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We take you on a seriously entertaining home tour today! This family home is a colorful celebration, but not over the top!
This home will inspire and excite its owners, as they enlisted the help of Interior Designer Gabrielle Reinhardt at Berkeley Interiors.
This beautiful six-bedroom, five-bathroom home is in Newmarket, a suburb of Brisbane.
Gabrielle explains, “It is a huge home situated on a hilltop overlooking the surrounding suburbs and city.”
It’s the home of a couple with five children – 4 boys and one girl, aged between 2-13. The couple needs a lot more space!
“Some of these extra-special features celebrate kids. There are also a kids’ library, a pool, a study area, and s playroom. The adults are remembered, too, with a gorgeous main suite, gym, and, most importantly, a cellar!
Gabrielle was brought on as soon as the renovations started, so she could help make her client’s dream home a reality.
My client Vic, a mother of five children who has to juggle work with a renovation project, needed me to help her. It was my job to select finishes, appliances, colors, fixtures, furniture, and furnishings throughout the home.
It’s impossible to miss the vibrant pops of color everywhere in this home tour.
“Vic loves pink.” Gabrielle laughs, “In fact, when we first met, she was carrying a handbag in pink!”
She also has four boys and wanted to bring some femininity into the house for her and her daughter.
When I was looking for tiles for bathrooms and laundry, I found this pink tile that I knew would be amazing in the washing machine.
“It was a lot of fun to style the shelves outside of the children’s bedrooms in the library. Emily Pryor, an architect, designed the frames.
Another (colorful!) favorite feature has to be the kid’s lockers Vic and I designed. Vic and I created the lockers for kids. We asked the children to select their favorite colors and added individual letters to the doors.
The idea was to make the children feel a sense of belonging in their lockers. It encourages the kids to store their belongings after school.
Vic was driven crazy by the mess caused by the previous renovations. School bags, hats, shoes, sporting equipment, etc., were left in the entry or scattered around the home.
These lockers are in the garage so the children can store their things. They can then easily find their stuff when they return home.
Gabrielle has a keen eye for color, style, and fun. We were eager to hear her advice. Here are Gabrielle’s top 5 tips for creating a stylish and functional home for your family.
Color is your best friend!
Choose colors that you like and make you happy. Colors and patterns do not have to be frightening. “If in doubt, choose a neutral background and add color to the artwork and cushions.”
Tip # 2 — Storage is the key
Ensure that the rooms you use most, such as the laundry and kitchen, are large enough. Think about how to make storage more user-friendly. “Not everything should be stored behind closed doors, as open storage can sometimes be more convenient and easier to use.”
Tip # 3 — Layer it up
The secret to interior design lies in layers. Many pieces are needed to create a beautiful, well-designed space. The details are then put together to give the room its final look. A living room, for example, requires more than a couch and a television on a shelf.
It needs an armchair and other items like a rug, side table or coffee table, lampshades, scatter cushions, throw rugs, ornaments, magazines, books, and flowers.
“My best tip is to move the TV to another room and not have it in the living room. Gabrielle says that a living space should be calm and relaxing. It’s much easier to create a beautiful area without a television.
Tip #5 — plan your layout
Next, consider the layout of your space. Before you purchase anything, plan the design of your room.
This is where a designer can be accommodating. They will help you draw up a plan for the scale and placement of the furniture, rug, and other items to ensure that it fits in and has the proper proportions.
“A rug in the living room is essential, and it’s a luxury in the bedroom. It defines the space and helps ground the furniture. Many people choose carpets that need to be more significant.
The rug should be under all the furniture in the living area or the legs, at the very least. Place the carpet underneath the bed in the bedroom so that you can easily step out of your bed and onto the rug.
Bonus tip #6 – Be kind to yourself
I know this is tip number 6, but interior design is something other than a skill you are born with. Stay encouraged if you cannot achieve the look you see on a website or magazine.
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