Tag: winter styling

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Expert Tips Interiors Addict Interviews Outdoor & Exteriors Styling

Winter garden tips: How to use the outdoors all year round

A glorious Sydney Harbour garden featuring King Living furniture
A glorious Sydney Harbour garden featuring King Living furniture

While outdoor spaces are often overlooked in winter, they can be wonderful places to entertain and enjoy in the cooler months. In fact, with clever design, an outdoor garden can improve the functionality of your home all year round and it’s something that horticulturalist, landscaper and stylist Adam Robinson is well versed in.

“Everyone feels better in nature. If we can have that daily check in with nature, even in winter, it can heighten cortisol levels and help with your mental wellbeing,” says Adam. Whether it’s entertaining in the evening or enjoying a coffee on a terrace, clever garden design can allow you to take full advantage of an unused garden or balcony when the temperature cools.

A glorious Sydney Harbour garden featuring King Living furniture
A glorious Sydney Harbour garden featuring King Living furniture

While the words ‘winter’ and ‘sun’ often don’t belong in the same sentence, it’s important to utilise natural light when designing an outdoor lounge or dining area and lush plants help to really finish a space. A fire pit is a great way to create a warm and inviting outdoor area and they work well as a centrepiece too.

Adam Robinson
Outdoor expert Adam Robinson

Square metreage is a big factor in designing an outdoor space also – a smaller space may force you to choose between lounging and dining whereas a larger space will permit both. On this front, Adam recommends choosing versatile, multi-functional furniture pieces that work in different ways to help give you more options.

King Living Olive outdoor table with Luna outdoor dining chairs

Adam’s top tips for winter and spring garden design 

  1. You don’t want your garden to become a burden so think about the size of your lawn and how much time you’ll need to spend maintaining it. 
  2. Place your furniture on paving pads to blur the lines between the hard and soft elements in the garden. Plus, you don’t need to mow under the furniture, giving you more time to enjoy the space. 
  3. In smaller spaces, avoid chunky furniture and instead choose furniture that breathes in the space.
  4. Deciduous trees are a great option as they provide shade in summer and let the sun in during winter. But, like lawns, they do require maintenance when they drop their leaves in autumn. Evergreen shrubs are a good, lower maintenance alternative. 
  5. When choosing fabrics for your outdoor furniture, we usually go with plain fabrics. It’s not as obvious if they fade in the sun as it would be with a patterned fabric. 

For more on King Living

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Homewares

Winter cushions: 10 picks to warm up your space

Winter is most definitely here, so interior designer and stylist Kathryn Bamford, shares her favourite pillows for this season. It’s a great time to add some texture and autumnal colours. And don’t forgot those embellishments!

1.Emerson Cushion, Cream Greenhouse Interiors

So 70s, so boho and oh so warm with tufting, tassels and gold. $135.

Emerson Cushion - Cream by Amigos de Hoy | Shop Cushion | Greenhouse Interiors

2. McKenzie Cushion Myer

Fluffy, multi-coloured spots adorn this marvellously lively cushion. Made from tufted cotton chenille and currently on sale for $46.

McKenzie Cushion image 1

3. Morrocan Cushion Greenhouse Interiors

Both handmade and hardwearing, this one has a luxe but homely feel. $105.

Moroccan Cushion

4. Embellished Intersecting Stripes Cushion Cover West Elm

A mix of solid colours for a head-turning geometric design inspired by Cubism. This one is handcrafted and supports Better Cotton Initiative. Don’t forget to buy the insert with it. Currently on sale for $44.

5. Ocean Black Cushion Bonnie & Neil

Handmade in Melbourne with original artwork by Bonnie. It’s hand screenprinted onto white linen with the reverse side featuring the same design. $220.

6. Hunter Cushion KAS

I love the linear markings and of course, you can’t go wrong with classic navy. I also love that it’s finished with a blanket stitch border to anchor the design. From $69.

Hunter Cushion

7. Alpine Green Velvet Tassel Kip & Co

Velvet and tassels combined. Be still my heart. You’ll also need to purchase an insert for this one. $89.

8. Boulevard Cushion Domayne

A marriage of tufting and tassels, this cute cotton cushion enjoys panels of bronze and maple in a layered pattern. Currently on sale for $43.

Boulevard Cushion image 1

9. Issa Cushion Kmart

Polka dots and mustard, need I say more? Oh and it’s only $8!

10. Jervis Embroidered Lumbar Cushion in Olive Madras Link

Add texture easily with this one! Featuring an intricate hand-looped and stitched design made from cotton candle wick. Finished with a plain reverse. On sale for $33.

– Kathryn Bamford is a regular contributor, certified interiors addict and degree qualified interior designer & stylist. You can follow her projects and adventures on Instagram @kathryn_bamford.

Winter throw blankets: 10 of the best

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Categories
Expert Tips Homewares Styling

Winter home tips: 5 steps to cocoon yourself!

With many of us cocooning at home and the cooler weather swiftly arriving, property stylist and interior designer, Justine Wilson, shares her insider tips to create a cosy and comfortable space to see out winter and the iso blues.

“It’s been a very different lead up to winter this year, with Australians in insolation over the past month or two. Many are looking to take advantage of the down time and tidy, clear out and spruce up their homes. I have five simple tricks with items that can be ordered online, delivered to your door, and set up (hopefully) without the risk of a hospital visit from falling off the roof!”

Justine’s top five winter warmer styling tips include:

  • Rich colour tones in lush fabrics: Think textural fabrics like wool, velvet and faux fur. Hot colours this winter are olive, emerald, plum, mustard, burnt orange and deep magenta. To update your home, think
    about investing in new scatter cushions, thick bed or sofa throws or even a colourful plush rug underfoot. You can also just use decorative vases or flowers in these tones to bring a cherry pop of colour.
  • Change your bedding: Winter is a good time to change out your bedding to thicker weight duvets and new linen. The summer trend was lots of simple white or cream light weight linen, but in winter try a textured spread like a waffle or tufted linen design. Opt for deeper colour tones for the ultimate cosy feel and really layer your bedding with a coverlet and a throw for maximum impact.
  • Candles are my winter go-to: It’s easy for a home to feel musty and dark with windows and doors often shut to keep in the warmth, so using pretty scented candles will help lift your mood. This year candles en masse will be a big trend. All you need is a round platter, or tray and 5-to-8 candles, light them all and you have a beautiful centrepiece for your dining or coffee table that will smell great and provide an ambient glow.
  • Mirrors are a great tool: Use them in winter, as they will reflect any available light and make your interior less gloomy. They can also bring the outdoors in. Hang them in hallways, dark rooms and anywhere you can reflect a nice outlook. The more the merrier in winter, and if you can reflect a nice lamp or floor lamp – even better.
  • Create an outdoor room: This would be my top tip this winter. We may not be able to travel or go camping, so why not bring the experience into your backyard? Invest in an outdoor firepit
    (most councils allow them if you burn only dry wood), get some nice outdoor comfy chairs and string some outdoor solar fairy lights for the full effect! There is nothing like toasting a marshmallow or playing some tunes under a starry sky. I think more than
    ever we need to create experience at home.

For more about Justine’s business, Vault Interiors

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Expert Tips Furniture Homewares Interviews Shopping Styling

Stylist secrets for warming up your home this winter

west elm bed linen

If there’s one thing that’s certain, layers of texture are essential when creating a cosy winter interior. From faux fur throws to velvet bed linen and heavy weight curtains, we caught up with the stylists at west elm and Pottery Barn Australia recently for their take on how to warm up your home this chilly season.

west elm Lush Velvet bedding
west elm Lush Velvet bedding

The living room
“Winter is about getting cosy on the couch and sleep-ins on rainy days. In the living room, adding cushions and throws with lots of texture creates warmth,” says west elm’s lead visual manager Rhys Duggan who loves using the brand’s Candlewick cushions and faux fur throws to achieve this look.

west elm Candlewick cushion range
west elm’s Candlewick cushion range

Pottery Barn Australia’s lead visual manager Ebony Quaid uses plenty of texture in winter too. “I like to load up on textiles in the living room. Add extra throws on the sofa and extra blankets on the beds – not only does it add warmth, but the layering creates a sense of visual warmth. Perfect for snuggling on the couch, I always opt for our faux fur,” says Ebony.

Pottery Barn faux fur Ombre throw
Pottery Barn faux fur ombre throw

west elm faux fur Ombre throws
west elm faux fur throws

And layering can also mean literally laying things on top of one another as Ebony likes to do with rugs in her home. “It provides extra warmth underfoot and looks cool if you get the right combination,” says Ebony who believes you should never underestimate the power of window coverings in creating warm spaces either. “You can lock in a lot of warmth by hanging long, heavy curtains to cosy up large open areas.”

Pottery Barn silk curtains
Pottery Barn Dupioni silk curtains

It’s not something that many people do on a regular basis but another way to warm up your home this winter is by shifting your furniture around to capture the season’s light. “My failsafe winter tip is – never be afraid of rearranging your furniture. You can shift key pieces away from draughty spots in the house to lap up the warm winter sun,” says Ebony.

The bedroom
When it comes to bedroom winter styling, changing the bedding is not only a practical necessity but it’s a good chance to change mix things up from an aesthetic perspective too.

“In the bedroom, layer like a stylist and use warm, soft fabrics like organic cotton and Belgian linen – both of which improve with age. Combine one of our lush velvet coverlets and blankets with your quilt cover to add extra layers of warmth and weight,” says Rhys who also recommends rugs made from natural fibres to inject warmth underfoot and lock heat into the home.

west elm's Lush Velvet range is a textural treat
west elm’s Lush Velvet range is a textural treat

From lamps to candles Rhys also suggests using lights to create mood this winter. “It is a visual trick but having a few sources of light in the bedroom can switch your mindset from cold to gold. A bedside lamp is standard, but add some candles and it creates a cosy, luxe feel. Just don’t forget to blow them out before sleep!”

west elm crystal Totem candlesticks
I love these west elm crystal Totem candlesticks

2019 winter paint trends