Difficult space
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.
Cork floor colours If you’re not crazy about cork’s natural tan colouring, choose a stained finish. It’s available in a veritable rainbow of colours – from dark browns, lime-washed whites and pastels, right through to reds, blues and greens. This home, designed by Guild Architects and which took out an award for its enviro-credentials at the 2016 Sustainability Awards, features dark-brown cork flooring from Comcork. Easy on the eye and underfoot, this floor underpins the home’s sophisticated mid-century styling and picks up on the darker accents in the joinery.
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.
9. You’re doing too much sitting Do you go from sitting down all day at work to sitting down at home? Studies show that too much sitting is bad for our health and can even decrease longevity. Solution: Pay attention to how much time you’re spending sitting and make an effort to get up and move around more – a wearable step tracker can provide extra motivation. If you do work at home or spend time on your computer, try a standing desk and build in five-minute breaks for sit-ups, push-ups and stretches every hour.
10. Stick to your guns With an endless supply of inspiration and countless sources of advice, it’s easy to stray from your original design as the process unfolds. New products constantly emerging and everyone wanting to have their say can easily put doubt in your mind over decisions you’ve previously made. However, if you’ve thought it through and planned it well, have confidence in your design and be firm with your choices. Of course, there’s an inevitable amount of development in the design that might alter things slightly as you go along. Issues can arise that force you to take a different direction, but stick to your original plan as closely as you can without too much compromise. The grass-is-greener syndrome is a huge culprit in distracting you from your goal, but impulse changes can leave your final design looking muddled. There’s always the worry that there might be something better out there and, to be honest, there probably is, but the only thing that matters is that you love what you’ve designed. Plan carefully and implement with confidence. I have every faith in you.
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.
7. Create a focal point As you walk into a room, a key focal point will grasp your attention immediately. It centres a room and establishes the personality and style of the space you’re in. Without one, a room can look lovely, but the eye doesn’t know where to fall first and it can lack a little distinction. Your focal point doesn’t need to be overly dramatic or edgy if that’s not the style of the room, it just needs to have a certain presence. It could be a beautiful piece of art, a striking piece of furniture, or an architectural feature, such as a fireplace or a stunning window. You can also add more points of interest to notice one by one and enhance the experience.
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.
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.
Don’t forget to protect plants when you’re not home If you’re going away on holidays, spray a plant protectant such as Yates DroughtShield on the leaves of your house plants; it adds a protective film that reduces water loss by up to 50 per cent. Then place all your plants on a wet towel in the bath or shower; don’t leave them just sitting in water.
Or use technology to help with difficult spots Don’t despair if you want pot plants in a dark area of your house or an area with no windows: there are options. It’s possible for plants to live under fluorescent lights, as they replicate the natural solar spectrum, providing the kind of light plants need. This is particularly useful when you use plants to brighten up dark bathrooms, or as a way to enliven a ‘dead’ area, such as a hallway.
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.
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