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Each issue, we’ll find stylish solutions to all your decorating and design dilemmas from those in the know

Your design issues are stylishly sorted

recently inherited a few pieces of vintage furniture – they have sentimental value and I don’t want to sell them, but I can’t see how to make them work in our modern home. Can you

suggest anything? Lisa, via Instagram “Mixing older, sentimental pieces with new items is one of the easiest, most fun ways to create a home rather than just a house,” says interior designer Suzanne Gorman of Studio Gorman (studiogorman.com). “If you feel a piece is chunky or too dark, embrace its uniqueness rather than shying away from it. Give it space and contrast it with a modern pendant, art or architectural chair. Smaller sentimental pieces, such as vases, lamps or bowls, are great arranged in a vignette on a minimalist, clean-lined table. Work with complementary materials, tones and shapes, and play with heights and sizes. Reupholstering vintage furniture is another brilliant way to restore life to a piece and make it work with other items.”

recommending I install an induction cooktop. Will I have

to replace my pans? Dani, via email “Induction essentially works on a magnetic pulse that transfers from the inductor zone through the glass to heat the pan,” explains Daniel Bertuccio, marketing manager [Ilve] Eurolinx Australia (eurolinx.com.au) “It’s fantastic for flat pan-frying, simmering and slow cooking (such as sauces and stews), as the heat remains consistent. It’s not so great for wok- cooking or stir-frying as a high-intensity heat won’t rise around the side of the pan. If a magnet sticks to your existing pots and pans, they’ll work with induction. Most credible brands are induction compatible, so anything bought in the last five to seven years should be OK. However, if the magnet test doesn’t work, you may need to replace your cookware, as this magnetic base is essential for it to connect with the magnetic pulse of the cooktop.”