questions & answers
A1: Hi Leisa
without seeing a picture and knowing your intentions of what you mean having them 'fit' I can only give some broad ideas. Obviously you love colour and drama by having primary colours of red and navy so what you need to have around them are colours and items that dont fight it but celebrate it. Add a large crisp white, shag rug and textured white cushions on the couch. If you have the space add an individual chair that makes a statement with a plump casual look. keep the walls white and hang some dramatic art with reds, greens and yellows. Have lots of texture and make sure the artwork has curved fluid lines to add some softness to balance the strong colours. Most of all dont add any stripes or stars, for obvious reasons!
A2: Hi Susie
great to hear your feedback and it was a fantastic day in Yarram and so glad you were able to take allthetips and ideas and put them into your own environment. I hope your open day goes well and the houses all sell.
Regards
Shaynna
A3: Hi Kath
I have half written a book but time is a big killer! I have just started and secondary website www.shaynnablaze.com which will be fully active in 2009. This will have tips, fact sheets and videos for renovating and product guides. If you log on and register we will keep you informed of when articles are posted.
In the meantime remember mistakes are for learning, just dont do them twice!
Shaynna
A4: Hi Amy,
yes modern fittings do work in period homes but it is the case of getting the right mix of old and new. Looking at the picture, and I know it isnt your furniture, but you would ahve to change the curtains as well to get a flow on-effect of adding modern touches. Pendant drum shades will work well and it would be a case of workingout if you keep the drum shade for the formal areas and entry only or carry on to the rest of the house. I would keep the shades a fabric that will glow and diffuse the light rather than be a solid material or heavy dark colour till you know how the layout and furniture will go. You could keep the fabric pendants for formal and bedroom, and for the areas of kitchen and family living (if they are in the same areas) stick to glass and modern fittings.
The size of the drum shade should be slightly wider than the rose to give it more drama. So if rose is 450mm, make the shade 500-600mm, but not much more as will appear too 'heavy'.
Height to hang - As this is a general area if is best to keep it no lower than a general door height, being 2100mm from floor but at least 2200mm is best. If they are to go over tables and conversation areas where there is no walking traffic you can bring down to 1700mm from floor.
There are many modern fittings that go with period homes and it all depends if you want them to be just a source of light or the be a statement piece. If you are going for modern, stick with simple and sleek as too much fuss will fight with the exisitng period features.
Hope this helps!
Shaynna
A5: Hi Kate
I assume you are meaning they are ugly from the outside from your picture? And I dont really understand about lightening without killing the blockout BUT I will try and answer as I see it.
To keep privacy but give you some light during the day the E-screens are the best. They are a see through holland blind, when they are down during the day no one can see in but as soon as night comes and you turn on the light people can see in, so you always need a scondary blind or curtain.
If you keep the blockout curtains, you can have the E-screens closed at all time meaning 1. they will let light in during the day and give you privacy while curtains are open and, 2. keep them down while curtains are closed and it will give a solid clean line from outside of the window.
This is your best solution for this area form what you ahve stated.
Good Luck!
Shaynna
A6: Hi Lyn
burgundy is a very heavy colour and when you put very light colours around it it makes the heaviness even more obvious. If you have a period home sage greens go beautifully and I would suggenst soft greens for the flooring and off whites for the walls and curtains. If it is a more modernhome, choose a carpet that has a Latte colour to soften the impact of the burgundy and have a lighter coffe colour for the curtains and lighter agian for the walls. Just make sure you colurs dont have a yellow tone to them as they will clash with the burgundy. Have light coloured cushions,but not whites, on the couches also. As you have two large windows I am assuming you have quite a bit of natural light so it will take the darker colours for the carpet.
Shaynn
A7: Hi Jozzett
Ikea have a great system that is a slim metal line (almost like a clothesline) that you hang from one end of the window to the other and you hang tab curtains or 'peg' clips to hang material. Of couse these systems are made for light fabric and usually dont give you great blockout from light. The heavier the material the heavier the harware has to be. Anything that requires heavier fabrics will require the heavier hardware.
Shaynna
A8: Hi Fanila
your entry is you first impression and where you get the feel of the home. It is also a general dumping ground for keys, letters, shoes, bags and coats - thats if you live in my house of course. You need to look at the needs of the area and do you have some of the problems I have just suggested? If so these need to be accounted for when deciding what you are putting in the area. If want places to store keys, shoes etc you need to make areas such as a slimline hall table with drawers to hide shoes etc and a bowl to quickly grab the keys. Is this a place you need light? If so paint a calming colour (soft greens for example) and place a large mirror to catch any light that is let in from the front door. If not a great statement piece of artwork can really give an impact and set the scene for the rest of the house. But remember, as soon as you put a surface in that area it will become a place where things constantly get placed. If you want to stop the letters and the shoes etc from 'hanging around the front door, dont have any bench/table height cabinets for items to be placed as a vacant surface is an open invitation. Your area of 3 x 5 is quite a big area for an entry and not knowing your traffic flow and amount of doors that lead into the area and if it is modern or a period home it is a bit hard to give specific advice, but for teh shear size it could take a large rug to define the area and a small table/buffet were you could put a lamp or statues and put some of your personality there. The main idea is not to obstruct any traffic flow and to look at it as a 'transition' area and not a lounge room.
Shaynna
A9: Hi Sue
there are a lot of elements in these rooms that would help me visually if I had a photo. From your description of the colours, the kitchen and couch are a complete contrast to each other which means they are both strong in presence and can fight each other for your attention. It seems like you need to add texture which will add just as much warmth as a colour. As your floors are sandstone and your walls cream your couch will look like a 'lego block' on the floor. You need to get a large rug in a similar colouring to the couch and make sure it sits just under the line of the couch. This will extend the colour of the couch and give more flow. Cushions with texture in a light tan will give more warmth rather than intruducing more colour. You can even find a throw or lamp with the colour of the kitchen doors as an accent so it brings a bit of the colour into the main room. Look at the sandstone floor and pick one of the colours in the texture vein and paint your walls in this colour. It will add warmth and make sure you are keeping within the palette of the floor. The main objective is to stop the barrier between the kitchen and the lounge and give them a link.
I hope this gives you a start.
Shaynna
A10: Hi Catherine,
from the photo I can see a fireplace and this looks the perfect place to start. The idea is to create two areas in this space. Where the billiard table is I would imagine having 2 couches, or 1 large couch and 2 lounge chairs to become a conversation pit using the fireplace as the focal point. Where the lounge is at the moment there seems to be a pathway so I assume this is an entry from another room, possibly the kitchen? If it is the kitchen I would put an extension dining table, having it to side as a 4 seater for everyday use and then extend to 6 or 8 when there are dinner parties. If this comes from the entry or a different hallway you are best to create a 'nook'. Meaning an area for reading, chilling out etc.
I hope this helps and good luck to your sona dn his partner.
Shaynna
A11: Hi Jennifer
your client can contact me through my website on www.blankcanvasint.com or info@blankcanvasint.com
Thanks
Shaynna
A12: Hi Liz
most of these days, unless you have a large house a formal dining room can seem a waste of space. We are more interested in relaxing and entertaining zones. If you have a table and chairs in the kitchen this is usually enough. You could look at that room more as a kids scondary lounge for them to play games, watch TV or a parents retreat and make it a quiet room, relaxing space away from the rest of the house. As the bathroom comes off this room, yes I do think it will be a turn off.
Good luck!
Shaynna
A13: Hi Melissa
the best way is to get your ducts cleaned regularly, every 6 months. Some companies ave fine fileters tha you can put on each vent to collect any particles. I would check with your manufacturer and see if they have any information regarding this.
shaynna
A14: Hi Helen
good ol' IKEA. They do have some great, simple storage ideas!
A15: Hi Shelly, your daughter is lucky you want to help her get the perfect bedroom. A teenagers bedroom is their place of escape and expression but it also has to be the place of rest. The key is not to make all the colours too bold and overpowering in your quest for a beach theme. Keep the walls a soft yellow and the furniture in whites or blonde timber. This will become the back drop for the decorating. Buy large poster sized frames in white and insert surfing posters. Use the Frangipani theme for the bed linen and cushions. Pick a colour from the frangipani on the bedlinen and buy a shag rug in that colour. Make sure you have enough shelving for her books, CD's etc so her room will not only be beautiful but tidy. We can always dream I suppose!!
Regards
Shaynna
A16: Hi Daniel
if you go to the Design Institute Website they have a referral system to help you get a desinger in your area.
A17: Hi Jeannette so glad you loved the show. With the cupboards you need to look at not only the condition of the doors but the panels next to them ie. side panels and faces. If they are just as bad as the doors the kitchen isn't going to look fantastic if the doors outshine the rest of it. If the doors are in perfect condition and all hinges are working perfectly, yes re-painting is the way to go but more often than not the doors arent working as best as they can it may be better to replace. This is something you will have to judge and get an opinion form the cabinet maker when they come and have a look at the doors. Most of the renovations I do arent from one company but using a builder as project manager using different trades. A kitchen uses so many trades such as cabient maker, plumber, electrician, tiler, painter and even carpenter and plasterer if there is some structural changes or damage when removing the old kitchen. In the coogee episode we used Kitchen Connections and they were brilliant but I havent used an all in one kitchen service in Melbourne for a long time so I wouldnt wanto falsely give you a recommendation for someone I havent used. I would suggest contacting the HIA and they should have a list of companies they can recommend in your area. Or ask around your friends adn someoen will more than likey used a compnay they are very happy with but be cautious of using a direct friend as sometimes (and I say sometimes) the friendships can get a bit stretched in expectations from both sides
Good luck
Shaynna
A18: Hi Marilyn and John
you must have no idea what to do with all that space after 6 children. I commend you! Before you bring some one in, take a bit of time and have a think between the two of you with you want to do with the space first. Are you wanting separate zones for yourselves eg sports room, craft/sewing room, gym etc... Are you wanting to entertain with all the family and their partners in the future. or keep it children free for awhile (after all, you deserve some pampering). Are you wanting it to be eco-friendly in heating and materials and the big one, what are you willing to spend. Look at the pro's and con's of the money you are putting into the house as opposed to buying somewhere else. If you are staying in the house for at least 10 years a good renovation is more than worth it but say 5 years you have to look at what is worth the money and what is over capitalising. Make a checklist of what you want from the home and what you dont want before you bring some one in.
You can either bring in a designer (contact the DIA) or if you are confident (and only if you are very confident) in your ideas you could go straight to a builder. I would recommend to always go with a registered builder and you can get a list from the Housing Industry Association.
I hope this hepls put you on the right track and good luck
shaynna
A19: We have used a mixture of cushions from Laura Ashley and Valiant Hire so it would be best to visit their stores and see what their current range is.
Regards
Shaynna
A20: Hi Phillip
you can hire a machine yourself and just do a buff. This is like a general polish and will lift the top coat. Depending on the original finish you may not get a massive shine but it is your cheapest and easiest option. Look at what cleaning products you are using as most dull the laquer. All you need is metho and hot water to retain the best possible sheen of your boards
Shaynna
A21: Well, bland is never the way to go!! By using that word I think you might be saying safe colours like off whites etc? I assume you are wanting to paint to sell? If so the neutral palette is the safest way to go as you aren't offending any potential buyers. With green there are so many tones for different applications. If in a beach area go for mint and fresh greens, Periord - Olive base and Modern - a sage base. Hope this is what you were looking for
Regards
Shaynna
A22: Hi Diane,
always difficult when you have to adjust your living conditions to suit another buyer but I agree this is the way to go and will outway the inconvenience. If you go to a furniture compnay or company that sell flat pack you can get some gorgeous free standing wardrbes that can also give te alusion of looking like a storage cabinet. You wouldnt be able to put a large one in the room but something that is useful for day to day and her other clotes can be added to anther robe in the house, or get ahead of yourself and pack way some in boxes.. As for a sofa bed (keep to 2 seater) you would also need to put a small desk in there to show it is a multi-functional room and this should give the feel of a large area.
Hope this helps
Shaynna
A23: Hi Kate, if you go to the DIA website they have referral system that will direct towards Designers in your area.
Good luck, Shaynna
A24: They are from a company called Sounds Like Home. They are a wholesaler but they should be able to put you on touch with a homeware outlet near you.
Shaynna
A25: Hi Olivia,
I loved those as well!!! If you call Valaint hire in Sydney and quote the episode (coogee) they may be able to give you the details. I also know they do have clearance times so there might be a possibility of buying direct from them. And as for follwoing you, we definatley do get around!
Cheers
A26: Hi Cheryl-Maree,
with out seeing a photo it is a bit hard to give you advice. It sounds as though a feature diamond would fit in with the rest of the house and your Tuscan theme.
Shayna
A27: The main thing to look for is flow and continuity of the three adjoining areas. If you are looking to sell in the next couple of years make sure all the fixtures, flooring and permanant surfaces such as bench tops, fit the whole character of the house and you are putting the style of the house first rather than stamping your personality. Always be aware of the money you put in and you arent over capitalising.
Shaynna
A28: Hi Helen
most of my cllients are based in Melbourne and Sydney. If you are interested in a consultation you can go to my website and send us an email.
Kind Regards
Shaynna
A29: Hi Jessica
you look like you have been very busy with your project. My main concern in painting the large wall a silver colour would be that you are adding a large cold element into an already empty and minimal area. Your lighting is spilling onto the wall and will highlight the coldness of silver even more. Rather than painting the wall you could consider a large artwork, simple in content and introduce the french wash colour with layered texture on the canvas. You were saying you love the minimal but is bland. The reason it is bland is you havent put any of 'you' in there yet. By introducing a large scale artwork, however simple it is will create some life and energy into the room.
In the Collingwood Park episode we went to Target and picked some simple but effective pieces just to finish off the interior. It is fantastic in hte variety of shops we have that we can allocate a huge chunk of our budget to our fixtures and fittings and use less expensive decorator items and still look like they belong.
Good luck
Cheers
Shaynna
A31: Hi David
it depends what look you are going for. If you want to go for a clean-line modern up to date look it would be best to replace with a painted wall. You will need to find out the condition of the wall behind to see if you can take down the lining and make good the exsiting wall, or the alternative of gyrock straight over the top. If you arent very handy I would suggest to get a professional in to tackel the structural side and the paint yourself. On the oter hadn you could always play up the 'retro' element, paint over the top and incorporate a few 70-80's reproduction, or original pieces to gie the whole room a finished look.
Shaynna
A32: Hi Cynthia
if you look at some earlier questins in the bog you will find a link to a professional Interior Designers Website.
Good luck!
Shaynna
A33: I am assuming this is the entry to the house? With tiles through out this area is seems cold and clinical if it is a living area. I would suggest timber floors, or a floating floor to give it warmth if you are after the practical element to keep it clean. It is not practical for my to suggest a colour scheme with no idea of if you are wanting to sell, kep living there, if you have any furniture you are matching so I suggest have a look at magazines with pictures of rooms that give the idea of the look you are after and see what colours they are using on the walls to give you the best start. Then go to a paint shop and select 3 colours in that range and buy some test pots to see which colours appeal to you. With the wondow treatments you need to consider a few issues 1.the view verses privacy and 2.keeping out the sun and keeeping in the cold. Blinds will give a modern and un-cluttered look and curtains will frame the window and give the room warmth.
I hope this helps
Shaynna
A34: It is amazing how you can update a kitchen inexpensively. Your kitchen looks dated so the first thing I would do would modernise the handles, paint over the timber edge on the benchtop and new tiles, in warm latte tones. If you or your partner are handy you could get away with spending anywhere form 100 to $200 dollars. If you wanted to go the next step you can go to an auction house or a scratch and dent warehouse and pick up a new oven and rangehood for around $1000.
If you do your reasearch and footwork yourself you will save a lot of money with maximum impact.
Hope this helps
Shaynna
A35: Hi Joan, as I cant see the room and dont know you it is very hard to give advice on what you are wanting to do with this room. What you need to be asking yourself first is what type of living do I want in this room. Is it a sitting room, entertaining room or part dining. More often than not a formal lounge end ups more as a display room, people to comment how pretty it is and then walk on by into the comfortable lounge room. Is this what you are after (nothing wrong with that of course) but the fabrics and decorator items will also need to be considered whether you can use delicate and lush or practical and comfortable. When looking at furniture and colours the budget is next to consider as the shops you go to will vary in price from $1000 - $10,000 just for a sofa. I would start by using good ol google to do your feetwork and get an idea on shops in your area for pricing ranges and then go to the stores that fit your budget.
I know I havent helped you with colours and style but this way it gives you a great staring point.
Happy research and good luck with your selection
Shaynna
A36: This first thing you see is the TV, and a cluttered and uninspiring shelf system. As I cant see the rest of the room is there another position for the TV? If not I would look at changing the TV cabinet to a lowline one with doors or drawers so there are no wires or boxes to be seen. If there is just the TV sitting there you might want to put a few sculptural pieces, light colourful vases or pots to create a bit more interest rater than just 'squares and blocks'. Also the small picture aboe the TV is quite distarcting and make the area look more cluttered than what it is.
Cheers
Shaynna
A37: Hi Vanessa
in each state there are government colleges that run 1-2 year courses for Interior Decorating that would be perfect to get you started on your career choice. In Victoria we have TAFE colleges but I am unsure of the NSW equivalent. AS with any career it is what you do outside of the course and life experience that will get you well on your way. Check your town/city's calender of events for design shows coming up and go to your local library and look at as many different syles and interiors to give you a good ground basis. Also getting experience woking in a homewares or furniture store is great grounding for relating to customers, stocks changes, suppliers and pricing and if you really put your passion forward you can try your hand an merchandising.
I wish you well in your fantastic career direction. I'm biased of course!
Shaynna
A38: Hi Suzanne
if you look on a earlier post you will see how to find a deisgner in your area. Most paint shops and some large chain furniture stores have in house decorators that could help with small budgets as well.
Shaynna
A39: Hi Cindy
picking colours is a very personal exercise and it depends what you are trying to acheive in the rooms. If you want to have a contrast you would go for a shade that is a bit darker on the colour scale to the seed pearl. If you go into a paint store they will have a chart and choose a colour two shades darker than seed pearl. If you are wanting to keep it as neutral as possible you can use seed pearl double strength on the walls and that will give you more flow in the room.
Shaynna
A40: Hi Franci
glad you loved the show, it really was a beautiful home. I have answered your questions in a couple of the other answers. Hope that is what you are looing for.
Shaynna
A41: Hi Graham and Anne,
we loved making over this house and it has such a great feel to it. I can understand you wanting to rid yourself of the remaining yellow. The upstairs colour was Parchment paper half strength and full strength in the Master Bedroom. We want to keep the flo from the rest of the house so I would suggest to stick to the same palate. As the downstairs will be cooler it would be best to use the Parchment paper full strength so it isnt too white and clinical. Th downstairs bedroom leading onto the garden could be painted another colour if you wanted a point of difference using the pale celedon in the upstairs spare bedroom.
Once you have been in the house for a while and have your furniture in, you can look at introducing other colours if you wish.
I hope you are very happy
Cheers
Shaynna
A42: Hi Fiona
well thank you for the compliment!! I feel very pleased to say that this piece was put together on the day using two bunches of reeds ($10 ea from Target).
I used florist wire to keep it in tact and the angled reed an the two back reeds I painted in a deep red. A few people have enquired about this piece and hope you can be successful in putting it together yourself. Most of the pieces in this makeover were in the high end scale but this cheap handmade decoration created a bit of a buzz.
Happy creating
Shaynna
A43: Hi Aiza
they are gorgeous lamps and give off a fantastic light. if you contact Valiant Hire in Brisbane they have a full list of what was used in the decoration.
Shaynna
A44: Hi Pauline
the DIA website is a great start or go to my website and contact us and see if we are available.
Shaynna
A45: Hi Carolyn
if you saw our Mt Martha episode you would see the comaprison in your dilema. When a room is empty it is hard to visualise what size, bed couch, table would fit
in. I would recommend hiring some furniutre to a few rooms. You dont have to furnish the whole house if it isnt in your budget but at least a mainliving area and a couple of bedrooms would relly help create some interest and life into the house. We hired from Valiant Hire and they also have in house stylists that can help you. If that doesnt meet your budget you can always use some of yours or other family members furniture for a short term . You might end up on picnic tables for awhile yourself but it will stimulate more interest into the home.
Regards
Shaynna
A46: Hi Sharon
decorating your house for yourself and for sale are two separate tasks. It sounds like you have made your stamp on your home but sometimes that can go against you. When you have a home making such a bold statement you are limiting your wide range of potential buyers. You might consider toning down some of the paint colours to a simpler palate and the personal touches of the grapevines in the bar. If you can box up some of your ornaments and put in an away spot in the garage or in storage will definatley help your campaign. Simplicity is the key.
King Regards
Shaynna
A47: Hi Aaron
when you are selling your home it is best to keep your foods in the pantry where they belong. But if you want to have them out you should have individually wrapped ones in an open bowl for the buyers to have on open day. A great marketing tool for them to remember your home!!
Cheers
Shaynna
A48: Hi Pauline
Laura Ashley have a great range of the style you are after and a great place to start.
Shaynna
A49: HI Millie, what a stricking house you must have. I shows you are bold and not afraid of colour, congratulations!! Your suggestion of a B&W artwork with a touch of orange will be perfect and maybe even one or two cushions on the couch just to finish it off.
Well done
Shaynna
A50: Hi Stephanie
it is always best to furnish some rooms so as the buyers can get an idea of what can and cant fit into the rooms. Give potential buyers to feeling of a home rather than and empty bunch of rooms. (sounds like it would be a beautiful place!)
Shaynna
A51: Generally when doing the fixed surfaces of a small and busy area it makes sense to keep everything in the one colour with different variations of that colour. The main thing is to give the feeling of flow so if the walls, cupboards and benchtops are in very similar tonings it will give a feeling of more space. Steer away from dark colours on the floor as well. I would change the yellow colour as light yellow's absorb and diffuse light. As for a zig-zag hallway (sounds interesting!) keep the timber trims and doors the same colour as the walls to reduce the impact of all the changing angles and reduce the amount of picutres as this creates too much focus and it really is just a traffic area to guide you to the next major room.
A52: Good question, Lisa! Everyone is looking for something different but generally you want to create a warm and inviting environment and now that we are into the cooler months of the year you are better off using soft stone coloured neutrals in your paintwork so people want to walk into the home and feel invited. This will give you more appeal and potiential buyers and renters willing to pay your price.
A53: Thanks for your positivie feedback and I can see your husbnad grabbing onto the sides of these couches and resisting change! But more often than not you have to work with what you have. What you need to do is not feel like the couches are a total exclusion to the rest of the room. You need to introduce small amounts of navy around the room, even jsut touches of navy in books covers on the bookshelves can do, and introduce alot of white and stone colours and light coloured timbers such as beech, ash or oak. On the blue couches put a couple of blue and white large check (not gingham) cushions mixed with some stone coloured cushions and have a white throw rug on the arm to minimise the bold effect of the navy. Timber floors are a bonus but if you have carpet put a large rug in between the couches that has a mixutre of blues and whites. Cap Cod has a feeling of relaxtion, lazy beach days and being in touch with nature but dont put into too many 'knick-knacks' to try and emulate the style as it will just end up feeling cluttered and staged in its look.
A54: *Hi Sigrid, thanks for the great feedback and just like so many other people out there I hear you all screaming for help and I can only spread myself so far! Most people feel a bit daunted about hiring a profesional Interior Designer and the procees of The Yellow Pages can be a little impersonal and leaving you delving into the unkown. Interior Designers are all about the relationship with the house but mostly interpreting what the owners are wanting. If you are after a professional in your area the best way to find somebody is to go to www.dia.org.au. This is a professional body for designers and we all have to go through an interview process and presentations as well as proof of experience to be able to be part of this group. Put in a request for a designer and they will send you three designers to contact in your area and you can both make contact with each other from there. There is helpful information such as guidelines of what to ask for and how to approach getting a designer for your needs. This is a personal journey for your home so it is important you are comfortable with the person you are dealing with. Yes, I am an active designer with my own business and this is where I receive work but also through referrals from existing clients. Most designers work on an hourly rate and the feedback from all my clients are the fees you pay far out way the savings you receive from avoiding those costly and expensive mistakes!
A55: Austinmere really created a lot of interested in its colour scheme and I put this down to using colours that gave a restful but fresh feel about the paintwork. In the bedroom we used Dulux Blue Balm and in the lounge half strength Blue Balm on one wall only with the remaining walls and trims in Dulux Lexicon. This gave different tones to the house but kept the flow and energy as you went from room to room. If ever you are wanting to know the colours of the the houses we makeover go to the fact sheets of each episode and you will find a detailed fact sheet of everything we use. You can use this as a guide to helping you with your own renovations. But remember all houses natural and artificial lighting is different so use a test pot first before you paint the whole house, as what is good for one isnt always neccessarily good for another.