Almost everything in this colorful family home is Vintage - Captivate your design style! How? Read on..
When My Style Interiors Brisbane first walked into this Townhouse, we were instantly struck by its balance of warm, lived in energy and fresh, elevated aesthetics - Each room is well curated and contemporary, but far from sterile. This careful balance is a signature of My Style Interiors, Raquel Abbott behind all this Interior Design work.
Indeed, when hired to take on this project, Raquel was determined to work with almost all of the preexisting pieces. And her process is as sustainable as it is stylish.
With four and a half baths and five bedrooms, Raquel had a lot of square foot to cover. This Townhouse was built in the early to mid 80's. When the clients purchased this home it had four kitchens and was a rabbit warren of small rooms. It was a gut renovation over the course of more than a year. To minimize waste, and because gut renovations tend to contribute the most waste to landfills, she focuses her sustainability efforts on responsible consumerism.
The relationship between this aesthetic and the politics of sustainability and social responsibility is what drove every decision we made here, Raquel tells us. She sees sustainable decorating as simple a four pronged deal; re purpose vintage items, revitalize outdated pieces, shop vintage whenever possible, and source the rest from ethically produced companies.
In this clients home, that meant choosing vintage rugs, textiles, furniture, lighting, and decor, incorporating reclaimed wood as much as possible (like as floating shelves), and revitalizing banisters and window castings. as far as tiles, plumbing and even furniture, Raquel researched the companies employment practices to make sure they were aligned with My Style Interiors Brisbane standards. Many of the suppliers ended up being smaller, independent makers in Queensland.
Rather than seeing it as tedious, My Styles Design philosophy is all about taking something undesirable and making it look and feel intentional, beautiful and meaningful.
That challenge turned opportunity speaks directly to her personal style, something she describes as ever- evolving
This home expands as one travels to more corners of the earth, is inspired by more works of art, has more exposure to different architecture and artisan ship, and even experiences of new forms in nature. Your home, too, should reflect your family's narrative, interests, travels, etc... By that, we refer to sentimental collections, inherited heirlooms, and flea market treasures on their second, third, and fourth lives.
The mindset marries well with the design directive. The clients wanted their home to feel timeless, un-precious and un-fussy. With three kids and a dog, they're busy but they also wanted their home to be a place of joy and comfort, which meant it couldn't be too high maintenance. Not to mention, most clients don't need to be convinced to keep pieces they love as long as they function well and can be made more attractive (if they aren't already so).
Beworking existing pieces helps them stretch their budgets as well, so I often find that this practice helps tick lots of boxes; Emotional & Functional.
Our client was also a visual artis and has spent time in Morocco, both of which are strongly communicated in the interiors, from the fearless use of shape, color, and texture to Moroccan accents. Raquel's job was just helping her client channel those things into the material space. We try to educate our clients along the way about how best to hone their taste to cultivate a point of view if they don't have one confidently established. But everyone has preferences, things they are drawn to and not. Raquel tries to start from there and help them refine and elucidate those themes.
XOXO
Indeed, when hired to take on this project, Raquel was determined to work with almost all of the preexisting pieces. And her process is as sustainable as it is stylish.
With four and a half baths and five bedrooms, Raquel had a lot of square foot to cover. This Townhouse was built in the early to mid 80's. When the clients purchased this home it had four kitchens and was a rabbit warren of small rooms. It was a gut renovation over the course of more than a year. To minimize waste, and because gut renovations tend to contribute the most waste to landfills, she focuses her sustainability efforts on responsible consumerism.
The relationship between this aesthetic and the politics of sustainability and social responsibility is what drove every decision we made here, Raquel tells us. She sees sustainable decorating as simple a four pronged deal; re purpose vintage items, revitalize outdated pieces, shop vintage whenever possible, and source the rest from ethically produced companies.
In this clients home, that meant choosing vintage rugs, textiles, furniture, lighting, and decor, incorporating reclaimed wood as much as possible (like as floating shelves), and revitalizing banisters and window castings. as far as tiles, plumbing and even furniture, Raquel researched the companies employment practices to make sure they were aligned with My Style Interiors Brisbane standards. Many of the suppliers ended up being smaller, independent makers in Queensland.
Rather than seeing it as tedious, My Styles Design philosophy is all about taking something undesirable and making it look and feel intentional, beautiful and meaningful.
That challenge turned opportunity speaks directly to her personal style, something she describes as ever- evolving
This home expands as one travels to more corners of the earth, is inspired by more works of art, has more exposure to different architecture and artisan ship, and even experiences of new forms in nature. Your home, too, should reflect your family's narrative, interests, travels, etc... By that, we refer to sentimental collections, inherited heirlooms, and flea market treasures on their second, third, and fourth lives.
The mindset marries well with the design directive. The clients wanted their home to feel timeless, un-precious and un-fussy. With three kids and a dog, they're busy but they also wanted their home to be a place of joy and comfort, which meant it couldn't be too high maintenance. Not to mention, most clients don't need to be convinced to keep pieces they love as long as they function well and can be made more attractive (if they aren't already so).
Beworking existing pieces helps them stretch their budgets as well, so I often find that this practice helps tick lots of boxes; Emotional & Functional.
Our client was also a visual artis and has spent time in Morocco, both of which are strongly communicated in the interiors, from the fearless use of shape, color, and texture to Moroccan accents. Raquel's job was just helping her client channel those things into the material space. We try to educate our clients along the way about how best to hone their taste to cultivate a point of view if they don't have one confidently established. But everyone has preferences, things they are drawn to and not. Raquel tries to start from there and help them refine and elucidate those themes.
XOXO
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