Our expert team of interior designers share their favourite tips, tricks and trends to modernise your home, add a touch of style, and improve the liveability of your space.

1. Think about how you wish for your living areas to feel and present. What do you envision when you think of your new space: do you foresee built-in cabinetry or feature shelving? Or do you simply want the heights to align to provide a clean, symmetrical feel? Thoroughly examine your plans for opportunities to make an impact – particularly the placement of bulkheads and openings.

2. Let there be light! It’s true what they say, natural light makes all the difference. It has been shown that natural light is beneficial for your physical and mental health in many ways, including boosting air circulation and reducing harmful organisms throughout your home. Consider larger window sizes and feature skylights, and think about how you can maximise the sun’s position in winter while still staying cool in summer. The added benefit of more natural light is that it will highlight the gorgeous colour palette of your beautiful home!

3. Choose key colours. For consistency in your design, pick your main colours first and then only draw from these. This is easier said than done – with so many great colours it can be hard to narrow it down to a few favourites. To help you choose your key colours, think about how you feel when you walk into different spaces. Do you feel relaxed, excited, comfortable? Then note the colours each space has been designed with. Finally, think about how you want to feel in your home, and focus on the colours that give you those sensations.

4. Feature lighting is a key part of the design process, and can accentuate the features of your final design. Directional lighting to high functioning spaces enhances appearance, performance and liveability of those areas. In particular, reading nooks, bedsides and kitchen benchtops can really come alive with considered feature lighting. Tip: Using LED downlights can be a feature on its own, as well as helping to highlight key aspects of your home.

5. Feature lighting isn’t just about the inside of your home. Façade lighting (outside lighting) can create an immediate sense of ‘wow’ before guests even set foot inside your home, and it can also be used to great effect to create the perfect outside living area.

6. It’s not all about grand statements; the finer details can make a subtle yet impactful difference to the overall look and feel of your home. Higher ceilings add a sense of space and can provide more natural light; raked (sloped) ceilings also add space and light and provide an interesting design feature; square set cornices provide a modern touch; and increasing the width of your front entry door creates an immediate sense of grandeur for guests.

7. An important piece of the puzzle is your cabinetry. Your kitchen, laundry and wet areas each play an important role in your day to day living. Create a mood board and think about what you currently love or wish you had. Do you want to show off your items, or favour tidy and functional spaces? Open shelving lets you show off your most loved pieces, whereas built-in bins and baskets keep your floor space clear and tidy. Does your vacuum need hanging space? Do you prefer your glasses to be in a drawer for easy access? Where do you want your cleaning products to live? Tip: If you have several kids sharing one bathroom, you can make it less chaotic by extending the bathroom cabinetry to give everyone their own space.

8. Your kitchen is the main area your whole family will use, so think carefully how the cabinetry is designed. Do you need pot drawers? Should you relocate the sink? Do you need to move the microwave from under the bench to above the bench (if you don’t want to bend down repeatedly, or if you want to keep it away from small fingers)? Tip: Add cabinetry to your walk-in pantry instead of shelving for a tidier and more effective use of the space.

9. If your partner wakes up early or comes home late, adding doors to walk-in robes and ensuites can avoid any noise and light interrupting your sleep. Tip: Add a double vanity to your ensuite to help avoid further arguments!

10. Flooring and benchtops. Carpets will wear in high traffic areas such as hallways, so consider adding either tiles or laminate to the rear hallway. Also consider using long-lasting and stylish stone benchtops rather than laminate in the kitchen, ensuite, bathroom and powder room.

Want to explore the full range of interior design options that best suit your home and lifestyle? All Fairhaven Homes builds include an appointment with a fully qualified Fairhaven Homes Interior Designer who will guide you through the entire selection process. To start your Fairhaven Homes journey, contact us on 1800 Fairhaven (1800 324 742) or info@fairhavenhomes.com.au.