Friday, March 6, 2015

Bargain Hunter

I often get asked if my house looks like my showroom - the quick and easy answer is no.  We are about to start another renovation so the walls in my house are an odd shade of creamy white, with a timber stained chair rail around the room.  The floors are a natural stain of hardwood timber and I have gross sage green tiles in my kitchen with an ugly timber bench top.  To be honest going to work is a relief because my house drives me insane but its home and I love it anyway.... All that said, when it is renovated I still won't fill it with everything from the shop.  I like everyone have a budget.  Unfortunately the money tree I tried to plant a few years back never took off.  With a little boy about to turn 2 and a husband who comes home from the worksite covered in dirt and feels he needs to lay all over my blue and white ticking sofa still covered in said dirt, I need to get crafty sometimes and learn to create a home that both husbie and child can feel comfortable in and I don't have to get precious.

So here are my top 5 tips and tricks for a family friendly home:

1. Cover your sofa in a ticking slip cover.  Ticking is a great stripe that tends to play with your eye so little spills and dribbles don't show up like they would on a plain fabric.  The slip covers pull off and wash up perfectly every time!

2.  Use throws!  Husbie has his end of the sofa that has a pretty pink throw on it.  He knows thats his spot and it stops the dirt from getting everywhere and the throw is easy to wash every week.  Not to mention the layering effect of the textures is a bit of a designer secret...

3.  I bought my island bench stools from Super Amart.  They are the copy white Tolix bench stools and they were $29 each.  They wipe down easily, they get pulled outside when we are entertaining and its one less thing I have to wash.  I loved my slip covered stools and I will get them again when the Child understands that his doodle doesn't need to be fed Ravioli.

4.  Have a shoe basket.  Maybe my family i.e.. me.. just have a ridiculous amount of shoes that never make it back into the wardrobe, but ever since we have had a shoe basket I have been able to find everyones shoes easily and not broken my ankle because I have tripped over them in the middle of the lounge room.   I invested in a really good quality basket with handles and at the end of the week I clean it out and put all the shoes away.

5.  Ikea and Kmart are 2 of my favourite go to spots for easy cheap updates.  Its amazing what you can find there you just have to see through all the stuff... and but stuff I think you know I mean sh*t.  If you follow me on instagram you will know about the awesome $29 mirror I have purchased for a couple of clients now from Kmart, they even have fun clocks for little girls rooms and a lovely set of 3 vintage looking mirrors that would make beautiful trays around the home.  Ikea do these great picture shelves which are amazing for kids rooms and really great affordable rugs that you can trash and throw out and not feel guilty about because lets face it - with day care gastro coming into our house too often to mention, our lounge room rug has seen and smelt better days.

Hope thats helpful in some way!  As a designer I love a beautiful home, but as a mum I love a functional and beautiful home.



Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Sydney City Slickers

Angie and I have spent the weekend in Sydney at the Trade Fairs finding some pretty amazing goodies for the new studio and for my house... Because thats just a perk of the job really!  We are now back at the shop really tired a little delirious and a lot poorer...

Thought I could show you a few sneaky peaks of the amazingness that will be showcased in our new studio!  Sorry for the dodgy pictures - I'm no photographer and this was me learning how to use my fancy pants new iPhone!















We finally have a move in date for the new studio pending on Pete the cabinet maker and how fast he can make all my cabinetry dreams come true...  SO over the Easter Break I am going to employ the Easter Bunny to help me move and I'm going to eat all of your Chocolate eggs to keep me going - consider it a sacrifice for home beauty!

We will be open and ready for business on Monday 13th!  Come and see us and ogle at our loveliness!


Thursday, January 29, 2015

New Year - New Showroom!

Its been a crazy start to 2015 already.  Between the amazing clients we already have, we are gathering a few new ones which is lovely AND we are planning the opening of our new showroom!

We are moving just up the road and going to create the most beautiful space for you all to come and enjoy and be inspired by. We have been sourcing the most divine wall coverings and fabrics to share with you (sneak peek below) and hope you will join us for a big opening launch party in May to celebrate!

Stay tuned for details! xx




Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Chance Encounters

A few weeks ago this lovely yet a little frazzled lady came into the shop looking for a table for her banquette seating.  After we looked at a few options we decided she was actually looking for the completely wrong style of table - ergonomically it just wasn't going to work - So long story short she handed everything over and asked us to deal with it - so we did!

The space was a dark very heavy space with no life.  We quickly changed the colour her kitchen was being painted and added a pendant light.  Along with an amazing wall of wallpaper goodness, custom cushions, rugs and artwork.  I don't think this space could feel and look any better!  SO Gorgeous!  Just perfect for the gorgeous family who lives here!
*Kitchen Design and Build by Lifestyle Bathroom Renovations.












Wednesday, December 3, 2014

The last few weeks

The last few weeks leading up the Christmas are always nuts.... I actually feel like my brain is exploding with all the stuff I am trying to remember.  So what did we go and do??  Adopt a dog.  Yep!  A dog.  He is lovely.  Perfect in fact.  But seriously I think I am a sucker for punishment.

So... Meet our new mascot Odie.  He is a 7yo Labrador cross Ridgeback and is Clay's best friend already.  So special.


On another note, we will be closing for Christmas from the 20th of December through to the 20th or January.  I will always be available on my mobile if there are any interior emergencies and I will be working from home as well.  So please feel free to give me a call if you would like to organise a meeting, I'm always around!

Thursday, November 27, 2014

To build from scratch or renovate??

The majority of our clients are renovations.  We really love working on houses with character and history which is something that you miss with a new build, however, sometimes a new build is what suits you best!  Recently we completed a new build for a lovely young couple looking for a 'Hampton Style' home with a contemporary edge.  Obviously budgets are always thrown in the mix and the forever loved 'Hampton Style' certainly isn't the most cost effective way to design and build a home so we got clever and created this beauty for them!  A gorgeous home for a gorgeous couple!

If you would like any details regarding this gorgeous home email us on admin@rylo.com.au.














Monday, November 24, 2014

Calm before the Storm

Its 6am.  I love this time of the morning.  Before I had Clay it was unheard of to be up or even awake before 7, but now, its the best time of the day!!!  I'm laying in my bed - which (hopefully) in the short term future will actually be where my kitchen island bench will be - looking out at a really sunny day!  The husbie has left for work a good hour ago and I still have another hour before hurricane Clayton is awake!  This time of year is always a bit crazy.  My mind is well and truly frazzled and I can't remember a thing.  I only remember what my phone tells me to remember.  So if you come and see me and I don't write down what I am going to do for - tell me to write it down.... Seriously!

Anyway - excuse the rambles... I wanted to show you a gorgeous little bathroom reno that is nearly done.  This house was purchased by a young family earlier this year. Designed in 1927 by the renowned architect E.P Trewern this house features some of the most divine coffered ceilings and detailed plaster ceilings I have seen in a long time!  I always say to my clients they should live in a house before they start to renovate, but with 2 little girls and 1 bathroom with no bath and the smallest little vanity, a bathroom reno was a bit of an immediate must.  As we had to keep the existing linen cupboard, we built the room out by 450mm into the neighbouring bedroom to accommodate a toilet and larger custom vanity.  This created so much space and allowed us to put a 1600 bath in and a separate shower.  We wanted to keep the traditional integrity of the building but bring it into the 21st century so we kept the VJs above the tile line and kept to a smaller bluestone mosaic on the floor to reference the original hexagonal mosaics.  With the shower screen and mirror to go in and a lick of paint to come - I still think this little bathroom is a family friendly stunner!

BEFORE


AFTER






 

design + development by kelly christine studio