Anne-apolis

  My default design style is for single pictures on a wall with large expanses of painted plaster all around, so it was something of a challenge to contemplate a gallery wall in my living room.  Since I have recently moved into a much smaller office, I have a number of significant photos that need a new home. I also have a few other pictures stacked up, waiting for a space on my walls. The photos include several graduation photos, some family photos, a couple of artworks that were gifts, and a large photo of my favourite cat. The photos are too important to hide in an album or to rotate out, and I would not have enough wall-space to hang all of them conventionally.  A formal layout from Pintrest:  https://za.pinterest.com/pin/611926668143218077/ I started on the gallery wall project by exploring Pintrest, YouTube and Instagram for inspiration and tips - there is a wealth of wonderful projects and posts to get you going, with examples that range from very informal thr...

At key stages in our lives, whether we are a student, new professional in a costly city, recently separated, or moving into a retirement facility, a studio apartment may be our best (or only) option for accommodation. We would then need to sleep, work, cook, relax and entertain in a single room. This can be quite challenging, physically and psychologically, as the boundaries between different parts of our lives may become blurred. We may feel constrained because of the limitations of our space. In today's blog, I look at some simple and economical strategies that we can use to optimize space, enjoyment and liveability of a single living space.  A common problem with single-space living is that the bed tends to dominate the room, especially if it is one undifferentiated space. One approach is to look around for multi-functional furniture, such as a sleeper couch - there is quite a wide range of styles and prices to align with your taste and budget. The advantage of a sleeper co...

  I moved out of home when I was 21 years old, and lived alone both as a young adult and again since 2015. My mother has also lived alone since she was in her early 50's, some 40 years ago. When I moved into my current one-bedroom flat, I did not anticipate sharing with anyone. My children had left home, and lived in their own flats, in various parts of the country. But then COVID hit in 2020, and I needed to accommodate my mom for an indefinite time while we waited for her new home to be available. Any alterations to my flat had to be completely reversible, possible to do under the various lockdown regulations (so within our own abilities to move furniture, and redecorate), and we wanted keep the costs to a minimum, as this was a very temporary situation. Original layout of the bedroom and livingroom of my flat At the time, I was working from home, giving live lectures and chairing meetings, so it was essential that I could have extended times of complete privacy and quiet. My mom...

Sitting outside the Wits Architecture Building My name is Anne. I have just retired from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa where I was an Associate Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, working in the environmental engineering and project management domain. Prior to that, I was a lecturer in the School of Architecture and Planning, teaching many aspects of architecture, including architectural history, design and skills in graphics. Before lecturing at the University, I worked briefly in local government as a junior architect and then in a commercial firm of architects. After this I ran a private architectural practice with a focus on architectural heritage design. I have qualifications in architecture, construction management and employment creation through construction. Now that I have retired, I want to continue to provide educational context about architecture, engineering, design and project management in a different forum ...