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Pro Spotlight: How to Create a Home With Enduring Style
Here's how to ensure that you'll love your home's new look for years to come, according to a Sydney interior designer
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Who: Hannah Speller of Studio H
Location: Sydney, Australia
In her own words: “I love creating dream spaces for my clients – there’s nothing like seeing the excitement on their faces when they see their new space for the very first time. Often, it’s something my clients have been thinking about and planning for a long time, so it’s incredibly special to see those dreams turned into reality.
“As an interior designer, my work not only involves interpreting my client’s brief, but understanding their unspoken wishes for their home. Translating these mental images into spaces they love and that enhance their lifestyle is, to me, what good interior design is all about. The greatest compliment is when a client tells me they still love a space I designed for them 10 years on.
“I’ve worked in the interior design industry in Australia, the UK and Spain for the past decade, and look globally for inspiration. Prior to training as an interior designer, I was a textile designer and interiors magazine stylist in London, which gave me an incredible grounding in colour and design, and an understanding what works and what doesn’t in a space,” she says.
Location: Sydney, Australia
In her own words: “I love creating dream spaces for my clients – there’s nothing like seeing the excitement on their faces when they see their new space for the very first time. Often, it’s something my clients have been thinking about and planning for a long time, so it’s incredibly special to see those dreams turned into reality.
“As an interior designer, my work not only involves interpreting my client’s brief, but understanding their unspoken wishes for their home. Translating these mental images into spaces they love and that enhance their lifestyle is, to me, what good interior design is all about. The greatest compliment is when a client tells me they still love a space I designed for them 10 years on.
“I’ve worked in the interior design industry in Australia, the UK and Spain for the past decade, and look globally for inspiration. Prior to training as an interior designer, I was a textile designer and interiors magazine stylist in London, which gave me an incredible grounding in colour and design, and an understanding what works and what doesn’t in a space,” she says.
Timeless appeal: My goal is to create homes that my clients will love for many years. We live in a world of excess and waste, and my philosophy is to always choose quality over quantity. For example, if a tap costs a little more but is good quality and comes with an extended warranty, I will choose it. If a sofa has been made locally and the materials are the best quality and suit my client’s needs, I will choose it. I stick with brands that I love and trust and support local industry wherever I can.
Every design I create for a client is unique to their style and needs, but I would describe my personal style as earthy, neutral and timeless. I favour natural materials mixed with subtle, complementary colours and textures – think a Spanish villa with uneven whitewashed walls, verdigris shutters and timber pergolas.
Every design I create for a client is unique to their style and needs, but I would describe my personal style as earthy, neutral and timeless. I favour natural materials mixed with subtle, complementary colours and textures – think a Spanish villa with uneven whitewashed walls, verdigris shutters and timber pergolas.
Consider trends carefully: I don’t want my clients to think they have to turn over their homes within the next ten years, which is why I ask them to think carefully about integrating the latest trends into a design. Trends can give a home instant wow factor, but if they don’t have longevity, they can quickly make a space feel dated.
Nor will every trend suit your individual needs. Brass hardware is a good example. If you are prepared to let it age and become tarnished and green as it is designed to do, then it’s the perfect choice – and one that I personally love. But very often homeowners don’t take the natural ageing process into consideration when they’re specifying brass taps, knobs and handles, so they end up being returned to the supplier.
Boucle is another trend that isn’t right for everyone. It has a beautifully soft and textural look and feel, and on the right piece of furniture it looks stunning. But it’s impractical for families with pets and children as it collects hair and soaks up every little spill.
Do you want to give your home timeless style? Here are Hannah’s top three tips for success
Nor will every trend suit your individual needs. Brass hardware is a good example. If you are prepared to let it age and become tarnished and green as it is designed to do, then it’s the perfect choice – and one that I personally love. But very often homeowners don’t take the natural ageing process into consideration when they’re specifying brass taps, knobs and handles, so they end up being returned to the supplier.
Boucle is another trend that isn’t right for everyone. It has a beautifully soft and textural look and feel, and on the right piece of furniture it looks stunning. But it’s impractical for families with pets and children as it collects hair and soaks up every little spill.
Do you want to give your home timeless style? Here are Hannah’s top three tips for success
An old chair is given a new lease on life with contemporary upholstery.
1. Let your home tell your story: Don’t be afraid to include pieces that have special meaning to you into the new design of your home. Sentimental items or ones that give a hint into who you are or where you’ve been will always give your home a sense of depth and personality, and can often be more impactful than passing trends.
If you’re concerned that an older piece might not fit into your new design, consider new ways to use it. You might, for example, up-cycle an old chair or dresser (while making a nod to the latest colour trends) by giving it a fresh coat of paint, give a much-loved armchair a new look with contemporary upholstery, jazz up old artwork by putting it in new frames, or find yourself falling back in love with rugs or decor pieces when you move them to new locations.
1. Let your home tell your story: Don’t be afraid to include pieces that have special meaning to you into the new design of your home. Sentimental items or ones that give a hint into who you are or where you’ve been will always give your home a sense of depth and personality, and can often be more impactful than passing trends.
If you’re concerned that an older piece might not fit into your new design, consider new ways to use it. You might, for example, up-cycle an old chair or dresser (while making a nod to the latest colour trends) by giving it a fresh coat of paint, give a much-loved armchair a new look with contemporary upholstery, jazz up old artwork by putting it in new frames, or find yourself falling back in love with rugs or decor pieces when you move them to new locations.
2. Think about how you are going to live now and in the future: When it comes to the design of your home, don’t just consider today’s needs, but what you will need from your home several years down the track.
If you have children, you’ll want your family to grow into the space, not out of it. In practical terms, this can mean including a home office or study nook, a second living area where teenagers can hang out with their friends, an extra bathroom with double basins where two people can brush their teeth at once, solid rather than hollow-core doors to reduce sound transmission between rooms, or a covered alfresco area with an outdoor fireplace that can be used for entertaining year-round.
In this Pittwater, NSW, project, I included a servery window between the kitchen and outdoor room that makes it easy for the chef to pass dishes and drinks outside when the family entertains. At the same time, space-maximising, built-in banquettes outdoors mean there’s plenty of space to seat a crowd if the soccer team drops around for a barbecue.
If you have children, you’ll want your family to grow into the space, not out of it. In practical terms, this can mean including a home office or study nook, a second living area where teenagers can hang out with their friends, an extra bathroom with double basins where two people can brush their teeth at once, solid rather than hollow-core doors to reduce sound transmission between rooms, or a covered alfresco area with an outdoor fireplace that can be used for entertaining year-round.
In this Pittwater, NSW, project, I included a servery window between the kitchen and outdoor room that makes it easy for the chef to pass dishes and drinks outside when the family entertains. At the same time, space-maximising, built-in banquettes outdoors mean there’s plenty of space to seat a crowd if the soccer team drops around for a barbecue.
3. Create cohesion: One of the most effective ways to give your home a calm and timeless feel is to run key elements, such as flooring, lighting and colours, throughout.
In this bathroom in my Marbourbra, NSW, project, I designed a custom vanity using the same timber as the kitchen joinery to create a connection between the two spaces. White-washed walls, timber flooring, chrome tapware, and minimalist detailing throughout the home further emphasise the sense of flow. The result? A space that feels calm and considered from the moment you step through the front door – and one that won’t date any time soon.
More: For more information and examples of Hannah work, visit Studio H’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
In this bathroom in my Marbourbra, NSW, project, I designed a custom vanity using the same timber as the kitchen joinery to create a connection between the two spaces. White-washed walls, timber flooring, chrome tapware, and minimalist detailing throughout the home further emphasise the sense of flow. The result? A space that feels calm and considered from the moment you step through the front door – and one that won’t date any time soon.
More: For more information and examples of Hannah work, visit Studio H’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
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Review by Sophie Gilliatt:
I loved everything about working with Hannah. It was like she could read my mind and understand exactly how I wanted my apartment to look and feel. She takes out all of the boring legwork and just lea...More