Tag: living room

5 DIY updates for your rental living room

Post author By Guest Poster
Post date April 23, 2015
5 Comments on 5 DIY updates for your rental living room

By Kay Harrison

No question, the renter’s life is far from glam. But your decor doesn’t have to follow suit. A little out-of-the-box thinking is all you need to transform your space into a home sweet haven. Sure, there will always be those boxes that you cart from place to place unsure of their contents but too frightened to investigate. But cloaked in a nice throw and arranged around a coffee table, these can double as a boho-chic living nook.

5370fd61a45c9$!900x — Photo credit: Style Me Pretty

But jokes aside, decorating your home-on-loan is difficult. For one, there’s the investment and effort vs length of stay ratio to consider. But a few quick and simple (and cheap) adjustments can go a long way. After all, time has a way of getting away with you. And a refuge from the outside world is the most must-have of must-haves.

So today, we’re turning to your living space and we’ve put together a few easy DIY tips to make your space more livable.

Fire things up with faux wall-panelling

www.cardiganjunkie.com_2011_03_what-to-read-dabble-magazine.html — Photo credit: Cardigan Junkie

Dabble Magazine proves you can change the world with two paint colours, painter’s tape, a metal ruler, a level and a little DIY know-how. Above, they show us how to achieve a geo-chic look with just a little patience. Can’t paint? Washi tape is to DIY decor what half a toothpick is MacGyver. It doesn’t look like much but it can save your life. Washi tape is the perfect antidote to too much beige. Apartment Therapy also have some great suggestions for removable wall-panelling options.

Realise that New York loft look

Screen Shot 2015-04-14 at 8.08.28 am — Add an exposed brick wall to your space without the dust and fuss with these wallpapers. Photo credit: Zanui

Love that urban-industrial warehouse style? Introduce exposed-brick walls into your space with easy-to-apply wallpapers. Obviously this is asking for a more flexible landlord, but if you don’t ask, you don’t get. And if you’re planning on staying there a while, this kind of investment gives back ten-fold.

Re-purpose vintage tablecloths for super-cute curtains

We love that chintz meets lace look. You can create your very own window valances (use lace tablecloths) or curtains (use floral and patterned) with minimal fuss. Shop your local Vinnies to add some serious-nana style to your space. You can find curtain rings with metal clips attached for this uber simple make-over at the likes of Spotlight.

Line your shelving

Better yet, line behind, underneath, even on top of your shelving. Adding colour in unexpected spaces adds individuality to your home. Plus it keeps it neat and chic. And it’s easy to re-line with plain white when you leave.

Define it with decals

Zzb7UuvWdTBOMJJkqO6YhKfPqZTC9jxyFstvCUmfavQ — Photo credit: Zanui

Removable wall decals redefine your space instantly and peel away when you have to leave. And there is an almost infinite number on the market – from Banksy designs to quotes and iconic rockstars. Can’t argue with that.

Here’s to making a little sanctuary for yourself in your rental home! Go forth, chickens! Nest!

— Kay Harrison is a feature, blog and copywriter. She has work published in ACP magazines, ABC fiction, Overland, Seizure, trade publications and online forums and her creative writing has won several awards. Kay wrote this piece for Zanui.

Tags curtains, decals, design, diy, interiors, kay harrison, living room, new york loft, renting, renting hacks, wall panelling, wall stickers, wallpaper, zanui

Designers Expert Tips Furniture

Melbourne wood workshop with Baz Du Bois

Post author By Olivia Shead
Post date April 22, 2015
1 Comment on Melbourne wood workshop with Baz Du Bois

In partnership with Michael Hayes Furniture and Baz Du Bois from the Living Room (and also our resident expert on Reno Addict!), Recycled Interiors is holding a reader event on everything wood.

Baz

Aiming to bring the community together to showcase how to use sustainable, recycled and salvaged timbers in your home; you will learn exactly what to look for, where to look and how to use and finish timber.

Held on 2 May from 1-to-5pm at Bayswater North’s Michael Hayes Furniture store, the four-hour workshop will feature a range of industry experts. Alongside Baz, you will hear from Michael Hayes, who is one of Australia’s top bespoke furniture makers and chair of the Australian Furniture Association’s Bespoke Maker’s group.

In store you will also be able to check out the Wood Expo, where some brilliant woodworkers will be sharing their wares, which you are able to buy on the day. Meet, mingle and learn all in a workshop environment; with great food, good company and a goodie bag to take home!

Spots are limited so register soon to avoid disappointment.

Tags baz du bois, diy, furniture, living room, michael hayes, Michael Hayes Furniture, timber, wood, Wood Expo, workshop

House Tours Kitchens Styling

Stunning home styled by Dulux and Ginger & Smart

Post author By Olivia Shead
Post date March 26, 2015
2 Comments on Stunning home styled by Dulux and Ginger & Smart

How absolutely stunning is this Melbourne home?! Styled by Dulux in partnership with fashion designers Alexandra and Genevieve Smart (of Ginger & Smart), the house was brought to life through the colours, textures and mood evoked by their Autumn Winter 2015 collection, Arcadia.

The living room features simple and soft-shaped furniture and accessories that juxtapose with the hard lines of built-in shelves painted in a commanding blue-black shade. The entry walls to the living room echos the Afterglow print in the Arcadia collection through a speckled paint pattern applied to the walls.

The styling of the home’s light-filled kitchen draws on a softer colour palette showcased in the Eclipse print from the collection. Accents of copper reference Ginger & Smart’s signature Rose Gold hardware and contribute to a feeling of luxury that is core to the brand’s nature and design aesthetic. An abstract interpretation of the palm frond found in the Eclipse print cuts through the walls of the kitchen at unexpected angles to accentuate the architectural design of the space as well as demonstrate a creative and easy method to create feature points using paint.

In the bedroom a deep and moody paint colour has been applied to the walls and ceiling, inspired by the collection’s namesake print; Arcadia. Large florals painted in luminous colours fall organically from ceiling to floor to lift the dark mood of the space and complement textural linens and furniture.

The styling project marks the first time Dulux and Ginger & Smart have collaborated. With their recently announced creative partnership set to see them join forces for further projects that blur the line between fashion and interior design.

For more information on Dulux and Ginger & Smart.

Photography by Lisa Cohen | Styling by Bree Leech and Heather Nette King

Tags Alexandra and Genevieve Smart, Alexandra Smart, bedroom, design, dulux, Genevieve Smart, Ginger & Smart, home, interiors, kitchen, living room, paint, styling

Designers Furniture The Block

Shaynna Blaze’s Elegant Muse furniture collection for Molmic

Post author By Olivia Shead
Post date October 10, 2014
No Comments on Shaynna Blaze’s Elegant Muse furniture collection for Molmic

Shaynna Blaze has to be one of the busiest women we know, having just launched a furniture collection, Elegant Muse, in collaboration with Molmic!

rs_h_wf-yL1FMOQPosgWvYWgtZHVtFC4D02-W4UQME4 — Shaynna at the launch of Elegant Muse in Melbourne

The eight-piece collection, which is proudly 100% Australian designed and made, draws its inspiration from a time of elegance and grace. With Audrey Hepburn as its muse, it has a colour palette of snow whites, stone neutrals and calming blues, a true balance of inherent softness and refined detail. “Elegant Muse is a range I designed through my love of classics and wanting to create a timeless range,” explains Shaynna. “It is a balance between structure and support and a gentle softness to entice you to sit and never leave. It’s the small details that make all the difference; detailed stitching like an elegant suit and fine arms and legs to drape over with elegance and grace.”

Elegant Muse combines Molmic’s craftsmanship and manufacturing skills of over 25 years with Shaynna’s desire to design a furniture collection. The pieces have exquisite detail, with a lot of focus being put on the furniture looking beautiful from the front, side and back, shown in the signature detailed stitching on the back of all the designs.

A selection of Elegant Muse will be on display to the general public at Grand Designs Live Melbourne (17 –19 October) and Grand Designs Live Sydney (24 –26 October 2014). The collection will be available from leading national retailers from February and is currently on display at Molmic’s Melbourne showroom.

Tags design, elegant muse, furniture, interiors, living room, Molmic, shaynna blaze

House Tours The Block

The Block Glasshouse living and dining rooms

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date September 15, 2014
9 Comments on The Block Glasshouse living and dining rooms

After last week’s kitchen reveals, fantastic as they were, I was ready for some soft furnishings this week, so living/dining reveals were just the thing! In my mind, the winners were Max and Karstan and Darren and Dee, but the judges didn’t agree, with Michael and Carlene taking out the top spot. It was a disappointing week for the boys, whose dwindling budget saw them produce a room the judges found didn’t match up to the rest of their apartment. And for Chris and Jenna, who came fifth, they were more than a little “over it” thanks to the many criticisms of the judges, who they said were being rude, rather than judging. Eek!

MAX AND KARSTAN

Max and Karstan’s reveal started well with a (very macho!) squeal of delight from Darren! They all loved the natural light afforded by the windows and the striking pendant above the dining table (how gorgeous?!). Neale said he absolutely loved the sophisticated palette and look of restrained glamour. Shaynna said the softness of the room capitalised on the natural light. Darren loved the recessed carpet (genius!) and said it was elegant and a break from the concrete floor. Neale went on to say the look was upmarket and he couldn’t find anything he didn’t like! The custom concrete table also went down very well with all the judges.

Get Max and Karstan’s look: Alexia dining chair, Juno Scandi 3-seater and 2-seater sofas, Palma round coffee table, Palma side table, Gus GT rocking chair, Cintemani pendant, Edge 1 light single drop pendant, Just The Two of Us by Thierry B artwork.

SIMON AND SHANNON

This one didn’t get off to a good start with “the weird corner under the stairs” not going down well with Darren. Neale was immediately underwhelmed, saying some parts were extremely high end, like the floor, but others were low budget and he didn’t like the art. Darren did however. “It jars with the rest of the apartment,” said Neale. And Darren and Shaynna criticised the too-small rug in the living area. And as for the pullout clothes line? I’m not sure anyone knows why they thought that was a good idea!

Get Simon and Shannon’s look: Masai artwork, Sean Dix Forte round glass coffee table, Sean Dix Forte glass dining table, Block 2-print set, Nice View print, replica Eames DSW chair, Florida lamp, Jacob oak floor lamp, Audrey table lamp, Shelley Panton salad bowl.

CHRIS AND JENNA

Well, it’s probably no surprise Chris and Jenna felt so hard done by this week with all the criticism over this room, but I do think they could have been a little less whingey about it. Easy for me to say though, eh?! All the judges said they didn’t like seeing the study nook as soon as they walked in. Darren was really upset about the badly finished paintwork and the mess, right down to the dusty desk which hadn’t been wiped before styling items on it. Shaynna took exception to the “random” low shelf and suggested they remove it. All that before they even got to the living/dining area proper! The timber dining table was a hit (phew!) with Darren calling it amazing and Shaynna calling it divine. Shaynna thought the pendant above it though, although nice, was too small and felt miserly. The judges liked the lamp, couch and chair but felt they didn’t work well together. Neale said the room lacked soul and Shaynna said it had no mood at all. Ouch! Neale said nothing about the room made him want to stay there. Oh, and the dining chairs wouldn’t fit under the table…

Get Chris and Jenna’s look: Opaque black shadows pendants, Geo oval coffee table, Mia armchair, Juno armchair, Harlequin custom sofa, wine rack dining table, recycled timber pew, Frame lamp with custom shade, throw rug with fringe.

DEE AND DARREN

I was a big fan of this room. I mean, it has a massive Bromley and French oak herringbone floors?! Gorgeous! Shaynna remarked on the beautiful styling and Neale said the parquetry floor was an absolute winner. The compliments stopped there from Neale though, who said he had been expecting something more and that everything was fighting with the Bromley art. His least favourite thing though was the over-styled under stairs space. I have to agree it looked a bit wrong, but overall, I loved this look. Darren said the space was beautiful and exceptionally well considered.

Get Dee and Darren’s look: Enzo 1 Light floor lamp, black lantern, Labaratory samphire candle, Easy Luxury, Simple Conservatory dining table, Great Gig limited edition print by Prudence Caroline.

MICHAEL AND CARLENE: WINNERS!

It was a case of last but not least for winners Michael and Carlene and their impressive bookcase! It started well with the computer-controlled lights and just kept getting better. The judges all cooed over the chair with the small table (which they realised could be move and added onto the end of the dining table when required for extra seating — clever!) and Neale said they had a great eye. Onto the impressive cabinetry and Neale said it was the first time he had seen a bookcase styled properly on the show. Darren was impressed by the way they’d styled op shop finds by colour coding and paying attention to size and scale. Neale said they’d created a very homely environment but he feared the exposed brick wall would be polarising. Shaynna disagreed saying it would appeal to many buyers. She wasn’t a fan of the too-blingy pendant light though and said it should go. Agreed!

Get Michael and Carlene’s winning look: Enzo coffee table, Alma chair, Castell side table, Purple Flag Hooraffe limited edition print, Alexander pendant light, Oneness by Pila Pnasumrit open edition print.

Read all our Block coverage.

The Block is open for inspection THIS weekend! Are you going? Find out more.

Tags chris jenna, darren palmer, dee darren, dining room, glasshouse, living dining, living room, max karstan, michael carlene, neale whitaker, open plan, room reveal, shaynna blaze, simon shannon, the block

Expert Tips Homewares House Tours

Video: How to update your living room for winter with Checks and Spots

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date May 16, 2014
2 Comments on Video: How to update your living room for winter with Checks and Spots

Fellow blogger Clare Hillier from Checks and Spots has made a cool video about how to update your living room for winter. I love a bit of seasonal decorating, me! Any excuse!

You can read more about how Clare teamed up with Freedom to create the warm, layered look below, and in the video, in her post.

Styling: Clare Hillier and Sally Singline
Photography: Fiona Storey
Video directing and editing: Alec McCloskey.

Tags blog, blogger, checks and spots, claire hillier, freedom, interior design, interiors, layered, living room, textured, winter

Furniture

Give your sofa a brand new look for a few hundred bucks

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date May 8, 2014

If you haven’t already, you need to know about Comfort Works. They sell slip covers in a huge variety of textiles, colours and patterns, to get your tired sofa looking like new again for a fraction of the cost of replacing it. It’s not only cheap, but great for the environment. And it all happens online (you can order up to eight free swatches).

They supply handmade covers for almost all the IKEA sofas and armchairs as well as a few Pottery Barn ones. Before too long, they promise to offer a custom service too, to suit pretty much any sofa. This appeals to me for so many reasons. I’m fickle, so I love the idea of being able to change up my couch for a few hundreds dollars every couple of years (yes, I know you should buy big items like sofas in neutrals, but we don’t always make the wise decisions). I’m currently loving the trend for velvet lounges and Comfort Works offer a variety of velvets as an option.

It’s also a great solution for those on a budget who might pick up a pre-loved couch on eBay and want to give it an easy makeover before they put it in their home. If you have kids and want to protect your sofa from spills and burp-ups for the next 12 months, here’s your answer! And then there’s the people with a ridiculously lived-in couch that has seen better days but they can’t bear to part with it because it is so comfy, even if it does look sorry for itself.

Last year, I partnered with Comfort Works, which is an Aussie business, to help my friend Amanda make over her sofa (I like to be able to vouch for quality before writing about things like this). She hated the colour of her IKEA lounge but, in the middle of saving for her wedding to Scott (incidentally, I was the MC and it was a stunning day!), couldn’t justify a new one. They were really happy with the result (shown below).

You can see many other people’s transformations on their flickr.

Amanda's new look lounge — Amanda’s new look lounge

“We had bought the IKEA couch during a short period overseas with the intention of selling before we left. We ended up leaving earlier than planned for Scott’s work purposes so the company helped ship everything back to Sydney,” Amanda said. “The blue wasn’t a colour that was going to work with what I planned for the room, and the couch itself was absolutely fine so it seemed a waste to buy a new one when all I had wanted was to change the colour to grey!

“The option to have a cover which was going to fit perfectly was a winner. I was so happy when we got it. The material was strong and durable and the pieces fit each part of the couch like a glove! I couldn’t believe how they had worked out exactly the best way to have the piece fit; elastic in the right spot, velcro here and there. It looked like a professional upholstery job when we were done with it.

“I got to keep the couch but upgrade it. When this one wears out down the track or we change colour schemes, we have the option to replace it again! Brilliant.”

If you’re feeling brave, you might want to try their new addition, a DIY tufting kit which also works on upholstered headboards. You could use this on an existing sofa or in conjunction with a new slip cover.

You probably want to know what the catch is? Hard to say, as international shipping is free (well, refunded in full when you post a photo of your sofa transformation on their Facebook Page, which is smart marketing!), they recently won a Houzz award for great customer service, and you can expect to wait just four to six weeks for your sofa covers (a lot quicker than waiting for a brand new sofa these days!).

Discover Comfort Works for yourself.

Disclosure: Comfort Works provided Amanda’s slip cover free of charge for review purposes. Positive coverage was not guaranteed.