Tag: designing

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Architecture DIY RENO ADDICT

Home design services at your fingertips

For most of us, the thought of designing or renovating a new home can be extremely daunting. But relax. The good news is there are lots more good stories than bad and it doesn’t have to be a traumatic experience.

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Billabong Houses by Julian Rutt Lumen Studio

Archicentre, the building design, inspection and advice service of The Australian Institute of Architects is a great place to start and offers useful advice and design packages for anyone building, renovating or restoring their home.

Whether you’re planning to renovate, build your dream home, buy an investment property, or undertake a dual occupancy development or townhouse, Archicentre’s fixed price, introductory Design Services are a great online tool.

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Billabong Houses by Julian Rutt Lumen Studio

No matter how big or small the project, the site will help you balance what’s possible against what’s desired, establish the project budget, offer advice to secure development approvals, help with your selection of builders, look at any issues with quality control and construction, assist with the design and more.

McSteen Tan Architects Photography Yvonne Qumi
McSteen Tan Architects. Photo credit: Yvonne Qumi

Archicentre literally offers a direct line to a qualified architect, so you know you are getting independent and professional advice before you sign on the dotted line. In many cases you can also arrange to meet the architect onsite who can offer on the spot design potential and advise with quick turn around solutions.

This amazingly cost-effective service can help you to better understand your options, add value to your existing or new home and help you avoid over capitalising your project. A qualified architect will consider your lifestyle, budgetary concerns, sustainable design options, whether to renovate up, out or both and development alternatives including setting realistic project time lines.

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Billabong Houses by Julian Rutt Lumen Studio

As part of this package you will also receive a report that summarises the discussion and includes floor plans, sketches and cost indications so that you can assess the feasibility of your ideas before committing time, energy and money.

For more information.

Archicentre offers free Melbourne renovation workshop

Melburnians listen up! Archicentre are offering an informative and casual renovation workshop where you can gain valuable knowledge about the renovation process including financial advice. The workshop includes one-on-one time with experienced architects, so bring your renovation plans or photos of your house and receive free advice on your renovation project.

When: Thursday 8 October 6-to-8pm

Where: Archicentre, Level 2, 41 Exhibition St, Melbourne

Bookings: www.archicentre.com.au. For more information phone 1300 134 513

Categories
Designers Homewares

Greg Natale launches his first cushion range

Marking his first foray into soft furnishings, designer extraordinaire Greg Natale has partnered with One Duck Two to release a Spring/Summer 2016 Signature Collection; a release of 21 intricately detailed, wool, hand-embroidered and linen-print cushions.

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Characteristic of Greg’s tailored, carefully layered approach when fusing decoration with design, the range has been grouped into four distinct suites. There are two classically inspired collections that revel in bright blues, vibrant greens and elegant monochromes, complemented by a contemporary collection that presents sophisticated geometric patterns in grey tones, as well as a graphic, black-and-white collection with striking, high-contrast motifs.

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[contextly_sidebar id=”I8jkYAIvOIJy6jzTWVwH4bA0ZTTm3rOw”]“I have always found cushions to be an attractive and easy way to add colour, pattern and contrast to any room,” explains Greg. “I can’t imagine a sofa or bed without cushions, designing my first collection has been a very personal, gratifying experience. I can’t wait to see how people interpret my designs in their own environments.”

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Available to purchase now through leading homewares and department stores (stockists include David Jones, Domayne, Domo and The Vignette Room), the range is a celebration of colour, pattern and luxurious textures. All cushions measure 50x50cm and are available with feather or poly inserts. Prices start from $79.99.

For more information.

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Designers Interviews Styling

Mardi Mason quits corporate world for her dream job of stylist

Starting your own business is hard, especially when it’s in a completely different field to your expertise. However, Mardi Mason did just that. Leaving the corporate world of marketing, sponsorship and events for a more creative way of life.

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Mardi and her husband Brett and son Max. Photo credit: Willow and Tilly Photography

“For a long time interiors was just a passion,” explains Mardi. “Yet whilst I was on maternity leave my interest in styling grew stronger and I had a real desire to work in the creative world. A visit to Life InStyle cemented in my mind that this was the industry for me, so I took the plunge and started my own business.”

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Master bedroom. Photo credit: Jack Murphy

[contextly_sidebar id=”ghnj6pLFgaQbufuWBO7qm6Vmks4RsZrl”]Already being the go-to person when friends needed interiors advice or help planning an event, it was somewhat of a natural progression and one that felt 100% right. Quickly landing her first job – to design a nursery for a friend of a friend – it was actually her Instagram handle that got her over the line. “I was once told to treat my Instagram page like a portfolio as it’s an opportunity to share your images and connect with a wonderfully supportive community. I love getting involved with 7 Vignettes for that very reason! So when my friend recommended me to her colleague and referred her to my Instagram page, she was able to get an idea of my style and chose to contact me as a result.”

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Inner city townhouse staged for sale. Photo credit: Urban Angles

Having worked across styling, events and interiors for the last two years, Mardi does everything, from designing homes and styling weddings to staging properties for sale and commercial photo shoots. Going from strength to strength it’s tips like using your Instagram as your portfolio and networking in your local community that have led to Mardi’s success. “Networking with the appropriate people in my community like owners of interiors shops who may get asked if they know a stylist, real estate agents, local artists and so on has proved pivotal. Word of mouth is such a powerful tool, so making my business known in my local area seemed crucial to me.”

The Colour English. Photo credit: Lisa Atkinson
The Colour English. Photo credit: Lisa Atkinson

It was this tenacity that actually saw Mardi achieve her biggest styling milestone; landing her first commercial photo shoot for boutique art company, The Colour English. Imagining it would be hard to get a commercial gig, what with having none in her portfolio, it was after seeing their gorgeous wool art in a local shop that she decided to take matters into her own hands. “After seeing some of The Colour English’s art in the flesh I looked them up on Instagram and noticed they didn’t have any styled images. I decided to approach them directly and suggested I could style a shoot for them. The timing was perfect as they were actually in the process of sourcing a stylist. We met and I pitched my ideas, they loved what I suggested and I was hired. To plan a shoot from conception, execute it on the day and see it come to life in images that the client loved, felt like a huge achievement.”

The Colour English. Photo credit: Lisa Atkinson
The Colour English. Photo credit: Lisa Atkinson

Loving bringing other peoples’ homes, products and events to life, next on Mardi’s agenda is a personal project, having recently moved into a cute 1930s cottage that has loads of character and even more potential. “I can’t wait to start our build in the next couple of years, as the more I learn as a stylist the more those house plans evolve and the more refined my style becomes. I also have a little girl on the way who’s due early January and I’m excited to get going on her nursery.”

Coffee table detail shot. Photo credit: Jack Murphy
Coffee table detail shot. Photo credit: Jack Murphy

For more information.

Categories
Bedrooms Designers Interviews Styling

How Sunday Collector’s Briar Stanley fell into interiors

Briar and daughter Sunday

Whilst working in advertising, Briar Stanley found herself on the set of a Kellogg’s television commercial and was immediately enthralled by the job of the set decorator.

Briar and daughter Sunday
Briar and daughter Sunday

“It had never occurred to me that the job even existed,” explains Briar. “You could say that I had my calling that day. I quit my day job, worked nights as a waitress and offered myself up for work experience during the day on film sets.”

After six months of working for next to nothing, Briar started getting paid jobs as a props buyer and set dresser. Over the years, she’s worked on everything from low-budget ABC television series to better known shows such as Underbelly and Rake and big films like Australia, Wolverine and The Great Gatsby. However since having her little girl Sunday, Briar has changed tack; focusing on residential projects through her interior decoration business, Sunday Collector.

Minnie3With an accompanying blog of the same name, Briar creates rooms from scratch and even provides an affordable Work with what you’ve got package, where in a two-hour consultation (available in the Sydney metro area), she talks about everything from wall colours to sofa positioning.

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With a personal style that’s a little quirky, she loves mixing old with new and having clashing colours and patterns, but always with a base of whites and soft greys. “I’m also hugely sentimental, so my cupboards are bulging with memories,” explains Briar. “Although, if my house burnt down tomorrow and I had to build from scratch, I’d say the interiors would end up completely Scandinavian with a ‘by the beach’ vibe.”

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However, when it comes to her work style, she is very aware of listening to what her clients want. “I’m never going to turn up to someone’s house and insist that they like the things I like. I think it must be my film training, but I like to get into their headspace and understand their style and what they love — even when some clients insist they have no style! I’m a big believer in reviving old pieces too. Not sure about the old armchair in the corner? Let’s re-cover that armchair and make it a focus in the room!”

For more information.

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RENO ADDICT

It’s official: Australians love to renovate!

Marrickville, Sydney (NSW) Houzz Professional: Danny Broe Architect

In their first ever report into the Australian design and renovation industry, leading home improvement site Houzz.com.au have revealed that Australian homeowners are well and truly renovation aficionados!

Marrickville, Sydney (NSW) Houzz Professional: Danny Broe Architect
Marrickville, Sydney (NSW) Houzz Professional: Danny Broe Architect

Out of the 13,000 people who took part, one in 10 (12%) renovate or decorate their homes monthly and nearly a third (30%) every three-to-six months. The Houzz Australia Report also found that in the next two years, 75% of Aussies plan on decorating their homes and 38% plan on undertaking a major renovation.

Other key findings were as follows:

Colour preferences: While two-thirds of Australians stick to neutral colours for their front doors, a few are daring to go bold with blue (6%), red (5%) and green (5%). Once indoors, after the traditional white, it’s yellow and green that are the most common colours used to decorate the dining room, and blues and purples in the bedroom.

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Chatsworth Modern Entry (NSW) Houzz Professional: Cambuild

Kitchens on the chopping block: One in four Aussies plan to update their kitchen in the next 12 months (26%), which makes sense given that nearly the same number report that it’s the area of their home that is in most need of renovation (23%). A designer kitchen tops Australian’s wishlists (42%) when given the choice to add any feature to the home, irrespective of cost.

Style by state: Australian homes include a diverse mix of styles, with more than half of homeowners (55%) choosing contemporary and modern styles, followed by traditional (23%) and eclectic (19%). Sydney leads the trend in global influences, as the most likely to pick up Asian, European and Scandinavian styles (17%), whilst Adelaide-residents prefers eclectic and vintage designs for their homes (31%) and unsurprisingly Brisbane-residents prefer tropical (34%).

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Moonee Ponds, Keilor (VIC), Houzz Professional: Bagnato Architects

How eco are Aussie homes? Eco-friendly choices matter to Australian homeowners, including energy-saving lightbulbs (69%), insulation (69%), low flow showers (37%), rainwater tanks (36%), compost (34%) and low flow toilets (33%). Nearly a quarter are even installing solar panels (24%). Adelaide dwellers are most likely to take advantage of natural resources, with 53% choosing to introduce rainwater tanks and 33% installing solar panels. In Brisbane, indoor eco-features lead the way, with homeowners most likely to choose low-flow showers (43%) and energy-saving bulbs (73%) than other Aussies.

Download the full report.