Don’t leave your joinery drawings until you’re part way through the build. Frances outlines why this is not ideal, and what you can achieve in completing internal elevations and joinery drawings before building. She outlines how you can save money, compromises you can avoid, and why you’ll get a much better result with them.
#foreverhome #newhome #newbuild #renovation #homeplanning #ownerbuilder

In this short and sharp episode, Frances discusses the coordination of bathroom floor tiles with the main flooring throughout the home, and how tiles cannot be looked at in isolation from other materials in the home.

She chats about the overall colour tone being used in the home, either warm or cool, and how that also needs to be reflected in bathroom material choices.

SHOWNOTES

A key bathroom mistake Frances often sees is NOT looking at the entire flow of material selections from one part of the home into another.

Creating continuity

The floor is one of the key areas that links our home together and creates continuity throughout.

How to create continuity?

The same colour tone throughout

For example;

• Hard Flooring (Warm Colour Tone) & Carpet (Warm Colour Tone)
• Hard Flooring (Cool Colour Tone) & Carpet (Cool Colour Tone)

Tiles- The floor tile being used in your bathroom, ensuite or powder room should marry into the floor that it's butting up against, be that a timber floor, carpet or another tile.

Be sure to obtain samples so you can see how the floor material and the floor tile work together and that they are of the same tone.

Free Upcoming Webinar

5 Costly Bathroom Design Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Frances is hosting this webinar on the 24th November at 7PM-8PM AEDT.

Click here to reserve your spot.

In this special 3 part series 'Designing and Building my Own Forever Home', Frances will take you on her own Forever Home Journey. In this episode, Part 1 of the series, Frances outlines how she created the vision for her home along with how she researched and found her architect to design the home. This series is a wonderful insight, and personal story, warts and all, of how Frances designed and built her own Forever Home.

In this episode of the podcast, as part of the Kitchen Design Essentials Season, Frances outlines considerations for an outdoor kitchen. She emphasises the need to plan it upfront as it may impact internal kitchen decisions. She runs through suitable materials, and those that are not suitable for outdoors, and options with regards to necessities for the outdoor kitchen space.

In this podcast episode, Frances lets you into a week of her life of being an interior designer and running her own business. She outlines each day, what typically goes on and what curve balls she has to tackle when it doesn’t all go according to plan.

It’s a great insight into the world of an open and upfront interior designer, who tells it like it is, and is raw and real in this episode. You’ll get to see, it’s not all as glamourous as you may think!

Welcome to a week in the life of Frances Cosway.

Internal doors are an often overlooked as an important design element when creating your home. They have many purposes, and critical to good performance and flexibility in any home.

In this Forever Home Live, Frances discusses the importance of doors and the many benefits they provide in your Forever Home design, including their purpose in different scenarios.

Noise Mitigation
The use of doors is critical for noise mitigation. It hampers noise traveling throughout your home, both along hallways and up and down stairs

Privacy
How a home is laid out is also important in terms of bedrooms zoned away from living spaces and laundries. The use of doors allows for the creation of privacy, for a study, bedroom, lounge, and retreat area.

Energy Efficiency
Creating zones allows for energy efficiency, and the ability to close of certain rooms in a home, meaning unutilised areas are not heated or cooled unnecessarily.

Multifunctional
The problem with rooms not having doors is not being able to use that space for make something else. Having doors also for flexibility in what a space can be used for.Doors can be opened up to create an illusion of space whether it’s double cavity sliding doors or a hinge door.

Services Available
Will your floor plan work for you for years to come? Have one of our team look over your plans so you have the peace of mind that you’re on the right track with your new build or renovation. Find out more about it here. 

Related Resources
Three Ways to Future Proof Your Home
A Quiet Life with Noise Mitigation

In this Forever Home Live, Frances chats about choosing tapwear, showers and bathroom accessories and how they need marry in with each other for a cohesive scheme. What taps are best for the kitchen and laundry and how they don’t need to match all the other taps in your home!

Join the '5 Costly Bathroom Design Mistakes and How to Avoid Them' Webinar

If you like this and want to learn more, I've got a webinar coming up on 24th November from 7PM-8PM AEDT. Click here to find out more and register.

In this episode of the podcast, Frances outlines a key change to Your Forever Home with a re-name to reflect how she feels about the brand. In the episode, she runs through her thinking behind the change, what it means to you and what it means to all the resources available to you.

As the guest in this podcast episode, Frances shares how she creates meaning, presence, and memories in a home and shares her passion for helping clients to create their Forever Home™. She outlines how she started her business, why she does what she does and the things she’s passionate about.

In this Forever Home Live, Frances chats through the importance of the orientation of your home and why a north-facing rear garden is premium. She walks through how it’s the first thing she reviews when conducting a Floor Plan Sanity Check, along with the use of doors to improve flexibility, privacy, zoning, and heat retention. These are the first two key areas she reviews as part of the Sanity Check process.

Frances runs through the criteria and parameters around the Australian Government’s Home Builder Scheme, and who is eligible for the $25K grant.

She also discusses window splashbacks for above a stove. The likes and dislikes about this scenario.

In this episode of the Kitchen Design Essentials Season, Frances discusses handles, and the options available (including having no handles), along with cabinetry hardware and internals, and what options are available to improve design and functionality in your kitchen.

SHOWNOTES:

Handles and hardware add the perfect finishing touch to your kitchen. They can absolutely make your kitchen, or they can let it down. Good news is, they are easy to replace to create a whole new look.  

Handles  

• They add to overall finish of kitchen and to the overall design.
• They complete the aesthetic on the style of your kitchen
  • Hamptons or shaker style kitchens needs handles to complete the look/aesthetic
  • Contemporary style may mean handles intrude on aesthetic
• They add personality to an ordinary kitchen.
• A quick fix for make overs too – replacing handles can really update a kitchen.
• Functionality- allow for easy opening of cupboards and drawers
• Personal preference – some prefer to have handles and some don’t.

Handle Types

• Fingerpull – A simple solution for opening your cupboards or drawers. It has a rebate that is either built into the top of drawer or underneath overhead cupboards that allows your fingers to pull open.
  • Streamlined and clean finish
  • Can affect depth of drawer (storage) depending on finger pull type being used.
• Push to close – We don’t normally suggest this type of mechanism to clients.
  • As you work at the bench, legs can push open cupboards/drawers too easily
  • If opting for handle-less finish – prefer finger pull
• Handles
  • Generally easier to use across the board especially for kids and elderly. Handles are much easier to use than a knob for opening heavy drawers
  • They can be placed vertically or horizontally on overhead cabinetry.
  • For pull-out pantries or fridge doors, a vertical handle is preferrable
  • Drawers commonly use horizontal handles
    • Better to have one longer handle than two smaller for ease of opening
    • Ensure the handle is long enough for the drawer
  • Be mindful of T-bar handles because it can get caught on clothing
  • Make sure that the style of your handle is in line with the complete aesthetic of your kitchen. Not something that conflicts or clashes with overall look. Needs to complement.

Knobs

• It is better for overhead cabinetry than under bench cabinetry.
• Knobs overhead handle underneath
• Can be a lot smaller compared to handles so can be more discreet
• Can be difficult to open drawers and heavier cabinetry such as  fridge fronts
• Need to coordinate with handles

Finishes – There’s an incredible selection of knobs and handles. Anything that you can think of.

• Metal- a very popular choice
• Living Metals- naturally tarnish over time - organic feel
• Burnished- It is not shiny and has more organic feel to it as well
• Matte
• Polished
• Satin finishes
• Solid Metal- i.e stainless steel, chrome or solid brass
• Timber: knobs and handles
• Different profiles- Round, concave, semi-circle
• Can soften the look.
• Leather –handles, straps, knobs
• Can also patina over time, with the oils from your finger.
• Combination of materials eg. Timber and metal, leather and metal.

Colours – Your handles do not have to match your tap. However, be mindful of the continuity that is going through the rest of the space/ home. Eg, light fittings, other door hardware.

Size or the Proportion of the handle

• Position on doors, centred or left/right aligned

If you can, visit showroom with handles to test for the feel and grip, and if you like it.

Hardware & Internal

• Hardware improve the functionality of the internals of your cabinetry.
• It improves the design, and worsk particularly well in smaller kitchens where space is tight and sophisticated design required.
• Cheap runners and cheap hinges are not going to last, so invest in a good quality ones.

Types of hardware & internals

• Lift up cupboard fronts
• Oopens upwards so you have got a complete visibility of contents.
• Not restricted leaving cupboards open and seeing contents – won’t knock your head.
• Manual or electronic (push button)– Electronic comes at a cost
• Pull out shelves

• Have a shelf with appliances that allows you to pull it out.
• Ideal for tight kitchen

• Bifold doors

• It can be useful if you have an appliance cupboard.

• Retractable doors

• It opens like a hinge door, but it retracts back into the cavity.
• Space saving
• However, a space for cavity should be consider when getting a retractable doors.

• Electric mechanism

• For cabinetry fronts to auto close. Excellent for fridges & pantry doors.

• Pullout Pantry systems

• Old Pantry pull out Systems- You can’t see all the items, and things fall over.
• New Pantry System- Items are completely visible and you can customise how things stand up in each of the drawers.
• Ideal for small kitchen because of the storage it provides

• Oil and spice drawers
• Bins – bin drawers 1, 2, 3, 4 types of bins – think recycling, compost, soft plastics and waste

• Dedicated pull out drawers with full bins or double bins in each drawer, normally about 15 litresfor smaller bins.
• Under sink – custom made or system from eg. Blum – good for space saving
• Size depends on space available

• Drawer runners and hinges
• Hettich & Blum – lifetime guarantee. Have their own individual hardware systems and offer excellent hinge and drawer solutions.
• Cheaper versions it wears out easily, drag, or don’t slide well.
• Every drawer in your kitchen should be fully extendable and soft close
• Touch to close/soft close overhead

Visit showrooms to see the different types of mechanism that are available and to see the difference between cutlery drawers set up or drawers heights.

Available Services;

Beautiful Kitchen Design Made Easy Online Course

Ready to design and create your own beautiful kitchen? Get all the interior designer insider knowledge in this online course to create your dream kitchen. Find out more and join here. 

Book A Chat

Ready to renovate or create your kitchen but not sure where to start?

Get the help of a property expert and save yourself from making costly mistakes with a free Forever Home chat. Click here to get access to Frances' calendar; 

Kitchen Bliss Package

Overwhelmed by the amount of decisions that need to be made when creating a stylish, functional and durable kitchen? What materials to select, what colours will co-ordinate together, what design is going to best suit the space, and your requirements.

We offer kitchen design packages that include joinery design and material selections for a complete kitchen design. Click the link here to find more.

Related Resources:

Episode 54: Kitchen Design Essentials- Appliances Part 2

Episode 53: Kitchen Design Essentials – Appliances - Part 1

Episode 51: Kitchen Design Essentials- Kitchen Taps and Sinks

Episode 50: Kitchen Design Essentials- Kitchen Taps and Sinks

Episode 49: Kitchen Design Essentials – Butler’s Pantries and Pantries

Episode 47: Kitchen Design Essentials – Key Kitchen Measurements

Episode 45: Kitchen Design Essentials - Internal Elevations & Joinery Design

Read our latest blog on Internal Elevations and Joinery Design here; 

Episode 43: Kitchen Design Essentials – Flatpack Vs Custom Designed Kitchens

Episode 41: Kitchen Design Essentials – Cabinetry Materials-

Episode 39: Kitchen Design Essentials – Splashbacks 

Episode 38: Kitchen Design Essentials-Benchtop Criteria and Materials – Part 2-

Episode 36: Kitchen Design Essentials – Benchtops part 1 

Episode 14: Forever Home LIVE- Joinery Drawings and Why Do Them Early On-

Episode 30: Kitchen Design Essentials -Kitchen Design Layouts and Location- 

Episode 32: Kitchen Design Essentials – The Builder’s Insight 

How to Choose the Right Bench Top-

Top 5 tips for selecting benchtops-

In this episode of the Your Forever Home podcast Frances covers off the topic of creating a bathroom that is accessible for when you get older, or are less able-bodied. She outlines design elements that can be incorporated now that will make a big difference later on, and some that can simply be provisioned for and installed later. Through her passion for creating ‘Future Proof’ homes, this is another area that adds to the liveability of your home well into the future.

Frances delves into the engineered stone ban in Australia and explores alternative options for homeowners. From porcelain to laminate, Frances discusses factors such as durability, aesthetics, and budget, advising listeners on many alternatives available and why you may choose one material over another for your benchtops.  

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the thought of clearing out years and years worth of 'stuff', then this is the episode for you.

Frances is joined by decluttering expert, Amy Revell, who shares her wisdom on how to prepare to pack up and move for a renovation or new build. How to create a vision and create a home you'll love.

This is a super fun and jammed packed episode on what to declutter and decide what to keep for your new home.

Kitchen Design Essentials is a podcast series to provide all the information you need for your kitchen renovation, new kitchen or kitchen makeover.

Frances provides an overview of what to expect in this specialised Kitchen Design Season and outlines all the areas that will be covered in this multi episode podcast. All you need to know to complete your kitchen will be covered, from layout, design considerations, materials, lighting, storage, pantries, taps, sinks and appliances.

SHOW NOTES

Kitchen Designs need to work hard for all families. They are your entertaining space, a family congregation space and the hub of the home. Therefore, it is important to get it right. In this episode of the podcast, Frances outlines the Kitchen Design Essentials Season. What’s in store, who will be joining her, what will be covered, and why you should listen in!

In this special Podcast Season – Kitchen Design Essentials, Frances will discuss every element to do with Kitchen Design, as well as inviting amazing guests onto the show to go into detail on different topics. A common mistake often made is joinery made for the space, rather than the people that will be using it.  A square peg into a round hole scenario, which is not the best approach to creating a kitchen that is designed  around  how they're going to live.

The Kitchen Design Essentials Podcast Season is created for those  who are:

• Thinking of, or in the process of doing a kitchen renovation
• Creating a kitchen from scratch for a new home
• Looking at a kitchen makeover instead of a full renovation
• Interested in kitchen design
• Wanting lots of knowledge to plan for your kitchen in the future.

Guests on the show

Experts from all areas such as material manufacturers, builders, lighting designers, and appliance representatives, will be joining Frances to share their insight and expertise on various topics, so you’re getting well rounded information from a wide source of specialists.

What the season will cover:

• When’s it best to do a makeover Vs renovation
• Where best to locate your kitchen
• Design layouts
• How to assess your design
• Custom design and flat packs
• Cabinetry materials
• Benchtop materials
• Details – handles and hardware
• Taps and sinks
• Splashbacks
• Butler’s pantries, WIP & appliance cupboards
• Key measurements & kitchen triangle/work area
• Appliances
• Lighting
• Ventilation
• Colours and decorating
• Storage & bins
• Makeovers
• Outdoor kitchens

Frances will cover the  best location for your kitchen in your home, the orientation of kitchen,  advantages and disadvantages of certain layouts and key considerations to think about when choosing your kitchen layout.

Assessing designs and how to know if the design presented to you is going to work for you. Frances will  also talk about custom design kitchens and flat pack kitchens cabinetry materials and their advantages and disadvantages material types.

Frances will also cover benchtop materials, including new products coming onto the market, splashbacks and regulations, handles and hardware details, and other elements that really complete and finish your kitchen off, making it unique to you.

The differences between tap and sink types and what to look for, and where to spend.

Butler's Pantry, Walk-in-Pantries and appliance cupboards will also be discussed to allow you to determine what will work best for you.

Frances runs through appliances, how to assess what’s best for you, and understanding key measurements.

Finally, Frances will discuss the importance of good task lighting, decorative lighting and how to avoid glare and shadow, plus the ever important (and often forgotten) element of good ventilation.

Decorating and choosing colours can be fun, and Frances will outline key considerations when selecting colours, as well and how to decorate your kitchen.

Available Services:

If you’re thinking about renovating or creating your kitchen get in touch with Frances directly, by booking a 15 minute chat with her.

Do you think you may need help to make sure you don’t miss anything with your Kitchen Design? Check out Kitchen and Bathroom Bliss Package. With our help, your kitchen and bathroom renovations will be far less stressful and the results will stand the test of time.

You may also book an initial consultation to start the process of renovating or building your new home or get one-off advice to finish your home.

Got big plans for a new home or renovation that you can start preparing for? Your Forever Home- The First Step might be the perfect course to ensure your planned, prepared and informed, right from the outset, to create a home of your dreams. The EOFY Sale is saving you $300 off the Your Forever Home – The First Steps Online Course. Now only $197 instead of $497. Only valid until 15th July 2020

What do you need to do before you start designing your dream kitchen? In this episode, as part of the Kitchen Design Essentials Season, Frances outlines how you determine what you need in your kitchen (rather than worrying about what everyone else has) and how to determine the what, how and where for your storage requirements, critical to the foundation of your overall kitchen design.

Frances also discusses the importance of your lifestyle, and your cooking requirements to really determine what you need in your kitchen and how you need it to work for you. Being the hub of many family homes, kitchens need to perform many roles, and be many things, so thinking about how you live and what you need out of your kitchen is critical to getting a design that works.

SHOWNOTES

As kitchens are the main hub of a family the home, they have multiple functions. From cooking to casual eating areas, breakfast bars to entertainment zones homework areas and workspaces. All in all, your kitchen needs to be designed around your needs and work super hard for you.

In this episode Frances walks through the essential elements to consider when you are determining what you need in your kitchen.

She emphases the point that your Forever Home should be designed for yourself, your family and what you need, not what other people's expectations are.
This is also the beauty of creating your own Forever Home kitchen, as it’s all about you and what you need and want from your kitchen. This is where an external party can assist you to think outside the box and provide solutions you haven't even thought of or knew were available.

Things to think about when determining what you need in your kitchen.

What type of cook you are and how you need the kitchen to work.

• How often do you entertain?
• Do you bake often, make jam and preserve food?
• Determine the space you’ll need for food prep and the appliances you’ll need.

How does the kitchen needs to perform for you and your family.

• If cooking infrequently, perhaps it will be more of a show kitchen.
• How much lateral space do you need for food prep
• Entertainment zone, casual dining area and breakfast bar.

For your storage think about what, how and where you need to store items. Eg, appliances, tea and coffee station, kids prep area, baking,

• Bins, chopping boards, cookware, crockery, glasses, and mugs.
• Plastic containers, pens/paper, tea towels.
• Do you want anything on show?

Available Services:
The Kitchen Deep Dive mentioned in the Podcast is available to clients designing or specifying their kitchens with White Pebble Interiors.

If you need assistance, get in touch! We are here to help you get the best out or your kitchen. 

Get in touch with Frances directly, by booking a chat with her 

Related Resources:
How to Choose the Right Bench Top
The Art of Decluttering Podcast

In this Kitchen Design Essentials episode Frances runs through the critical element of lighting in your kitchen. She discusses the need for task, ambient and decorative lighting for different scenarios, particularly for kitchens in an open plan space. She also discusses the many different alternatives available to using downlights, and why it’s important to use a combination of light sources.

SHOWNOTES:

Lighting affects your mood and your ability to work in a space. It is a key component to the overall functionality of your kitchen.

Task Lighting

Provides specific and increased light to accomplish specific task (E.g reading, working, or cooking). Task lighting is critical in the kitchen, as it is in a bathroom. Proper task lighting enables work surfaces to be illuminated such as island benches, under overhead cupboards, and corners.

• A good artificial light is required regardless of what natural light is available
• Natural Lighting – Nothing beats good natural light How much natural light you have depends on orientation of the kitchen and the kitchen location in the home.
• Skylights- Can be openable which allows hot air to be released. Ambient/Mood Lighting

Kitchens are often placed in an open plan area where it’s open to lounge and dining. To avoid only having task lighting, ambient lighting is needed to create mood and atmosphere in the whole open plan space, including your kitchen.

• Dimmers- an important way to create ambient lighting
• Downlights- Choose a downlight that is good quality
  • LED
  • Has broad beam which reach more space

Decorative Lighting

• Decorative lighting plays a big part of interior design Pendant lights- serves as a decorative element but can also be used as an ambient light.
• If selected well, and is over an Island bench it will function as task lighting, ambient and decorative lighting.
• Allows for soft lighting to be used in the overall open plan
• If you want your pendant lights to provide task lighting over the bench, need to consider the light illuminated from the fitting.
• Need a number of pendants to match the size of the bench. Scale is important.
• Pendant lights allow you to add your personality into the kitchen but make sure that it coordinated back to the cabinetry material.

Have a combination of task lighting, ambient/mood lighting, and decorative lighting so you have the ability to dial your lighting up or down as required.

Alternatives to downlights

Directional spots

• Sit in the ceiling just like a downlight
• Can move around so you can get light exactly where you need it.

Track Lighting

• Can be mounted on the ceiling and offers multiple lights from one track
• You can point them where you need them to be.

LED Strip Lighting – multiple types

• Strip under the front of the island bench for ambient/decorative effect.
• Under the overhead cabinetry to illuminate bench under the overhead cupboards.
• On the top of the overhead cabinetry pointing up to the ceiling to reflect light off the ceiling.

Uplights

• Provides excellent task lighting, good ambient lighting and is also  
• Available in different styles
• Ideal for homes with high ceilings

Wall Washes

• Installed in the ceiling like a downlight
• Points to the wall and bounces light off the wall.
• Beautiful for highlighting artwork.

Cove lighting

• Sits above the overhead cabinetry.
• It creates a strip of light that pushes lights down into space. It can be built into the bulkhead.

Under cabinetry lighting

• Instead of strip LED, you may want to consider smaller lights (i.e circular or square) that sits in the overhead cabinetry.

Light from your rangehood

• A good light source
• Illuminate your stovetop

It is worth investing in getting your lighting design for your kitchen (or your whole house). Engage either a lighting designer or an interior designer that is able to do a lighting plan for you. It is only when you live with poor lighting, that you understand the value of having really good light and the impact on how it makes you work and feel in space

Available Services;

Beautiful Kitchen Design Made Easy Online Course

Ready to design and create your own beautiful kitchen? Get all the interior designer insider knowledge in this online course to create your dream kitchen. Find out more and join here 

Book A Chat

Ready to renovate or create your kitchen but not sure where to start?

Get the help of a property expert and save yourself from making costly mistakes with a free Forever Home chat. Click here to get access to Frances' calendar; 

Kitchen Bliss Package

Overwhelmed by the amount of decisions that need to be made when creating a stylish, functional and durable kitchen? What materials to select, what colours will co-ordinate together, what design is going to best suit the space, and your requirements.

We offer kitchen design packages that include joinery design and material selections for a complete kitchen design. Click the link here to find more:

Related Resources:

Why Internal Elevations are Critical for your Home

Kitchen Design to Match your Lifestyle

Episode 55: Kitchen Design Essentials: Handles and Hardware 

Episode 54: Kitchen Design Essentials- Appliances Part 2

Episode 53: Kitchen Design Essentials – Appliances - Part 1

Episode 51: Kitchen Design Essentials- Kitchen Taps and Sinks

Episode 50: Kitchen Design Essentials- Kitchen Taps and Sinks

Episode 49: Kitchen Design Essentials – Butler’s Pantries and Pantries

Episode 47: Kitchen Design Essentials – Key Kitchen Measurements 

Episode 45: Kitchen Design Essentials - Internal Elevations & Joinery Design

Read our latest blog on Internal Elevations and Joinery Design here; 

Episode 43: Kitchen Design Essentials – Flatpack Vs Custom Designed Kitchens 

Episode 39: Kitchen Design Essentials – Splashbacks 

Episode 38: Kitchen Design Essentials-Benchtop Criteria and Materials – Part 2- 

Episode 36: Kitchen Design Essentials – Benchtops part 1 

Episode 14: Forever Home LIVE- Joinery Drawings and Why Do Them Early On-

Episode 30: Kitchen Design Essentials -Kitchen Design Layouts and Location- 

Episode 32: Kitchen Design Essentials – The Builder’s Insight 

How to Choose the Right Bench Top- 

Top 5 tips for selecting benchtops- 

In this Facebook Live, Frances discusses the buying criteria for a ceiling fan as not all fans are the same! She outlines why they are worth installing (so many reasons), and the controversial question of fan Vs pendant light in a bedroom. She also runs through why spending a little more on your ceiling fan provides so much more than a standard fan and is worth the investment.

In this episode, Frances reflects on how the quiet of the holidays gives us the perfect opportunity to assess what isn’t working in our homes. She shares personal experiences of the things that have bugged her, how it’s easy to live with them, and how holiday time is the best time to make a change. 

Listen in for helpful insights on finding clarity for your home and how to finally tackle those lingering issues.

Frances is joined by Peter Karaolganis from Presenting Homes Australia to discuss the different decisions made when renovating your Forever Home compared to renovating to flip and make a profit.

Peter and Frances discuss materials, build quality, flexible floorplans and multigenerational living for both types of renovations and how they differ.

Join Frances in this special 150th episode as she reflects on the incredible journey of the My Forever Home podcast. Discover highlights from past episodes, popular guest insights, and the evolution of this award winning podcast since its inception during the pandemic. Tune in to celebrate this milestone and find inspiration for your own Forever Home™ journey!

Frances chats about decorating quick fixes in this Facebook Live, discussing elements to incorporate into your home to give it a new lease of life. Things you already have at home, or won’t cost a fortune.

SHOW NOTES:

During times of isolation and staying at home, it’s a perfect time to sort out all those little things that have been annoying you at home. along with some of the bigger bugbears.

In this podcast, Frances chats about decorating quick fixes and elements to incorporate into your home.

Move things around

You don’t need to remodel a room to make the space feel different or make it look more appealing. In fact, it can be accomplished without spending a cent!

To inject new life into a room, move what you have to different rooms, change it with another piece, and circulate your artwork so you can change it around to create a different look in a room. 

Add things that makes you happy

Identify what may be missing in your home and start adding things that makes you happy. You can fill empty walls with artwork, items your children have made, or simply paint or wallpaper empty walls to add colour and texture.  Hanging photographs of travel or your family is also a great way to personalise your space.

Maximise every space in your home

Get rid of unnecessary items sitting around in a room, particularly if they are not functional. Make sure you are maximising every space in your home to be as useful and functional as possible.  Think about spaces and rooms that may be under-utilised. For example, there might be a space that you can set up for the kids  homeschooling environment or a master bedroom with a spare corner that can have a desk temporarily set up for your own working from home area.

There are always at least one or two things you can do in your home to reinvigorate it’s look and feel and purpose.

Services Available:

If you feel you need some help with your home we have several online services available here.

Related resources:

Injecting New Life Into Your Home 

In this Forever Home Live Frances highlights the need to understand the various aspects of stairs before making a decision to have carpet, timber or concrete. The aesthetic is often the leading reason for people to choose their stair type without taking into consideration noise, budget, slip resistance and storage requirements, which are the areas Frances chats through in this episode.

A Forever Home is a home that Frances describes as a home you plan to be in for 10 plus years. You anticipate staying in the home long term. It’s different from a house that you think of living in for 5 years under or a house that to renovate because you want to make money out of it. The emotional buy in and the way you make your decisions and, selections and choices is totally different when you are embarking on creating a Forever Home, than one you consider leaving in 5 years or so.

A Forever Home is

• A home that you plan to stay in long term
• A home that needs to work really hard for you in terms of functionality, flexibility, adaptability and multi-generational living
• A home that you have a strong connection with and reflect you, rather than the latest trends.

Lifestyle
Lifestyle is a key component to take into consideration when building your Forever Home. The whole site has to suit your lifestyle, not just the house

Forget about trends
You want something that is going to last in your Forever Home, which is why Frances advises on choosing with your heart rather than follow the latest trends. And your home doesn’t necessarily have to be ‘timeless’ as your objective is not to sell in the short term anyway. Everything dates over time, but if you are making decisions based on what you love you won’t be thinking of renovating it frequently.

Add your own Personality
The joy comes from creating something that enabled you to put your stamp on it and to have your personality flowing into the home. Frances loves Moroccan inspired patterns , colors and geometrics so when she created her own Forever Home, she created a Moroccan inspired bathroom, and used that theme in other elements in the home too, without a single consideration for if anyone else outside their home would like. Her philosophy? You’re building a Forever Home for you, not anyone else.

If you are a little bit nervous on how to incorporate all your ideas, get expert advice because there are so many possibilities. You might just need to bounce your ideas off an expert, have a sounding board, or just make sure that it's all going to come through together.

And remember - a Forever Home is for you and no one else.

Related Resources

Injecting New Life Into Your Home
3 Steps to Creating a Home You Love

In this Forever Home Live, Frances answers a query on having a Mixer Tap Vs conventional taps, and outlines her reasons for specifying mixer taps more frequently than normal taps.

In this Forever Home Live, Frances outlines the updates to the Home Builder Scheme for renovations and new builds. The scheme has been extended into 2021, however there are some changes to eligibility and the grant reduced to $15,000. Learn more in this episode.

In this episode, Frances provides a summary of each episode of the Kitchen Design Essentials Season and how each episode adds another dimension to your overall kitchen design and outcome. From budgets to materials, from flatpacks to splashbacks, she outlines all episodes, providing a handy reference on what will be the episode to listen to next as part of the season.

SHOWNOTES:   

1 – Episode 24: Kitchen Design Essentials - Season Overview

Frances provided an overview of what’s in store for the season- giving you a good insight into what was covered in the series.

2 – Episode 27: Kitchen Design Essentials - How to Determine What You Need in Your Kitchen

This episode is about working out what you need in the kitchen.  Frances talked about the importance of doing a kitchen needs assessment- analysis of your lifestyle, type of cook, storage requirements and the number of people working into that space.  Ideally using the Clear Clarity Design Worksheet from the Beautiful Kitchen Design Made Easy course.

3- Episode 30: Kitchen Design Essentials -Kitchen Design Layouts and Location

Frances, and guest Interior Designer, Fabieli Fontana talked about Kitchen layouts and locations in the home. 

• Kitchen Layout and the advantages and disadvantages of each layout- U shape, Lineal, L shaped, Galley
• The best location that brings in natural light

4 – Episode 32: Kitchen Design Essentials –The Builder’s insight

This Kitchen Design Essentials episode had special guest, Jeremy Gates from Gaia Construction, who provided the builder’s insight on mistakes people make when creating a new kitchen. He focused on setting a budget, and avoiding mistakes such as undercapitalising  being worse than overcapitalising by not utilising the space the best way possible. He felt homeowners esigning their kitchen was a mistake too as it held to a whole heap of issues.

5 – Episode 34: Kitchen Design Essentials – Key Kitchen Design Mistakes

This episode brings back our guest Fabieli Fontana, where she and Frances spoke about key kitchen design mistakes. They chat about experiences with clients and errors caught early enough to be reflect a better overall design- window placement, size & height, structural constraints.

6 – Episode 36: Kitchen Design Essentials – Benchtops part 1

Frances and her guest Laura Neville from Cosentino discussed the various products available from Cosentino, namely natural stone, reconstituted stone, and Dekton.

7 – Episode 38: Kitchen Design Essentials-Benchtop Criteria and Materials – Part 2

Frances talked about benchtop criteria in terms of you and your family’s needs. She also mentioned other benchtop materials such as timber, porcelain, recycled glass, stainless steel, paperock, concrete, laminate, and solid acrylic surface.

8 – Episode 39: Kitchen Design Essentials – Splashbacks

Being a self-confessed fan of splashbacks, Frances outlined several splashback materials including glass, stone, windows, mirror and porcelain, including her favourite – tiles. She also pointed out how splashbacks can determine the entire selection for your kitchen. Lastly, she talked about the considerations from a regulation perspective- gas or induction stove tops

9 – Episode 41: Kitchen Design Essentials – Cabinetry Materials

In this episode, Frances spoke about cabinetry materials and the advantages and disadvantages of each materials- 2Pac, thermal wrap, laminate, timber, and Dekton.  She also talked about kickers, sizes and material options.

10 – Episode 43: Kitchen Design Essentials – Flatpack Vs Custom Designed Kitchens

Frances walks through the differences between flat pack and custom designed kitchens. She shared considerations that you need to think about when choosing between flatpack and custom kitchens such as design and materials constraints,  constraints and possible compromises on layout.

11 – Episode 45: Kitchen Design Essentials - Internal Elevations & Joinery Design

In this episode, Frances discussed  Internal Elevations and Joinery Design and why it is important in your kitchen design, why it is worth the investment and what could go wrong if you don’t have them in terms of cost and design considerations.

She referenced the blog too  Why Internal Elevations are Critical for your Home, which you can read here.

12 - Episode 47: Kitchen Design Essentials – Key Kitchen Measurements

Frances outlined the key kitchen measurements to make sure that your kitchen is functional and workable. She ran through key metrics for kitchen planning such as gaps between rear-bench and island bench, the ideal length for island benches, depths of cupboards and other space considerations for fridges.

13 - Episode 49: Kitchen Design Essentials – Butler’s Pantries and Pantries

This episode talked about Butler’s pantries and pantries and the difference between the two. She also debunked the concept that pantries are critical in every home  and presented other options such as appliance cupboards, step-in pantries and pantry drawer systems

14 - Episode 51: Kitchen Design Essentials- Kitchen Taps and Sinks

In this episode, Frances and her podcast guest Trisha Narde from Reece Bathrooms talked about kitchen taps and sinks. They discussed the different types of sinks and taps available and buying considerations for both.  What makes a good quality tap and sink?  What makes a cost-effective tap and what are some of the issues that pose?

And if you planning to incorporate Billy and Zip taps in your kitchen, don’t miss this episode as Frances and Trisha gave an in-depth review about it. Lastly, they talked about the very controversial black tap and black sink.  Should you or shouldn't you?

15 - Episode 53: Kitchen Design Essentials – Appliances - Part 1

We featured another guest in this episode- Rob Sinclair, the managing director of e&s Trading. This episode focused on fridge, dishwasher, oven or steam ovens, the buying criteria for each and great brands to look out for. He also suggested that when choosing appliances, it’s important to assess your needs, lifestyle and cooking requirement.

Rob and Frances also talked about integrated, semi and freestanding options for your appliances.

16 – Episode 54: Kitchen Design Essentials – Appliances Part 2

Part 2 of the Appliances Episode with Rob Sinclair talked about stove tops and rangehoods- the best range hood and why it’s worth spending the extra money. Other appliances like built-in coffee machines were also discussed in the episode. Rob also shared the latest kitchen appliances to look out for

17 - Episode 55: Kitchen Design Essentials- Handles and Hardware

Frances talked about how handles and hardware affects your kitchen’s design and functionality.  She also talked about the advantages and disadvantages of handles and knobs, material considerations such as shapes, sizes and types (leather, timber, metal finishes).  Lastly, she touched on the different types of cabinetry internal hardware like runners and other proprietary systems.

18 - Episode 57: Kitchen Design Essentials – How to Choose Kitchen Colours

In this episode of the Kitchen Design Essentials Season, Frances chats through how to choose colours for your kitchen. When choosing for your colour scheme, floors would be a good starting point, as well as your leading material (I.e splashback). Most importantly, Frances said that continuity and flow is essential in your design, so make sure that you are using the same tones, whether they are cool or warm colours throughout the home

19 - Episode 59: Kitchen Design Essentials – Kitchen Lighting

Frances ran through the different types of kitchen lighting- task, ambient and decorative lighting and how you can incorporate all of it into your kitchen. She also opposed only using downlights in the kitchen and suggested different combinations of light sources to be able to dial your lighting up or down accordingly.

20 – Episode 61: Kitchen Design Essentials – Budgeting

Frances walked us through creating budgets. She outlined what needs to be considered and items that should go into it. She also ran through what you can expect to be able to do at certain budget levels ($5,000 vs $20,000 vs $40,000 vs $80,000 budget). And once again, she put emphasis on undercapitalising being an issue when  not using the space to its optimum

21- Episode 62: Kitchen Design Essentials – Outdoor Kitchens

The final episode of the season talked about the growing popularity of Outdoor Kitchen.   She ran through the different types of suitable materials and options Lastly, she talked about the location for your outdoor kitchen- separate to the house or added as an extension to your home.

Services Available:

Beautiful Kitchen Design Made Easy Course

Access the 'Beautiful Kitchen Design Made Easy' Course for only $99. It has over 21 lessons and transcripts from the Kitchen Design Essential Podcast and professionally designed downloadable resources including Top 12 Must-Do’s Planner, All-In Appliances Checklist, Clear Clarity Design Worksheet, All-Inclusive Kitchen Materials and Fittings Template (including WIP) and Kitchen Budget Template.

This simple to follow short course will leave you feeling confident that you have information at hand to help you navigate your own kitchen design with ease. Click here if you are ready to build your beautiful kitchen.

Online course - $99 with over 21 lessons and transcripts from podcast, PLUS downloadable resources.

Top 5 Tips for Designing your Forever Home Webinar

Obtain key information to prepare you for your Forever Home with the ‘Top 5 Tips for Designing your Forever Home’ Webinar on 26th November 2020 at 7:00pm (AEDT)via zoom.

In this webinar, we will cover the following topics- Assessing for floorplan flexibility, How to get your kitchen design right, Why internal elevations are critical, How to create zones in the home and Creating different lighting options. Sign up now!

Book A Chat

Ready to renovate or create your kitchen but not sure where to start?

Get the help of a property expert and save yourself from making costly mistakes with a free Forever Home chat. Click here to get access to Frances' calendar;

Kitchen Bliss Package

Overwhelmed by the amount of decisions that need to be made when creating a stylish, functional and durable kitchen? What materials to select, what colours will co-ordinate together, what design is going to best suit the space, and your requirements.

We offer kitchen design packages that include joinery design and material selections for a complete kitchen design. Click the link here to find more.

Thank you so much for listening to Kitchen Design Essentials Series. We are working hard to provide you high-quality contents and your review could greatly help us to continue doing so.

We appreciate you taking out the time to help us improve our podcast!

In this episode, Frances, and guest Trishla Narde, Branch Manager at Reece Bathroom Life discuss kitchen taps and sinks and what to look for in each. They cover Billi and Zip taps and how to allow for them in your design, as well as black tapwear and sinks and how to choose wisely.

Kitchen Taps

Main things to consider when looking for a kitchen tap

• Think about the way you use your sinks and taps. For instance, gooseneck gives you a little bit of height so you can get larger pots and pans underneath.
• Where the taps are located - Heavy taps that sit on the sink are not recommended.
• Whether you have a window behind the tap or not
• The long or short lever that is easy to maneuver

Other features for your kitchen tap – the latest of the latest sensor taps

• Sensor taps have recently been released. It turns on and off by a sensor therefore making hand washing more hygienic, especially in households where multiple people live.
• Children can easily access it without grabbing the lever.
• The price range is between $600- $900

                Pull out the nozzle with a spray function built-in

• Great for getting pressure on stubborn stains and also getting into the corners of kitchen sinks

Quality tap wear

• When it comes to technology and manufacturing differences there is what’s called Zero technology. It’s an inlet pipe within the tap that prevents the water from touching any other parts of the tap. Another feature that comes with a higher quality tap is the silk move technology, which allows to cartridge operates smoothly and easily
•  
• Some cheaper taps on the market can lead to faster malfunction and they are made from a thinner skin of material, so less durable.

Warranty

When it comes to warranties, Sussex, Billi, and Mizu offer up to 15 years of warranty, wiht  Grohe offering 5 years on parts and labour as well.

Black and other coloured taps for Kitchen

Coloured taps

• These work perfectly if you want a statement in your kitchen.
• There is no requirement to have your Kitchen tap the same colour or brand as other tapwear throughout the home.

Black taps

• Black can wear off over time if you’re selecting a poor quality tap
• When choosing a black tap, you have to consider the plating process to ensure the black doesn’t wear off
  • PVD Finish (Pressure Vapor Disposition)- strongest finish – suitable for outdoors and commercial settings
  • Electroplating- plated like chrome and won’t wear off. Totally suitable for domestic purposes without the black wearing off.
  • Powder coating- least extensive to create and can come off easily with use.

Billi and Zip Taps

Generically these taps provide boiling, chilled and sparkling water all in one tap, or separately.

Zip Tap

• Has a great market presence
• Have beautiful colors and style
• They are 30% more expensive compared to Billi
• 12-month warranty
• Manufactured in US

Billi Tap

• Also has a lovely range of colours, but not as extensive as the Zip tap.
• Has a 2 warranty
• Is an Australian brand

Placement in the kitchen – WIP or main kitchen

They are placed in either the WIP or Main Kitchen, depending on the frequency of use and how the WIP and kitchen are used and where the main place for preparing food takes place.

The installation also needs to be considered, as they require a 600mm cupboard to store the water units to heat or cool the water. A vent in the cupboard is also required, and can also determine whether the tap will be placed in the WIP or main kitchen.

Cost

It costs between $3,000- $7000

Sustainability

These taps are not regarded as a particularly sustainable option due to the energy required to retain boiling and refrigerated water 24/7.

Sinks

Opting for the cheapest sink is not going to give you a product that will last. There is a distinct difference between high quality and low-quality sink.

Quality Sinks

Stainless steel

• A combination of 18% chromium and 10% nickel – 304-grade stainless steel or higher is better
• Durable- doesn’t rust and is not a thin sheet of steel that dents
• Some stainless steel has a sound deadening pad around the surround
• 16-18 gauge stainless steel – the lower the number the better the quality of the steel being used
• Polishing – higher quality sinks have a better polishing finish which means the scratching is less visible.
• Good quality also means steel is a minimum 3mm thick. Lowe quality can be as low as 1mm thick.

Sink Brands in Australia

• Franke- a Switzerland brand
• Clark

Types of sinks

Undermount

• Visually attractive because the rim of the sink is not showing
• Easier to clean
• It has more depth with the 20mm of stone adding to the overall sink depth
• Can’t be used with laminate
• With the under-mount sink, the stone is visible so it needs to be polished which can be an additional cost
• Can be susceptible to chipping especially if heavy-handed with saucepans etc
• The most expensive type of sink
• Can we use it with laminate or timber benchtops, as the water can affect those materials.

Flush mount

• Flush with the benchtop
• Needs precision in grinding the stone 2-3mm to allow for the sink to sit flush.
• Not as popular as other sink types

Inset

• Regarded as a more traditional style of sink
• The sink sits into the gap in the benchtop, so doesn’t require polished edges
• Most cost-effective
• The only option for timber or laminate taps

Buying Criteria when choosing for Sinks

Depth

• Depth should be considered based on the size of the cookware you use for cooking

The position of the waste

• Traditionally, the waste is always in the center of the sink but now they moved it to the back of the sink which gives more space underneath in the cabinetry.

Black Sinks

• Quality black sinks are made with 80% crushed stone or granite and 20% resin that binds the materials together (similar to a stone benchtop).
• Non-porous, so great for sanitation
• Scratch-resistant
• Colour goes all the way through
• A good quality black sink needs to made of a stone composite, and not coated with black colour.

Black Sink and Black Tap

• Easily able to have a black sink and chrome or coloured tap.
• In most instances, the black sink and black tap are likely to be too heavy.
• Taps can still be the showpiece, and need to match the sink.

Available Services:

BEAUTIFUL KITCHEN DESIGN MADE EASY ONLINE COURSE

Ready to design and create your own beautiful kitchen?

Get all the interior designer insider knowledge in this online course to create your dream kitchen.

Find out more and join here.

BOOK A CHAT

Ready to renovate or create your kitchen but not sure where to start?

Get the help of a property expert and save yourself from making costly mistakes with a free Forever Home chat. Click here to get access to Frances' calendar;

KITCHEN BLISS PACKAGE

Overwhelmed by the number of decisions that need to be made when creating a stylish, functional, and durable kitchen? What materials to select, what colours will co-ordinate together, what design is going to best suit space, and your requirements.

We offer kitchen design packages that include joinery design and material selections for a complete kitchen design. Click the link here to find more.

Related Resources:

Episode 47: Kitchen Design Essentials – Key Kitchen Measurements 

Episode 45: Kitchen Design Essentials - Internal Elevations & Joinery Design

Read our latest blog on Internal Elevations and Joinery Design here.

Episode 43: Kitchen Design Essentials – Flatpack Vs Custom Designed Kitchens 

Episode 41: Kitchen Design Essentials – Cabinetry Materials

Episode 39: Kitchen Design Essentials – Splashbacks

Episode 38: Kitchen Design Essentials-Benchtop Criteria and Materials – Part 2

Episode 36: Kitchen Design Essentials – Benchtops part 1 

Episode 14: Forever Home LIVE- Joinery Drawings and Why Do Them Early On

Episode 30: Kitchen Design Essentials -Kitchen Design Layouts and Location

Episode 32: Kitchen Design Essentials – The Builder’s Insight 

How to Choose the Right Bench Top

Top 5 tips for selecting benchtops

In this episode of the Kitchen Design Essentials Season, Frances chats through how to choose your colours for your kitchen – and she’s certainly encouraging you to use colour – if you love it!

She walks you through how to determine ‘what comes first’ when creating your design scheme and runs through popular combinations. Finally, she gives some great advice and tips on decorating your kitchen, and how to make it your own and give it some personality.

SHOWNOTES:

Your kitchen does not have to match everything else in the home. For instance, if you are using a particular tile in the bathroom, you don’t necessarily have to bring that across to the kitchen. Make your kitchen a unique space!

• Have a consistent colour tone to create continuity and flow. For example, if you have a warm home, you need to make sure that you also use warm coloured materials.
• Warm tones = Beige
• Cool tones= Greys
• When thinking about the tone for your home, think about the colors you naturally gravitate to and often it’s the colours you wear.
• For Open plan, you need to coordinate the style of your Kitchen and colour with the rest of the home. For example, a country style kitchen in a modern home will not work.
• If there isn’t consistency throughout the whole home, it will not feel or look right.

Choosing material and their colours

• Start with the floor – Everything gets built up from the floor. For instance, if you’ve got a timber floor, are you going to have  timber cabinetry that matches the floor or are you going to create a contrast?
• Choose your leading piece and select other materials around that piece
• • You can choose the colour and design of your kitchen based on your Splashback tile, cabinetry colour (eg. apple green) or natural stone feature.
  • Don’t start with your paint colour! There’s over 10,000 to choose from.
  • Choose something that you love. Everything will go out of date except the things that you love the most- material, tile, colour or shape
  • When building her Forever Home, Frances used Patricia Urquiola tiles that she had loved for years, for her splashback. It then became her leading piece and she designed her kitchen around it.   

• Dark or light cabinetry? An all white kitchen can be clinical – A safe option when you are not sure what goes with what, but it is uninteresting unless you're going to brighten it up with something else.

• • Choose off white or warm grey. We have our go-to – not quite grey and not yellow based either. Work with warm and cool interiors.
  • Add texture, shape or colour to break it up – generally in the splashback or benchtop that has movement in it.
• Create contrast – with benchtop and cabinetry, or with splashback.
• • Eg. Light cabinetry and dark benchtop or vice versa

• Sleek and sophisticated – less is more. For instance, Dark or timber cabinetry with the benchtop and splashback the same.

• • Use Maximum of 3 materials.
• Timber in a kitchen
• • Timber is a sustainable material which is quite popular at the moment.
  • Gives an organic feeling which is difficult to replace.
  • Natural timber comes with a premium price compared to veneer.
  • If you have timber cabinetry overhead, then you may want to use a contrasting material such as aa plain cabinetry underneath or vice versa. Keep in mind that the timber underneath needs to work with any timber floor.
  • All timber finish can be paired with light or dark benchtop, just make sure that the benchtop coordinates back to the  timber kitchen.
  • Can also have a timber benchtop with plain cabinetry or a timber benchtop with coloured cabinetry.
  • Use  timber handles as an accent
  • Timber floating shelves as an accent.
  • Avoid grey based timbers – They are artificial and don’t  look real. It will  date because it’s not a natural timber  colour.

• Combine cool tones using other materials, rather than using grey in the timber.  Avoid mixing different types of timber because it will become too busy. Stick with one.

• • My preference is to contrast the timber floor with any timber cabinetry – if in doubt, have the timber cabinetry overhead.
  • Maximum 3-4 different materials.
  • • Eg benchtop, cabinetry, splashback and accent material or 2nd cabinetry colour instead of accent colour.
• How to bring in colour
• • An easy and obvious way is adding it in the Splashback– able to change relatively easily
  • Cabinetry – Avoid trends and choose the color that you really love. If you stick with the colour that you gravitate into, you will never get tired of it.
  • Benchtop – natural stone or otherwise
  • Use tonal changes. If all white, but with a slight tonal change, and texture can make such a difference.
  • Coloured appliances – Dolce and Gabbana Fridge. Smeg coloured fridges.
  • • Also counter appliances eg. Coffee maker, mix master, blender, toaster, kettle etc
• Consider appliance colours
• • Are they going to be a Stainless steel, black, white, integrated?
  • Do you want them to recede and blend in or are you okay with contrast? (eg stainless steel fridge)
• Dealing with oven walls and fridges areas together
• • Create a block of one material and colour with these placed together.
  • Consider how they will work with overhead cupboards and under bench cupboards
  • • run the same colour overhead or contrast against it
• Some popular combination choices;
• • Timber and plain coloured cabinetry.
  • • Timber goes with everything, so you are open to colour options--- Cool or warm
  • Dark timber cabinetry only with a lighter coloured benchtop and splashback.
  • Dark overhead and light underneath with light benchtop
  • Light overhead and dark underneath with light benchtop
  • Dark benchtop and light cabinetry, above or below or both
  • All light cabinetry (above and below), light benchtop and coloured splashback
  • All light cabinetry with dark benchtop and coloured splashback
  • Monochromatic – different tones from same colour family
  • • Eg, greys – dark and light grey and white (charcoal and light grey cabinetry)

Decorating

The kitchen can be decorated beautifully. You can make something rather bland into something lived in and special.

• Don’t overdo it. Don’t clutter your benchtop. You may use a few things that you use daily as for a decorating element.  A few things is all you need to make it feel lived in,personable and homey.

• Best to display items that you use too;
• • Timber chopping boards and cheese boards
  • Salt & pepper shakers- You can have them in different sizes
  • Scales
  • Oil canisters- stainless steel or ceramic
  • Salt dish
  • Floating shelves – add trailing plants (eg devil’s ivy ), cook books, jug, heirloom/special cup and saucer
  • Teapot

• Herb pots- Adds green  in the kitchen and it’s easy to access for cooking
• • Place them on a board or a tray or on the window sill
• Coloured tea towels/hand towels- Another way to inject colour – some great designs around
• Artwork- Can be used to fill a bare wall
• Large decorative clock- not only useful but beautiful too. Particularly good  for a Hampton style kitchen
• Centrepiece (or not centred) on one end of bench or dining table in same space
• • Fruit bowl/ tiered platter
  • Tray with a few items together
  • Decorative dish/platter/bowl
  • Plant
  • Proportion important for it to look right

Available Services;

Beautiful Kitchen Design Made Easy Online Course

Ready to design and create your own beautiful kitchen? Get all the interior designer insider knowledge in this online course to create your dream kitchen. Find out more and join here

Book A Chat

Ready to renovate or create your kitchen but not sure where to start?

Get the help of a property expert and save yourself from making costly mistakes with a free Forever Home chat. Click here to get access to Frances' calendar; 

Kitchen Bliss Package

Overwhelmed by the amount of decisions that need to be made when creating a stylish, functional and durable kitchen? What materials to select, what colours will co-ordinate together, what design is going to best suit the space, and your requirements.

We offer kitchen design packages that include joinery design and material selections for a complete kitchen design. Click the link here to find more: 

Refrigerator of Art Smeg and Dolce&Gabbana

If you are interested in Smeg's Dolce and Gabbana Refrigerator of Art, click the link here; 

Related Resources:

Kitchen Design To Match Your Lifestyle Blog-

Episode 55: Kitchen Design Essentials: Handles and Hardware 

Episode 54: Kitchen Design Essentials- Appliances Part 2

Episode 53: Kitchen Design Essentials – Appliances - Part 1

Episode 51: Kitchen Design Essentials- Kitchen Taps and Sinks

Episode 50: Kitchen Design Essentials- Kitchen Taps and Sinks

Episode 49: Kitchen Design Essentials – Butler’s Pantries and Pantries

Episode 47: Kitchen Design Essentials – Key Kitchen Measurements 

Episode 45: Kitchen Design Essentials - Internal Elevations & Joinery Design

Read our latest blog on Internal Elevations and Joinery Design here; 

Episode 43: Kitchen Design Essentials – Flatpack Vs Custom Designed Kitchens

Episode 41: Kitchen Design Essentials – Cabinetry Materials- 

Episode 39: Kitchen Design Essentials – Splashbacks 

Episode 38: Kitchen Design Essentials-Benchtop Criteria and Materials – Part 2- 

Episode 36: Kitchen Design Essentials – Benchtops part 1 

Episode 14: Forever Home LIVE- Joinery Drawings and Why Do Them Early On-

Episode 30: Kitchen Design Essentials -Kitchen Design Layouts and Location- 

Episode 32: Kitchen Design Essentials – The Builder’s Insight 

How to Choose the Right Bench Top-

Top 5 tips for selecting benchtops- 

In This Forever Home Live Frances discusses the importance of spatial planning and how it affects other choices and selections in your home. She discussed the importance of conducting this at floorplan stage and the reason why. #foreverhome #newhome #newbuild #renovation #homeplanning #ownerbuilder

In this Forever Home Live Frances provides a Top Tip when designing your kitchen, relating to the selection of appliances. She also provides an overview of the brand new Beautiful Kitchen Design Made Easy course, outlining some of the key resources available in it to provide confidence, knowledge, and empowerment to design a kitchen, for those who complete the course.

In this Forever Home live, Frances outlines her view on the top 3 trends for 2020 and what will be with us to stay.

#foreverhome #newhome #newbuild #renovation #homeplanning #ownerbuilder #trendsin2020
#style

In this final episode of the Bathroom Design Essentials Season, Frances outlines some of the key take-aways from each episode as an easy reference tool for you to know where you need to listen next.

In this episode of the podcast, Frances walks through what is possible when renovating your bathroom at various price points. She covers off options at $1,500 to freshen up a dated bathroom. What can be achieved for about $10,000 and then what you can look at when you’re creating a high end bathroom. She provides plenty of examples of what can be done at each budget level.

In this episode Frances is joined by Richard Earp, who is super passionate about the environment and all things sustainability. He has been leading his company, Earp Bros, for years in meeting strict sustainability criteria, so he knows a thing or two. Together they discuss the impact of the Paris Agreement and NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) and the impact this will have on Australians and the materials they choose for their homes, for Australia to meet their NDC commitment by 2030 and beyond.

In this Forever Home Live, Frances chats about how to determine the functionality required in your kitchen and determine what you actually need. She outlines how this will enable you to assess your kitchen design with your requirements in mind, rather than just aesthetics.

She walks through the Clear Clarity Design Worksheet (a resource provided in the Beautiful Kitchen Design Course) and how these prompts you to think about your needs and how you will store items, and cook in your kitchen.
Finally, she touches on The Top 12 Must Do’s resource (as part of the course) and how that helps with the process for designing your kitchen.

Frances is joined again by Cathryn Matchett and Trisha Narde from Reece Bathroom Life, to discuss the options available for showroom vanities. They also outline some of the comparisons with customised vanities, and why one would be better suited over another.

SHOWNOTES

In this episode of the podcast, Frances runs through criteria for assessing if a spare.guest room is something you really need, or whether it’s a nice to have. She provides examples of how rooms can be multi-functional – using her own home as an example. She highlights ways to incorporate having guests stay, without giving up on regularly used valuable space in the home. A very down to earth look at rooms that are rarely used.

SHOWNOTES

Spare room mentality

Sometimes homeowners add an additional room that essentially becomes a spare rooms, but it could be at the cost of good open plan living, or flexibility. Spare rooms have so much potential, but these functionality is often overlooked and are left unused for large periods of time.

Here’s things to consider before adding one;

• Cost to build - every square metre adds to the overall cost
• Maintenance
• Cost and or time to keep clean
• Cost for the energy- heat or cooling
• Environmental cost of adding rooms and making your home larger

Spare rooms are often unused real estate in the home that could be put to better use. It would be a waste to have it solely set up with one purpose, if rarely used (i.e home cinema arrangement).

A spare guest room really is a luxury as it’s dedicated extra space for a guest, but not having a guest room doesn’t mean can’t host guests!

• Consider having kids bunk in together when families come to stay
• Adults can stay on a sofa bed
• Kids can move into one room so their bed and room can be used for adults.

How Frances designed her spare room

• Frances designed her spare room with multipurpose and flexibility in mind. She set an intention on how Her family were going to use the spare room
• Initially for their au pair who needed a room
• Grandparents who frequently would stay
• Playroom for lego
• Office for her husand, but still had access to use it as a guest room.
• Teenage retreat
  • Had doors for privacy and noise, was slightly larger and located at the other end of the house

Guest Room Assessment

• How often do people stay at your home overnight?
• How long do they stay for?
• Can another room be converted for when people stay?
  • Adding a pull down bed
  • Sofa bed in the study
  • Playroom that has built in daybeds
  • Second living room
• Would the space/room be better utilised as something else instead that serves you and your family much more?
• Think about flexibility and avoid having a room set aside for one purpose. It’s a waste and a spare room could be considered a luxury.
• If you have people stay frequently and for long periods, it could be a necessity, but then it’s also well used.

If you've got a spare room that can be used for multiple things like Frances did with hers, then that's a room that's going to be well utilized and is inherently both flexible and adaptable.

Services Available

Floor Plan Sanity Check

White Pebble Interiors’ Floor Plan Sanity Check is ideal if you’re in the process of drafting or finalising plans, and provides a second expert set of eyes to ensure your proposed floor plan will stand the test of time.

Want a second opinion on your floor plan? Book a floor plan sanity check today.

Book a Chat

Ready to renovate or build but not sure where to start?

Get the help of a property expert and save yourself from making costly mistakes with a free Forever Home chat.

A Room at a Time Decorating Package

Need to complete a room, or have a couple of rooms you’d like decorated and want it done for you?

You may not be sure how best to use the room or space, or you’ve just never got around to getting it done. Whatever the reason, we can now finish it for you so it’s fully utilised and be a happy place to be in.

Book our A Room at a Time Decorating Package here.

Other References

Episode 2: Forever Home LIVE- Floorplans

3 Ways To Future Proof Your Home

Creating Forever Home Floorplans and Getting Them Right

Future Proofing Your Home

Top 5 Ways to Make Best Use of Your Floorplan

In this Forever Home podcast episode, Frances outlines how to get the most out of your Powder room -whether it’s the family powder room, or one for guests, she provides design suggestions on how to get the most out of both of these spaces. From injecting personality into your guest powder room, to adding lots of storage so the main powder room can be utilised as an ‘overflow getting ready’ space when kids no longer want to share the family bathroom. This episode will make you revisit powder room design to maximise it’s functionality, and maximise it’s aesthetic appeal.

In this episode of Your Forever Home, Frances outlines several decorating tips on how to create a warm and inviting bathroom. She offers plenty of insight and advice to allow you to make the finishing touches to your bathroom to create a space you can be proud of. There’s nothing worse than a sparse bathroom with no soul, so this episode will give you confidence to try her creative and insightful ideas. From plants, towels and mirrors, to artwork, stools and baskets – there’s plenty to experiment with to make your bathroom a haven!

SHOWNOTES

Frances is super passionate about this topic, and it clearly shows in this episode of Bathroom Design Essentials. Frances outlines the importance of internal elevations so you can create a well designed bathroom that allows you to be involved in the design process, make informed decisions, and mitigate expensive mistakes. Internal elevations also provide the builder with details of exactly what they are building, along with providing the opportunity for a more accurate quote.

Frances outlines why it's so important to create a furniture layout at floorplan stage in this episode. This is essential listening to avoid big mistakes! She outlines the implications that can occur when a furniture layout is not done before building starts, using a real life example and the compromises made because there was no plan.

In this podcast episode, Frances outlines how to find the style you’re after for your bathroom. She gives tips to help you determine the style and feeling you’d like to create in your bathroom. Further, she outlines how to start pulling your design scheme together, and how to incorporate colour into your bathroom (if that’s what you want). This episode gets into the nitty gritty of pulling your materials and colours together.

In this Forever Home Live, Frances chats about things you can do to ensure an all-white kitchen is not clinical and soulless, with a few ideas about material selections and also decorating tips to add pops of colour.

In this episode of the podcast Frances is joined by Tim Sellars from Faucet Strommen. They chat about what makes a sustainable tap different, and what to look for when choosing a tap made to last, along with the qualities of Australian Made tapwear.  

The orientation of your home and the direction each room faces, impacts livability and the comfort levels in your home. The ability to naturally warm your home in winter and keep it cool in summer are achievable by managing the sun and using it to your advantage at design stage.

Frances shares her insights in this podcast episode on things to consider to maximise the potential of creating a home that is comfortable all year round along with design flaws to avoid. Full of tips and ways to get the most out of your home design, befor

Learn the best ways to create or improve the energy load in your home in this practical and informative episode of the podcast with Anna Cumming, Editor of Sanctuary Magazine.  

Frances and Anna discuss how you can design, improve, renovate or build a home to create a low impact, sustainable and low energy home that doesn't have to break the bank.  

From the 7 star Naters ratings, how to brief your designer and go shopping for an energy efficient home, right through to the reasons for only going electric and eliminating gas. 

A great episode if you're looking at making small energy efficient changes, right through to designing a new low energy home. 

In this Forever Home Live Frances has come straight from site! She discusses the impact of having dining and island bench lights too close together and how less can often be more. Coming from site, so also references the impact of not deciding your floor material before the build starts, and shaver cabinets recessed into walls.

In this episode of the Bathroom Design Essentials Season, Frances welcomes back Cathryn Matchett and Trisha Narde from Reece Bathroom Life. Together they discuss all there is to know about choosing the right toilet. There is a lot more the buying a toilet than you may think, like height, pan type, rimless design and self cleaning. There is plenty to learn in this episode so you can select a toilet that will right for your home.

To black or not to black – that is the question often asked of interior designers regarding black tapwear and accessories. Will they date, and should you use them? Frances discusses this topic in this Forever Home Live, putting her view forward, along with industry experts she’s chatted with too. And if you do decide to use black – how to buy quality.

In this Facebook Live, Frances discusses the steps to take if your floorplans are not quite what you want. She outlines the steps you should take to have them meet your objectives, and who you could turn to, to help out in getting them right.  Floorplan is king, so you must be happy with your plans before starting any build works for your renovation or new build. 

In this Forever Home Live Frances discusses the topic of a sink in your kitchen island bench and outlines the advantages and disadvantages of a sink in the bench. This episode will allow you to make an informed choice on which is the best option for you.

SHOW NOTES

In this Forever Home Live Frances discusses the topic of a sink in your kitchen island bench and outlines the advantages and disadvantages of this as an option in your kitchen design.

Things to consider with a sink  in an Island Bench;

Water Splashing

A sink inevitably means water splashing, which is not ideal for a food prep area, or when people are sitting at your bench.

Visual Dirty Dishes

Having the dirty dishes for all to see and "in the face" of someone sitting at the island is not ideal. The clean up area around your sink is not conducive to a lovely clean island bench aesthetic

It obstructs a large lineal area

Island benches serve different purposes- a buffet, breakfast bar andfood prep area. With a sink in this large lineal space, it obstructs your largest lineal area in the kitchen. Additionally, it prevents people from being able to sit at the bench where the sink is, so you’re losing seating too

Not all kitchen designs have the luxury of having enough space for the sink to be off the island bench. It’s that’s the case, keep the sink to one side of the bench rather than in the middle. Retain as much lineal space as you can.

Available Resources

Need help with your Kitchen design? Book a Chat with Frances to see how we can help.  or you may check our Kitchen Bliss service. 

Related Resources

How to Choose the Right Benchtop

Top 5 Tips for Selecting Benchtops

Frances welcomes guest James Lambrou from Est Lighting to the podcast for this episode of Your Forever Home. Together they chat about Bathroom Lighting and key considerations to think about to ensure your bathroom not only looks fabulous, but is also functional.

They also discuss functional and aesthetic lighting, and how to use both to light up a space - including colour, temperature and side lighting.

In this episode of My Forever Home, Frances outlines what she terms the ‘Key 4’ specialists you’ll need on your team for your renovation or new build. She outlines the benefits of engaging your key team early on, along with how they can each save you money and lots of time, as well as mitigate expensive mistakes. She outlines what each of them brings to the equation for a successful outcome for your home project.

This Kitchen Design Essentials episode has special guest, Jeremy Gates from Gaia Construction chat with Frances about some of the key mistakes people make when embarking on creating a new kitchen – and not really understanding the impact of these decisions. Jeremy shares his vast experience as a carpenter and builder on how to avoid mistakes when designing your kitchen, and how a builder can really assist you to meet expectations if engaged early on in the process. A very insightful discussion for getting your kitchen right.

SHOW NOTES

Jeremy Gates Managing Director of Gaia Construction joined Frances in this episode to discuss kitchen design and mistakes, from a builder’s perspective.

The biggest oversight that creates problems for builders from a kitchen design perspective;

• When somebody has a concrete floor and it’s difficult to get the plumbing in, or there will be damage to the current floor.
• If you put it in a induction cooktop, and depending on what your fuse board, you may need to upgrade it. 
• Communicating you have a water point for the  fridge

Anything can be done but the implication is the cost. Being informed allows you to make the right decisions that matter to you.

When designing kitchens, builders look at it from the practicality point of view and how it can be constructed.

The best way to approach designing your kitchen

Decide on a budget as it often decides which direction the kitchen is going to be.

• What are the finishes?
• Have you got a young family?
• How are you going to use the kitchen?
• Is it the hub of the home?
• Do you do lots of cooking?
• What are the appliances you want in there?

Have a look  friends kitchens and what may also work for you.

Work out on the appliances you need

• Do you need a wine fridge?
• Coffee machine
• Steam oven
• Double oven
• Cooktop size

Think about storage and make sure everything is in the right place Engage with an expert

• Get people on your job that are going to share the journey with you, that put your priorities first. If you want something that they don't really think works properly, that's fine. Understand their reasoning, so you can make the right decisions.
• They need to listen and really understand what you're trying to achieve because it is your kitchen, not theirs.

The best time to engage a builder

Engage with a builder early on so you can start seeing realistic costs compared to your budget. It's good to have an idea about what's realistic in terms of what your expectations are.

Avoid building a kitchen without joinery design

The cabinet maker’s job is to build what is drawn. To do their job properly it has to be drawn properly as joinery drawings, so it’s easy to review, quote accurately, and adjust if needed. The drawings are essential to provide details such as drawer handles, depth of our drawers, exact measurements, and materials.

Best way to work with a builder

For Jeremy, the first meeting is at no charge. Once you engage the builder it will be for a fixed fee treat your builder as a professional. Ensure they are qualified, and consider their vested interest when giving advice.

Things that clients can do at the detriment to themselves and the end result

• They design the kitchen themselves and end up paying \
• They under-capitalise in their kitchen, which is just as bad as over capitalising! Eg. Not making the best use of space in your kitchen. Not being aware of products that are available, that can improve the design, functionality, durability, and aesthetics of the kitchen.

Number one tip for those who want to renovate or build a new kitchen

Find a designer and a builder that have the same priorities as you. Somebody who is on the same journey with you and your kitchen. You have to be comfortable with the people you're working with. You've got to keep focused on the fact that it's your journey and that you are able to relate to the people on your team. If you don't actually get along with them or relate to them, you're never going to get the proper outcome anyway.

Learn more about Gaia Construction and Jeremy’s Services here

Available Services

Overwhelmed by the amount of decisions that need to be made when creating stylish, functional and durable Kitchen? What materials to select, what colours go with eachother? We offer several different kitchen design packages to assist with your kitchen design – be it a makeover, renovation or new kitchen. Click the link here to find more.

If you’re thinking about renovating or building your own “Forever Home”, get in touch with Frances directly, by booking a chat with her.

Related Resources:

A Beginner's Guide to Reading Building

Episode 14: Forever Home LIVE- Joinery Drawings and Why Do Them Early On

Episode 30: Kitchen Design Essentials -Kitchen Design Layouts and Location

Episode 31: Forever Home LIVE- Styles - and how a brief determines the outcome

The five building stages

What you need to know before you build

The building stages and what to expect

In this episode of the Kitchen Design Essentials Season, Frances has guest Rob Sinclair, Managing Director of E&S Trading on the show to discuss buying criteria and performance for kitchen appliances. This episode focuses on Fridges,  Dishwashers and Ovens and Rob’s passion for appliances and buying with performance in mind, is wonderful to listen to. Join Frances as she chats with Rob and hears his amazing advice and knowledge on these key appliances for your kitchen.

Key Buying Criteria When Choosing your Kitchen Appliances

• Understand your requirements - Understand your needs and requirements at home and then find an appliance that is going to deliver you the performance to the best of your budget.
• Pedigree of Performance- Performance is crucial so find brands that have pedigree of performance or brands that specialise in a particular appliance.
• Look at product service and ability to get parts and be fixed, after the sale
• Reliability

Fridges

Buying Criteria

• Seek out quality brands- i.e Westinghouse, Fisher Paykel, Mitsubishi, Liebherr and Miele
• Great refrigeration performance- good quality, temperature control and temperature settings
• Food storage benefit- Freezer Vs Fresh Food
• Consider how an integrated fridge compliments the overall aesthetic, and may be crucial in smaller kitchens
• Has great after sale service and accessibility to spare parts
• Cost- Freestanding fridge costs between $1,600 to $2,000, while a fully integrated version costs between $4,500-$5,000.

Integrated Fridges

Integrated fridges can be expensive because of their unique style and coming from a specialty manufacturer. Integrated fridges can be easily replaced particularly Liebherr and Fisher Paykel,. as their fridge measurements have remained consistent over the years.

Fisher Paykel- Cost effective, bigger cabinet for an integrated refrigerator. Cost up to $4,500

Liebherr- German manufactured and a high-end integrated fridge, usually starts at $7,000

New features and technology coming out in fridges now – what can we expect

• Samsung- It has a limited availability of spare parts which can prevent the product getting fixed.
• Fisher Paykel- gives more rack positions inside the fresh food compartments

Humidity control and compartments for preservation of fresh food

Dishwashers

Buying criteria

• Choose a dishwasher that suits your needs
• Stackability- Understand what it is you are putting in (i.e wineglasses, baking dishes, coffee cups and glasses, large plates, bigger colanders)

Organising – a Cutlery tray takes time, but it allows you to separate the cutlery out to wash them perfectly.  You can unload them faster out of the dishwasher too.

• Wash performance
• Drying
• Noise – machines that are getting beneath 50 decibels are what you need to look for.
• Flexibility – options to stack what is needed for that wash cycle
• Size - extra large dishwashers- ideal for families who loves to entertain and cook regularly

Brands

Brands that have a pedigree in making great quality dishwashers

• Bosch (Siemens, NEFF and Gaggenau)- Global player in manufacturing They provide a different aesthetic across the range
• Miele – has great stacking flexibility
• Asko – reliable and quiet
• AEG - released the new ComfortLift dishwasher. If bending down to load and unload your dishes is a chore, the AEG ComfortLift has a lower basket that slides out and upwards.

Integrated, semi-integrated and freestanding

• Integrated - Fits into the style of the rest of your kitchen cabinets in a seamless fashion. Price range is between $1,000- $3,000
• Semi Integrated- Has a control panel at the top and an integrated door beneath it. Price range is between $1,500- $2,000
• Free standing- An affordable option. You may be able to buy a Bosch freestanding dishwater at $800-$800

New Release

Miele’s G7000 dishwashers includes a circular pocket that holds and dispenses dishwashing  detergent automatically.

• Less detergent to use
• Environmental-friendly
• Great wash performance

450mm Dishwasher

• Space saver which is ideal for apartments or smaller homes
• Can be less cost effective from around $1,400
• Brand: Miele, Bosch and NEFF
• Not as popular in Australia due to the cost

Ovens

Buying Criteria

• Lifestyle Requirement- Are you a big cook? Do you love to entertain? How do you want to ideally be able to bake?
• Performance
• If the budget allows - self-cleaning
• Oven Capacity- Do you need two 600mm or 900mm wide
• Good Accessories that comes with the brand- i.e biscuit trays or baking dishes – they are made to fit the appliance perfectly

Upright oven

• 900mm wide giving you a bigger oven capacity and cooking surface
• Cost effective- Ranges between $2,000- $5,000
• Aesthetically pleasing
• Depends also on aesthetic of kitchen. Can look more commercial in style.
• Recommended brands: Westinghouse, Smeg, ILVE, Fisher Paykel and Falcon

Wall Ovens

• Gives more flexibility- you can choose steamers, microwaves or a combination of both for the oven.
• Having 2 ovens allows you to cook multiple dishes at once eg, dessert and main

Integrated Ovens (built-in)

• Depending on the manufacturer, you can get an integrated ovens in 700, 800 and 900 cm wide.

Steam Ovens

• Perfect for cooking vegetables, fish, and chicken fillets
• Costs - around $2,000
• Its large capacity enables it to be very gentle in the way it steams.
• Gives so much flexibility in the kitchen- combination of steam, roast, steam roast or bake bread
• The ability to control the style of cooking you want

Gas Ovens

• The old models ovens doesn’t have a fan so you need to regulate the temperature
• Ideal for bakers
• Depends on what you are use to. Still popular.

Smaller Inside Vs Bigger Cavity

Manufacturer are catering to all types of cooking around the globe. They also make sure that the temperature in the bottom, middle and top shelf is all the same.

Available Resources

BEAUTIFUL KITCHEN DESIGN MADE EASY ONLINE COURSE

Ready to design and create your own beautiful kitchen?

Get all the interior designer insider knowledge in this online course to create your dream kitchen.

Find out more and join here.

BOOK A CHAT

Ready to renovate or create your kitchen but not sure where to start?

Get the help of a property expert and save yourself from making costly mistakes with a free Forever Home chat. Click here to get access to Frances' calendar; 

KITCHEN BLISS PACKAGE

Overwhelmed by the amount of decisions that need to be made when creating a stylish, functional and durable kitchen? What materials to select, what colours will co-ordinate together, what design is going to best suit the space, and your requirements.

We offer kitchen design packages that include joinery design and material selections for a complete kitchen design. Click the link here to find more: 

E&S TRADING

e&s has helped countless Australians create their dream home with exciting and innovative kitchen, bathroom and laundry appliances since 1962.

Check the website here; https://www.eands.com.au/

Related Resources:

Episode 50: Kitchen Design Essentials- Kitchen Taps and Sinks

Episode 49: Kitchen Design Essentials – Butler’s Pantries and Pantries

Episode 47: Kitchen Design Essentials – Key Kitchen Measurements

Episode 45: Kitchen Design Essentials - Internal Elevations & Joinery Design

Read our latest blog on Internal Elevations and Joinery Design here; https://www.whitepebbleinteriors.com.au/internal-elevations-and-joinery/

Episode 43: Kitchen Design Essentials – Flatpack Vs Custom Designed Kitchens 

Episode 41: Kitchen Design Essentials – Cabinetry Materials

Episode 39: Kitchen Design Essentials – Splashbacks

Episode 38: Kitchen Design Essentials-Benchtop Criteria and Materials – Part 2

Episode 36: Kitchen Design Essentials – Benchtops part 1 

Episode 14: Forever Home LIVE- Joinery Drawings and Why Do Them Early On

Episode 30: Kitchen Design Essentials -Kitchen Design Layouts and Location

Episode 32: Kitchen Design Essentials – The Builder’s Insight 

How to Choose the Right Bench Top https://www.whitepebbleinteriors.com.au/how-to-choose-the-right-benchtop/

Top 5 tips for selecting benchtops https://www.whitepebbleinteriors.com.au/top-5-tips-for-selecting-benchtops/

In this Forever Home Live, Frances discusses the outcome of projects and how they are determined by the brief for the designer. She chats about how the style created in a place is the outcome of the brief, and that as a designer, she may not necessarily like everything personally herself, but as long as it’s cohesive, has flow, and colours, tones and materials all relate to each other – this is the important part. And most importantly, the client loves it. She gives some examples of recent clients, and their briefs and how that will determine the outcome they create for the clients.

In this episode of the podcast, part 3 of this three-part series on how Frances designed and built her Forever Home, this episode explores how Frances managed the build of her home.

She outlines how she did it, what she’d do differently, and the opportunity cost of project managing your own build.

Shownotes :

Tender process

Usually, building designers will manage the tendering process. This means that they are responsible for engaging with the builders, sending out all the tender documentation and specifications, reviewing the quotes, and liaising with the builders throughout the process with queries and follow-up.

Frances managed the whole tendering process for her build.

• She engaged with the builders to check availability, gauge their interest, and arrange site visits to see previous work.
• She also liaised with the builders to manage expectations on the turnaround of the quote and answered any queries.

All builders quote differently, so it was up to Frances to check what was in and out of each quote to form a consistent comparison

Frances created a spreadsheet so that she could make a clear comparison about what was in and not in the quote.

Build Process

For the Forever Home, the builder they used was one they had worked with in the past at their previous home. It was also decided that Frances would manage the build from the ‘Lockup’ stage as she had her own tradespeople, (her builder and her shared many trades), and then the builder would come back at the end for fit off.

As she had a good relationship with the builder, and he knew how meticulous and organized she was, he agreed to go down this path with her, but he also challenged her and told her if she was going to manage the ‘Lock up’ phase, that she won’t be in by the deadline of Christmas 2014, but Frances is determined and moved into the house prior to Christmas of that year!

Once everything had been roughed in and plaster was in, Frances then managed all the trades that came in after that.

• Tiler, cabinet maker, caulker, painter, electrician, stonemason, garage doors, range hood installation, shower screens, delivery of all supplies, plus the landscaper and pool people.

• She was on site every day to check progress, manage to change schedules and answer queries. Each day there was something else that changed, and the schedule was a moving beast due to supply delays with trades, equipment, and one small change had a huge knock-on effect for other trades and their schedules with all their projects..

Why did Frances manage the project?

• She had the right contacts.
• Her skill set and experience gave her the confidence to do it.
• To save money as she was not paying a builder’s margin on top of all trades.

However, the stakes were much higher as she was building her own ‘Forever Home’.

• The finish had to be higher
• It represented her business and the work she can do - an example of what she can achieve for her clients
• A sustainability showcase

The ‘costs’ of managing the build herself

• It was difficult for Frances to work on her business as normal as she was required daily on-site.
• Managing multiple trades could sometimes lead to grey areas on who was doing what.
• She had to consider the opportunity cost as she was not able to work on her own business.
• Stress, the long days, and the toll on her family
• It involves a lot of negotiation- even after the builder was back on-site, Frances was still negotiating with the builder and landscaper for access, timings for driveway pour, etc.

 Things that she would have done differently:

• It is easy to make rash decisions on-site when stress levels are high.
• If she had her time over, Frances would have been stricter with her builder and insisted on the finish being as per plan, and not the easier option. She should have stuck to her guns. Some compromises made she regrets are;
  • Mitered edges on all the windows in the ensuite – not some.
  • Cut of the shower waste not matching with the grout line.
  • Plumbing for shower not in the right location. She couldn’t get more tiles in the same batch, so she had to live with it.

Other changes she would make if building again;

• Square set door frames – no architraves
• She would get an architect to oversee the building project and manage the builder.
• Not manage a build again
• Her partner would have a smaller house, but Frances feels that they use every single room in their home, so it’s a well-used space, on a daily basis.  
• There were many decisions they wanted to make, that were not possible then, but if building today they could achieve more given access to current technology, knowledge, or supplies.
• Would not go with their own advice about not having shade provision for east-facing windows.

• Learning: Make sure that you have got the right people working for you and that they really know about what they do.

• Would have gone for dispensation to have higher ceilings in the kids’ bedrooms and have larger kids’ rooms.
  • Key takeaways:

Find the right people for your build or renovation project

• They need to understand what you want
• You need to have a great relationship with your renovation or new build team

Resources available: 

Unsure how to find the right people for your renovation or new build? 

Download this FREE guide- How to Find your Renovation or New Build Team as this gives you the checklist and process on how you find the right people for your team. 

In this new episode, Frances reflects on how home design trends have evolved and come full circle over the years. She dives into the story of Laminex, an iconic Australian brand, and explores the resurgence of laminate materials in contemporary design. Discover why laminate is making a comeback with its diverse styles, sustainability benefits, and cost-effectiveness, and how it can add a creative touch to your renovation or new build.

 SHOWNOTES: 

Sometimes, homeowners can rush with getting their floor plans completed as they are so keen to get their home built or renovated.  

However, not getting your floor plans right has a long-term detrimental effect on the outcome of your home and can end up costing you a lot more in the long run. 

The key is to slowdown so you can review your floor plans with your vision and brief in mind. This will also allow you to review all spaces and rooms in your plans, to see if any spaces are likely to be under utilised.  

 Under utilised rooms ultimately waste money, energy, and resources. The key is not to jeopardise premium floor space in your home when it could be used for something else.  

So what are the most common under utilised spaces;-  

The Spare room 

Spare rooms are set up for guests to have a comfortable place to stay, but how often do they stay, and what is the spare room being used for all the other days and months when you don't have guests in the room? 

Think about creating multiple functions for your spare room for when you don't have guests. 

For instance, your spare room can serve as an office while being able to welcome guests every now and then.  

Formal dining room 

Traditional homes sometimes have two dining rooms, the additional dining space is often what we refer to as the "formal dining rooms". Often this room is never used, or so infrequently, that it doesn't translate to good use of space.  

To maximise it, you need to assess how often you are going to utilise the space. 

Ideas: 

• It could be closed off and used as a separate room.  
• It could be carved up to add space to another room (i.e walk-in pantry or into the kitchen space) 

Formal living area or Secondliving  

Having a second living area is a great idea as it can be used as another living space for privacy. It also enables other family members to watch different shows or do different things. However, the second living needs to be set up correctly for it to reach its full potential.  

Think about how you want to use space and how you want them to feel a second living area. Your second living area is a great opportunity to create something different from open plan living.  

To do this, you can create a different "feeling" in space by having: 

• Different flooring  
• Heavier style window treatments  
• Different furniture style  
• Different colour palette and textures  

Lastly, you must be able to close off this space off to create a separate zone and mitigate noise from other living areas to fully maximise the uitilisation of a second living room. 

In summary 

Think about the requirements for these spaces and how they will be used.  

Questions to ask: 

• How frequently are you going to use the space?
• How can you create multi-functional spaces?
• How does your lifestyle suit the spaces on the floorplan?
• What do you need for your family and how will this room make a difference to how you live in the space? 

A room that is hardly ever used costs money to build, time to maintain it, energy to heat or cool it and resources to have it there.  

It’s all about making your floorplans work super hard and be relevant to what you need. 

Upcoming Free Online Masterclass 

Learn the key steps to get you on the path to completing the interior design of your own home. Plus kill that crushing question ‘I don’t know where to start’. 

Join my brand new online masterclass- "5 Essentials to Know Before You Start Designing Your Home".  

Choose from the following dates below: 

• Tuesday 1st March 2022 at 7pm AEDT 
• Thursday 3rd March 2022 at 12 noon AEDT 
• Wednesday 9th March 2022 at 6pm AEDT 

Register your spot now  

If you can't make it, I'll send you the replay 

Available Resources 

Want to learn more about floorplans? Listen to episode 97 of My Forever Home Podcast- “Floorplans and getting them right” as Frances discusses the steps to take if your floorplans are not what you want. Click here to listen to the episode.  

Or read our blog on “Creating Forever Home Floor Plans and Getting them Right” to ensure your home can adapt to your changing needs over time. Read the article here.  

Frances shares her experience doing something creative. Just because. And the creative has nothing to do with interior design, renovating or building. She got inspiried after reading 'Big Magic', which explores the notion of doing something for no other reason than for your own enjoyment. Frances shares her experience on this principle in this episode of the podcast.

In this Forever Home Live, Frances outlines reasons why having a door on your walk in pantry is a good idea. She talks about the ideal door scenarios too!

Frances is joined by her client, Bernadette, in this special case study episode. Bernadette shares her renovation journey, from when she first set eyes on the home 20 years ago, through to creating her project team and the joys and frustrations of her extensive renovation.

This is an honest 'warts and all' account of what a renovation project can be like, including pitfalls to avoid and how your team can support you throughout. She alos outlines how having an interior designer on the team helped her create a home she truely loves and helped her mitigate so many mistakes that could have happened throughout the journey.

In this Forever Home Live, Frances answers a question from the Renovating and Building your Forever Home Facebook Community about tile layout. Specifically around laying 300x600mm tiles for floor and walls. She also outlines how to finish splashbacks in power rooms and what to consider to determine the height to finish your tile, the impact of mirrors on tile layout, the height of 300-400mm for functionality purposes, and pattern in a tile affecting cuts and overall aesthetic. A great snapshot of some options surrounding tile layout, and how you should always have a conversation with your tiler BEFORE they lay the tiles.

Why is flooring so important? In this Forever Home Live Frances discusses why choosing your floor first is critical to getting all your material choices right. Floors take up a lot of budget, cover a large area and need to work super hard, so get the low down on floors in this episode.

Frances shares her top tips on bathroom layout considerations and what to keep in mind for optimum functionality.

Toilets may not be the sexiest subject to discuss, however they are still an  essential element  when renovating or creating your Forever Home.

This episode covers the differences between toilet styles and types of toilets so you can decide on  type of toilet is the best for you. Not all toilets are the same, and Frances covers rimless, back to wall, hidden cistern and floating pan options.

Back to Wall toilets

Back to Wall toilets have a visible cistern.  It's entire toilet system that  goes back against the wall, hence why it's called back to wall. Available with a  ceramic  or plastic cistern. This type of toilet most cost effective toilet systems, however they do come in a wide variety of styles and budgets.

Rimless toilets

Rimless toilets allow for easier cleaning, as well as having a more internal streamlined and simplified aesthetic. Being rimless, they are easier to clean, and more  hygienic as dirt does not get trapped under the rim,  Most rimless toilets use a direct flush technique which means flushing doesn't come from underneath the rim.  

Rimless toilets are generally more expensive than a standard back to wall toilet, particularly if you’re after a particular brand. Expect to pay a few hundred dollars more for a rimless style toilet.

Hidden Cistern

Hidden cisterns are normally hidden within the wall cavity. The pan is exposed but the cistern is hidden with flushing operated via a flush plate on the wall.  It requires less space so their shorter length makes them ideal for smaller style powder rooms or tight spaces.

Compared to traditional back to wall toilets, they  are more expensive with the different elements  purchased individually- pan, flush plate and cistern. In addition, they also require additional work to install which can increase  the installation cost.

Some people prefer the aesthetic of a hidden cistern, making the overall look of the toilet less bulky, but this is a personal preference.

Floating Pans

Floating Pan operate with a hidden cistern. Instead of the pan being on the floor, it is wall mounted and floating off the floor. It again created a more steamlined look, and makes floor cleaning easier.  

Floating pan and hidden cistern are the most  expensive option.

Things to consider in choosing Toilets;

Price

Toilets can be anywhere from $300 upwards of $2000 depending on its, brand, components and and aesthetic.

Interchangeable seats

Most toilets have interchangeable seats. Make sure you get one that has a click mechanism to easily take them off for cleaning. 

Size and height

For easy accessibility some clients prefer toilets that are a little bit higher than standard. It makes it easier as you get older to get back up, and also for tall people.

Available Services

It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the amount of decisions that need to be made when creating stylish, functional and durable  bathrooms.

With our help, your bathroom renovation will be far less stressful, and the results will stand the test of time. Interested? Book a FREE 15-minute chat with Frances today! 

You may also book an initial consultation to start the process of renovating or building your new home or get one-off advice to finish your home.

Related Resources

Australian House and Garden Top 50 Rooms Award

Frances outlines what she's been observing over recent times, the discoveries she's uncovered and her response to these. This has prompted the launch of her first magazine to answer the burning questions people are consistently asking, and in this episode she outlines what she's been observing and discovering along with how the magazine addresses these burning questions.