Houzz Tour: Designs for Every Space From Atypical Type A

"The hubs and I spotted this way cool tape dispenser (by UK designers J-Me) at the National Gallery of Victoria shop and immediately decided it was coming home with us. The red and white art is a postcard advertising an exhibition for a contemporary Aboriginal artist."

"I made these book ‘vases’ for our recent wedding, which was in a library. Like much of our wedding decor, they’ve been repurposed in our home." To find out how to do this yourself, here's a tutorial.

"Our laundry is the only thoroughfare between the inside and outside of our home. Since we can’t just shut the door, it was important to make the room blend in and easy to keep tidy. After painting over the yucky walls and striped tiles, we added much-needed storage in the form of overhead cupboards, and added hooks and rails (see below) to make use of the walls. The color on the back of the shelves matches the wall color in the adjacent living room for continuity. As a finishing touch, a few pieces of art make it a bit more homey."

P.S. Americans, Alicia let me know "we just call it a laundry here, not laundry room." To see the before photos of this room, click here.

"I installed these rails and hooks (both from Ikea) to make use of the vertical space in our tiny laundry. In addition to the extra storage, it also keeps frequently used items handy."

Alicia's advice for planning a home office: "Before you buy anything new or decorate a room, take time to work out what you need from the room. In our case, we needed plenty of storage for my husband’s teaching resources and aids, and for my design books, portfolios and art supplies. I also wanted to maximize desk space, so finding somewhere else for the printer and scanner was a must. We ended up building a custom desk from Ikea kitchen cabinets. It’s wonderful: it fits the space perfectly and holds everything, including the printer and scanner. Overhead floating shelves add extra room for storage plus decor items so it doesn’t feel too much like an office.

It has worked well for a couple of years but it’s time for an update as I now work from home and require space for inventory, work in progress and packaging."

"I always bring books in line with the front of the shelf: it instantly looks neater. Coordinated storage is the key to making shelving look organized and cohesive, but it doesn’t have to be expensive. First, work with that you’ve got. For example, I had a whole set of bright pink magazine files and boxes that were still practical but didn’t suit the room’s new color palette. Instead of ditching them and buying new ones, I just painted right over them in a color that suited the room. Shoeboxes also make great storage, just cover them with wrapping paper and add a neat label. I did invest in new ring binders, but stuck to white so they’ll fit in with any future redecorating."

Here is a before photo.

"Storage space is at a premium in our little house. This is the only closet apart from in the bedroom so it needs to hold not just spare linens but board games, photo albums, a wine rack and even the Christmas tree.

"Our bathroom vanity was full of our everyday toiletries, leaving no room for first aid and medicine: not things you want to have to go hunting for. I hung a shoe organizer on the back of the door in the nearby linen closet for easy access."

"I made these magazine files from cardboard and covered in fabulous Amy Butler fabric. I added the label holders (I bought mine at a bookbinding supplier but I’ve seen reasonable versions at craft stores) but I’m clearly a bit slack in the actual labelling department since I know what the contents are.

"I bought this print when I first discovered Etsy a couple of years ago. A clever reminder to bring us creatives down to earth, it says:

Title: 'The Road Less Traveled is Kind of Crowded'
Yellow: 'Designer: Accidentally pretentious'
Blue: 'Artist: Subtly ironic'
Red: 'Musician: Struggling idealist'
Black: 'Me and everyone else I know'"

"The whole color scheme of the room was actually inspired by the lamp; it’s an original Planet lamp that I’ve had since I was a baby – no wonder I have a taste for design classics!

"The ceiling light fixture is from Ikea, as is the desk (which is actually made from kitchen cabinets)."

"Two of my favorite things in one: vintage finds and storage! I keep my collection of clutch bags and other accessories in the top two suitcases for convenient access. Another holds old cards and letters, and the bottom one contains travel accessories for occasional use."

"I scored this mid-century chest of drawers at one of my favorite local second-hand dealers and knew it would be perfect for the bedroom. I wanted it to tie in with the honey-colored timber of the dressing table and bed but be less traditional in style. My poor husband had been living sans bedside table and sufficient clothing storage, so this killed both birds. He also has to deal with a fair bit of girliness in this room, so the industrial lamp adds a more masculine touch."

"Every bedside table needs somewhere to throw those odds and ends that otherwise end up as clutter. I have a crystal dish to dump hair ties and jewelry if I’m too lazy to put them away immediately, and on his side is a vintage tin where I can throw in loose change and anything else that gets in the way while dusting."

The decision to paint a bright color was an easy one. I love color; it’s our first home so we wanted it to look young and fun; originally the walls were an unattractive shade of blue.

"After living together for a couple of years before getting married, we already had everything we needed for the house, so instead of a traditional registry we opted for a piece of original art. We commissioned it from a Danish artist called
Pabi (who was on a working holiday in Australia). Unfortunately it’s too big to fit anywhere but the stairwell so we can’t enjoy it properly as part of a room, but we look forward to it being a focal point of our future home.

The fabric on the reupholstered mid-century chair in the living room is by Amy Butler.

"When we moved in there was an old air conditioner still in the wall next to the new one. We ripped it out and replaced with a window to allow extra light and a little display niche."

"I was so excited so get my very own Noguchi coffee table (OK so it’s a knock-off but I still love it). Even more exciting was finally replacing our hand-me-down black leather lounge suite with a modern one. We saved up for a couple of years for the couch as seating is one of those things that it really worth spending extra to get good quality. Dining tables, beds and mattresses are also all worth splurging on. You can save on occasional furniture, storage and trend-based home accessories."

"The artwork is actually just a piece of fabric stapled over a canvas. It’s a super cheap way to fill a wall and you can change it whenever you want to update your decor. I love how it ties in with the granite top of the washstand. We inherited that beauty from my in-laws when they were clearing out their junk room — score!"

The red bowl serves as a catch-all to dump items like glasses and wallets when we arrive home to stop the clutter spreading (and so I never forget where I put my iPod!)."

"I love the look and character of chunky antique tables but with matching chairs it can look too heavy and traditional for a home like ours. After staking out every antique store in town, I finally pounced on this table (total bargain, I might add) and bought a set of replica Eames chairs to complement it. An eight-seater might seem a bit excessive for our current situation, but we like to entertain plus we considered the dining setting to be a long-term investment."

"The print is letterpressed song lyrics by one of our favorite singers, Paul Dempsey. Going to see his band was one of our first dates (awww)."

Tip: "Leaning frames on shelves (or desktop, as in this photo) is great because you can move things around whenever the mood strikes and is especially handy for renters who can’t put holes in the walls. Add two more items of varying heights for an instant vignette."

"The spice jars were originally in a benchtop carousel, but when my collection grew I decided to upgrade to a roomy wall-mounted rack in a previously wasted nook."

"When we bought our place, the courtyard was depressing and devoid of anything living. We added the raised planter beds so the wall could double as extra seating at parties and so we could get away with planting less established plants. Bamboo screening is a great way to cover up ugly fences instantly while waiting for plants to grow. A mirror behind a wrought iron sconce wall hanging provides a focal point and makes the space look larger (it looks so pretty at night with the candles lit).

We do have to wipe down the Panton chairs before each use since they’re not sheltered, but apart from that the chairs hold up fine outdoors.

Here's an example of how Alicia's talents translate from arranging her house to designing invitations and styling the photography. To see more of her work, check out her Etsy Shop. To see more of her projects and to watch her home progress from here, check out her blog, Atypical Type A.