Interested in mixing things up in your interior, here are some great ways to make the most of your space.
Clever storage solutions can make even the smallest of homes shine. Built in storage cupboards and study spaces help to maximise available space in a smaller home without compromising on functionality. Bathrooms can be upgraded with large under-cabinet drawers and mirrored cabinets on the wall. Built in stone recesses for your bathroom accessories are a very useful feature in showers.
Open Plan areas are also a bit win. Open up the kitchen and living areas to create an expansive space that enables easy flow between the areas.
Using large windows and stack doors, create a seamless flow between your interior and exterior living areas, giving a greater connection to light, nature and fresh air.
Create a vertical garden that won’t take up too much space, but will bring plants and flowers into your space.
Clutter or spaces that appear over-furnished with too much upholstery or drapery can bring your mood down. Certainly embrace texture, pattern and colour – but don’t overdo it. Interiors with clean lines will accommodate colour and texture more easily than interiors that are over-designed and too busy.
Hard-wearing floor choices will accommodate the Australian outdoor lifestyle. Timber flooring is a popular choice – it is visually appealing and creates a natural look and feel. You can always use rugs to add softness, colour, pattern or texture.
North facing windows introduce sunlight and daylight into the home, particularly in winter when the sun is lower in the sky and direct sunlight contributes to heating the house.
South facing windows (for latitudes below the tropic of Capricorn) predominantly introduce daylight without heat gains of direct sunlight — making them an ideal orientation for houses in warmer climates such as Australia, where home cooling is the main imperative.
Skylights and light tubes of appropriate sizing and design can let in light without adding heat in summer or losing warmth in winter.
Light coloured interior surfaces reflect more light and reduce the level of artificial lighting required.
Adding pictures of the beach and the ocean is very Australian. Using a sandy neutral palette and natural materials where possible will also help to bring the beach aesthetic into your home.
Bring nature into your home
Let nature be your inspiration for your colour scheme. Use combinations of deep blues, whites, greys from the coastal areas or tan, charcoal and rusty orange from the outback.
Personal items and trinkets help to inject your own personality into your home – update these every year with new décor items to keep things fresh and interesting.
