with the planks , even from well known brands. At times I wanted to give up using laminated wood even though it can make a drastic change(upgrade) a room’s ambiance,aesthetically pleasing, easy maintenance and most importantly it’s a much cheaper solution than solid wood. After some research (investigation, rather) , I’ve discovered that the imported ones esp from C#i@a (usually cheaper),are not suitable for use in our climate (esp ground floor) due to the type of wood that they use(walaupun buatannya guna german teknologi jugak, tapi bukan guna tropical hardwood). Ada yg renggang , timbul, kembang bila kena air sikit, kena makan anai2(termite)…memang sakit hati esp bila client dah spend beribu ringgit . Of course they blame us for suggesting to them.

Sebenarnya ada kilang buat laminated wood planks ni kat Malaysia (I know one in Mentakab ) .The factory produces laminated wood using tropical hardwood and also supplies to a few named brands (I’m not promoting only one brand, ok?)So next time you go to a flooring supplier, please request for a locally produced laminated wood flooring (tak kiralah brand apa pun, as long as they use tropical hardwood). Another tip is that if you have heavy furniture, please go for thicker planks (12mm).Even though they cost double from the 8mm ones, you will not regret later. Finally, please don’t hesitate to remove your existing tile skirting and replace with the laminated wood skirting as it will provide better grip for your flooring planks.Thank you :)

modern retro

check out modern retro reproduced furniture such as this barcelona chair from
www.regencyshop.com

JANGAN MEMBAZIR

Salam...in light of the current economic situation, am glad to share with u that the prices of construction materials (steel, paint etc) have gone down....so any of you been saving your money for house renovations , now is the best time to spend on your home.

However, please seek for professional advice from architect / designers because they not only guide you technically, they also provide cost estimation which is crucial so that you won't spend more than you can afford to.Just tell them your budget.They will design according to your needs and sometimes what you need is less than what you think.

It kills me to see people splurge unnecessarily on their homes and the result is not satisfactory at all. When you construct yourself, you tend to spend on what you want rather than what you need. Most times you won't stick to the concept that you have in mind especially when you start shopping .Get consultation, people...the fee is much less than you imagine, so you can actually save money and get less headache when you get the right advise. Just don't expect us to give more than what you have in your budget ya....and please open your mind to suggestions that you never expect to hear..they're all for your own good :)

SWIMMING POOL

building a swimming pool is no easy job...no wonder they cost a great deal...check out our work in progress...this one can last 100 years... he3...you just need to change the pump... anyone interested in building one?everyone wants one , but call me only if you really need one, got space and budget for it.... call me lah.

CUSTOM MADE CABINETS

The task of furnishing and decorating an empty room in a new house should be much easier than to makeover an old room with existing furniture. However, with the sizes of the rooms no more than 13’ x 10’ , it’s quite a challenge to design the room layout to fit everything in it. A more convenient solution is to construct built-in cabinets : wardrobe, study table,even the mattress box is custom made to provide more storage spaces. Here are photos of my recently finished project…enjoy..!

YOU NEED HELP

Interior renovations or makeovers are really unnecessary if we are happy with the way our crib looks / function for us and our family, and our home truly reflects our image that we portray everyday whenever we step out of the door to face the world. My home is not the purrfect crib for everyone but it works well for me and my small family…but most importantly we are happy in it. We don’t have expensive furniture / décor items …some are DIY , most have good memories … Sometimes the house do get messy , but I know how to tidy up in a jiffy since I’ve assigned specific areas /zones for my things. Most importantly, I do purge my stuffs regularly ….

Should your crib looks like any of the before fotos in this blog, YOU NEED HELP…whether you want to admit it or not…YOU WILL NOT BE HAPPY living in these rooms….percayalah…

As for me, the opportunity given by my clients to help them transform their living spaces is priceless. It’s not easy to let a stranger into your household / personal spaces everyday for a few months. Thank you. From now on you will be much happier people, insyaAllah..:)

PROJECT 2008 :room three

BEFORE

Nowadays if you live in a terrace house, there’s no way you can add another room except for maybe a small room at your kitchen area for the maid or utility room. Lawn space is very limited and usually only 10ft or less from the fence. However, this double storey terrace house built in the early 90’s , provide an open 11’ x 22’ family area that we plan to convert into two rooms – a new bedroom for teenage son and a tv room.














PROCESS
Requires some hacking work and building a new wall ….messy but worth it…
Existing old leather sofa reupholstered…



AFTER
Teenage son gets his own room, tv area smaller , but more compact n efficient, balcony area converted into study area for the older kids…so everyone’s happy with their new space..:)

PROJECT 2008 :room two

BEFORE
The room size is also 9’ x 13’ , for two teenage girls age 12 and 17. In this case the bed orientation and wardrobe /dresser locations are changed to make the room looks bigger. The girls get their parents “old” brass bed, which is slightly bigger than the normal queen size bed. I also furnished their room with a canvas chair ,side table , table lamp and fern found in their living room. Books are placed on floating shelves on the wall by the bedside. Remember to limit the current reading only so that the shelves aren’t overloaded with books / stuffs. Purge regularly of course .Orange for the wall color to brighten up the room. This room makeover costs the least …..only paint, shelves, carpet and curtains are bought new, the rest are already in the house :-)

AFTER

PROJECT 2008 :room one

BEFORE

The room size is only 9’ x 13’ , for 3 boys age 5, 7 and 8. To fit them all (bed, wardrobe, study, toys) is quite impossible. Sometimes we think a double decker is the best solution for a small room. Actually one queen bed is a much better solution for younger kids sleeping arrangement. A storage cabinet hides all the toy boxes (of course you need to purge the toys quantity).Give them one or two boxes each depends on the space you have, and purge regularly so the boxes don't overflow. Also provide an easy maintenance rug (in this case I got them a colorful n matching the room color scheme bamboo rug) for the boys to sit on /play when friends come over or even do homework (cutting papers, pasting, coloring… u knowlah budak tadika n sekolah rendah punya homework). Soft blue /pastel wall paint more appropriate for active boys bedroom color ..to keep them more relaxed whenever in bedroom (they can be lasak on the playground but not in the bedroom, yes?) I’m happy with the result and the boys are happy too with their “new” room…:)

AFTER