3. Floating wonders If you have an empty wall that’s in a transitional space or passageway, consider mounting some floating wall fixtures. It will give you some elevated storage to help you keep things off the floor. These cool metal wall boxes inject a pop of colour to this industrial loft as well. Designer tip: Repetition is key in this case so install at least three wall units and keep the same distance between them. Varying their starting points rather than aligning them all to the left can add interest.
Save Email 1. Stage the fireplace When you have a symmetrical room, embracing that symmetry helps to create a harmonious layout and to balance the space. Whether in a formal or more informal living room, having floor-to-ceiling encased shelving on either side of a fireplace will not only frame the feature, but will also create a feeling of harmony. It’s an elegant way to add some display storage, and it will feel like the height of the room has increased. Designer tip: Allow at least 35 centimetres between shelves for styling purposes. Shelves that have less than this in clearance won’t fit larger ornaments or books, and will make the room feel cluttered.
ood. This streamlined piece of wood used as a mantel is perfect for this retro interior. The one pictured here is referred to as a floating shelf, as there are no visible brackets supporting it. Such harmony! Design tip: Correct installation is of the utmost importance for this type of mantel. Since there are no brackets, it needs strong internal supports to be able to hold heavy objects
9. Cool lighting Any shelving will be elevated with some inset LED spotlights or strip lighting. Floating box shelves like these are particularly well-suited for lighting, as the boxes appear to glow, creating a wonderful atmosphere at night. Although the primary function may be to highlight ornaments and pictures, it also adds an extra layer of lighting to the whole room, so a dimmer could be a good idea, too. You could even use shelves with built-in lighting designed for kitchens.
7. Built-in seating Much like bay windows, alcoves are ideally placed for creating bench-style seats with a flip-up top and storage beneath. If you always have to bring in folding seats and dining room chairs for parties and gatherings, this could be the perfect permanent solution. These seats can easily be updated by changing the upholstery fabric every few years, or opt for a plain fabric to give you the flexibility of swapping throw pillows whenever you fancy a change instead.
4. Reflection If you’re hankering after a luxe look for relatively little outlay, consider having a mirror cut to the size of your alcoves to create a wonderful backing to team with glass or metallic shelves. Favourite vases and collectibles will really sing in such a setting, or why not dot the shelves with a few choice coffee table books displayed with the cover artwork facing forward rather than the spines?
Maria Killam Save Email 6. Go evergreen Be more traditional and trail evergreen sprigs across the mantelpiece with colourful baubles or jingle bells on top. Choose a colour scheme for Christmas and carry it through for the tree and all your decorations.
Jeanette Lunde Save Email 1. Light candles A collection of candles in full flame in the fireplace is ideal for a summer-climate Christmas. It provides visual warmth and glow for a cosy atmosphere, without adding to the heat. Just be sure to snuff them out before Santa arrives or his welcome may be warmer than expected.
5. Fireplace Using your fireplace to emphasise your room height is also a great way to create a focal point. By bringing the finish on the face of the fireplace all the way up to the ceiling, you create the illusion of something grand.
6. Contemporary statement It’s hard to ignore the bold design of the chimney in this house, which features strong rectangular forms throughout its architecture and interior design. A prefabricated metal chimney has been framed in a large concrete rectangle, and this is reflected in the shapes that make up the rest of the house.
bolton vale stone?
CWB Architects Save Email A beautiful window (or an eye-catching view) already filling the higher end of the wall is an especially strong visual feature too. Placing other items low (even leaning pieces against the wall instead of hanging them) lets the eye drift to the window and through to those great views that probably sold you on the house in the first place.
10. Fireplaces While hanging a TV above the fireplace remains a popular look, pairing these two items can leave you with a ruined television (from the heat of the fireplace) and a ruined neck (from the viewing angle). A beautiful fireplace, especially in a dark colour or rich stone, is a strong enough visual feature on its own that leaving the space above totally empty is often the best option.
Flaming fabulous. An outdoor fireplace is so on trend, it would be a shame not to find a way to make a feature of the firewood that goes along with it. Far from competing for attention, the textures in this outdoor room work together in harmony to create a totally welcoming gathering place.
Side by side. Be sure that firewood displays destined to go up in smoke are kept relatively small to keep bugs, dust and other nasties at bay. It also means there’s less combustible fuel in the house in case of … well, fire.
f you’re lucky enough to have an indoor or outdoor fireplace to light over winter, why not make the firewood that goes with it a show-stopping feature? Before you do, though, keep in mind that wood not destined to go on the fire will need some special treatment if you don’t want to introduce white ants, spiders and other undesirables into your home. Buy pre-treated logs for permanent displays, or at the very least strip each log of its bark before stacking them tightly indoors. The tighter you pack the logs, the less dust will accumulate and the fewer potential homes you create for local wildlife. For displays with a high turnover (where logs are regularly thrown on the fire and replaced), make sure your outdoor storage area is off the ground and well-lit. You’ll need to do a visual check for bugs and spiders before bringing logs inside; grabbing for logs in the dark is neither fun nor wise. Keep a set of thick gloves by the fire for whoever draws the short straw to put on before heading out to handle the firewood. With those minor tasks carried out, all that’s left to do is bask in the warmth of your fire, and the beauty of your firewood display. Take a look at these displays th...
Natural tones. The fireplace mantel in this living room invites you to sit down and read a while by the fire. The timber shelving unit ties in with shelving used elsewhere in the room – a nifty trick to prevent fireside storage that looks like it doesn’t belong.
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Granny squares. This rug has all the charm of a hand-knitted shawl. The spunky homespun quality has a sweetness all its own. It works especially well here with what appears to be a collection of handed-down, heirloom furnishings.
9. Wall expanse Living rooms often have a dominant or prime-position wall. This is the wall that partners often want to put the TV on, while we try to reason with them why they shouldn’t. You might be able to compromise and settle on having the TV there by disguising it as part of an entire wall of shelving, with lots of display potential. Think of all the styling possibilities to draw attention away from the black box, being sure to play with scale, height, colour and proportion. Designer tip: When you have a large area of shelving to work with, you’ll be tempted to put something in every square centimetre. Resist temptation and leave enough negative space so that your eye can take in all the other beautiful things on show.
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