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u/Ok_Ordinary_7397

r/BMWX3 r/floorplan r/cinematography r/Lighting r/roomlayout r/TyreReviews r/LED_lighting r/tires
Image 1 — Most sensible sofa layout for compact open-plan living area?
Image 2 — Most sensible sofa layout for compact open-plan living area?
Image 3 — Most sensible sofa layout for compact open-plan living area?
▲ 2 r/roomlayout+1 crossposts

Most sensible sofa layout for compact open-plan living area?

Hi everyone, I am trying to decide on the most appropriate sofa layout for this open-plan kitchen/living/dining area.

It's the only living room in the house so needs to be able to accommodate guests as best as possible.

Due north is to the bottom of these floorplans, so the room gets great sunlight. However because that nicer aspect of the room is looking out towards the north, I think the prime sitting/relaxing zone (when not simply watching TV) is going to be up against the wall in the top-left corner of the room (sitting perpendicular to the TV).

So I want to maximise the seating in that corner, however the space required for the dining table, prevents including seating for two people in that corner, without having the sofa pushed right up against that left-hand section of the built-in TV/Media console (so the cupboards on that left-hand side of the media console will be completely blocked off by the side of the sofa).

With all of that in mind, which of these three layouts would people recommend?

I'm leaning towards the full-size corner sofa (since it maximises the available seating), but obviously the more compact L-shape sofa fits the space better size-wise without cramping that corner of the room. Having two (compact) 2-seater sofas is the other option (though I can't think of many reasons to go with two separate sofas compared to the full-size corner lounge, in this particular space).

Would love to hear people's thoughts (and any alternatives that I might have missed).

u/Ok_Ordinary_7397 — 4 days ago
▲ 4 r/LED_lighting+1 crossposts

Diffusing/deflecting downlights?

I’ve just bought a house that’s FULL of LED downlights. And unfortunately I HATE downlights.

What modifiers (diffusers/deflectors) have people found that work well to turn conventional residential downlights into softer ambient sources?

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u/Ok_Ordinary_7397 — 6 days ago
▲ 3 r/TyreReviews

Which mild All-Terrains for a softroader?

I’m doing a Softroader Build on an old BMW X3, and have just upgraded the suspension with a 35mm lift. Now my final step is to add some taller All-Terrain tyres. The overwhelming majority of my driving is still going to be on bitumen, so I’m looking at the milder All-Terrain options.

I’ve come across a couple of deals that seem pretty decent, and was wondering people’s thoughts:

4x Bridgestone Dueller AT 002 @ $1080 AUD fitted

4x Falken AT Trail @ $880 AUD fitted

4x Continental Crosscontact ATR @ $720 AUD fitted

All three have solid reviews, and apparently perform well in the wet (which is probably my biggest concern). So wondering which of the three people would recommend?

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u/Ok_Ordinary_7397 — 1 month ago
▲ 2 r/BMWX3+1 crossposts

Which mild All-Terrains for a softroader?

I’m doing a Softroader Build on an old BMW X3, and have just upgraded the suspension with a 35mm lift. Now my final step is to add some taller All-Terrain tyres. The overwhelming majority of my driving is still going to be on bitumen, so I’m looking at the milder All-Terrain options.

I’ve come across a couple of deals that seem pretty decent, and was wondering people’s thoughts:

4x Bridgestone Dueller AT 002 @ $1080 AUD fitted

4x Falken AT Trail @ $880 AUD fitted

4x Continental Crosscontact ATR @ $720 AUD fitted

All three have solid reviews, and apparently perform well in the wet (which is probably my biggest concern). So wondering which of the three people would recommend?

reddit.com
u/Ok_Ordinary_7397 — 2 months ago
▲ 4 r/BMWX3

X3 (F25) 30mm Lift Spring Install

Well it's been a much more drawn out process than expected (due to very few local mechanics wanted to mess with lifting an X3), but I just collected my now-lifted X3 from the shop, and figured I'd report back.

Hardware-wise I paired:

- Eibach 30mm Lift Springs

- Bilstein B4 Shock Absorbers 

These springs used to be sold in a set with Bilstein B6 shocks, and that seemed like the obvious choice to use for this lift, however since the few user reports that can be found online generally report nothing but trouble (and overly-rough ride quality) when paired with the B6s, and as multiple members of this group stated they'd had no significant issues with ride-quality or the shocks topping-out when paired with OEM shocks, I opted to go with the OEM-replacement Bilstein B4 shocks instead.

The springs seem to have lifted the car approximately 37mm. Ground clearance has gone from about 203mm to around 240mm at both the front and rear (that's roughly 8"-9.45").

My initial impressions of the ride-quality, are that it feels a bit stiffer than the very plush ride of the stock suspension, but it doesn't seem harsh in any way. Sending it over some potholes and speed bumps the impacts don't have any kind of upsetting harshness.

And I haven't noticed any immediate issues with the shocks topping-out yet (a big issue with these springs and the B6 shocks apparently). So fingers-crossed I've got a nice, sustainable setup here. I'll update this post if more driving reveals any obvious gotchas.

With the wheel alignment after the suspension swap, the shop was apparently able to get the wheels back to neutral (which is good news) I'm waiting for them to send through a copy of the before/after numbers on the alignment, and will share that too once it comes through.

Next up will be figuring out how much extra space the lift has given me in the wheel wells, and putting some taller (and grippier) All-Terrain tyres, which should bring me to roughly 10" of ground clearance overall. But for now, that can wait until my wallet has recovered a little.

Here are some comparison pictures of the lifted car (on the left) and pre-lift (on the right):

u/Ok_Ordinary_7397 — 2 months ago
▲ 4 r/floorplan

Sacrificing living space for extra garage storage?

https://preview.redd.it/9bftez0wfe7h1.jpg?width=1801&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4b192bf0356a0ae042db954722f9d33f71c5ef0d

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some advice on this floor plan. I've been bait-and-switched into a house-and-land package (which they advertised with plans for a 4-beds, 3-living rooms, double-garage build, but have now switched to this 3-bed, 3-living room, 1.5x garage layout, citing block constraints).

It's a frustrating change, but still looks like the best option available to me, so I'm looking to move ahead with it. I've been able to make a number of revisions to the layout, that makes the reduced plans more viable for me (shifting some windows, walls and storage around to make the 2nd and 3rd bedrooms larger, and favour views out to nature and northern sunlight).

My final hurdle is deciding whether to get an extra 50cm more garage space (at the expense of the main living room) or try to move that garage storage into the "theatre" living room (which will become my home office) by adding some floor-to-ceiling cupboards in there?

Unfortunately I can't just extend the front/door end of the garage further out, due to site setback requirements.

Adding the extra garage space seems to make sense, since that living room corner of the open-plan area would still be a comfortable size for a corner couch and a large TV, and the kitchen/dining sections of the room wouldn't be affected by the intrusion.

However I'm worried that losing the open/continuous sense of space in the open-plan area, might make it feel noticeably more cramped (even if the usability of that space is functionally unchanged.

Would appreciate people's thoughts.

Thanks

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u/Ok_Ordinary_7397 — 2 months ago
▲ 2 r/cinematography

Portkeys "BM7 II DS" for wireless control of the Sony FX6?

Hi everyone,

I'm looking at picking up a couple of 7" external monitors for my FX6 and FX3, and I'm wondering how people feel about the two Portkeys options, the "BM7 II DS" and the "LS7P".

They appear to be the two most full-featured options on the market for camera control of the Sonys, and I've seen several YouTube videos (and have used the LS7P with the FX6 before, so I'm aware of what it does nicely, and what's a pain).

However I haven't seen anyone discus the slightly older, but higher-end "BM7 II DS" model, which with a recent firmware update, appears to have matched the LS7P for it's updated wireless control and monitoring features.

The "BM7 II DS" offers a 2200nit screen (compared to just 1000 nits with the cheaper LS7P) and that's about the level where monitors start to become painless to use outdoors. So the brighter screen is definitely a great incentive to get the more expensive monitor.

But I'm wondering if anyone knows of other particular advantages (or disadvantages) of the "BM7 II DS"?

Thanks

reddit.com
u/Ok_Ordinary_7397 — 3 months ago