Selectively Furnished

Do you ever buy a sofa and matching coffee table and then find it doesn't look quite as good in your lounge room as it did in the showroom? Furnishing and decorating a space is more than just putting some tables and chairs in a room. A professional interior designer decorates and furnishes for the use of the space, the size and layout of the space and to the style and taste of the owners.

Kirstin Fowle from Windemere Interiors says that furniture selection is one of their more popular services as choosing furniture and decorator pieces that are functional as well as aesthetic pleasing is a lot harder than people realise. "Clients come to us to take the hard work out of shopping around and putting together pieces that work. We also create a style and look that is unique as we have access to thousands of suppliers, many of whom will only supply to interior designers so you don't end up with furniture from a chain store that hundreds of other people have," said Kirstin.

The service comes with more than just a list of furniture. Windemere Interiors also includes a scaled layout of the space illustrating exactly where the pieces should go as well as a detailed listing of items that you can buy yourself in stages or all at once. By setting a budget, the interior designer is able to work to that budget from the extensive suppliers and contacts they have.

Inspiration Gallery

Designer's Choice - Home Cargo

Inspiration Gallery

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.

Natural Selection

Furniture is the heart and soul of a room. While it needs to be practical, it also needs to reflect the personality of the owners and complement all the other aspects of the space, including colour, layout, flooring and decoration.

Furniture selection is about choosing pieces that complement each other, rather than looking part of a boxed set - these days you can buy an entire household of furniture in a package, with all matching timbers and colours. As interior designers, we prefer to choose individual pieces that reflect the owner of the home and complement the theme of the interior.

The advantage of engaging an interior designer is the access they have to specialist furniture pieces, some only available to those in the industry. Along with their professional eye in piecing together a room, you’re assured of an individually styled room that is stylish and unique.