New insights from Pinterest have revealed that good things come in small packages, with Aussies looking to better utilise the spaces in their homes, with a 35% increase in searches for “space saving furniture”.
In this evolving economy, less is more and based on their searches, it seems many Aussies on Pinterest are being inspired to shift to a minimalist lifestyle. With people increasingly working from home, making the most of the available space has become more important than ever before. Pinterest insights show a 40% increase in searches for “apartment living” as Aussies search for inspiration to jazz up their compact living spaces.
If your home has been feeling stale with all the clutter, now’s your opportunity to find inspiration to transform every nook and cranny into something refreshing.
In the past four weeks, Pinterest has seen a:
55% increase in searches for “small playroom ideas”
35% increase in searches for “small bathroom interior”
30% increase in searches for “small pantry design ideas”
Whether you’re planning an easy and fun new project this spring or a complete living space revamp, Pinterest can be a great place for interior design inspiration.
When it comes to architectural trends these days, have you ever found yourself a little confused as to what exactly represents ‘modern’ design? While Hamptons, Country and French Colonial styles have clear definitions, the term ‘modern’ often seems to be a catch-all phrase for everything else that defies clear categorisation – am I right? To help us break down just what constitutes modern design, we spoke to architect and James Hardie ambassador Joe Snell recently for his take on the whole perplexing issue.
“Generally speaking, the modern trend features clean lines, confident shapes and minimal ornamentation. It is rooted in the works of visionaries such as Mies Van Der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright and Alvar Aalto, and out of institutions like the Bauhaus,” says Joe, who has identified five current contemporary home styles that fall into the ‘modern’ category. He warns though that it’s important to know the difference between them to make your preferred version of ‘modern’ work.
Mid-Century Modernism Mid-Century Modernism has its roots in America in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s and is epitomised by architect Phillip Johnson’s influential Glass House. “This style is all about being connected to nature by using large expanses of glass and revealed structure, creating buildings that have simple silhouettes that are very aware of their surroundings,” says Joe. Exposed steel beams and cladding boards are key to achieving this enduringly stylish look.
Immersed in nature, this home really captures the spirit of Mid-Century Modernism
Minimalism A very popular style of late, it could be argued that the pared-back Minimalist design philosophy is the opposite of the more outward looking Mid-Century Modernism. “While it ostensibly uses the same pared back design, the focus is more on looking within, and being at peace with oneself. The Minimalism school of thought aims to remove distractions and has become popular in Japan for its alignment with the Zen philosophy of mindfulness and tranquillity,” says Joe.
To achieve this aesthetic, the aim is to minimise joins and lines by using concrete floors and large panel cladding alongside huge expanses of glass.
This Melbourne home exemplifies Minimalist design principles
Mixed Materials The Mixed Material trend emerged out of desire to avoid the bland Truman Show style streetscapes of old – it’s a popular device used to add variety to the look of a home (while reducing the blandness of rows of identical homes) but it can be a difficult mix to get right.
The Mixed Materials look
“There are lots of elements to balance, so over-complication can be an issue here,” says Joe who recommends choosing one theme and running with it. Whether it’s making your entrance the hero or defining your garage with a contrasting material, less can be more with this style.
Mixed Materials
“I like to think of homes as a play between heavy and light components. Minimalism and Mid-Century often focus primarily on the repetition of a limited palette of materials across the whole home. Mixed Materials can go either way, I generally suggest working with heavier materials such as masonry and brick at the base and graduate to lighter profiles as you go up,” says Joe.
This home taps into both the Scandi Barn and Mixed Materials categories
Modern Coastal With most of us living on the coast, it’s not surprising that the Modern Coastal look has become a popular one in Australia. “While the on-trend Hamptons style incorporates beautiful detailing with eave returns, balustrading and more, the modern version remains simple and clean. The large expanses of macro detailing and clean shapes remain, but there is also a lean toward embodying the coast which his done through the use of blues, greys and warm wooden tones,” says Joe who recommends the James Hardie Linea Weatherboards to create this look.
“It creates similar shadow lines to timber boards but, like all premium fibre cement cladding, stands up to the Aussie elements as it is resistant to flaking, warping or swelling and damage from moisture which minimises maintenance,” says Joe.
This Modern Coastal style home is located on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula
Scandi Barn With its combination of weatherboards and clean lines, the Scandinavian Barn is a popular one in large part because it marries contemporary and traditional design so beautifully. Typified by steep, pitched rooves (a necessity to stop snow gathering throughout Scandinavian winters), countless homes have been designed in this style of late and often in a dark charcoal hue rather than the traditional Scandi-blonde wood tones.
Scandi Barn
“While many may think of light and bright colour palates for Scandi Barns, they also have the potential for dark and brooding exteriors in greys and blacks with minimal window use. The basic tenants of the movement lend themselves to modern styles and include hooded windows and a strong diagrammatic house shape,” says Joe.
You could call it the Grand Designs effect but the modernist inspired countryside abode (with ample glazing) is right up there on my ‘dream home’ list. And it seems it was for Victoria’s Steve and Donna Bright too when they built Ashford House. “We wanted to incorporate floor-to-ceiling windows that could run seamlessly along the length of the house,” says Steve. He owns construction company Excelcon who built the home alongside Graham Jones Design.
Kitchen and dining
Located on acreage in Upper Beaconsfield in Victoria, the home is a modern take on a farm-style Colorbond shed. But with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a gym, butler’s pantry plus expansive kitchen, dining, living and alfresco it’s far from traditional.
The exterior takes design cues from a traditional shed
With metres and metres of glazing, all designed to take in the view, there’s no denying that glass is one of the central features of the home. “We wanted the windows to provide vast open living spaces, while maintaining minimal visual impact from structural elements,” says Steve who used Stegbar windows and stacking doors throughout.
Bathroom
“In winter, we can keep the doors closed and still feel connected to the outside due to the large panes of glass and unobstructed views. During the warmer months, we can completely open them up and create a cohesive transition from inside out,” says Steve, who uses the alfresco area all year round.
Alfresco
Interestingly, the windows also perform another function – they provide lateral and cross-sectional strength to the home’s structure and actually look as if they are holding the entire home up from the inside.
The windows appear to hold the house up from the inside
“The design of Ashford House was always going to provide a challenge to window manufacturers. The Stegbar range has enabled us to achieve a final overall look that is true to our design brief, and creates an extraordinary home,” says Steve.
The new Spring Summer 2015/16 accessories collection from BoConcept draws on nature to bring an earthy yet sophisticated feel inside the home. “Nature creates a calm yet strong foundation for this season’s accessory collection which features natural materials such as stone, concrete, terracotta, marble and dark and light timbers,” says Eliza Williams, BoConcept marketing manager.
While mostly tone on tone, the collection contains flashes of gold and copper to keep things interesting. “Metallics are still hot and bring glamour and sophistication to our homes and they also pair beautifully with contrasting natural textures,” says Eliza. The metallic collection, which includes a chic copper and gold pendant range, draws heavily on Art Deco influences.
The brand’s new art collection features photographs of the ocean and animals in muted tones while their new living range includes some fab Scandinavian inspired functional accessories – a chic dustpan and brush set and marble and gold clock are both highlights.
Of particular note is the brass skateboarding bulldog – this playful little number treads a fine kitsch line but is a guaranteed conversation starter.
So I’ll let you in on a little secret. A couple of hours before The Block reveals air, we get the photos of all the rooms. The problem is, we don’t get the judges’ comments, so I spend a good 30 minutes trying to decipher who wins. I must say I’m normally pretty accurate — though I will admit I did not see Josh and Charlotte’s 30/30 score for their master bedroom coming!
But my guessing game went into overdrive last week, when I got to see The Block’s kitchens in the flesh (days prior to the reveal). Judge Shaynna Blaze led the tour, and though I attempted on countless occasions to get her opinion out of her, she kept mum (you should be proud, Channel 9)!
Shaynna and I
So below are all my views and all the product details, should you wish to try and replicate the kitchens in your own home.
Ayden and Jess: Modern traditional
Looking at the kitchen alone and ignoring how it fitted into the surrounding space, it was my favourite. I liked pretty much all of it bar the glass-fronted cabinets. I just don’t see them as realistic. People have mismatched dinnerware; it just seems so messy!
On-trend and functional, the profiled cabinetry in a Stone Grey brought an element of sophistication and the benchtop choice of Silestone Lyra added a natural feel to the classically styled kitchen. Designed and built to entertain, Jess and Ayden opted for Electrolux appliances throughout the kitchen, as well as Breville small appliances and Oliveri taps and sinks.
Dea and Darren: Urban glam
While I later found out how different my opinion was to the judges, the Double Ds produced my second favourite kitchen. And if you looked at the space as a whole (so the kitchen, living and dining as one), well then it shot straight to my favourite. Yes, the ‘goalposts’ were weird, but it was the only townhouse that actually had open plan living.
The kitchen is really the social hub of the home, executed through smart and functional design without compromising on style (though that mosaic tile splashback was a bit OTT). With Silestone benchtops in Cemento Spa and Pulsar, the appliances included an integrated Vintec Wine Fridge, a Bosch 762 litre French Door Fridge, a Bosch warming drawer, Oliveri sinks and taps and Breville small appliances.
Tim and Anastasia: Modern monochrome
I found Tim and Anastasia’s kitchen layout quite bizarre, what with it being almost like two galley kitchens attached in an L-shape. Standing in it was very cramped, though that said we were 50 or so people there! However, what I did really like was how they connected their kitchen to the terrace with bi-fold windows; perfect for indoor-outdoor living.
Using contrasting colours and textures of black and white and gloss and matt, the kitchen focused on modern elements like handle-less cabinetry and used soft greys — of the Silestone benchtops in Lagoon — to help balance the monochromatic scheme. Appliances included the Delonghi oven and built-in combination microwave, with a Samsung 636 litre fridge, Breville small appliances and Oliveri taps and sinks.
Josh and Charlotte: Minimalist
I totally agreed with the judges on this one. In person, I couldn’t get over the huge blank space behind the timber bench. It looked so unfinished and cold. Josh and Charlotte’s style is minimalism — which can be great — but I think this time it was taken too far.
Using crisp white cabinetry, offset by a raised cafe style timber bench and Titanium drawer fronts, the kitchen also included subtle marbling in the Silestone benchtop in Helix. To complement this, Josh and Charlotte used Fisher & Paykel appliances, with an integrated fridge and a gas and ceramic cook top, Breville small appliances and Oliveri sinks and taps.
Finally, a special thanks to The Good Guys for flying me to Melbourne and giving me a behind the scenes look at The Block. I loved it!
