Table of contents for February 2018 in Inside Out

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who ask for directions and those who don’t. Hand on heart, I’m in the second category, but when it comes to advice on renovating my own place, I’m contacting every expert I know to point me in the right direction. This issue, we’ve rounded up all of our best and most helpful contributors across the key problem areas to deliver a super-charged Expert Issue. As you turn the pages, you’ll find loads of familiar faces pointing out some of the key considerations when it comes to making those tricky decisions. From choosing the scale of your renovation on page 118 to hanging art on page 72, we’ve covered off the common problem areas, but do let us know which subjects…

WINNING PIN! Peachy keen! A soft pink palette brings together old and new elements in this 1920s home, renovated by Wowowa Architecture & Interiors. Keen to start the new year with a clean slate? Peter Walsh’s tips on ‘regaining control of your wardrobe with a solid declutter’ proved popular last month. reader spotlight Sleek Scandi style abounds in this image shared by @toastandhoneystudio, and we love the @chaliemacrae_art artwork. Show us your pics using #sharemystyle and @insideoutmag. most double-tapped Colour fans loved this heritage Geelong home, with the front door painted in bright Dulux Diorite. IN YOUR NEWS FEED The Block’s Michael and Carlene Duffy’s home-on-wheels makeover stopped our readers in their tracks. follow Inside Out Facebook facebook.com/Inside.Out.magazine.au Instagram @insideoutmag Pinterest pinterest.com/insideoutpins Twitter twitter.com/insideoutmag YouTube youtube.com/insideoutaus…

Q I have read differing advice about what colour to paint my trim in relation to my wall colour. What should I be doing? Corinn vi email This is suc a common question, but unfortunately there is no single answer,” says Wendy Rennie, colour expert at Haymes Paint (haymespaint.com.au). “It depends on your home. My rule of thumb is that if you have a character home and you’re using darker colours, then choose a light colour for the trim. The high contrast will accentuate and highlight the beautiful architectural features I contemporary spaces, I often find the focus is more on the natural materials for example timber and concrete – so it makes more sense to use the same colour on walls and trims, with a slightly higher sheen level…

THE UNLIKELY ITEM Sometimes it’s the most ordinary household items that bring back happy memories or, in today’s parlance, ‘spark joy’. You can’t choose your emotional connections, and they might end up being with a set of battered kitchen canisters or an old tool locker. The trick here is to be purposeful: decorate your space around unusual items, rather than hoping they’ll just blend in. THE SEEN-BETTER-DAYS SOFA There’s something about a battered leather sofa. It speaks of a life well lived, and a relaxed approach to your home that’s probably pretty fun. If it’s lasted this long, the leather is most likely of reasonable quality – and if you’re prepared to put in some elbow grease, you can bring back some shine and depth with specialised products. If you…

After almost 15 years of living in their home, Nikki and AdamYazxhi faced a common dilemma.“With our sons aged 14 and 11, we were at a crossroads on whether to sell and buy something bigger, or stay in a house and area we love and renovate to make the house work better,” says Nikki. In the end, they decided storage was the main issue.“We chose to renovate and put the money we would have spent on moving and stamp duty into creating our ultimate home,” says Nikki, creator of lifestyle website bellaMUMMA (bellamumma.com). “WE DIDN’T WANT A BIGGER HOUSE FOR THE SAKE OF HAVING A BIGGERHOUSE. INSTEAD, WE WORKED HARD TO GET THE MAXIMUM POTENTIAL OUT OF THE SPACES WE HAVE ADAM YAZXHI, HOMEOWNER They’d already made some changes over…

1 CAN I PROJECT MANAGE MY OWN RENOVATION INSTEAD OF HAVING THE ARCHITECT DO IT? “It may seem like an easy way to save money, but personally I think it’s a false economy. Regardless of how thorough documentation is, builders can misinterpret drawings. Even a slight deviation from the design can have an unexpected knock-on effect and the builder is unlikely to understand the overarching concept in the same way the architect does. There are also likely to be unknown conditions that can only be uncovered during construction. At this point, the architect is the best person to instruct the builder on what to do next. Aside from design outcomes, there are contractual reasons to keep an architect involved. Their experience and expertise means they will manage the builder on…

the benchtop For the look of calacatta marble minus the maintenance, Essastone’s ‘Unique Calacatta’ quartz engineered stone by Laminex, $520/sqm, is a durable option. It also comes with a 15-year warranty. Learn more at essastone.com.au. the design Clean and sleek, the ‘K2 Series’ of kitchen designs by Cantilever Interiors includes a splashback of handcrafted ceramic tiles and Neolith benchtops. Kitchen design drama sorted! Visit cantileverinteriors.com. the holder Show off your tools with the ‘Knife Rack 370’. Magnets are hidden beneath the beech finish to hold up to seven knives. It’s $97 from sandsmade.com. the apron A must-have for keen bakers and barbecue aficionados, the ‘Talo’ leather apron is $169 from countryroad.com.au. the tool Spice up your cooking with the Cole & Mason ‘Inverta Horsham’ pepper mill, $54.95. The copper finish…

Rick Stein first visited Mexico in 1968. He has returned on a few occasions in the following 50 years and says he has “fallen in love with the people, the bright colours, the dazzling markets, the music, the sense of an ancient land filled with volcanoes and temples, the churches and cathedrals”. Most of all, the world famous British chef loves the food – and he understands its influence on the cuisine north of the border. In his new book The Road To Mexico , Rick starts his adventure in San Francisco and ends it on the Yucatán Peninsula, presenting the most tantalising dishes of each region tacos de pescado estilo ensenada ENSENADA FISH TACOS WITH CHILLI & CORIANDER For many years the beaches on the north coast of Cornwall…

stone & tiles David Signorino As the marketing manager behind Melbourne tile and stone institution Signorino Tile Gallery, David is intimately involved in the family company’s ongoing success. Armed with an immense product knowledge – and how that complements Signorino’s commitment to environmentally conscious production practices – he’s the man to ask when you want to learn the pros and cons of any tiling, stone or paving product. architecture Eva-Marie Prineas An architect who prides herself on an ability to mix old and new, and tailor the mixture to her clients’ needs, Eva-Marie Prineas is the principal of Sydney-based Architect Prineas, which she founded in 2004. Her passion for architecture extends beyond her own projects – Eva-Marie is a member of the NSW Chapter Council for the RAIA (Royal Australian…

Lighting meets technology with the latest release by Melbourne-based ISM Objects.The inventive ‘Teamwork’ powder-coated steel pendant light pairs LED lighting with a clever sound-absorbing ‘inner’ material that reduces ambient noise, perfect in work and dining zones. The fabric insert has no visible fixings for a streamlined look and comes in a host of colours – 22 in total.We’re rather taken with this pink version! ‘Teamwork’ pendant light, from $1542, ISM Objects, ismobjects.com.au.…

There’s nothing like a quick trip to the Hamptons the actual Hamptons in the US of A – to help you understand why so many people are choosing the classic seaside style for their homes. And that’s exactly what I did a few months ago. Apart from learning a lot about the lives of the uber rich and famous, I also found a whole new appreciation for the homes synonymous with TV shows such as Revenge and movies like Something’s Gotta Give. Who hasn’t lusted over Diane Keaton’s kitchen? To help me understand the finer details of the Hamptons look, and how the interiors world is giving it a modern spin, I caught up with a stylist who’s known for her expertise in this area. Expecting a dyed in the…

For Lauren and Matt Wilson, who run their own building company in Geelong,Victoria, the completion of this project – a house they were planning to put up for sale – and the sale of their family home occurred almost simultaneously.“This was an express build,” says Lauren.“From start to finish it was only five months, beginning July 2016, because we had to be out of our house just before Australia Day.” She and Matt had bought the land at auction – at the time a ramshackleVictorian cottage stood on the space.They had driven past the morning of the sale and saw the potential of the lot.“When I bid and won, we walked down the side of the house and the woman explained that there was a parcel of the land that…

the story so far Rachael and Tony purchased this three-bedroom 1990s terrace in the inner-Sydney suburb of Zetland in 2007 and undertook a major internal renovation three years later. By this time they had Archie, now 8, and another son, Lenny, now 7, soon followed. The family love their location, with its proximity to the city and the eastern beaches, as well as the open-plan living area with a large, galley-style kitchen that leads out to the bright courtyard. However, as Archie and Lenny get bigger, Rachael and Tony’s thoughts are turning to the boys’ teenage years just around the corner. “We would love to add to our storage inside and, ideally, have a separate living area for the children to use as they grow up and want some independence,”…

As tough as it can be to admit, sometimes our homes fall a little short of our expectations. Perhaps the kitchen layout isn’t functional, the bathroom has seen better days (circa 1970) and you really could do with a bit more living space. However, the problem is that you love your local area, you have a close community of friends nearby and you just can’t stand the thought of selling up and moving – all that packing and all that stamp duty – clearly, it’s time to renovate. Or is it? Before you start planning the expensive extension and picking out tiles for the bathroom, consider the possibility of – gulp – knocking down the house and starting all over again. Yep, as daunting as that may sound, sometimes it’s…

“THESHORTANSWER” Q Hi Peter, What is it about books? I just can’t let go of them! I love the way they look, the way they make me feel, even the way they smell. Do you think I need to see a professional to deal with the fact that I can’t let go of ANY of them? Stephen, Norwood, SA AI’ve come up with a term for people with this strong type of attachment: I call them ‘Knowledge Clutterers’. This means someone who has a very strong attachment to their books, their magazines, all those ‘must keep’ articles they’ve printed from their favourite websites – even their music collections. Usually, simply owning the material is far more important than actually reading it. This means that many people will freely admit…

Far from a neglected side path, the stairs running the length of this coastal property in Sydney’s Palm Beach are in frequent use, providing access to different levels of the house and, ultimately, the beach. The designers of the project, Cadence & Co, brought on Julia Levitt of landscape designers Sticks & Stones to resolve the planting. With a brief for tropical gardens inspired by the owner’s love of Hamilton Island, and the location’s sun, wind and salty air to contend with, Julia chose foliage plants and mature palms to complement the existing Norfolk Island pine. The planting is tucked into the staircase’s curves to give a natural effect. “We’d usually terrace a sloping site,” says Julia. “But we didn’t want to take away from the organic flow, so we…

So many kids have a thing about vegetables when they never have an issue with ice-cream and chocolate! For my family, not eating vegetables has never been an option – I believe you have to keep encouraging your kids to try them. + Some flavours take a bit of time to get used to. My recipes are written as complete meals, but I’ve included options for those with more adventurous tastes, such as chilli, herbs, citrus and garlic. + I’m not an advocate of hiding vegetables all the time and not telling the kids (because how will they ever get to like vegetables this way?), but I think it’s OK to do it every now and then. + When my kids were younger, they were absolutely adamant that they wouldn’t…

a-b Abbey Fireplaces (02) 9939 9848, thefireplace.com.au. ACS Bathrooms 1300 898 889, acsbathrooms.com.au. Anaesthetic Design anaestheticdesign.com. Andrew Taylor olsengallery.com. Aquabumps (02) 9130 7788, aquabumps.com. Artbank artbank.gov.au. Armadillo & Co (02) 9698 4043, armadillo-co.com. Bead Studio beadstudio.co.za. BeefEater 1300 307 939, beefeaterbbq.com.au. Blu Peter (08) 9433 1782, blupeter.com.au. Boom Gallery 0417 555 101, boomgallery.com.au. Brendan Ravenhill Studio brendanravenhill.com. c-d Caesarstone (02) 9426 0500, caesarstone.com.au. Camerich (02) 9132 4402, camerich.com.au. Casa Villa Fine Upholstery (08) 9249 1191. Cavalier Bremworth 1800 251 172, cavbrem.com.au. CDK Stone (03) 8552 6000, cdkstone.com.au. Cibo Design (02) 9939 4434, cibodesign.com.au. Città cittadesign.com. Clickon Furniture (03) 9417 1183, clickonfurniture.com.au. Colorbond 1800 022 999, colorbond.com. Cult 1300 768 626, cultdesign.com.au. Dedece (02) 9360 2722, dedece.com. Design Twins designtwins.com. Dinosaur Designs (02) 9698 3500, dinosaurdesigns.com.au. Dulux 132 525, dulux.com.au. e-g…

check us out... here’s what you’ll find this month at our online home how to make your home more eco-friendly: from solar panels to planting a backyard vegie patch smart homes 101: a beginner’s guide personalise your bathroom with the latest tech 8 of our favourite smart appliances tech advances that will transform your kitchen stay connected...…

BALANCING ACT  why it works: Teaming an elongated pendant light with a slim table results in instant elegance Secto Design ‘Owalo 7000’ pendant light, from $1980, Fred International, fredinternational.com.au. Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH ‘Ring’ dining table, from $5289, Space Furniture, spacefurniture.com.au. GEOMETRIC DREAM  why it works: Natural oak is crafted into bold shapes to create a striking look ‘Bright Beads’ pendant lights, $1260/set of 3, Marz Designs, marzdesigns.com. ‘St Tropez’ dining table, $3250, MCM House, mcmhouse.com. INDUSTRIAL AGE  why it works: Powder-coated metal meets modern lines to guarantee a sleek aesthetic Lambert & Fils ‘Waldorf’ suspension light, $2490, Living Edge, livingedge.com.au. Arper ‘Nuur’ dining table, from $2348, Stylecraft, stylecraft.com.au.…

THE ORIGINAL Anglepoise ‘Type 75’ desk lamp by Kenneth Grange The form: A two armed articulating desk lamp with visible tension springs and a spun aluminium shade. What makes it special: Over the decades, British lighting company Anglepoise has produced many variations on the original revolutionary Anglepoise task lamp, patented by George Carwardine in 1932. In 2004, influential British designer Sir Kenneth Grange was commissioned to create a more modern looking lamp that echoed some of the 1950s versions long since out of production while providing the same positioning ability of the famous original. While the early Anglepoise lamps showed strong links to the Art Deco era in which they were designed, with subtle moulding rings on the shade and a geometric stepped base, the Type 75 lamp simplifies and…

Treasured pieces help generate an immediate ‘lived-in’ vibe in any new home. In this Perth beach house, homeowners Malvina and Malcolm Stone dressed a neutral living space with a vintage ‘Pretzel’ chair and an armoire that has been in their family for decades, mixed with a Blu Peter linen sofa and IKEA rug.The couple’s love of Bali is reflected in a rattan light shade picked up at Bali store Muubs In The Rough. See more of this home on page 68.…

Malvina Stone had barely been in Perth for two weeks when she met her husband, Malcolm, at a mutual friend’s birthday party. “He was late – that’s standard for Malcolm,” says Malvina.“But we’ve been together ever since!” That was 30 years ago and, before long, the couple had purchased their first property – a 1950s bungalow in the suburb of Doubleview – and quickly turned it into a happy family home following the births of their now-adult daughters Milly and Polly. At the same time, Malvina began carving out a successful career as an interior stylist, initially under the tutelage of renowned Australian interior designer Judith Barrett Lennard. While she was passionate about her profession, Malvina equally enjoyed spending time at the beach while Malcolm surfed, or in Bali at…

1. the aesthetics As far as the construction goes, I love the new, matt Colorbond steel look. It’s tough, it’s easy to look after, it looks great and it will go up much more quickly than brick. The matt finish has a softer and more subtle look than typical steel cladding, so it won’t be too visually intrusive from the kitchen and living area in the home. The house is traditional in style and the combination of a steel structure with glass frontage would make a great contrast. We could put in street access, which would be a big advantage if Tony and Rachael decided to rent it out – maybe on Airbnb. Once they have the basic idea worked out for the design, they’d need an architect, or a…

YAY OR NAY …vessel basin on the bathroom vanity Interior designer Lena Bruno weighs in The deal: The bathroom vanity can really set the tone of the whole room, so it’s important to get right. First, you’ll need to consider your family’s needs. The pros: The vessel basin is quite affordable to install and easier than an undermount to update at a later stage. It better contains splashes and from a distance can conceal dirt and toothpaste spills. A vessel basin can be a feature of the bathroom and you can get quite creative with the vanity/basin combo. The cons: The style can date faster than an undermount, is harder to keep clean around the surrounding surface and can be susceptible to chips around the edges, as opposed to an…

A combination of textural finishes with long lines creates an inviting outdoor room. In this space by Fifth Season Landscapes, a built-in concrete bench runs along the wall, becoming a barbecue spot at the end, drawing the eye across the length of the garden.A charcoal wall allows the brighter tones in the concrete and greenery to shine, while jasmine will grow along the wires to create privacy. See more of this clever garden on page 126.…

tables Outdoor tables need to cope with the toughest Aussie conditions all year round – rain, hail or shine; cyclone, frost or drought – as well as the odd tomato sauce spill. Consider the shape and size of your outdoor space and make sure you leave space for chairs and room to circulate around the table. If you intend to place the table in an uncovered area, do some research to see what care or maintenance will be required, if any – most timber used for outdoor furniture naturally resists decay and will withstand the elements. Once that’s sorted, it’s time to explore the possibilities. The only restriction is your budget… dining settings If your alfresco dining requirements are more formal, or you plan to position your furniture undercover, consider…

WARWICK Everything’s coming up roses, peonies and daisies in the form of Flowerbomb, a lush fabric from Warwick. Featuring elegant bouquets cascading over a dark background, it’s described as a modern-day interpretation of the works of art created by painters during the Dutch golden age. Warwick, a leading fabric and textile wholesaler, supplies decorators, upholsterers and furniture retailers. The new Flowerbomb collection will be available in showrooms in February. Visit warwick.com.au AERATRON Inspired by nature, physics and probably the world’s quietest library, Aeratron’s new range is redefining how we think about ceiling fans. Its AE series fans feature 3D aerofoil ABS blades, self-balancing systems and super-efficient DC motors. The result is whisper-quiet models that use 75 per cent less energy than traditional fans. Available in two- and three-blade models and…

A new friend of mine struggles with clutter. As I’m a very organised sort of person, she has started asking me to help her have clear-outs, but afterwards it just goes back to how it was. Should I keep helping her, or refuse to help for the sake of our friendship? Jen, via email Whenever I hear someone trot out that old saying, “You can choose your friends but not your family”, I always think, yes, but you’re still not allowed to choose your friends based on whether they share your love of regularly throwing out every single thing you own. It would be so much better if you could, since nothing introduces tension to a new friendship like popping in for the first time and finding that her front…