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How to Live Sustainably at Home

We’ve all heard countless times that the future is sustainability. At first it might seem overwhelming to start living “green”, and it’s probably easier to keep living how we’re already living. Contrary to popular belief, making your home more eco-friendly doesn’t necessarily mean banning plastic and shutting off all of your electricity! In fact, some small changes can greatly impact your home and our shared environment in the long-run.

If you’re looking for inspiration, we’ve put together a list depending on what stage you’re at right now. 

Quick Solutions for Energy Usage

The quickest place in your home to start is by cutting out any unnecessary energy usage.

• Turn off lights when you leave each room.
• Switch to eco-friendly LED light bulbs.
• Turn off fans, air conditioners and heaters when you leave your home, and only use them when you need to.
• Dry clothes on the line outside instead of using the dryer.
• Only run a load of dishes or laundry when it’s completely full.
• Turn off power strips or unplug appliances when they are not in use.
• Water your yard only when needed.
• Stop flushing wet wipes.
• Switch bills from paper statements to electronic statements.

Around the House and Outside

Some of the items on this list will take more than an afternoon but will help the environment – and your bills – in the long-term.

• Forgo items that are only used once – swap plastic water bottles for a reusable bottle, paper napkins for cloth, and drink loose leaf tea instead of bags, refuse plastic bags.
• Research insulating walls. Alternatively, install double-glazed windows or thermal insulating curtains to achieve the same effect.
• Grow your own fruits and veggies.
• Start to recycle, and research composting.
• Walk, ride your bicycle or take public transportation instead of driving everywhere.

Building a New Home

Renovating or building from the ground up? In the building process, being mindful of a few green living tips can help set up your home for sustainable living – and reduce waste in the process.

• Orient your house towards the sun when building a new home to rely less on other sources.
• Choose local materials to avoid transport costs.
• Install water efficient appliances.
• Minimise packaging and where possible when building and/or demolishing.
• Recycle waste.

2018 Interior Decor Trends

Are you striving to have a more beautiful home this year that reflects your personal style? Do you find yourself scrolling through thousands of Pinterest photos with inspiration overload? Before you go shopping to fulfil some of your new year’s resolutions, we’ll highlight what’s in and what’s out in 2018 so you can decide whether you want to include some of these trends in your new home decor.

In 2018, interior decor rules ignore looking one particular way and instead embrace nuance and imperfections. So don’t feel like you have to follow all the trends exactly, and make sure you incorporate your own flair!

Metallics

Brass is likely to be the leading metal trending in 2018. You can feature this trend in items like tapware, hardware and other accessories like picture frames and lighting. Copper is another metal that will remain popular in 2018, but may not be featured as commonly as brass. Look for touches of silver, gold and chrome as well, and maybe even some metallic paint.

Earthy Colours

Millennial pink blew up starting in 2016, and we will see this trend persist well into this new year. New colours to add to the mix are earthy tones and retro feels from the 1970s, like browns, greens and mixes of reds, oranges, yellows and even golds – these colours will help to make your space feel warmer, and match well with metallic highlights as well. Look for some of these, as well as neutral tones and greys, to decorate your home this year.

Dark Wood

Along the theme of earthiness in colours, dark wood is being utilised in home decor in 2018. Think walnut and oak timbers, a contrast from lighter woods that have been most popular in more recent years. Use dark wood in your kitchens, bathrooms and even as accessories throughout the rooms in your home.

Wabi Sabi

This Japanese term refers to beauty within imperfections. The takeaway here is to love what is used, the items in your home that are not perfect and might even be a little worn down. Metals and earthy tones both come into play here and tie in perfectly with this trend. Also consider unfinished wood and furnishings, as well as different textures and less polished pieces.

New Years Resolutions for Interior Design

With the new year comes resolutions for our minds and bodies – so why should our homes be any different? Get some inspiration here on some great New Year’s resolutions for your home to start the year off right. 

Experiment with Colour

Do something bold in your home by showcasing vibrant colours – you’ll quickly refresh your home this way with minimal effort. Paint the front door, create a feature wall, or start small and add pops of colour to the accents around your room with cushions and throws.

Refresh Your Accents

Shop for a few small decorative items that will change the look of your rooms. You can choose what’s best for you based on your budget. Select a few cheaper but impactful items like frames and vases, or put in a little more investment and get new towels and rugs. If you want to splurge a little, opt for an all out revamp with all new bedding, lighting or artwork. You can also work with what you have and consider upholstery work around your home.

Live a More Green Lifestyle

From the food you bring in, to the furniture you choose and even actions you take around your home, sustainable living can be easier than you think. Start small – you don’t have to swap all your furniture for recycled products. Look first at your energy usage, like switching off the lights and power strips when you’re not using them, be mindful of air conditioner use in summer and the heater in winter, switch out your light bulbs, and try line drying your clothes instead of using the dryer.

Declutter
The simplest, and most inexpensive, thing on this list is to declutter and streamline your space. Take away everything that doesn’t add functionality, flare, or happiness. Try to do this room by room instead of all at once so it’s less overwhelming and more digestible. Who knows, you might even be able to repurpose some of the items laying around your home, or even sell them and make some money.

Choose Quality, Not Quantity

When it comes to interior design, more is definitely not more. If you can simplify your decor, you allow more focus on the pieces that really matter. This doesn’t mean you have to be a full-blown minimalist. Just look around and consider choosing the pieces that you really want, and repurposing or moving on from the rest.

Do What Makes You Happy

Embrace your style – at the end of the day, your home should reflect yourself and what you love. Surround yourself with things you love and make you happy.

Christmas Gift Ideas for Interior Decor Lovers

It’s that time of year when we scramble to get the perfect gifts for the ones we love. If you’re looking for inspiration for gifts for family and friends who appreciate all things interior design, look no further – we have compiled a short list with solid suggestions that you can customise to suit your gift budget and your loved one’s individual style.

Practical Gifts

You might have family that tells you exactly what they want by providing you with a list of things they need. If not, a practical gift is a great option, especially if you know what they can benefit from around the house. Blankets and throws are perfect for a homebody and especially for a unit or house in colder climates. If your friend has a home office, technological accessories should be an option – consider buying accessories for desktops, laptops, tablets or phones – or all of the above! You can also shop around for smaller accessories like calendars and clocks that decorate any room and add a personal touch.

Foodie Gifts

Does your family member love to spend time in the kitchen and entertain? For the amateur chefs in your life, consider a knife set, new utensils or versatile serving platters. For the baker, look for new dishes, accessories or even a cookbook with new ideas. For the perennial host, accessories for the bar are always a welcome gift, be it a beautiful bottle, cocktail kit or decanter; a set of tea cups and coffee mugs is an equally nice option.

Decorative Gifts

We all know people who seem to have everything – they can often be the hardest to shop for, but a decoration for the home is always a welcome addition. Consider gifting either indoor or outdoor plants, vases, coasters, artwork, coffee table books or framed photos. Fake flowers look beautiful and don’t require upkeep.

Fragrant Gifts

If all else fails, a beautiful candle, diffuser or incense set makes a beautiful gift. Along the same lines, bath sets like shampoos, bath gel and lotion are always a hit. Some candles and fragrant gifts can even serve as a centrepiece on a table or shelf.

Happy shopping, and happy holidays from our team to you!

Somfy Window Covering Automation

Somfy automation offers increased flexibility and convenience for you and your home. Imagine going to bed at night with blinds drawn for full privacy and waking up to rays of sunshine illuminating your living space, all preset to occur without you having to do a thing! With Somfy products you can enhance your lifestyle with blinds, curtains and awnings all under your control at the touch of a button.

Benefits of Motorised Window Coverings

The sun protection provided by both indoor and outdoor window furnishings is crucial to our health and wellbeing in Australia. Somfy automation systems improve our living and working environments and by providing convenience, safety, thermal comfort and energy efficiency, maximised with this automated functionality that is not possible with a manual system.

The benefits of Somfy automated blinds and curtains include:

• Convenience. With the touch of a button, move your blind or curtain to any position. Add sensors and timers so your products work even when you’re not at home and control your product from your mobile device.
• Energy Efficiency. Reduce energy usage by controlling the amount of heat and light entering your home – cooling your home in summer and warming you home in winter.
• Longer Lifespan. Manual operation can damage blinds and curtains through excessive force or improper use. Somfy’s smooth and controlled operation of blinds and curtains ensures both maximum functionality and a longer lifespan of the product.
• Safety. Cords and chains are completely removed, providing peace of mind for you and a safer environment for your children and pets.
• Quiet and Discreet. Motors are fully concealed inside the tube of the blind.

Internal Products

• Sonesse – ultra quiet motors. Sonesse motors use patented technology to dampen noise and vibration, delivering a new standard in acoustic control. Available in both wired technology and RTS radio technology motors.
• Glydea – curtain motorisation. This system is quiet, discreet, flexible and robust. These motors are built to suit your environment, so you have the choice of dry-contact, radio RTS technology or RS485 modules. ‘Touch Motion’ opens or closes the curtain simply by pulling on the fabric.
• Roll Up Wirefree RTS Battery Powered Solution. Battery powered motors are ideal for hard to reach blinds or difficult electrical connection, with the benefit of remote control operation without the need for electrical connection.

Controls and Sensors Overview

Somfy offers a broad range of control solutions to meet your automation needs and the range is unique, stylish and functional. The selection includes:

• Somfy myLink. Control blinds, curtains, awnings, screens, roller shutters and RTS enabled lighting with a smartphone or tablet. Allows control of up to 20 products, from anywhere around world!
• Situo RTS (1, 2 or 5 channel). Controls one motor or a group of motors per channel. Unique design in a range of colours including pure, silver, gold and rose gold.
• Telis Soliris RTS (1 or 5 channel). Turn your sun sensor on and off with the touch of a button. Colours include pure, silver, lounge and patio.
• Telis ModVar RTS (1 or 5 channel). Scroll wheel functionality, for venetian blinds, for precise adjustment of horizontal blind slats. Colours include pure, silver and lounge.
• Telis ModVar Soliris RTS (1 channel). Turn your sun sensor on and off with the touch of a button plus precise adjustment of horizontal blind slats. Available in pure.
• Telis 16 RTS (16 channel). Easy operation of up to 16 individual motors or 16 groups of motors. Create and control multiple zones within the home to suit any lifestyle. Compatible with entire range of RTS products. Available in pure and silver.
• Telis 6 Chronis RTS (6 channel). Allows programming of up to 6 timed events per day, plus the benefits of a 6 channel Somfy remote. Compatible with entire range of RTS products. Available in a choice of colours including pure and silver.
• Smoove RTS wall mounted control (1 channel). Wall mounted, single channel control unit, up/down and stop functions or open/close and stop function. Available in a choice of modules in 3 finishes and frames in 7 finishes.
• Situo RTS wall mounted remote control (1 channel). Wireless wall mounted transmitter to control one motor or a group of motors. Available in pure.
• Eolis 3D Wirefree RTS motion sensor. 100% wireless wind sensor for external folding arm awnings, automatically retracts based on wind vibrations. Raise external screens in windy conditions to prevent fabric from tearing. Available in white, black and beige.
• Soliris Eolis sensor. Automatically controls your RTS motorised products based on current weather conditions and protects awning or screen sun’s intensity increases. Energy consumption is reduced by up to 40%.
• Sunis Wirefree RTS sun sensor. 100% wireless sun sensor for awnings, screens, external venetian blinds and roller shutters. Automatically lowers blinds or retracts awning based on amount of sunlight.
• Soliris RTS sun and wind sensor. Automatically adjusts the position of a sunscreen or awning based on wind speed and/or a preset amount of sunlight.
• Sunis Indoor RTS wirefree sensor. Save energy costs and protect the inside of your house from harmful UV rays. Automatically adjusts the position of an external blind or roller shutter based on sunlight.
• Thermosunis RTS wirefree sensor. 100% wireless indoor sun and temperature sensor. Automatically adjusts the position of an internal blind, roller shutter or venetian based on a preset amount of sunlight and inside temperature.
• Ondeis Rain sensor. Automatically retracts an awning or closes a roof in the event of rain.

Do you want more information on a certain product? Want to see the range? Get in touch with our team on 02 9712 2722 for a free in-home consultation or visit our showroom in Sydney’s inner west.

How to Bring Spring into Your Home

Winter is almost over, and we’re ready to welcome back Sydney’s warm, sunny spring days! With a new season comes spring cleaning and, we think, a great excuse to refresh our homes! Our team has put together a few easy ways to spruce up your home just in time for spring time. 

Spring clean

First thing’s first, clean up your space before you can look at rearranging or accessorising. First clean the rooms in your home, floors and walls so you can start fresh. The next step is to declutter. Donate or throw out anything you don’t need – books, magazines, toys, clothing, and weathered accessories – anything that no longer serves a purpose in your home and for your family. Once this is done, you can focus on enhancing all of your favourite features and spaces.

Bring flowers inside

Spring brings beautiful flowers, fresh air and time outdoors in nature. Bring that sentiment into your home by sprucing up your space with some greenery and floral arrangements. Indoor plants are beautiful, smell fantastic, and can even help you feel calmer. You can arrange a bouquet to match your existing decor or choose different colours that act as bold accents around your home.

Swap out some accessories

If you’re looking for an affordable way to enhance your home and celebrate the new season, think about changing up some of your accessories. Rugs, vases, artwork and smaller furnishings like cushions and bedding can make a big difference but don’t have to break the bank. Spring is a great time to be adventurous with colour.

Let the fresh air in

Get ready to put the sweaters, blankets and heaters away – it’s time to open up your windows and let the fresh air in! This small change will bring a new clean feeling into your home. If you have window furnishings like blinds and curtains, make sure to give them a good cleaning.

Decorate your walls

A new paint colour, or even a touch up on your existing paint job, is a great way to breathe new life into your home. Can’t paint your walls? Change up your window furnishings with new blinds or curtains. You can even consider adding some art or wallpaper to your walls, an easy addition that you can change relatively quickly with each new season or trend.

Decorating Small Homes: Make the Most of Any Space

Decorating a small space is not an easy task – whether it’s an office or a home – but follow our tips to making the most of the area you have and you can create a beautiful space for yourself.

Maximise storage

You don’t need to remodel in order to solve space issues – just work within your existing space by maximising storage. This is one of the most practical solutions and can be quite cost effective. Some ideas:

• Utilise floor-to-ceiling shelves in any room
• Create storage in furniture such as chairs, sofas and beds
• Add shelves or other storage units above furniture and windows
• If you have stairs, use the empty space and add shelving units or other accessories
• Display books on their own display shelf above your sofa or desk
• Invest in beautiful storage like canisters for the bathroom, jars for the kitchen and baskets for around your home. If you can’t hide belongings behind walls and closets, you can at least display them beautifully!

Arrange furniture wisely

In a small space, every piece of furniture makes an impact. Ensure that you need every item you have and choose each piece wisely so it serves a purpose and makes a statement – don’t cram pieces in if they don’t fit. Once you have your furniture, maximise the layout of each room by positioning furniture in the most optimal spots.

Look for furniture pieces that will serve more than one purpose to eliminate clutter:

• Mount your TV to the wall instead of buying a stand
• Hang bed side lamps from the wall or ceiling instead of setting them up on two nightstands
• Hang keys on hooks near the door instead of adding a table for clutter
• Choose children’s beds with storage underneath for toys, books and extra clothing

Have an entire room that serves two purposes? For example, if your home office is also a guest room, choose murphy beds or day beds are easily concealed during the day and don’t negate a comfortable bedroom ambiance at night.

Use colours, natural light and mirrors

Colour choices are key for small spaces, and you can use them to visually expand your space. Find key pieces of wall art and accessories, but don’t collect too much clutter. If your home or unit is very small, try to unify the space by creating one similar colour pattern throughout so each room flows into the next. As a general rule, steer clear of dark shades as a prominent colour theme for your home and opt for lighter colour options. If placed correctly, mirrors can reflect light and enhance the space in your home. Place them opposite your windows to help spread light, and see how a smaller space appears both larger and brighter.

Choose the perfect window treatments

Embrace window treatments that are positioned from floor to ceiling in a small space to make the room look larger. Choose sheer window treatments to let some sunlight in – again adding light to the space and creating the illusion of a larger room.

Are you inspired and ready to start decorating your small space? Whether you need help accessorizing or just choosing which window treatments will best suit your room, our experienced decorators can help. Give us a call on 02 9712 2722 to discuss your project with our team.