What I Do with Tahini

"Build your interior layer by layer..."

KATHRINE MCDONALD, KATHRINE MCDONALD DESIGN

Gerrand Floorings are the ‘go to’ for many Bay of Plenty interior designers who agree that flooring should be one of the first decisions made in planning your interior. They are also unanimous in seeing their role as providing the guidance and expertise that ensures your home reflects your taste, not theirs.

Planning an interior can be a daunting task. That’s where an interior designer comes in, not to tell you what to do, but to help you identify clearly what is important to you in your home, and to source the best for you.

Begin at floor level

Interior designer Kathrine McDonald says she always advises starting with the flooring as the all-important base and building your interior layer by layer, always keeping function and mood in mind.

Do not be dictated to by current trends

Current fashion in interior design may influence your choices but should not dictate them. Sally Lines from Urban Lounge says that it is far more important that your home works for your lifestyle (which may be quite different for a busy family than for a professional couple) and that you should focus on what you have always genuinely loved rather than following trends.

Sort the loves from the likes

The designers at Blank Studio suggest an inspiration board, taking its cue from your environment, favourite furnishings, looks you have seen in magazines and on social media. If you identify the ideas and looks you really love from those you just like, you will see a clear pattern emerging.

"Focus on what you have always genuinely loved..."

SALLY LINES, URBAN LOUNGE

Make first choices where you have least choice

Interior designer Tina Jones advises that with not many options, you should start where you have the least choice and invest the most in horizontal surfaces like benchtops, carpet and hard flooring.

Start with a key loved piece

The word love keeps popping up! Designer and lover of conscious layering, Kim Farrant from Tilly & Tiffen encourages you to identify something you are in love with, be it a family heirloom or favourite piece of art or wallpaper and pull tones and colours from this piece. You will be surprised at how a scheme naturally evolves from that key item.

"Pull tones and colours from this (favourite) piece"

KIM FARRANT, TILLY & TIFFEN

Does it bring you joy?

Maree Kondo’s philosophy might be just too minimalistic for many, but the theory is sound. Amber Elliston of Amber Interiors advises choosing colours, materials and furnishings that bring you joy and that you know you will love to live with. This ensures your home is a genuine reflection of you and will stand the test of time.

When it comes to flooring, Gerrand’s interior design colleagues are unanimous in loving New Zealand made wool carpet, for its texture, pile, the depth it creates and the pure soft comfort it gives. They favour pairing wool carpet with hard flooring in harder working areas – be it timber or one of the many engineered woods now available – using contrasting or blending colours. A preference for natural fibres and tones comes through clearly, tempered always with the goal to create an interior that reflects your personality and one you will always love to come home to.

See Gerrand Floorings’ website for profiles of designers who work with Gerrand Floorings and their interesting and informative tips.

Gerrand Floorings 123 Hewletts Road, Mount Maunganui www.gerrand.co.nz

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