Renovating a Home for Modern Living

With the focus on the home being bigger than ever before, renovating is at an all-time high as homeowners are choosing to stay put and transform their property. Thanks to an array of DIY design blogs and home improvement television shows, like The Block, owners are provided inspiration and design education on using quality building materials and the valuable investment that will benefit them long-term.

Older style homes hold a certain fascination for many, with homeowners willing to go the extra mile to hold onto their charm. While it’s encouraged to keep the traditional facades intact, large contemporary extensions can be added with open-plan living extending effortlessly into designer backyards, offering a marriage of old with new that works for modern living.

An open-plan kitchen, living and dining area is the true heart of the home, perfect for a family that enjoys entertaining and socialising. These days, the hardest-working rooms in the house are so much more than simply a serviceable space in which to cook and clean-up. For most of us, the kitchen is the epicentre of our abode. It’s the ever-on-show and in-use domain where we congregate whilst preparing daily meals for our family and friends.
When renovating, there’s some key elements to consider that can add to the look, functionality and value of your home, taking it from simple to stunning. “Adding an architectural feature can make a room special, and this is where we see curves being used as a design element, adding visual interest to a room,” says Sara Vale, interior designer, Vale Group. “The continued softening of interiors with curvy shapes and organic, rounded edges, is a way of embracing the relaxed lifestyle we enjoy in Australia. Carrying the fluid shapes through your home with a hero wall, a staircase or arches on doorways, as well as with furnishings and lighting gives a sense of design continuity and adds a wow factor.”

“Consider clever use of building materials such as Gyprock Flexible, which is the perfect plasterboard to see a more curvaceous vision come to life. Versatile and easy to install, the thinner-than-usual boards can be layered on top of one another to create unique shapes while maintaining strength,” says plastering expert, Mick Williams from Mick Williams Plastering. “Feature walls can then be painted or have additional finishes such as wooden battens to highlight the beautiful shapes chosen.”
The secret to achieving the perfect laid-back living room and kitchen is in the detail, so carefully balancing individual elements is essential. Mixing timbers and fabrics with soft natural hues and accent colour, pared back with the subtle clean lines of integrated cabinetry will ensure a casual, relaxed and modern living space, while making the more fluid shapes the hero focus of the room.
Taking overhead kitchen cupboards to the ceiling or enclosing the space above kitchen cupboards with a bulkhead helps define the kitchen area by adding greater dimension to the space. A Gyprock Supaceil plasterboard bulkhead around the kitchen, reduces the visual impact and makes the kitchen appear recessed into the wall rather than thrusting into the space. The bulkhead can also be practical hiding unsightly services, such as wiring, pipes, plumbing, air-conditioning as well as masking changes in ceiling heights.

In high traffic areas such as the kitchen and living rooms, consider upgrading to a quality plasterboard on the walls, such as Gyprock Superchek, to keep your home looking good and reduce maintenance from daily living. Superchek combines high impact resistance, high- level acoustic benefits and high recycled content.
“Renovating to allow natural light into your home can make an enormous difference to how you enjoy a room,” says Sara. A skylight allows more natural light into the home to make the space brighter and more welcoming, as well as creating a feature that allows you to see the sky and make the room feel bigger.

Keep in mind that the humidity experienced in many parts of Australia can cause ordinary plasterboard ceilings to sag. Gyprock Supaceil is a lightweight plasterboard with Optimised Core technology designed
specifically for use in ceilings and for all conditions, and ideal to create a show-stopping ceiling with a standout stunning skylight.
“Taking time when renovating or building to thoroughly research and consider all options, and understanding the importance of using the right type of building materials and how they can impact the liveability of your home is really important,” concludes Sara. Ensure that you allow for enough space and storage, a highly-efficient layout, include accents of colour, patterns and textures, and, of course, fixtures and finishes that are both stylish and designed to withstand everyday use. Above all, the living spaces of your home should be warm and welcoming whilst reflecting the needs of your family and lifestyle.

Gyprock is made in Australia and available at Gyprock Trade stores, Gyprock resellers and Bunnings nationwide. For more information on Gyprock, visit www.gyprock.com.au.


Till next time... it’s all about the integration of fluid shapes, standout features and textured finishes!

xox

Rani

FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM

About Gyprock
Australia's leading manufacturer of gypsum-based products, CSR Gyprock has been Australian for plasterboards since 1947, transforming the building industry with the introduction of paper-faced plasterboard, further advancing lightweight construction methods. The most reputable producer of plasterboard and cornice, as well as compounds, adhesives, specialty plasters and associated finishing materials and accessories, Gyprock supplies a comprehensive range of high-performance products and systems for many applications to meet fire, acoustic and thermal requirements across all segments of the construction industry.