What is your renovation style? The most important decision to make

If a renovation is on the cards for you soon, you’ll no doubt have your eyes wide open about anything and everything to make it as much of a success as possible.

Perhaps you’re clear on your design style and the sort of “look” you want your home to have. Thanks to the internet and countless renovation TV shows, we are more aware than ever about what’s possible for our homes. Whether you prefer modern or traditional, a beachy theme or something more Scandi inspired, there’s certainly no shortage of inspiration available.

Even if you’re crystal clear about the renovation style you want for your home, you should also be taking into consideration the architectural style of the house.

Very often the style of home one owns does not correspond to the style of interior they dream about. About 90 per cent of my renovator clients (and renovators in general) have this dilemma and come to me for help to blend the old with the new in a way that highlights the design style they favour, while incorporating the “canvas” of their homes’ architectural style.

What I love about interior (and exterior) design is the ability to totally customise a look. If you want to mix a few styles or themes together, go for it. Personalising your home with your own trinkets, finds and photos? All the better. The thing with design is that anything goes. Or it can; as long as everything blends well together.

So, what do you do if, for example, you want to transform your home into a modern design but it is the epitome of the ’70s? Or if your home was built in the ’30s, ’40s or ’50s but the interior you want is more Scandinavian?

With a few tweaks to your renovation choices here and there (and often that’s all it takes), a cohesive, beautiful looking home, which suits the architectural style of the house, can be created.

The first thing I do is work out which design style I want to prevail once the renovation is complete. I choose (usually based on my client’s brief) one main design style and then I link the other sub-styles into it. The sub-styles I’m referring to will include the architectural style of the home and possibly one other style. However, unless you’re going for an eclectic look, I’d suggest keeping your selections to a minimum.

Let’s look at a kitchen renovation for example. You may long for a beautiful modern kitchen, but worry that it will look out of place in your home. You could either choose a modern style of cabinetry (doors/drawer front etc) or something more in keeping with one of your sub-styles. From there, you’ll need to make your other high-impact surface selections. These are generally the benchtop and the splashback. The thing to remember is that there really aren’t any “rules” to how a kitchen or bathroom (or whichever room) should be designed. A visually pleasing outcome is achieved by using the “Design Principles” (Google it!) and these principles can be applied to any area you are designing.

In the modern kitchen situation above, many of the surfaces, fixtures and fittings will be contemporary.  However, in order to link back to the architectural style of the house (one of the sub-styles in this case), it’s important to introduce some features that are reminiscent of it somehow. I will often use the splashback design as a way to link back to the sub-style. Even the taps, handles and pendant lights can make a huge difference to the visual cohesion of the space.

You can use these tips right throughout your home and even when updating the exterior. Don’t be afraid to mix up your renovation and make a space yours!

Jane Eyles-Bennett is renovation mad and has been a professional designer for 23 years. She was a renovation designer on the TV series Property Climbers, winner of several interior design awards and design consultant to over 600 property owners in the past nine years.

Have a renovation or design topic idea? Contact Jane at jane@hotspaceconsultants.com or via her website.