A Fish Out Of Water

The LifeStyle Channel’s Selling Houses Australia Episode 11 Season 8

The Story: Margarita’s Art Deco home is a fish out of water. Nestled amidst an industrial suburb, it’s hardly your standard offering. The style is quirky, the floor plan crazy and the décor plain outlandish. It’s a sale that would challenge the most seasoned agent, yet Margarita wants to sell the place herself.

The Problem:  The art deco home had a lot of difficult issues, where the art deco design and look of the home polarised buyers. The house lacked street appeal because the garden was messy and the front fence was literally falling apart.

Also, in a million dollar plus home, buyers expect a big kitchen, and the kitchen in this home was far from big. There was also a bedroom that was literally in the middle of the house, which wasn’t very functional, and the home had a very dark and heavy feel.

The Solution: Broaden the appeal of the home without losing the home’s wow factor as the Brookvale house demands a grand approach.

The backyard was given that little special touch – new landscaping, plants and a beautiful pergola. Recycled timber posts were used to enhance the aged and worn in look. The pergola looked formal, yet still keeping with the heritage feel of the home, giving the backyard a whole lot of character.

The wall in between the kitchen and dining room was taken away and the floors were levelled to create a fantastic looking kitchen with more room and an island bench. High end finishes and kitchen appliances along with the dramatic black and white floor tiles added to the big money feel and the prefect compliment for the era of the house.

Traditional and Tiered Modern Roman Shades in the fabric Sheer Linen and colour White Dawn were also installed throughout the home to add a modern, yet classic touch, perfect for the art deco home. The neutral tone of the Modern Roman Shades made it easy to match any tone of colour. 

The non-functional bedroom in the middle of the house was changed into a living room, which made a lot more sense. A feature wall was painted a rich teal colour to add that pop of colour, which was a huge transformation from the old looking shades of brown, cream and maroon. Luxaflex® Duette® Architella® Shades in the fabric Menage and colour Daisy White were installed into the new living room. The neutral colour of the shade was the perfect complement to the colourful teal feature wall. Luxaflex® Duette® Architella® shades feature a patented honeycomb-within-a-honeycomb construction dramatically increasing the product’s ability to insulate in the winter and cool against the summer heart.

Duette Shades in the fabric Sheer Linen were also installed throughout the home. It gave the home a more open and airy feel, as a lot of the rooms throughout the Brookvale home were looking dark and claustrophobic. Duette Shades offer the ideal balance between function and energy efficiency together with versatility and style.

The master bedroom was transformed from uninspiring to inspiring. A new bed, a pop of teal colour and Modern Roman Shades in the fabric Sheer Linen and colour White Dawn were enough to give the master bedroom some selling power and that wow factor it was lacking.

Overall, the house had been transformed, adding a modern feel, yet still being sympathetic to its art deco period. The great mix of old and new will hopefully appeal to a wider range of home buyers.

All Luxaflex® Window Coverings were supplied and installed by Luxaflex® Gallery dealer Stuart Blinds in Manly, NSW. 

Watch Selling Houses Australia every Wednesday, 8.30pm AEDT on The LifeStyle Channel, only on Foxtel. 

From Bauhaus to Our House

Written by Lynn Malone, exclusively for Luxaflex

Introduction

When selecting furnishings and window coverings for your home, it is advantageous to have an understanding of their historical significance.  Essentially, what has transpired over decades of design innovation and experimentation; coupled with advanced materials and manufacturing processes that affords state-of the-arts fabrics and technologies.  Innovating for over 60 years, Luxaflex leads the way toward creating the next wave of modern homes.

Mod squad in the making

Considered an icon of modernism, the Bauhaus design school revolutionized architectural and creative thinking that inspired the homes of today.  Founded in Germany, the Bauhaus school operated from 1919 to 1933.  During my travels to Berlin, I visited the Bauhaus Archives, the museum that houses the largest collection of everything Bauhaus – a must-see for interior design enthusiasts.

What is the Bauhaus?  And how does its design philosophy influence Australian home life choices from building construction to decorative fabrics, window coverings, art and tableware?  Let’s begin with a thumbnail description of the Bauhaus philosophy and how it made its way to Australian shores.

Design as art

The essence of Bauhaus theory was to unify design studies with fine art.  Its diverse curriculum covered wall painting, sculpture, metalwork, weaving, photography, graphic design and music.  Cutting-edge industrial technologies of the early 1900s made possible the use of unorthodox materials such as synthetic textiles, metal tubing, and fiberglass to create useful and beautiful objects for a new way of living.  Cabinetry and loose furniture items; and decorative accessories and fabrics were equally considered in the conceptual design of a home. 

Their loss, our gain

Undermining the Bauhaus movement in Germany and greater Europe was political turmoil and World War II, which resulted in the school’s 1933 closure and with many of its students and faculty fleeing to starting anew in Australia and the Americas.

Just our luck

Post Second World War European furniture makers immigrating to Australia brought with them knowledge of the innovative materials and manufacturing processes.  One of the most significant new breed of Australian furniture designers was Grant Featherston, who bent and joined precut pieces of plywood to make his now iconic range of Contour chairs.  In the early 1950s hardly an issue of Australian Home Beautiful or Australian House & Garden did not include an article featuring his design or designs by his peers, Clement Meadmore and Douglas Snelling.  Today their furniture design pieces are highly sought after by collectors.

‘House of Tomorrow’ is today

As part of the 1949 Modern Home Exhibition held in Melbourne, the ‘House of Tomorrow’ offered its aspirational vision of home life.  The exhibition, designed by Robin Boyd, Australian architect and proponent of the International Architectural Movement, was built inside The Royal Exhibition Building and noted for its vibrant interiors.  The furniture was designed by Featherston and featured contemporary textiles by Frances Burke.  The yellow rubber tiles, grey and white striped wallpaper and dark blue ceilings were declared too revolutionary.  With time modern furniture and modern architecture were accepted as a logical combination; hence the furnishing selections by many a contestant on renovation reality televisions programs such as The Block and House Rules.

Your time to innovate

If interior or exterior window coverings are part of your next home or office design project, take a look at what’s new at Luxaflex.  One of the products on my radar is the Luxaflex Duette Architella Shades.  Not only is there an exquisite range of contemporary fabrics but also its honeycomb construction creates an insulation barrier that retains cool inside when it’s hot outside; and warmth when it’s cold.

Luxaflex Duette Architella Shades

To learn more

For more about Australian modern furniture design, Mid-Century Modern written and compiled by Kristy Grant is highly recommended and a fascinating read.  And the National Gallery of Victoria Mid-Century Modern exhibition- now through 14 October 2014

http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/whats-on/exhibitions/exhibitions/mid-century-modern-australian-furniture-design

For more about Bauhaus:  The Bauhaus Collection, Bauhaus Archive Berlin

http://www.bauhaus.de/en

Interior Design Insights: It's a Point of View

Written by Lynn Malone, exclusively for Luxaflex

On the outlook
Not every window is situated to provide its viewer with an idealistic perspective looking outward.  In many instances there are detractions that are preferably visually eliminated or at least minimised. No doubt most of us have experienced this dilemma – a less than pleasant outlook from a kitchen, a hotel guest room or an office window.  On the other hand, there are windows with picture perfect postcard views that entice you to capture the vistas as mementos – either stored in your memory bank, or as snap shots loaded and Facebook shared.

Inside and out; good view or bad; or somewhere in between – Luxaflex have window covering solutions to match the situation. Here are a few window-viewing scenarios we’ve probably all encountered at some point! Needless to say, Luxaflex comes to the rescue.

Hello neighbours!

Scenario: With a growing number of Australian families residing in apartments located in densely populated suburbs and apartment buildings that share window walls – privacy between adjacent apartments presents a challenge. As much as you may want to get to know the new neighbours, peering into one another’s apartment is probably not what you had in mind.

To the rescue
Duette Shades in Top Down/Bottom Up design option allows privacy control for select window areas while leaving other areas of the windows unrestricted allowing sunlight and airflow.

Duette Architella Shades - Top-Down-Bottom-Up

Wow

Scenario:  What about when the views from your home are knockout for about 80% of the time?  It is just that 20% exception when a window covering is required for sunlight control, keeping the warmth or cool inside or for privacy, as examples. On the Australian eastern seaboard, northern light is preferable – add an unencumbered water view and it has the making of a dream location. In this situation, the optimal window treatment is off the window and concealed until it is called to action – then easily operable to fulfill its purpose.

To the rescue
Luxaflex Qmotion roller blinds using either a translucent fabric or a blockout fabric does the trick. The internal roller is fitted with an operational mechanism powered by a battery (with a 5-year lifetime) to open and close the blind using the remote or simply controlling it by hand. With addition of the Qsync device and the Qmotion app you can also control the blinds via a smartphone or tablet. For my apartment, I selected Temple in a translucent fabric.

Luxaflex Qmotion Roller Blinds in Temple Translucent Fabric

The windswept look

Scenario:  As a sustainable energy solution to home heating and cooling, cross ventilation is a viable option. Open more doors and windows to maximise the breeze in the summer and vice versa in the winter – it’s simple. But how about the wear and tear on the window coverings as they blow in the wind?

To the rescue
Luxaflex Newstyle Polyresin Shutters – the shutters have multiple configurations from single panel, hinged for smaller windows; multi-panel hinged bi-fold systems for larger windows; or bi-fold track systems for doors with up to eight panels – all have hand-adjustable blades to control airflow and sunlight. Don’t worry if the shutters get wet, they have a 20-year warranty against sunlight and water damage. The shutters are available in three shades of white finishes – my favourite is the whitest of the whites.

Luxaflex Newstyle Polyresin Shutters

Get out

Scenario: With a climate that affords enjoying the outdoors almost year-round, many Australian homes take advantage of indoor/outdoor living and countless weekends are spent with friends and families outside entertaining, cooking on the barbeque and kids playing in the pool.  But along comes an afternoon storm during the middle of a Sunday barbeque – what to do?

To the rescue
Luxaflex Sunrain Awning – here comes the rain, out comes the retractable awning. Sunrain PVC fabrics are rain proof and selected to complement the exterior finish of your home. Optional infrared heaters may be added for increased comfort during the cooler months.

Luxaflex Sunrain Awning with optional heating - Entertain all year-round

Celebrate world environment day with Luxaflex

DUETTE® Architella offers superior insulation which reduce average heating costs by up to 49%

World Environment Day is held each year on June 5. It is one of the key vehicles through which the United Nations (UN) stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment.

Luxaflex Window Fashions Supports WED with the most energy-efficient window covering - DUETTE® Architella Ménage Shades.



The Ménage name is inspired by the three honeycomb cells, nestled inside each other, which create five pockets of air, crafting a chic window covering that provides more insulation than any other window covering on the market.


Luxaflex is cementing its position in the market as a leader in energy efficient window coverings and an innovator in the product category. We already had the most energy-efficient window covering on the market, but we have found a way to improve it. Consumers will notice real savings with this product year-round. Maintain the internal temperature of your home at a constant and comfortable temperature, greatly reducing the load and power consumption of air conditioning in summer.

Alternatively, for the most energy efficient window solution, place an external Awning over large expanses of window that attract direct sun. This can be likened to putting a hat on - with metal awnings reflecting up to 90% [3] and fabric awnings up to 75%.

The investment in good quality awnings and blinds can be offset over time by the energy savings they can help achieve.

 [3] Results based on CSIRO Information Service Sheet No. 10-38, 8 June, 1978

Selling Houses Australia – Renovation transformation

The LifeStyle Channel’s Selling Houses Australia Episode 11 aired last night, watch as the team transformed the home in Monterey.

The Story: Anna Nikolis is in a lot of debt, and her only way out is to sell her beloved home. She originally bought the home with her mother, and they had big plans to renovate and turn it into the perfect house for Anna, her husband, their children and of course her Mum. But things didn’t turn out as planned. Anna’s marriage broke up, her mother passed away and Anna was left struggling to raise 3 children on her own.

The Problem: Anna continued making renovations to the home, borrowing more and more money against the house to complete the work. Now she’s out of cash, has debts to amounting to $900,000 and the work is nowhere near finished!

The Solution: Luxaflex Duette Shades were installed by the Selling Houses Australia team to give extra privacy to the home, as it’s located on a busy road. The Duette Shades give the house a modern look, whilst also providing the ultimate in versatile light control, privacy and style.

All Luxaflex Window Coverings were supplied and installed by Luxaflex Window Fashions Gallery, Illawarra Blinds & Awnings in Bexley, New South Wales.

Selling Houses Australia airs every Wednesday, 8:30pm on The LifeStyle Channel, only on Foxtel.

Complete Privacy with Luxaflex Duette Shades

Your home should be your haven of privacy - a place where you and your children can relax and know that you are not being watched by those pesky neighbours. The trick is to find a solution that allows privacy, without completely blocking the light.

One way to get the best of both worlds is with Luxaflex Duette Shades which can be operated in a number of ways, including the cordless LiteRise Operating System - meaning you can raise and lower the blind by hand on the bottomrail of the blind. There are a few different options to choose from including 'bottom up' - raising the shade from the bottom up; 'top down/bottom up' - raising and lowering the shade from the top down and from bottom up; and 'top down' - lowering the shade from the top down.

Let's face it - who doesn't like to have complete control and with these blinds you have the choice of not only controlling light and privacy but also the atmosphere and overall look of your home. There is also the option of choosing from blockout to light filtering fabrics which means you can custom-design your blinds to suit your every need.

Sustainable Duette Vintage Fabric

LUXAFLEX® DUETTE® Shades are available in Vintage Fabric which uses 40% recycled material. Featuring a soft horizontal pattern, the new fabric is available in natural, earth-inspired tones to complement any room in your home.

Visit www.luxaflex.com.au for further information.