DEFINE YOUR LOOK
The path to a complete home begins with ideas, so thumb through magazines and books and search the internet for inspiration. David Hallett, General Manager of Archicentre Victoria, suggests gathering pictures of architectural styles that appeal to you. And the same applies for the interiors. Perth interior designer Judith Barrett-Lennard suggests homeowners make a scrapbook of magazine clippings that convey their style. “It doesn’t need to be a whole room; it could be a chair or a lamp,” she says. Inspiration can come from films or TV programs, too. 

“Also take your cues from less likely areas, such as fashion,” says Australian House & Garden Style Director, Janet James. “You may think two colours on a dress look good together or register that flock looks good with a stripe, without necessarily knowing why.”

Architect Broderick Ely of Melbourne’s BE Architecture discusses architectural likes and dislikes with his customers. “We have a questionnaire, which we adapt as we go; it’s a sort of icebreaker,” he says. From this, he and the homeowner create a brief, which could be specific, such as more bedrooms, or abstract, such as getting more light into the house.

The style of your home should reflect the area, for practical reasons if nothing else, says Hallett. In a suburb with heritage-building restrictions, going avant-garde could lead to drawn-out disputes with the council. “You have to balance your needs with local controls.”

Many of those controls are there for good reason, says Melbourne architect Jenny Rizzo of Inarc Architects. Regulations on setbacks and building heights will ensure any extensions are in proportion to the neighbours’ homes. “But style-wise, you don’t need to stick slavishly to the original period,” she adds. “A modern extension can work well at the rear of a period house if you create a visual connection, such as brickwork or archways in both the old and new sections.”

Choosing the style of the kitchen and bathroom fit-out is more clear-cut. “Most people want modern kitchens and bathrooms, regardless of the age of the house,” says Rizzo. 

PERFECT YOUR FLOOR PLAN
Sort out your short-term and long-term objectives. What are your lifestyle, work and family needs? Will you entertain a lot? Will you want private zones for time out? “Those objectives might not all be immediately affordable, so prioritise,” says Hallett. Short-term, you might install a new kitchen or create an outdoor area, while the grand plan may be to build an extension. However, he cautions, be sure to integrate the two stages, otherwise you may need to demolish the earlier work: that schmick new kitchen might be in the right place for a two-bedroom house, but not a four-bedroom home. 

In terms of layout, Rizzo talks about a hierarchy of rooms, with the living room in the best position and working back from there – to kitchen to bedrooms to laundry. You may need to flip the layout. “We turn Edwardian and Victorian buildings around all the time, moving the living areas to the back and placing the bedrooms at the front.”

When it comes to zoning, architects used to simply split the house into two zones – living to the north and sleeping to the south. “That still works,” says Hallett, “but clients are also seeking separation – parents’ and children’s zones remote from one another – which adds another dimension to the floor plan.”

Bedroom dimensions echo this change, says Ely. Once they were uniform in size, but now the main bedroom is also a place to retreat, and that is reflected in its larger size. Conventional layouts are being questioned in other ways, he says. Some people prefer internal vistas, built around an inner courtyard or a double-height void. Entering in the middle of the house, rather than the front, is another new approach. 

SELECT YOUR FURNITURE
The builders have gone, so it’s time to decorate in your individual style. Great chairs add the personal touch, says Barrett-Lennard. “I usually use one large chair, occasionally two. And I keep the colour subdued – the shape’s the story. I never match the chair with the sofa – I may combine patterned chairs and a plain sofa but within the same palette.” Similarly, in other rooms: “I never match dining table and chairs. It’s too predictable. I might do a rustic timber table with Eames fibreglass chairs.”

It’s good to have a mix of styles, agrees Coco Republic Senior Designer Jodie Kingman, such as Louis-style or English oak furniture in a minimalist home. “People are more receptive to mixing styles,” she says. “You don’t need new furniture for a new house; you can make existing pieces work.” 

That’s made much easier if you have furniture that won’t date, such as a chesterfield or an Italian sofa with simple contours. “Classic designs still look contemporary in quality materials with clean lines and neutral shades,” says James. “You can lift them with decorative details.” Modular sofas are great for family rooms and informal spaces.

Buy the best furniture you can afford and go big, because a large item can anchor a small room and you don’t need many other pieces. Alternatively, spruce up what you have with slip covers or reupholstering – for about $1000, plus fabric costs, you can transform a piece of furniture.

When placing furniture, avoid gravitating towards the walls. Move the sofa into the centre of the room and position a sofa table behind it to add interest, says James.

CREATE DECORATING LAYERS
“I like to work with a hierarchy of rooms,” says Barrett-Lennard. “It gives the house a flow with subtle variations from one room to the next. In the hallway everything should be special – a chandelier, a mirror. The next in line are the living rooms – a family room and a room the children aren’t allowed in so often.”

How to create this hierarchy? “Glossy surfaces and lighter colours lend more formality. A bit of gilding, fabric with sheen, silk ottomans.” Sofas and chairs with skirts tend to look more formal, so are best saved for these areas. Less formal rooms are more textured, with linens and knobbly cottons such as kilims and natural timbers. And these spaces can carry more clutter – bookcases work well here.

Go for warmth with your colour selection, she advises, but don’t overdo it. Use the contrast of a few accessories as highlights, but leave the palette mellow in different shades of the one colour. And don’t be afraid of mixing pattern, advises Kingman. It can really give a room the personal touch. Stripes, for example, need to bounce off something else, such as ornate prints in cushions or wallpapers.

PAINT
Homeowners are becoming bolder with paint, says James, opting to use it all over rather than just on individual walls. For glamorous interiors she suggests chocolate brown, taupe, dove grey, tobacco brown, gunmetal grey or aubergine, teamed with white trim. “A white trim makes a room look modern no matter what the colour.”

Wendy Rennie, Colour and Concept Manager at Haymes Paint, agrees. “Neutrals are becoming stronger.” She suggests using varying depths of the one colour throughout your rooms for a sophisticated take on a neutral scheme.

It’s still fashionable to use feature walls to stamp your personality throughout your home, but “keep your ceilings white,” says Sharon McClelland, National Marketing Manager at Paint Place. Trims should be the same colour throughout to provide a harmonious look and flow.

With regard to finishes, for living and dining areas opt for a low sheen. For kitchens and bathrooms a satin finish is the go; the higher the sheen, the more washable the paint, making it ideal for steamy areas. Use a flat finish on ceilings to disguise imperfections, adds Rennie, and a durable gloss on trims and doors.

WINDOW TREATMENTS
“I use curtains a lot,” says Barrett-Lennard, “but I leave them simple, hanging straight down in fabrics that fall beautifully. Linens or cottons are best or a synthetic fabric with a sheen. I take them almost to the ceiling for a grand look.” Kingman uses curtains to introduce colour and texture into a room, either in an interlined fabric or sheers alone, shot with metallics for sheen. Layering windows with generous drifts of fabric will soften a minimal room, agrees James. “But nothing beats a shutter for a classic look.”

FLOORING
A fishbone parquet is a smart choice, says Barrett-Lennard. “Stained in dark jarrah, it almost looks black. I have also used Amtico [a premium PVC flooring]. It covers bad floors well and introduces pretend texture. With carpet, cut pile has a more formal look than loop pile.” Carpet selection speaks volumes about a living room, says Kingman. “There are so many fantastic loop and plush piles in great patterns.

They have a subliminal essence of quality, almost like a high-end handbag.” Timber floors never go out of fashion, says James. For something different, give them a distressed look or opt for recycled boards with a patina. And use carpet and rugs in the mix – try a contemporary look in a more traditional room or an oriental rug in a modern space. 

ADD THE FINISHING TOUCHES
“Accessories and artwork make a home,” says Kingman. So always keep the things you are most attached to. “We go through clients’ existing pieces, sort them out and team them with new furniture and accessories. We might place their photos in new frames, or display just the books that tie in with the new scheme.”

“A few bold accessories is the way to go,” says Barrett-Lennard, “but, if you must have a lot of little things, put them in collections according to shape and colour. Instead of glass, which I find hard, I am a great fan of Dinosaur Designs’ resin pieces, grouped to emphasise their organic, sinuous forms. I also love trays and lamps – in quirky shapes, they are like pieces of sculpture.”

Mirrors are James’ favourite accessory. “Even one big mirror, madly gilded. They make a room look glam and bigger, and a collection of objects displayed on mirror tiles doubles the number of items.

“Cushions change the look of a room too,” she adds. “Big, generously sized ones.” And trims on cushions are coming back, but in a contemporary guise – handcrafted materials such as resin or wooden beads teamed with a luxe fabric.

Choosing art is a personal thing, but there are standard techniques for displaying it well. “Coordinate artworks by subject,” suggests James. “Hang portraits or still lifes in a variety of frames, or mix your subjects and make them cohesive by placing them in similar frames.”

But, if you have only one thing to accessorise with, make it flowers and foliage, such as twigs, leaves and seed pods, she adds. “A vase full of roses never goes out of style – naturally placed, not as part of a formal arrangement.”

Text Chris Pearson
Styling Alexia Biggs
Photography Amanda Prior