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Interior design trends 2020: Josh & Jenna’s picks

Whether you are renovating a home because it’s new, or you want to increase your comfort and enjoyment, it’s important to keep up-to-date with the most relevant interior trends and styles. According to a recent study, 1 in 6 Australians have home renovations on their wish list but are unable to currently afford home improvements.

Ex Blockheads, HPM ambassadors and home renovation experts, Josh and Jenna Densten, share their top four interior design tips for 2020, designed to make renovating your home simple and cost efficient.

Josh and Jenna
Josh and Jenna Densten in their new North Melbourne home

“We love the finished result of our home. The intricate details, small finishings and simple gadgets we have carefully selected help make our home practical yet adaptable. To make our house feel like a home, we source each item carefully to ensure it marries with our overall aesthetic for a calming yet homely feeling, that is perfect for our growing family,” says Jenna Densten.

Consider colour
Studies show that colours can affect our mood. Therefore, when renovating it’s important to select colour schemes that evoke complementary emotions to the space you are trying to create. In 2020, we can expect to see more houses utilising warm and earthy tones, like clay, to create a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere.

If you’re worried about making permanent changes with colour, start small by adding pops of colour using kitchen appliances, light switches and cover plates, and art work.

Colour is the hero in Josh and Jenna's children's room
Colour is the hero in Josh and Jenna’s gorgeous children’s room

Mix metals and materials
For novice renovators or home builders, mixing metals can seem like a big ‘no go’. However, by following some simple rules it can transform a boring all white space into an interior gold mine. Balance warm and cool metals by using one as the dominant feature and the other as an accent. This typically works well in bathrooms, kitchens and for ceiling spaces.

Seen on the right, the HPM Excel VIVO Coverplates range is available in a range of colours to suit your personal taste. The cover plates easily clip on/off making them simple to alternate colours as your preferences change.
Brass & copper: Seen on the right, the HPM Excel VIVO Coverplates range is available in a range of easy to change colours to suit your personal taste.

Shape and size
This year curved and cylindrical shapes will evolve as these free form shapes become increasingly popular. Simultaneously, modern finishes and clean lines add luxury appeal. Pendant lights, often referred to as the ‘jewellery of lights,’ are a simple home feature that can tap into these design aspects to either highlight the size of a room, or create an intimate, ambient mood.

Pendant light
This gorgeous pendant light works a treat in Josh and Jenna’s lounge room
Less is more
As open floor plans continue to be the trend for new homes, it’s important to make your space functional and practical. To save space in your home office or kitchen pantry and to keep them tidy, simple gadgets like the HPM wireless charging pad can charge your phone, laptop and wireless earbuds without the hassle of cords.
Josh and Jenna
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DIY RENO ADDICT

Switch light fittings in seconds — without a sparky!

We all know lighting is not only functional, it’s essential for setting the style and mood of a room, but it’s also one of the hardest and most expensive things to change when renovating.

Melbourne-based engineer and industrial designer Adam Cusick is changing all that with the launch of his new invention Snap Lighting which lets you change an entire light fitting in just five seconds (minus the tools and electrician)!

The system includes recessed sockets and a range of compatible fittings. The sockets need a one-time installation by an electrician or handyman, then fittings simply push in and push out with just one hand. Watch how it works:

The brilliant invention is already attracting high interest from renovators, builders, interior designers, decorators, homeowners and renters. The initial range will include a variety of recessed downlights and pendants, later expanding into flush mount lights, spotlights and more.

Snap Lighting has launched on Kickstarter where you can support the project by pre-purchasing at discounted prices. After the Kickstarter campaign (which ends in two weeks), Snap Lighting will be available in Australia mid-2019 through their online store and retail stockists.

Visit the Snap Lighting website for more information on this clever invention

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Design DIY RENO ADDICT Shopping

You’ll never hit the wrong light switch again with this quick fix

When Carmen Stewart renovated her home, she was excited to have her family and friends over. However quickly, an annoying habit appeared: “I re-wired my house and had lovely new light switches installed, but the problem was, no one could find the right switches! This in turn created cycles of flicking light switches on and off and in no time at all it started to drive me a little crazy.”

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As anyone with switch plates can attest, there’s no way of showing people which switch to use for which light or appliance. And all that electricity wasting, click-click-clicking and increased wear and tear on the switches and globes is doing no one any favours.

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So after turning to the internet to buy some switch labels and surprisingly finding none available — either here or overseas, Carmen decided to take matters into her own hands. “There was plenty of information about making your own labels using a Dymo or similar, but I didn’t want to spoil all my new switch plates with ugly labels. So then came the epiphany —  I would make and sell my own labels that’d fit everywhere and look great on every light switch.”

light switch labels

Launching ABC Distributors, Carmen’s flagship product, Light Switch Labels, comes with 80 locations and 240 labels. Self-adhesive, designed to go above or below the switch, each label has non-intrusive text for easy reading and transparent backing that lends itself to any decor. Designed for longevity in mind, each light switch label can be repeatedly cleaned with a damp cloth without lifting or peeling. Quickly applied in seconds the labels can just as simply be removed. Light Switch Labels can also be custom-made for hotels, resorts, hospitals, age care facilities and office buildings.

Shop online.

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DIY RENO ADDICT Shopping

Take the guesswork out of electrical home makeovers with Clipsal Wishlist

Take the stress out of creating your dream home with Clipsal by Schneider Electric’s new home electrical planning web tool.

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From the comfort of your tablet, laptop or desktop computer, the new Clipsal Wishlist web tool helps you plan all the products you need for an electrical home makeover, including selecting individual solutions such as light switches, or electrical product packages designed for home safety, convenience, security, entertainment and energy efficiency.

Designed to make the planning process of a renovation or new build easy, the Clipsal Wishlist app allows you to use an existing room template, upload or draw house plans, select and place products throughout your home and track the budget of the products selected along the way. The plan can then be saved, shared and returned to at any time. To make things even simpler, the web tool is also linked to registered residential electricians in your local area, who can be contacted directly from the application to bring your dream plan to life.

Not only does the Clipsal Wishlist web tool help you take control of your own electrical needs, it also offers inspiration if the dream home vision doesn’t come with the flick of a switch. The Clipsal Wishlist web tool offers a gallery of home ideas, designs and templates that show which electrical plans and products work best with various interior design styles.

Whether you are renovating, building or planning your next bathroom, kitchen, bedroom or outdoor area, the Clipsal Wishlist web tool takes the guesswork out of planning and brings you one step closer to making your perfect home a reality.

For more information.

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Appliances RENO ADDICT

USB Powerpoints: The new ‘must-have’ powerpoints

Sponsored by HPM and Legrand

Forget bulky adapters, now you can plug all your USB gadgets — phones, tablets, fitness bands, and cameras — straight into these powerpoints for super fast charging.

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The new powerpoints from HPM and Legrand each contain two USB sockets, effectively transforming a double powerpoint into a quad powerpoint, and putting an end to the ongoing battle for power sockets and the eyesore of bulky chargers.

With a total charging capacity of 4.2A, the HPM and Legrand powerpoints have much more grunt than alternatives (if you’ve ever tried charging your phone or tablet from your computer or car adapter, you’ll know USB sockets are not created equal). They are the only powerpoints currently available that can charge two tablets at their maximum charging speeds, simultaneously. And the speed difference is significant. In a recent lab test, one unit charged two iPads more than two hours faster than a rival could charge one!

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A Good Design Awards finalist earlier this year, the charging capacity was one feature that impressed the judges. Design the other. The USB powerpoints are available in three different styles and more than 40 finishes, from the playful Bubblegum Pink to a genuine Galuchat (stingray leather), so you can perfectly match your interior style.

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Ideal in kitchens, bedrooms and home offices, your electrician can easily swap your old powerpoints for these new beauties if you fancy a quick upgrade.

Where to buy

Through electricians or electrical wholesalers and hardware retailers via special order. It’s best to show electricians and shop staff the product data sheet from the website, so they know exactly what you are talking about.

Top tips

  • For optimum charging speeds, use the original manufacturer’s cable.
  • Add USB powerpoints to the pantry to help keep messy cords out of sight.
  • When buying electrical accessories, always ask if it complies with Australian Standards? You’d be surprised how many make it to shop shelves without proper testing.

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Interiors Addict

See how good your life could look before it happens with Clipsal iSelect

Sponsored by Clipsal

With Clipsal iSelect you can have your renovations without regrets! Use the app to easily find the right electrical accessories for a new home or renovation. The iPad app allows you to choose from a selection of photographs of rooms built directly into the app, or use your own photos and then select, place, move and resize a huge range of products from Clipsal by Schneider Electric, to see how they would look in the home.

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You can then get more information and close-up views of products that take your fancy, or view the selections in real time, in 3D, using the Real Time Visualiser. The app allows you to create multiple projects and rooms so that you can directly compare and contrast different looks, and you can even share images of the rooms with clients, family and friends via Facebook. An itemised list of the chosen products can also be created; perfect to show a builder or electrician so that the work can begin.

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Easy and fun to use, Clipsal iSelect is the essential iPad app for those planning to build or renovate. And, it is completely free to download. For more information visit Clipsal.com/iselect

Interaction. Inspiration. Clipsal iSelect.