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Neale Whitaker’s latest tips on the art of apartment living

June 14, 2022 Leave a Comment

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With Australian property prices still sky-high, many of us have abandoned the quarter-acre dream in favour of apartment living. And when it comes to the art of apartment living, interior designer, media personality and Interiors Addict fave Neale Whitaker has lots of fabulous, practical advice. From creating discrete zones to selecting supersized furniture and artwork (controversial, I know!), Neale has lots of great apartment styling tips โ€“ many of which he explored when creating this Melbourne apartment in conjunction with KING and Mirvac.

Neale Whitaker in the Melbourne apartment that he styled recently

Upsize furniture & artwork
With many people downsizing from larger homes into apartments, Neale says that many people wrongly assume they must scale everything down and fill the space with smaller pieces. โ€œThis creates a doll’s house effect where because everything is smaller, it creates the illusion that the space is smaller. To create a feeling of space, itโ€™s far better to upsize and have fewer pieces overall,โ€ says Neale.

For instance, rather than opting for a two-seater in the apartment pictured, Neale chose a 2.5-seater as well as an occasional chair, ottoman and set of two complementary coffee tables from KING. “This apartment really isn’t that big but choosing larger pieces made it feel that way,” says Neale.

Neale Whitaker
Lounge room

And this idea holds for art and mirrors too โ€“ upsizing both not only draws the eye up but makes a space feel instantly larger. โ€œBasically, when in doubt, go bigger as it will allow a small space to feel like a large one,โ€ says Neale.

Create distinct zones
Whether you live in a house or apartment, most of us are familiar with open plan living and understand the pressure to create specific living zones โ€“ this tension is amplified with apartment living but Neale has some practical solutions.

โ€œIn this apartment I used contrasting rugs to delineate the dining and living zones, but I also like to use room dividers where possible,โ€ says Neale. The designer used the KING Vertio wall unit as part of the design โ€“ in this case it was wall mounted but the design can be used as a freestanding room divider. โ€œA room divider creates distinct zones within an open plan area while giving you extra storage and display areas too,โ€ says Neale.

The KING Vertio unit can be seen on the left. Artwork by Kerry Armstrong.

Multifunctionality
โ€œWith people spending much more time at home, all of us are seeking greater functionality from our houses and furniture items that double up are at a premium,โ€ says Neale who explains that this is even more pressing when living in an apartment. Great multi-tasking furniture items include the aforementioned room divider as well as gas-lift storage beds. โ€œKING has some great sofas and desks with built-in phone chargers too,โ€ says Neale.

Neale included a multipurpose study nook in a recess in the apartment's hallway.
Neale included a multipurpose study nook in a recess in the apartment’s hallway.

Embrace the full colour palette – not just neutrals
When it comes to your colour and materials palette, donโ€™t assume that you must revert to white and bright. In this apartment, Neale chose a medley of colours inspired by the Australian landscape – rusty red, terracotta, greens and brown.

โ€œThereโ€™s a lot of rules about compact spaces that donโ€™t necessarily make a lot of sense. You donโ€™t need to limit yourself to neutrals and blonde wood to make things feel bigger,โ€ says Neale who used dark timber and a moody contrast wall in this apartment also โ€“ neither of which made it feel smaller.

Master bedroom
The master bedroom features a moody contrast wall. Artwork by Daniel Butterworth.

The master bedroomโ€™s contrast wall is painted in a Porterโ€™s Paint tone that sits somewhere between dark grey and dark brown. โ€œAgain, itโ€™s counterintuitive but that dark tone really made the room pop.โ€

Shop KING

Interior design expert Neale Whitaker shares four things to make your house a home
When it comes to transforming a house into a home, interior design expert and TV personality Neale Whitaker, certainly knows…
Neale Whitaker on the King Living Zaza outdoor sofa
Outdoor rooms: Neale Whitaker explains how to create a backyard oasis
โ€œItโ€™s not a new phenomenon, but Australians really did pioneer the outdoor room,โ€ says The Block judge and Love It…

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Take a scroll through the stunning new art on line Take a scroll through the stunning new art on linen collab from @grottilotti and @linen_house We love it! โค๏ธ

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I'm absolutely loving the simple yet on trend scal I'm absolutely loving the simple yet on trend scallop design and colour pop of these lampshades from new brand @soffle_lights 

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๐Ÿ“ท@the.palm.co
Washable rugs, eco-friendly play mats, reversible Washable rugs, eco-friendly play mats, reversible linen, gorgeous wallpaper and the chance to win a beautiful bouclรฉ recliner chair!

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Via link in bio now.

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A glass shower screen is not the only option! In A glass shower screen is not the only option!

In this 80s villa reno, @trentinidesign took inspiration from an archway typical of the era and used it throughout the home.

The bathroom was transformed from a classic three-piece set up that included a shower, bath and vanity. Kathryn removed the bath and split the room in half and designed an arch to sit between the two zones. 

โ€œI wanted something spectacular. Rather than having a vanity with a piece of glass like you would typically see, I was really trying to push myself as a designer. It was costly but it worked out well and the feedback has been great."

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Head over to the blog via link in bio to read all about why she went bold and full of pattern in this project, which is a stark contrast to her zen and neutral Northern Beaches abode.

There's also plenty of details about where things are from etc.

"Iโ€™m not an interior designer so I just chose what I liked and followed my gut. Ultimately this home has been an opportunity to explore my alter ego โ€“ it allowed me to do things that I wouldnโ€™t normally do.โ€

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Not many friends in life fall into the unofficial Not many friends in life fall into the unofficial family category and they're a special gift. So ends three weeks with @danisteve81 who left her husband and son in the UK (I'm forever grateful they lent her to me!) to come and cheer me up and help me in the most practical ways after I spent Christmas and New Year in hospital. There were tears and I miss her so much already but how amazing to have had all that time together as adults. Such a rare treat and would never have happened without having been through something so challenging. Silver linings and all that. So many other friends have also been incredibly thoughtful and kind. There aren't many times I'd say this without cringing but I am 100% blessed!

I still cannot believe we have been friends since we were 12! 12! Are you still close with your childhood besties?
The renovation of this 80s beach shack @camillo_ho The renovation of this 80s beach shack @camillo_house is a work of art and while almost every surface was updated, the decision to keep the original slate floor was genius if you ask us. 

Owner @clarehillier__ says: "With its purple, pink, red and brown tones, the slate was the starting point for our interior palette."

Come and check out the before and afters via link in bio now and read the reno story. It's a real beauty.

And you can book it for your next holiday too!

Blair Smith Architecture @kateshanasy

#slatefloor #slatefloors #80shouse #80sbeauty #camillohouse #interiorsblog #interiorsblogger #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #realreno #holidayhousesofinstagram #morningtonpeninsulahomes #morningtonpeninsula #morningtonpeninsulasmallbusiness #blairgowrie #blairgowriebeach #airbnbstyle
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Amy Collins Walker

About Amy Collins Walker

Amy is our regular feature writer, an experienced journalist and interior stylist living in Perth, Western Australia. Find out more about her styling work at http://www.amycollinswalker.com/

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