Mamma Fairy

Don’t get my wrong im not complaining (much) but for the last two years we have been undertaking a mega renovation job on an old house that we purchased while on maternity leave with my second little man.  The Dada Fairy is doing most of the work which is combined with his full time job is taking time! However once source of constant debate has been open plan space or not. Open plan living has been in vougue for some time now and they don’t seem to be going anywhere fast either.

However, once we have opened up our homes from many small rooms to one big one, this causes its own problems. One room zoned into specific areas for cooking, dining and relaxing appears to be a dream, but is the reality somewhat different? Together with Harvey Jones, fitters of bespoke fitted kitchens, we take a look at this new kitchen trend.

Living in open-plan spaces

When leading a sociable lifestyle, entertaining guests can be difficult in a cramped space. This is why open-plan spaces can seem like such a convenient solution. For multi-functional rooms that include a kitchen, the benefits are clear. It prevents the cook from feeling isolated for a start. No more retiring to the kitchen for half an hour on your own to prepare meals. A bespoke kitchen scheme that includes an island or peninsula that looks out onto the rest of the space means that cooking and preparing food need no longer be a solitary process.

Often also given as a reason for going open plan is the need to keep an eye on children. From toddlers playing to teens doing their homework, for busy families a space that performs several functions allows the family to spend time together even when they’re performing many different tasks.   

My husbands main gripe with open plan living is having nowhere quiet to retire while the kids watch TV or play can become a problem. There are also the issues of noise from appliances that might disturb you or that clearly evident pile of washing-up nagging at you as you sit down for an evening of TV or a quiet read with your favourite book or magazine. Fewer walls also mean less space to put furniture, which can lead to a room that’s crammed around the walls or jumbled in the centre.  

So what is the alternative but keeping the open/space vibe?

As a new trend that began in 2017 was aptly called “broken-plan” living can set the new precedent in interior design trends, replacing open plan in the future. The idea is to retain all the things you love about open-plan – particularly the light and openness – while at the same time zoning the space to allow for more privacy should you need it. Rather than doing this with colours and textures as you would in a true open-plan arrangements, broken-plan employs structural elements such as half-walls, dividing shelves, changing levels, walls of glass and even mezzanines to delineate and formalise areas for different uses.  

So what is “broken plan” living?

By cordoning off certain areas to create new spaces, ‘walls’ can be created by using boxed shelving and other furniture to define spaces that weren’t previously there in the room. Of course, you don’t want to regress back to small poky rooms, so don’t cram the shelves full of books – instead, artfully arrange a few favourite pieces to signal the change between one room and another and leave some of the shelves open to allow light to freely cascade from one zone to another. If you’re just starting your project, consider just knocking down half a wall and leaving the top open, allowing sight-lines through but at the same time giving you more wall space to play with. While hatches should remain a distinctly 70s invention, a larger aperture in the wall between a kitchen and sitting room, for example, is a workable and modern substitute.

Although you can use furniture to cordon off various parts of the room, this should be done sparingly and subtly. Also, consider building in pocket doors that will slide out of sight into the walls when you want to join two rooms but can be closed quickly to create separation when needed.

Broken-plan spaces can accommodate changing floor and ceiling heights – helping to bring spaces together that usually wouldn’t work as an open plan space. With broken-plan living, the options are unlimited when it comes to your interior design space.

While the debate rolls on as to whether we keep the open sitting room/ office/ kitchen we are pushing ahead with installing the kitchen itself so this weekend will be spent picking the finishing touches to the kitchen.  As this is the room which I will be spending quite a bit of time I am taking my time in choosing the various finishes. One of the best pieces of advice I have gotten is when we are finally done is to get the professionals in to do a deep clean or “builders clean” as it often known. Services like Helpling can be invaluable to help find somebody local and make the booking and paying for it convenient with the one online booking resource.

Back to the kitchen!!! Due to how dark our space is we have decided on a cream kitchen to help the light into the room.  The wall tiles are also a cream colour therefore we wanted to introduce a pop of colour which is how we came across coloured acrylic splasbacks  see here here from Simply Plastics for example.  I think they are a brillant idea, durable, easy to wipe clean and most of all very reasonably priced.

I understand too that they are very easy to assemble and can be delivered ready to fix to the wall with the cut outs done for the plug sockets, switch etc.  I love the one picutered opposite (Pic credit Pinterest).

However for the braver there a huge range of funky colours to choose from see left (pic credit Simplyplastics). The great thing about splashback v tiles is that as they are reasonably priced you change it up every so often.

I think im hooked! This time next month should see the space liveable.  Cannot wait.

Note: This is a collaborative post.

Keep It Simple

Pic Credit: Unsplash

House-proud people with no problem spending a lot of money on their home decor will often get to where they want to be with the design of the rooms throughout their home.  Nonetheless, you could easily overstep the mark when it comes to the sorts of lighting to have in major rooms of their house including the lounge and kitchen.

Indeed, even the more ambitious homeowners around the world appreciate the need to keep things simple when splashing some cash on making their home decor look sublime with the most appropriate lighting systems. In fact, what many of the more cautious homeowners in this part of the world will do in order to avoid making mistakes in the lighting fittings and displays they use in their home is to read relevant articles on the internet from websites that have certainly got the sort of information that any homeowner  with aspirations of creating a nice living environment will find very useful indeed.

Interior Themes

Although it can be easy to get too carried away with one particular theme for our home’s decor, sometimes staying focused on one specific idea is the best way to go. Of course, homeowners who have a certain fondness for period themes such as the 50s or 60s should try to concentrate on home decor lighting and other features that will complement their chosen style. By taking the time to scour the internet for some of the more reputable providers of superb lighting systems for an array of home interiors, Australians with a desire to match their room’s theme should be able to achieve what they have set out to do.

People who would like to create a more modern living room setting without excluding classic lighting like chandeliers can visit lighting stores Perth locals get their light fixtures from, for example. They should not have a problem finding solutions for their home decor ideas as the stores will provide them with several great options to choose from. Indeed, there are numerous well-established experts in various styles of lighting that not only supply fantastic-looking lighting, but are also able to advise customers on how to avoid making mistakes with the types of lighting they choose for their home. One such current trend is neon lighting which can be seen online at stores like www.neonfilter.com, where you can find a huge selection of on trend neon lighting options and even get your own custom neon light for your home. 

In terms of avoiding errors with the lighting we have fitted in our place of residence, there are a number of points that should be considered at all times including the following:

• Do not opt for the wrong light fixture size
• Avoid using recessed lights in an ineffective way
• Try not to overdo it with task lighting
• Avoid failing to use dimmers where they are most effective
• Do not install lights in the wrong colour temperature

Good Advice

It would be wise to only heed advice from proper experts in lighting systems for the home. Fortunately, for those keen to make their home stand out with elegant lighting, there are a number of companies in this region of the globe that are able to offer guidance in creating the perfect home interior with suitable lighting. Of course, once we have sourced a reliable supplier of modern and other styles of lighting for the home, we will be on the way to making our place the envy of anyone who visits.

Note: This is a collaborative post