Shower Shine

The shower can be the oasis of the home. A hot shower after a long Winter's day, or a cool, refreshing shower after a hot, summer day in the garden. It's a place to pamper and relax.

As the water conscious moves from bath to showers, oversized his and her showers and simple wet rooms are becoming more popular, so careful choices in designing the area is imperative. There are many types of shower screens, taps and accessories available to suit all bathrooms, but it is important to choose the ones that are both practical and asthetic to your bathroom.

The most important things to consider are the shower frame, wall tiles, fixtures and storage. To create a elegant and timeless feel, I'd recommend a frameless shower screen and tiles in a neutral colour, then jazz it up with some feature tiles and upmarket fixtures. It's a simple and easy technique to create the wow factor in your shower.

A framed shower screen suits bathrooms where the shower recess needs to be clearly defined. With a range of colours, the frame can be matched to the bathroom colours.  A semi framed or frameless shower creates a streamlined and luxury appeal. Simple and elegant, it creates a feeling of open space.

There is an endless range of tapware and fixtures for showers. Water saving showerheads, shower rails, mixers and hinges all combine to create an overall look for your shower. Chrome and stainless steel will create a sleek and contemporary look. Consider storage when designing your shower. A place for soap, shampoos and body brushes are important so think about niches in the wall.

Child's Play

Spaces for children are special places within the home. A bedroom, child's retreat or rumpus are places to create childhood memories.

A theme can easily be created in a child's space, and adapted as the child grows older. If you start with a neutral base than you can theme and dress the space with soft furnishings, furniture and wall art. Bright and cheerful doona covers, pillows, rugs and throws are a great way to brighten up a room and are easily changed as the child grows.

There are lots of options to decorate and theme walls, especially on a blank canvas.  Removable wall decals, family photos in bright frames or the children's art up on the wall are fabulous ways to personalise the space for the child.

Storage is an important factor and another decorating feature that can grow with the child. Consider inbuilt storage for toys to keep the area clutter free which can be used for books and computer equipment during the later years.

Shutterbug!

Functional, practical and aesthetically pleasing, shutters and blinds are a perfect window treatment for all areas of the home.

Extremely versatile when it comes to interior design, shutters and blinds come in an endless range of styles, colours, fabrics and materials. A sleek, modern look can be created with motorised roller blinds, while warmth and style can be created with timber plantation shutters.

When choosing blinds or shutters for your windows, it's important to take into consideration the sunlight that goes through the window and which room they're in. Venetian shutters are fantastic for rooms that have direct sunlight, as they can be tilted to keep sun directly out of the room while still keeping it light, while synthetic blinds suit bathrooms as they can be completely shut for privacy, open for ventilation, and won't go mouldy.

Blinds and shutters can be mixed and matched within a room, space or home, but consider repeating the fabric, material or style throughout to create consistency and flow throughout your interior.

Accent on Rugs

From a sophisticated silk rug under a coffee table in a lounge room to a playmat in the children's rumpus, floor rugs can bring an entire room or space together. They're a flooring fixture that can create the illusion of boundaries, particularly in today's open plan designs where furniture sometimes looks overwhelmed in large spaces.

The style and choices are endless and can set the atmosphere for a room. Bright and bold patterns create a fun and playful tone, while traditional woollen rugs can create a stylish classic look.

Once you've chosen the style of rug you would like, it's important to consider the space that it will be going in. Rugs that are too large for the space will look out of place, while rugs that are too small will be lost and lose their impact.

Rugs are extremely versatile and can be used on tiles, timber and carpet. It's important to consider the flooring though when choosing a rug. A shagpile rug would look great on a timber or tiled floor, but not on shagpile carpet.