Project 1:

The image above shows the ‘After‘ look of this Master Bedroom of stunning proportions in a large family home in the Eastern Suburbs.

Before:  Below is the same Bedroom before it was finished. With cream linen curtains with bloc-out lining on all 8 windows (yes its a big bedroom!) it looks amazing. The result is a dreamy bedroom that feels soft and cocooning.

Project 2:

After:  This beachside Master Bedroom had a complete make-over.  We used soft grey walls (Dulux Brume), glass pendants in dark blue/grey from Articolo, custom made gallery of framed Brett Whiteley sketches and stunning cushions in Katie Ridder fabric. The room is finished off with the luxurious rug from Robyn Cosgrove.

Before:  Previously unfinished, the owners wanted a room that was both masculine and feminine and elegant.

Project 3:

After:  Northern beaches Lounge room. With a new baby on the way, the owner’s wanted the Lounge room to feel comfortable but also practical.  Sheer curtains in a very practical colour of dove grey and touches of mint and yellow bring this room together. The result is practical as well as comfortable for entertaining.

Before: The room felt empty and sterile.

Project 4

After:  This stunning Inner West terrace house needed a new exterior colour scheme. Fresh shades of off white (Porters Pumice, Dulux White on White) and a pretty cornflower blue (Porters Napoleon) that matches the original Victorian tiles on the entrance path lifted the house. The colours also tie in with the Jacaranda tree when in bloom!

Project 5:

This was a stunning Cabinetry project for a client moving into a new home in the Inner West. Despite the trend for open-plan living, this house needed more storage and a proper entrance way so we added walls and cupboards.

Before (above left):  The front door opened into this dark open plan area wth a shade of yellow paint, brightly stained, orange-timber floors and heavy timber blinds.

After (above right):  Two new walls were put in to create a Hallway and TV room. Next was a new fireplace, curtains and white washed, pale timber floors.

Before (above left):  The house lacked storage and an entrance way.

After (above right):  We designed a new hall way and TV room. Cupboards were concealed in the new hallway wall for storing coats and shoes. Stunning white pendants created a wow factor in the new entrance.

Before (above left):  The Kitchen was from the early ’90s and tired with bright, golden floors, black granite benches and ornate cupboard doors.

After (above right):  We re-designed the layout and advised on up to date materials for the new Kitchen. The design included wide drawers instead of cupboards, caesar stone bench tops, a wide island for entertaining and preparation and hand-glazed tile splash back.

Project 6

After: The owner of this Master Bedroom in the Eastern Suburbs wanted to treat herself to a luxury bedroom that felt glamorous and comfortable. We added designed a scheme that included a new powder blue bed, embroided cushions, wallpaper, celadon green glass lamp and oak bedside table. This a little snap shot (before the doona cover went on!) but you can see result is stunning.

Before: Before the Bedroom lacked warmth and the furniture wasn’t very practical.

Most of us have rooms at home that aren’t ‘finished’ but adding the final touches can really affect how much you enjoy your house. Give me a call if you would like to discuss ideas on how.

The post Interior Transformations – highlights from our recent projects first appeared on Shakespeare Design.

But did you see the extra photos?  Possibly not. There are additional pictures of the Main Bedroom, my Office, close ups of the Dining and Lounge rooms, the Front Exterior of the house and the swing area in the Rear Garden in the magazine ‘Viewa’ Digital Supplement accessed using the Viewa app, from the App Store. Use the app to scan the ‘Viewa’ logo on page 83 of the article and it instantly brings up six additional pages onto your smart phone.

The pages have Tips I was asked to write by the House Editor on how to execute techniques such as layering multiple rugs in one space, designing a gallery-style wall of art, making your office an inspiring place to work, setting up an unused corner as a cosy reading area. All things I’ve done within my own home.

I’ve included some exerts from the pages so you can see my ‘how tos’ at a glance. There is some good stuff here and even more topics in the Supplement.

The post Isabella Street in House & Garden, Jan. 2016. Extra content. first appeared on Shakespeare Design.

Modern Home recently showcased our stunning Llewellyn Street project where we worked with our lovely client Joanna to build a beautiful and functional interior for her family. Joanna brought so much energy to the project and her love of rich colour which made my job even easier. I love everything about this interior. To see the full story go to Shakespeare Design

I was very proud to have our Master Bedroom included in House and Garden’s Top 50 Rooms of the Year earlier September this year. Many of the entrants and judges are my design heroes (think Shareen Joel and Kit Kemp) which made it even more special. To see the full page go to Shakespeare Design .

The post Magazine press for Shakespeare Design first appeared on Shakespeare Design.

In September this year was London Design Week and I spent a whole week in design heaven. Design Week is a festival with literally hundreds of events taking place across the breadth of this huge city. Every furniture, fabric, wallpaper, lighting, rug and fashion designer who wants to showcase their work to the world participates. From small invitation only gatherings in uber cool areas like Whitechapel and Shoreditch to huge trade Conferences and Fairs, there was tonnes to see.

Below is my first post of the products and latest looks I loved most, many available to ship to Australia. Norway and Taiwan offered many of the best designs and Tent London was my favourite event. Covent Garden covered with giant balloon ceiling for Design Week.

Chelsea Harbour ‘giant agate’ display reminded me of giant pieces of Dinosaur Designs jewellery.

There were so many stunning products on offer at every venue. Here are some of my favourites that I wish I had in my home.

Lighting by Andreas Bergsaker showcased at 100% Norway, at TentLondon LDW15

‘The Old New Light’ by KimuDesign from Taiwan, at TentLondon LDW15

‘Screen Light 2.0’ by KimuDesign from Taiwan, at TentLondon LDW15. More like sculpture than just lamps.

‘Birdy’ table lamp by BirgerDahl, showcased at 100% Norway, at TentLondon LDW15. Black and brass, always so smart.

‘Sling’ pendant light – so beautiful to see. By SiljeNesdal at 100% Norway, TentLondon LDW15

‘Saddle Chair’ for Slake by Angell, Wyller and Aarseth at 100% Norway, at TentLondon LDW15. My new favourite chair. So comfortable and elegant.

‘Mo’ Bench. Natural leather and Ash. By SiljeNesdal at 100% Norway, at TentLondon LDW15

The fantastically clever ‘Duple’ stool that converts to a side table by slotting in either a tray or seat pad. Genius. By AlexanderAasgaard at 100% Norway, at TentLondon LDW15 ‘Pat Vol 1’ are the results of different chemical patinas on copper, steel and brass to create these beautiful and whimsical sculptures for the home. By Kneip at 100% Norway, at TentLondon LDW15

‘Weathered’ by Kneip at 100% Norway, at TentLondon LDW15. Perfect for any sideboard, office or hall way. I love them for the beautiful colours and I’m always looking for taller objects to place on shelves.

The post London Design Week 2015 Highlights first appeared on Shakespeare Design.

Velvet and silk fabrics by Madeline Weinrib

Stunning velvets and silks in rich and saturated jewel colours are the hallmark of Madeline Weinrib’s fabrics and rugs.  Originally an artist, Weinrib draws on her painter’s eye and combines it with centuries old modes of craftsmanship to create a collection of beautifully detailed Ikats and patterns. Her designs are described as feminine yet bold, retrained yet decadent.

A great-granddaughter of the founder of fabled New York emporium ABC Carpet & Home, (an interiors junkie’s idea of heaven with wall to wall treasures), Weinrib grew up surrounded by choice rugs, chandeliers and exotic furnishings.

As Elle Decor reports, nowhere is Weinrib’s commitment to an edited approach to decorating more apparent than in her own home, an industrial loft located above a small museum in SoHo.

Among her apartment’s most interesting features are hidden wall cabinets whose shelves are laden with collectibles safely stored until Weinrib is ready to deploy them. “Even if I love it, I don’t put everything on display,” the designer says. “I am always ruthlessly editing.”

Tibetan Rug in Dark Honeymilk

Denim Rug in Breeze

Cotton Classic Rug in Stripe

Fabrics and rugs from Madeline Weinrib are available in Sydney and are priced at a upper end but rest assured, a little goes a long way to making a room really sing.

The post Madeline Weinrib fabrics and rugs to set the pulse racing first appeared on Shakespeare Design.

In keeping with contemporary colour palettes, keeping the timber colour pale puts a modern spin on the traditional look and co-ordinates with modern palettes of ash furniture, greys, blues, blacks and whites. A Herringbone style floor is also incredibly forgiving in family environments and adds a natural, artisan element to otherwise modern interiors that use hard edged materials such as concrete and marble.

The Kettle Black cafe, Richmond Melbourne.

Likewise, timber panelled walls are bringing depth and pattern to walls that may otherwise have lacked character and charm.

Combine with the latest soft green and teal-grey paint colours (think Porters 1/2 strength Lead and Bachiotto Grey, Dulux Gamelan or Murobond Garden Bench) and you have the basis for a beautiful interior scheme. Speak to Mafi Floors for advice on Herringbone and other timber floors.

The Woolwich Pier Hotel

The Hotel Centennial, Woollahra

The post Herringbone floors and timber panelled walls to die for first appeared on Shakespeare Design.

Its easy to forget about the vertical plane in a room when decorating (that is, the walls, windows and doors) and just focus on the horizontal (usually taken up with rugs, tables, benches and chairs). A well curated collection of objects on display on a wall or shelves, will instantly have the affect of increasing the proportions of a room.

Beautiful Mess blog

A room is totally brought to life once the eye is drawn upwards. The quickest way to achieve this is to install a large piece of art or ceiling to floor curtains but having a collection of favourite objects on display is way more interesting and always worth the effort.

India Hicks’ home in Bahamas

The Stylist’s secret to doing displaying objects well, is to sort through them carefully and group them according to something they have in common – colour is the easiest.

A favourite is ceramics. Ceramics because they come in all colours, can be rough, smoothe, tribal or super modern, hand-made or machine made. Ceramics can be collected over time from op shops or high end stores, whatever your budget.

Themes that always work are blue and white, hand-made terracotta ones or glazed vases and bowls in creams, greens, reds or pinks. They will always look neat and tidy and interesting. A ‘set and forget’ approach to styling that can create a calm corner in a busy home.

Hare and Klein Pty Ltd

Marle store, Darlinghurst

#londonhotel  Instagram

Pinterest

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‘Design Fix’ will share gorgeous Interior Design ideas to inspire you and techniques you can copy in your home, as well as a ‘heads up’ on fantastic shops, design labels, beautiful hotels with incredible interiors, restaurants and cafes with cool decors, and the latest interior decorating products. There are so many clever people and wonderful makers out there, that it’s a full time job keeping up with it all. But that’s one reason why I love Interiors – the other is that it’s all about our homes and making a happy environment.

Fiona

The post Welcome to Design Fix, the blog first appeared on Shakespeare Design.

The Boathouse at Shelly Beach

The post The Boathouse at Shelly Beach – delicious interiors first appeared on Shakespeare Design.