BROUGHT TO YOU BY INTRIM

BY BONNIE

I’m a big picture type of girl but there are definitely those times where I need to get down and dirty into the details of our designs. As the saying goes … “the devil is in the detail”… and it’s true! Looking back on any renovation, you’ll never regret spending the time it takes to get the details right. We’re talking the little things, that you may not have even considered.

Here are 5 ‘little’ things that can make a BIG difference:

Trims

Trims are often overlooked, which is such a shame because they can make the world of difference to a room. By ‘trims’ I mean skirting boards (which sit at the base of your walls) and the architraves (which are the frames around your windows and door openings). If you’re not on your toes when it comes to all the little details, you’ll end up with the standard trims your builder has chosen for you #standard #notveryspesh. So, first and foremost you need to know that you have a choice when it comes to trims. Once you’re clear about that and assuming you do want to choose your own, you need to research different types of ‘skirts and arcs’ (tradie lingo). A friendly word of warning: there are thousands of options available and choosing between them can be a bit overwhelming but a good place to start is looking at some pictures of beautiful rooms and seeing if there’s any trims you like the look of!

two tipS FOR PICKING TRIMS

1) WHERE TO GO? To pick trims for our renovations, we start by researching online what type of trims are traditionally used in the style of house we’re trying to create. We then jump onto the site of our specialist timber mouldings supplier, Intrim. Lana chose the skirts and arcs for her Forever Home without seeing them in the flesh. She looked at them on Intrim’s website and then spoke to the Intrim guys over the phone. I’m pretty sure she also sent me a few pics for a final thumbs up from me. For my home, I wanted to eyeball them in person so I took a trip out to the Intrim showroom and it was soooo good to see all the options in the flesh and make my final decisions on the spot.

2) HOW TO SAVE MONEY? To reduce the cost of skirting and architraves, ask if you can get a thinner version of a profile you like. For example, 18mm thickness is much cheaper than 30mm thickness, but the end result can look very similar. Both Lans and I took this approach in our homes.

If you’re still not sure where to start, why not check out the trims we’ve used recently.

2. Texture

Texture is usually associated with blankets, carpet and soft furnishings but you can also bring texture into a room with your choice of wall linings too – your walls (and ceilings for that matter) don’t all have to be plasterboard (aka Gyprock) #abitboring. We love to add texture in a room with cladding (vertical or horizontal) or with exposed original brick and timber features. Whatever method you choose, the crucial thing to keep in mind is how the textured wall (or walls) will fit with the rest of the room and the house as a whole. Do you want that wall to be a focal point of the room or just a subtle feature? Are you going to paint it? What type of wall hanging or artwork will work with that textured finish?

Here are 3 different ways we’ve added texture to our walls.

3. Door Furniture

‘Door what’? ‘Door furniture’ is the fancy name used to describe door handles and locks. Now I’m guessing that door handles are pretty far down your ‘wish list’ am I right? In fact, I’m willing to bet my door furniture budget that most of you don’t even have door handles on your renovating radar? Just remember, ff you don’t tell your builder what door handles you want, you will arrive home one day to find the decision has been made for you #missedopportunity. And trust me - you want to have a big say in what door handles you use as they can make a big difference to how a door looks.

4. Glass

Over the course of our 9 renos, we’ve learnt that glass is not just glass. When we started out we never knew there are different types of glass you can put in your windows and doors to make your home more comfortable. We believe the key driver to a winning interior design is how your home FEELS. Well the glass you choose (or don’t choose) is going to play a big role here. Whether you need glass to improve insulation, block out noise or filter light, there’s a solution for you. To ensure we build comfortable homes we go through the process of choosing and specifying the glass we want with our window company to ensure the right Viridian glass is included in the quotes. Ideally you would put ‘performance glass’ (that’s the industry term for it;-) in every part of your house. But if your budget can’t stretch that far, prioritise just a few places in your home that could really benefit from some special treatment.

5. Fans

When I was growing up, ceiling fans were 90% practical, 10% pretty. Nowadays, I think they’re 90% practical and 100% pretty – if you choose the right one. Have a think about the room you’re designing and try to visualise what it would look like with a fan. I find they can make a space feel more relaxed, so they’re perfect for lounge rooms, undercover alfresco areas and bedrooms. We’re massive fans #excusethepun of the Tahitian from Beacon Lighting, Lana and I both have them in our Forever Homes.

Have you considered these little details in your own reno? They may be little but put them together they’ll help make all the difference to how your home looks and feels.

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