Home Design

Home > Home Design

Category: Home Design

white contemporary kitchen
CategoriesHome Design

Brilliant Design Ideas for Your Kitchen Makeover

By Bayside Extensions Team,

They say food brings people together, so it’s no wonder the kitchen is often referred to as the heart of every home. But more than just a space where we prepare and share our favourite meals, the kitchen has become a multi-functional area for the entire family. It’s the one place at home that’s always bustling with activity, pulsing with energy, and bursting with laughter.

So whether you’re planning for a renovation or an extension, you want your kitchen to be a comfortable space that’s functional yet stylish, cosy yet spacious, and most of all, family and guest-friendly. It should also complement the other areas of your home and suit your particular taste and lifestyle.

large contemporary white kitchenThere is plenty of brilliant design inspiration to transform your kitchen into the perfect space you and your family will love for a long time to come! Here are some that you may want to consider:

Contemporary / Modern

Contemporary kitchen designs shout out clean, sleek elegance with a pop of colour to accentuate the overall look. All white seems to be the palette of choice in many modern kitchen designs, but sometimes dark-hued bench tops or warm wood are added for texture and contrast. Other features include back-painted glass or glossy tile splashback, wall-mounted stainless steel appliances, understated pendant lighting fixtures, and floors made of marble, concrete or natural wood.

Retro / Vintage

A throwback to the period styles of the 50s, 60s, 70s, or 80s, retro kitchen designs are all about vibrant colours, geometric patterns, chequered floors, funky and eclectic décor, and vintage appliances. Brilliantly marrying old-school charm with some modern elements, retro kitchens exude warmth, vibrancy, and a pleasant atmosphere.

Country / Farmhouse Style

Laidback, comfortable, warm, and welcoming best describe an Aussie country-style kitchen. This design concept reflects the colours of nature from the outdoor landscape. Timber and natural stone surfaces, recycled or upcycled furniture, a farmhouse sink, and antique décor give these kitchens that rustic feel. For a more contemporary country-style look, modern features like chrome fittings, stainless steel appliances, and white or grey benchtops and cabinetry could be added.

Industrial Chic

Nothing screams functional, minimalist, and spacious with a touch of vintage than the industrial style kitchen. If you find exposed pipes and beams charmingly artistic, then this is the perfect kitchen for you. It incorporates materials and design elements made of steel, wood, iron, and concrete. Industrial style kitchens are usually found in homes converted from old warehouses or factories, but nothing is stopping you from adapting this design into your modern home if you wish to.

It pays to seek professional help when renovating or doing kitchen extension work. There are so many aspects to consider – from design perspective to the technical side of the project – that you’re better off leaving it to the experts.

At Bayside Extensions, our award-winning design team has a reputation for their professionalism, great eye for detail, and quality projects that make every dollar worth your investment. We offer home design and extensions services, and we have access to some of the best kitchen experts in the industry. Contact us today at 03 9596 0368 or email admin@baysideextensions.com and we’ll work with you to bring your dream home to life!

open kitchen
CategoriesHome Design

5 Great Ways to Make Your Kitchen More Functional

By Bayside Extensions Team,

The kitchen is where you spend many hours of the day preparing and cooking meals for the family. However, it has also become more than just a place for making and sharing food; it has become the new heart of a home, where family members come to hang out or for hosts to entertain guests.

Naturally, as one of the busiest areas of your home, you will want to improve the overall functionality and visuals of your kitchen space, either by design or extension.

Here are some great functional kitchen ideas for your home.

#1 Utilise Your Vertical Space

Making the most of your wall space is necessary in a small kitchen, as it reduces clutter and crowding on countertops. Instead of bulky storage, try using hooks, racks, and open shelves.

#2 Opt for an Open-Concept Kitchen

open kitchenDon’t like a cramped kitchen space? Try open-plan living. Larger kitchens that open up into other areas of the house are the new trend for modern homeowners. Some kitchens open up into lounges and living areas, while others have become multi-functional by incorporating conservatories and dining rooms.

#3 Maintain Your Work Triangle

A functional kitchen design should include the work triangle, which is the shape you walk between the sink, the stove, and the refrigerator. As an essential element of the kitchen design, the main goal of this triangle is efficiency and to minimise traffic within the kitchen.

You might want to consider adding this layout to your kitchen if it doesn’t include it yet or incorporating these components into what you already have.

#4 Consider More Windows

Brilliantly-placed windows are a part of functional kitchen design. While they offer a great view and lots of sunlight while you cook and clean, they also improve air circulation in the kitchen, as they give extra ventilation to remove smoke and odours. Large windows can also help to create the illusion of a spacious kitchen.

#5 Mind the Lighting

Proper lighting is vital for a functional kitchen. The three main areas of your kitchen, which make up the work triangle, should be well-illuminated. For a design that is functional and offers an elegant, fancy ambience, under-cabinet lighting is a popular choice.

Designing a Functional Kitchen

A functional kitchen is crucial for anyone who likes cooking at home. A well-designed kitchen space may even turn cooking into an enjoyable activity for people who aren’t too fond of making meals.

The above functional kitchen ideas can help you rebuild the heart of your home into a place that is practical, cozy and beautiful.

However, redesigning your kitchen is no easy feat; it takes a lot of careful planning, critical insight, commitment and of course, work. Always consult a kitchen design professional to help you achieve your dream kitchen.

If you want to learn more about modern home designs and extensions, contact us here at Bayside Extensions for a free design consultation .

CategoriesHome Design

Five Ways to Change Your Open Plan Living

By Bayside Extensions Team,

At the heart of open plan living is one simple word. Connection.

Once upon a time, living rooms such as the kitchen or lounge room were built for a specific function. There was even a door to close us away from the rest of the house. Living within four walls was simply the way it was.

But over the years, as lifestyles have changed, so has our need for stronger connection with our family, friends and the digital world.

As we try to pack more into every day, every moment matters – whether it is preparing meals while helping with homework, cooking while supervising the kids at play, catching up on the news while packing the dishwasher, or preparing a dinner party with friends. Open plan living gives us greater comfort, convenience and connection.

Want to make the most of your open plan living renovation? Try these five tips for your bayside home.

Take Out a Wall (or Two)

Removing walls to open up your living space is easier than you think. Surrounding walls can be adjusted in any home to achieve open plan living, dining and kitchen space – including period homes! You’ll just need to make time for some careful planning for your living room renovation.
MTake out a wall

Create Your Own Open Plan Living Island

At the heart of your living space is the kitchen – and the most popular and effective design is a large central island bench. It’s the perfect gathering spot for the family for breakfast and allows ample room for meal preparation, so you can encourage the family to get involved, too. It’s the most ‘social’ choice for your kitchen renovation as well – there’s no need to be stuck in the kitchen away from all the fun when you are entertaining. Be careful of clutter, though. All that space can also become a magnet for the rest of the family’s belongings.
Kitchen island bench

Go With The Flow

Getting the flow from area to area, room-to-room is absolutely vital to any open plan design. Traffic flow is especially critical, ensuring everyone can move freely throughout your space. When planning on extending your bayside home, make sure you take the time to investigate how your space should be designed for a natural flow between the living, dining, kitchen and outdoor areas.
Open plan living space

The Shape of Things to Come

No matter what size of home you have, thoughtful design can create the right shape of living space. In our experience when building a house extension, a long, rectangular space works best, enabling a great length to width ratio and it’s also ideal for all size and shape of furniture. This shape can also direct all activity to the great outdoors.Open plan living space

Consider Light in You Open Plan Space

Two of the most important elements of a successful open plan space are windows and ceiling height. It’s all about building ambience in your bayside home. Natural light adds a sense of welcome and warmth to a room but it’s also about functionality – you’ll love being able to complete tasks during the day without having to switch on a light. The right ceiling height, combined with clever design during your living room renovation, provides the illusion of a much larger room – and a soaring ceiling can also provide a wonderful feeling of grandeur.

Open plan lighting

Our top tip gained from many years working with clients is to talk to an experienced building designer that can add their expertise to your great ideas, creating a space that that flows perfectly. When it comes to your bayside home renovations, it’s all about the flow!

The professional design team at Bayside Extensions is passionate about creating environments to meet your lifestyle needs, while respecting the rich history and architecture of your bayside home. Contact us today by calling 03 9596 0368 or email admin@baysideextensions.com

CategoriesHome Design

Don’t Skimp on Space – You’ll Always Need More Than You Think

By Bayside Extensions Team,

Welcome to the second in our article series, Seven Deadly Sins of Home Renovation. Last time we shared some great tips on DIY Interior Design. This time we’ll help you plan ahead for the space you’ll need in your bayside home in the future.

“Space – the final frontier.” Just like the brave Star Trek crew, you’ll be amazed at the space you can find in your own home if you are open to exploration and new ideas!

There are so many benefits to thinking ahead about space in your bayside home. A more comfortable lifestyle, extra years in your current home before you have to move, the lifestyle benefits of having more space for the whole family to enjoy and ultimately, a better selling price.

And while you’ll need to make some compromises in your bayside home, most likely due to council restrictions, your original façade and foundation walls, your larger block offers an enormous range of options.
spacious living area

Here Are Our Top Seven Tips For Creating More Space in Your Home

#1 The first step in your voyage?

Think big! When you begin planning for extension of your bayside home, always allow for more space than you think you’ll need. It won’t be easy to adjust your renovations if you realise you don’t have enough space. Think ahead about all the possibilities for your family and their needs. Cut corners now and you’ll regret it in the long run.
woman preparing a dinner table

#2 Think about flow

One of the biggest planning mistakes people make is not considering the way their home connects together. The flow of your extension needs to be a seamless connection between the old and the new, which can be cleverly achieved through selection of fittings, paint colour and architectural features.

You may be interested to know that the most popular trend amongst Bayside Extensions’ clients is to extend out, not up. Due to changing lifestyles, more people are choosing to lose yard space and create a rear extension to create a larger footprint, single storey home rather than extending up.
spacious house extension with a couch

#3 Take it From Us and Our Clients

There are certain areas of your home you will always want more space – living areas and bedrooms. As your family grows, so does the need for more bedroom space. The kids will need desk and study space, as well as a place to hang out with their friends and have sleepovers. And as the kids grow and you have more time on your hands, you’ll also want more space for entertainment and relaxation.
a young girl's bedroom
work table with a computer and flowers

#4 Open up Walls and Retain the Structural Integrity

At Bayside Extensions the complaint we hear most often is ‘I wish I had more space for open plan living!’ Due to the traditional structure of period homes, many areas may tend to feel dark and closed off from the rest of the house, which simply doesn’t work with today’s preference for open plan living. The good news is that removing walls  – as long as the structural integrity of your home remains intact – is a relatively easy way to open up and breathe new life into dark spaces.
home interior living room and dining area

#5 Kitchen, Bathroom and Laundry Space

If you want to just dip a toe in the water if you are thinking about extending your bayside home, the three easiest places to find more space and make changes are your kitchen, bathroom and laundry. You’d be amazed what can be achieved through relocating bench tops, adding new appliances, changing window styles to achieve more natural light, removing doors and connecting walls and installing new fixtures and fittings in bathrooms.living and dining area
bathroom with a bathtub

#6 THINK OUTSIDE THE SQUARE!

Clever planning and design will achieve wonders. Use of your attic, roof cavity, basement or yard can deliver extra space and add enormous value to your home renovation.
decking with a bench and large umbrella

#7 Making the Most of the Space with These Tips and Tricks

If you’re not quite ready to jump into major structural and architectural changes just now, there are loads of tricks and tips to help make the most of the space you have. To deliver the illusion of space, try the following:

  • Choose a lighter paint colour – the use of bright white and pale tones will lift and brighten any space.
  • Consider a skylight. The addition of natural light is a cost effective, low impact way to bring a sense of space to a dark hallway or room.
  • Change your windows! Period homes often feature traditional heavy wooden sash style windows that can restrict the flow of natural light into your home. Replace with new style, sleek windows, with narrow frames and maximum glass, to bring the outside in, especially if your bayside home enjoys a ocean view!

attic bedroom with white walls

If you want to talk about how Bayside Extensions can accompany you on your ‘journey into space’ and transform your home, our professional design team would love to help. Contact us today by calling (03) 9596 0368 or email admin@baysideextensions.com

CategoriesHome Design

The Dangers Of DIY Interior Design

By Bayside Extensions Team,

So you’re renovating your bayside home and you’ve just bought ‘the perfect piece’. A fabulous lamp for that dark little corner, a gorgeous throw rug with matching cushions you found online for your living room renovation or maybe a gorgeous corner table, ideal for your bedroom makeover.

There’s a good chance, however, that ‘perfect piece’ was too small, too big or actually, entirely the wrong colour – and now it’s too late to take it back.

Interior design is not as easy as it looks – and much more important than you think. Follow these six DIY interior design tips for your bayside home and you’ll be styling up the perfect room in no time.

#1 Start With the Basics – a Simple Tape Measure

There is nothing more heartbreaking than bringing your shiny new purchase into your home, only to realise that it is simply too big to fit, or too small to make an impact.

Impulse buying can also be a very expensive mistake. Imagine buying a couch for your living room renovation that doesn’t even fit through the door! Always measure first. In fact, measure twice!
measuring tape

#2 Shop With a Plan

As the saying goes, “a place for everything, and everything in its place.” Great interior design does not happen by accident. Before you hit the shops, spend some time looking carefully for what you need for your bayside home renovation. Take photos, use magazine clippings, draw some sketches – whatever makes the planning process easier for you.

Shopping without a plan leads to unnecessary clutter. When you apply careful planning and a minimalist approach, clutter will be a thing of the past.
dining room with wooden table

#3 Beware the ‘impulse buy’.

Never buy on the spot. Remember, you have to live with the items you buy. Also, shop around for the right price. Impulse interior design is a waste of money. There’s nothing worse than spending more than you need!
living area with a potted plant

#4 Scale is Everything

It takes a talented eye to decorate a room with impeccable scale. The secret to scale in interior renovation is a mixture of different shapes, heights and sizes that fit together seamlessly – not too big, not too small. You never want everything in a room to be at the same level or the same size. Remember if you have a bayside house with large windows, you need to leave plenty of space to let the outside in!
living area with two grey couches

#5 Testing – 1, 2, 3

Choosing paint colours can be a minefield. Take advantage of sample pot sizes and take the time to patch test before you begin on your home improvement. Once you’ve begun, re-painting can be a painful process. Also, if you can, go for a feature wall. The use of a bold contrast colour can really bring your house alteration to life.
colorful wall with balustrades

#6 Light it Up

Lighting is often underestimated in interior design, especially if you have a bayside home with stunning beachside views. Natural light is the best way to show off furniture and soft furnishings but at night, floor lamps add mood and ambience. Do some research about the use of LED lighting, too – new technology now allows a whole new range of light control.
white kitchen
The professional design team at Bayside Extensions is passionate about creating environments to meet your lifestyle needs, while respecting the rich history and architecture of your bayside home. If you want to read more about home renovations and extensions, please visit our blog section.

CategoriesHome Design

Could Your Entrance Hallway Be Better? Read This Article To Know How

By Bayside Extensions Team,

First impressions count – an elegant entrance hall will set the tone to your home renovation and extension. It should exude charm and character, and most importantly reflect your personality.

The hallway is the gateway to your home and as such the way you design it will set the scene for the rest of your home. Although the humble hallway is often treated as a thoroughfare which will lead you to the different zones in your house, it should not be neglected. Instead, some simple design elements can be used to make it into a statement.
white period home

MAKE THE ENTRANCE DOOR A FEATURE

For a period home, make sure the door incorporates some leadlight features. This will also let light in and fill the entrance with warm sunshine. Or for a more modern look, choose an oversized door or paint it with a striking colour. Make a statement!
entrance hallway of a home
An empty hallway is not very welcoming, so fill it with items and furniture that suits your style and personality. Let your guests know what they can expect when they step into your home. Perhaps its family photos on the wall, or somewhere to hang your jackets and put away the shoes.
hallway with an old sewing machine
Or something slightly more stylish like an antique hall stand or beautiful marble table, with stylish vase on top with fresh flowers is simple, yet elegant. Or perhaps a bench seat or chair, or even a beautiful large mirror would add depth and brightness.
long hallway with white walls

Lighting is not only essential in your home but it can be made to make a statement in your hallway as well.  A beautiful pendant light will transform your hallway from a thoroughfare to a destination in itself.  Or you may prefer a piece of artwork to make a statement, be it a sculpture or hanging on the wall.

There are several ways to make your hallway sing. So be creative and let your personality set the tone for the entry to your newly renovated home.

CategoriesHome Design

Three Reasons Why A Fireplace Should Be Your Next Acquisition

By Bayside Extensions Team,

The cold winter is upon us, and it is time to get cosy around a warm and welcoming fireplace with a good book and a glass of wine. So, should I add a fireplace to my renovation/extensions I hear you ask?

Here are a few ideas to ponder about.
Fireplaces have been an integral part in the design of a period home. Be it Georgian, Victorian, or Edwardian.

Even the later designs such as the Californian Bungalow, Hampton’s style and the Minimalist house designs have incorporated the humble fireplace as a feature and focal point of their designs. There are several reasons for this.

FIREPLACES AS ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES

Traditionally, the purpose of the fireplace was simply to provide warmth. But with the passing of time, they soon became an architectural feature as the period houses were renovated and restored.

Architects began designing houses with fireplaces as the focal point of living and dining rooms. These fireplaces were not only large open fires but gas log fires and even electric fireplaces.
living area with a fireplace

MODERN RENOVATORS WANT GAS AND ELECTRIC FIREPLACES

Most renovated period properties replace the traditional open fireplaces with electric or gas fireplaces. This is so that the home owner can enjoy the aesthetics of a fire place without the hassle of maintaining an open fire place.

Modern electric and gas fireplaces also provide interior design solutions such as being inset into the wall at any height and can mimic flames using LED flame-effect light technology. Many also come with remote controls, allowing owners to adjust temperature and light settings with the flick of a button.

There are options for those who would prefer a traditionally-styled hearth too. Modern gas and electric fireplaces can come with period features and styles, providing that all-important link to the past. Though the elements are decorative, the overall effect is the same: the fireplace helps to provide a warm and cosy atmosphere.
spacious living area with a fireplace

FIREPLACES PROVIDE NOSTALGIA AND ROMANCE

There is another reason why people are choosing to keep their homes warm this winter with modern fireplaces: they help provide a sense of nostalgia and romance by emulating many of the cues of traditional fireplaces.

Staring into golden glow of the flames, and being enveloped in the warmth, during these winter months wrap you up with the notion of nostalgia of and romance.
living area with white walls and fireplace
patio with wooden table and fireplace
Victorian era style living area with a fireplace
modern living area with a gas fireplace
fireplace centered in the living room
modern living room with couches and a fireplace

Add to cart