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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 What’s the ideal size for a dining table? We love entertaining but most of the time it’ll just be our family of four at the table. Angelica, via email The perfect size for your dining table will depend on the size of the room. Select a table that will create good visual balance with existing elements in your room and allow for good traffic flow. Ensure you have a minimum of 900mm between furniture and walls. A versatile length is 2400mm – this length allows each person to have 60cm of space when entertaining and can seat 10 people. To help the scale feel more intimate, suspend a pendant light. To maximise the seating when entertaining, don’t forget to think about the location and size of the table legs – if they’re too close to the end of the table, no-one can sit at the end. The width is an important consideration – my ideal width is 1200mm when space permits, as it allows for serving dishes, candles and flowers and can be used as a work surface for the many other roles a table plays. Q Could you advise on paving around a pool? Which stones work best, and should I be looking at other options like concrete pavers? Emily, via email
“I always lean towards durable natural stone tiles and generally the more dense varieties such as bluestone, granite and limestone,” says Josh Harrison of Harrison’s
Landscaping (harrisons landscaping.com.au). “Salt and chlorine water is super corrosive, so the material needs to be tough. Softer materials, such as sandstone, will break down over time. Pools are typically positioned in the direct sun so before you choose a really light- coloured stone, make sure you consider the glare factor. From a safety perspective, it’s also important to ensure the tile is slip-rated for use around pools.” Q I’m thinking of getting a water fifilter system in the kitchen, with the dispenser at the corner of my sink. Should I use the same finish as my kitchen mixer, or pick white so it blends in with my white benchtop? Sarah, via Facebook “Choosing all the finishes in your kitchen is often a hard choice, since you have the cabinetry, benchtop, a number of appliances and also tapware to take into account,” says Adrian Cugnetto, marketing manager at Billi (billi.com.au). “We usually recommend limiting the number of colours and finishes for a cleaner look. Positioning a dispenser at the corner of your sink is a smart choice, since it’s easy to access and means the filtration unit sits out of the way under the sink. I would advise matching your dispenser with the mixer tap for a modern look that’s in line with current kitchen trends.” Q We are finally getting around to some garden improvements. Any ideas for an unobtrusive clothesline? Richard, via Instagram
“There are lots of options available when it comes to choosing a clothesline for your outdoor area,”
says Bunnings cleaning buyer Ashlee Tanner. “If you’re tight on space, a folding or retractable clothesline is a smart choice. The TopDry 23m double folding clothesline from Bunnings is a versatile option, which is mounted on an unused wall and folded flat when not in use. The TopDry 39m retractable clothesline is a similarly unobtrusive solution. Retractable clotheslines are also mounted to the wall in most cases. The lines can be extended and attached to a receiving bracket on an opposite wall or post. When the lines are retracted, the unit takes up very little space – ideal for narrow pathways down the side of a house!”