JOIN THE SCHOOLOF REAL LIVING P34

YO

UR

HO

ME

, MA

DE

EA

SY

SE

PT

EM

BE

R 2012

> 8

0

YOUR HOME, MADE EASY

SEPTEMBER 2012

PP APPROVED PP255003/07629

SEPTEMBER 2012 $6.95 (incl. GST)

BE WARNED: INCREDIBLY DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE DESSERTS

HOW TO: make a no-dig vegie patch

BONUS 40+PAGE kitchen & bathroom special

OF SERIOUSLY COOL PRIZES

s100,000+

NEW-SEASON DECORATING secret sources

revealed

the stylist’s guide

conditions apply, see page 81

meet marcello & mariapia, pg42

create a space that expresses you

FALL IN LOVEwith more homes

than ever!

Paper chaseA living room wall is lined in textured wallpaper and a mirror added to reflect light and give an illusion of space.

Unit afloatA TV unit, integrated into the line of the stairs, appears to float atop a mirrored plinth that reflects the rug and floor.

The decor in this beachside home in Sydney’s Coogee was in need of an update. Enter interior designer Darren Palmer, who reinvented the space with smart & stylish design touches

Successful style “Update the living and dining

room” was the short brief interior designer Darren

Palmer was given from the owner of this beachside

home. But the client was so happy with the result, the update was extended to

other parts of the house, too. In the new-look dining room

a playful Orient House antelope head and Coco

Republic “Neta” bench are juxtaposed with a bold

timber mirror from Meizai.

Textural feelingThe dining room wall is adorned with subtle but striking Ralph Lauren herringbone grasscloth wallpaper, providing glorious warmth and interest to the space.

D for designerDarren, a contestant on Channel Nine’s renovation show homeMADE a few years ago, was spotted by the client who liked his style. “He wanted me to help him bring his home to life,” he says.

136 www.reallivingmag.com.au

before & after before & after before & after before & after before & after before & after before & after before & after

laidback living lounging around “The furniture looked more country home than high-end beachside,” Darren says of the basic, nondescript living room. No more – he has transformed it into a relaxed, welcoming and luxurious space. Colour PalETTE Darren incorporated a nature-inspired palette, along with layers of texture and pops of metallic to give the room a light, structured and sophisticated feel. “I’ve used wood, black and charcoal with punches of nickel, bronze metal and bronze velvet, incorporating textures such as faux pony skin wallpaper and grasscloth,” he says. “It’s a lovely palette that’s subtle yet luscious.” nEW VErSaTiliTY Since the update, the room has become more versatile. “This room really lets you use it however you please. It’s a great room to entertain in, and you can lounge comfortably, relax in a chair, or stack people on the ottoman!” Darren says.

the courtyard ouTdoor rooM The living room opens to an internal courtyard, which was formerly overlooked. “It was a non-space with random leftover furniture,” Darren says. “When the rest of the house started to take shape I begged my client to let me show him how good it could be.” A simple but effective revamp later, it now features beautiful weather-resistant furniture, sculptural outdoor lighting and an outdoor rug that ties everything together.

IT MUST BE A SIGN of a job well done when an interior designer could live in the place they’ve just redecorated. “I would love to live here,” admits Darren Palmer of this two-storey home in Sydney’s beachside suburb of Coogee. “It’s probably the project that is best suited to my personal aesthetic to date.”

“There was nothing intrinsically wrong with the interior, it was just that the furniture was dated and not suited to the style of the home,” says Darren, a guest judge on Channel Nine’s The Block this year. “It had furniture from my client’s previous residence that would have worked in a terrace, but in this modern beachside home it was definitely at odds with its surroundings.” Darren set about injecting a “comfortable, breezy, contemporary look, with a slight African, textured flavour” in the place with fabulous results.

wri

ter

dian

a pr

icha

rd |

photo

gra

phy

chris

war

nes

| s

tyling

sar

ah e

llison

roombyroom

Comfort & styleThe living room, with views of the internal courtyard, is a calming and luxurious space thanks to a neutral palette and well-chosen pieces of furniture that provide a wonderful textural contrast: Jardan “Enzo” velvet sofa, Cuban chairs, Meizai leather ottoman, timber coffee table and matching console. A wool rug from Boyd Blue amps up the comfort factor.

a s y d n e y h o m e

revamped

real living 139

altered stateSMall TouCHES While the existing and “very striking” timber dining table was kept, simple changes in the space included repainting the walls, hanging elegant wallpaper, sourcing new dining chairs and incorporating wall art and fun and quirky ottomans. The elegant, raw timber-framed mirror was one of the first pieces Darren bought for the revamp. “It helped dictate a lot of the palette throughout the home,” he says. rigHT rug For a textured base, which the room needed to tie everything together, Darren selected an easy-to-clean, woven vinyl herringbone rug – this also proves practical in the event of food and drink spillages.

Bench beauty An exisiting built-in bench in

a bay window is revamped with new upholstery and cushioning.

Mirror magic The large mirror,

a “gateway to wonderland” as Darren says, is

definitely a statement piece and brings a

sense of depth and space to the room.

Masculine, feminine Elegant dining chairs from Ke-Zu mirror the curved, hollowed-out form of the Mondo Luce “Bell” pleated fabric pendant above. Although the pieces are large, the hollow design gives them a light touch. A masculine De Poortere rug anchors the room.

roombyroom

Hang up (right)Of the tiled fireplace

flue, Darren says: “I love how the whole element hangs from

the ceiling, looking substantial and light

at the same time.”

Vanishing actThe TV “disappears” into the dark-coloured joinery, with its mirrored back that gives the illusion of depth.

Curtain call“I do love how the drapes encase the sofa, correct

the off-centre window, and add another textured

element,” Darren says.

real living 139

Luxurious layers (left)“I love the layers of drapery, moody paint, relaxed linen sofas and textured sisal rug,” Darren says of the new-look media room. “It’s my favourite room of any project. And I love the fireplace.”

media room styleSTagE TWo “The funny thing about this project is how it grew,” Darren recalls. “I was initially asked to tidy up the living area and the dining room. When the result made the rest of the house look a little tired and disconnected, my client asked me to redesign the sitting/media room and give it some purpose.”nEglECTEd To loVEd Before Darren set to work on this room, the homeowner rarely used it. “It was just a place with a few old sofas and a bookshelf, but no clear purpose or appeal,” Darren explains. But so successful was the revamp, that a room which was hardly used is now utilised to the exclusion of all others! “My client now prefers this as his personal space to unwind.”firEd uP Lots of shelving, a large TV and fabulous fireplace were incorporated in the media room. An eye-catching fireplace flue, made from pale-toned Di Lorenzo “Rex” Horn stoneware tiles, provides a warm and elegant contrast to the dark grey shelving.

dinner dateCHunkY MoVES “The dining room really needed some help,” Darren says. It originally featured chairs that were “too solid and tall” for the table and a cabinet that was “too large” for the room. “It was mainly an exercise in decoration,” Darren explains. “I wanted to lighten the whole space.” A white palette with timber elements gives the room a light, bright and airy feel – exactly what Darren was after. “I love the change you can make to a space by simply revisiting the colour palette,” he says.

138 www.reallivingmag.com.au

floorp

lan

chr

istin

a ba

nos

Double the style Two sinks are a practical inclusion in an ensuite, Darren says. “It makes for a happier, shared-bathroom experience for the owners.”

a

FINISHESfireplace Rex “Horn” stoneware tiles in Warm (a; 60cm x 20cm), $206 a sq m, Di Lorenzo. flooring Recycled red ironbark hardwood (B; 135mm wide), $160 a sq m, Ironwood Australia. faBric Elegance concourse velvet in Topaz (c), $143 a m, Warwick Fabrics.wallcovering Herringbone Weave Grasscloth wallpaper in Beige (d), $242 a 91.5cm x 5.5m roll, White Mica.

photo

gra

phy

chris

war

nes

(life

styl

e sh

ots)

| s

till-l

ife s

tyling

tahn

ee c

arro

ll

sWeet dreamsBedroom Blitz! Before the update, the master bedroom was utilitarian and austere, Darren recalls. Old furniture and unappealing blinds had to go. And now? “It’s a lovely, cosy room with lots of softness,” he says.designer toUch While the carpet and joinery remained pretty much the same – although Darren did remove a cupboard shelf to conceal a TV and DVD player inside – the walls were painted a warm, brown-based neutral shade and decorated with artworks from Boyd Blue’s “Designer Boys Collections”. New curtains were added, creating a pleasing vertical line in the room and breaking up the predominantly horizontal lines of the furniture.

Sophisticated slumber

Style doesn’t have to cost. The Globe West

bed and bedside tables work well in the

bedroom space and complement the Orson

& Blake leather ottoman at the end of the bed.

Pleated fabricBell suspension pendant in White, $1155, Mondo Luce.

45cm diameter; available in 9 other colours.

Wall decorCarved wooden antelope head in Black, from $145, Brauerbirds. 60cm high.

Golden trimFlorence Iron Rectangular coffee table in Antique

Gold, $599, La Maison. 1.22m x 60cm x 40cm.

darren’s moodBoard Neutral palette, layered textures & pops of metallic

wow factor Stylish elements in the master bedroom create a hotel-style space, but the hero piece has to be the padded upholstered wall. “This is a favourite finish of mine,” Darren says. “An upholstered wall is a great way to soften a room and it doesn’t need to be expensive if you do it yourself. All you need is some MDF, wadding, fabric and a staple gun,” he says. “It’s best to stick to plain and textured fabric, rather than fabric with a geometric or linear pattern as the pattern will skew with different amounts of tension,” Darren advises.

bathroom classicsaving grace Darren didn’t have to make any changes to the bathroom, or the kitchen. “The streamlined bathroom was in good shape and well finished, with the same beautiful travertine floor as the kitchen,” he says. “The room itself has stood the test of time really well, which is a testament to choosing natural textures in a simple, timeless palette.” Darren chose a bronze mirror for the wall above the bath to give the room extra depth and to reflect light. “Otherwise, it was simply a case of styling it nicely.” A magnificent makeover!

Soft spotA padded upholstered

wall in the master bedroom creates a

lovely cocoon feel and adds an extra hit of

luxury and style.

140 www.reallivingmag.com.au

roombyroom

real living 141

MINERAL

HOG BRISTLE HALF

PLASTER OF PARIS

PaINtSinterior Dulux Wash & Wear 101 Barrier Technology in hog Bristle half, $74.95 for 4L. Porter’s Paints Ultra Flat Acrylic in mineral and plaster of paris, each $91.50 for 4L.

d

c

B

Aged effectCopper Coloured

desk lamp, $284, Brauerbirds. Copper

coated metal.

Fancy & functionalDecorative Disc bowl in

Antique Bronze, $198, Boyd Blue. 59cm diameter.

walkway connects side gate to back garden

Sophisticated seatCuban armchair, from $2075, Jardan. Made to order in choice

of fabric or leather. For stockists, see page 210.

Stool with styleOly San Francisco “Neta”

bench, from $1260, Coco Republic. Solid hardwood;

upholstered seat pad.

Bold geometricFretwork cushion in

Black (45cm), $69, Adore Home. 100% cotton.