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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
QI love the style of patterned encaustic tiles, and I’m wondering if they’re suitable for a bathroom floor? I have kids and I’m looking for something hard-wearing. Anna, via Facebook I absolutely love encaustic tiles for bathrooms. They bring so much personality and the vibrant patterns add visual interest and energy to a space. They are beautifully imperfect, as each piece is handmade and slightly different, which is what makes them so special and beautiful to walk on. To ensure they are hard-wearing, it’s important to seal the tiles before and after they are laid – you should also use the correct grout for encaustic tiles. When selecting your patterns, consider a combination of designs or a single pattern, then look at floor and wall placement to ensure visual balance of pattern and white space is applied to allow the pattern to shine. Q I’ve inherited an 1850s deep-red mahogany dining table and would love to pair it with contemporary dining chairs. What designs and colours do you recommend? Jessica, via Instagram “Selecting chairs for an 1850s piece can be a challenge, but you have a couple of options to explore,” says Emma Blomfield, stylist and co-founder of The Decorating School (thedecoratingschool.com). “My first suggestion would be to use linen slipcovers that cover the full length of the chair legs. Linen is relaxed yet sophisticated, so works well with the formal look of the mahogany. Another option would be to find vintage chairs from a similar era and have them painted in a tone that suits your existing space. You could also consider transparent chairs, like the Philippe Starck ‘Ghost’ chair (left), for a twist on a classic style. Another option is to have traditional-style dining chairs covered in modern upholstery, with painted legs to suit the room.” Q I want to open up the back of my house to the garden and I can’t decide between bi-fold and stacking doors. What are the pros and cons of each? Sophia, via Instagram “Bi-fold doors are perfect for a seamless connection from indoor to outdoor areas as they can open up a wider area,” says Christine Evans, marketing manager at Stegbar (stegbar. com.au). “They neatly fold away for full access, however, they will intrude slightly into living spaces. They also provide the option to open one active door. Stacking doors offer space-saving versatility by allowing doors to slide across and stack on the fixed door, however, they don’t provide as much opening space as bi-fold. Both can be screened and a retractable screen is an excellent option to keep the bugs out – they have the added advantage of sliding out of sight when not in use, especially handy for bi-fold doors.” Q My lawn has quite a few clover patches and some dead patches. What can I do in winter to get it looking good for spring? Lachlan, via Facebook “Lawns can take some time to improve, but they also really slow down in the cooler months so it’s hard to effffect change and still keep them looking good,” says Matt Leacy of Landart Landscapes (landart.com.au). “If you use herbicide to kill the clover, you’ll be left with dead patches for a lot longer, as the lawn is growing so slowly. Similarly, fertiliser is much less effffective at this time of year and can damage the lawn. I’d wait until the start of spring to kill the weeds and fertilise the grass. In the meantime, mow it regularly so you can’t see the clover, but keep it a bit longer than you would in summer to maximise photosynthesis and keep it looking as green as possible.”