Selling Houses Australia - Ascot Vale

The LifeStyle Channel's Selling Houses Australia Episode 8 Season 9

The Story: Professional couple Glenn and Joanna purchased what they thought would become their dream home. The property was down on its luck and desperately in need of some love. They embarked on a campaign of serious and expensive renovations starting with the recreation of the original front of the house. They also created a fourth bedroom with an ensuite and walk in robe.

Unfortunately, the couple split up leaving the kitchen, bathroom, separate toilet, laundry and family room unfinished. As the property is only half finished, buyers want it for a steal and are overestimating what it would cost to get it up to a liveable standard. Joanna says buyers cannot see what it could be, only what they have to spend.

The Problem: The house was just unfinished - everywhere!

The Solution: Finishing the house was the main objective. A new dining room and larger living space were created by shuffling a few walls around. New windows through the back section of the house were put in to keep in line with the updated front. This included a sliding door that now covered the entire back wall of the new lounge area.

Luxaflex® Roller Blinds in Designer Fabric Aria Translucent in the colour Tapa were installed throughout the lounge and kitchen areas. The grey tone of the fabric was the perfect match for the new grey paint and grey theming of the house.

Next was to move the laundry to the old bathroom area, and turn the adjoining bedroom into a beautiful brand new family bathroom. Pops of colour and a bird portrait in the bathroom created a traditional, yet quirky style.

The kitchen was gutted, and the positioning of the door was changed. Cottage style front door fronts on the kitchen cabinets matched the raw wooden shelving. By installing bigger appliance, this allowed for a large family room and greater functionality.

All stops were pulled out on the exterior, as it was technically a blank canvas. New paving, new garden, new furniture, new turf, new fencing and a new paint job. The ugly pergola was replaced with a Luxaflex® Ventura Folding Arm Awning with Trend Hood and Crank Control. The Ventura Folding Arm Awning offers the very best in Open Style awning market. It features a classic design in an elegant open style awning, the perfect compliment to the exterior of the house. The Dickson Arcylic fabric was a great match to the white exterior, and added to the quirky feel of the interior.

All Luxaflex® Window Coverings were supplied and installed by Luxaflex® Gallery dealer A&B Interiors in Williamstown, VIC.

Summer Interior Design Trends

Australian designers are blurring the lines between indoors and outdoors this summer, with home interiors set to be inspired by nature.
Dulux’s colour trends for summer 2016 include a collection of muddy pastels and natural greens –earthy, botanical colours that lend themselves to a natural and organic vibe, which most homeowners can feel confident using at home. 
Follow our top two tips to incorporate these trends into your décor this summer, whether you’re renovating or not. 

1.    Be smart with your outdoor space

Even if your outdoor space is confined to a small courtyard or terrace, you can still enjoy a bountiful garden. Just go vertical! Multiple pot plants on the ground is not always manageable in small spaces, and vertical gardens are on the rise (literally!). Choosing plant varieties that grow up as opposed to out is a smart choice, so avoid plant types like Yukkas or Ferns.

When it comes to your decking, small apartments and terraces can benefit from narrow awnings with a long projection, such as the new LUXAFLEX® Ventura Terrace Awning. As awnings also serve to shade the house from direct sunlight, this will also maximise the use of outdoor spaces for a greater proportion of the year.

2.    Bring nature in

More and more Australians are bringing their outdoors in, with smarter designs that maximise their outdoor areas, as a natural extension of their homes. The Australian climate, combined with our love of entertaining in the warmer months, has seen us turn courtyards and terraces into second living rooms. 

However, for a more subtle touch of nature this summer, consider painting a bold, green feature wall in your living room, or incorporate emerald plants and accessories like lamps, candles and vases into your room or work space. 

You can also channel the natural vibe with Luxaflex® Pirouette® Shadings, which allow you to see your garden from inside, letting light and greenery in, but retaining a sense of privacy, as well as a tranquil and relaxed environment at home.

Ventura Terrace

Ventura Terrace fully extended

New to the Ventura range is the Ventura Terrace Awning. An ideal solution for apartments, patios and terraces that require a narrow awning with a long projection. The clever design of the Ventura Terrace Awning allows for the arms to be offset one above the other creating an awning with a narrow width and a projection of up to 4 metres. The functionality of the Ventura Terrace Awning allows it to span widths from 2 - 14 metres at a projection of 4 metres and provides maximum flexibility for all types of applications.

Clever folding arm design of the Ventura Terrace

Selling Houses Australia – Country Pub

The LifeStyle Channel’s Selling Houses Australia season final episode 13 aired last night, and from what we saw, the team did an outstanding job renovating the run down pub in Alexandra.

The Story: Ever dreamed of owning a nice little pub in the country? Think again. Barney and Barb thought their country pub would give them an idyllic lifestyle where they could work and play together; the reality was a 24/7 commitment working 7 days a week, 14 hours a day.

The Problem: The couple purchased the leasehold on the run down pub in Alexandra, Victoria 3 years ago. They worked tirelessly to turn the place from bankrupt to the most popular pub in town. They’re pillars of the community raising thousands of dollars for charity, but their efforts have taken their toll, physically, emotionally and financially. Despite their hard work, the pub is struggling to make a profit and now they just want out.

Kids Play Area

The Solution: The Luxaflex Ventura Folding Arm Awning was installed as it offers the very best in the open style awning market. Available with a wide range of accessories, this model can be customised to suit almost any situation. The 6.5 metre motorised Ventura Awning featured Dickson fabric in colour silver pearl, and fit perfectly in the outside courtyard of the pub.

Luxaflex Dual Roller Blinds in Prague Sunscreen fabric in colour Sheer Crepe and Plaza Plus Blockout fabric in colour White, were installed in the small bedrooms as it kept the room looking very streamlined and stopped it from having a bulky feel. By teaming a sunscreen and blockout fabric, you have the ability to adjust both light levels and night time privacy in the one application.

All Luxaflex Window Coverings were supplied and installed by Luxaflex Window Fashions Gallery, Decorator Curtains and Blinds in Greensborough, New South Wales.