All Decked Out

Composite Decking - The future of Australian Decking.

Adding a deck to your house is the best way to extend your home into the great outdoors. By defining a space in the garden that is low maintenance and a 'designated' area for entertaining will completely transform your home (and your summer evenings) and give an extension that can be used almost all year round.

DECKLIFE is made from highly renewable bamboo and plastic waste that is termite resistant and low maintenance; perfect for the Australian outdoors. Traditional timbers normally need regular oiling and maintenance.

Available in a range of stylish colours and finishes, DECKLIFE is a great product that saves our timber forests and complies with ISO 14001 Environmental Management.


To style your decking, consider using tubs and planters for planting that are clustered in groups (three or five in a group) in bright colours for a summer look, or colours that work with your house's existing exterior. Installing irrigation will give your plants the much-needed water on hot summer days, and save your time on watering.  Use bright colored outdoor cushions on your chairs and bench seats that can be matched with tableware and accessories for vibrancy in our less colorful winter months. 

Spring into the new season.

Spring into the new season + freshen up for the sunny season.

Spring is the time for renewals, fresh bright colors, and beautiful flowers. Add to that Spring cleaning and you’ll have a home fresh as the new season.  Here are some ideas for home spring projects.

• Closet clean out:  It is that time of year when we no longer need big bulky coats and scarves and hats and gloves. A thorough clean out of the hall closet will give you more room to store other things and make it easier to find what you’re looking for.  Start by emptying everything from the closet.  Throw out or donate things that haven’t been used in the last year. It’s either junk or something someone else could use.  Store the winter coats and accessories somewhere else.  Use the space to store spring coats, handbags and umbrellas.

Fix up your outdoor areas too!!  When it comes to choosing outdoor furniture there are a few things you should keep in mind: 

• Space: whether you have a veranda, a large or small space.
• Style or theme: what ‘look’ are you trying to achieve
• Use: how many people that will use the space

Lighting:  Use hurricane lanterns + candles outdoors for great ambient lighting + far cheaper than installing outdoor lights. 

Interior Inspiration By Fofi By Design

So you have just bought an apartment - “a room with a view”!!!

Perhaps its a sun-drenched living area with a fabulous outlook?  Make the space appear larger by keeping the interior simple, have the view work for you rather than compete with it.  We recommend furniture and accessories that work in harmony to create a comfortable relaxed space.  

Here’s how to maximise this great asset 
Paint colour:  opt for a pale neutral tone, not brilliant white.  Try Whisper White, ¼ strength White Duck or ½ strength Buff It – all by Dulux.
See dulux.com.au
  
 Wall coverings:  go for stripes that lie horizontally only on 1 wall.  These can play on the horizon outlook, make sure there are no bold colours, mild neutral tones are best.  See below from Wall Candy www.wallcandy.com.au  

 

The palette:  generally a neutral palette which has been layered – ie taupes, beiges, whites.  Then use highlight/accent colours to change the desired mood or season.  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 and you can’t go wrong.

 

ChinaHeart

www.chinaheartinternational.org


“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead

ChinaHeart is called to serve the poor, needy and orphaned in China. To express love and compassion in action for those who often through, no fault of their own, are struggling sometimes even to survive. One young girl ChinaHeart care for was abandoned as a baby, then her foster father was drowned in a flood and now his brothers care her for.

ChinaHeart have now opened 3 foster apartments under the banner of Doves Wings, caring for babies who were living in orphanages. The orphanage staff are usually stretched to the limit so ChinaHeart take these babies and provide a loving and nurturing atmosphere.

The ChinaHeart “family” is growing and now numbers 140 children with more coming soon. These include Doves Wings babies, children living in quite poor and destitute conditions, sometimes only in a cave, and university students who passed the exams for university entry but whose family could never be able to afford the fees even though they are much lower than here in Australia.

More information is available at their website, www.chinaheartint.org.  Please join Style Plantation in making a difference - visit the website and make a pledge to help change the world. 

BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL STRIPES!!

Horizontal or vertical stripes add definition and perspective to a plain room. Stripes are lively, young and happy; use different paint effects together such as Dulux Design Metallic, Silk and Pearl, or you can stick to the same effect and vary the colour or shade. This is a much cheaper option than wallpaper and can be easily changed by painting over the whole wall or by simply updating the colour of one stripe.

Make an impact with stripes!

Make sure you plan your design while the room is still furnished as it will affect your perception of how wide and where the stripes need to be.

If you’re having trouble visualising, get some coloured pieces of paper and stick them to the wall where the stripes will be. Use differing widths to see which one you think works best.

This look also works well in children's rooms as you can choose the colours based on your child's current favourites. If you only paint one wall behind the bed then it becomes easy to change down the track when your little one decides she now loves yellow!

A gorgeous two tone pink stripe