Today I’m giving you a full look inside my new home office, sharing the exact pieces I used and, more importantly, the design decisions behind it so you can create your own stylish home office. Even if you’re renting or working with an awkward layout.

If you’re searching for home office ideas or inspiration, I hope this space shows that you don’t need a huge room or a massive budget to create something beautiful.

Related article: Designing your dream home office: A space that fuels inspiration
Related article: DIY oversized pinboard for under $30 (designer look on a budget)

Designing a home office in an awkward-shaped room

A challenge in this room is that it isn’t perfectly square. The door is positioned on an angled wall that swings inwards, creating a large dead zone that could have easily become wasted space.

Instead of fighting the layout, I decided to embrace it, and create three mini zones:

• zone 1: a bookshelf zone to hide those unsightly cables and internet boxes (and also a DIY upcycle project)
• zone 2: a cosy armchair nook for filming and flexible work
• zone 3: a structured desk area anchored by large-scale artwork.

Breaking the room into zones instantly made it feel purposeful rather than awkward. This is one of my top small home office ideas if you’re working with a tricky floorplan.

Zone 1: The DIY bookshelf feature

One of my favourite parts of this room is the bookshelf. Mostly because it cost me almost nothing!

It’s also the first thing you see in the space and offers me the chance to effortlessly switch up the decor and display elements. I love any excuse to do some bookshelf styling!

I salvaged an old IKEA bookshelf that someone had left on the side of the road (proof that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure!). Then, I gave it new life using Dulux chalk paint in the shade Battle Dress. This colour is a beautiful grounding green that adds depth without overwhelming the room.

To elevate it further, I lined the back with green corduroy fabric from Spotlight. The texture adds warmth and a subtle pattern, making it feel bespoke and layered.

This bookshelf is not only stylish but it’s also super functional. The pop of colour anchors the entire room while hiding all those unsightly cables and my internet box. Plus it’s a space for me to display my books, trinkets and decor.

If you’re looking for renter-friendly home office ideas, painting secondhand furniture is such an effective way to create personality without touching the walls.

Zone 2: A cosy armchair nook for flexible work

Not every task needs a desk. I created a relaxed corner with the beautiful Lorraine armchair from Lifely. This chair is a real sculptural piece that feels soft and inviting while still looking elevated.

From my cosy nook, I love to film design tips, make phone calls, do some creative thinking and work on my laptop (when I don’t need to be sitting at my desk with dual screens!).

Having a comfortable seating option is one of the most overlooked home office inspiration ideas. It makes your office feel like a space you want to spend time in. Not just somewhere that you have to work.

The side table is another curb side find that I spray painted in Dulux Vintage Beige in their chalk spray paint range.

Zone 3: The desk setup

For the main desk zone (aka the work part), I chose the Hudson home office desk from Lifely. It’s clean-lined, timeless and doesn’t visually clutter the space — which is important in a smaller room.

I like the curved edges. They really help with flow in a small office space. Curves add softness to all the angular lines in my space, and I don’t have to worry about hitting myself on a hard corner desk.

My office chair (the Tim office chair) blends beautifully without feeling bulky, keeping the overall look refined rather than corporate. I’m having a bit of a love affair with brown at the moment and love how it picks up the brown of the artwork behind.

Speaking of artwork, behind the desk, I hung the stunning ‘Two of a Kind’ artwork from Gioia Wall Art. Using large-scale artworks is one of my go-to home office ideas because it instantly elevates the room while adding a splash of fun and personality. It creates a fabulous, professional backdrop for video calls and meetings, and gives the desk an anchored feel.

Removable velcro strips are a fab way to hang artwork if you don’t want to add in a hook. Don’t think that just because you’re renting, you can’t display art.

Not forgetting the all important floor, I layered the Agnes 2457 beige modern patterned rug from Rugs of Beauty. A rug softens the room acoustically, adds warmth and helps visually define the desk zone.

If you’re renting, rugs are one of the best ways to transform a space without making permanent changes.

My DIY oversized pinboard

I’m an incredibly visual person, so I knew my oversized pinboard needed to be front and centre in my home office space. I actually made it myself, using leftover cardboard packaging! It’s holding up incredibly well and adds texture and visual interest while being super practical.

I love using it to showcase samples, fabric swatches, inspirational pieces and project notes. This is one of my favourite budget home office ideas because it proves you don’t need expensive joinery to create a functional design feature.

If you’d like to make your own, I’ve shared the full step-by-step designer DIY here.

Home office ideas for renters

Just because you’re renting doesn’t mean you can’t have a beautiful, functional and aesthetic space. It’s important to remember you don’t need built-ins or structural changes to create a stylish home office. You just need thoughtful styling and a clear vision.

Focus on furniture over fixtures

When updating a home office, it’s easy to assume structural changes or new fixtures are the answer. In reality, furniture has far greater impact, and much more flexibility.

Use rugs and artwork to create impact instead of painting walls

A full repaint isn’t always practical, especially in rentals, shared spaces or homes where the office may evolve over time. Instead, use rugs and artwork to inject personality and create visual impact.

My pinboard is a real statement piece. It’s something I just lean against the wall as this ensures no damage to the wall. I’ve seen some people design full wall leaning bookshelves, so if you’re handy, you could do something even bigger and more impactful.

If I was staying here longer, I would consider a DIY like this. Maybe in my next home… you never know!

Refresh secondhand pieces with paint or fabric

Secondhand furniture often has better bones than many new pieces… it just needs updating. A simple coat of paint can transform a tired desk or set of drawers into something that feels current and cohesive with the rest of the room.

Even just swapping out handles for something more your style can completely change the feel of cabinetry.

I love to add colour and invest in pieces you can take with you. Upcycling furniture is a cheap and low-risk way to add splashes of colour. If it doesn’t work, no stress because it was going to landfill anyway.

In my space, I love how both upcycled pieces turned out and they allowed me to splurge on other items.

Create defined zones within one room

In many homes, the office shares space with a bedroom, living area or open-plan zone. Creating subtle boundaries helps the workspace feel purposeful rather than temporary.

Clear zones support better focus during the day and make it easier to mentally step away from work after hours.

Add texture to make the space feel custom

Texture is often what separates a functional office from a beautifully layered one. Incorporating fabric-backed shelving, upholstered pinboards, woven baskets, textured cushions or layered curtains adds warmth and softness to a space that can otherwise feel hard and cold.

I replaced my curtains with sheer curtains from The Hues. When I leave, I can take these curtains with me but swapping them from the heavy, aged blockout curtains lets in so much light and makes the space feel way more luxe.

It’s the considered details that ultimately give a home office its personality. And I’m so happy with how my space tuned out. What do you think?!

Shop my home office

• Hudson home office desk — Lifely
• Lorraine armchair — Lifely
• ‘Two of a Kind’ artwork — Gioia
• Agnes 2457 Beige Rug — Rugs of Beauty
• Sheer curtains — The Hues
• IKEA bookshelf — upcycled with Dulux Battle Dress chalk paint and corduroy fabric from Spotlight.

I hope my home office makeover has inspired you to create a dedicated workspace or refresh yours if it’s feeling flat. Whether you’re starting with a blank canvas, or working with a tricky rental space, a few thoughtful updates and styling tricks can transform even the smallest corner into a productive space.

More home office inspo

The post My home office reveal: Stylish home office ideas (even for renters) appeared first on Style Curator.

Related article: Inspo alert: Ideas on how to decorate a boy’s bedroom
Related article: Stylish kid’s rugs you’ll actually want in your home

Palm tree wallpaper feature wall

Without a doubt the biggest change in Patrick’s bedroom was the addition of this abstract green palm tree wallpaper. It’s actually removable wallpaper by Boho Art + Styling, making it super easy to install (I did it solo!). Available in a wide range of colours, I love how it sets a playful yet sophisticated vibe.

If you’re looking to add a big splash of colour or visual texture to your space, check out the full range of removable wallpapers here.

New bed and bedside table

Another big change was the furniture. I switched his single bed to this double timber bed from Temple & Webster. The main reason was so Patrick and Alexander can sleep together if they want… rather than crawl into my bed! 

I can’t say it’s resolved the issues of co-sleeping entirely but it’s certainly helped. And there are many other reasons I’m glad we gave Patrick a bigger bed, such as being able to watch movies together at night using a projector onto his ceiling.

Wanting to add more storage in Patrick’s room, I also switched out the shelf bedside table to this double drawer bedside from Mocka. Called the Eclipse, it’s affordable yet still great quality. And I love the minimalist design that can adapt to different styles in case I change up Patrick’s bedroom in the future, which let’s face it is highly likely!

Chic grid bedding

How fab is this grid bedding by the way?! It’s from luxe bedding brand LinenMe where I also got the stripe bedding in my bedroom that you guys loved so much.

I paired a few of their navy and white grid pillowcases with their white and navy grid sheet set and quilt cover. It’s a little bit playful without being childish. I can also see plenty of ways to change up the look by switching in a few solid coloured pillowcases in bolder pops of colour, accent cushions and throw.

Arch wall shelves

To add some interest to the other wall, I installed a couple of arch wall shelves. Originally painted in high gloss varnish, I used that oven cleaner hack to strip them back to a raw timber look — so much better!

Patrick mainly uses these to display his awards from school or notes from friends… or just things he doesn’t want Alexander to reach!

DIY wall art poster

On this wall I also designed and printed a large poster for Patrick. ‘You shine brighter than all the stars’ is a little reminder to him of how special he is to me. I selected colours that I could repeat across the space to give his bedroom cohesion.

Creating your own wall art is one of my favourite budget home decorating hacks. All you need is a large poster frame (Kmart and IKEA have a fab range) and then using a program like Canva, you can easily design a poster to suit your theme. Print it out at Officeworks or a local printer, pop it in your frame and presto — affordable and unique wall art!

Better toy storage solutions

Keeping kids toys organised is a challenge every parent faces! And taking inspo from our round up of the best toy storage solutions, I bought this drawer unit from IKEA. It’s cheap and cheerful and makes it so easy for the boys to tidy up after play time.

If you have more space, it looks great to place several of these side by side. You can also mix and match the drawer units and finish them off with labels for #organisationgoals!

Bean bag corner

I removed the desk in Patrick’s room as it took up a lot of space and he mostly uses our dining table for craft and school work. In its place, I picked up a giant bean bag from Lujo and it’s become Patrick’s favourite place to chill out after school.

A few years ago, I got one of their smaller sage-coloured bean bags for Alexander’s room. This one is an adult-sized bean bag so it’s big enough for both boys to sit on… or at a squeeze, me too!

New wool carpet

A change I made throughout our house was to replace all the carpet with this luxe knotted wool carpet from Flooring Xtra. Called ‘Applewood 150’ from their Native Elegance range, it’s made such a difference to brighten the room and create the illusion of space. I’m also thankful to get rid of the large area rug that was hiding the ugly stained carpet because it was quite the trip hazard!

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Linen blend sheer curtains

Finally, the wall-to-wall sheer curtain in a float length from dollar curtains + blinds gives the room a luxe feel and diffuses light so beautifully. If you’re looking for a similar warm white linen blend curtain fabric, this one is called ‘Banksia’ in colour ‘Natural’.

I’d love to know what you think of Patrick’s bedroom glow up! Pop a comment below. Also happy to answer any questions about products, design decisions or anything else! Find plenty more boy’s bedroom design ideas in this article.

More kids home inspo

The post Patrick’s palm tree bedroom glow up: Boy’s bedroom design appeared first on Style Curator.

One aspect of our home that needed attention were our window coverings so let me share with you the new window treatments I selected from dollar curtains + blinds.

Related article: The best window coverings to insulate your home
Related article: 7 essential considerations when choosing blinds for your home

Kitchen and dining window coverings

In our kitchen and dining area, we had light filtering honeycomb blinds. Although I initially loved these when we had them installed years ago, over time they became discoloured and the cordless mechanism inside broke so they would no longer open fully. It meant we always had the view at least half blocked with brownish blinds. Not exactly the look I’m going for!

In this space I knew I wanted window coverings that were minimalist and low maintenance. It’s the busiest part of our house where our young kids and dog Hulk will unleash their energy. Ultimately, I decided simple white light filtering roller blinds were the best window covering solution and I couldn’t be happier with how they have brightened and lifted this space.

Living room sheer curtain

One of my favourite spaces now is our living room, thanks to the new sheer curtain that diffuses light so beautifully in here. Previously, we had two small sheer curtains on the corner window. But when the afternoon sun hit, the room would become uncomfortable with too much light and heat coming through the large glass sliding door. 

dollar curtains + blinds offer so many track options, including curved tracks for corner windows. So we replaced the small corner window curtains with a large, seamless sheer curtain. It runs from the start of the sliding door all the way across to the end window. Game changer!

Bedroom sheer curtains

Years ago, when we installed sheer curtains in the bedrooms, the look was to have them puddle on the floor. Two kids later and my views on overlength curtains has changed a lot, ha ha. 

Not only is the extra length a bit of a dust collector, it also contributed to the kids breaking many of the curtain tracks. Despite my best efforts stop them playing in the curtains, kids will be kids. And whenever they stepped on the curtains, I’d hear a snap of the curtain unclipping or worse, breaking from the track. 

I’ve also learnt a lot more about window coverings over the years and some key tips are to:

• run your curtain as tall and wide as possible to create the illusion of a larger space. This is why I made our new bedroom curtains larger, running from wall to wall
• sit your sheer curtains off the floor to better highlight the shape of the fold
• embrace a textured fabric to bring more depth to your space. I selected ‘Banksia Natural’ curtain fabric from dollar curtains + blinds for all the rooms.

(All of the sheer curtains I removed were either reused or recycled.)

Master bedroom window coverings

Finally, our master bedroom had a total window covering overhaul. I felt like this space was drowning in fabric and the mechanisms in our honeycomb blinds had broken.

I ummmed and ahhhed a lot about what kind of window coverings I should install. Every type of window covering has pros and cons and it took a while to weigh up what was most important to me. Was it to have total blockout, the best control of privacy, or the aesthetic?

While recess fit honeycomb blinds have the smallest light gap of any recess fit blind, they can look somewhat harsh when there isn’t a curtain in front of them. Because I knew I would not install a curtain on the two smaller windows, I wanted a minimalist window covering. Again, I decided on a simple roller blind to drop away and allow the artwork to be the hero of the wall. The difference of light gap between honeycomb and roller is minimal and I’m so happy with this solution.

Oh, I can’t forget to mention that gorgeous ceiling mount sheer curtain we installed on the main window wall. Following the tips I mentioned above, we ran this curtain from wall to wall and had it sit off the floor to let the fabric hang in that lovely wavefold pattern.

If you have any questions about the window treatments that I chose, pop a comment below and I’ll get back to you asap. You can also explore the full range of window coverings at dollar curtains + blinds on their website or connect with them on Instagram for plenty of design inspo.

More from my home

Window coverings were gifted by dollar curtains + blinds but all opinions expressed in this blog post are my own.

The post Gina’s home: Contemporary and low maintenance window coverings appeared first on Style Curator.

Related article: How I built a ledge wall in our bedroom: Convex wall panel shelf with terrazzo top
Related article: DIY outdoor dining table with tiled pillar legs

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Items you will need:

• 2 pieces of 600×600 natural terrazzo tile
• T-Rex glue (or other super strong glue suitable for stone)
• 4 x besser blocks (or other sturdy object to help with drying)
• Pencil
• Ruler

Steps:

1. Have the terrazzo tiles cut into 3 pieces. You’ll want 2 rectangular pieces that are 254mm wide x 450mm high. These will form the base. And a larger top piece of terrazzo that is 254mm x 600mm. For interest, I had one side of the rectangular top piece cut into a curve.

Natural terrazzo needs to be cut with a wet saw or angle grinder and wet sponge. I had a tiler friend cut the stone for me. However, if you don’t have one of those, you could take the tiles to a stone mason and pay a cutting fee. Or for the most precise results, you could use a water jet cutting marble and stone service.

2. Start by gluing the 2 smaller pieces of stone together in a T shape. Use a ruler to find the centre point of one piece of terrazzo and glue the spine of the other tile at this point. See the image below for how I used besser blocks to hold the stone in place.

3. Then glue along the top line of the T base and place your larger (curved) piece of terrazzo on top.

4. Allow the glue to dry for 24 hours and then your new luxe terrazzo side table is ready to use!

See, I told you this tutorial was simple

Has this DIY terrazzo side table tutorial inspired you to make your own pieces of furniture? You could get really creative and make any shape you like — just keep in mind simple physics and create a sturdy base so it doesn’t tip over. Let me know what you think of this furniture tutorial in the comments below!

More DIYs for the home

The post DIY terrazzo side table: Make your own luxe stone side table appeared first on Style Curator.

Related article: Gina’s alfresco makeover: Taking my front balcony from drab to fab!
Related article: How I built a ledge wall in our bedroom: Convex wall panel shelf with terrazzo top

Wall colour and half height ledge wall

The most dramatic change was probably switching from a mid-grey wall colour to this lovely creamy-white called ‘Organic 2’ by Haymes. It’s a colour I’ve specified a few times for clients and I always love the result. So when I was looking for the perfect shade of white paint for my bedroom, I didn’t have to think too hard!

Building out the ledge wall or half height wall behind our bedhead also transformed the room. Made from the new Easycraft Convex MDF decorative wall panel with a natural terrazzo tile top, it adds texture and depth to the room. I love how the undertones of the stone work harmoniously with the wall colour while the stone chips add subtle pops of colour.

I couldn’t be happier with the paint colour and how this bedhead feature turned out… especially as I had no idea what I was doing while building it. Find my how-to (or how-not-to) tutorial to build the ledge wall here.

New bedroom furniture

With a new colour palette in the space, I sold our old grey bedroom furniture on Facebook Marketplace and got some gorgeous new pieces from RJ Living.

The floating style timber bed base is called ‘Serene’ and it suits the minimalist aesthetic of this space to a T. And I also selected two ‘Ambience’ bedside tables from RJ Living, which pick up on the oak timber accents yet aren’t match-matchy. The craftsmanship of these pieces and solid oak construction means they’ve been designed to last.

Bed styling

Of course, a gorgeous bed needs gorgeous bedding. So many of you complimented this stripe linen bedding when I shared it on Instagram. It’s a splurge buy but so worth it. I’ve had this sheet set on repeat… like wash, hang, remake the bed, repeat!

It’s called ‘Ticking stripe’ in colour natural from LinenMe and I paired it with their natural linen Euro pillowcases and throw.

Dreamy knotted wool carpet

After walls, the largest surface area in a room is the floor. And boy did our old carpet need an upgrade! I selected this divine knotted wool carpet called ‘Native Elegance Applewood 150’ from Flooring Xtra and am OBSESSED! It’s so soft and luxurious underfoot and the lighter colour makes the room feel so much larger.

Luxe terrazzo side table

As well as a new bed and bedside tables, I also made this terrazzo side table using offcuts of terrazzo from my bedhead wall. It was ridiculously simple to make (although I had someone cut the tile for me) and is one of my favourite pieces in the space. Check out the tutorial I shared on how to make this terrazzo side table.

Upgraded window coverings

Another big change was upgrading our window coverings. Our old blockout honeycomb blinds had broken and could no longer move up or down. I also felt the room was drowning in fabric from our old sheers. So I decided to pare things back and installed recess fit blockout roller blinds in all the windows and dressed our main window wall in a wavefold sheer curtain from dollar curtains + blinds. The curtain fabric is called ‘Banksia’ in colour ‘Natural’ for those of you looking for a similar linen blend warm white curtain fabric.

Large abstract wall art

You guys know how much I love wall art and to set the tone for this room, I selected a gorgeous large abstract called ‘Coast to Coast’ by artist Serena Ella on Bluethumb. Framed in a box oak frame, this piece ties all the elements of the room together — and even perfectly matches the terrazzo stone I picked!

Ambient lighting

Keeping with the minimalist aesthetic, I also replaced our black hanging pendant lights with these backlit round wall lights from Beacon Lighting. They cast a much warmer, softer light, totally transforming the feel of the room.

Originally black light fixtures, I painted them in the same colour as the wall and added baking powder to the paint to create a clay-like effect. It’s such a simple DIY that completely transforms the look of the light fixture.

I hope sharing details of my bedroom makeover has offered you some design inspiration. I’d love to know what you think of the new look room. Or if you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comment section below and I’ll get back to you asap.

More bedroom styling tips and inspo

The post Gina’s minimalist modern bedroom makeover appeared first on Style Curator.

Determined to give this project a go myself, I pulled out the power tools and got my DIY on… Although full disclaimer, I had ZERO idea what I was doing and my technique is definitely not best practice. But it worked. And I love it. So I’m sharing how I built a ledge wall in our bedroom in case any of you feel inspired to create something similar.

Related article: Gina’s bathroom renovation reveal: Take a peek around my new bathroom
Related article: Gina’s alfresco makeover: Taking my front balcony from drab to fab!

Items you will need:

• Convex wall panels (I bought 3 pieces of 900mm x 1200mm Easycraft ‘Convex 30’ from Bunnings)
• Framing timber (can be bought in varying lengths from Bunnings in the timber yard)
• Terrazzo tiles (this one is from Vulcano Design)
• Drill (it helps to have two drills so you can use one to drill pilot holes and one to screw)
• Screws
• TRex or super strong timber glue
• Paint (this colour is ‘Organic 2’ by Haymes)
• Paint brush
• Silicone (‘Titanium’ colour by Soudal)
• Gap filler

Steps:

1. Start by painting all of the decorative MDF Convex wall panels with undercoat.

2. Once dry, I began work on the timber frame. This is where I was majorly winging things. In hindsight I probably should have watched a few YouTube videos on how to build a timber frame but I figured it would all work out.

The first thing I did was cut down 6 pieces of framing timber. I wanted these to sit directly on the wall (ie above the skirting) and have a height of 900mm from the ground.

Then I attached these directly onto the wall at equal distances of around 500mm apart. I used a combination of TRex glue and timber screws to secure them onto the wall (see second image below).

3. Then the puzzle work of timber framing began. And there’s no need to come at me for my technique. I know how I built this ledge wall isn’t how any qualified carpenter would tackle the project.

Personally, I found it easier to work in a bits and pieces approach because I was building the wall myself (with the occasional assistance of my gorgeous little apprentice Alexander). Without a second set of hands to accurately measure the full wall width and height etc, I chose to slowly build out the wall by adding timber frame on top of timber frame. So that’s exactly what I did.

In the end, I used 4 pieces of timber frame on top of each other to create the wall depth I wanted. For stability, I ran the timber in alternating directions, and used screws and super strong glue to secure them onto each other.

The images below show the process I used to build the timber frame.

4. With the frame complete, I started work on adding the decorative panels.

Because I wanted to run electrical through the shelf wall, I simply used electrical tape to hold the boards in place. This allowed me to check the length was perfect while still making it possible for my electrician to get in behind to remove power points and switches.

5. Then the electrician came and moved the light switches and power points onto the face of the decorative wall panel.

6. With the wiring complete, I then went ahead and glued all of the decorative panels in place by using TRex glue. I used a lot of electrical tape to strap the panels in place while they dried.

The next day I checked on the job and noticed a little bit of bowing. So I added more glue and secured the boards in place once again with tape until dry.

7. Then it was on to touch up. I filled in any small gaps with gap filler and once dry, I painted the panel with low sheen paint.

8. To give this shelf wall a little somethin’ somethin’, I picked out a gorgeous peachy-pink terrazzo tile as the top. It’s difficult to cut real terrazzo (you need a wet saw) so I had a builder friend do this for me at a depth of 175mm. Because I have young kids and I didn’t want any sharp edges in my bedroom, I also had the end pieces rounded.

9. Finally, I filled in any gaps around the terrazzo with silicone. The trick to controlling silicone is to use Windex and a small paddle-pop stick.

And that’s it! Despite the hot mess of timber work behind the panel… you can’t tell now that it’s finished.

I’m beyond thrilled with this DIY home renovation project! Thankfully this home improvement idea turned out just how I imagined and it’s completely elevated the look of our bedroom.

If you have any questions about how I built this ledge wall, pop them in the comments below and I’ll get back to you asap. While I wouldn’t say this is an easy DIY home reno idea, it is still an achievable home improvement project for beginners.

More home reno inspo

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The post How I built a ledge wall in our bedroom: Convex wall panel shelf with terrazzo top appeared first on Style Curator.

Related article: 5 outdoor materials to revamp your patio: Alfresco design inspo
Related article: DIY outdoor dining table with tiled pillar legs

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Balcony before

The biggest issue with our alfresco area was our choice of floor tile. Dark grey, it showed every leaf and fleck of dirt. The space was also completely under-utilised.

Retiling the outdoor space

Firstly, it was time to do something about that floor tile! I love natural stone and ever since I used Bluestone marble pavers in the courtyard of our Erskineville project, I was inspired to do something similar at our house.

For our home, I decided on Tundra Grey natural stone tiles. It’s a light grey limestone with plenty of variation… perfect for disguising mess I also love that this stone has warmer colouring. Laid in a staggered pattern in 600 x 400 size, I’m so happy with how this new tile has completely lifted our outdoor space.

Making my own outdoor table

Then the space was ready to furnish. And while there is so much gorgeous outdoor furniture on the market now… most of it comes with a pretty hefty price tag! I had a strong idea in my mind of an outdoor table I wanted to make, and when I finally found all the materials I needed — I got to work.

Using Kmart side tables for the legs that I clad in white finger mosaic tiles, and an MDF board that I cut into a pill shape for the tabletop, my DIY outdoor table took shape. Check out the full how-to DIY here.

Styling the alfresco area

Then it was onto the fun part of styling up the space. I used a selection of plants in white pots and I refreshed some of my older white pots with a new coat of paint. If you’re unsure what plants grow well in pots, check out this article on plants that love living in pots. I used suggestions from this list, including camellias and citrus plants.

To give the space ambient lighting once the sun goes down, I also installed a range of solar outdoor lights from Hoselink. Under the eave I used warm festoon lights — which if you ask me are the definition of party lights! In the pots I used those oh-so-stylish globe solar lights and I also styled the table with a couple of solar lantern lights.

I’m so thrilled with how our outdoor space turned out. It feels so much more inviting and I cannot wait to entertain friends and family out here. Best of all, rather than cringing every time I look at this space, I feel a sense of joy. Isn’t it incredible how much our surroundings can affect our mood?!

I’d love to know what you think if my alfresco glow up! And more importantly, has it offered any inspiration to you for your home?! Drop me a comment below!

More outdoor inspiration

The post Gina’s alfresco makeover: Taking my front balcony from drab to fab! appeared first on Style Curator.

All these changes amounted to a lot of trades and some pretty long lead times. So, without further wait, let me show you around our newly renovated bathroom!

Related article: Everything you need to know about picking the right grout
Related article: How to create a digital mood board

Inspiration for the space

Our bathroom renovation came about due to water damage. So although I still loved the look of our previous bathroom, I decided to take the opportunity to give the space a fresh new feel. We also decided to resolve other issues in the space, like bad spatial planning.

Since building our house, I’ve had the opportunity to design dozens of bathrooms for others. I’ve become far more confident in creating bathroom schemes. So I was eager to use what I’ve learnt and create our own dream bathroom.

My goal was to create a bathroom that fits the contemporary style of our home, while also feeling light and luxe. While I was originally thinking of using marble feature tiles to tie in with the other marble accents in our home, my selections evolved during the design process.

Here is the original mood board I created.

From this mood board, I refined my ideas further. I decided on a warmer, stone-look tile to fit with the tones of our home, like the polished concrete in the main living areas. It also felt like a more current tile choice to me as warmer tones are gaining popularity in design. Because of the subtle marble pattern in this tile, I had to change the marble mosaic feature tile. I actually questioned whether to use a feature tile at all but in the end locked in a matte white kitkat tile.

Next, I changed our vanity to a white vanity with a v-groove drawer front. With the added warmth in the tiles, I didn’t feel the need to use a timber vanity. I love the contemporary style of this vanity profile. The pill mirror stayed and I took the opportunity to add more storage space by switching it to a shaving cabinet (rather than just a mirror).

Although I love brushed platinum tapware, for consistency in our home, I reverted back to matte black.

Watch this quick reel to see a video mood board of the space coming together.

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A post shared by Gina Ciancio | Style Curator (@stylecuratorau)

Major changes

Layout

Although I’ve talked a lot about the materials and look of our bathroom, the biggest change and main reason for the renovation was to fix the water damage and layout.

Previously, we had almost no usable floor space which made it awkward to do anything in here — especially bathing two young kids every night! I also hated that the first thing you saw as you entered the space was the toilet. And don’t even get me started on the cleaning nightmare that came with having a free-standing bath in such a tight space.

This photo is deceiving — a wide angle lens will do that — but here is our bathroom before. If you imagine the door open, you can visualise the lack of space I’m talking about.

Because the room is quite narrow, it limited what layout options we had. We explored having a separate shower and bath, a shower over the bath, and a wet room with a shower next to the bath, which we ultimately decided on.

To eliminate the cleaning issues of not being able to get in and behind our previous free-standing bath, we created a hob for a drop-in bath instead. And by running a single panel of glass up into the ceiling, it has created a walk-in shower that feels spacious while only taking up a fraction of the space of our previous shower.

With the shower moving next to the bath, we pushed our vanity (previously in the middle of the room) to be hard against the right wall. As well as changing the style of the vanity, we changed from a basin mixer to a wall spout as I prefer the streamline look of a wall tap. I also changed the oversized round mirror to the pill shaving cabinet. This round mirror was not intended for bathroom use and had begun bubbling with corrosion.

Hot tip: always use a copper-free mirror in bathrooms.

I love this combination of vanity and shaving cabinet — it’s contemporary and streamlined. It’s also more in proportion with the size of our bathroom. Those Flos wall lights add the most beautiful ambient lighting. We also installed LED strip lighting above and below the shaving cabinet, and under the vanity.

We also moved the toilet from being smack bang in the centre of the room to behind the vanity (watch the video above to see). Although it cost a lot in trades to dig more than a metre deep to move sewer pipes, it was one of the best decisions we made in here

Products

As you can see from the before and after pics, the style of this bathroom changed significantly. More than just changing the look of products, we also changed the materials and finishes… after learning some tough lessons!

Our bathroom floor was previously a concrete encaustic tile that I LOVED for about 6 months and then couldn’t stand when I realised what a challenge it was to clean and maintain. I talk more about encaustic tiles in this article. We switched to porcelain tiles, which are far denser and hardwearing. I’m so pleased with how easy they are to care for!

The extra large tile format — 600 x 1200 size — significantly reduces the amount of grout needed which is the weakest part of tiling. Our tiler from Tiling Dynamix did an amazing job, achieving a 1mm grout join with those huge tiles in such a small space.

Tapware was something we skimped on in a few areas when we built our house. In our old bathroom, we used powder-coated tapware… and after a few years it began chipping badly.

Hot tip: always select PVD or electroplated tapware. So this time, we splurged on electroplated black tapware by Astra Walker. It’s far more durable as well as being a more recognised brand should we ever sell our house. We also changed from a pin mixer to a single continuous mixer for a minimalist look.

We added a few ‘nice to have’ features, including heated towel rails and underfloor heating. These black vertical bars are actually heated towel rails by Radiant Heating. Not only do they look more contemporary, they take up less wall space than ladder styles. (I also find they do a better job of warming towels!)

The underfloor heating was a suggestion by one of you who warned that wet rooms can become drafty. The underfloor heating makes it nice and toasty in here, eliminating this issue.

It’s not that sexy to talk toilets but toilet technology has come a long way in recent years. We changed to tornado flush, which is a new flushing system that cleans and flushes both the rim and bowl. This innovation makes it more hygienic and easier to keep your toilet clean.

We also switched the traditional style tastic to a more streamlined model from IXL. From their Luminate range, this sleek tastic is a bathroom heater, exhaust fan and light in one minimalist design. I love how it sits almost flush with the ceiling and drops away, to allow the other features of the bathroom be the focus.

We carried the streamline look right down to the smallest details, including the light switches. Throughout our home we’ve used Saturn Zen switches by Clipsal and I’m a big fan of their minimalist profile — plus I’m a sucker for those changeable icon buttons!

Favourite features

I’m trilled with how our new bathroom came together and although it was a big investment — we spent over $20,000 just on trades to demolish the space, move plumbing, change electrical and switch the door — it was worth it to achieve a more functional and inviting bathroom.

By far, what I’m most happy about is how all of the materials and finishes came together. The space feels tranquil and balanced but plays with shape, texture and lighting to achieve interest

I’m also pleased that we addressed the issue of layout. It was tempting to just do a cosmetic makeover — it certainly would have taken less time and money! — but I knew spatial planning was an issue. And the new layout has resolved this problem. Hooray!

My top bathroom renovation tips

Create a mood board or materials board

There’s a good reason why interior stylists and designers swear by mood boards — they work!

The concept behind a mood board is to pull all of your ideas, products and materials together on a small scale. If it doesn’t work in this small scale, it most likely won’t work in real life — helping to save you from making costly mistakes. It also helps you refine your ideas and make changes… before it’s too late!

Whether you prefer a digital mood board or physical board, take the time to gather swatches and images to create a realistic representation of the space you’re planning to create. This is especially important when doing a bathroom renovation as they are such costly areas to reno. Look at what works well or what may be jarring. Is it too busy or does it lack interest? Try out different combinations and sit with them for several days or weeks before locking in your selections.

Don’t skimp on tiles

So often when I work with clients to design a bathroom, they look to save money on tiles. You may call me bias but I never suggest skimping on tiles. Tiles make up the largest surface area of a bathroom and set the tone for the space. You can immediately spot a low quality tile… so why plaster your walls in them?!

It also costs the same to lay a cheap tile as it does a mid-range/more expensive tile. And when you crunch the numbers, the savings you may make across a whole bathroom by using a cheaper tile is minimal yet the results speak for themselves.

Pick your trades wisely

There’s no point spending a fortune on beautiful products only to have them wrongly installed or ruined by poor trades. I’ve seen the most expensive products look shocking in a space when installed badly and more affordable products look amazing when care has been taken to install them well.

Perhaps we were too picky about our trades (this was one of the biggest delays part way through our project) but I’m glad we insisted on the best to do the work as they did a flawless job.

Special shout out to the team at Tiling Dynamix and Capital Craftsman for their outstanding tiling and carpentry work!

Don’t underestimate the power of lighting

An often overlooked aspect of design is lighting. For our bathroom, I employed the help of lighting expert James Nagel of Luxygen to develop a lighting plan and I LOVE the mood it sets in here.

In this space we have:

• tastic with light for general lighting
• two downlights for general lighting
• two wall lights for task lighting and ambient lighting
• LED strip lights above and below the shaving cabinet and below the vanity for ambient lighting.

He also suggested a low wall light on a sensor by the toilet, which we may install down the track (we have left provision for it).

Read this articles for all his tips on how to design a lighting plan for your bathroom.

Pick your heroes

It can be tempting to want to make a statement out of every aspect of your bathroom but I’m a firm believer in less is more.

There is a lot going on in a bathroom — tiles, vanity, mirror, tapware, bath, accessories, lighting — and if you try to make a statement out of everything, you end up with the sense of elements competing against each other. Rein in your ideas to pick your hero elements and let them steal the show.

Thanks so much for taking a tour of my completed bathroom renovation. I hope you got some ideas for your next project and if you have any questions, just pop them in the comments below and I’ll get back to you asap!

See more of my home

Photography by Thorson Photography

Disclaimer: Some products featured in my bathroom were gifted, however all opinions expressed in this post are my own.

The post Gina’s bathroom renovation: Take a peek around my new bathroom appeared first on Style Curator.

I’m really proud of this playground which I did 99% on my own — I learnt to use lots of new power tools/building materials and most importantly, Patrick absolutely loves it.

Related article: DIY play tent: Make this on-trend tent for your child
Related article: 20 of the best-ever Kmart hacks for kids

Designing the space

I did a lot of research (if you can call trolling Pinterest and Instagram research, haha) to get ideas on the different ‘zones’ I could create in the play area and had a long list of ideas.

Zones you can create in a kids outdoor play space:

• sandpit
• slide
• mud kitchen
• logs to hop along
• cubby
• trampoline
• hopscotch
• rock climbing wall
• water play table
• pool
• dirt tracks/roads for toy cars or trucks
• blackboard
• steering wheel on wall or in a ship.

To create the design, I thought about what things Patrick would enjoy the most. I knew the sandpit and cubby were a must but wasn’t sure what else I could squeeze in so I measured up the space and played around with a few ideas.

Before locking in your layout, check the area for tripping hazards like protruding roots or old tree stumps. For a safe, level base under a cubby, sandpit or slide, consider professional grinding or DIY using stump grinder hire, then finish with turf, mulch or soft-fall.

It was important to me to create a flexible play space that I could change as he developed. I didn’t want to ‘fix’ everything down, like the sandpit, as I know how quickly children can bore of things! A Kmart hack mini outdoor mud kitchen using their bench seat was a quick and portable win, perfect for sensory play. I also picked up their water play table which ended up being a total winner!

For a long time I considered adding an in-built mini pool but felt nervous about having any deep water in the area, and thought I could always put an inflatable pool on the grass on those hot days.

Constructing the play area

This play area was a surprise Christmas present for Patrick so I had to work on it during day naps or after he went to bed at night… so it took a few weeks to do it all! But I think it’s achievable to do in one weekend if you can have both your hands free.

Cubby

The first part of the play area I made was the cubby. You can read all about the Kmart cubby hack here. Patrick absolutely loves this cubby and if you can get your hands on one, I think it’s a great buy for children aged anywhere between 1-6 years. Since sharing the hack, I haven’t changed much other than hanging a sweet pot with succulents.

If I were making the cubby area again though, I would think twice about the IKEA click together outdoor floor decking. To be honest, I love the look of this product but it does get hotter than I expected (a lighter colour probably wouldn’t have this issue) and it also shows dirt more than I thought too.

Sandpit

The next thing I constructed was the sandpit. I had grand ideas in my head of a sandpit that would resemble sand dunes — very abstract and blending down to the ground.

Unfortunately, I used the wrong kind of blocks to achieve this vision. I used Besser blocks when I should have used the much lighter-weight Hebel blocks, and didn’t discover my mistake until after they were cemented in place. Despite buying a special blade and attempting to use an angle grinder (most frightening power tool ever!), I realised I was never going to carve the blocks so I thought of a Plan B.

To achieve a sand dune look, I tinted tile glue (Ardex 52 if anyone wants to do the same) with ‘Sandstone’ coloured oxide and coated the blocks. I applied two coats and tried to smooth out corners to soften the appearance of the blocks. I also carried the sandstone product onto the floor — to help with the sand dune look and to hide all the sand that I knew Patrick would throw onto the ground.

You can buy bagged sand from the hardware store, just be sure to get the right type of sand for a kids sand pit. Any white washed sand is clean and soft, ideal for play areas. Avoid builders sand or unwashed river sand, as these can be too coarse or contain harmful contaminants.

Overall, I’m really happy with the sandpit and I think it may have been a blessing about using the wrong blocks as there are health warnings around Hebel blocks (causing respiratory issues when carved).

Mud kitchen

A really quick and easy DIY in this space is the mud kitchen. Patrick loves getting messy and was filling his cubby house with sand and mud so I created this easy Kmart hack mud kitchen by slightly changing the configuration of the timber storage bench.

Rather than putting the back panel on the bench, I placed it up higher and used L-shaped corner brackets from the hardware store to secure it. I also used a jigsaw to cut out two holes that can fit the silver bowls. A few hooks hold the stainless steel canister for utensils and I added a black basket on the side for other toys. I’ve seen some people add way more hooks, clocks, hanging pot plants and all sorts of other things so you could get a lot more creative!

While this exact bench seat isn’t available any more, Kmart have similar styles you could hack. Or you can find similar products at IKEA, Temple & Webster or Bunnings.

Blackboard and steering wheel

In an attempt to stop Patrick colouring on the walls in the house (and a habit his younger brother has just started!), I created this oversized blackboard, ha ha.

This giant blackboard is just a piece of Marine Plywood that I sealed and coated in two coats of blackboard paint. We screwed it into the side of the shed to secure it in place.

Once it was up, we also added a blue steering wheel. At playgrounds, Patrick always loves pretending to steer so I thought this would be a fun addition.

Water play table

The final thing in this outdoor play area is a bargain sand and water table from Kmart and this (rivalled with the sandpit) is his favourite part of the whole area.

Water tables are great for sensory learning and it comes with a bunch of accessories so he’s always finding something new about it.

Budget-friendly play area ideas

Overall, I tried to keep the costs of this play area down and spend money where it would have the best results. Several years on, I’m updating this article to share what was worth the cost and what I would do differently, as well as new affordable DIY play space ideas.

What was worth the cost?

The kids cubby house was the best investment! My children used it almost daily for 4 years — until they were too tall to comfortably fit in it! Once they outgrew it, I sold it for cheap on Facebook Marketplace so another child could enjoy it.

Another great investment was the sandpit I built. As my kids grew, they invented new games to play in the area. If I were building it again, I’d make it a little bit bigger. When they had friends come over to play, it was a bit of a squeeze to comfortably fit 3 or more kids.

What wasn’t worth the cost or I would do differently

The artificial flowers in the cubby planter boxes looked cute in photos but didn’t last long in the harsh sun. I bought them from Provincial and spent more than I care to admit. In hindsight, I would have bought inexpensive potted fresh flowers or herbs from the nursery so the kids could water them and learn basic plant care skills (while saving money!).

Flooring is important in play spaces. The IKEA click together flooring looked good but got very hot in summer. If I had my time again, I would have used artificial turf under the cubby as it provides cushioning and wouldn’t get as hot.

The blackboard looked good… for about a month! Over time, the chalk didn’t wash off and despite doing touch up painting, it didn’t hold up well.

Shade is an important design element that I always intended to add but never fully resolved. If I were designing another play area for a child, I would either find a more shady spot in the back garden to put it or add proper sun protection with a large shade cloth or pergola.

Other cheap backyard play area ideas

Shop second hand or upcycle old furniture

Buying everything new quickly adds up. You can often find great second hand items on Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree, such as swing sets, climbing frames and cubby houses. I suggest setting up alerts for the things you want to buy so you can snap them up quickly.

Alternatively, you may be able to upcycle old furniture. For example, rather than buying a new storage bench to hack into a mud kitchen, you may be able to find a bench second hand?

Build pallet play equipment

Another affordable material are pallets as many businesses offer these for free. Those made from hardwood (not pine) are ideal for outdoors and can be turned into anything from a cubby to mud kitchen, walking bridge or sandbox.

Create obstacles

As my children got older, they were much more interested in climbing and jumping than digging or play cooking. Things like homemade balance beams, climbing walls or monkey bars would have been great additions.

If you’re planning on creating an epic outdoor play area for your child, I hope you got some ideas from this one I created for Patrick. I’d love to see photos of your space by tagging @stylecuratorau when you share them online or email them to hello@stylecurator.com.au

Check out more Kmart hacks

Photography by Thorson Photography. This article was originally published in January 2018 and has been updated for relevance.

The post Creating an epic outdoor play area for your child appeared first on Style Curator.

Related article: Samantha Hobbelen woodland nursery tour
Related article: Dinosaur themed boy’s room: A peek inside Patrick’s big boy room

Furniture changes

The biggest change in this space is the new house bed that I got from Catch. I’ve always loved house beds and this one stood out because it’s extra low to the ground and also the most affordable one around!

I was after a house bed because I like the idea of being able to string up lights, canopy, bunting or other things and feel that the design would offer a sense of security to Alexander. The bunting around his bed is one I made and I’ll share a DIY on that soon. Perhaps closer to Christmas I’ll switch it to a pine garland and his Christmas stocking. I can tell we (or let’s be real, mainly I) will have lots of fun changing it up

On the bed I’ve used a quilt cover with a subtle whimsical print of dragons and mountains from small business Style Luxe For Less, and paired it with a white Euro cushion and sage corduroy cushion that I sewed myself.

The rocking chair has been switched out for a bean bag to create a cosy and relaxed reading nook. I got this one from New Zealand company Lujo that also do adult-sized bean bags and outdoor ones, too.

The other furniture change in here (if you can call it that) is the tree stump side table. Alexander’s favourite place is our family farm so it’s nice to bring a piece of that into his bedroom. I got the stump a long time ago and now that it’s completely dried out, I finished it off by burning a message into the top and applying a clear wax coating.

Decor updates

A new jute rug from Early Settler anchors the room and brings an earthy feel to the space.

I had a name plaque made with his name and a kookaburra and hung this to the side of his bed. I like how the gum leaves in the plaque are similar to those in the removable wall decals.

On the other side of the room, things are much the same. I just refreshed the styling in the shelves and made a heart wall light (that DIY coming soon!).

The grey chest you may remember is a $20 Salvos buy that I upcycled and you can find that article here.

The verdict

Thankfully this space got a big tick of approval from my little man. He loves the timber set of farm animals I bought from Blush Lane and Co! After a rocky first night in his big boy bed, he loves sleeping in here now.

Do you have any questions about where particular products are from that I didn’t mention? Or just want to leave a comment? Pop it in the comment section below!

More kids room inspo

Photography by Thorson Photography

The post Australian themed boy’s room: Alexander’s big boy room appeared first on Style Curator.

Over the years I’ve helped dozens of clients with bathroom designs and selections but when it’s your own home, it seems so much harder to lock decisions in. In many ways it doesn’t help that my husband and sister-in-law own a bathware store. So I’m spoilt for choice with tiles and bathroom fixtures, and forever changing my mind!

I’m determined to lock in all my selections this week though so I wanted to share what I’m planning and am asking for you input — please comment at the bottom of this post to help me finalise my choices.

Related article: Everything you need to know about lighting your bathroom
Related article: Hamptons luxe bathroom reno that’s loaded with #bathroominspo

Layout

Without a doubt, the thing I regret most about our bathroom is the layout. It’s not a huge space and at the moment there is a free-standing bath, 1100mm vanity, toilet and ridiculously oversized shower. The first thing you see as you enter is the toilet — which I knew I didn’t want when we were building our house but by that stage decision fatigue and endless delays got the better of me and I just went with it — and the swinging door takes up all of the floor space so it’s awkward if there’s more than one person in the bathroom at a time.

I’ve also come to realise that freestanding baths aren’t ideal in small bathrooms as you need free space around them… we don’t have this so there’s a build up of dust that’s impossible to clean behind the bath. I’m certain I’ll choose a back-to-wall bath instead which offers the illusion of a freestanding bath without the cleaning headaches.

This is our current bathroom layout

This is a 2D drawing of our current bathroom. As you can see, the view as you enter is of our toilet and when the door is open, there’s almost no space to move. Our shower could easily be half the size and the layout doesn’t make good use of the space.

And this is the new layout I’m planning…

You’ll see I’m planning on creating a wet area with the shower and bath, and have a single panel of glass that will run up into the ceiling. To create a bit of a feature, I’ll build out the wall of the bath to create a shelf where I can style some indoor plants, candles and that sort of thing (this will also replace the need for a shower shelf/niche).

I like that the first thing you’ll see as you enter will be the vanity and mirror, and that these will be closer to the window for more natural light.

The door will also be moved slightly to the left and replaced with a slider to avoid losing valuable floor space.

To help visualise the new layout, I’ve also created a 3D rendering (ignore the mismatched tapware, it’s just to show positioning and size of bathware).

Tell me, what do you think of the new layout? Is there anything you’d change or do differently? I’d love you to comment below!

Tile choices

The next big decision I need to make is around tile choices and this is where I’m finding it really hard to commit to a decision! Tiles make up the largest surface area in a bathroom so it’s important to get it right.

Our current bathroom has encaustic floor tiles. It was one of the things I loved most about our bathroom when we first finished it as encaustic or cement tiles are softer underfoot. But they are also slightly porous which means you cannot use regular bathroom cleaners or they will stain and discolour. Four and a bit years later, these tiles are one of the things I most dislike about our bathroom! The floor constantly looks dirty and it’s impossible to clean. Now I’m the first to warn people against using an encaustic tile on bathroom floors. These are a great option for vertical applications, such as around a kitchen island or as a feature wall in a bathroom.

Tile selections option 1

The safer option which I’m leaning towards is to use a large slab grey tile in 1200mm x 600mm size with subtle vein. You can see a picture of it below. I would use this on the floor and walls except for the wall above the shelf by the bath where I would use a marble mosaic tile (also pictured below).

I’ve taken both these tile samples home and love how they look in the space. The tones work really well together and to highlight the marble mosaic, I would run a recessed LED strip along the ceiling on that wall.

This tile combination ties in well with the rest of our house as we’ve also used real marble in our powder room and kitchen. I also love that the extra large tile would require minimal grout. And being a porcelain tile, there’s no risk of staining/discolouration as I have now.

Tile selections option 2

The other combination I’m drawn to is a lot more daring (well, I think so anyway!) — a combination of real terrazzo tile on the floor and 300mm up the walls, and a white square handmade tile on the rest of the walls.

In some ways this combination would tie in with the rest of our house because we have handmade subway tiles in our laundry and butler’s pantry. But I do worry that the terrazzo is a bit out of place and that it requires sealing. I want a zero maintenance bathroom or as close to one as possible.

Bathware and bathroom furniture

Vanity

A cabinetmaker custom-made our current vanity. But it looks just like every other vanity out there — timber veneer with a caesarstone top.

With our new vanity, I would prefer to have all drawers as we never use the cupboards below the sink. You literally have to squat down to see what’s in there and it isn’t a practical use of space.I’d also prefer a basin integrated into the vanity top to prevent grime from building up around the edges.

While part of me is tempted to design a vanity out of solid stone with a hidden drawer, the other part of me is saying ‘be practical, be practical, be practical!’. I don’t want to spend a fortune on our bathroom renovation as there are quite a few other projects I’d also like to do around our house and this isn’t our forever home.

The vanity I’m leaning towards is called ‘Capri‘ by ADP Australia in a ‘Prime Oak Woodmatt’ finish. It has a solid ceramic top which means cleaning will be a breeze. It is also all drawer so it also ticks the storage box. But my husband would prefer a vanity with a thinner top, such as ‘Drift‘. This vanity has a solid surface top, and is mainly drawers (including a smaller concealed drawer) and a cupboard below the sink.

You can see what the Capri vanity is like better in this bathroom I recently styled.

And this is the ‘Drift’ vanity my husband prefers (although we’d go with the same finish as pictured above).

Shaving cabinet

We currently don’t have a shaving cabinet in our bathroom. Instead I opted for a large 1m round mirror. I absolutely LOVED it at first but over time the mirror begun to bubble and rust. There was a warning that this mirror isn’t suitable for wet areas. But I overlooked it at the time… now I understand why. Unless you use a copper-free mirror, you’ll find it will erode and discolour.

This time I’ll actually use a bathroom mirror! And while I’m at it, I’m planning on using one with a hidden shaving cabinet so we can keep all our toothbrushes and creams off the vanity.

I’m leaning towards one called ‘Pill,’ which has an elongated oval shape. It’s one I’ve loved for a while now and I like the idea of using some curved shapes to soften all of the angular lines of a bathroom.

Bath

Something I’m certain I want is a back-to-wall bath rather than a freestanding one. I love stone baths as they feel nicer and retain heat longer so I’m fairly certain I’ve found the one. It’s called ‘Fogo’ and is a comfortable size at 1600mm long. But it isn’t too high or bulky so it won’t look out of scale in our bathroom.

Toilet

It’s hard to get excited about a toilet but toilet technology has come a long way and there are plenty of ‘nice to have’ features too, such as easy button release of toilet seats to make cleaning a breeze.

Because I’m thinking of using brushed platinum tapware, I’d like for the flush plate of the toilet to match. One brand that can do this is Astra Walker so here’s the toilet and flush plate I’m considering.

Tapware

Most of the tapware in our house is black, but we chose a budget brand when we built, and now most of the taps are broken — the handles are popping off, and they’re scratched and damaged. I’ve become more of a fan of brushed nickel/brushed platinum recently and I’m fairly certain I’ll go with this finish in the timeless ‘Icon’ shape by Astra Walker. You can see the range of shapes on their website here and I’ve included a brushed platinum mixer below to show you the finish.

Lighting

The final decision is around lighting. We had a lighting expert help us create a lighting plan for our house when we were building and it’s one of my favourite aspects of our home. Since I couldn’t decide on a mirror for our bathroom (we added the round mirror after moving in), we planned for a wall light or pendant near the vanity but never installed one.

Since building, I interviewed our lighting expert again to ask him to share his top tips for lighting a bathroom and I loved the ideas he had around using recessed LED lighting, such as down a wall or along one side of the ceiling. The bathroom that I recently featured from ACT Renovations was a great example of this and I’m basically planning to do the same thing above the wall our bath will sit along so it will wash light down over our marble mosaics (if that’s the tile choice we end up going with!).

As well as this feature lighting strip, this time I’ll also include lighting next to our mirror/shaving cabinet. I’ve always loved the minimal bubble lights or recently I’ve also seen some beautiful glass versions from Soktas… This is a decision I still have a bit of time with so I’ll continue my search but here’s an example of the bubble light I’m referring to.

Materials palette

I always suggest making a mood board to see how things work together. So I’ve created one with all the materials I’m planning on using in the space. It’s a soft, tonal palette of warm grey tones, subtle natural veining, and timber accents for added warmth.

There you have my ideas around our bathroom renovation. I’d love you to comment below to tell me what you think — anything you love, hate or would do differently? If you’ve discovered any fabulous products that you think I should know about, I’d also appreciate it if you could drop a link to them below. Thanks in advance, I really appreciate all your input!

More from Gina’s home

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