The humble hamburger has come a long way over the past few years. Don’t get us wrong, the mass-produced Maccas cheese burger still has it’s place (Hangover– we’re looking at you)! They are however, a WORLD apart from the mouth watering, golden-bunned, house-made, specialised ingredients placed strategically on Australia’s best and most delicious burgers. The creators of these burgers know which cheese works best—melts perfectly, yet doesn’t become chewy as it cools. They also know which seasonings work to enhance different flavour combinations. Have a strong aversion to coriander? No problem, lets remove that for you. Often, our favourite burger joints have a standard menu however you can customise your burger to suit your taste. Can’t find something you love, they’ll happily create something for you which will be equally satisfying. Not sure what to choose, their staff, burgers specialists in their own right, will talk you through the options ensuring your empty belly leaves fully satisfied.

 

Choosing a decorative screen for your home or workplace is surprisingly, very similar to choosing an AMAZING burger.

The Quick Fix

Similar to the standard cheeseburger, the decorative screen equivalent does exist. Many hardware stores now stock plastic screens in limited ranges of colour, easily recognisable designs, all in set sizes.  Your choice of options may be small however they are extremely affordable and being plastic, they are light weight and easy to install.

 

Looking for something with a little more flavour?

As per burger bars,  decorative screening suppliers  are easy to find, however, how do you know if what you’re paying for is not just going to be good, but delicious.  First, let’s consider Standard Designs. As  with burgers, not all are created equally.  When viewing a  standard design catalogue ther e are a few important factors to  consider. 

 

01 Navigating the design collection

A well thought out approach to ensuring the experience of the customer is both functionable and enjoyable. Viewing decorative screens designs against a variety of backgrounds allows the customer to enhance their understanding of the elements of the design. They should leave with a greater understanding of the importance of size and scale purely through their viewing experience.

02 Range of Designs

In the blink of an eye, you should be able to gain an understanding as to the range of designs on offer. Some customers prefer a limited range to make the decision process a little easier. We say, an extensive range allows for variances on a chosen theme. Looking for something to compliment your relaxed-vibed, Palm Beach inspired home a range of choices in various styles could be considered. Breeze blocks would be an obvious choice. How about something from a botanical range—cactus or palm leaves. Maybe something with more of a coastal feel?

03 Details

When you pay attention to the small details, the big picture will take care of itself. Initially , when viewing a store bought pickle and comparing it to an in-house, hand made, zingy, tangy, scrumptious equivalent, they may look very similar. The overall concept may seem alike, however, after one bite, the difference becomes glaringly clear. As with decorative screen designs. A design which has been quickly whipped up, and created without intention, might do the job. Compared to a similar design which was created from a beautiful photo taken whilst walking the Byron Bay headland, searching for exactly the right density of foliage on branches of beachy Banksia trees. Taken back to the office, laid flat against other photos in the collection and then used for inspiration to create one additional design in a coastal inspired collection—the difference is clearly visible. Being present to view the trees, taking notice of variances in leaf shapes and irregularities on branches, all makes for a greater understanding and appreciation of the overall design. The subtleties of size and scale all extend first hand knowledge of the elements of the design.

04 Is there help on hand?

As with a burger specialist, can you speak directly to someone who will help make the decision making process just a little easier? Are the designs created in-house or were they sourced outside. Do they understand the importance of balancing the open area percentage with structural integrity? Are they available online or over the phone? Is there the option for an onsite design consultation? Let’s be honest, there’s no better way to provide advice than when you can step into a space and really get a feel for exactly what is needed to enhance the overall feel.

05 The ’not so standard’ Standard Studio Design

The mark of a good ‘standard’ design is when you can customise your chosen design to suit your requirements. As designers, we know that every project is unique and one size does not fit all. Being able to change the size and scale of design should be a given. Border requirements may also vary from project to project.  Just as some don’t like pineapple on their burgers, others don’t like palm fronds in their Tropical Design decorative screen. Pineapple can be removed and/or replaced, as to, palms.

Imagine this. You’re taking a vacation. You’ve booked a beautiful holiday home over looking the ocean. It ticks all the boxes. You will be in good company. What else could you need? Well, have you considered your meals. Sure, there’s plenty of lovely establishments, burger bars,  in the local area, however, have you considered hiring a private chef ?  Not only will he/she cater to all your needs, he’ll take into consideration and caters  for your gluten intolerance and your vegan husband, your overall experience in this holiday space will be dramatically increased. Custom  decorative screen design offers many of the same benefits.

By its very definition, custom design is created specifically  for your unique circumstances and when done well, ultimately enhances the space and provides an almost perfect solution.  It can be modified, scaled purposefully, and elements used will be considered with intention ensuring they are relevant and meaningful. 

Agreed, but is custom design worth the additional costs? Just as having a personal chef for one night to create the ultimate stay-at-home burger will cost a little more than the burger joint down the street, the overall experience will differ.  Add to this all the extras. Is he pickling his own vegetables for days in advance? Is he sourcing regeneratively farmed beef from a farmer two hours away. The price varies in accordance with the details. A simple custom design based on the  geometric pattern of your floor rug is going to be a far more cost effective custom designed screen than a 3-panel creation based on canopies of leaves from the Red River Gum. First photographed and then hours spent hand drawing each and every leaf. 

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