Australian House & Garden

Question: I really like the interior styles on the Pottery Barn website and the Pottery Barn Kids website. What is the name of this style and how do I successfully incorporate the style throughout our home as we renovate to keep it all coherent?

Answer: Pottery Barn in the US has a signature look and their fabulous catalogue is indeed a stylish decorating magazine full of great ideas. Pottery Barn’s decorating style could be described as contemporary classic, bridging influences from the US east and west coasts – light walls, medium-dark floors, white painted or mid-dark stained furniture and lots and lots of detail (but nothing fussy or folky) such as knitted throws, cushions (Americans call them pillows), prints and flowers. In Australia Freedom comes a good second to Pottery Barn for the total package. You can certainly get the basics from Freedom, but for individual accessories you will have to look further afield to some of the more specialised decorating shops. In Sydney, you could try Alfresco Emporium. Their concept store is located at Collaroy Beach and they have a fantastic website allowing you to order online from anywhere in Australia.

Question: I live in Tasmania and am in the process of designing a house. My husband and I are keen to spend a weekend in Melbourne or Sydney to visit stores for bathroom and kitchen fittings. We're keen to head to an area where there area number of stores close to each other - can you recommend any areas where we can maximise out time browsing and not travelling in either city?

Answer: When visiting Sydney I would suggest you head to Alexandria where there is a mixture of showrooms, shops and services specialising in design, renovation and homewares. First stop should be Domayne at 84 O’Riordan Street. Domayne is in the Space complex and you will find showrooms for CaesarStone, Harvey Norman Renovations, the exciting Domayne Bathroom Showroom and Domayne Kitchen Showrooms as well as Space Furniture and several other homewares retailers. Nearby there is the Sydney Home Ideas Centre which is an invaluable source for information and ideas for renovators. On the corner of O’Riordan and Doody Streets, you will fine the Style Homemaker Centre which includes Schmidt Kitchens. Another smaller, lesser-known precinct you could visit is Victoria Road, Drummoyne. Within walking distance on this busy strip, you will find Just Bathroomware, Malcolm St James (sinks, appliances, baths, toilets, etc), SE Timber (floors), Impala Kitchens, Schmidt Kitchens, Kleenmaid, Glass FX (shower screens) and Stile Tiles. In Melbourne, you could visit the Melbourne Bathroom Centre, 729 Burwood Road, Hawthorne and venture then to Richmond where you will find Accent International Tapware, 3 Balmain Road, Rogerseller, 587 Church Street, Apaiser, 344 Burnley Street, Perini Bathrooms, 615 Bridge Road and Tile Gallery, Church Street.

Question: I’d like to renovate my home but all the new products and materials on the market have me confused. Is there anywhere I can see all the products in one place?

Answer: For an overview of products, fixtures and fittings, try your nearest Home Ideas Centre. There are centres in most capital cities. “These are free permanent exhibitions of products for building, renovating, decorating, landscaping and architecture,” says Bruce McCubbin, manager of the Melbourne Home Ideas Centre. The centres also have bookshops that stock do-it-yourself guides, coffee table design books, and a selection of design and lifestyle magazines.

Home Ideas Centres; 1300 466 343 or www.homeideas.com.au  

Question: Could you please offer some advice on how to tone down all of the brown furnishings my boyfriend has amassed over the years? The couch, coffee table, book shelves, rug and side table are all a similar shade of medium brown and I'd love to inject some lighter shades of white or beige/tan plus a splash of colour. I personally love blacks, greys and white, but am unsure how to tie this in with what already exists.

Answer: Mixing furniture styles is a hard enough exercise but when the furnishings are predominantly one colour, then you have to think a little left of centre. I’m sure this happens a lot when people combine households. To bring some life into your ‘new’ all-brown scheme, I suggest you add cushions to the sofa covered in a bold geometric pattern that features black, white and grey. Toss into the mix a couple of plain colours, say red or orange. Also add a knitted or woven fabric throw in black, red or orange. Hang a large colourful artwork above the sofa, or group black and white photos framed in black on the wall above. Purchase a couple of black linen-covered lamp shades with glass or metal bases and place them either side of the sofa on the little tables. See if you can find a stylish black leather serving tray and position this on the coffee table. Display interesting objects on the tray. Show off colourful art glass on the brown storage shelves (or opt to paint the unit the same colour as the walls as a manner of camouflage). As far as the rug is concerned, negotiate a compromise – buy a new one in colours that you BOTH love and that will match the newly-revised scheme. Good luck.

Answered by Rose-Marie Hillier

Question: I am trying to find some wall lights for my dining room with a classic french influence in Sydney. Any suggestions?

Answer: 2. There are several shops and importers in Sydney of French-style lighting. You might like to try Vintage Glamour at Enmore (9557 8813), Imagine This at Woollahra (9327 6713) and Cote Maison at Burwood (9745 5400). 

Answered by Rose-Marie Hillier