If you are renovating in a style-savvy area, you might want to steer clear of yesterday’s hot renovating style trends. Matt black tapware definitely falls into swerve territory. Of course you are not stuck for choice when choosing tapware. There are wonderful metalics such as rose gold, brushed gold even gunmetal.
According to our in-house design brains trust, Thurlow Studio coloured tapware is a “gateway drug”. If you commit to a finish like brushed brass or gunmetal, you pretty much have to take it through the door hardware, shower screen fittings, toilet buttons, etc and it can play havoc with your budget.
Image: Pinterest
They give a strong warm earthy feel to a home and are super easy to maintain. When choosing a product, you can often find yourself in a dilemma of whether to go for the more expensive engineered floating floor or laminate.Laminates, while not strictly timber, are becoming SO good that most can’t tell the difference. The beech tones are still very popular, but there are much darker floors creeping in.
Image: Rennie St.
It has been overdone and can be quite bland even dour. If you have to do grey, use lots of white accents to make it pop and add individuality with colour. If you want a pleasant change from the gloomy grey for a neutral colour scheme, crisp white walls are back in favour, my personal favourite is Dulux White on White which is always in sync with renovating style trends.
Image: Norsu Home via Pinterest
Apparently we want our homes the same way we like our food, stylish but warm and homely too. Even the block judges are rating for homeliness. It doesn’t mean cat hair on the sofa and the old slippers under the bed. No this can be achieved by layering textured and organic elements. Texture up your walls with paneling, v joints or wallpaper. Try hand pressed tiles or penny rounds in the bathroom. Include warm timbers, wicker or cane in floors, furnishings and lights. Add carpets or rugs with fuller piles. Bring linens or velvet into your soft furnishings . Last but not least swap out the crisp daylight globes for some warmer versions
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If you have enough holidays in Bali, it starts to follow you back. Who hasn’t at some point attempted the quintessential balinese pool hut in their suburban back yard? The truth is, the Indonesians are skilled craftsmen at creating the exotic. It’s not surprising to see a little bit of that magic creeping into our renovating style trends. Oversized rustic doors and door hardware, massive pots, running water, the much loved beaded chandelier, gauzy curtains, resort-style landscaping and screening and loads and load of greenery help to imbue depth and mystique in your reno. Our dear friend and designer Kathleen Friedrich of Twisted Lime has this nailed in her projects.
Image: Sarah Davison Interiors via Pinterest
This is important because women buy houses but are careful to not go too girly. Wall paper is also a good way to add some personal style to your reno . The new products are easier to use , their designs are often of a larger scale than the older styles and can be rich in both colour and texture. I particularly love the linen wallpapers that give a very understated elegance to a room. This floral by Catherine Martin is called La Palma and is another of my faves.
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A reno without a decent deck or outdoor area is missing an essential ingredient . However there has been a surge of popularity in indoor gardening which is drawing the outdoors deeper into the home . A mini jungle comprising palms, fiddle leafs, philodendron, monsterias and the exotic streletzia nicoli does not look out of place in a smart living room.
Image: The Plant Society
When buyers are scrolling the internet, you want your listing to stand out from all the others and stop them in their tracks . Colour is one way to achieve this but a statement light fitting is a definite winner. A stunning light fitting like this hand made beaded beauty by Klaylife can take a fairly ordinary room and rescue it from the depths of mediocrity.
Image: Klaylife via Pinterest
I’ve always felt that the scandi style was the styling equivalent of brown bread. The muted colours, natural textures , light wood and of course the token fake antlers all seemed a bit boring. Thankfully Scandi seems to have grown up .The typical soft colours and timbers still strong but they are much more sophisticated when paired with marble tiles and benchtops and touches of gold.
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If I see another chunky island bench or waterfall I swear I will scream.
Listen up renovators, Stone bench tops can afford to lose some weight. You can save some money by reducing the thickness of the stone to 20mm or less. Make sure that if you do, you get the detail right. For “en point” benchtop couture, reduce the overhang to zero. Then add a 10 – 15 mm shadow line to make it appear like it’s floating over the cabinetry.
Image: Houzz
