Pushing the Envelope: 19 Ways to Make a Room Work
By focusing on a room's walls, floors and ceilings, you can create a spectacular setting even before adding any furnishings
Ioanna Lennox
5 December 2015
Houzz Australia Contributor. Principal Designer at Ioanna Lennox Interiors, a Sydney award-winning interior design firm specialising in residential interiors. I've been fascinated by architecture and interiors since childhood and after spending 15+ years in the finance industry, I decided to study interior design and follow my passion.
Houzz Australia Contributor. Principal Designer at Ioanna Lennox Interiors, a Sydney... More
The surrounds or static fixtures of a room, which I like to refer to as ‘the envelope’, play a big part in designing great interiors. By firstly maximising the use of the walls, ceilings, floors and windows – basically anything that’s a fixed feature of the room – you can create a stylish setting into which you can then add furnishings, accessories and artwork.
A good envelope addresses everything from colour and texture to tone, scale, proportion and balance. If done well, it will make your room work. On the other hand, if these features are poorly executed your room will look uninspiring, and no amount of designer furniture or expensive accessories will tip that balance. Here, we look at some inventive and imaginative ways to make an impact just by working within four walls.
A good envelope addresses everything from colour and texture to tone, scale, proportion and balance. If done well, it will make your room work. On the other hand, if these features are poorly executed your room will look uninspiring, and no amount of designer furniture or expensive accessories will tip that balance. Here, we look at some inventive and imaginative ways to make an impact just by working within four walls.
WALLS
1. Combine brick with plaster
Walls are the most important surface of your room’s envelope, and they’re going to give you the biggest bang for your buck with a makeover. Don’t be afraid to mix old with new, rough with smooth and light with dark when it comes to wall treatments. This type of decorating lends itself to warehouse and industrial styles, and an exposed brick wall is a perfect complement to this form of living. Older homes typically have brick underneath the plaster walls, which may still be in good condition and ready to be laid bare.
Contrast was key in renovating this Edwardian terrace, and the living area in particular. The original 100-year-old brick wall was exposed and restored, while the rest of the plastered walls had period mouldings applied. By keeping the majority of the house white and light, the brickwork has become the hero of the house’s design.
DESIGN TIP: Make sure you do a test before exposing an entire wall. Chip a hole in the plaster until you can see the brick and what condition it’s in. The bricks should not crumble and should be free from any major cracks.
Exposed brick interiors
1. Combine brick with plaster
Walls are the most important surface of your room’s envelope, and they’re going to give you the biggest bang for your buck with a makeover. Don’t be afraid to mix old with new, rough with smooth and light with dark when it comes to wall treatments. This type of decorating lends itself to warehouse and industrial styles, and an exposed brick wall is a perfect complement to this form of living. Older homes typically have brick underneath the plaster walls, which may still be in good condition and ready to be laid bare.
Contrast was key in renovating this Edwardian terrace, and the living area in particular. The original 100-year-old brick wall was exposed and restored, while the rest of the plastered walls had period mouldings applied. By keeping the majority of the house white and light, the brickwork has become the hero of the house’s design.
DESIGN TIP: Make sure you do a test before exposing an entire wall. Chip a hole in the plaster until you can see the brick and what condition it’s in. The bricks should not crumble and should be free from any major cracks.
Exposed brick interiors
2. Be pleased with panelling
This is one of my favourite forms of adding life to walls. Panelling, mouldings or wainscoting were traditionally found in grand houses of wealthier suburbs, and many modern renovations stripped the homes of these fine features. I am happy to see the style coming back into fashion and being reinstated or used in new builds.
In the remodel of this Victorian terrace, I took a fresh approach to traditional French panelling and made it more contemporary by painting the inside of the panels in a soft contrast colour.
DESIGN TIP: Draw, plan and measure twice or even three times before cutting your mouldings. Lay out the entire room and work out the exact dimensions of your panels and where they will go before affixing anything to the walls. This can save you not only a lot of time down the track, but can also avoid the possibility of having to re-plaster or re-paint.
Wall panelling ideas
This is one of my favourite forms of adding life to walls. Panelling, mouldings or wainscoting were traditionally found in grand houses of wealthier suburbs, and many modern renovations stripped the homes of these fine features. I am happy to see the style coming back into fashion and being reinstated or used in new builds.
In the remodel of this Victorian terrace, I took a fresh approach to traditional French panelling and made it more contemporary by painting the inside of the panels in a soft contrast colour.
DESIGN TIP: Draw, plan and measure twice or even three times before cutting your mouldings. Lay out the entire room and work out the exact dimensions of your panels and where they will go before affixing anything to the walls. This can save you not only a lot of time down the track, but can also avoid the possibility of having to re-plaster or re-paint.
Wall panelling ideas
3. Frame a feature
Although panelling is still harder to apply (and get right) than a simple paint job, today this art form is not just reserved for the wealthy. If, however, the budget permits some pretty panelling, in lieu of artwork you could cover the inside of your panels with hand-painted silk wallpaper or a chinoiserie mural, using the mouldings on the panels as decorative frames.
Although panelling is still harder to apply (and get right) than a simple paint job, today this art form is not just reserved for the wealthy. If, however, the budget permits some pretty panelling, in lieu of artwork you could cover the inside of your panels with hand-painted silk wallpaper or a chinoiserie mural, using the mouldings on the panels as decorative frames.
4. Set the scene with wallpaper
Wallpaper has an immediate transformative effect and can change a room from drab to fab. I love it as an instant way to add colour, life and texture to a space and sometimes use it to even define the design direction. It’s a common interior design trick.
For instance, in this dining room Martha O-Hara Interiors took their cue from the classical motif of the wallpaper, which they used as inspiration in choosing tufted formal dining chairs and curtains. The curves of the leaf-like trellis pattern are also cleverly echoed in the whimsical feather chandelier that rounds out the space.
Wallpaper has an immediate transformative effect and can change a room from drab to fab. I love it as an instant way to add colour, life and texture to a space and sometimes use it to even define the design direction. It’s a common interior design trick.
For instance, in this dining room Martha O-Hara Interiors took their cue from the classical motif of the wallpaper, which they used as inspiration in choosing tufted formal dining chairs and curtains. The curves of the leaf-like trellis pattern are also cleverly echoed in the whimsical feather chandelier that rounds out the space.
5. Add definition with paper or paint
This wall featuring a door to an ensuite could have been a boring blank canvas, but instead this space has been uplifted with the use of a soft, dreamy wallpaper. The paper defines the alcoved wall area, as well as adding serenity to this master bedroom. A couple of pops of colour can give the room a bonus lift, but it is the feature wall that does all the talking.
DESIGN TIP: Choose wallpapers and paints in a pastel or soft colour palette if you want a light and airy bedroom. Or fully embrace the dark with inky blues and charcoals for a moodier, sexier room.
This wall featuring a door to an ensuite could have been a boring blank canvas, but instead this space has been uplifted with the use of a soft, dreamy wallpaper. The paper defines the alcoved wall area, as well as adding serenity to this master bedroom. A couple of pops of colour can give the room a bonus lift, but it is the feature wall that does all the talking.
DESIGN TIP: Choose wallpapers and paints in a pastel or soft colour palette if you want a light and airy bedroom. Or fully embrace the dark with inky blues and charcoals for a moodier, sexier room.
6. Upholster with fabric panels
Fabric panelling a wall to serve as a headboard is not that unusual, but having an entire wall upholstered in a padded rich velvet is another story. While it may not be practical for families with small children, it’s not something to shy away from if you want to make a statement.
Fabric panelling a wall to serve as a headboard is not that unusual, but having an entire wall upholstered in a padded rich velvet is another story. While it may not be practical for families with small children, it’s not something to shy away from if you want to make a statement.
7. Try tufting
Steele Street Studios have done a great job in this pretty sitting room by making a feature of a long banquette. This was achieved by covering the wall behind it with a huge upholstered tufted panel, stretching virtually from seat to ceiling.
DESIGN TIP: Upholstery is a specialised trade worth investing in. To create this effect, ask for extra padding and specify diamond tufting. On a wall this size the tufts should be about 15-20 centimetres apart (although this measurement could change depending on the size of your wall).
Steele Street Studios have done a great job in this pretty sitting room by making a feature of a long banquette. This was achieved by covering the wall behind it with a huge upholstered tufted panel, stretching virtually from seat to ceiling.
DESIGN TIP: Upholstery is a specialised trade worth investing in. To create this effect, ask for extra padding and specify diamond tufting. On a wall this size the tufts should be about 15-20 centimetres apart (although this measurement could change depending on the size of your wall).
CEILINGS
8. Enliven with sculptural mouldings
Ceilings are often the forgotten surface in a room. However, they’re just another wall and if given a beautiful treatment can have a great impact. Treat your ceiling as a blank piece of real estate – paint it, glaze it, coffer it, apply mouldings or add beams, just don’t forget it.
DESIGN TIP: Don’t be afraid to add layers of contrast. In this home office, the inky blue walls contrast with the crisp white ceiling. But there is also a contrast delivered by adding traditional squared wainscotting to walls while applying a pattern of curvilinear mouldings to the ceiling.
8. Enliven with sculptural mouldings
Ceilings are often the forgotten surface in a room. However, they’re just another wall and if given a beautiful treatment can have a great impact. Treat your ceiling as a blank piece of real estate – paint it, glaze it, coffer it, apply mouldings or add beams, just don’t forget it.
DESIGN TIP: Don’t be afraid to add layers of contrast. In this home office, the inky blue walls contrast with the crisp white ceiling. But there is also a contrast delivered by adding traditional squared wainscotting to walls while applying a pattern of curvilinear mouldings to the ceiling.
9. Paint ceilings a dark, contrasting shade
If you live in a period house with grand proportions and high ceilings, why not accentuate the height even more and paint the ceilings? Choose a contrasting colour or darker shade than the walls, as Jane Lockhart Interior Design have done in this elegant dining room. By keeping the colour palette monochromatic, the designer achieves depth, balance and interest simply by playing with colour tones and shades.
DESIGN TIP: Dark ceilings can sometimes make a small room feel smaller, so stick to lighter colours for the ceiling and paint architraves white to add the illusion of depth and dimension. Ceilings are usually better in a matt finish so they don’t reflect the light – ensure your paint is flat or low sheen.
If you live in a period house with grand proportions and high ceilings, why not accentuate the height even more and paint the ceilings? Choose a contrasting colour or darker shade than the walls, as Jane Lockhart Interior Design have done in this elegant dining room. By keeping the colour palette monochromatic, the designer achieves depth, balance and interest simply by playing with colour tones and shades.
DESIGN TIP: Dark ceilings can sometimes make a small room feel smaller, so stick to lighter colours for the ceiling and paint architraves white to add the illusion of depth and dimension. Ceilings are usually better in a matt finish so they don’t reflect the light – ensure your paint is flat or low sheen.
10. Create mood with lighting
Alternatively, keep the ceiling plain and use it as the canvas to create ambient lighting. I like to use downlights in task-centric rooms such as kitchens, bathrooms and family rooms, but add pendants or chandeliers in dining rooms, bedrooms and living rooms. Designers and architects love to use multiple light sources in open-plan living rooms to designate different areas. The sophisticated dining room here is dominated by an over-sized sparkler pendant light, which adds brilliance and drama to a room with a muted colour palette.
DESIGN TIP: Choose pendant lights which have a diameter of at least two-thirds the width of the dining table, and don’t be afraid to hang them low, at approximately 90 to 100 centimetres above the table.
Alternatively, keep the ceiling plain and use it as the canvas to create ambient lighting. I like to use downlights in task-centric rooms such as kitchens, bathrooms and family rooms, but add pendants or chandeliers in dining rooms, bedrooms and living rooms. Designers and architects love to use multiple light sources in open-plan living rooms to designate different areas. The sophisticated dining room here is dominated by an over-sized sparkler pendant light, which adds brilliance and drama to a room with a muted colour palette.
DESIGN TIP: Choose pendant lights which have a diameter of at least two-thirds the width of the dining table, and don’t be afraid to hang them low, at approximately 90 to 100 centimetres above the table.
11. Add beams
If you’re lucky enough to have a house with high ceilings or vaulted lofts and want to add character and draw the eye upwards, then add some timber beams. Keep the timber in its rich, natural colour rather than painting it, and be aware of the directional aspect of the beams – running them along the length of a room or the width will have an entirely different visual impact.
If you’re lucky enough to have a house with high ceilings or vaulted lofts and want to add character and draw the eye upwards, then add some timber beams. Keep the timber in its rich, natural colour rather than painting it, and be aware of the directional aspect of the beams – running them along the length of a room or the width will have an entirely different visual impact.
FLOORS
12. Colour with carpet
There are many options for flooring, from hardwood floors to polished concrete, flagged stone to tiles, laminate and wall-to-wall carpet. Each floor treatment or covering has a multitude of colours and patterns to choose from, so consider well the style of your home as well as your lifestyle before making a final decision. Floors are one of those permanent fixtures that are a lot harder to alter if you change your mind.
Carpet has traditionally been the most conservative flooring option, but new hardwearing styles are entering the market that bring a contemporary flair to a room, such as the Godfrey Hirst carpet in the living room of the Melbourne home pictured here.
12. Colour with carpet
There are many options for flooring, from hardwood floors to polished concrete, flagged stone to tiles, laminate and wall-to-wall carpet. Each floor treatment or covering has a multitude of colours and patterns to choose from, so consider well the style of your home as well as your lifestyle before making a final decision. Floors are one of those permanent fixtures that are a lot harder to alter if you change your mind.
Carpet has traditionally been the most conservative flooring option, but new hardwearing styles are entering the market that bring a contemporary flair to a room, such as the Godfrey Hirst carpet in the living room of the Melbourne home pictured here.
13. Play with pattern
Paint doesn’t have to be reserved for walls and ceilings – old timber floors can come up a treat when painted. You can be as adventurous and daring or detailed and intricate as your imagination allows. The most important step is the planning, not the application: have detailed drawings mapped out over the entire area being painted. For a pattern as complicated as the one in this picture, you will need a custom-made stencil that can be moved and repeated across the whole floor.
DESIGN TIP: Paint several coats of the dominant base colour first (in this case the white) and after several days when it has completely dried and cured, start stencilling the black pattern, working from the centre outwards and taking particular care around corners and edges.
Painted floor patterns
Paint doesn’t have to be reserved for walls and ceilings – old timber floors can come up a treat when painted. You can be as adventurous and daring or detailed and intricate as your imagination allows. The most important step is the planning, not the application: have detailed drawings mapped out over the entire area being painted. For a pattern as complicated as the one in this picture, you will need a custom-made stencil that can be moved and repeated across the whole floor.
DESIGN TIP: Paint several coats of the dominant base colour first (in this case the white) and after several days when it has completely dried and cured, start stencilling the black pattern, working from the centre outwards and taking particular care around corners and edges.
Painted floor patterns
14. Polish to perfection
If you’re going to be pouring a concrete slab in a new build or extension, polished concrete is a beautiful and contemporary option. Freestyle Joinery have gone for an industrial minimalist style in this bedroom, encasing the whole room in cement sheet. There is a concrete ceiling, concrete blocks on the wall and a polished concrete floor. It’s not for everyone, but you can see how well this room’s surrounds dictate the minimalist style that’s continued in other features and furnishings.
DESIGN TIP: Contrary to popular belief, polished concrete holds the heat well in winter (especially when there is under-floor heating installed) and keeps your home cool in summer. Plus, it’s a dream to clean.
If you’re going to be pouring a concrete slab in a new build or extension, polished concrete is a beautiful and contemporary option. Freestyle Joinery have gone for an industrial minimalist style in this bedroom, encasing the whole room in cement sheet. There is a concrete ceiling, concrete blocks on the wall and a polished concrete floor. It’s not for everyone, but you can see how well this room’s surrounds dictate the minimalist style that’s continued in other features and furnishings.
DESIGN TIP: Contrary to popular belief, polished concrete holds the heat well in winter (especially when there is under-floor heating installed) and keeps your home cool in summer. Plus, it’s a dream to clean.
15. Go natural with timber
Timber floorboards always look great and will never go out of style. They’re a perfect way to add warmth to a room and are favoured for their versatility, durability and aesthetic appeal.
You can restore your timber floorboards by sanding and re-staining them (depending on the age and the number of sandings they have already had), but if you’re going to tear them up and start again it’s worth looking at all available options.
Nowadays the trend is to use more natural looking floorboards, especially in new builds and extensions. European and American oak, Australian blackbutt, Scandinavian beech and Asian bamboo are some of the most popular types that are available in both hardwood boards and engineered planks.
DESIGN TIP: If you want to spruce up an existing floor, find out exactly what timber it is. Certain timbers have a strong underlying colour that will show through and may not be able to be stained lighter, unless you use a limewash effect.
Timber floorboards always look great and will never go out of style. They’re a perfect way to add warmth to a room and are favoured for their versatility, durability and aesthetic appeal.
You can restore your timber floorboards by sanding and re-staining them (depending on the age and the number of sandings they have already had), but if you’re going to tear them up and start again it’s worth looking at all available options.
Nowadays the trend is to use more natural looking floorboards, especially in new builds and extensions. European and American oak, Australian blackbutt, Scandinavian beech and Asian bamboo are some of the most popular types that are available in both hardwood boards and engineered planks.
DESIGN TIP: If you want to spruce up an existing floor, find out exactly what timber it is. Certain timbers have a strong underlying colour that will show through and may not be able to be stained lighter, unless you use a limewash effect.
WINDOWS
16. Show off your garden
Windows are a wonderful way to bring the outside in, frame stunning views or even hide some not-so-great vistas. There are many window treatments you can use depending on the size and shape of your window, and of course your budget.
Top of the range is installing a glass wall. In this living room, the floor-to-ceiling glass wall (reinforced by an industrial-style framework of metal struts) allows inhabitants to admire a stunning vertical garden display just outside.
16. Show off your garden
Windows are a wonderful way to bring the outside in, frame stunning views or even hide some not-so-great vistas. There are many window treatments you can use depending on the size and shape of your window, and of course your budget.
Top of the range is installing a glass wall. In this living room, the floor-to-ceiling glass wall (reinforced by an industrial-style framework of metal struts) allows inhabitants to admire a stunning vertical garden display just outside.
17. Hang curtains
Curtains add height, colour and a dash of drama to a room – but they can also be fairly costly. Mind you, I see them as an investment worth making (especially for bedrooms) if you are living in your forever-house. In this child’s bedroom, we took our design direction firstly from our eight-year old client who loves pink, and secondly from the curtains. The striped silk curtains with pelmet not only frame the window, but also act as a kind of modern canopy for the bed.
DESIGN TIP: Make sure you use blockout backing if you want a completely dark room when the curtains are closed. Alternatively, linen blend fabrics or pure linens hang extremely well and may not need backing (although this will depend on their thickness).
Curtains add height, colour and a dash of drama to a room – but they can also be fairly costly. Mind you, I see them as an investment worth making (especially for bedrooms) if you are living in your forever-house. In this child’s bedroom, we took our design direction firstly from our eight-year old client who loves pink, and secondly from the curtains. The striped silk curtains with pelmet not only frame the window, but also act as a kind of modern canopy for the bed.
DESIGN TIP: Make sure you use blockout backing if you want a completely dark room when the curtains are closed. Alternatively, linen blend fabrics or pure linens hang extremely well and may not need backing (although this will depend on their thickness).
18. Restore old window frames
Whether fixing up an old bay window, French doors or adding an extension that will feature period windows, consider keeping as much of the original timber frames as possible. They not only add character and charm, but are resilient and hard-wearing too. Plus, replacing them with brand new frames can be costly. Being made from old-growth lumber, historic windows can be made to last for several centuries, unlike replacement windows today which are obsolete within just a few years.
DESIGN TIP: Make sure you add weatherstripping to dramatically increase the efficiency of your windows (your old windows may not have had this).
Whether fixing up an old bay window, French doors or adding an extension that will feature period windows, consider keeping as much of the original timber frames as possible. They not only add character and charm, but are resilient and hard-wearing too. Plus, replacing them with brand new frames can be costly. Being made from old-growth lumber, historic windows can be made to last for several centuries, unlike replacement windows today which are obsolete within just a few years.
DESIGN TIP: Make sure you add weatherstripping to dramatically increase the efficiency of your windows (your old windows may not have had this).
19. Take advantage of the view
We all love a room with a view, so if you have one, embrace it and invite it in! This is what Tim Ditchfield Architects have done in this ‘white box’ house on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. One entire wall is given over to a magnificent view of a canal, cleverly magnified with floor-to-ceiling windows that retract to allow a complete union with the outside.
DESIGN TIP: Consider the window treatments required if choosing floor-to-ceiling windows or bi-fold doors. While these create a feeling of expanse and openness, you’ll have to invest in lots of square metres of curtains or blinds for privacy, unless the view is totally secluded.
TELL US
Do you have a brilliant idea for your envelope that you would like to share? Tell us in the comments section below. We’d love to see your photos too!
MORE
12 Wall Finishes That Go Above and Beyond Plaster
Floor Art: 16 Patterned Floors That Pack a Punch
14 Ceiling Treatments That Will Make You Want to Look Up
We all love a room with a view, so if you have one, embrace it and invite it in! This is what Tim Ditchfield Architects have done in this ‘white box’ house on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. One entire wall is given over to a magnificent view of a canal, cleverly magnified with floor-to-ceiling windows that retract to allow a complete union with the outside.
DESIGN TIP: Consider the window treatments required if choosing floor-to-ceiling windows or bi-fold doors. While these create a feeling of expanse and openness, you’ll have to invest in lots of square metres of curtains or blinds for privacy, unless the view is totally secluded.
TELL US
Do you have a brilliant idea for your envelope that you would like to share? Tell us in the comments section below. We’d love to see your photos too!
MORE
12 Wall Finishes That Go Above and Beyond Plaster
Floor Art: 16 Patterned Floors That Pack a Punch
14 Ceiling Treatments That Will Make You Want to Look Up
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Thanks very much, mamalade, that was the intention in having the bed directly under a window, which under normal circumstances would be a design no-no for me. We couldn't make the room work any other way so I decided to embrace it and turn it into a feature. It's certainly paid off because people LOVE this room!
Yes, just so perfect -- And loved the concept of the 'canopy' being silk .. Congratulations, Ioanna!
Love this! Especially the point, about ceiling sculptural mouldings and polished concrete. Such a good read!