Expert advice

design dream

With Cassandra Fenaughty

Cassandra Fenaughty is a landscape architect with more than 20 years’ experience. She is the founder and owner of an innovative renovation design consultancy, creating photo-real renovation concepts for clients looking to visualise their dream renovation before it begins. For more visit cassandrafenaughty.com.

TIMELESS UPDATE

I recently bought a new home that is about 20 to 30 years old and I’m wondering what your advice would be to ensure the renovations we do are timeless and won’t be out of fashion in only a few years’ time. Thank you, Sheena.

CASSANDRA SAYS: Thanks for your question. It’s a really sensible one that a lot of people forget about when they do renovations, and even new builds.

Thanks to social media, it’s very easy to be lured into current trends for interior and exterior home design. This isn’t to say that you can’t have your cake and eat it too – a timeless design doesn’t necessarily mean a boring style.

By establishing a timeless base for the interior and exterior design of your home, you can still add stylised layers to achieve your desired look. Unless you are happy to spend tens of thousands of dollars every few years to update your home’s look, it’s a great idea to go for a neutral base design.

So the next question is how do you establish a timeless base style for your interior and exterior spaces? 1. Material selections Try to use natural materials where possible. Timber and stone never go out of fashion. If you can’t aff ord the real thing, there are plenty of stone-look porcelain tiles or timberlook cladding options that you can use both inside and outside the home. Don’t select flooring or cladding that is too diff erent or on trend. Try to select something that you know has looked great over the decades and will continue to over time. Examples are real

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timber flooring in species such as blackbutt or spotted gum. Stone selections such as a light travertine or sandstone are neutral and fit with a variety of colour schemes. 2. Colour The colour palette you choose for internal and external walls and mass cabinetry should always be neutral to be timeless. The two options are either light tones that are whites, beiges and neutrals, or more grey-toned neutrals. More distinct colours to suit your style can then be used in accessories or feature elements that can be changed out or updated as trends emerge over time.

3. Form When you are designing your new build or your renovation, always ensure that the form and function of your home works well. If you are looking for a modern design go for styles and shapes that are simple, understated and adaptive. Works of architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright are fantastic examples of how simple modern design can be timeless.

If you are going for more of a classic style, Queenslander homes have always been on trend, and it’s only the colours and furnishings that ever need updating.

Once this neutral base is established you can then let loose and personalise your spaces to suit the style you want to come home to every day. This is the part that makes a house a home. Internally you can add pops of colour and style with furniture, artwork and accessories.

Don’t forget your external spaces to ensure the style you are establishing flows from the inside out. Choose your plant palette, outdoor structures and furniture to match the built form and interiors of your home so your entire property is seamless.

Enjoy the process and don’t rush. It’s always good to live in a home for a full year prior to renovating to experience the seasons and how you want to live in the space.

ask us

Do you have a burning renovation or landscaping question? Let us know! You can email your questions for Cassandra to enquiries@ cassandrafenaughty. com.

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