Bathtub Beauties

Classic clawfoot or contemporary freestanding stone, bathtubs can create a stunning feature in your bathroom as well as a haven of relaxation.

There are several styles of bathtubs. Freestanding, built in and hob mounted are the most popular.

Placement and space available may dictate where and what type of bathtub options are available. If you have the space available, a freestanding bath would look fantastic however if you’re tight on space, a corner bathtub may be more suitable.

Bathtubs come in a variety of options to suit every budget. These are mostly dependant on the materials used. In order of budget to blow-the-budget, bathtubs come in enamel, fibreglass, acrylic, cast iron, soap stone and copper. Spa and whirpool bathtubs are also popular with luxury bathrooms.

A good budget idea to tie in with your bathroom’s theme is to use an acrylic bath and build it into a hob using the same tiles as the rest of the bathroom.
Don’t forget the tapware to complete the bathtub look. Sleek, chrome tapware will suit a contemporary looking bathtub, while brass fittings would perfectly finish a claw foot bathtub in a Queenslander or Victorian style home.

Bathrooms are one of the most commonly renovated rooms and the right style of bathtub can add stylish impact on the space. If you are considering renovating a bathroom or are building a new home, the team at Windemere Interiors can help you find the perfect bathtub.

Splashback Splendour

Kitchen splashbacks are not only practical, but can be a feature in itself. Originally designed to protect plasterboard or timber behind the cooking space from splashes and dirt, the modern splashbacks have become an integral part of the design of the kitchen.


There are many materials that can be used for splashbacks. Tiles are the most commonly used and with an endless selection available, it’s easy to find ones that suit your style and budget. It’s also easy to carry that theme to other parts of the home including the bathroom or laundry.

Glass splashbacks have become very popular in recent times. Easy to clean and hard wearing they come in naturally tinted green, solid colours, metallic colours and you can even have photo printed glass splashbacks.

Edam Triffett from Windemere Interiors say splashbacks can be both a design feature and a practical application. “There’s an endless range of splashback options and that means you will always find something that suits your style,” he said. “If you choose for the splashback to be your feature, ensure it doesn’t clash with anything else by making the remaining cabinetry a neutral tone, like a canvas.”

This above kitchen was designed by Windemere Interiors and features a striking glass splashback in “Burnt Toffee”. To ensure the cabinetry didn’t compete with the bold colour, neutral tones of warm cream and coffee were used.

If you’d like a change in your kitchen, updating the splashback could be a quick and simple solution. Speak to the team at Windemere Interiors about the options available.

Setting a realistic budget

Setting a realistic budget for interior decorating will help you achieve your decorating goals without blowing the budget.

A beautifully dressed room like the ones you see in magazines have so many elements working together to create that look. When creating your own look, there are definite advantages to setting a realistic budget.

While your large furniture items are relatively easy to budget for, it’s the smaller decorative items that finish and dress a room that can add up quickly and blow the budget. For example when it comes to a lounge room, it’s easy to budget for a lounge, coffee table and a couple of lamps. but to fully dress a room, you also need to account for cushions, rugs, maybe some photo frames, side tables and perhaps a decorative bowl. that all adds up.

Edam Triffett from Windemere interiors says setting a realistic budget for your entire project will help to avoid disappointment or a major budget blowout and he has one top tip to help. “go through magazines and pull out pages of rooms dressed as you would like them. use the internet or the phone and mark an approximate price for every single item in that room, and the total sum should be your approximate realistic budget. repeat this for every room you would like to decorate and that will give you an overall budget.

If you are doing a large scale decoration, consider the services of an interior designer. interior designers have access to wholesale rates and can have items custom made for prices competitive to retail. the difference will be the room will be decorated to reflect your style with unique and personal and not the retail style that is “in” at the moment. and the interior designer will do all the legwork for you.

One Stop Shop for fixtures and fittings

Choosing carpets, tiles, colours and fixtures for you new home should be a fun and exciting experience, but most of the time you end up driving around for countless hours from supplier to supplier.

With an endless range of options to choose from, it’s easy to get confused and difficult to keep track of an ever changing budget. There is, though, a solution.
A consultation with a professional interior designer should be considered an investment which will save you time, money and regret down the track. An interior designer will be able interpret your ideas and guide you through thousands of samples.

Interior designers have access to hundreds of suppliers, and may be able to suggest products that you haven’t seen before. They will also have a good understanding of pricing and will be able to advise on whether your choices are keeping within your budget.

At Windemere Interiors, our design studio has thousands of samples from leading brand name suppliers including Caroma, Laminex, Corinthian Doors and Dulux. Our interior designers are “Specification Specialists”. In a four hour consultation, a Windemere interior designer will guide you through the process of choosing all the colours, fixtures, flooring and cabinetry for the interior and exterior of your home. All these details will be compiled in a single schedule document that can be submitted to your builder, cabinet maker or any other relevant supplier. Easy.

A consultation with a professional interior designer from Windemere Interiors starts from just $990 including a specification list for your builder. Speak to Windemere today about our one stop shop consultation and make your building experience an enjoyable one.

Windemere's Top Tips for Sale

Properly preparing your home for sale can mean thousands of dollars difference. Windemere Interiors share their top pre sale tips for the interior of your home.

Declutter it!

• Potential buyers are not looking to view all your lovely (and not so lovely) things in your space, they’re looking to imagine all their lovely things in their new space. Keep surfaces and benchtops clean and clear! Box up all the paperwork and trinkets and ship them offsite.

• Clear any personal items, such as toiletries, make up, photos.

• Homes should be dressed to accentuate the space and their possibilities so ship any excess items, including those in cupboards, off to storage.
• Clean it!

• Dust it, polish it, scrub it, wipe it, soak it, wash it and disinfect it. Clean like you’ve never cleaned before. Scrub and wipe down walls and floors, move furniture and clean behind it, and give everything a thorough dusting.

Fix it!

• Anything that’s not working, fix it or replace it, particularly if they are part of the house. Blown lightbulbs are the most common, but broken screens, fans and sticky windows are also common. Consider hiring a handyman to fix all these in one go if you’re not very handy around the house.

Upgrade it!

• Upgrade small fixtures such as tap fittings, showerheads, towel rails and cabinet handles. These will lift the standard of your home which all translates into sales dollars.

Present it!

• Show the home in the best light. Choose a time that will subtly light the home and use mood lighting from lamps for ambience.

• Be aware of the temperature and have a fan running at low speed if it’s hot or run the air conditioner and switch it off before visitors arrive.

• Bathrooms and kitchens should have a subtle hint of non-scented disinfectant and bedrooms and living areas should be thoroughly aired out to rid and musty smells.

• Clean out rubbish bins and dishwashers and put out fresh towels and linen.