Colours. And Surface
After: The couple gets a bright, warm bathroom, designed by Brian Osborne of Osborne Construction and Niko Dyshniku of Kole Made, complete with a large shower. (Note: a glass panel was added to create a side on the shower after this photo was taken.) The couple had fewer reservations about having only a shower in this space because the home has another bathroom with a tub.
After: A large glass shower greets the homeowners, who chose a plan that would age along with them. The designer, Christa Pirl of Christa Pirl Interiors, focused on adding a shower that allowed easy access should the couple have any mobility problems in the future, something their previous tub didn’t do.
A single sink with zip taps Vanessa Cook, design manager of smarterBATHROOMS+, which provides design services for kitchens and bathrooms plus other areas of the house: A sink is, of course, a necessity in any kitchen, but the inclusion of a single kitchen sink that is really wide is far more practical for cleaning than two smaller sinks, and it helps define and contain the ‘cleaning zone’ in the kitchen.
Little or no natural light Solution: Under-cabinet lights will brighten the edges of the room and expand the sense of space, while providing task lighting on benchtops that may sit in the shadows of the overhead units. You could go one step further in brightening up the room and extending the sense of space by adding LED lights on the kickboards at floor level.
Suave seating A chair such as this can bring a sense of warmth and sophistication to a work space without reducing comfort levels. The Pocket Armchair by German design studio DING3000 moulds to your body, and the hand-stitched detailing and shapely legs add character and grace. Available in soft cuoietto leather in natural, chocolate and black, this chair is just as suitable for creative types as it is for design-savvy execs.
Mid-century masterpieces The No.B9 Le Corbusier bentwood armchair, designed by August Thonet, was widely used by the French modernist architect Le Corbusier during the mid-1920s as a paradoxical addition to his signature minimalist and cubic interiors. It’s a chair that can work brilliantly in any style of home office and, for a work space lacking soul, could be just what you need to turn it around.
With all the talk about sitting being the new smoking, a chair designed to move with your body is welcome news. Miller’s Embody Work Chair was created to minimise stress on the body by allowing users to move about in a natural way while being seated. The spine-like chair back can move with you as you twist, lean back, or otherwise adjust positions as you work.
Toilet and shower hidden Frosted panels To get the best of both worlds, have your shower glass frosted to create a privacy panel, with fully transparent sections at the top and the bottom. This allows for longer sightlines that open the space, but it also keeps the majority of the enclosure hidden. Glass panels like this also make a great divider around your toilet, creating a private space within a shared bathroom.
Flashy splashback This luxurious kitchen idea is going to take more effort than some simple herb styling, but the effect will be long lasting and dramatic. Better yet, you can do it yourself. By upgrading your plain splashback to a stunning metallic-tiled wall, your kitchen will be elevated to a new level of glamour. You can then raise the bar even higher by adding other shimmery metals through the accessories or fixtures, such as cabinetry handles and storage jars.
Minimalist and tidy Tip: A cupboard that keeps your laptop out of sight is ideal in the bedroom, where computers, tablets and smart phones can disturb sleep with light, noise and radiation. If your wardrobe allows, set your desk up inside and when you’re finished working, close the doors and wheel your chair out of the way until you’re ready to use it again.
Love, love, love this kitchen Blake also suggests considering the pot height and size of the plants individually and together. “Think about how you want the plants to look together in the trough. It is recommended to use the height of standard herb pots as a reference and then manufacture the trough that deep, unless you want to grow your own from scratch, in which case use a similar height pot all the time.” What to plant: All your favourite herbs: basil, dill, oregano…
9. Appreciate empty spaces Allowing some areas to be left bare is just as important as the items with which you choose to fill your room. Whether it’s within the floor layout or on the walls, a little space allows the room to breathe and prevents a cluttered look. It also creates some contrast and allows the other areas of the room to have their moment. Think of it as punctuation. Just because a space is empty doesn’t mean you have to fill it. In this serene bathroom, the walls are left bare and, despite its large size, much of the space is empty. This draws the eye to the freestanding bath and allows you to appreciate the unusual slope of the eaves without distraction.
5. Think about your viewpoint When positioning any wall-hung piece, consider your viewpoint. This particularly applies to things you’ll actively look at, such as a TV or piece of art. Since you’ll mostly be watching TV on a sofa, the centre of the screen should be positioned at eye level when you’re seated. Depending on your sofa, that’s around 1 metre high. This is more about function than aesthetics, but both are important elements of good design.
1. Make a plan Preparation is key to interior design. Before you do anything, start formulating a plan for where everything will go and how it will look. This is so much better than trying to design as you go along, as you’ll have the time and clarity of mind to properly consider all the options and make informed decisions. Designing on the fly adds an unnecessary element of pressure to the situation and, with part of the work already underway, you may be restricting your options. Consider everything from your layout, colour schemes, electrics, plumbing and storage all the way down to minor details, such as decorative accessories and furnishings. That way, you’ll have a clear idea of how your finished room will look, which will help you focus your mind.
11. Consider your options Can’t find what you’re looking for in the shops? Try thinking laterally and repurposing other items. In this quirky kitchen-diner, a garden trellis has been cleverly upcycled as a pot holder. The lack of kitchen space didn’t hinder the design, as the owners have made a feature of the rack in the dining area.
8. Store them on a shelf For something easy and versatile, you can’t beat the ubiquitous shelf. Consider the depth and width of your shelves, as there needs to be enough surface area for a wide pan. The neat joinery here has made the most of all available space and provides some roomy spots for cookware.
5. Put them where you’ll use them When you’re planning your storage, think about where you’ll use certain items. Pans, for example, are best stored near the stove – try an under-bench drawer, as here. In this well-planned kitchen, there’s also an oven directly opposite the stove that sits above more drawer storage for bakeware.
3. Access your corner cupboard In theory, a corner cupboard has plenty of space for storing bulky skillets and saucepans. In practice, though, it can be impossible to reach everything. Here’s the solution: a nifty pull-out mechanism that provides easy-to-access shelves for your cookware. The system works on runners and is attached to the door, so each time you open the cupboard, the shelves slide out with it.
Love this kitchen, colours, furniture, style and placement
1. Elegant tile One of the best parts of designing a dream bathroom is the chance to use lots of luxurious tile. Whether you love a bold pattern, sumptuous stone or just crisp classic white, floor-to-ceiling tile gives a bathroom a sense of polish and luxury.
Frame with moody greys Grey is a fantastic backdrop for vibrant colours. The emerald chair, turquoise sofa and citrine ceramics look brilliant in this dramatic living room. Complementary pieces, such as the green and yellow painting, bring the scheme together.
Bathroom blush This delicate hue is the perfect colour to complement a relaxing soak in the tub. Associated with being tender and intuitive, it has a harmonising effect when used in its softest form.
Colours, storage, layout in a bathroom
Kitchen layout
Blush accents can introduce softness to a room featuring lots of hard materials such as marble, granite and metals. Here, a couch and ottoman lend a gentle touch to a cool, minimal space.
Is a cosy corner, blush curtains bring a whimsical touch. Alongside quirky artwork and lighting, this Alice in Wonderland aesthetic creates the perfect nook to enjoy an intimate pot of tea.
The pearls were, in fact, fake – but that didn’t stop them fetching US$211,500 when they went up for auction at Sotheby’s in 1996. And you can fake it too. Pearlescent mosaic tiles will add a First Lady flash of low-key glamour to surfaces in your home. The trick to making it work? Stick close to your source of inspiration and don’t go overboard. A basin splashback or bath panel can look particularly good, or take on, as here, the front of a washbasin stand.
Monsters of the deep An epic battle between a whale and a giant squid is being played out on the wall of this loft apartment. The clever artist has created the maritime scene on a chalkboard, adding drama to a room that’s otherwise refreshingly calm, with its neutral tones, natural materials and floods of sunlight streaming in.
Wallpaper surprise. Why restrict wallpaper to walls when you can add interest to the ceiling? This wallpaper works wonderfully with the warm tones of the walls, curtains and flooring. It’s pure luxury.
Shelves I want see layout
Colours to use in the kitchen or elsewhere
Walls of wonder Walls of cabinetry can disappear into the background when a bulky fridge doesn’t interrupt the flow. This Ariston fridge-freezer has been fully integrated into this Perth kitchen, helping it disappear from view.
The visual weight that can come with overhead cabinets and wall cabinetry is missing here, giving this kitchen a sleek and contemporary look enhanced with Cararra marble and Tasmanian oak veneer cabinetry.
8. Mirror, mirror on the wall The gold-hued brass frame of the mirror and the tapware here are such a surprising and clever contrast to the utilitarian concrete washbasin and vanity top.
5. Framed! The splatter of gold in this painting enlivens the mid-century modern geometry of this living room.
White Swing from the chandelier The contemporary design of the chandelier here is like jewellery for this dining room, bringing out the subtler gold touches of the table’s brass frame and the painting’s brush strokes.
Chandeliers
3. Tile it on Black furniture, white cabinets and benchtops receive a jolt of luxury from the gold-hued, tiled backsplash. See more gold decor
Gold and white
Outdoor living
Marble surface
Marble bench top in island, eat in kitchen white cupboards
Pantry It’s hard to feel like you’re operating in a clean kitchen when you know a huge, disorganised mess lurks behind your cabinet doors.
Granite Still the most popular benchtop material, granite is relatively easy to keep clean.
White kitchen, no handles cupboards and doors
Microwave Food splatters are a fact of life when using this appliance. Even if you can live with seeing a mess every time you nuke your burrito, know that food particles can eventually make your machine run less efficiently. And nobody wants a cold burrito.
White furniture
For romantics Your bedroom is a trip down memory lane, a place for femininity and frills, violets and roses, creamy lace, milky whites, cross-stitch and … crochet.
d the subtle blue-grey colour scheme of this elegant room.
Marble, tiles, black frame
Blackboard wall
You don’t have to love brights to introduce a little colour in your appliances. Grey, the colour without colour, can make more of cabinets that are in the same colour family, and add a little urban edge to your space.
After: Meredith Tomlin-Hilliard and designers from Lee Kimball changed the space into a shower stall. It opened up the space, making the bathroom feel larger, lighter and more airy. The shower covers about the same footprint as the previous shower but gives the room a whole different look.
Q