Styling in the suburbs

It’s why so many Australians flocked to the suburbs in the last lockdown and why they’re staying put. It’s about being able to create spaces that work for family, work and personal retreat in one home, so materials choices are key.

The opportunity to invest in beautiful flooring and gorgeous window dressings can completely transform a space. But with suburban family living, there’s an extra focus on efficiency and longevity to make the investment worthwhile. Natural materials, sustainable practice and the ability to keep spaces clean easily are also big trends and what people are looking for when they’re specifying materials in their renovations. It’s all about creating – and keeping – a calm, clean environment.

Neutral tones will always win in suburban family spaces as it gives the greatest freedom across different zones from livings rooms to offices to the bedrooms. Your flooring choices can flow through different rooms where you can create different moods with other furnishings and paint. When you get the flooring right it creates the base for everything else that happens in the space. But specifically for suburban living, soft and durable Nylon carpeting underfoot in warm or cool neutrals like the earthy Serenity and Brease ranges that can repel liquids and handle a dose of dog hair will always be in high demand.

In wet areas, timber-look laminates and vinyl flooring in planks continue to be on trend and are essential elements in an earthy natural-look bathroom or kitchen. And fitting your wood-on-wood palette is made easy with a wide selection of wood specimens to fit any natural scheme.

But the new trend that’s now emerging in suburban living is this big dose of personality. With so much time spent at home every inch of space can deliver a purpose – and some of it just for fun. Renovators are enriching their spaces wherever they can with joy – why not create some bespoke joinery for a home library, fun contrast roman blinds or build an outdoor kitchen or a backyard bath under the stars? There’s a whole movement to make homes more fun and express your personality through your choices.