Stylist Kara Rosenlund's revived Queenslander

Take a look through Stylist Kara Rosenlund’s home; A three-bedroom 1890s Queenslander workers’ cottage in inner-city Brisbane, with a vegie patch, outdoor oven and wide verandah.

Verandah Well positioned on the generous verandah is a reclaimed 1940s split-cane daybed.

Entry The couple sanded and whitewashed the original floorboards.

Hallway Clever tableaux throughout the home encourage the eye to linger. A weathered copper stretcher addswarmth to the burnished 19th-century French mirror.

Master bedroom Lush textiles give a sense of opulence and “the origina lboards create warmth,” says Kara.

Advertisements of 2013 Comforter Sets: If you want to decor your bedroom in 2013 brand new spring style or if you are seeking for some 2013 bedding sets for you and your family, Bedding US here offers brand new 2013 bedding comforter sets to meet all your needs. Various styles and patterns are available for you.

Pastoral Style 4 Piece Dark Blue and Beige Floral Cheap Bedding Duvet Cover Set

11 Tips for a Design-savvy Family Home - Part 4

9. Scenic route

Located on the mezzanine level,overhanging the living area, the study is linked to the family areas by the two-storey void. “I can’t wait to get up there and work. You get this gorgeous view of the trees at Shenton Park Lake, so it feels like a treehouse,” says Kazia. “The view was deliberate,” adds Sam. “I grew up in this area and the park holds special memories, so I wanted to be visually connected to it.”

Tip: Make the most of panoramic windows to draw the outside in and link a home to its environment.

10. Toy story Elijah and Tobias have inherited colourful hand-me downs, including an old Tonka truck, and items from Kazia and Sam’s own childhoods – the teddy bears and yellow raincoat were once Kazia’s. Bright Normann Copenhagen ‘Bau’ pendant lights hang in both boys’ rooms.

Tip: Fill a kid’s room with meaningful objects for a dose of personality. In Tobias’s room, Kazia made the artworks.

11. Alley cats Sam has paid homage to the 1920s worker’s cottage, leaving the brick facade as a remnant. “It’s a well-built piece of the urban fabric and I didn’t want to destroy or impose myself on it,” he says.

Tip: Soften the border from street to home with plants.

Advertisements of 2013 Comforter Sets: If you want to decor your bedroom in 2013 brand new spring style or if you are seeking for some 2013 bedding sets for you and your family, Bedding US here offers brand new 2013 Full Bedding Sets to meet all your needs. Various styles and patterns are available for you.

Pastoral Style 4 Piece Green Floral Discount Bedding Duvet Cover Set

11 Tips for a Design-savvy Family Home - Part 3

6. frame by frame While unconventional use of glass is a feature of the home, the dimensions of the window above the master bed are more common. As Sam explains, it was designed to frame the family’s beloved backyard trees. “When you walk in the room, it’s almost like a painting of the view. It has more traditional picture frame proportions.”

Tip: Complement bold colours and a strong architectural style with neutral textures and tones.

7. Pretty practical “We bought a lot of things that we knew were not simply beautiful objects that we’d love having in the house, they’d also be functional,” says Sam, citing Elijah’s cot, which recently transformed into a toddler bed.

Tip: Spend money on quality pieces, then team them with less expensive bells and whistles – the set of three horsemen prints above Elijah’s bed were thrift-shop finds

8. Joy division “I hate showerscreens. They’re so hard to keep clean,” says Sam, who split the bathroom in half. “On one side is the bath and open shower, and everything can get wet. On the other is the storage, vanity and toilet, and all that stays dry.” Pigeonhole-style cabinetry gives the area an open feel.

Tip: Broaden your design horizons. Consider Formply, a versatile plywood used for concrete construction when it comes to open cabinetry.

Advertisements of 2013 Comforter Sets: If you want to decor your bedroom in 2013 brand new spring style or if you are seeking for some 2013 bedding sets for you and your family, Bedding US here offers brand new 2013 Twin Bedding Sets to meet all your needs. Various styles and patterns are available for you.

Royal Style 4 Piece Blue and Gold Floral Cheap Bedding Duvet Cover Set

11 Tips for a Design-savvy Family Home - Part 2

3. Kitchen connection “The central island is covered in a contrasting timber to make it feel like a piece of furniture,” says Sam. Made from recycled ironbark power poles and laminated into a flat bench, the island has shelving on the living area side, so it doubles as a library.

Tip: Make dead space work. Turn the underbelly of a staircase into a pantry and hide power points under the breakfast bar.

4. Family matters Creating a home that could grow with the family was key to Sam’s design. “Some of the spaces will transition over time to meet our needs,” he says. “The play area has begun as a rumpus and will become a study, so when the boys are doing homework, they’ll be connected to the living areas, rather than tucked away in their bedrooms.”

Tip: Use dark bluestone tiles (pictured) to absorb the sun’s heat and release it slowly thoughout the day.

5. On the green Splashes of apple green in the home add an element of fun. “We wanted the colour to be a surprise,” says Kazia. “The front door facing the laneway is bold and we hope it draws people in.” “People worry about things dating, but I think a thing should be of its time,” adds Sam.

Tip: Pay tribute to a home’s heritage – the pressed tin on the on the ceiling is a material that ties back to the original house.

Advertisements of 2013 Comforter Sets: If you want to decor your bedroom in 2013 brand new spring style or if you are seeking for some 2013 bedding sets for you and your family, Bedding US here offers brand new 2013 cheap comforter sets to meet all your needs. Various styles and patterns are available for you.

Pastoral Style 4 Piece Pink and White Floral Cheap Bedding Duvet Cover Set

11 Tips for a Design-savvy Family Home

How do you combine a love of mid-century design with the needs of a growing family? Try these 11 ideas one Perth architect used to transform his worker’s cottage into a thoroughly modern home.

Who lives here: Sam Klopper, principal and architect at Klopper & Davis Architects; his wife Kazia and their two sons.

Style of home: The couple turned their 1920s two-bedroom worker’s cottage in Perth’s Shenton Park into a modern four-bedroom family retreat.

1. northern exposure This home’s floor-to-ceiling north-facing windows take advantage of the winter sun and links the indoors and outdoors. “The trees were always part of the composition – as they change over the seasons, they permeate the building,” says Sam. “In winter, the house becomes a brighter space and then in summer, the canopies protect us from the elements.”

Tip: Bring a warm natural touch with jarrah louvres (opposite) and ‘Pacific Teak’ hardwood timber cladding.

2. Into the void With its spherical Tom Dixon ‘Copper’ pendant lights, the void over the living area doesn’t simply add drama; it demarcates the zone. “When you pass through the lower ceiling, you enter this dramatic space, and what’s cool is that the void isn’t immediately apparent when you come in,” says Sam.

Tip: Use contrasting materials to define a space – here, the staircase features two-pack polyurethane-finished cabinetry, richly-toned jarrah balustrades and Jura Grey Blue stone treads.

Advertisements of 2013 Comforter Sets: If you want to decor your bedroom in 2013 brand new spring style or if you are seeking for some 2013 bedding sets for you and your family, Bedding US here offers brand new 2013 cheap bedding sets to meet all your needs. Various styles and patterns are available for you.

Adorable Warm Yellow and Blue 2013 Kids Bedding Duvet Cover Set with Cartoon Characters Printing

7 Space-savvy Family Home Ideas - Part 2

4. Fireplace focus

“We like to design a focal point at the end of a space as it draws the eye through the home,” says Mardi. In this instance, the opportunity to create a built-in bookcase and fireplace proved to be the ultimate showstopper for the living space. The key to success is the dark colour (Dulux’s Domino) used for the structure – it visually recedes and allows the book spines and objects to steal the show.

The integrated fireplace and bookcase also draw the eye upwards, helping to heighten the sense of space. The Doherty Lynch team added a subtle raked effect across the ceiling, which offers a tactile and less formal feel while also giving another gentle nod to the mid-century inspired architecture.

5. Colour wash

The children’s bathroom is one of the hardest-working rooms in the house. It has to look after two kids, be easy to clean and have a sense of personality. The first step was to install a wide full-length mirror to double the amount of sunlight in the room. White finishes help keep the roomlight and clean, but the crowning glory is the lively yellow cupboard.

“Our philosophy has always been to use pops of colour to reflect the personality of a family and give a contemporary edge,” says Mardi. “The yellow is a strong graphic punch and provides a sense of fun in a functional space for children.” The curved lines of the Ideal Standard basin from Reece also adds youthful energy to the bathing zone.

6. Yellowed halls

Initially, the owners had reservations about the bright-yellow handles on their newly created hallway cupboard doors, but now it’s one of their favourite features of the home. “We were so excited about it,” says Mardi. “It took some serious convincing, but we assured the family that if they didn’t like it, then it wouldn’t be expensive to change.”

The bold colour choice (Laminex Sensation) also serves to mark the transition between the old home and the new extension. “We wanted to create interest in the hallway,” says Mardi. This subtle architectural shift is further underscored with the use of light and textured stone flooring, which acts as a bridge between the old and new spaces.

7. Dining companion

The dramatic slash of dark wall separates the dining area from the open-plan space and also mirrors the bookshelf/fireplace in the opposite corner of the room. “The black walls ensure the artworks are a feature in the room,” saysMardi. “We have referenced this black throughout the extension to define and connect areas.”

2013 Bedding Advertisements: If you want to decor your bedroom in 2013 brand new spring style or if you are seeking for some 2013 bedding sets for you and your family, Comforter Sets here offers brand new 2013 designer bedding sets to meet all your needs. Various styles and patterns are available for you.

Adorable Pink and Blue 2013 Girls Bedding Duvet Cover Set with Cartoon Characters Printing

7 Space-savvy Family Home Ideas

The owners of this Queen Anne Federation style home worked with architecture and interior design firm Doherty Lynch to a rework the rear of the house to create a personal area with a ’50s vibe.

1. Kitchen

At the top of the clients’ wish list was a connection to the outdoors and for the space to be bathed in natural light. The solution was simple: a skylight that Mardi Doherty cleverly elongated, which maximises light over the benches and into the new pantry, which was the second request on the family’s list.

The walk-in pantry now tucks away all the accoutrements of kitchen life and is treated to a heady dose of red and orange wallpaper for a bit of energy. For the rest of the space, the palette was kept natural, with a rich, natural stone benchtop (honed Giallo Melange from Artedomus) taking centrestage, while the soft-white grid-like mosaic tiles on the splashback add freshness.

2. Circle work

This home’s clever modern extension references the 1950s, mixing the simplicity of timber, glass and concrete to elegant effect. The real star of this extension is the oversized cut-out window, which introduces a ’50s feel to the home and, from the inside, adds a lush hit of green into the kitchen. The window frame sports a handsome dark-brown/black stain to contrast the teak timber-clad extension.

Initially, the statement shape was going to be a stand-alone feature, but as Mardi Doherty of Doherty Lynch points out, there was room to expand on the theme. “During the building process, we all agreed that we didn’t want the overhang to be a solid form. So, we decided on cut-outs that mirrored the circular window.” The effect softens the potentially bulky overhang – a necessity to protect fromthe harsh western summer sun and winter rain.

3. Gallery effect

The home’s strong sense of style was driven by the owners’ artworks. “We were aware of their furniture, but it was the art collection that drove the design,” says Mardi. “We wanted to create spaces for the works to breathe and for it to be a strong visual statement rather than an architectural structure.” A pared-back arrangement of well-crafted and timeless pieces of furniture showcases the homeowners’ striking collection of art.

The kitchen and living spaces have a sense of personality without overwhelming the space or cluttering surfaces. The variety of expansive patterned rugs is another smart way of adding adornment and colour into the contemporary home.

2013 Bedding Advertisements: If you want to decor your bedroom in 2013 brand new spring style or if you are seeking for some 2013 bedding sets for you and your family, Bedding US here offers brand new 2013 fashion bedding sets to meet all your needs. Various styles and patterns are available for you.

Colorful Cartoon Style 2013 Kids Cotton Bedding Duvet Cover Set