Tag: downsizing

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Expert Tips House Tours

Designer helps downsizers love their new modern home

Downsizing, not surprisingly, can be a difficult and emotional process for the older generation.

Interior designer Joanne Yeomans was recently asked to help a couple who had moved from a character-filled house in Sydney’s Hunters Hill to a new, smaller house in Putney.

“They weren’t at all settled in their new, modern house. It lacked the character of their previous property and they were both at a loss as to how to make it feel like home,” she said. But, with just a few additions, she helped them bring it all together.

She started by freshening things up with new paint and carpet, and then set about adding some wow factor to each of the rooms.

“The key was mixing their treasured keepsakes in with new pieces, blending them to look fresh and on trend. The Hamptons style master bedroom (gifted with the most amazing natural light!) is now a favourite for the couple, who love waking up every day to the soft blue colour palette, luxurious sheer curtains and gorgeous Florence Broadhurst wallpaper.”

Another showstopper is the hall runner in the upstairs landing. “Waratah Wonderland is a gorgeously rich and unique design by House of Heras, and was custom sized and manufactured by Designer Rugs,” says Joanne, who owns Issy & H Creative.

“The end result is that their home now doesn’t look like they have just replicated their previous house with the same furniture and style, and they are really enjoying encompassing the gorgeous new colours and styling.”

In the lounge/dining, the clients’ existing rug and Coco Republic lounge were brought to life with pops of blue and saffron to complement the existing oil painting. The new dining chairs with brass legs are from west elm.

The couple’s daughter said it all: “Joanne managed to include all of my parents’ treasured keepsakes in with new pieces. She hand selected and blended them to look amazing, fresh and on trend.

“Her patience and care towards my parents has been amazing and I’m so grateful. They are really enjoying the gorgeous blues and greens Joanne introduced.”

For more on Joanne and Issy & H Creative.

Downsizers’ luxe yet low-maintenance Sydney townhouse

Another fabulous development by the team at Sydney’s FutureFlip, this expansive new townhouse is one of three that sit on a corner block in Caringbah South. Home to a downsizer…

Downsizing? Our expert shares how to do it with style

We’ve reported on the luxury downsizing trend before but for the uninitiated, it’s a movement whereby affluent downsizers are trading mansions for luxury, spacious apartments with all the mod-cons of…

Real home: Sydney downsizers embrace colour in new apartment

After downsizing from their family home in Waverley, Sydney couple Suzon and Mike moved into a small, two-bedroom apartment in Bronte and called on interior designer Luisa Volpato to create…
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Expert Tips Interviews Styling

Downsizing? Our expert shares how to do it with style

Texture

We’ve reported on the luxury downsizing trend before but for the uninitiated, it’s a movement whereby affluent downsizers are trading mansions for luxury, spacious apartments with all the mod-cons of their previous residence but with fewer strings attached. And testament to the rapid growth of the downsizer market, Melbourne interior designer Kym Lackmann has set up the design studio Luxe Domain in response helping empty nesters, baby boomers and single person households ‘edit’ their belongings whether relocating to a smaller residence or staying put.

Kym Lackmann
Interior designer Kym Lackmann in front of a glorious wall of cushions

“Downsizing is incredibly liberating, but it can be daunting for people who have lived in a family home all their adult lives. The home often represents the growth of a family, and the evolution of individuals and their achievements and passions – even more so as one gets older,” says Kym. And while some downsizers choose to sell the family home and move to a spacious apartment, others need help utilising the spaces in their existing property. Whether it’s transitioning a child’s room to a guest room or a play area to an entertainment room, the evolution of a family often requires that rooms are repurposed.

“The focus is really on curating existing belongings, maximising space for the things that matter, and purchasing contemporary furniture which helps to breathe new life into the old” says Kym, summarising her approach.

Combining new and existing pieces is key to the process
Combining new and existing pieces is key to the process

And just because you may be downsizing, you may not necessarily want to dispose of a lifetime’s worth of meaningful treasures – and nor should you. “It is really about reconciling existing items, even if you are moving into a glossy new residence. People underestimate the personality ingrained in older pieces and their ability to infuse soul and to direct the flow of a new space,” says Kym who shares her top tips for downsizers below – more of which can be found in her new book The Art of Luxury Downsizing.

Review
“Evaluate your existing belongings and home carefully and identify what is meaningful. Really question the ‘real estate’ that each of your belongings will potentially occupy in your new residence,” says Kym echoing Marie Kondo’s sentiments.

Precious antiques can add so much personality to a space
Precious antiques can add so much personality to a space

Texture is king
“Incorporate textures where possible. When moving into slick spaces, the use of textures prevents the space from seeming like a white box. For example, even if many of the downsizing generation have negative associations with 1960’s wallpaper from their childhoods, they are often surprised by the impact of premium modern wallpaper,” says Kym.

Texture

Resist throwing everything away
Many stylists talk about the importance of making sure that your belongings are a personal reflection of your life and story which makes throwing them all away (while tempting) a bad idea. “Do keep two or three items rather than getting rid of everything. While it is tempting to donate or throw away all items, existing pieces personalise the space. Keeping these will help to remove regret down the track and will still enable you to move forward.”

Book cover
The Art of Luxury Downsizing by Kym Lackmann

Photography: Kristoffer Paulsen

Kym’s book The Art of Luxury Downsizing, RRP $45, is available now through luxedomain.com and selected bookstores.

For more | Tech-driven luxury apartments in Melbourne

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Architecture Design Interviews

Melbourne downsizers trade mansions for luxe apartments

Lounge room
Lounge room

It’s a movement we’ve noted before but it seems that affluent Melbourne downsizers can’t get enough of the bespoke, architecturally designed apartment trend and this gorgeous new example again proves why.

Lounge and kitchen
One of Melbourne’s new luxury ‘Millswyn’ apartments

Designed by prominent architect Rob Mills and located in South Yarra’s Domain precinct, each of the ten ‘Millswyn’ residences features  all the conveniences of a traditional home but in a low-maintenance apartment setting. Each residence boasts a private lock-up garage and landscaped courtyard, soaring 3.2 metre ceilings, Italian marble and a 25 square metre walk-in wardrobe. And with that line-up, who wouldn’t want to downsize?

Lounge room
Lounge room

“Space is the first and foremost luxury of Millswyn. What makes this project exemplary is its sense of scale. There is an order, a structure and a hierarchy – everything is in its place,” says architect Rob Mills of the boutique development that is nestled among South Yarra’s leafy streets inside an original Victorian Italianate mansion.

Millswyn exterior
Millswyn exterior

“When entering a Millswyn home, your eye flows over the surfaces and leads uninterrupted to the landscape outdoors. It’s a sensory experience that is visual and acoustic. It’s the grand sense of space that is of the utmost importance,” says Rob of the apartments that boast internal areas ranging from 207-299 square metres and external areas from 26-99 square metres. Incredibly, the largest master bedroom is a significant 30 square metres which is half the size of an average two bedroom apartment!

Kitchen
The kitchen features rare Arabescato Vagli marble throughout

Retaining much of the original building’s heritage façade, the apartments have been cleverly designed with privacy in mind too. “Residents benefit from complete privacy – each home stands on its own, with a private entryway and windows that face out on to secluded courtyards,” says Rob.

Millswyn terrace
Terrace

Bedroom
Bedroom

The project has been developed by Pask Group who identified a gap in the market. “Families and downsizers who demand luxury and space want the best of both worlds; the size and scale of a traditional home, with the convenience, location and amenity of an apartment. Millswyn’s position in the tightly held Domain Precinct offers this, being just minutes from Melbourne’s CBD and the Botanical Gardens, while retaining the sense of privacy, peace and community of one of Melbourne’s premier suburbs,” says Pask managing director Dean Pask.

Dining
Dining room

Bathroom
Bathroom

All of this luxury doesn’t come cheaply of course. Apartments at Millswyn start from a cool $4.095 million and are available now.

For more | More luxury Melbourne apartments

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Expert Tips

A guide to downsizing for empty nesters

Downsizing is never easy, from prioritising what to keep to storage optimisation; a life change that is supposed to make things simpler can be riddled with challenges. An empty nest is very rarely empty of stuff; in fact, quite the opposite!

Downsize with Style

Interior stylist Bettina Deda, author of the new book Downsize with Style, has created a foolproof five-step process to help start the next chapter of your life:

Step 1: De-clutter and tidy up

Start to tidy up and de-clutter your family home. Take inventory. Allocate each item to one of these piles: things to keep, things to donate, things to sell and things that go straight into the bin.

Continue reading “A guide to downsizing for empty nesters”