LET'S TALK ABOUT SPACE... 

What to do if you don't have as much of it as you want. How to make it feel bigger, or more welcoming; how to ensure our spaces function in the way we want as well as look and make us feel the way we want them to.

 We didn't have infinite space nor budget available to us for our extension. We considered how we wanted to use our parents retreat, and whilst we always wanted it separate to the house we also knew we would still spend time together as a family in the main house and entertaining area.

So this is how we did it...

It is a bit bigger than the average bedroom size. Spacious enough for a king size bed and two bed side tables comfortably.  This room is more focused on the retreat/holiday feeling that I have craved. It has a big bi-fold door opening, over looking the swimming pool & the entertaining area. Having the bi-fold doors which I leave open most of the time make the master bedroom so much bigger and inviting, as well as embracing the indoor and outdoor life style.

The en-suite is a fraction bigger than the master bedroom,  increasing the size just a bit more allowed me to comfortably fit a free standing bathtub in as well as a floor to ceiling wardrobe the entire length of the wall, a shower recess, vanity and toilet.

I had to go a bit better than mid range plumbing fixtures and cabinetry for a touch of luxury. It literally makes me happy every time I walk into my en-suite.

Talking about the space...There are so many elements in this room. making this room look more minimalistic and bigger I've chosen  300x600 satin finish white wall tiles(not glossy and busy) floor to ceiling with the same colour grout to make everything seamless.  Matching 2 pack cabinetry for the floating vanity & the wardrobe also add a touch of luxury. The big window opening right next to the free standing bathtub also makes this room larger, brighter and the view towards the pool and outdoor area makes you feel like you are in a private resort. 

 *Privacy...? At this stage we don't have to worry about it whatsoever but I do use a removable shower curtain rod with beautiful fabric now and then if I want to.

• Choose lighter colours for your internal walls to open the room up
• Use slide away doors (bi-fold, stackable) that create large openings to make the room bigger
• Use windows to let natural light in. I love louvres.
• Choose furnishings in small spaces that have legs; creating a space between your floor and your furniture enhances the feeling of having slightly more room than you do. (In your bathroom - floating vanity)
• Mirror, Artwork - size and location are critical for this to work.
• NO CLUTTER - you don't need unnecessary stuff to make your room beautiful. These days, less is better.

Sometimes we find areas we can afford to make slightly smaller so that we can enhance another area where the family spend more time or places of more importance. We are living in the world where we have unlimited resources however, trust me it is very hard to assess this for yourself, which is why its so important to have the guidance of professionals - who know the right questions to ask and who have an eye for providing solutions that truly integrate your home with your lifestyle.