Here are some shots from the apartment:

We loved the mix of grey fabrics for texture, and the plain white furniture.  The hanging cabinets create concealed storage without cluttering the space, and the ottomans and stools dotted around create versatile seating.  The shelves and coffee table filled with personal items adds colour and personality.  And of course the wall paper just gives it that something extra special.

And here is how we would re-create the look:

Wallpaper: Cole & Sons ‘Woods’   (available in Australia at Radford Furnishings)

Sofa: Beyond Furniture, Rimini

Rug: Beyond Furniture, Alaska in porcupine

Coffee Table: Beyond Furniture Cintura in Glossy White

Side Table: Beyond Furniture Olivia in glossy white

Hanging Cabinets: Beyond Furniture, Genova Cabinets

Bookcase (right): Beyond Furniture Vedi Wall unit

Armchair: Beyond Furniture Oslo Armchair

Lamp: BoConcept Mix Table Lamp

Clock: BoConcept ‘Tic Tac’ clock

Cushions (mixed): BoConcept

Throw: BoConcept Houndstooth

Thought I would start with the floor plan first.  It looks familiar, especially the open plan kitchen, dining and living.  The bedroom is very compact, and the bathroom incorporates a laundry also.

As you enter, the hallway/entry space is welcoming.  The furniture selections look fantastic, but are also clever choices.  The wall mounted shoe cabinet is slimline and neat, the coat rack and umbrella rack hold the essentials (especially for a European country!).  The black, white and orange are contemporary and fun.

Skipping past the bathroom and bedroom, as you walk through the hallway and pop out in the main living area you are greeted with this beautiful light and welcoming space.  Everything is white, celiling, walls, fireplace, windows, kitchen and main furniture selection, giving the impression of lots of space and also leaving this room very light and bright.  The timber floors serve to warm the space up and prevent it from becoming clinical.

The tulip dining table is a great choice, its seats up to 4 people, but the smallish dimension of it keeps it compact.  If you had guests around for dinner, you could pull it out from the wall.  The kitchen is very straightforward, and tidy!  In small spaces, being tidy and clutter free will help the spaces feel larger.

A white armless sofa in the living room looks comfortable and the fact that there are no arms makes the sofa appear smaller and doesn’t close off the space.  However, for practicality and comfort reasons, I would always recommend an arm, its more comfortable when you’re sitting, and gives you somewhere to put your head when you’re lying down.  

The TV unit is large and offers great storage, always necessary in small apartments.   I love how the old fireplace has been retained and painted white, it creates a beautiful feature, yet it doesn’t impose on the space.  The three candles in it are a nice reference to its original function. The clear Kartell ghost chair sits nicely in the corner, with the way the light shines in you can hardly see it, its light touch suits this space.  Splashes of bold colour in the vases and flowers, cushions and artworks brighten everything up and inject a sense of fun, preventing it from falling into blandness.

Looking from the hallway into the bedroom, we can see how compact the space is.  The wardrobe consumes a big chunk of space in the corner, but is essential for storage.  Again in the bedroom we see white on white with black accents.

Despite the small size of the room, the armchair by the door adds a sense of luxury and space.

And finally a snapshot of the bathroom/laundry space, as with the rest of the apartment, neat & tidy in white!

Source: Delikatissen

GET THE LOOK

We have used the magic of photoshop to throw together some ideas on how to get the look at home using Beyond pieces and a couple of BoConcept accessories.

The black windows in this room are a little distracting, but the combination of furniture would work well in a similar open plan layout.

Sofa: Olvia Pure White leather sofa (available in a choice of sizes/configurations)

Coffee Table: Cintura round white

Dining Table: Midollo white glass (now discontinued)

Dining Chair: Oltre dining chair white

Accessories & Decor:

Lamp: Mega Floor Lamp, white

Print (left): Lithography

Print (right): Vision Test

Cushions: mixed from BoConcept

Here is the room, in it’s newly delivered furniture form:

We can see that the room is gorgeous and modern with its pale walls and off white tiles, the furniture looks fabulous, it is always a great decision to invest in great quality, neutral basics.  And the pure white leather teamed with the glossy white coffee table and TV unit look fresh and clean.

Furniture Details:

Olvia Sofa in Pure White Leather

Incavo Coffee Table in Glossy White

Prima 1.8 TV Unit

The feedback we received was largely to add colour and life through soft furnishings including a rug, some cushions, throw’s and artworks.   It was also felt that plantation shutters would help, rather then vertical Venetians.  We particulalry liked one suggestion to layer in earthy tones and texture, and maintain the freshness of the white.  After just a little time in photoshop, here is what we came up with:

We chose to start by adding some warmth with a textured rug, and some fabric ottomans in place of a side table.  We switched the blinds to shutters, which even in photoshop freshened the space up immediately!  Some throw cushions added some colour, we chose navy blue as it is on trend and suited the space.  We then complemented that with a contemporary artwork and accent vase on the TV unit.  The floor lamp introduces some metallic, and helps create a more intimate space.  Fresh flowers and a couple of books help it feel a bit more personalised.  So, thoughts now? Do you like it as it, would you take it further or would you have done it totally differently?

Accessory Details:

Rug: Herman Diamond Camel & Ivory, available at Beyond Furniture (call 1300 11 22 33 for details).

Ottomans: Drum round fabric ottomans, Beyond Furniture

Vase (clear): Tulip Vase Clear, Beyond Furniture

Artwork: available to order through Beyond Furniture (call 1300 11 22 33)

Floor Lamp: Kuta Floor Lamp, BoConcept

Blue Vase: Dark Blue Stoneware, BoConcept

Beyond Furniture Interior Decorator: Would you like some extra help to bring your room alive?  Our Interior Decorator can help! Call Beyond Furniture on 1300 11 22 33 for more details, or email design@beyondfurniture.com.au

UPDATE:

So yesterday’s makeover went up on Facebook and whilst it received plenty of likes, others wanted to see more colour and vibrancy.

So here is round three (and please note: I agree with the comments in regards to putting a plant in there, and would also have a couple of cushions on the sofa, but it didn’t translate in photoshop!).

All accessories in this image available through BoConcept .

This small studio apartment has been transformed to suit a young bachelor, there are some great space savings solutions at work, and the styling has not been forgotten.  A small space can easily become overwhelmed with lots of colour, so here they have stuck to a black and white palette for the main furniture elements, and spiced it up with some red and yellow touches and graphic artworks. The white walls and ceiling help keep the space nice and bright, providing a sense of ‘airiness’ in the space.

Looking back the other way, the photos reveal the full length of the apartment.   This one open room contains the bedroom (can be separated via sliding doors), the living area, a generous study and a dining space.  The layout is functional, but comfortable.  Different zones have been created, and each work well independently, and the room as a whole has a nice flow to it.

The compact kitchen has room for all the essentials, and the oven/stove & fridge are neatly tucked into the corner, so they can’t be seen from the open plan living space.  One major complaint from those who live in studio apartments is they can sometimes feel like they are sleeping in the kitchen, and can’t escape the mess, this neat L-shaped kitchen is largely concealed from the rest of the unit, and the cooking space is as far away from the bed as possible.

The dining area has been created as an extension of the kitchen.  A floating table projects from the kitchen bench forming a bright eating nook.  If the occupant required less workspace in this unit, or if there were guests coming round, the spaces could be swapped around, a compact workstation in this corner, and the study area turned into a dining space.

By the entry door, in the hallway, a compact bookshelf has been created out of white floating shelves.  In small spaces, floating shelves are an excellent alternative to small bookcases, a normal bookcase with ends on it would be boxy and make the room appear very cluttered.

The living area is a cosy retreat thanks to the shaggy rug that defines this space within the larger room.  A good TV unit with storage is essential for a space such as this, to keep clutter to a minimum, you need to add storage units where possible.   The black leather cubes in place of a coffee table are ideal,  they can be used a a coffee table with a tray, or to put your feet up on, or you can use them as guest seating when needed.

The bedroom is separated by simple, sliding white doors, and storage issues have been overcome by building storage around the bed.  Wardrobes on either side of the bed are connected with open shelving.  If the wardrobes were to go all the way to the ceiling and totally consume that wall, they would become very overwhelming, having them stop short gives the impression of more space.

And a quick shot of the bathroom.  Again we see economical storage, the vanity has a deep shelf and some concealed drawers for the essentials, important given there is no linen cupboard!

The floor plan reveals the space breakdown.

Source: Planete Deco

 GET THE LOOK:

Perfect choices for a small apartment, taking the black and white theme and adding splashes of blue, and looking at furniture choices that offer storage and functionality.

Furniture – Beyond Furniture

Sofa: black pradi

TV Unit: gloss white sola unit

White Leather cube ottomans

Astro gloss dark grey floating shelves

Accessories – BoConcept

Grey Monika shaggy Rug

Blue ‘Triangle’ Cushion

Number Plate Cushion

Acrylic Storage Boxes

Image top left:  Likainen Parketti (for more black and white inspiration, check out her updated blog here)

Image top right: Trendir

Get the Look: Cassetti gloss white storage bed – from $2450; Ventura dark grey glass bedside – $650; Work table lamp (BoConcept) – $319; tinted grey oil on canvas – $495 sml; Cushion with triangles (BoConcept) – $69 each

I love the painted door – a very simple, yet dramatic way to add some monochrome style into a room.  This bedroom has an almost mod feel to it, in its very strict adherence to the monochrome scheme, the beautiful timber flooring reign the look in, try adding some shades of grey for a softened and more homely black and white bedroom.

Image top left: Casa Blogit

Image top right: The Design Files

Get the Look: Astrati gloss white dining table – from $1395; Ava glossy dark grey chairs – $435ea;   Futuna Chandelier – $995

This Dining room has managed to soften and add a glamorous, romantic feel to the monochromatic pallette with the addition of a glass chandelier and light sheer curtains.  The very blonde timber and panelled walls and ceiling have a rustic charm to them,  the choice of black and white furnishings gives the room a contemporary twist.  For an at home look, opt for modern furniture selections then add in unexpected details to personalise the space, such as a glass chandelier, pops of green through plants, or sculptural elements.  The kitchen in the right image is just a beautifully simple space, the white bench tops, white walls and open shelving create a sensation open and light space.

And a couple more I was inspired by:

1. LIVINGby

2. Helt Enkelt

3. French By Design

4. Dottir & Sonur

We love this one, and so did our Facebook fans! The gloss white table, teamed with the Oltre chairs were a perfect choice for this stunning open plan room, it suited the contemporary aesthetic and is simple and fresh.  Simply accessorised with a green runner, that links to the incredible green outlook and a statement bowl as a centre piece.  The rug underneath defines the dining space within the larger open space and, being in a similar tone to the floor boards it does not interrupt the open feel with the indoor, outdoor flow.

This dining space has a wonderful airy, beachy feel to it, thanks to the plain white and washed out timber floorboards.  The two tone colour scheme of white and a light natural timber makes this a very calming space.

The sleek white Astrati teamed with contemporary white leather chairs have a stunning effect in this modern home.  Left very minimal, the setting complements the modern fit out and kitchen, whilst those lovely floor boards prevent the room from becoming too stark or minimal.  The owners could add a touch of that mustard yellow (seen in the throw rug in the background), in a vase or oversized bowl in the centre of the table if they wanted to introduce some colour.

Just as contemporary, but a warmer approach with beautiful brown tones on the wall and textured accessories mean the gloss white table (to match the kitchen) teamed with the textured mocha toned fabric chairs (the slim aluminium legs ensure they match the modern aesthetic) are a perfect choice in this dining space.  The pendant light adds a touch of glamour to the space, and the table centre pieces look great, introducing another textural element and the two different heights creates visual interest.

This large house (this is the informal dining – check out the formal dining through the doorway), with what appears to be a spectacular outlook from the balcony, has done a great job creating a relaxed casual dining area that complements that incredible, modern kitchen.   The matching Oltre chairs from Beyond are a great choice, they are comfortable and low maintenance; having the chairs placed on the ends rather then in two rows of three gives it a more relaxed look and feel and the fabric pendant overhead helps to define the dining area.  The red bowl adds a welcome splash of colour.

Images: 1, 3. & 4 . Real Estate.com  2.  Domain  5. Homehound

Do you have Beyond Furniture pieces in your home? We would love to see it & share it for other customers!  Send photos to design@beyondfurniture.com.au

10 Valentines Gifts from BoConcept:

Romantic Gifts – spell out how you feel with some oversized scrabble sculptures, tealight holders that tell it like it is, romantic candlesticks or his & hers initials…

1. Scrabble Letters – a set of 6 that come in a calico gift bag

2. ‘You light up my life’ & ‘Set me on fire’ tealight holders $19 each

3.  ‘Heart’ Candlesticks $29 each

4. Letter Sculptures, a range available, from $19 each

Creative Gifts – get creative! Fill up some funky neon storage boxes with his or hers favourite sweets (sweets for my sweetheart), instead of just a bunch of flowers, arrange some flowers in a gorgeous new vase (or ask the florist to), or set the mood with a romantic candlelit home cooked dinner!

5. Pink or Blue Storage acrylic neon storage boxes, from $39 each

6. Yellow Glass Vase (suitable for a big floral arrangement) $339

7. Glass Tealight Holders, range of colours, $29 each

Bypass the tacky Card – bypass the cheesy cards & pop some gorgeous photos, images  & words in a selection of frames, or if you not quite sure what to say this Valentine’s Day a canvas artwork that will keep you out of trouble for years to come!

8.  Wooden Frames, selection of colours, from $29

9. ‘not good with words’ canvas print $339

Love Yourself – ‘Always be yourself, everyone else is already taken anyway’ a beautiful daily reminder in the form of a rug, the perfect ‘love yourself’ gift!

10. ‘Always be Yourself’ rug $649

The plans reveal the pre-fabricated box that separates the larger space creating an open plan living room, services (and loads of storage!), then an entry hallway.  The loft also contains a master bedroom and a compact guest room.

A shot from the kitchen revealing the box from the living room side.  It contains the kitchen, a hallway with built in bookcases, media, a built in study on the end, and services on the other side.  The walnut clad box sits within the bigger space of the loft forming a central axis that anchors the space.  The original white washed walls and window fittings remain, the plain white box with dark timber flooring providing the perfect neutral container for the timber box.

The spacious living room is furnished with an oversized corner lounge.  The contemporary yet simple style and neutral fabric gives this space a very calm and relaxed feel.  The sofa pictured is the Solo sectional sofa from B&B Italia.  (Available in Australia from Space Furniture – for a similar look refer to the ‘get the look’ below).

The kitchen is large and functional, the blend of the walnut, marble and stainless steel gives it a masculine edge.  An interview with the owners by Loftenburg reveals the kitchen island to be somewhat of the ‘command centre’ of the home, with the owner stating “I live at the kitchen island”, he can prep food check emails, dim the lighting and control the blinds from his post at the island.  Its location in the large open plan space make it the perfect apartment for entertaining, guests can gather in the living & dining space or have a cocktail at the counter whilst final preparations are being made for dinner.  The furniture selections in the dining/kitchen space have a vintage feel, the dark timbers and leather suit the masculine space.

Looking through the timber box’s alcove into the hallway, revealing the depth of the box, the detailing of the walnut cladding and built in storage.

Looking out from that same alcove, the view that would greet guests shortly after arriving, I love that it opens out to reveal such a light and bright spacious room which you enter after passing through a timber tunnel.

The home office built into the end of the box, the desk, shelves and storage appear to be cut out of a solid box,  so the office is in negative space.

The bedroom is simple and contained, and the furnishings are also.  The upholstered bed brings the right amount of ‘grandness’ for a master bedroom without being over the top for the small room.  The dark navy upholstery and light grey linens are ideal to warm up the white space, and complement the artwork.

The master bathroom is bright, fresh and luxurious.  The pendant light adds a bit of glamour, it is the  Hope pendant light from Luceplan which features curved polycarbonate lenses that sparkle with light.  The sliding door makes reference back to the walnut box.

GET THE LOOK:

Create a similar look in your place with these picks from BoConcept (from top):

Fargo Sofa (create your own custom design online) – starts from $2895

London Dining Chair, black-stained oak veneer/black-stained oak, $297

Occa Extension Dining Table, black-stained oak veneer/black lacquered $1895

Vig Barstool, black lacquered/walnut veneer $249

Ferrarra Office Chair, black leather look/chrome $549

Letters Bed Spread Grey, $479

Walnut Veneer Nightstand from $679

Bed Frame, light grey felt/black-stained oak veneer, $2,253

Source: Loftenburg & Architecture Outfit 

Via: Japanese Trash

Looking into the open plan living space, the house is finished with spotted gum timber flooring and enjoys views over Brisbane.  The living room is kitted out with a super-sized leather Jasper sofa from King furniture, and the Basso TV units in dark grey from Beyond Furniture.  Now, since I work for Beyond Furniture, King Furniture is, in a sense, one of our major competitors, however, we have known for a long time that a King/Beyond pairing is not only common, it works, meaning we have plenty of time for the King Furniture range, and often find ourselves assisting customers with furniture solutions to complement their King sofas.  King sofas are not for everyone, mostly due to their large sizes, they simply do not fit in some smaller apartments, but if you have the space, their solutions are comprehensive and stylish.  And our furniture works a treat with it.  (King do have a range of furniture also, but the price tag is in a slightly higher category then their sofas as they are from different suppliers).

Here the Jasper makes great use of the space, the double chaise makes for a comfy looking relaxing area.  The Basso units are the perfect solution for this wall, sitting just below the nearly floor to ceiling windows, providing a clean modern bench style effect, and offering plenty of drawer storage for bits and pieces.  Here they have used two of the smaller sized basso’s placed side by side to create one long 3m bench.  Whilst the TV works sitting on the Basso, wall mounting just above would an even more sleek effect.  The furniture selections work in the contemporary space, and the grey ties in with the grey elements of the feature stair case.  The black rug is too stark however, and too small, I would go for a larger & lighter flat woven style.

The Atsrati table in gloss dark grey matches the TV units, the lengthy 2.4 version makes the most of this space, offering a generous 8 seater (sometimes 10 seater if they wanted).  Personally I would have opted for different chairs, or rather, the chairs are fine, the room might have come alive further if the Jasper were in white leather).  Whilst I am unsure of where these chairs have been sourced from, the Arctic Dining chair from Freedom is very similar.  My usual pick with the Astrati would be the co-ordinating Oltre chairs in grey or white, or for a leather option the Roma (both Beyond Furniture).

The kitchen is also worth a look for it is so new & sparkling! This raised kitchen overlooks the open plan living room, the spacious and modern design is accessorised with a single modern pendant over the breakfast bar.

We will be on the look out for more Beyond/King pairings – so stay tuned!

Source: Home Life (Image 1); the remainder of the images Real Estate.com (the house is on the market, link while it lasts)

This simple, yet modern home is the architect and designers own weekend retreat.

Bright, open spaces, a loft style second floor, unadorned white walls, light timber flooring and black window frames comprise the entire interior scheme.  This living space is warmed up with the navy tapestry style rug, some rustic wooden accents comfy looking sofas.

Separating the living and kitchen space is some glass cabinets (Ex-Libris’ storage unit with glass doors and shelves designed by Lissoni for Porro in 2010), the clear glass with black frames tie in with the homes door’s, and they appear to be a part of the building rather then furniture.  They are perfect for this use, their thickness offers a definite divide, whilst the clear glass maintains the openness of the space, the fact that they are not full height leave the room feeling open plan and spacious.

On the other side of the divider, the designer has used his own kitchen design, customised to suit, with the island bench also forming an informal dining area.

The gorgeous outlook from the kitchen.  The light timber furniture keeps the overall look modern and light, yet brings a much needed warmth and textural element to the interior.  These chairs are ‘Carugo’ chairs by James Irvine for Cappellini, available at cult.  (Or for a more budget take on the look, try the FG170 dining chair at Orson & Blake).

The super slim steel of the black staircase forms a stark contrast against the white wall, taking it beyond just a set of stairs into an over sized sculpture or artwork.

The master bedroom is certainly fuss free, with the furniture selections standing by the minimalist aesthetic.  The fabric bed and paper lantern do serve to soften the space just enough.

This bed is another piece by the designer for Living Divani.

For a similar style fabric bed, take a look at the Linea in beige (or a choice of fabrics) from Beyond Furniture.

The master bathroom continues the refined craftsmanship of the kitchen, although with a luxurious customer marble vanity.  The square cut, slim marble keeps it slick, the slim mirror that runs to the ceiling serves to emphasize the high ceilings and spaciousness.

The downstairs bathroom enjoys the same level of refinement, although this time with a more space conservative stone basin (by Lissoni again for Boffi).

Source: HomeLife via Planete Deco

Photographs by Wichmann + Bendtsen Photography

Architect/Designer: Piero Lissoni