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Each issue, we’ll find stylish solutions to all your decorating and design dilemmas from those in the know
Stylish solutions to all your design dilemmas
Q I want to renovate our dilapidated home but my partner says it would be cheaper to just knock it down and build from scratch. Is she right? Jamie, via email From a cost perspective, building new is almost always cheaper than renovating when looking at the project from a price-per-square-metre perspective. But there’s more to it than that. You need to consider which option will give you what you want out of the house in terms of design and size, and an architect or draftsperson will be the best person to help answer those questions. The likelihood of the local council approving you to knock down and rebuild over renovating an existing property will probably be the major influence in this decision. Is there any sort of heritage significance to your house or area? If there is, that will make it hard to knock down. You also need to find out whether your house is unwittingly breaking current planning rules – for example, it’s not set far back enough from the boundary – because if you build a new house, you have to comply with the new rules, regardless of what the existing property has got away with. If you renovate, however, you won’t have to meet the new regulations, so that might be the better option. Q Should I choose a small or a big rug, relative to my living room, to make the space look larger? Any other furniture tips for a small space? Nicholas, via Instagram “It’s not so much the size of the rug, but how you use it,” says Rhys Duggan, national field visual manager at Pottery Barn (potterybarn.com.au). “A small rug can look great anchored under a compact bench seat at one end of a room, creating a multi-zone space. But it should never float in the centre of a room with the furniture sitting outside of it – it’ll look like a Band-Aid for the floor. Or if the rug is too big, it can feel like the walls are closing in. Ideally, a rug should end halfway under the sofa and a hand-span away from your sideboard, with a coffee table scaled to fit comfortably on it. In a small space, look for furniture that includes smart solutions, such as hidden storage in sofas and tables with folding leaves.” Q My old brushwood fence, which is also on the boundary between my pool and my neighbour’s place, has fifinally given up the ghost. What are some ideas for replacing it? Suzie, via email “You could replace the existing fence with a vertical timber batten fence or timber shiplap fence for something a bit more architectural,” says Ben Scott of Ben Scott Garden Design (benscott.com.au). “Alternatively, a more cost-effffective option is a timber paling fence painted in a dark colour, with greenery over it. When replacing a boundary fence that forms a boundary to a pool enclosure, the new fence requires a building permit and needs to comply with current pool fence regulations, Also, when you replace part of a pool fence, the building surveyor will check the entire pool fence to ensure it conforms to the current regulations. If it doesn’t, it will also need to be upgraded so that it conforms.”
IQ My daughter wants a pink bedroom. Can you advise on a colour palette that will last her past the Barbie stage? Emma, via email “Pink can offer warmth to a room without being too overpowering,” says Jessica Plateo, product manager at British Paints (britishpaints.com.au). “Try softer shades, such as British Paints’ Soft Marshmallow and Gentle Kiss. These will give her the pink she wants while still being on-trend. Pair these with pastels like powdery blue and green – love British Paints’ Pure Mint or Bilko Blue for this look. For a modern palette, try a warm white like British Paints’ Love Note.