Whether you are choosing fixtures and fittings for a new build or renovation, there are several things to consider before you trawl through endless showrooms.
Firstly look for inspiration through resources like Instagram, Facebook, Houzz, Pinterest and specific designer’s websites. This can be helpful to find ideas, understand global trends, and also assist in providing an “end result” vision for how your property might look.
The aim is to achieve a cohesive, contrasting and complementary look that is consistent throughout the property. This starts with the exterior materials and colours and should be carried through the interior.
3 things to keep in mind:
1. Know your home style/theme, and stick to it:
If for example, it is Hampton’s, then choose Hampton’s fittings including your tapware, cabinetry style and finishes, flooring, colours and lighting for consistency. Although you love matte black tapware, it doesn’t suit a Hamption’s-style house.
2. Your budget will be important:
Prices for fixtures and fittings vary significantly and can easily blow out your budget if not managed properly. There are smart choices you can make without compromising on the overall look you are trying to achieve.
3. Complementary, Cohesive and Contrasting:
There is normally some form of connection between each room in a home, whether that be a colour or material, and they work seamlessly with each other to create a harmonious feel. The contrast is to create some interest so that the spaces are also memorable!
More things to consider:
Kitchens and Bathrooms sell houses and are areas you don’t want to compromise on. These rooms create a huge perception of the overall value of the property. Keep it simple, classy and stylish.
Plumbing Items are an area where decisions are often rushed, but there’s a lot to consider. Tapware – colour, shape, style, wall or basin mounted including the height of the spout and depth of the basin. This information is required very early on in the process by your builder for accurate placement of pipework.
So many Flooring options! We’re seeing cost-effective vinyl making a resurgence, engineered timber, hardwood, tiles and carpet – firstly consider your budget, the style you are trying to achieve and colour.
Wet area tiles are often the place where you can create contrast in a room. But, they can vary hugely in pricing, and can often be hard for clients to price up themselves. This can depend on whether it is natural (like travertine), porcelain, ceramic, rectified edge, mosaic and many more choices! Typically all wet area floor tiles match throughout the home, however, the En-suite is where we find our clients like to get a little more creative. If you’re going to mix it up with bold, statement floor tiles, or floor to ceiling geometric tiles, then this is the place to consider it.
What’s the deal with benchtops? Natural stone benchtops are priced individually and you select the specific stone you would like. Whereas Engineered stone is mostly based on colours with a number of suppliers offering very similar products. But keep in mind, there are many price brackets for each supplier of stone, so you can end up paying thousands for just one piece of stone. Each stone comes in a specific size – to cover most of the suppliers, work on a general rule of 3m wide benchtop.
In summary, there’s a bit of planning to be done before you reach out to builders for quotes on a new build or renovation. Seek professional help to keep you on track and ensure the overall look works well for a fabulous finish. Selecting the fixtures and fittings with an Interior Designer can often save you money in the long run when they guide you with the right choice for your home and budget.
Your interior designer will also provide you with a detailed schedule that will be the bible for your builder, but also help you achieve a fixed price contract. A great plan for a stress-free project!