RenovatingMaking HOME Episode 5: Living, Dining & Media
Warm, cosy and effortlessly functional, these living, dining and media spaces feel like a big warm hug!
“Comfort and practicality were essential in these spaces, but we also really wanted to deliver those ‘wow moments’ that light people up when they enter the area.”
Nikki from the Making HOME team
In Episode 5, Nikki and Liz take you on a tour of the reimagined living, dining and media zones of this Modern Classic Farmhouse. Discover how they nailed elegance, comfort and relaxation while ticking off every box the modern tech-savvy family needs.
Read on for what we used, why we chose it and where to get your hands on it!
Shop The Rooms
Perfectly executed for a growing family, these spaces cater to every age and stage of life. Without further ado, take a look at what we used to make it all happen.
Flooring
A standout feature of this area is the Chevron Nordic Isocore Flooring from Beaumont Tiles. It starts at the front door and carries you right through the first floor of the home. In the past, we’ve been advocates for solid timber flooring, but now that we’ve discovered Beaumont’s Hybrid Flooring, there’s no going back.
We chose the Chevron Nordic for the pattern and the beautiful warmth it brings to this space. Black and white can be a little cold so we needed to warm it up as much as possible.
Easy to install and gorgeous underfoot, it is resistant to water and scratches, and it even meets Australia’s code for slip resistance.
Limestone Cladding
We loved the 3D Limestone Cladding we used in the Alfresco area so much that we had to find a reason to use it inside! The fireplace was the answer.
While it is installed in a slightly different combination from the outdoor space, it delivers all the textural glory we achieved outside, and we adore that it creates the feeling of a double-sided fireplace.
And we have to talk about the colour! Up against the rich floors and dark hues of the fireplace, it’s a perfect contrast and it plays nicely with virtually any decor.
Cabinets
This space turned out to be a gift we were never expecting! It turned out that we had to bring the air-conditioning ducts up through the floor and box them out. So, rather than having a lonely pillar, we added a second one and used the space between them as a sideboard. We don’t mind admitting, we’re chuffed with the result!
At 400mm in depth, the pillars were the right dimensions for kaboodle’s range of 400mm cabinetry. We chose premium thermoformed textured matte in berry blue with an alpine profile for its shaker style that mirrors other cabinetry in the home. The blue provides a nice little pop of classic colour and our innovative pull handles are a real talking point.
Marble Benchtop
Just a hop, skip and jump from the beautiful kitchen, it was only natural to continue the story of marble on the dining room sideboard.
Expertly crafted by Art of Marble using Bianca Carrara Marble, this benchtop is smooth, luxurious, timeless and oh-so-touchable!
Interior Cladding
If you’ve seen the bathrooms and kitchen of this renovation, you’ll know that we’re huge fans of interior cladding. Needless to say, we leapt at the opportunity to bring it into the living room.
James Hardie’s versatile Axon™ Cladding adds non-stop linear beauty to this area; it’s a visual highlight that’s impossible to miss.
Aside from its good looks, Axon™ Cladding is also extremely hard-wearing. Unlike timber, it’s resistant to swelling, rotting and termites so it offers this family fuss-free beauty well into the future.
Fireplace
Complete with a heat kit and logs, the HORIZON Lowline Fireplace from Jetmaster brings instant cosiness to the large living area. The electronic ignition means it lights up in seconds and the safety screen gives families better peace of mind. At 1100mm wide, it delivers beautiful radiant heat and looks like a work of art.
Now all we need to do is keep the kids and their marshmallows away!
Curtains & Blinds
Window furnishings were important to get right in this area because of the amount of natural light. We wanted the owners to be able to control the sunlight in summer and keep the cold out in winter. But we also wanted to provide a layer of privacy to this end of the house. Our choice of sheers and blockout blinds tick every box.
When it came to the sheers, we wanted texture, organic fabric and a breathtaking hang. Made to measure, we went with S-Fold Sheers in Thea Coconut in the living room. These were discreetly mounted inside the bulkhead for a clean finish.
Strip lighting inside the bulkheads creates a beautiful halo of light over the sheers in the evenings. Plus, the easy-slide S-Fold track means the sheers keep their shape whether open or closed.
For continuity with the kitchen and living room, we used the same sheers in the media room. Aside from aesthetic beauty, these give the room an added layer of privacy without blocking too much natural light.
Lined with blockout fabric and completely wire-free, Electric Titan Pristine White Roller Blinds offer simple opening and closing. Use the remote or tap the TUISS Smart View app on a mobile device for the perfect amount of light at any time of day.
Quite separate from the rest of the house, the media room was an opportunity to play with a moody colour palette. We took our navy blue cues from the cabinetry near the dining area and chose William Morris Strawberry Thief Indigo Blue Curtains from TUISS Blinds Online.
The timeless blue pattern is gently muted, so it doesn’t dominate. Better still, the blockout backing is fantastic for temperature and light control.
Entertainment
We wanted a showstopping TV and the 85″ QN90C NEO QLED 4K Smart TV is all that! The Quantum Matrix Technology and Neo Quantum HDR+ deliver deep blacks, intense colours and superb detail and True Dolby Atmos and Wide Angle Viewing take movie nights to a whole new level of immersion.
The living room features the HW-Q990C Q-Series Soundbar from Samsung for sensational surround sound without any messy HDMI cables. Designed for a premium cinematic audio experience, it pairs well with the Neo QLED TV, with Q-Symphony and included rear speakers synchronising sound to the room.
The media room features a 55″ The Frame QLED 4K Smart TV with a 55″ Customisable Bevelled Frame in Sandgold for TV when it’s on and art when it’s off!
Dolby Atmos Sound provides a next-level cinematic audio experience and the Samsung Art Store give families access to over 2000 classic and modern works of art to display.
There was a great wall in this media room that we had pegged for a projector from the outset. Samsung was fabulous at helping us choose the perfect equipment and we eventually chose The Premiere Triple Laser 4K Smart Projector for its brilliant colour, brightness (2800 ANSI Lumens), Ultra Short Throw capability and 4K resolution.
We paired the projector with a wireless HW-S801B S-Series Soundbar for rich, room-filling cinematic sound.
Together, these products are the answer to authentic cinema-scale entertainment in the comfort of the home – and we don’t think the kids will be leaving in a hurry!
Architraves & Trims
Continuing from the kitchen, we used Silktrim Replica Skirting Boards 188x18mm from Hume Doors & Timber and consider them the unsung heroes of this space. We hoped that these boards’ wide width and grooves would elevate the dining zone, and they haven’t disappointed.
Silktrim Replica Architraves 85x18mm embrace the “Modern Classic” aesthetic we wanted to achieve in this area. Architecturally rich, they bring the space together cohesively.
We always say that the little things in a renovation make all the difference. These hardwearing additions are a perfect example of that.
Lighting
When it came to lighting in this area, we knew we needed a stand-out feature pendant. We are in love with the 16 Arm Taupe Chandelier – and so is everyone who sees it!
When those 16 bulbs are twinkling, the room looks spectacular, especially looking into the living space from the alfresco area.
Floor lamps are a must-have in living rooms for convenience and functionality. So we looked long and hard to find something that was right for this space.
We chose the Winslow Floor Lamp In Antique Brass from Emac & Lawton for its rustic beauty and ease of movement. Whether reading or gazing into the fireplace, it’s the quiet helper with undeniable flair.
Head to your nearest Hardware & General to shop the Emac & Lawton range.
Soft Furnishings
The team at Isla Design did a beautiful job weaving a story of patterns throughout the home. They supplied these beautiful Chinkara Saphire/Indigo Cushions as well as matching fabric to upcycle an existing ottoman.
The Chinkara thread continues in the laundry wallpaper and the cushions in the entryway.
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