A true holistic approach to design:

• Remove the stress, hire an Interior Designer

• Kitchen Design, harmful substances and designing low tox

• The Design Process at The Paradigm Room

• Pushing beyond what’s done, to what’s best

Remove the stress, hire an Interior Designer

Renovating is, more often than not, a stressful process. Especially when it is a DIY project. As the old adage says, you will save a lot of money by engaging the experts at the start of the project.

And here’s why:

• A qualified and experienced designer knows the ins and outs of the design and construction process.

• They can foresee most, if not all, potential issues and prevent them from arising in the first place.

• They work thoroughly with you to fully understand your style, requirements, and preferences, to achieve your desired outcome.

• They can recommend and/or engage contractors and tradespeople to undertake any specific roles required.

• They can also coordinate the various trades and services so the project runs as smoothly as possible.

You’re probably aware of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as toxic substances to avoid. Too often, I see projects aiming to be “healthy” by minimising VOCs, but that’s where the health considerations typically conclude - purely because we’re not taught about toxins beyond that.

The truth is, toxic substances that are commonly present in our homes and workplaces go well beyond VOCs.

Did you know that more than 100,000 substances have been introduced into society (Bornehag & Nanberg, 2010), with many being linked to toxicity and illness in human and animal health?

So when it comes to Kitchen Design and Renovations, harmful substances are just one of the many things we also assess throughout your project.

We conduct this as a behind-the-scenes risk analysis, that includes examining:

• Any initial risks to you and your family upon installation of a material or product (E.g. off-gassing, leaching, dust)?

• Any long-term risks associated with the products, materials, etc. (E.g. off-gassing, leaching, dust)?

• Potential risks if something goes awry (E.g. water leak)?

• Possible risks involved in the manufacturing processes? Are there risks to the factory workers? Does the manufacturer themselves support sustainable practices?

• Risks associated with disposal procedures, should you wish to re-renovate years and years down the track? Risks to both workers and the environment, at the end of the product’s life cycle? Can it be reused or recycled in a healthy yet sustainable manner?

• What are possible low tox alternatives available for the project?

And that’s just to name a few!

In addition, we share with you our reasoning’s behind our proposed finishes and products, to help you form the best decisions for your project. We also provide this information to you in an easy-to-digest package at the completion of your project, so that you have the awareness and knowledge to make your own informed low tox and sustainable decisions moving forward as well.

So that being said, the following is our typical Design Process for your kitchen design or renovation:

Our design process:

1. Complimentary Discovery Call: Prior to meeting, we chat briefly over the phone to discuss your project and to ensure we are a good fit for your goals.

2. Book an Initial Meeting: These are typically one hour in length, and in-person. Though we also can undertake these virtually (especially if it is an interstate or eDesign project). Tasks on the agenda include:

   • The project scope

   • If any external consultants are required, and if you would like us to engage them on your behalf;

   • Discussion of your budget, priorities, and wishlist;

   • Overview of your ‘mood board’ that you prepare prior, to indicate your style preferences, etc.

   • Whether you have architectural/digital plans already, or require us to undertake a site measure.

3. Fee Proposal: We then compile and email a Fee Proposal for your review which is based on our conversations from the Initial Meeting, as well as our 15+ year industry experience. This also includes a written Return Brief for you, to ensure we’re on the same page with your project.

4. Concept Design Phase: Once the Fee Proposal is accepted, we commence the design process. We develop a concept presentation for you (again, it can be in-person or online) that includes an initial ‘look and feel’ and conceptual design ideas.

5. Design Development Phase: We develop the space planning and overall design approach, including preliminary elevations, to present and discuss with you.

6. Contract Documentation Phase: From here, we then dive deeply into the documentation of all of the drawings required for the project to come to life. Depending on your project, we can assist in sending the documentation out to tender or issue them directly to you and your builder (if you already have one on board).

7. Project handover! Upon completion of your project, we would love to meet with you again to see how you’re settling into your new home/renovation and revel in the knowing that you have a beautiful, functional, yet healthy, new kitchen to enjoy for many years to come.

At The Paradigm Room, we are very passionate about designing spaces that have minimal impact on your health and well-being, but also on the environment. We aim to reduce exposure to pollutants and toxins.

We strive to push beyond what is done, to what is best.

It truly is a holistic approach:

1. Providing you with an energy-efficient, high-performing home that reduces your running costs, but also the impact on the environment long-term;

2. Similarly, providing you with a comfortable home, in terms of thermal comfort all year round, functional air filtration, omitting condensation, etc., but also the interior design - a space designed specifically for you!

3. Minimising unnecessary toxins in every element of the design. There is a misperception that the world around us cannot possibly be detrimental to our health, otherwise, those certain materials and finishes would not have been manufactured that way in the first place. But in reality, when you add up every toxin we are exposed to throughout the day, in every instance, and for the length of time we’re exposed… that really starts to accumulate and contribute to our toxic load - or ‘body burden.’

This approach to design, in our opinion, is 110% needed for our future. And for future generations.

Evidence already exists that links certain harmful substances to specific illnesses. Yet, many of these substances also reside within common building materials and finishes.

Should we be waiting for further government input to regulate the usage of such toxins? Definitely not, especially when you consider the aftermath of asbestos. And more recently, the significant risk of silicosis (especially to factory workers) correlated to silica dust in composite stone (quartz) bench tops.

To preserve both human health and environmental sustainability, we strongly encourage this paradigm shift within the design and construction industries.

We examine all these risks throughout our design projects. And with the kitchen being at the heart of the home, it gets as much attention from us, at The Paradigm Room, as any other room.

It doesn’t matter if you are not intending to renovate your entire home. It is the small steps that matter. So if we help you create a low tox, sustainable and high-performing kitchen, you are still moving one big step forward, in a positive direction.

If you are contemplating renovating your home, contact us now for an obligation-free COMPLIMENTARY Discovery Call to see how we can help with your Kitchen Design.

REFERENCES

Bornehag, C. G., & Nanberg, E. (2010). Phthalate exposure and asthma in children. International Journal of Andrology, 33(2), 333–345. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2605.2009.01023.x

*Note: The kitchen pictured was not designed by us.