Category: window tinting

They say that if you don’t like the weather in Melbourne, wait fifteen minutes. That seems all too true at times. I mean, it’s still summer – arguably, midsummer – and I’m wearing a jumper and carrying an umbrella. Just a couple of days ago, it was serious bushfire weather, with a bit of crazy lightning thrown in the mix for extra fun. Which brings me to my point, which is that the building I work in could really do with tinted windows.

Look at it this way: seeing as it’s virtually impossible to dress for the weather here, the next best thing is to spend the day in an environment that’s as responsive to heat and cold as possible. For that reason, I predict that window tinting on commercial buildings in Melbourne is only going to become cheaper and easier to install and maintain. Can you tell I’ve been formulating an argument for getting it to present to my manager? Allow me to elaborate.

According to my hairdresser, there are these stick-on films on the market now, which block 99% of UV rays, heat and glare. I guess that feature is more applicable on hot days (not like today), but who knows? Perhaps they can limit heat loss from inside the office as well. If nothing else, being able to reduce the energetic costs of running the air con on hot days would go a way towards balancing out the heating costs come the inevitable cool changes.

While I’m at it, I might even put forward getting some decorative frosting for the glass office dividers that cut through the whole place – they’re not exactly conducive to privacy the way the are right now, so they feel kind of pointless. Glass decor for Melbourne offices: what’s the best way of obtaining this? Presumably, there’s some kind of film-based solution for that too.

Heck, maybe this stuff can go on the outside of the building; the joint could do with a bit of branding on the outside, if you ask me. I wonder if it’s weather-resistant?

 

Working from home presents a never-ending string of spatial puzzles to be solved. It’s an ongoing process of figuring out how to maintain separate areas for separate parts of life. This is hard when these spaces are, at the end of the day, physically adjoining. I’m looking into doing an office decor overhaul, and I’m taking it as an opportunity to improve the logistical flow of the space.

I receive clients in my home office on a regular basis, so it needs to look legit. I’m having one small problem with this. The space I’ve allocated for work is a stand-alone structure that faces the back of the house, which is essentially a wall of transparent glass. This means that anyone situated in the office can see directly into my kitchen, which I don’t feel is the best look (especially in light of my tendency to forget to do the dishes). I’ve been reluctant to do anything about it because I really love the big glass panels.

Someone has just put me onto the idea of getting window frosting. Companies in Melbourne, apparently, can do this, and it could be a way of making my huge windows less openly transparent while still letting in the sun from above eye level. It’s meant to look similar to sandblasting or etching onto glass, but is done with some kind of film – which means I wouldn’t need to get all my glass replaced.

I’m also keen to investigate the possibilities for adding some decorative window designs. In Melbourne, anything is possible when it comes to customisation. I reckon there’s someone out there who can set me up with a faux stained glass situation – maybe on some kind of high-tech film material?

It would be cool if there was a way of combine the window frosting with a stained glass aesthetic. I’m a marriage celebrant, in case you were wondering, and I believe something like this would contribute to setting up a mood that’s matched to what I do. At the same time, I’d be making my living quarters more private while creating a sense of spatial continuity between them and the office. Dreamy!