Lana from Three Bird Renovations talks all things window coverings for House 5

Metal Meets Tranquility

Metal Moods

Metal Moods is inspired by a thoughtful fusion of opulent colours and reflective textures, glistering minerals and metallic surfaces. Warm metals such as gold, brass and copper can be used in the same interior scheme. Be daring and pair it alongside cooler metals such as silver or even platinum. The combination of different metals adds multiple layers of interest and dimension to any room. Get the look with Pirouette Shadings, Range: Satin Metallic or Fabric Collection: Aria Botanics. 

Tranquility

From the horizon to the different ocean waters, the shades of blue offers a serene feeling whilst promoting relaxation. This trend is drawn from the Pantone Colour of the Year. The blue tones create a naturally connected sense of space.

Blue matches almost any décor so look for ways that you can bring calm and quiet into your space – pictures of the sunset or even the ocean. Find and print an image that you love and place it where you will see it every day, for instance, on your bedside table to be seen as you wake every morning. Let that calm inspire you throughout the year. Get the look with Luxaflex fabric ranges Tahlya, Colour: Amalfi or Ethos, Colour: Aquamarine. 

Two fresh interior design trends for the new season

Trend 1- Botanics

Botanics is about blurring the lines between interior and exterior by bringing nature indoors. It is about stepping into the palette of the mysterious jungle mixed with muddy hues. Botanics clashes patterns, styles and colours to create an unexpected indoor haven. Aria Botanics is the perfect blend of an understated palette mixed with beautiful textures and prints.

In September, the Luxaflex Designer Series fabric collection introduces Aria Botanics. Aria Botanics uses the extravagance of metal to deliver a highly sophisticated and different take on a botanic print. Aria Botanics is all about the opulence in you, where the use of metallic printing brings the fabric to life, in a way that guarantees that second glance.

This range is a great representation of how the current home interior styling trends and colours can come together. Aria Botanics draws on the use of the 'Cooler Than You' colour ways for the base fabric, where a print pattern relating to the Botanics trend adopts subtle aspects of metal for that added wow. This translucent fabric collection is available in the same 3 base colours as its matching plain blockout and translucent counterparts. The fabric offer is for Roller Blind applications, for that ultra-contemporary styling solution.

Not a fan of print? Series T500, part of the Luxaflex Classic fabric collection also draws inspiration from Botanics. The horizontal wood grain with a combination of coloured yarns creates an almost natural woody bark look. Colours such as Rock, Jute and Rococo draw inspiration on nature and is a popular choice for both modern and traditional decor. Available in 10 matching blockout and translucent colours for Roller Blind, Panel Glide and Roman Shade applications, it is the perfect understated way of bringing a little bit of nature indoors.


Trend 2 - Cooler Than You

Cooler Than You is inspired by an understated palette of soft white and cream. It evokes a feeling of inner space and lightness. Minimalism and balance are at the heart of this trend. Neutrals as always creates balance, and when intertwined with textures and soft patterns, it brings neutral palettes to life.

Marblo, a new Luxaflex Designer Series fabric is inspired by a marble translucent print in organic colour ways. This collection is ready to reinvent the wheel for printed fabrics. The true appearance of the marble print is one that will be the new classic take in textiles perfectly aligning with the 'Cooler Than You' trend. Marblo is a welcomed surprise to the eye, and available for Roller Blind applications, suitable for any room with the desire of creating the ultimate haven.

Why impress with entire walls consisting of only marble, when you can have it on your window? You really don't even need to decorate much more if you have your entire window dressed in Marblo to create a big statement in your room.

If Marble is not your thing, Classic Series fabric Caspien is also inspired by the Cooler Than You Trend. Colours such as Frost, Chalk, Lusta and Shake play on the soft whites and creams, but the strong texture of contrasting yarn gives the fabric a look of depth and interest. Inspired by the classic linen look with a modern twist, Caspien is available in 10 matching translucent and blockout colours for Roller Blind, Panel Glide, Roman Shade and Vertical (Translucent only) Applications.

Love Shack TV

A month ago, the Luxaflex team joined forces with Bec, George and their new baby Archie from the Block to transform a humble 1970's shack. The 6 part series followed the challenges of renovating a beach front property in Tasmania with the hopes of maximising the space and making this renovator's delight their holiday home or 'love shack'. 

Bec had a vision to create a place that was both inviting and restful, and inspired by the coastal beauty surrounding the property. The colour palette was a mixture of greys, indigo and greens, where the soft furnishings chosen were a wonderful array of wools, linens and furs.

 

With the help of Luxaflex Gallery dealer Fabrique, Bec and George found the perfect window covering for the theming of the Love Shack. Luxaflex Silhouette Shadings combine the beautiful characteristics of curtains, shades and blinds in a stunning design like no other. Silhouette Shadings can be opened for a full, soft focus view, closed for privacy or tilted for light control. We love a good make over, and definitely think that the window covering choice was perfect for that 'oh so awesome view'. 

Rose Quartz and Serenity

For the first time, two shades, Rose Quartz and Serenity have been blended together to create the new PANTONE Colour of the year. It represents a balance between a blushing pink with peach undertones and the cooler tranquil blue. In an ever increasing hectic world, the pairing of the two colours celebrates ideas around balance, tranquility, inner peace and gender equality and so much more. It has been influenced by a desire to disconnect from technology and unwind, helping homeowners to create a space that feels welcoming, peaceful and composed. 

Serenity, a pale blue colour is a calming tone. Blue matches almost any décor so look for ways that you can bring calm and quiet into your space – pictures of the sunset or even the ocean. Find and print an image that you love and place it where you will see it every day, for instance, on your bedside table to be seen as you wake every morning. Let that calm inspire you throughout the year. Get the look with Luxaflex Duette Shades in Symphony Fabric, colour: Colonial Blue. 

Rose Quartz is a fun colour that can inspire warmth. Its delicate pink colour can range from very light (almost white) to medium dark in intensity. Choose various hues of this soothing pink sunset shade to create a playful, romantic and inviting corner in a bedroom, study or living area. Get the look with Luxaflex Silhouette Shadings in Originale Fabric, colour: White Dove. 

Selling Houses Australia - Yass

The LifeStyle Channel's Selling Houses Australia Episode 12-13 Season 9

The Story: Steve and Karina fell in love with Old Linton almost 20 years ago. When the property came on the market they attended an open day and naturally jumped at the chance to buy. The couple put it in a tender but the property didn't sell. A second attempt to buy in 2006 was successful.

Steve was very keen to take on Old Linton as a love project, but with over 40 rooms, Karina had reservations due to its size. Steve wanted to restore the property to it's former glory, but sadly the couple have now run out of time and money and they really have to sell.

The Problem: The house is massive, and with 46 rooms, Steve and Karina have run out of money and have lost the renovation romance. Despite all the time and money that the couple had already spent on the home, there was still a lot of work which needed to be done.

The exterior of the house just didn't pop. The cream colour did not give the house a wow factor or any impact.

The interior of the house did not look grand as a grand house should be. The kitchen needed a complete makeover, and the master bedroom was lacking a little bit of TLC and that luxury feel.

The Solution: There just wasn't enough budget to tackle all the rooms in this house, so only areas that would have the most impact were concentrated on. By opting to do this, it would give potential buyers a taste of what the rest of the house could be like.

Shaynna focused on the main areas that flow into each other, rather than doing a few scattered rooms, as this will give it the biggest impact. This meant tinkering with the floor plan a little and a total revamp of the country style kitchen and master bedroom suite. When people are paying top dollar for a home they expect some luxury.

The kitchen had a complete revamp with new cabinets, modern appliances and tiles that connect the old with the new. It was jutted and refitted into a style that worked for the house. The end result was a kitchen which had both a commercial and residential feel, broadening the possibilities.

A bold plum paint colour was used in the ballroom. This automatically created a grand look in the room. New carpet, dressings and furniture showed how the ballroom could easily turn into a function/conference room, and that will give potential buyers something to think about.

A touch of luxury had been injected into the master bedroom. What was the sitting room turned into the bedroom, and the bedroom turned into the sitting and dressing room. This made a lot more sense as the sitting and dressing room were now connected to the newly revamped art-deco ensuite.

Luxaflex Roller Blinds in Portobello Blockout fabric in the colour Midnight were installed throughout the house. The Midnight colour helped to create a dramatic and sophisticated look. It added a pop of colour and nice focal point.

All Luxaflex® Window Coverings were supplied and installed by Luxaflex® Gallery Dealer Riteway Curtains & Blinds in Fyshwick, ACT. 

Selling Houses Australia - Maitland

The LifeStyle Channel's Selling Houses Australia Episode 11 Season 9

The Story: Peter and Jay purchased their townhouse as an investment and what they thought was an easy way to get into the property market. It's a double storey, three bedroom property with a deck out the back and lockup garage.

The home, which was tenanted, has been on the market for approximately three years, with three different real estate agents. They did receive one offer, but it was too low for them to take without losing money.

The Problem: When it came down to sell, the general condition and tenant's decor worked against the house. Even though the interior had a nice open plan, it was still very dark and gloomy, and there was clutter in the house as far as the eye could see.

The Solution: To attract potential buyers, the house needed a complete personality transformation. In order to conquer the dark and gloomy look of the interior, the paintwork was updated to a misty brown colour which automatically created a fresh and bright look to the interior.

Low maintenance and hard-wearing laminate floorboards were installed throughout the kitchen, dining and lounge area to appeal to the investor or first time buyer. This also reflected what little light there was in the downstairs space, making it deceivingly feel larger and more spacious.

Luxaflex® Pirouette® Shadings in 120mm Satin Translucent (Magnolia) was installed in the lounge area. It was a clever choice because not only do they block light and let light in, but offer privacy at the same time. 

Luxaflex Pirouette Shadings provide refined features with innovative design that creates a window covering solution like no other, automatically creating a nice feature point in the room. The soft, horizontal fabric vanes attached to a single sheer backing allows for enhanced views to the outdoors and full beauty of the fabric's appearance on the inside. The sheer backing also reduces glare and filters harmful UV rays.

The upstairs bedrooms, hallway and staircase were carpeted to keep the warm nature of a home. While the bathroom was revived by a respray and swapping the old tapware for a modern style for a completed upgrade and new look.

Luxaflex® Wood Essence Blinds were installed throughout the bedrooms. Wood Essence Blinds provide a practical alternative to Timber Venetian Blinds because they provide the look of real wood combined with the quality and durability of advanced technology that is resistant to discolouration and warping. Whether you want privacy or to allow filtered light through, Wood Essence Blinds gives you complete control over the amount of light you let into the room. It is a great solution for the bedroom, and added that special touch to the Maitland house.

All Luxaflex® Window Coverings were supplied and installed by Luxaflex® Gallery Dealer AB Window Fashions in Broadmeadow, NSW.

Selling Houses Australia - North Haven

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

The Story: This mock Tudor house in North Haven was all the rage in its day and is well known in the area. But now it has lost a lot of its sparkle. David has been trying to sell for 5 years, and the whole procedure has been a long journey for everyone in the Jones family.

David underwent a back operation in 2014, which have since led to a range of other health issues and mobility problems. This means he is currently only using a small area of his very large home. Even though he's on a slow road to recovery, these health issues have really taken their toll financially and downsizing could be the answer, which means selling the North Haven house.

The Problem: The interior of the house had too much going on, and was crying out for a modern touch because everything was so out-dated. The whole house was filled with avocado and rose schemes, which just do not fit with the modern world today.

The Solution: Modernise, modernise, modernise! Painting out the house was a very large but a necessary task. The rose walls just had to go. A neutral white toned paint was used around the house, which automatically created a fresh and modern look. It made the house look bright, whereas before it was very dark and dull. 

The bar in the downstairs man cave had to go. This meant that smarter use was made out of the area by transforming it into two new bedrooms and a hall area. By adding in the additional two new rooms plus a hall area which could be turned into a study, automatically added more value towards the property.

The kitchen upright had to come down, which allowed the open living space to become just that - open. The kitchen was originally pink - literally everything was pink. The cabinets were resprayed in white and new appliances were installed. This made the space light, vast and modern, all the while still keeping the original characteristics of the house.

Luxaflex® Beach Roman Shades in Temple Blockout (Linen colour) were installed throughout the Tudor home. The Beach Roman Shades added to the classic look of the house, but with a touch of modern because the shade has a simple, yet stylish look. The colour Linen complimented all the brown wood trimmings and helped create a clean look throughout the house and also a great insulator because they extend past the window frame for full coverage. 

All Luxaflex® Window Coverings were supplied and installed by Luxaflex® Gallery dealer Nick Hambour Window Fashions in the Barossa Valley, South Australia. 

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.

Selling Houses Australia - Leongatha

The LifeStyle Channel's Selling Houses Australia Episode 7 Season 9

The Story: Kate and Mark met when they were both 17 years old and were attending two different high schools in Leongatha. They dated for 6 years before getting married and starting their family. They have two girls, Ayla who is 8 years old and Talia who is 6. Mark coaches the local AFL football team and Kate coaches the affiliated local netball team. Mark works at the local sporting store in the main street and Kate teaches at Leongatha Secondary College. They are both heavily involved in community activities and both call themselves 'sports nuts'

Kate and Mark originally built a house and then decided to sell it, because it was slightly out of their budget. They purchased 35 Brumley St 5 years ago and thought that they would be able to live in it for a few years and then sell it and get something bigger afterwards. Although they were happy paying a smaller mortgage living there, they have not outgrown the house. They want a property that has more space so that the two girls can have freedom to run around and yell and scream and do what kids do.

The Problem: The quaint house was in dire need of a facelift - inside and out. The house could not compete with the prettier houses in the area. The weatherboard look of the house looked drab, where the exterior did not have a 'wow' factor. The house did not have a bad layout, it just looked old and boring, and had no style.

The Solution: The layout of the house was actually quite good, so all that was needed was a punch of colour and style to create some personality. A bold colour scheme at the back of the house was used to echo and compliment the new exterior colour scheme. The dark timber trims on the interior was left to echo the dark trims of the exterior and create a nice and simple feature to bring in warmth.

Luxaflex® Wood Essence Blinds were installed throughout the house. Wood Essence Blinds provide a practical alternative to Timber Venetian Blinds. They are perfect for high-humidity areas.

Wood Essence Blinds provide the look of real wood combined with the quality and durability of advanced technology that is resistant to discolouration and warping. Wood Essence Blinds were a nice compliment to the timber look of the house, and added a nice contrast to the flooring and dark trims.

The colour Snow White with the brown timber frame of the window created a nice focal point within the rooms. The major positive with having Wood Essence Blinds in the bedrooms, in particular the kid's room is that the blinds are virtually low maintenance. Because the slats can be easily wiped clean with a damp cloth, finger prints and dirty marks are easy to get off.

The drab exterior of the home was not competing with the much prettier homes in the area. An exterior paint job of a pastel green created a fresh new look, so did the addition of new plants at the front of the property.

All Luxaflex® Window Coverings were supplied and installed by Luxaflex® Gallery dealer Olympic Blinds in Edithvale, VIC.

Selling Houses Australia - Baulkham Hills

The LifeStyle Channel's Selling Houses Australia Episode 6 Season 9

The Story: Michael is the sole owner of the house in Baulkham Hills, a boom area where properties like his are selling for over a million dollars. With retirement looming, Michael thought that this was his chance to cash in - but not everyone was as keen on his home as he was, and it just languished on the market.

Michael believes the problem is that his house is old and tired and is competing with many new builds. Also, the street number 95F makes people think that the home is on a battle-axe block. So it is time to transform his home from ordinary to extraordinary.

The Problem: Michael had done everything right to try to sell his property. He gave it a new paint job, a new roof, and it was clean and tidy. The main issue was that the house was just ordinary. In a saturated market such as Baulkham Hills, standing out of the crowd is essential - something that his house did not do.

The Solution: Transform ordinary to extraordinary by injecting some style into the house. This forgettable house needed a little floor adjustment to get the most out of it. The office in the master bed dressing area was moved, and turned into a room of its own. One of the doors leading to the garage was blocked off, making the office a room of its own right and not a walk through.
Now that the office was out of the dressing area, there was no need for a second walk-in robe. By demolishing this, the floor space and shape of the family room was increased.

Laminate was used in the kitchen, hall and family room, while all the luxury areas like the lounge and bedrooms were carpeted. This helped the floor plan flow and connected each area of the house together.

The kitchen had good bones, but looked tired. A massive respray brought the kitchen back to life. Luxaflex Duette Shades in LiteRise and Vertiglide operating systems in 20mm Architella Elan Translucent fabric (Daisy White) were installed. The Duette Vertiglide was the ideal solution for the kitchen sliding door. The fabric runs from side to side, vertically suspended from a single track system, therefore is the best solution for sliding doors or as a sliding room divider, whilst also providing superior energy efficiency in heating and cooling.

A modern palette of grey on the walls and bold tones in the bedrooms brought the interior up to date, and Luxaflex Duette Shades in LiteRise operating system in 20mm Architella Elan Translucent fabric (Daisy White) was the perfect neutral match for the bedrooms.

The light-blocking pergola was removed, and replaced with the Luxaflex Garda Folding Arm Awning to allow light into the house on those darker days. The Garda Awning was an ideal solution for sun protection over the expansive entertaining area of the backyard. With an oval design, the Garda awning added an elegant appearance to the Baulkham Hills home.

All Luxaflex® Window Coverings were supplied and installed by Luxaflex® Gallery dealer Master Quality Shades in Castle Hill, Sydney.

Selling Houses Australia - Mudgeeraba

The LifeStyle Channel's Selling Houses Australia Episode 4 Season 9

The Story: Maria and Marissa, along with Maria's partner Alan, bought this iconic windmill property in 2001. The plan was that Marissa would run the family Indian restaurant business and Maria and Alan would bottle their chutneys and spices. They decided to close the restaurant to concentrate on the spice business. A few days after that, Maria's partner Alan passed away from cancer.

Since Alan's death, the girls have found it difficult to maintain their beloved windmill. Much of their time is taken up with the cooking and mixing of their spices and chutneys, not to mention regular visits to markets and food festivals to promote and sell their product.

The property has been on the market for two long years and this is causing no end of frustration to Maria and Marissa. They need to buy or rent a small industrial space to run and attempt to expand their small business, but cannot afford to do this until their quirky windmill sells.

The Problem: This commercial residence was very outdated, and needed to be cleaned up and brought out of the dark ages. It needed to find a way to show potential buyers that the house could be used for a number of purposes. The exposed brink on the inside made it darker than it should be, making the property feel gloomy. The restaurant area was overloaded with product, making the space feel really crammed and small.

The residence area was completely dated, but everything was in good working condition. From the purple and brown colour scheme to the old furniture, it needed a modern and fresh look.

The exterior looked quite sad, because the sails of the windmill was broken. The windmill looked odd next to the residential part of the house, and really needed to pop and create that wow factor from the outside.

The Solution: Bring back the identity of the windmill property by restoring the sails and bringing some modern into the interior. The exterior of the property was given a new paint job to brighten up the windmill. The light butter colour automatically made the windmill stand out and complimented the existing brickwork. The front door steps were also re-tiled to replace all the broken tiles.

The dark and very dated colours of the commercial space was replaced with an on-trend grey colour to brighten up the inside and create a modern look. The interior brick work around the fireplace was also covered up, which allowed for the vintage wooden ceiling to stay as something had to give.

It was important to highlight the commercial aspect of the property, but also needed to keep all options open by revamping the domestic area. In the residential part of the property, the horrible purple suede effect was painted over with a nice neutral colour, which automatically brightened up the property.

Roller Blinds in Atmosphere Translucent fabric in the colour Pure White were installed because they have a clean look and matched perfectly with the interior's colour scheme. Luxaflex Roller Blinds gave the property a stylish finish as well as offering functionality and easy operation.

The bedrooms were given some new appeal with new linen and furniture, and the dated curtains replaced with Luxaflex Roller Blinds.

All Luxaflex® Window Coverings were supplied and installed by Luxaflex® Gallery dealer Tomorrow's Home Environment in Bundall, QLD.

Selling Houses Australia - Yallingup

The LifeStyle Channel's Selling Houses Australia Episode 3 Season 9

The Story: Trevor and Susan bought this house with the intention of living a dream of running it as an art gallery/home. Unfortunately, one year after they bought the house, Susan was told the cancer that she thought was in remission was back again, and this time it is terminal. Their dreams of retiring at the gallery were shattered, so they decided to put the house on the market.

Sadly, it has not sold. This is putting extra pressure on their son (who has a young family of his own) and the extra stress of earning enough to pay all the bills plus his parents mortgage. Susan and Trevor feel very guilty about the situation.

The Problem: The floor plan of the property needed a lot of addressing to allow potential buyers to see past the 'Gallery' section of the house, and to create a more residential feel, because as a conventional family home, it just did not work. In such a large property, it did not even have a main bathroom.

The property also had a lot of windows, which was great for natural light, but absolutely horrible for privacy and insulation. The property was screaming out for new window coverings to replace the ugly retro patterned curtains.

The entrance of the property did not look very impressive and needed a bit more warmth. The back entertaining area lacked any character and felt very disconnected from the rest of the house.

The Solution: Take the 'Gallery' out of the house, and make it feel more residential. This was done by converting a large bedroom into a family size bathroom, as well as another bedroom. Dual Roller Blinds with Qmotion Qsync in Caspian Blockout fabric (Oxford) and Ultraweave Sunscreen (Midnight) were installed in the bedrooms. A new main bathroom with new bathware including a freestanding bath and shower were added, which automatically turned the 'Gallery' into a family home.

The motorised Dual Roller Blinds allowed for the combination of two different fabrics in the one Roller Blind system. This offered flexibility to adjust both light levels and night time privacy in the one application.

The part of the house that had been the gallery was transformed into a living area and kitchen. This area had no shortage of windows, which was very good for natural light, but absolutely horrible for privacy and insulation.

Duette Architella Shades in a mixture of PowerRise and LiteRise operating systems (20mm Architella Elan in Daisy White) were installed on the large doors in the lounge due to its insulating benefits. Duette Architella Shades feature a patented honeycomb-within-a-honeycomb construction, dramatically increasing the product's ability to insulate in the winter and keep cool against the summer heat.

The kitchen received a make-over with new appliances, increased bench space, and a stainless steel island for that added touch of industrial charm. The industrial charm was continued, and taken outside to the entertaining area. A new concrete top table and furniture were placed in the entertaining area. The property was brought in-line with a conventional family property, but also retaining its uniqueness - a perfect blend that buyers are sure to like.


All Luxaflex® Window Coverings were supplied and installed by Luxaflex® Gallery dealer Kings Window Gallery in Busselton, WA.

Selling Houses Australia - Forest Lake

The LifeStyle Channel's Selling Houses Australia Episode 2 Season 9

The Story: Julie and Pat Lovett desperately need to sell their Forest Lake home in Queensland. They're in dire financial trouble after Pat's recent illness and forced unemployment. They've been trying to sell privately for 12 months and despite a decent number of viewings, no one has taken the plunge.

The Lovett family is a very happy, tight knit group, but this situation is causing a lot of tears and anxiety. Julie is concerned the stress of not being able to sell is further affecting Pat's health.

The property is a strange mix of styles and textures, and Julia's interior design efforts are now working against the sale. Now it is time to tone down the exterior and modernise the interior.

The Problem: The biggest problem with the Forest Lake house was that there was too much going on. From the suede colour to the beachy styling and the overuse of corrugated sheeting, something had to give. The exterior of the house was bombarded with the overuse of zinc sheeting and needed a good clean to create better street appeal.

The colour scheme on the walls around the house were outdated, and were screaming out for an update. The house was filled with outdated suede mustard coloured walls and there was the over use of matching dark tiles in the kitchen and bathrooms. The high upright in the kitchen created a barrier, which disconnected it from the eating and entertaining areas of the home.

Downstairs, the bar in the rumpus room needed a good clean up, and was overwhelmingly covered with a lot of corrugated zinc. The bedrooms also needed de-cluttering, and were crying out for a fresh look.

The Solution: Tone down the house and add a modern touch. To change the initial impact of the property, the exterior sheeting was replaced with rendered green-board and a new front door. A general clean up and mulching of the front yard really helped the overall street appeal.

A big focus area was the back deck area.  The dated timber and catenary-wire fencing were replaced with a glass balustrade. This opened up the area, giving it a nice modern twist. Painting the deck and rafters in a light shade also helped brighten up the area. The cabana got a spruce up as well.

The barrier in the kitchen was removed and new appliances in the kitchen installed, which automatically modernised the entire room. New tapware and vanities in the bathroom created a fresh look, and brought the bathroom to life.

All the mustard browns were taken away and replaced with warm neutral colours, which dramatically transformed the look of the house.

Dark Sheer Roller Blinds were installed in the Rumpus Room to stop people looking into the home through the carport during the day and providing overall privacy. The Moorea Sheer fabric in the colour Black complimented the new neutral colours of the home, while adding a dramatic pop of colour to create a nice focal point in the room. The use of Luxaflex Roller Blinds also created a more stylish and trendy look for the Forest Lake house.

All Luxaflex® Window Coverings were supplied and installed by Luxaflex® Gallery dealer Lifestyle Blinds & Awnings in Tarragindi, QLD.