The latest wall panel solution to hit what is an ever-expanding scene, Surround by Laminex is a new range of profiles designed to help add texture and personality to your home. And with eight fabulous designs to choose from, we’re rather excited about the endless decorating opportunities that the range represents. And as a bonus, the collection of pre-primed MDF wall linings are easy to use, making them perfect for a weekend DIY project.
The Batten 25 wall panel design painted with Dulux Clay
From a gorgeous, scalloped design to a classic VJ or heritage profile, the ready made decorative surface panels are made for the indoors (ie. they’re not suitable for wet areas) and are a fabulous way to add depth and interest to a hallway, bedroom, mudroom, or main living area. Comprised of sustainably sourced timber and medium-density fibreboard, the panels are available in a standard sheet that can be painted the colour of your choosing, once installed.
“When conceptualising Surround by Laminex, quality and ease of application were two key factors. The panels are durable and hardwearing, whilst still being easy to install. Surround by Laminex really is a product like no other,” says Sacha Leagh-Murray, general manager of sales and marketing.
Scallop 45 and Scallop 22.5 look fabulous paired together. They are painted in Dulux White Duck Quarter
Sustainably manufactured in Australia, the range is created with medium-density fibreboard (MDF), and the timbers of the collection are sustainably sourced too.
The Batten 100 design is a modern, masculine take on classic timber panelling that features defined boards separated by deep, straight-edged grooves. Similar, but much smaller in scale, Batten 25 is a statement narrow board that features defined edges and deeper routing.
Batten 100 painted in Dulux Maximus
The Classic VJ 100 is as it sounds – classic tongue and groove panelling offers a timeless look in just about any space and this design features linear boards separated by vertical joins (VJ). Heritage 150 is ideal for period homes and, with its wider boards defined by curved joints, it’s an update on the more traditional timber panels
Scallop 45 has a uniquely rounded, undulating curved profile that creates a luxe statement, while Scallop 22.5 is similar but narrower in width. The Demi Round 40 is another softly curved profile that is well suited to both full and half-wall applications and its little sister, the Demi Round 20, features narrow curved rods.
The Scallop 22.5 design painted in Dulux Winter Sea
Saving money by using VJ panels instead of tiles in our new en suite reno
Welcome to the third and final Monday in a row (for a while, anyway!) of sharing a project from my very own home! I hope you enjoyed the flatpack built-in…
I’ve recently used VJ boards in my home in two different rooms, and two different ways, so I thought it would be fun to share some more inspiration about using this very popular type of wall panelling and what to bear in mind!
But hang on, what is it?!
First off, what is VJ? A lot of people give me a blank look when I casually throw this term into conversation! VJ stands for vertical joints (also commonly known as tongue and groove), and it’s a kind of timber or MDF wall panelling with vertical panels, equally spaced. That said, some people use it horizontally too.
It has become very popular as a way to add character to bare walls (and ceilings!) and is also being used to pull together things such as a TV wall, bedhead or office nook. It can be used full height or half height (or anywhere in between!) as wainscoting, usually with some type of chair rail at the top and skirting at the bottom. Large boards of MDF VJ, such as Intrim’s VJ Boards Pro are quick, easy and affordable to install and suitable for most interior applications. In rooms where there is moisture however, like a bathroom, a timber lining board is more appropriate and practical.
One of my favourite things about VJ panels is you can paint them whatever colour you like and you can use a little or a lot, depending on the look you’re going for. Plus, when you’re after a new look, you can simply paint them a fresh colour! They also look great in traditional homes (of course you’ll find them everywhere in old Queenslanders!) and modern ones, with their clean lines.
Let’s look at some ways to use VJ that are a little less obvious…
TV wall
TV walls are notoriously hard to get right due to the mess of cables. And unless you have a Samsung Frame TV that looks like art when it’s not in use, those big black rectangles aren’t often our favourite feature in a room! Adding VJ behind your wall mounted TV and entertainment unit is a great way to pull the whole look together. You can even make your TV ‘disappear’ by painting a dark coloured VJ wall behind it. I recently used Intrim’s VJ Boards Pro behind our new built-in TV unit and it was the thing that brought the whole look together. I don’t think it would have been half as aesthetically pleasing had it been a bare painted wall instead.
Images: Jacqui Turk
The VJ Board Pro is an MDF sheet with the grooves cut into it, which comes pre-primed and ready to paint. So easy! My carpenter simply glued this onto the wall with a few nails for extra strength.
In a hallway/entry
Hallways and entries by their very nature get a lot of action and lining their walls with VJ can be a great way to make them a bit tougher against all the knocks and scuffs! Mounting wall hooks on top of VJ, like in this image below, is a great way to create a mudroom look without having an entire room dedicated to your coats and hats!
Image via https://www.instagram.com/this_old_house52
Lining your entry with VJ is a low cost way to really improve the first impression of your home and to get an idea if you like it before using it in larger areas.
In a bathroom
I love the look of VJ in bathrooms, a room where we often don’t think beyond tiles (which are gorgeous and waterproof but expensive, especially when you factor in the tiler). In my recent en suite reno I had the brainwave to cover over existing old (but solid) wall tiles with VJ panelling but the VJ Board Pro wouldn’t be the best choice here because MDF and moisture aren’t a good match. My dream wasn’t over however, as Intrim advised I could get the same look using their timber lining boards.
Images: Jacqui Turk
These are individual boards which simply click together and they’re available in a choice of MDF or FJ Pine, the latter being the best choice for a bathroom or laundry. Althought they take a bit longer to install because they don’t come in a sheet, the other benefit is that they’re flexible and can fit easier around tricky spots such as roof rafters.
Don’t be afraid to think beyond walls! You can just as easily use VJ on your ceilings alone, or carry it on from your walls across your ceiling.
Image via https://www.instagram.com/this_old_house52
Around built-in joinery like a bench seat or cabinetry
Below, the VJ has been used on the whole of the wall in this gorgeous room, but it could just as easily be used to highlight the window seat only. If you’ve thought about creating banquette-type seating in a dining nook for example, VJ could be the perfect finishing touch.
Pic via https://www.instagram.com/this_old_house52
Inspired?
I hope this post has shown you there are so many ways you can use VJ, large or small, in your home. I warn you though: once you start, it’s hard to stop!
Timber mouldings totally transform small 70s apartment
Sponsored by: Intrim Mouldings Located inside a 1970’s apartment building in Sydney’s inner-west, this petite abode underwent an incredible makeover recently and its success can be largely attributed to the…
Roxy Jacenko’s new house: a kitchen to die for!
When your life’s as crazy as Roxy Jacenko’s, it’s perhaps no surprise the PR queen likes things to be calm and minimal at home, and the renovation of her new…
The rise in popularity of features like wainscoting, now accounts for almost half of joiner Jason Alexander’s work at Living Walls Joinery & Decor.
And while he admits he doesn’t keep up with what’s on trend or watch shows like The Block, he says wall panelling will always add a classic and expensive look to any home. Having done his apprenticeship in the UK, working on countless heritage homes, Jason knows what a difference the sum of all the little details make. And with features like wainscoting, this can now apply to newer homes too.
“People are looking for something that isn’t going to date. The sort of looks houses had pre-war were very timeless. A lot of the stuff since then, like the seventies, has been very faddy, even though some people like that too. So that classic look tends to work in most homes today.”
The half-height wainscoting with a chair rail is probably what Jason and his team are asked for the most. “It gives you a flavour of it without it being too in your face,” he says. And in terms of bang for buck, there’s nothing like it for impacting the look and feel, or value of your house, for a relatively low price. “To get the same impact you’d need to do something like re-do the kitchen or bathroom and we all know how expensive that can be.”
Jason says many choose to install wall panelling in the common areas only, and this is enough to really improve the look and character of their home: “It completely changes.”
And while there are MDF and timber options, you basically get what you pay for, and you’ll use the material suited to the application. “You wouldn’t go into a multi-million dollar house in Mosman, for example, and use MDF,” he says.
In terms of having a go at DIY wainscoting yourself, Jason says the most important thing is to have quality tools. He and his team are very precise, using laser levels for every job. “We’ve been doing this so long that we know lots of little tricks to get the best outcome. Like most things, if you do it well, it will add value, and if you don’t, it can look terrible.”
While panelling accounts for around half of Living Walls’ jobs, they’re also seeing a rise in popularity of things like fire surrounds for modern gas fireplaces, coffered ceilings and custom wine racks. In general, he thinks the value of getting things made custom, is now appreciated more.
“People are realising that you can’t just buy off the shelf, put it in your house and it fits and works perfectly for the space,” he says. “If you walk into a home and see character and nice features, you feel like it’s a home that someone has put real love into. If your home has these kind of touches, then even without a stitch of furniture or styling, it will still have character.”
In terms of adding value for resale, Jason says there’s no question that having things like beautiful panelling, skirting blocks and cornices will achieve that. Sadly, people are often already stretched when they first buy their home, so can’t afford to add them until later.
“Spending say $25,000 on doing all of those things beautifully could easily take a house that’s not quite worth a million to $1.1million because people will walk in and feel it has that X-factor.”
When your life’s as crazy as Roxy Jacenko’s, it’s perhaps no surprise the PR queen likes things to be calm and minimal at home, and the renovation of her new…
Timber mouldings totally transform small 70s apartment
Sponsored by: Intrim Mouldings Located inside a 1970’s apartment building in Sydney’s inner-west, this petite abode underwent an incredible makeover recently and its success can be largely attributed to the…
DIY wainscoting just got really easy!
If there’s something that’s stayed consistently popular in interiors in the last few years, it’s wall paneling. Whether it’s whole walls of VJ or half walls of a more traditional…
If there’s something that’s stayed consistently popular in interiors in the last few years, it’s wall paneling. Whether it’s whole walls of VJ or half walls of a more traditional wainscoting, there’s a solution for everyone and there’s nothing quite like it for adding instant depth and character to your walls, literally!
And as we all seem to have been gripped by home improvement fever in lockdown, Intrim, the leaders in timber mouldings, got their thinking caps on and came up with a really simple DIY solution, sent in the post in a tube! Along with a step-by-step video tutorial, it has everything you need to get cracking by yourself.
“This is a product we have considered for some time as we often hear from customers that they cannot find a carpenter to install small amounts of wainscoting in their home or they don’t have the budget for a big reno and would like to install it themselves,” says marketing and brand manager Candace Brigden.
“Many people are DIY inclined but don’t have access to expensive power tools, so we developed these kits that have most of the mouldings pre-cut, ready-to-go and an adhesive that just sticks the trim right onto the walls.”
Candace notes we’re spending much more time in our homes, looking around to see what we can fix, change or beautify. “It also gives people a great sense of pride and satisfaction to see what they have been able to achieve and create themselves.”
Wainscoting is the perfect solution for all areas of the home from a feature wall in your baby’s nursery to the length of your hallway!
Does it really look quality though? Candace says yes, because what you receive in these packs is exactly the same premium quality inlay mould and chair rail you would receive in a regular order from Intrim. “They look just as beautiful once installed, the only difference is this way you can DIY. The Intrim team have spent numerous hours brainstorming how to simplify the installation process so that this is within the reach of even a beginner DIY-er.”
You can choose whether to do just the bottom half, or the whole wall, depending on which kit you buy.
With their expert knowledge, they’ve streamlined the steps and taken out some of the guess work around cutting, by offering pre-cut lengths, and easy to follow formulas.
The easy-to-follow installation video (above) will really help guide you through the process.
“This is something very different to what we have done in the past so we probably needed this climate as the push to get it out there,” Candace adds. “We’re hoping people love it as much as we do and it puts beautiful mouldings in the hands of many more people who previously wouldn’t have had it within their reach, or possibly even considered it.”
The inlay mould and chair rail they’ve chosen will suit a wide variety of styles from Hamptons and Scandi, to Colonial and Edwardian, and everything in between.
“It will elevate the look of the home and make it much more classic. Wainscoting adds depth, character and a luxurious design feel you cannot achieve through other means. We’re hoping people really take hold of it and get creative too, customising it for their own homes. The only limit is their imagination and creativity!”
Anyone really can give this a go! “We have made it as simple as possible through the products in the kit to the installation instructions and video we prepared. Best of all, you don’t need any serious tools and there is no nailing required!”
Their top tip for a nervous beginner is to spend your time planning. Make sure your measurements are correct, and double (even triple!) check before installing on the wall. You may even like to sketch up a little plan of the wall with your measurements to follow to help visualise and keep you on track.
The colour paint you finish the wall and mouldings with will have a major impact on enhancing the end result, so carefully consider your finishes too.
If you are looking for a more traditional look, stick with just using the Kit A, which gives you the chair rail and inlay mould on the bottom section of the wall. For a more classic or modern look, install Kit B too, which adds further inlay mould, or ‘frames’ as some people call them, on the top section of the wall.
You can do as much or as little as you like. “If you have a smaller space, we would recommend installing on a feature wall/s, such as two or more blank walls in a living room or the wall where the head of your bed sits in a bedroom.
“If you want to tackle a larger area, make sure the wainscoting is installed to flow through the spaces. For example, you may want to make an impact to your entry and install a full wall of top to bottom wainscoting, but make sure you continue that down the hallway too, even if it is just on the lower section of the walls. Our product team are always here to bounce your design ideas off too and help you plan your design.”
Has there ever been a better time for a bit of home office inspo? The Three Birds Renovations team recently made over their office, and although they’re not currently able to work from it (they’re #safeathome like the rest of us), it’s a great example of how much difference the look and feel of your office can make.
Being creative types, working somewhere beautiful was always going to be important to them. “We are inspired by beautiful interiors so it only makes sense that our own workplace is beautiful and inspirational too,” says Lana Taylor.
Now, their ‘old’ office was hardly plain, but two years on from moving into their first Three Birds HQ, the girls felt it needed some loving. “It was looking a little tired and didn’t really reflect how our design style and business had grown in that time. With a growing team of gorgeous girls, we wanted to create a luxe, feminine space where everyone loves coming to work each day.”
With busy work days, they wanted the office to have a calming vibe and to be full of pretty things to make it an enjoyable place to spend each day.
“We called our vision board the #dirtyblushcrush! It was all about gritty pretty: feminine pink tones with a bit of grunt, so that it doesn’t look like Barbie’s office! Our vision was for lots of detail like panelled walls, patterned wallpapers, many different complementary textures and a mixture of natural and plush materials.”
What you won’t see is a bunch of individual desks. “We prefer collaborative workspaces so we can sit around the tables together to roll out some floorplans, or grab a coffee and sit back on in the lounge area for a creative brainstorming session. Our creative juices really flow best in a relaxed and inspiring environment,” Lana adds.
In terms of what made the biggest difference, the Intrim moulding on the walls is right up there. “This feature really takes the space from corporate office to elegant lounge room, which is how we wanted it to feel. The beauty of Intrim mouldings is that they’re custom-sized so we could choose how we used them.
“We have a full wall of panelling at one end of the office, which frames our huge Jai Vasicek artwork. Around the rest of the walls we just ran the moulding one third of the way up, to make way for the beautiful wallpaper which Grace Garrett made for us.”
The girls have generously shared their vision board for this project, and they recommend this as the best way to start any design project.
“This should help people pick out the key elements they’ll need to recreate this style at home: a dirty pink colour palette, lots of Intrim moulding on the walls, patterned wallpaper and natural rattan furniture with pops of gold. Voila!”
I don’t think I’m alone in thinking home has never been more important. And it’s not just because we have no choice but to be spending a lot more time at home now, but because living somewhere that feels safe, comforting, cosy, and perhaps organised and with a sense of flow, is great for our mental health in uncertain times.
And while many are pressing pause on major renovations, for obvious reasons, there’s a whole world of DIY home improvements we can all be getting stuck into with more time on our hands. My friends have always told me the little things about my own place bother me more than most because I work here and notice them all the time. And I think they’re right! When you notice the same things day in, and day out, they get irritating and the sense of urgency to finish them ramps up!
This home is an amazing example of the difference the little things can make. The owner of this project home has taken it to a next level, expensive looking, character filled, unique residence. And much of that is due to simple timber moulding and paint (as well as a good splash of marble!). Expanses of blank white walls are not exactly cocooning, but panelled walls in contrasting colours, are a game changer, don’t you think?
BEFORE panelling
AFTER panelling (paint and marble!)
Wall panelling has been gaining popularity for quite a while now, whether that’s wainscoting, whole walls of VJ or super impactful, detailed, more traditional Hamptons looks. I can’t get enough and I personally installed (well, my carpenter did) wainscoting in our dining room when we renovated. It’s actually pretty easy to do these things yourself though, and the video below from Intrim shows you just how. If you don’t believe me, there’s also more of a guide here.
https://youtu.be/ZJqV4e1GXy8
Bear in mind there are two kinds of wainscoting you can install: recessed panel and raised panel. And it’s the latter that’s a plausible (and very cost-effective) DIY job. Raised panel wainscoting is where the inlay mould is fixed directly to the wall to create a multi ‘picture frame’ across the wall look. It’s relatively simple and excellent for homes where you are looking to add some more subtle detailing without a heavy, traditional Hamptons or American style influence. The video above explains it much better!
Intrim are an Australian-owned business so they’re not experiencing any issues with supply. You can get free samples sent to your door and they can even offer virtual meetings to make sure you’re making the right decisions, measuring up correctly, and to answer all your design questions.
The understated glamour of the Art Deco period has never been more popular in interiors and, perhaps because the look was so ahead of its time when it began, it just hasn’t dated. Increasingly, people are adding Art Deco touches to their modern, as well as period homes, and let us tell you, it looks good! Really good!
Noticing this trend, Intrim have been smart enough to start 2020 by adding new Modern Art Deco profiles to their timber mouldings range, with the power to transform even the most blank of canvases. Recently, celebrity PR agent Roxy Jacenko chose to use this profile in her renovations, to great effect.
Roxy Jacenko’s recent kitchen reno using Intrim mouldings. Pic: Inhaus Media
Intrim’s Candace Brigden says Art Deco has enduring appeal because it exudes glamour and class without being over the top. “Its traditional use of rich colours, daring geometric patterns and features, as well as intricate details and finesse, mean it can work with many personal tastes and blend well with other styles. It’s both elegant and bold, intricate and striking and always an impressive display of artistry and design.”
Many homes can use elements of Art Deco, according to Candace. “If your home is modern, you can draw from the clean lines and large spaces on skirting for a modern, edgy appeal. Edwardian homes suit the period particularly well, and we are even seeing Art Deco inspired skirting appear in more relaxed, coastal Hamptons homes.”
We are big believers that architectural mouldings can make a huge difference to your home. The devil’s in the detail, as they say! There’s a plain blank canvas and then there’s a beautifully finished, consistently detailed blank canvas. We know which we prefer!
So, how can you incorporate them in your home? It could be as simple as just replacing your skirting and architraves or you might want to go the whole hog and install wall panelling, as shown above.
We love this Art Deco mouldings look when a skirting block is used where the architrave and skirting meet.
“Timber mouldings add a depth of character to an interior you cannot replicate in any other way,” Candace adds. “They create a personality for the home and add a level of luxury. Wall panelling, for instance, can be applied differently according to the style looking to be achieved without taking up valuable floor space (which is particularly important in smaller homes).”
There’s no denying it, barns door are in! They are all over Pinterest and the one featured in my own kitchen got a lot of comments. It may seem a bit adventurous to include one in your home, but they can easily be understated and on-trend, plus they’re ideal when you’re working with limited space! Below are some of our favourites.
My own barn door gets so many comments! Pic: Jacqui Turk
One of the most popular places to buy barn doors and hardware these days is good old Bunnings! They stock a variety of brands like Corinthian and Hume with a great range of designs in solid timber, timber veneer or primed and ready to paint MDF. Bear in mind they’re usually special order items so expect to wait three to four weeks. Prices start from $289.
Fancy something a little more custom? Check out Brisbane’s Billygoat Barn Doors, who have built quite the reputation on Instagram!
Barndoor Outlet: Based in Melbourne, Barn Door Outlet is an affordable online barn door and hardware specialist. Products range from pinewood barn doors, white barn doors, grey barn doors, DIY barn doors, hardware, locks and they also offer customisation.
Barndoor Outlet barn doors work well on this mud room
Aubarndoor: Another Aussie barn door and hardware specialist, Aubarndoor offer a wide variety of stylish options including fishbone and metal framed glass door designs. The range also includes a variety of hardware finishes including white, stainless and black and they offer doors and hardware that supports a by-pass system too.
Ideal Barn Doors: Supplying a range of classic timber barn doors, they all come ready to be stained or painted so you can keep your options open. Also stocking hardware, the wide range includes everything from stainless steel and matte black to the more wacky designs of an anchor, guitar and axe! I am particularly in love with their black steel and glass iteration. Gorgeous!
Ideal Barn Doors also offer this on-trend reeded glass barn door
Catering to popular demand, Doors Plus also exclusively stock the Glengary range of solid Ash barn doors.
These Safeglass doors from Doors Plus allow light to shine through
Prestige Barn Doors: This unique range includes barn doors made from reclaimed timber as well as Aztec and Chevron inspired designs. The company also produces souble or triple sliding barn doors that run along two or more tracks (see below), passing in front of and behind each other. Each door requires its own rolling door hardware kit with two hangers on each end of each panel.
Barn doors don’t have to be expensive, despite the impressive statement they make. Our carpenter achieved our look by covering the wall and a very plain and affordable oversized door with Easycraft’s popular EasyVJ wall panelling then painted it all in the same colour.
Pic: Jacqui Turk
We love that the barn door trend isn’t just reserved for country or traditional interiors. Barn doors can be modern and sleek too. And practically, they’re obviously a massive space saver, perfect for applications like ensuites and butler’s pantries. And above all, they make a great visual statement, whether you want them to blend into the background (like mine) or stand out.
Some more barn door inspo from around the internet:
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
We all love a house tour but I think we particularly like a look behind the front door of an interior designer’s home, don’t we?! Well, I have a treat for you today with Ioanna Lennox’s 1879 Inner West Sydney terrace.
Ioanna Lennox
While it’s still a work in progress (aren’t all homes, really?), Ioanna, who left her corporate job to follow her passion and work in interiors, has done plenty to transform it. The painted striped runner on the staircase was a project she had been dying to attempt and thought she’d better try it out on her home before attempting the look for clients! She is thrilled with the result and we agree it looks spectacular.
Being her own client was an interesting experience: “The brief kept changing but some things remained the same: it had to be classic, beautiful and elegant, without being over the top; glamorous but in a modern, contemporary way; respectful of the terrace’s original features such as the high ceilings, cornices and fireplaces, but make these work in today’s living environment.
“I started out resonating with the modern French style, then switched to Hollywood Regency, where for a while, everything that I gravitated towards was shiny, shimmery, plush or mirrored! I think the end end result will end up being a nice mix of the two. The colours changed too. Initially, it was going to be all black and white – I wanted drama, lots of contrast and typical Parisian chic. I remember doing a concept board with the “client” being very happy, but six months later, it went out of the window.
“I came across my favourite Bromley nude at an art auction and I begged, begged, begged my husband for us to get it. When we found ourselves the last ones to hold up the little auction card, I almost screamed! I’ve loved and admired David Bromley’s nudes for years and to finally own one was a dream come true. When we brought ‘Chayenne’ home with her striking aqua blue palette, I fell in love with blue. So started my blue phase, which I have to say I’m still in. This meant the formal lounge and dining rooms now had to have an injection of blues.”
Somewhere in all this, Ioanna had to consider her husband, although he was generally happy to leave her to it, so long as it wasn’t too frou-frou or feminine. “I started coming up with the original concept for the front terrace at least three years ago. Finances, Bromley purchases, leaving the corporate world and my mum’s death all played a part in the snail’s pace that things have progressed at.
“To be your own client as an interior designer has be the hardest job ever – I found it frustrating, painful and creatively thwarting. As the designer, I often had days when I just wanted to kill my client! As the client, I just thought the designer was too out there at times for this regular, Inner West family of four. I feel like we got there in the end and even though we’re not yet finished, every detail is nutted out, all the fabric has been bought for the sofa and soft furnishings so nothing else is changing!”
The French wall panelling, which makes such an impact, was at times a nightmare. “I decided to take this on myself just after my mum died. I had my cousin here from Germany, who’s a tradesman but not a carpenter. He called my bluff and said if I was serious about panelling the front rooms, he’d help me. I measured everything up and drew detailed diagrams of the panels to the millimetre, then ordered over 150 metres of timber for the chair rails and panels. Over the next week, my cousin and I worked around the clock.
“When we started putting up the chair rail, we realised there wasn’t one straight wall in the house! This made it all the more entertaining as we couldn’t always rely on the trusted spirit level to hang the panels. In the middle of our little project, my cousin had to return home, so that left me with a very unfinished project. Out of sheer pity or insanity, my husband eventually stepped in and helped. That put him in my awesome husband books for at least 6 months!”
Ioanna selected a duck egg blue/green for the inside of the panels (Dulux Georgian Silver), which interplays with the soft grey background . “I’m beyond thrilled with the results, but knowing what I know now, I’m not so sure I’d take it all on again.”
The entire front of the terrace — formal living and dining rooms, hallway and stairs – have been overhauled. The existing traditional yellow wallpaper, which had over the years become one with the render, was removed, parts of the rooms had to be re-rendered, and the cracked ceiling and ceiling roses reconditioned. Ioanna then chose a warm grey throughout and a dark charcoal above the fireplaces to turn these into a feature.
She kept some of the original furniture (“I had our old mango wood dining table stained a dark walnut with a French polish finish. So too with the dining chairs – I had them reupholstered in a soft blue velvet with nail trim detail. This kept the budget down and it looks like a whole new dining setting anyway.”) Keeping the budget under control meant she could splash out on a Moooi chandelier for the dining room.
Every visitor comments on the wall panelling, which is Ioanna’s favourite element. “It gives the room such presence and grandness, pushes the 3.5-metre ceilings even higher and makes the decorating effortless. Between that and the Bromley hanging on the wall, there’s not much else the room needs – ok, maybe just a nice comfy chair to sip a cocktail in!
“So, is the client content? Yes, she’s happy. But I’d probably never want to work with her again!”
See more of Ioanna’s interior design work on her website. Photography by Stan Ngo and Susan Papazian.
