Room of the Week: Warm Desert Colours Transform a Townhouse
A dark and characterless townhouse gets a sophisticated new look with desert-inspired tones and custom furniture
Georgia Madden
11 May 2020
In a Q&A format, we talk to the designers – and examine the creative thinking – behind some of Houzz’s most loveable rooms.
Images by Dion Robeson
Answers by Nickolas Gurtler, creative director at Nickolas Gurtler Interior Design
Who lives here: A young couple with three children
Location: Wembley Downs, WA
Describe the home: A two-storey townhouse built in the early 2000s with four bedrooms and three bathrooms
Room purpose and size: An open-plan living and dining room measuring around 60 square metres (the whole townhouse measures around 400 square metres)
Scope of works: Decorative makeover of an open-plan living and dining area
Budget for the living/dining room makeover: Around $80,000
Where did most of it go: On the furniture and floors
Did you use Houzz for this project?
Yes, the client found me on Houzz.
Answers by Nickolas Gurtler, creative director at Nickolas Gurtler Interior Design
Who lives here: A young couple with three children
Location: Wembley Downs, WA
Describe the home: A two-storey townhouse built in the early 2000s with four bedrooms and three bathrooms
Room purpose and size: An open-plan living and dining room measuring around 60 square metres (the whole townhouse measures around 400 square metres)
Scope of works: Decorative makeover of an open-plan living and dining area
Budget for the living/dining room makeover: Around $80,000
Where did most of it go: On the furniture and floors
Did you use Houzz for this project?
Yes, the client found me on Houzz.
Brief
The clients wanted the living and dining areas to be casual for day-to-day use. As they also intend to host a lot of informal and formal dinner parties, it needed to feel warm and sophisticated too. In addition, they wanted to include some references to their life back in Pakistan, but not in obvious ways.
What were their must-haves?
The clients wanted the living and dining areas to be casual for day-to-day use. As they also intend to host a lot of informal and formal dinner parties, it needed to feel warm and sophisticated too. In addition, they wanted to include some references to their life back in Pakistan, but not in obvious ways.
What were their must-haves?
- Seating for eight people.
- Warm colours, a timeless design with a luxurious feel.
- Avoid all-white walls.
Tell us about the panelled wall behind the sofa
It’s made from individual pieces of MDF that are cut to a precise pattern, attached to the wall and painted.
There was such a large expanse of wall here and I felt we needed to do something special with it. This panelling, which is inspired by traditional panelling in older homes, was given a contemporary spin, making it a great solution for this space. It adds texture and warmth to the space in a way that paint alone would not have done.
And the artwork?
We didn’t have a lot of budget for art so we decided to invest in just a few really great pieces. The large black and white abstract was something we had commissioned – I was drawn to its bold use of line.
The artwork in the adjoining hallway is a photograph I purchased on a trip to Los Angeles that captured the beautiful Hawa Mahal (Pink Palace) in Jaipur, India – I loved its pinkish desert tones and intricate detail.
It’s made from individual pieces of MDF that are cut to a precise pattern, attached to the wall and painted.
There was such a large expanse of wall here and I felt we needed to do something special with it. This panelling, which is inspired by traditional panelling in older homes, was given a contemporary spin, making it a great solution for this space. It adds texture and warmth to the space in a way that paint alone would not have done.
And the artwork?
We didn’t have a lot of budget for art so we decided to invest in just a few really great pieces. The large black and white abstract was something we had commissioned – I was drawn to its bold use of line.
The artwork in the adjoining hallway is a photograph I purchased on a trip to Los Angeles that captured the beautiful Hawa Mahal (Pink Palace) in Jaipur, India – I loved its pinkish desert tones and intricate detail.
Starting point
When I first met the client, she pointed to an artwork with a sand-like quality and this inspired the new design. I was heavily inspired by desert colours and textures. I researched deserts in Pakistan (where the clients are from), Africa, America and Australia.
As part of my research for another project, I was looking at contemporary French and Belgian interiors and these influences crept into this project too.
When I first met the client, she pointed to an artwork with a sand-like quality and this inspired the new design. I was heavily inspired by desert colours and textures. I researched deserts in Pakistan (where the clients are from), Africa, America and Australia.
As part of my research for another project, I was looking at contemporary French and Belgian interiors and these influences crept into this project too.
The living/dining area before works
What exactly did you do?
What exactly did you do?
- Stripped the rooms back to their bones and built them back up.
- Sanded back the timber floors from an orange-red tone and applied an almost-black custom stain that allowed the grain to come through.
- Replaced light fixtures.
- Replastered and repainted the walls.
- Ordered new furniture, including some pieces that we custom designed ourselves.
- Introduced a new decorative scheme.
The dining area before works
Challenges you worked around
The block faces due south and there are other homes around it, so a lack of natural light entering the living spaces was the biggest issue.
To combat this, we painted over the existing dirty white walls and ceilings with a crisp pure white, which made a huge difference.
Challenges you worked around
The block faces due south and there are other homes around it, so a lack of natural light entering the living spaces was the biggest issue.
To combat this, we painted over the existing dirty white walls and ceilings with a crisp pure white, which made a huge difference.
We also made the floor finish slightly more reflective than it was and darkened it to help bounce more light up to the ceilings.
We then added sheer curtains to allow for soft, diffused light.
Another big challenge was getting the 2.4m cactus into the space. It seemed to have a mind of its own and most of the team on-site that day were left with cuts and scrapes.
We then added sheer curtains to allow for soft, diffused light.
Another big challenge was getting the 2.4m cactus into the space. It seemed to have a mind of its own and most of the team on-site that day were left with cuts and scrapes.
Thinking behind the arrangement of furniture
I wanted to balance a formal layout for entertaining with a casual feeling for day-to-day use. The living and dining room spaces were both a decent size and relatively square in shape, which was good. But we were unable to change the architecture, so we had to work with what we had in terms of things like window placements.
I wanted to balance a formal layout for entertaining with a casual feeling for day-to-day use. The living and dining room spaces were both a decent size and relatively square in shape, which was good. But we were unable to change the architecture, so we had to work with what we had in terms of things like window placements.
Key design aspects
Colour palette: Ochre, earthy brown, charcoal and white.
Paint colours
Key pieces of furniture/fittings:
Colour palette: Ochre, earthy brown, charcoal and white.
Paint colours
- Taubmans Desert Oak and Vivid White to walls.
- Sanded and custom-stained kempas wood floors.
Key pieces of furniture/fittings:
- Grazia and Co Agent 86 sofas.
- Arthur G Carmen MKII armchairs upholstered in Kelly Wearstler Graffito fabric.
- Mobilia Atelier Areti Vertical Globe floor lamp.
- The Montauk Lighting Co Kelly Wearstler Linden table lamp.
- Trojan cabinet custom designed by Nickolas Gurtler Interior Design.
- Cult Design Gubi Multi-Lite pendant lights to dining room.
- Innerspace Thonet Hoffmann dining chairs.
Tell us about the painted walls
Wainscoting or wall panelling is a rather traditional feature that I’ve seen a lot of in Europe and America and love. It’s a simple idea that creates a lot of impact.
We painted wall panelling through the dining room and into the adjoining hall and sitting room. It’s also painted up the stairs to the second level.
It gives the illusion that the ceiling is higher than it is because the white section starts above the ground – this is a great decorating trick if you have low ceilings.
I also like layering over the top of the wainscoting, with artwork crossing the boundary of the two colours.
This technique was initially selected because the home is quite dark but it also fits in with the client’s brief to avoid all-white walls.
Wainscoting or wall panelling is a rather traditional feature that I’ve seen a lot of in Europe and America and love. It’s a simple idea that creates a lot of impact.
We painted wall panelling through the dining room and into the adjoining hall and sitting room. It’s also painted up the stairs to the second level.
It gives the illusion that the ceiling is higher than it is because the white section starts above the ground – this is a great decorating trick if you have low ceilings.
I also like layering over the top of the wainscoting, with artwork crossing the boundary of the two colours.
This technique was initially selected because the home is quite dark but it also fits in with the client’s brief to avoid all-white walls.
Why do you think this space works?
It’s warm and and inviting. It also has a curated feel and is layered with lots of beautiful pieces that have meaning.
Your turn
Which idea would you steal from this space? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images for inspiration, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Want more great interior makeovers? Take a look at our last Room of the Week: Pared-Back Perfection in a Contemporary Kitchen
It’s warm and and inviting. It also has a curated feel and is layered with lots of beautiful pieces that have meaning.
Your turn
Which idea would you steal from this space? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images for inspiration, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Want more great interior makeovers? Take a look at our last Room of the Week: Pared-Back Perfection in a Contemporary Kitchen
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Great job, such a well thought out transformation!
I would like to know about the floating steel rod shelving unit, is it custom made, or where might is be available, how is it attached? Thanks.
I'll keep a look out for your work in the future - all the best.
@J.W B these were made by Beachside curtains and blinds
@houscom thank you for your kind words! The unit was made for us by @Chrissy - they specialise in steel furniture. We designed it with holes in it so it could be directly fixed to the wall.