Myspace May 2017 Design Tips

Wonderful windows Things to consider with window treatments 1. Think of your needs and what you want to achieve with your window treatments. Do you need privacy during the day or night or both? Do you need to consider warmth and insulation? Are you wanting to cut down the glare and heat of the mid-day sun? Your consultant can discuss all of your needs and provide the best solutions for your home.

2. Consider different options for different rooms. You could opt for a beautiful fabric in your main living areas and then a well priced option in your guest bedroom.

3. Is this your ‘Dream Home’ or will you be moving on? If you are hoping to stay, spend a little bit more to create a look you absolutely love, and that will stand the test of time. If you may be selling up in the near future, still choose something you love, but also consider the overall cost, and suitability for a different family.

4. Trust your consultant. Choose someone who listens to you, who you are comfortable with, who can share your vision and work with you to bring that vision to life. You may not be able to visualise the finished product, but your consultant can. You just need to trust them.

By The Design Depot

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Sitting on

the shelf Top tips for styling your shelves • Not just for books. Shelves are great for showing off personal items, collections, curios and unusual keepsakes. Mix these in with your books to make your shelves more interesting.

• Story telling. Group together objects to a theme or genre like travel or vintage to tell a story.

• Odd numbers. Try pairings of three, five and seven within a vignette to create balance and harmony.

• Layer with texture. Using a number of different textures across your shelves will add depth and interest. A mix of reflective and shiny, a little bit of timber, rustic and woven, all look great grouped together.

• Short and tall. Items of different heights will give the eye something interesting to follow. Use an imaginary triangle when grouping objects together with taller at the back and shorter towards the front.

• Colour it up. A collection of books and objects in the same colour can a splash of interest.

Louise Blackmore, Blackmore Design Ltd

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Doing your

homework

Many of today’s jobs can be done from home. The top design tip for a home office is usually to keep your work and personal spaces separate. But what if you don’t have a spare room for an office?

Other spaces can be utilised – a lobby, a corridor or hallway, a corner of the lounge or dining room, the attic, basement, or garage.

A traditional office desk won’t make you any more productive, so consider double-dipping if necessary.

Many successful businesses started life on the dining

table. Consider a standing desk that can easily be achieved with two beer crates and an old door.

If none of these spaces are available, then set an office up in your bedroom and separate it from the rest of the room with a wardrobe, bookshelves, a curtain or a screen.

To make the best use of space, build up rather than out. Narrow bookshelves extending from floor to ceiling take up less room, and offer more storage space, than chunky chests of drawers.

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fancy footwork To ensure the best result and longevity of your flooring, several factors need to be considered.

Moisture – if installing in a basement or bathroom, choose flooring suited to a high or medium-moisture environment, such as tiles or concrete.

Installation is the hidden cost in flooring, so don’t forget to factor it into your budget.

DIY installation can halve the cost of flooring, but repairs to incorrect work can be expensive.

Durability – if you have pets or kids, or someone in the house wears heels a lot?

Then you need to consider: • Concrete – highly durable and great looking when polished or coloured.

• Natural stone – especially ideal for high-moisture areas.

• Bamboo – a highly durable and long-lasting material, which can rate as hard as Brazilian cherry and teak.

• Resilient or vinyl flooring – laboratory-engineered to last for a very long time.

• Ceramic and porcelain – durable against scratches and spills, but prone to cracking when heavy objects are dropped.

• Laminate flooring – surprisingly scratch-resistant, but less resistant to moisture.

• Solid hardwood flooring – tends to scratch, but can be restored to perfect condition when required.

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