How Can Furniture Affect HVAC System And Vice Versa

attractive young woman sitting on sofa and pointing at air conditioner with remote control

Seasons change in Australia from freezing winters to scorching summers. In such weather changes, you need to invest in a sound HVAC system to ensure comfort when the temperatures get to the extreme. You need a heating system during the cold weather. Did you know that the 2020 summer had parts of Sydney hit 48.9C? Well, you need an AC unit for such heat. 

Investing in a sound HVAC system should be determined by many factors. One of the crucial factors that are also less discussed is the type and amount of furniture in your home. The choice of the furniture, including the material, will affect your HVAC system. In this guide, we are looking at ways furniture affects the HVAC system and vice versa 

1. Airflow Issues 

One of the ways that your furniture can affect the HVAC system is the airflow into the house. The furniture placement can significantly affect the effectiveness of the heating system to keep the room warm. Similarly, it can affect how your air conditioning system is cooling the room during the hot season. Do note that air conditioning installation factors in the location of the evaporator coil.  

If a piece of large furniture is placed near the vent or evaporator coil, it will alter the airflow path into the room. The vent placement is designed so that the coming air, whether cool or warm, will get into the room without obstruction. The HVAC system’s effectiveness will be affected by the blocking of the airflow. It will not heat or cool as expected. 

2. Solar Shading 

Solar shades have a significant impact on the HVAC system. The amount of sunshine that gets into the house determines how hot the room gets. The more sunshine you allow into the room, the hotter it becomes. This means, during the cold season, you can reduce the cost of heating by opening curtains to let more sunshine. 

Interior of modern design room with yellow beanbag

If you have furniture blocking the path of sunlight, it will create shadows in the house. This means the room will get cooler and will make it easy to keep the house cool during summer. If the path of sunlight is blocked during cold seasons, it will cost you a lot to keep the room warm. Therefore, you can play around with furniture to get the most out of the HVAC system depending on the season. 

3. Quality of Air 

Your furniture could affect the quality of the air that the HVAC system is circulating in the room. Some components of the furniture can pollute the air, especially for new furniture. Some of these components could be producing hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which have been classified as dangerous air pollutants. Some of these compounds are also classified as irritants and are likely to cause allergic reactions. 

Some of the major culprits of air pollution are the glues used for the making of furniture. Other raw materials such as leather are produced through chemical processes, and thus, some of the chemicals can find their way into the house. The paints and finish products on the furniture could also be the source of poor air quality. You need to check the condition of the furniture and the materials used. Avoid buying newly made pieces of furniture. 

4. Component Wear 

Most people have no idea that their furniture could be accelerating the HVAC system rate of wear. A good example is the corrosion of the air conditioner parts, such as the evaporator coil. Most of the polluting gases produced by your furniture are acidic. When the coils suck the gases during the cooling process, they combine with moisture forming on the coils. 

What is formed is an acid on the coils. As the furniture releases more and more toxic gas, the acid becomes more concentrated. The acid will corrode these coils, and they start developing leaks. If you are lucky to clear the acid early, you will have already increased the coil’s rate of wear. 

5. Cooling/Heating Load 

House living room interior furniture background.

The HVAC system load also includes the pieces of furniture that you have in your home. Do note that furniture also absorbs heat. If the day has been freezing and you need to warm the room, the room’s amount of furniture will add to the heating load. The heating system will need to heat the furniture for the room to have a comfortable temperature.  

The material used for the construction of your furniture will determine the cooling and heating load. For materials that absorb heat from sunshine, they will help reduce the heating load. Similarly, they will increase the load during summertime since it will take longer to cool the house. But if you have wooden furniture with very little leather and other materials, the impact on cooling and heating will be negligible. 

6. HVAC system performance  

The HVAC system comes in all sizes, depending on the load factor. However, most people forget the load and keep adding pieces of furniture into the house. With every piece of furniture added into the house, the HVAC system load is increased. This means if the system can only handle a small amount of furniture, you would be overloading it. 

The load for the heating and cooling system affects the unit’s performance. When too much furniture is put in the house, you could be overstretching the system. This means a reduced performance as the system works harder. The heating or cooling will take longer than it should because of the reduced performance. 

7. HVAC system Efficiency 

The other way that furniture can affect the HVAC system is efficiency. If the system is overworking due to overloading, the efficiency will start going down. Poor efficiency has numerous effects on the cooling and heating system.  

First, low efficient unit increases energy consumption. This means you will be paying more to heat the same house. Second, low efficiency accelerates the rate of wear and tear. That means high maintenance cost. Make sure that you have the amount of furniture to avoid overloading the HVAC system. 

In conclusion, it is recommended that you work with a professional plumber when installing the HVAC system. Work with the top rated Sutherland Shire air conditioning company in Sydney for quality and reliable services. They will help you get the right HVAC system for your home. 

What Is Contemporary Home Decor?

contemporary home

When it comes to decorating your house, there are three main options that you can pick from. You can go for the vintage, modern, or contemporary décor styles. However, most people are unable to distinguish between the last two. They think that modern and contemporary interior designs are the same, which is not true. They may be used interchangeably, but in design, they are quite different.

What is Contemporary Home Décor?

The term contemporary in home décor means things that are trending or more current. The main difference between these designs with the modern ones is that the latter refers to designs of the mid-1900s. Therefore, contemporary home décors are the more current designs that are already causing ripples in the industry. At the moment, minimalist home décor are some of the contemporary home décors in the industry.

The Best Contemporary Home Décor

If you want to update your home décor with contemporary ideas, there are many options that you can choose from. In this guide, we have rounded some of the best minimalist contemporary home décors that you can select from.

Water Filters For Your Kitchen

Ever visited a friend’s stunning Australian home and been impressed by the sleek decor and modern kitchen? Installing an undersink water filter in your designer kitchen not only gives you access to filtered water which is great for health. It also creates a modern look and is easy to change regularly, another important health factor when it comes to clean drinking water.

Simplified Colour Palette

Colour is one of the main contemporary interior styles. There are many colour options you can pick from, but we highly recommend that you try minimalist colour ideas. These colours are the trendiest decor in the industry. Neutrals, white and black are the most popular due to their minimalist properties. You should have the room painted with minimalist colours and extend it to the main furniture pieces in the rooms. It is also important that you select the main, accent, and your bold colours carefully to get a harmonious colour palette.

Lines

The use of lines in home decoration has been one of the biggest interior decor trends. Decorating with lines offers a simple and cheap way to get minimalist home. There are three main types of lines that you can select from horizontal, vertical and curved or dynamic lines. Each of the lines will have a different impact on how your home looks and feels. So you can easily manipulate your space visually using these lines. You can paint the walls with these lines or use wallpaper with these lines.

Open Space Décor

Decluttering or open space is another contemporary décor that is doing very well in the market. In fact, it is one of the easiest and cheapest minimalist décors in the industry. Open space décor is also one of the best DIY home decor projects. What you need is to remove extra pieces of furniture that you don’t need in the room. You can also streamline your furniture by downsizing them. Every piece of furniture in the room should have free space for a minimalist home. You can also remove some of the walls to make the room spaces. The idea behind the open-space décor is to allow natural energy to flow into the room freely.

Large Windows

Allowing natural energy to flow freely into the room is one of the key factors for any interior décor. One of the simplest ways to achieve this is allowing more sunlight into the room. That is why large windows are recommended for minimalist homes. What you need to do is to enlarge your room windows to allow more sunlight to come in. This will make the room look even large and more elegant.

Indoor plants

indoor plants

The use of the indoor plants for the house decoration has always been a trending décor. It is one of the few decors that fits in both modern and contemporary interior décors. Plants come in various types from which you can pick one that works for your space. However, if you live in condos and having a problem of ample sunlight, then you will need to consider succulents and cacti plants because they excel in any condition. In addition, the choice of planters matters. Make sure that the colour of the planter mix harmoniously with your colour pallet.

Contemporary Furniture

There are new pieces of furniture that are designed to make a bold statement in your space. Most of these pieces of furniture designs are very new in the market and thus would make a big transformation to your interior décor. However, it should have the characteristics of minimal decorations. So, it should be simple and uncluttered. Look for smooth, clean, geometry shapes as they create a perfect minimalist space.

Flooring

Flooring plays a critical role in home décor. For a minimalist contemporary decor, bare and smooth floors are the most popular. However, the choice of material is what determined whether it’s a minimalist contemporary flooring or not. Tiles, wood or vinyl are some of the best contemporary flooring materials. If you have to a carpet to this floor, then you need to a quality commercial grade, and its hue should be in harmony with your colour palette.

To decorate your space with trending styles, then you cannot ignore contemporary décor. There are many options to pick from, including minimalist options. However, selecting what works for your space is the most crucial factor.

Creating A Modern Ergonomic Home Office

modern home office

The number of people choosing to work from home has been on the rise. However, one of the areas largely ignored is the ergonomics features of the home office. Some people, unknowingly, work under very unhealthy conditions. From poor working posture, long sitting hours, poorly lit spaces to a very small room, some of the home offices are simply a danger to your overall health. 

The good news is that you can easily create a modern ergonomic home office. If you are working from home, there are several ways you can give your office improved ergonomic features to enhance your productivity and overall health. Here are tips on how to creating a modern ergonomic home office: 

1. The Right Height 

One of the crucial things to take into consideration when designing an office is the posture. That includes the home office. How are you sitting in the office? Are slouching because the desk is too short? Well, you need to get the right desk/chair height and more so customised height to address the problem of bad posture.

2. Adequate Lighting 

One of the highly recommended minimalist home office designs is proper lighting. With most people working from home spending most of the time in front of a computer, they are likely to experience squinting and straining of eyes. This impact can be diffused by introducing more natural light in the room. Start with opening windows to allow for more natural light. You can also enlarge your windows to allow more natural into the office. If you still need more light, a supplemental desk lamp will do magic.  

3. Desk Space 

For a home office with desks, you need to consider the issue of space. Small and squeezed offices are ineffective and less productive. You might also be forced to bring the computer screen close to your eyes, hence affecting your screen view. To enhance your productivity, you need to create enough space for your desk. If space limited, hang your screen on a suitable monitor arm for easy adjustment. The recommended distance between you and the screen is 800 mm.  

home office desk spacing

4. Extra Leg Room 

How does your desk allow your legs to move? Well, for efficient working and peak productivity, you need to have your legs moving freely. There should be enough space for you to stretch your legs freely. Free legs movement is crucial as it promotes circulation, which crucial for efficient work. Otherwise, you will feel bored, tired and uncomfortable after working for short hours. Tip: if you are hitting the wall when you stretch legs, you don’t adequate space. The minimum space to the wall should be 600 millimetres. 

5. Keep The Office Tidy 

One of the biggest mistakes that people working from home makes is keeping office untidy. To design a modern ergonomic home office, you must keep your room tidy. The trick is to keep what you frequently use close to you. Besides, everything in the right place. If you have files, keep them in the right place. We recommend small wooden cabinets for filing purposes. You should remove anything you don’t need or use in the office. If you have extra chairs, remove them to create space and keep the office clean. 

6. Get a Perfect Perch 

Getting the right office chair height is another factor that significantly affects your office ergonomic features. Unfortunately, most people don’t get this right, and it ends up effects that sitting position and the overall posture. Getting a perfect perch is pretty simple. Just stand next to the office chair and check whether the sitting position is knee height. That’s the recommended height. 

7. Take a Stand  

Studies have shown that people working in the office are the biggest victim of lifestyle diseases. The most highlight reason is sitting for long hours. Standing regularly can help to improve not only your healthy but also your productivity. Sitting for long hours can cause poor digestion and circulation. Take some time to stand or use height adjustable desks to keep working while standing. Similarly, standing for long hours is also harmful. So, if your work includes standing, take regularly sitting breaks. 

8. Avoid Using Laptops 

Are you using a laptop for your office works? Well, that is something most people do but what they don’t is the damage they exposing themselves to with these gadgets. Laptops promote poor posture. Due to the position of the screen, you will find that you are slouching to type. So, if your work includes using a computer most of the day, consider investing in a quality desktop to avoid poor posture. 

9. Keyboard and Mouse Position 

keyboard mouse correct positioning

When it comes to ergonomic features for modern home office, everything around your workstation matters. The keyboard and mouse positions are a key thing to take into consideration. They greatly affect your posture, and that’s why you need to put them in their right position. If you are struggling to reach these devices, then you will definitely experience excessive fatigue or injuries. Have them in a place where you can access them without breaking any of the neutral positioning rules.  

10. Get Some Green 

Various researches have should that exposure to nature have a positive impact on worker’s productivity and performance. That’s why getting some green into the office is highly recommended. Having plants in the room helps to reduce stress. Stress is one of the biggest contributors to low productivity. So, with plants in your home office, you will boost your moods and at the same time enhance productivity. There are many indoor plants to select from, but you can also get some from your garden. 

Creating a modern ergonomic home office is not as difficult as most people think. What you need is to get everything right, including the features that improve posture while at your work station. Boosting your mood while working is also crucial, and that’s why plants are crucial. Try these tips, and you will be surprised by your home office transformation

The Home and Source of Great Furniture

Hello there! Welcome to the Living Cube, the home and source of great furniture perfect for minimalist living.  

The Living Cube specializes in producing furniture that are of minimalist design. Our furniture sets been carefully designed and selected to fit any aspect of your home and its different rooms.

Many people convert there garage using Living Cube. Often time they will consider garage door replacement before installation. We know for a fact that lot and home sizes are getting smaller these days given the rise in the prices of real estate. As such, it is important to make sure that your furniture conforms to the size of your home to ensure aesthetics, comfort and space. Our furniture sets are all geared towards ensuring simplicity and elegance and can definitely create a modern look for your home.  

So how do you choose your minimalist furniture from among our offers?  

Ensure simplicity  

It is important for you to keep things simple. Stick to the very basic shapes and to primary or monochromatic colors. A lot of our furniture are available in black, white, wenge and different shades of gray, making it very easy for you to mix and match. We can also have specific furniture available in bold colors to serve as accents.  

Buy serviceable furniture

By serviceable, we mean multipurpose furniture. Most of the modern furniture that we offer provides flexibility and ensures multi-functionality. For example, we offer bed frames that integrate storage spaces so that you have more space to store all your clutter. Or we can help you choose a bed frame that can be possibly expanded with a pullout bed. We even have sofas with spaces for drawers and desks. Or even TV cabinets with spaces for iPod docks and such. 

Choose floating furniture 

We have lots of floating shelves available that provide nice accents to your home while at the same time being very functional and serviceable. Choose bold colors or specific furniture that blends well or complements the look and feel of the rest of your furniture.  

Make sure that all of your furniture are paired well together 

We have various furniture that go in sets. We can provide a complete package for the living room, bedroom, kitchen, garage areas, among others. Or we can offer you the service of our artists and interior designers to help you put together furniture for your home. Just let us know what you need and we will be happy to  

Emphasize space

In a modern minimalist home, emphasis on space is important. The Living Cube offers you specially designed furniture that will help you ensure open spaces such as low cabinets, decorative dividers, furniture clusters, tables, sofas and so on. We wil help you make sure that each furniture piece helps elevate the look and feel of your home and complements its aesthetics.  

What are you waiting for? Browse our website now and choose the furniture pieces that are most appropriate to the look of your home. If in doubt, just contact us.