Design styles

Naturals - minimalist modern

• Contemporary design style, clean lined and non cluttered
• Furniture is either dark oak or white washed oak
• Textured surfaces are concrete, stainless steel, stone and sofas are non patterned in leather or suede
• Colours are solid and bold - blacks, whites, greys, chocolates, bright accent reds and hot pinks with black and white

Urban Ethnic - link to the east

• This style real creates a feeling of a home not just a show home
• It is linked to eastern influences and has lots of texture, sofas and dining room chairs in rattan and sisals, tropical flowers, dark timber boxes, chests, tables etc
• Bamboo style lighting and screens
• Colours are earths, taupes, oriental red and slates

Eco Home - link to nature

• This is a soft link to nature design style - colours are blues, greens and earths
• Natural materials are very important - stone kitchen bench tops and indoor outdoor stone fireplaces
• Planting, water features are important in this design style both indoors and outdoors
• More than ever before, we are focused on our environment in which we live, wanting to nurture our souls and make our home as cosy and comfortable as possible

Sea Change - escape to the coast

• This is a style of genuinely wanting to escape our busy working lives and head for the beach
• The design style is more casual and fun, blue and white cushions, whitewashed furniture, a batch design
• Colours are blues, whites, sands and reds

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Hot Chocolate

• Where we used to find black in interior design we now find dark brown.
• There's something comforting and nurturing about the colour of rich, deep chocolate and that's why it's a favourite again for 2007
• Chocolate is bested used in rooms to create a feeling of cosiness, a room you want to cocoon in like comfy living rooms or cosy bedrooms in bedding.
• Best of all chocolate is surprisingly versatile and adaptable, working with a range of different decorating styles
• Add a splash of turquoise or hot pink for a fresh, funky feel, or shades of taupe and pale blue for a more elegant, modern look.
• With layers of warm neutrals like cream and tan, chocolate becomes rich and decadent, or used as an accent it warms up all white spaces

Green Fields

• Give a contemporary space a serene feel with nature's favourite hue. The new greens are cool, clean and set to revive any room
• All things eco friendly continue to be big in interiors, and shades of green are the ideal way to reflect that in show homes.
• Fresh and uplifting, the new greens are taken straight from nature and include organic grey-greens, from paler shades of green to deep olives.
• These earthy tones work well with all the popular neutrals of the season, from grey and taupe to chocolate, or even sea-blue.
• For the ultimate organic, clean look, team green with white and light creams.
• Use the softer green shades in bedrooms to create a light, rejuvenating feeling

Out of the Blue

• The new blues are more relaxed and tranquil than ever before, reflecting our ongoing love of the coastal living.
• Working best in spaces where you want serenity like bedrooms, bathrooms and sitting rooms.
• Sun bleached, with hints of grey the blues of 2007 are sophisticated and versatile, working more like a smoothing neutral than a bright colour focus in a decorating scheme.
• The cleansing, refreshing nature of blue is enhanced in these greyed off shades, which blend beautifully with neutrals like taupe, cream, charcoal and brown.
• The soft nature of this blue gives it warmth, in living spaces with lots of natural textures.

Choosing colour

• Colour is about emotion, enhancing your mood and the quality of life in the home
• Before deciding on your colour scheme, assess your lifestyle as well as the space, proportion, light and texture within the house
• Think about the architectural features or furnishings you may want to highlight or disguise
• Make sure you see colours at various lights - test pots or brush outs are a must
• Start with something you love, a favourite rug, painting, artwork or sofa
• Warm colours give intimacy to large rooms
• Light and cool colours make a room appear more spacious
• Dark colours give mood and atmosphere
• Consider different tones from one colour for a softening approach
• Tip in selecting paint - a shade will appear darker on the walls then on the chart, so always pick the colour that's one shade lighter then your original choice.
• Magazines are a must! Pull out styles, colours that attract you, start a scrapbook of ideas to help you do it yourself or brief a designer.
   

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Quick fix design tips in selling your home

• Cosy cushions are affordable and add texture
• Think of collections of accessories and group them together
• Remove any clutter, if it doesn't work with the collection of accessories then lose it.
• If you don't have large items use lots of smaller items together to create the illusion of size
• Huge mirrors add to smaller rooms or the outdoor flow
• Light comes into a room from the top of a window, if the room is dark don't select fussy curtains or pelmets. Go for simple pleated blind or voile sheers.
• In selling, make sure you have fresh towels and linen out
• Change the shower curtain and entrance matt if they are dated and uninviting
• New home owners want to feel like this could be there new home, so remove family photos and clutter on the fridge
• Smell is important - fill your room with subtle fragrances, a bowl of lemons, mint or basil in the kitchen. Avoid artificial smells; go for delicately perfumed flowers such as lilies, and burning essential oils. Use lavender spray on bed linen
• Sound is important - consider a moving water feature, soft music and avoid those noisy kitchen appliances
• Touch is important - texture adds depth, interest and sensuality. Timber or marble with natural fibres and heavy weaves such as sisals combined with smooth suede and leather and soft woollen throws.
• Hiring items is affordable and makes your home marketable. Hire artworks, furnishing and plants to get the look to attract the prospective buyer.

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Buying a home?

Check out www.consumer.org.nz to review the Consumer Online House Inspection Checklist of things you should consider when reviewing buying a house.

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Painting Kitchen Cabinetry

You can give your existing cabinetry a freshen up with a new coat of paint and new brushed aluminium handles.

A product called Dulux Primalock can be applied to metallic, Formica and Laminex cabinetry.

Steps

1. remove grease from the surface using liquid turps.
2. sand down with P150 sandpaper.
3. dust down with a cloth to remove dust.
4. add x1 coat Primalock as the base coat.
5. add x2 coats of Aquanamel (water based solution) or Super Enamel if you prefer a oil based enamel - mixed to the colour of your choice.

Drying

Paint takes 7-10 days to fully harden.

Plus you must ventilate the room - especially the bathroom - to allow the paint to dry ( it needs to be away from steam and condensation for 72 hours to cure properly)
- shower with the neighbours and eat out for a few days.

Be careful closing the cabinetry doors for a few days.

Also ensure the temperature doesn't go below 10 degrees to allow the paint to dry properly.

Contact 0800 800 424 for Dulux technical advice.

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Hottest Looks

GLAMOUR

• This look is the new pretty, it takes a new angle on the classic
• See white lace mixed with chandeliers in a modern seating - new trend towards attention grabbing pendant lights - be it the traditional chandelier or the contemporary take on the chandelier.
• Wallpaper with delicate damask swirls
• Cushions - beautiful stitched featuring lace, bedding, ribbon- don't think fancy or frilly but detailing true craftsmanship
• It's a hybrid of old and new that will take over minimalist interiors
• Think Paris 1930s - glam, chic
• Dust off your antiques and give them a new lease of life - shapely glass decanters or silver candlesticks now work in a contemporary setting with this glamour style
• Toss a vintage throw over a contemporary sofa
• Contrast sensory appeal of velvet with glossy surfaces such as a mirrored table - lots of mirrors.
• Sheers in white with a soft pattern add to the glamour look
• Sofas show off craftsmanship with a new wave of chesterfield style sofas in fabulous contemporary fabrics with the buttoning are back to make us feel more at home

NATURE WORSHIP

• Looking to nature for inspiration - large leafy prints, botanical silhouettes in graphics
• Bamboo floors
• Plant prints in textiles
• Candles are huge - mood makes in making your home your haven

PATTERNS ARE BACK

• It the year of the pattern - floral, botanic silhouettes, blends of Russian and Mexican patterns
• Patterns on walls - wallpapers back and stencilling in paint
• On furniture, accessories, curtains, cushions and carpet.
• Extra thick pile on rugs and carpets are on this years hit list
• With patterns comes self confidence as spaces become more eclectic as different patterns are brought together by a common thread of colour, tone, texture.
• Splash out of furniture with decorative shapes - 60's curved furniture is back in the furniture design coming out of Italy. Tall hard edge dining chairs have become lower, softer and more fun less formal.

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