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Shaynna Blaze’s 7 commandments for faking space in apartments

By Guest Poster •

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By Shaynna Blaze

With urbanisation and smaller living spaces on the rise, clever interior design and decoration that creates the illusion of more space has never been so important. While a smaller space may have its challenges, there are many ways to fake space with colour, which will make your apartment feel like a castle.

The size of an apartment and the abundance or lack of natural light plays a major part in your colour palette selection. Likewise, the direction your apartment faces as well as the era your apartment reflects will all influence your options.

Most people put off painting their house as they look at the whole picture and get overwhelmed before even starting. With an apartment, you can feel a sense of achievement quickly, as you only have to work with the interior, so the amount of time and money is significantly reduced. However, the same rules apply to apartments as they do houses – it is all about planning and preparation.

My seven commandments for apartment living:

1.    Aesthetically speaking

The secret is to use rich colours to extend the visual width of a room. For example, a great way to get impact in a kitchen is to use a rich colour on the walls and use the same colour for the cabinets, creating a completely new personality. To achieve this, I like working with rich emeralds, aubergine and ink blues, and partnering them with metallic tones, granite or colours rich in earth tones, partnered with rustic timbers and exposed brickwork.

Paint colour: Taubmans Pleasant Hill

2.    Tonal vs contrast

Smaller apartments call for simplicity but this doesn’t have to mean boring. Keep your palette for doors, trims, ceiling and cornices in the same colour family, and then select one main colour for the walls. When you get to the bedrooms you can be a bit more playful, but I recommend the same colour palette, with minimum contrast so it does not feel like a ‘jolt’ when you walk into the room.

Paint colour: Taubmans Rose Nude

3.    Impactful over oppressive

Apartment living does not need to be about white and stark colour palettes, however too many contrasting colours and patterns can often take over a space. Make sure your colours have a white, grey or blue/green base as these colours reflect light and cool colours recede. Some of my favourite whites are Taubmans’ Crisp White, Akimbo and Cloudburst. Also, look at timbers that are either grey or lime washed or oak and pine to balance strong colours, as they add a natural warmth to the space.

Paint colour: Taubmans Violet Verbena

4.    Making small look large

The trick is to connect the largest space in the room (walls) to the second largest impact space (the floor). To make the room feel larger, I like to connect similar colour palettes and make the skirting in that area the same colour as the wall, so that the eye travels from floor to ceiling, taking everything in as one big space.

5.    Decorating approach for modern vs period inspired

The key here is to know what you are working with — modern apartment living requires minimal focus on trims, skirtings and ceilings and keeping the palette quite simple, with the addition of a couple of extra colours thrown in. On the other hand, interiors inspired by period styles often have many details, so in this case it is best to work out one main type of feature to highlight in colour so the room does not become visually overloaded. Decide which feature you want to draw your eye, for example feature panelling or cornicing, and go from there.

6.    Decorating disasters not to be repeated

One of my pet hates is the common perception that apartment living needs to be treated as one big white box. Just adding a hint of colour to the walls can take the apartment from feeling clinical to full of life.

7.    The three do’s

Formulate a plan, tackle painting in stages and focus on rooms as single projects.

–Shaynna Blaze appears on TV’s The Block, Selling Houses Australia and Deadline Design and is a brand ambassador for Taubmans.

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February 6, 2017

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  • New Kaboodle range embraces vibrant colour for kitchens
  • Darren Palmer Darren Palmer’s new sustainable, ethically made rugs
  • Australian kitchen dimensions: standard sizes for every last detail
  • Basic new build transformed into coastal dream home post handover
  • Steph & Gian’s almost perfect Block master bedroom score

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Located in Melbourne’s Elsternwick, this stylis Located in Melbourne’s Elsternwick, this stylish home was renovated recently with @keenarchitecture and @studio_esar at the helm. Brimming with fun, functionality and colour, the home is shared by ex MasterChef contestant Peter Kritikides, his wife Erica and their two children. 

Occupied by the family since 2015, the renovation brief called for a sympathetic yet modern upgrade to the heritage listed original home as well as the demolition and rebuild of the back of the residence.

Want to see the kitchen? Head to the blog via link in bio.

#elsternwick #melbournehome #melbournehomes #masterchefaustralia #masterchefcontestant #masterchefcontestants #chefskitchen #heritagearchitecture #heritagehome #heritagerenovation #monochromehome #colourfulhome #bookshelfstyling #bookcasestyling #colourfulbooks #fireplacedecor #velvetcouch #livingroomstyle #livingroomart
GET THE LOOK. All the finer details of Sunday's Bl GET THE LOOK. All the finer details of Sunday's Block master bedroom walk ins on the blog now.

Which was your fave?

Via latest posts link in bio now.

#walkincloset #walkinwardrobe #walkinrobe #wardrobes #wardrobe #wardrobe #bedroomstorage #masterbedroomdesign #mastersuite #theblockroomreveals #theblock #theblock2023 #kinsman #kinsmankitchens #kinsmanwardrobes #dressingroom #dressingtable
A home that got all its extra special details AFTE A home that got all its extra special details AFTER handover with stunning results!

When Emma Fuller built her family home five years ago, she went with the ‘basic’ package with a view to elevating the spaces in a more budget-friendly manner down the line. Knowing that she couldn’t afford her entire wish list upfront, she made allowances within the plans so that she could add all the special details later.

“Although the builder could have incorporated every detail we asked for, we knew it would have blown our budget, but that didn’t mean I was going to let the dream go,” says @hamptonsinhighfields 

Patience and hard work have definitely paid off and today on the blog we are showing you how she did it from adding a fireplace, bench seat, wallpaper, french doors, a mudroom, built in bookcases, fretwork, kitchen island trim, IKEA wardrobes and more!

Via link in bio now.

#newbuild #hamptonsaustralia #hamptonsnewbuild #fretwork #benchseat #benchseating #fireplace🔥 #fireplacedecor #ikeahacks #diymudroom #mudroom #kidsroomwallpaper #frenchdoors #frenchdoor #hallwaydoors #frenchdoorpantry #butlerspantrydesign #newbuildupgrades
Flatpack definitely doesn't have to be basic or bo Flatpack definitely doesn't have to be basic or boring!

The latest @kaboodlekitchen trends release, in collaboration with stylist @jono.fleming, are anything but. These are just 4 of 6 new colours for the brand, sold in Bunnings.

Head over to the blog via link in bio to see the others (hint: one of them might be pink! 🩷). You'll also find out how to get a free copy of the latest Kaboodle edit magazine sent to you, chock full of inspiring real projects like my navy laundry!

Which of these is your pick? Would you venture outside of a white kitchen? What colour is yours?

#kaboodlekitchen #kaboodlelaundry #kaboodle #flatpackfurniture #flatpackkitchen #bunningskitchen #flatpackcabinets #budgetkitchen #ontrendkitchens #colourfulkitchen #colouredcabinets #kitchencolourtrends2023 #colourtrends2023 #boldkitchen #jonofleming #interiorsblog #interiorsaddict #bunningsdiy #heartyourhome #realreno #realrenovations #kitchenbeforeandafter #kitchenonabudget #colourfullaundry #flatpacklaundry
Block judge @darrenpalmerofficial launched his own Block judge @darrenpalmerofficial launched his own rug range this week and they're a bit gorgeous! 😍 These are the kind of beautiful, neutral, textured, natural, ethically and sustainably produced rugs that will stand the test of time.

Pop over to the blog via link in bio to read our chat with him.

“I believe in the democratisation of good design,” says Darren, who wanted the rugs to be affordable. “It was very important to me that they were ethically made, and they are all Good Weave certified ensuring that no child labour is involved in their creation."

#darrenpalmer #darrenpalmerofficial #darrenpalmerinteriors #theblock #rugshopping #rugdesign #ruggoals #rugmaking #naturalrugs #sustainablerugs #ethicalrugs #jute #juterug #juterugs #handcarved #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #heartyourhome #goodweave
Steph and Gian's master WING won them an almost pe Steph and Gian's master WING won them an almost perfect score on the Block last night.

Even if their bedsides weren't exactly generous, they were bigger than most last night. What was going on there?!

As ever, love to know your thoughts. See more, read the judges' comments and shop the looks via link in bio now.

#theblockroomreveals
#theblock #theblock2023 #blockshopper #masterbedroomdecor #masterbedroomdesign #mastersuite #mastersuites #walkincloset #walkinwardrobe #walkinrobe #theinteriorsaddict #interiorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome #realreno
The latest pieces from @mockaaustralia are designe The latest pieces from @mockaaustralia are designed to give your home an endless summer feel ☀️

The Dilllon rattan bedhead is $399, the Blair buffet (swipe) is $469 and (swipe again) the rattan Canyon cabinet is $259.

See more on the homepage now via link in bio.

#rattanlovers #rattan #rattanfurniture #rattandecor #rattanbed #rattanbedhead #timberbuffet #mockaaustralia #mocka #affordablefurniture
My home is not always photoshoot ready, guys! Bu My home is not always photoshoot ready, guys! 

But check out my navy laundry looking perfect in the new issue of @kaboodlekitchen's edit magazine (and the reality!).

Two years on, we're still loving this room!

You'll also see the entertainment unit we created with the same Berry Blue Kaboodle.

Get a free hard copy sent to you (it features many other gorgeous projects using Kaboodle flatpack) or download the digital version via link in my bio now. Enjoy!

#kaboodlekitchen #kaboodle #kaboodlelaundry #flatpack #bunnings #interiorsaddictfamilyhomereno #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #barndoor #laundryroomdecor
▶️ Swipe for before! Bathroom of my dreams 😍

Overcrowded with fixtures and with very little natural light, this main bathroom was in need of an update. The existing window was removed and replaced with custom steel bi-fold doors with clear glass above and ribbed for privacy below. “They provide an abundance of natural light and connection to the beautiful garden and incredible view. Indoor or outdoor bathing is now optional!” says Darren Genner of @studio__minosa 

Head to the blog via link in bio to see this home's KITCHEN transformation.

#outdoorbath #outdoorbathroom #outdoorbathtub #gardenbathroom #gardenviews #bifolddoors #steelbifold #blacksteeldoors #blacksteeldoors #bathroombeforeandafter #studiominosa #bathroomdesigninspiration #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome  #indooroutdoorflow
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