Interior Design tips & insight - Alpine Villa

Great Q&A with our ultra creative Interior Designer, Rachel Maree. She shares the inspiration behind the Alpine Villa display home, and also some insightful tips for others wanting to base their home around a specific theme.

What was the ‘look’ that you wanted to achieve for this display home?
The ‘look’, as the name suggests, is Alpine Villa. The idea was to create a home that has a really warm and cosy feel while being able to explore the use of lots of timber, natural products, warm textures and materials.

What current interior design trends are displayed in the Alpine Villa?
The Entry of the home has got to be one of my favourite features as it is tiled with a beautiful slate look tile (from Tiles Expo). The variation of colour through this tile as well as the format and how it is laid is really striking. It was exciting to using this product as it is new and is really following the trend that is present in Interiors at the moment of using natural products. What I love about this trend is that natural products are unpredictable. Their colours and patterns can vary so much within a small amount of the product and yet they always seem balanced and exciting. The slate was perfect for this home and really gave us a nice starting point for the colour palate for the home.

What about furniture and soft furnishings?
It was fun to collect pieces for this house. There are a few items that are real ‘treasures’ in this home – that gives it the collected, family home, alpine villa feel. The photography we purchased was by far, for me, the best find for this home. The Entry piece, as well a few other smaller images throughout the home were from a photographer in Baltimore –Kevin Gift. Also the pendant in the living area. We purchased this soon after we got the brief for the home. We were on a purchasing trip in Sydney and just could not walk past it.. it’s quite unique.

What was the secret to getting this ‘look’ right?
I think it’s the secret to getting any look ‘right’ is to start with a clear brief. Once we receive a brief, we spend some time researching the look and collecting inspirational images of spaces and pieces we might use as well as ideas for tiling and wallpapers. We present these back to the client to ensure we are on the right track and then we create from there. With a theme as strong and clear as this we made sure that the built in pieces (Kitchen, Laundry, Bath , Ensuite) weren’t over the top and were fairly neutral. We also made sure that we didn’t over match anything in the home (all patterns and textures work together but by no means match) And we tried to only have hints of ‘kitch’ alpine villa items – antlers, faux fur etc. These things are crucial to the theme but can make the space feel a little ‘uncomfortable’ if they are overdone. It’s better to start with a few items like these and buy more if it feels underdone.

Any tips for sourcing pieces to create a similar look?
Be patient when sourcing items for this theme. You don’t want to settle for cheap looking ‘kitch’ items too much. Hold out for those special pieces. Main items, like the sofa in the living room can be sourced from Freedom. Make yourself a list of the items you want, find pictures of similar things you want and them jump online. You will be surprised at what you will find within Australia. And if you are really struggling to create the look find an amazing Interior Designer for a consultation. They will be able to point you in the right direction.

How important is it that buyers have an early idea of the look they want?
The early you have an idea of the ‘look’ you are going for the better. It will help you to give your home a seamless flow in the interior design. In saying this, as you will see in the Alpine Villa, the built-in items of this home could suit many themes. We do this on purpose to ensure that the home doesn’t date and is appealing to a wide market. You can really go to town with accessories and even art and furniture that will emphasise your theme.

Anything else you would like to add about the design of the interiors?
When designing your own interior space I’d suggest collecting images that you like or that you find pleasing to look at. Even if it’s not specifically interior related. It could be an image of a scene that inspires you or you simply like. Take photos of items you see and like and then look at them all together to get a feel of what really stands out to you. At this stage, if it all seems a bit much, it’s a great time to get an interior designer involved. They can really help you to translate these images into a home or interior space that is truly reflective of your style/taste. If you are feeling confident at this stage then make a list of the items you need and start sourcing…. And enjoy the process!