Designer Oak Flooring

With an unmistakable warmth and patina that will compliment any interior, Oak is the latest and most fashionable timber floor on the market.  Available in a wide range of colours, Oak has a soft natural grain that adds a sense of warmth and texture.  

Oak floors rate at approximately 5.5kN on the Janka hardness scale, so they are not the most durable and dense floor - however they arrive with a distressed finish, so small marks and dents are easily disguised.  A single dent on a smooth high gloss floor is far more obvious. 

The lighter tones of the natural oak floors start in a driftwood colour - with a slight pink hue - and are very French in style when used in a light scheme, surrounded by neutral colours. 

When you contrast against a slate grey, the inherent grain of the boards seems to pop out for a beautiful modern twist. 

The mid-range oak colours are more golden / tan and work beautifully in all-white schemes. Add greys and blues for a contemporary twist. 

As shown: Whisper White (Dulux) panelled walls, with a taupe floor to ceiling curtain. 

Area Rugs

Area rugs are a practical way to provide comfort and warmth to any room. Convenient and easy to change, rugs provide artistic value – that can be changed with the seasons, or updated quickly and often at little cost. Considered artwork for the floor, area rugs can help to frame an area, and create a well-balanced space.

To add an extra dimension to a room, consider using a shag pile rug. Offering high and low colour variation, shag piles are soft and interesting underfoot – and lush to walk on. We love using an over sized area rug, that works with accent colours in the room. Try placing a shag rug at the foot of the bed over a hard floor surface for extra warm and to add a lux touch to your bedroom. Use coordinating colours on the bed to tie the look together.

Natural fibre rugs, such as sisal or coir are a fantastic way to add texture. Considered ‘stimulating’ under foot (sales talk for ‘rough’) – natural floor covers also add a casual touch – perfect for family areas.  

Try using an animal hide placed under the foot of your lounge to add interest, drama and contrast to your living room.  Most successful on dark floors, animal hides can be smaller in size than a standard area rug because the colour and pattern is more – both visually and texturally. The quilted option is great for oversized rooms.

To soften a room, try a round or oval shape rug – in front of a long lounge, a round rug creates interesting negative space – especially with a high contrast in colour or pattern.

 

 

Clean Up!!

 

Floor 'n All

Style Plantation’s new floor cleaner FLOOR ‘n ALL is an eco friendly floor cleaning and maintenance product especially developed for bamboo and timber floors.

A Bamboo or Timber floor will look better for longer if it is kept as clean as possible Our convenient, ready to use floor cleaning products makes it easy to restore and enhance the natural beauty of your bamboo and timber floors.

The secret to maintaining timber and bamboo floors is in the cleaning. Using the wrong cleaning products and techniques puts the finish and longevity of your floors at risk. FLOOR ‘n ALL’s natural plant based eco friendly cleaning solution, removes difficult dirt and stubborn stains while leaving your surface residue free.

With our Complete Floor Cleaning & Maintenance System, FLOOR ‘n ALL products offer a simple and effective solution to cleaning and maintaining your bamboo and hardwood timber floors. Keep your home clean - FLOOR 'n ALL!
www.floornall.com.au

 

 

 

Beautiful Oak Floors

Our new and exciting range of flooring has arrived in store!

Engineered Oak flooring.
All boards are 2200mm long, a grand 220mm wide, Tongue + Groove profile

Backed with a 20 Years Wear / Lifetime Structural warranty.
We have a large range of colours to choose from: 
Charcoal, Aged Oak,  Semillon,  Driftwood,  Chocolat,  Chardonnay,  Mink Grey and Cannes.

Oak floors are a classic addition to any home. A well-made and correctly-installed solid oak floor will add warmth, character and value to your interior.

The quality and consistency of the grain pattern is one of the main characteristics that most people select oak floors.

 

GIFTS THAT GIVE

What do you give the person who has everything?

How about a goat? Or a chicken? Or a pig? Or a pile of seeds? Oxfam Unwrapped offers a range of more than 40 totally unexpected gift ideas that will also help transform the life of a person living in poverty.

When you buy an Unwrapped gift card, your donation helps support Oxfam Australia's life-changing work around the world. Best of all, your family member, workmate or friend receives an extremely memorable gift card explaining how their special gift is helping others. It's a way that those of us with a lot can help those with a little.

All Oxfam Unwrapped gifts are real items that are used to fight poverty. Most gifts in the catalogue are already located in the country where Oxfam are working, so they're not impacting on their  global footprint either!

Our choice?

What about a gift that supports community-led solutions to health care delivery in remote Queensland, ensuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are getting the health care they need?

How This Helps

The healthcare needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians can be vastly different to that of other Australians. In the Lower Gulf of Carpentaria, Oxfam is working with Yippippi Gulf Indigenous Health Council to support community voices to be heard by decision-makers. They are helping to establish community organisations and advocating for the delivery of community-controlled health services.

“Oxfam gave our people incentive and self-esteem. This is the type of service we need in community. It gave us hope for the future — that we will own our own services.” Robyrta Felton, Mornington Island Elder.
Visit the website for more details - https://www.oxfamunwrapped.com.au

Clutter Control - by Fofi by Design

Customise your wall system and transform it into a functional design that reflects your personality.

Wood is good! This adds texture, colour and warmth to a minimal room, although the entire storage unit should be a combination of wood and a painted two pac polyurethane finish.

Try to incorporate different cabinet and shelving sizes to create a unique and interesting look.  Sliding doors are good to conceal books, multimedia and personal items, but elegant or items from your travels should be on display.

We like dark veneer or even black, it is a timeless classic.  Dark toned woods with black leather add a masculine touch. Contrast this with bright splashes of colour such as abstract art to give a vibrant optimist ambiance.

Room dividers are great as they separate and define a space without impacting on light or view. These allow you to change the room’s layout at a whim!

Remember – flexible, functional and style are musts!!

Room with a view

So you have just bought an apartment - “a room with a view” - maybe a sun-drenched living area with a fabulous outlook. The real estate agent didn't need to point out the view - maybe the outlook is so good that you didn't notice the room at all.  Now, how to make the space work in a way to enhance the view, and create a truly successful living room. 

We recommend furniture & accessories that work in harmony to create a comfortable relaxed space.  Here’s how to maximize this great asset.

Colour:  opt for a pale neutral tone, not bright (appliance) white - With the amount of natural light that the room will capture, vivid white is too harsh and brilliant.  Try Whisper White, ¼ strength White Duck or ½ strength Buff It – all by Dulux. Grand Piano is a great colour too (as used in this example) - with a green / khaki base.  

Wall coverings:  go for stripes that lie horizontally only on one wall.  These can play on the horizon outlook, make sure there are no bold colours, mild neutral tones are best.  See some inspiring and clever designs at www.wallcandy.com.au. 

The palette:  generally a neutral palette which has been layered – ie taupe, beige, white.  Then use highlight/accent colours to change the desired mood or season.  Think about Teal blues, pale lime greens as these will also highlight the colours from outside + bring them inside.

The interior:  clever positioning of a console table with a large mirror to reflect the view, if this is not an option – try at the entry.  It will create a strong entrance.  

Solid timber furniture to incorporate a natural element, teamed with a sisal rug and interesting lighting, you can’t go wrong.

Try to frame the view - use table and chairs of different styles and colours if possible to create an interest in each corner - while still giving the room a sense of balance. Think about proportion, height, scale and size. 

Floor coverings: Add an extra dimension to the space by using a gloss level that can reflect the light (and part of the view). Traditionally, floor boards should run towards the biggest light source (as pictured). This owner has used Walnut Bamboo, and has installed a higher heritage profile skirting board to add to the age and formal feel of the room. 

 Before -

After -

Window coverings: Important to the success of the room, window treatments need to be thought through - block out blinds are either up or down - and will block out the view when the sun is shining through, or at night - not great if the view is interesting at night. Shutters are a good option, as they can be tilted and opened right up, as with Venetian blinds. Dual rollers (with one block out and one transparent) is a good alternative, as they allow full block out for privacy and sun control, as well as shading. 

(In the example above, the owner has since installed sun shade blinds in white).

This scheme: 

Walls 1/2 Grand Piano, Dulux

Trims - Vivid White, Dulux

Decor: 

Scatter Cushions by Great Divide 

Trojan Horse by Boyd Blue

Glazed pot by Great Divide 

Walnut Semi Gloss bamboo flooring by Style Plantation 

Plantation Shutters by Style Plantation 

Colours / Scheme by Fofi by Design 

Product Releases, All Things Current + New!!

Many companies have been busy with their striking new and innovative designs. From current on trend paint colours, new wallpapers and wall panels to name a few; we have done the research for you – with pleasure to keep you up to date. 

Baresque are known worldwide, they offer a wide range of fabrics and wallpapers and now added to their extensive range are screens, namely Mirror Acrylic.

 All designs offer the ability to have a frameless progressive design and a flush finish through biscuit joins between each. Mirror Acrylic offers the sophistication and timelessness of mirror with the ease of use and cost effectiveness of acrylic.

 

Also new to the Baresque range is FlexTex. This is a range of decorated thermoplastic panels that are three dimensional. FlexTex is flexible able to be cold formed to a range of curved shapes, yet completely rigid when laminated to a substrate. FlexTex is similar to High Pressure Laminates in thickness and in size.

FlexTex has impact, chemical, abrasion and stain resistant properties. FlexTex is suitable as wall panels, ceiling tiles, splashbacks, furniture, display fixtures and many other interior design applications.

Continuing on with wall applications is Arte International from Unique Fabrics who are trend setting wallcoverings as well as quality interior fabric collections.

Here is a design from the ornate Metal x Glass collection (design number 85053). The baroque-styled pattern is created by millions of shimmering glass beads set on an antique mirror background...

Lux!

For further enquiries call and speak to our Design Team, on 1300 ECOSTYLE  (326789)

By Fofi Gourlas

Woodland by Style Plantation

Our new WOODLAND™ Strandwoven EUCALYPTUS flooring range, is set to completely redefine everything you knew about solid hardwood flooring. This EUCALYPTUS flooring is an exciting new collection which transforms previously unknown or sensitive wood species into an innovative range of premium quality environmentally friendly flooring. 

The WOODLAND™ Strandwoven EUCALYPTUS flooring collection, captures the character and charm of the original wood grain in a unique and contemporary visual. With beautiful rustic features, each board is an original masterpiece guaranteed to bring warmth and exclusivity into any interior and delight designers, architects and homeowners alike.

Using only fast growing and sustainable species to minimize the impact on the environment, our WOODLAND™ Strandwoven EUCALYPTUS collection, is excellent for both residential and commercial applications due to its exceptional hardness and indentation resistance.

Our manufacturing process known as the strand woven technique, combines science with hydraulic technology to compress the original timber to 3 times its original density creating an extremely hard and durable material measuring over 12.5kN on the Janka scale. In addition, this EUCALYPTUS flooring range is finished with the market leading Treffert coating which preserves the natural texture of the timber, and gives the solid floor a warm and comforting feeling underfoot. Combining a low sheen oiled appearance with high traffic durability of a UV lacquer.

The real beauty of the WOODLAND™ Strandwoven EUCALYPTUS flooring collection, lies not only in its exciting visuals and extraordinary performance, but in its value for money. With the WOODLAND™ Strandwoven EUCALYPTUS flooring, you get a solid and permanent flooring solution which meets or surpasses the hardness and stability of old growth tropical hardwoods, but at a fraction of the price.

Available with the easy to install Uniclic® floating floor lock system, and an excellent limited warranty, the applications for this unique product are endless.

KEY FEATURES:• Unique and contemporary visual with beautiful rustic features

• Extremely hard and durable with excellent indentation resistance

• Exceeds performance of most old growth tropical hardwoods at a fraction of the price

• Made from a fast growing sustainable species

• Solid timber product excellent for high traffic commercial application

• Premium quality Treffert coatings for easy cleaning and maintenance

• R10 Slip resistance rating

• Solid boards can be resanded and refinished

• Excellent Limited Product Warranty

For more information and to request sampleshttp://www.styleplantation.com.au/eucalyptus-flooring, contact us. www.styleplantation.com 

Light Up

Lighting has an enormous impact on your interior space. Used properly it can be used to create a ‘feature’ in a room, set a ‘mood’ or help you perform a certain task or set of tasks, as in a kitchen or study.




“Careful planning is essential for functional and stylish lighting” says Fofi Gourlas, founder of Fofi-by-Design and senior stylist at Style Plantation. “Factors to consider include the purpose of the room that will determine the wattage and the desired mood. Like colour, the use of light and shadow can give a space that extra dimension. Think not just about what you are illuminating, but what you are casting into shadow. We all know that light is an extremely important factor for us, our health and spirit – so it is good to know how to use it properly”.



General lighting in the form of down/halogen lights or a ceiling pendant. Washing the walls or floor with light, such as a row of down lights in a hallway or over a feature wall can be intuitive – think about motion sensors to illuminate a hallway as you approach. General lighting does not need to just “light up” the space, it should also create definition to the space, and create an interesting visual effect – such as a pattern on the wall.


 Task lighting in the form of a desk lamp with strong wattage for reading and writing. As well as helping you to read, a desk lamp eliminates shadows on your desk. Task lighting in a kitchen is very important – think also about outdoor cooking areas such as a spotlight over the BBQ.


Feature lighting: to add maximum impact to a room or provide a focal point to a space. Typical areas include an entry or foyer, over a kitchen island/bench-top, in a high stairwell, foyer: a large hanging chandelier works well in either a modern or traditional style. Uplighting can enhance the architecture of a space, by illuminating columns or plants giving a more dramatic lighting effect.


Mood or ambient lighting has an important place in the living or dining room. Here the general background lighting would be pendant or ceiling down lights on dimmers, together with a table lamp on a sideboard; or a stylish floor lamp positioned in the corner of a room.



Try these lighting stores or view their websites for more ideas.


Yellow Goat Design, innovative and creative YG design regularly works with designers.


In addition to their own fantastic range of lights they do bespoke designs.
http://www.yellowgoat.com.au/

Beacon Lighting, offer a great choice for a full range of conventional and contemporary lighting.
www.beaconlighting.com.au/

Artemide, are at the high end of the market, Artemide is an Italian manufacturer of very modern designs  http://www.artemide.com/

Colour Design Directions Following Milan 2012

Inject colour is the latest in “What’s Hot” from Milan.  The next wave in colour direction in furniture and interior design.  This year the Pantone palette is almost impossible to avoid!!

Think...gelato shades of teal, green, red + orange with washed out shades of pink, along with blue which is the ‘new black’.

“2012 Colour of the Year” is Pantone 17-1463 Tangerine Tango.

“Sophisticated but at the same time dramatic and seductive, Tangerine Tango is an orange with a lot of depth to it,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. It has shadings of a sunset, with the vivaciousness and adrenaline rush of red as well as the friendliness and warmth of yellow."

Energize interior spaces with Tangerine Tango patterned home accessories. Pillows, bedspreads and tabletop accessories in this high-impact hue will add spice to any room. Or incorporate Tangerine Tango appliances and electronics for an unexpected pop of color.

Looking for an inexpensive way to perk up your home? Paint a wall in Tangerine Tango for a dynamic burst of energy in the kitchen, entryway or hallway.

                    

Ethical Shopping

With a new generation of consumers comes a new way of thinking.

Walk into any downtown grocery store and you will surely notice an increase in the number of ‘free-range’, ‘organic’ and bio-degradable product alternatives on offer.   

Conscious shoppers have started to question the origins of the products they buy and what sort of conditions they were produced under.  Were the primary products sourced locally?  Are the people working in the factories and farms awarded fair working conditions?  These questions are being asked more frequently than ever before, as attitudes shift to become more environmentally aware and compassionate towards humanitarian conditions.

The Great Divide Collection, featured exclusively in the Style Plantation showroom in Rosebery, NSW, introduces a collection of practical, stylish and affordable home wares and gifts.  The collection contains everything from biodegradable umbrellas, ethically made soft toys, organic skincare products to stunning dining wares, recycled beer glasses and ornaments for the home.  All products are environmentally sustainable and produced using fair trade practices.

Ecology Brand kitchenware and glassware

Recycled glass like beer glasses from Bolivia and coloured vases from Spain.

Brelli umbrellas from New York made from clear biodegradable plastic and bamboo with red trimmings.

Hand painted traditional blue and white chinaware from Vietnam via Oxfam.

Eco lunchboxes and Earthlust water bottles from Naturally Sustainable.

Cute Teddy bears knitted from Alpaca wool by women from rural and semi urban areas in Peru.

Weleda organic body products made from fair trade grown ingredients from all over the world.

Style Plantation – Love your World – Shop 246 - 247/ 747 Botany Rd. – Roseberry NSW 2018 – 8399 0242

Ethical shopping is a very satisfying experience and fun.

Designer in Profile

There's something about.... Christel Hadiwibawa

Christelh is a Sydney based design studio founded by Christel Hadiwibawa.

Using a hands on approach in creating prototypes and models, Christel’s work is driven by her interest in sustainability and the interaction people have in public and private settings. Her work is outsourced to local manufacturers combining the use of raw and readily available materials reflecting the 3 key elements in her design process: materials, technology, and craft. Christelh is a studio that is constantly developing new ways and methods of producing work that educates, informs and enhances the lifestyle of the user.

Here at Style Plantation, we are lucky to have two fantastic pieces on display from this amazing designer - the Kembla and Junior Side table (pictured).

 

All Seats Taken!

Whether you have a bay window or a glorious seaside view, it is important especially at this time of year to have comfortable seating by the window!

Depending on the type of window, determines your options. 

If the window is not tall, you can also continue the seat cushioning to the back – banquette seat style, great for added support.

 Built in box seating:  this is ideal if you need the storage space that is under the seat.  Dress up with custom seat cushions and accessorize with colorful cushions.

Window seats are a great place to watch the sun over the beach and relax throughout the day.

Enjoy this space over lazy weekend mornings reading the paper with a coffee or a glass of wine on a rainy afternoon.

If you are short of a guest bedroom and extra accommodation is needed, add a trundle pull out bed. 

Great for unexpected guests!

  

Our interior designer recommends:

Dulux wash and wear in Buff It half strength for the timber work panels

Seat upholstered in Warwick fabrics Beachcomber Nougat (a lovely beige)

Cushions from Fabric Pavilion in a Dash Fabric Colour 2 Oyster or Mirage fabric colour 11

Window seats work beautifully in kids bedrooms

Tis the Season...

Follow these tips to ensure that your home is inviting and ready for guests during these Christmas Holidays!

Check that you have plenty of bedding, linen and towels for your guests that are staying over night or for extended amount of days.  Stock up on these bedroom and bathroom essentials early and enjoy some time co-ordinating them into patterns and colours with ribbon for that extra special touch! 

You can create a haven in your spare rooms by setting out these over-night musts that your guests will truly appreciate.

Add some little luxuries in your guest bedrooms including bottles of water, scented candles or diffusers,  chocolates and maybe a few freshly cut flowers in a glass vase. A reading lamp and a selection of books and magazines will also be a lovely touch.

There’s no better way to make a house guest feel uncomfortable than to be working, cleaning, and cooking the whole time your guests are with you. Give you and your guests a chance to relax and really enjoy each other. No one will care if the kitchen is sparkling or the sheets are ironed. And when there is work to do, don’t be hesitant to accept offers to wash the dishes or set the table.

Decorating the Xmas tree
Christmas is the best time of year for gorgeous home and outdoor décor. Decorating your Christmas tree in particular can be a festive occasion when families pull out the boxes of ornaments, lights and other adornments. Combining old, cherished pieces with new purchases creates original recycling chic!

Three top tree themes:

The Traditional Tree
Rich Victorian red, bottle green and classic gold conjure images of childhood Christmases past. This Christmas, David Jones Traditional tree has a slightly more English feel with classic tartans updated in cool champagne tones. Mouthblown glass ornaments are created using centuries-old techniques in Germany, Poland and Czech Republic. These are sure to become instant heirlooms.

The Blue Elegance Tree
Soft turquoise, silver & pearl white create an elegant mood reminiscent of 1950s style. Jewels shine and glitter shimmers while the Snowberry Fairy from Gisela Graham peeks from between the branches.

The Brights Tree
A vibrant palette of turquoise, fuchsia, peacock blue and tangerine work back with gold in a riot of contrasting patterns inspired by Oriental silks. This tree will light up any living room!




Whether you have opted for a simple relaxed feel or a classic Christmas look, there are a few essentials that no table is complete without! Don’t forget Christmas bon bon’s and crackers and Christmas napkin rings.
And remember, like the star on the Christmas tree, the table centrepiece is key for creating your perfect setting.  Most importantly have fun with the theme you choose and have a Happy Christmas!