As both a home decorator and an interior decorator, I am always on the lookout for inspiration to use in my own home, as well as for my clients. Scrolling social media, flicking through books and magazines and watching home renovation shows on TV is a daily occurrence for me.

 

I had been wanting to update our master bedroom with an Easy Craft panel wall for awhile. So when House Rules contacted me to undertake a House Rules-inspired project in my own home in celebration of the new season starting tonight, I jumped the chance. I love a good DIY project where I can get my hands dirty and feel a sense of achievement knowing that I did it myself. Something as simple as changing the look of a wall in a room can give it a whole now look and feel. And that’s exactly the project I had in mind for my own home.

 

House Rules viewers will know that for each home renovated, the owners set a set of house rules to help guide the other contestants create their dream home. I think this is something you should take in to account and put in place for every home project you go in to. It sets some boundaries, which makes it easier to stick to the task at hand and not be distracted by other styles or items along the way. Set some rules: style, budget, how you want the room to feel. And if  you reach a point during that project where you feel like you’ve gone off track, refer back to those rules to guide you back to your initial goal.

My house rules were simple: Scandi Coastal Vibes. Minimal styling with plenty of texture. I wanted to create a peaceful space which looked amazing whilst also feeling inviting and calm at the same time. Above is my inspiration board for the room. Making a board helps me to see the finished result before any purchases are made or work is done.

Here’s what I needed for the panel wall project. *Keep in mind, I fit them over a double brick wall.

• –Easy Craft Panels
  -Screws & wall plugs
  -Gap filler
  -Paint (no primer needed)
• Tools
  -Tape measure
  -Circular saw for cutting
  -Jigsaw for cutting out spaces for power points, phone lines etc.
  -Drill  & drill bit (hammer drill for double brick)
  -Corking gun
  -Paint brush, roller & tray

Start by choosing your panels. Easy Craft offer a different range or styles and sizes. We went with the Easy regency 2400x1200mm x 9mm Primed MDF Interior Wall Linings from Bunnings. For the one wall, we needed 3 panels. We measured the wall they were to go on between the skirting and cornice and then cut the panels to fit. Hold in place against the wall (this is definitely a two or more person job). Drill through the panels, where you will be adding screws to hold them on to the wall, enough so that the wall is slightly drilled in to as well. Take the panels down, drill through the wall and hammer in your wall plugs. Lift the panels back in to place again. The holes in the panels will line up with the wall plugs so now you can attach the panels to the wall with the screws. Fill the screw holes with some putty or gap filler and smooth to create a completely flush surface.

Once all the panels are up, you may find that there’s a gap between your board and skirting or board and cornice. No house is perfectly straight and even, so this is totally fine. It’s also a good idea to run the gap filler on both sides of the panel wall to make a smooth line between the panels and the surrounding walls. Simply use something like Selleys gap filler to fill these gaps before painting. Fill the gap using a corking gun. Then to push the filler in to the gaps, run your finger or something like a pop stick over it. Finish by wiping with a wet cloth to take off any left over gap filler and smooth the line. Once that’s dry, its time to paint!

The boards come primed which means you get stuck straight in to painting them in your chosen colour. As with any wall, tape around the edges and then cut in with a paint brush. I also recommend using the brush to paint over the grooves in the panels details as a roller wont get in there and cover the small areas. Once this is done, start rolling paint on to the individual panels. I suggest using a smaller roller which is roughly the size of each panel to save getting any excess paint in the grooves. As I used a light colour, I did 3 coats.

And that’s it! It really is an easy project. One that I am so glad that we did and that I would love to do in another room in the future. I hope you’ve been inspired to tackle your own home reno project in the near future. For more home renovation inspiration and DIY project ideas, make sure you tune in to this season of House Rules on channel 7.

Zoe – The DIY Decorator

 

 

*We budgeted $250 for our project and came in at just under $270 which is still a great price for such a big change!

Some inspiration from previous House Rules finished homes.

 

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As an online interior decorator, I don’t have many tools of the trade. Just my pad, a pen and paper, and a cup of coffee. Usually a cold cup of coffee thanks to the kids… So up until now, I have been happy working from the couch, dining table or breakfast bar. But as my schedule get busier, I feel the need to have a dedicated space in our home where I can sit myself away from the kids (and the temptation of netflix) and concentrate on my work.

 

Naturally as a decorator, I wanted to create a space which looked great and gave me inspiration rather than just a typical office with a desk, chair, filing cabinet etc. I am very lucky that our master bedroom is a huge space which meant I could turn half of it in to my home work area. Knowing how much room I had to work with and what I needed, now it was time to start sourcing furniture and accessories to create a work space for The DIY Decorator.

Our home is decorated with a very neutral palette. Plenty of natural textures and tones, but not much colour. Our master bedroom especially is very light and bright and so I wanted to carry on this theme to the half which would become my office. However to pack a real punch and make the space pop, I decided to add in touches of black to give it more of a Boho vibe. As you can see above, the small addition of black, balanced evenly amongst the styled space, adds dimension and interest. Using some beautiful white and light timber items from Officeworks and complimenting them with these black items as well as plenty of natural elements, I’ve designed a space which is functional as well as visually pleasing.

The Copenhagen desk from Officeworks is the perfect desk design for creatives. With it’s large 150cm wide x 70cm deep top, it can be used for product styling and flatlays as well as a working space. Although it doesn’t have drawers, with today’s technology of wireless devices and plenty of room for any office equiptment to sit on, I prefer this design for my own space because of it’s size and style over one with storage.

The Horsens 4 cube Bookcase, also from Officeworks, is the perfect way to decoratively store away office items. With it’s oak and white finish, it ties in perfectly with the Boho scheme and provides me with the storage space I need because I chose a desk without storage. By adding some storage boxes to the shelf, it hides away any items you don’t want on display. Cube shelving is often considered only necessary for storage, but by adding some simple homewares to some of the shelves amongst the storage boxes, it can also be a great decorative piece as well.

I like using a cork board for a home office project, not only for keeping items such as receipts and lists safe, but also for displaying prints and photos. The Kamashi Bianco Cork Board is a perfect layering item for my Boho scheme with its timber frame and speckled cork detail. I’ve layered it with some decorative prints and leant them against the wall, sitting on my desk to create a focal point. This is a great way to display art and photos if you are unable to hang them from a wall. Perfect when renting!

When it comes to decorating a home office, consider how much space there is for both your funtional items and any decorative ones. Because of the larger size of my Copenhagen desk and because I work from a pad rather than a lap-top or desk-top computer, I am left with plenty of space to include some decor pieces that add to the Boho look. The addition of some simple stationery pieces, art and a plant are just the right amount of items for upon the desk to give it the styled look I’m after. Whilst leaving me with plenty of room when I’m working.

To compliment the desk and cube shelf, I brought in textures and natural tones with the chair, layered floor rugs and decorative accessories. Using every-day items such as the rattan bags, vintage camera and woven basket, adds to the Boho look, whilst complimenting the furnishings. Using existing item and mixing them with new puchases and second hand finds is my favourite way to decorate as it creates your own unique style. By keeping the larger items (desk/cube shelf) in the space neutral, it allows for an easy style change in future if required.

Bleached Jute Floor Rug – Moscow Cotton Rug, Black – Rattan Chair – Old Hands Art Print – Owl Art Print – Expendable Peg Rack – Rattan Bags – Straw Hat –

So if you are looking at sprucing up your own home or work office space, decorate it how you would any other room in your home and don’t think it has to be a bare and boring work space. Create a space that feels comfortable and gives you inspiration, rather than just a work area. All it takes is a few furniture pieces and decorative accessories which will make you want to get that work done instead of avoiding it!

 

 

 

 

Zoe Gilpin – The DIY Decorator