Living Space Furniture

When a home is described as having multiple living spaces, that can mean any number of defined living areas, all with different furniture needs.

Lindy Evans from Windemere Interiors says it's important to establish what type of living space the area is before before committing to furniture. "Generally, defining whether the space will have a television or projector will guide you to the type of furniture you will need.

The lounge room is the most common living space in a home. A place for the family to relax and watch television, seating should be appropriately arranged so that everyone has clear view of the television and also enough view of each other for when the television is off. A modular lounge either in an L shape or U shape with a central coffee table is perfect for this.

A sitting room has no need for television and is centred around conversation, so the need for face to face contact is essential. Couches or lounges facing each other over a coffee table works in this situation. A mix of single, two and three seaters add flexibility.

Media rooms are becoming more common in the modern household. As their purpose is purely cinema or media, singe chairs or couches all facing the screen is appropriate, perhaps with individual side tables. Tiered seating creates an authentic touch.

Other living spaces include formal lounge rooms, rumpus rooms, retreats and alfrescos, all with different furniture needs to make the space work.

Rural Retreat

Imagine a luxury escape to the country without leaving home.

A contemporary twist on the country theme, “rural retreat” combines fresh and light elements, with rich timber textures and contrasting vibrant hues. Stylish, indulgent and serene, the theme depicts a luxury getaway with the finer things in life.

To recreate this look, Lindy Evans from Windemere Interiors suggests drawing inspiration from country retreats and layering with different textures and colours for added depth. “Start with a light, neutral palette in a warm shade, such as cream or taupe and highlight with varying browns and greens in olive and avocado for a cosy but contemporary feel. Layer rich, rustic timbers with luxurious throws and knitted cushions for texture and contrast with indulgent fabrics of fur and silk to add a touch of luxury.”

Inspiration Gallery

Feature Lighting Takes Centre Stage

Lighting today isn't just for brightening up a room to see. Feature lighting has taken centre stage from decadent floor lamps to opulent chandeliers; they can be the statement piece of a room.

There are many styles of feature lighting and not limited to lamps. Ceiling pendants, downlights, floor and wall lights, floor lamps and even a beautiful desk lamp can create a feature piece in a space.

Kirstin Fowle, from Windemere Interiors, says feature lighting in itself creates an aura and draws your attention purely for the light it emits. "Particularly at night, the warmth and glow of lighting creates a statement. Start your space with your feature lighting piece and decorate the rest of the room around this. A bold and beautiful floor lamp in striking and classic art deco style is a wonderful inspiration. Use this in the centre of the space and pair with subtle furnishings of that era."

Feature lighting is also starting to create impact in rooms of the house that were previously reserved as the "practical areas of the home". Feature lighting in the kitchen is becoming very popular, including LED lighting under kitchen island benches and above bulkheads and ceiling pendants over benchtops. Bathrooms are also becoming spaces for amazing feature lighting, with chandeliers, inbuilt floor lighting and downlights over mirrors.

Feature lighting can be married with other pieces in a room to create impact. Feature lighting directed towards a piece of artwork can create a bold statement in a space, or a beautiful floor lamp over a antique chair and sidetable will instantly create appeal in a room. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

Inspiration Gallery from Windemere Interiors

Designer's Choice - Andrew Martin Wallpaper

Master Bedrooms and Retreats

Master bedrooms and retreats are evolving from a bedroom with an ensuite to havens to escape the world, and maybe even the household. Today's new designs include retreats, private balconies and reading nooks to create a little sanctuary for parents.

Lindy Evans from Windemere Interiors, says you should see your master bedroom as a retreat and not just a place to sleep. "Think of your master bedroom as your haven where you can spend quality time for yourself," she said, "a little thought into how you decorate this room will go a long way later."

If you're redecorating a master bedroom, Lindy has a few tips to turn the space into a private sanctum.

Don't be afraid of using dark colours on the walls. It's the only room that you can get away with this. Charcoals, chocolates and burgundies create a feeling of opulence and luxury.

Invest in a good quality bed and high thread-count linen. If you are going to spend precious time here then invest in quality for these essentials. It will last longer in the long run. 

Create a retreat. Even if you only have a small space, you can set up a reading chair and lamp for some time out.

Ensure you have appropriate storage. Don't clutter your retreat space with clothes and books. Build or create shelves and storage to keep the area clear and relaxing.

Use dark window treatments. Heavy, sun blocking drapes or blinds will help you get a restful slumber.

Master Bedroom and Retreat Inspiration Gallery from Windemere Interiors

Cinematic Experience

The media lounge has become one of the favourite rooms in homes today. Whether it's watching a movie or playing on the XBox, it's a separate space to entertain or just some private space to enjoy your favourite show. There are some simple ways you can convert a room in your home to a media lounge.

Firstly and probably most importantly is the cinematics. It could be as simple as a television mounted to the wall and as elaborate as a home cinema complete with surround sound, projector and screen. It depends on your taste and budget.

Secondly, create a cinematic atmosphere. Plush pile carpet, heavy light blocking drapes and light dimmers will give the room that authentic movie feel and you could even put in some tiered flooring with lighting.

Finally, you can dress the room. Comfy couches, bean bags and cushions with low tables to put your popcorn and drinks. Frame some old movie posters to jazz up the walls and you have the ultimate media lounge for your home.

Some of the media lounges we have designed and decorated

Kitchen Glow, Seamless Flow

A dark and pokey kitchen with an impractical layout has been given the Windemere magic touch, transformed into a light and breezy space with a seamless flow.

The space for this kitchen area was limited by a large, load bearing pole and high benchtop running through the centre of the area. A meals area next to the kitchen space was unused as there was already a dining room and outdoor dining space. The timber cupboards, black benchtops and dark red colours combined made the area seems small with a disjointed flow.

To open up the space and create a flow through the area, the layout was changed to a galley style kitchen with a large breakfast bar running along the length of the space.

Windemere Interiors designer Lindy Evans said while the size of the space was good, the original layout underutilised the full area. "There was a large kitchen space available, taking into account the unused meals area, but the high benchtop effectively cut the area in two, limiting bench space and without a breakfast bar," she said. "By creating one long, low breakfast bar, the area has been opened up with a seamless flow between the kitchen and other living areas."

The walk in pantry had a number of shelves with angled corners, making the space and its contents difficult to access. This area was gutted and replaced with wall mounted shelving and a benchtop with pull out shelving underneath.

To lighten the space and integrate with the living areas, a neutral white was used on the walls, benchtops and cabinetry and stainless steel appliances, pendant lights and glass splashbacks created a luxury finish.

The kitchen has had a magical transformation, from clunky and disjointed to glowing with a seamless flow.

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