The owners built this home about 10 years ago and recently refurbished the interior. The home suited the family’s

needs very well when the children were young, but now that they are nine and 13 years old, changing requirements called for changing environments.

A home with more distinction between spaces was needed, as well as an upgrade in furnishings — those that no longer had to take into account grubby hands and runaway toddlers. The homeowners enlisted the help of John Croft Design, who was referred by a friend. “The children have grown,” explains Kylie Mann, senior interior designer at V

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RIVER VIEW

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Tides of A busy family with two children now has a comfortable, functional and beautiful space in which to relax

change

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In the formal living space, a storage unit was constructed to cater for the homeowner’s extensive collection of models

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we loveThe influence of the natural

world outside has been incorporated into the home

through the use of floral fabrics and textiles

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Kylie and Nyria anticipated the refl ection of the stylish Queenslander lifestyle to match the indoor/outdoor footprint of the home and the Queensland climate

ABOVE Elegant and bright natural accents paired with neutrals allude to the stylish Queensland lifestyle

BELOW RIGHT The neutral palette is balanced by dashes of relaxing colours

John Croft Design, “and the homeowners wanted to furnish their home in a way that all the family members could enjoy.”

Interior designer Nyria McKew assisted Kylie in totally revitalising this much-loved but tired home, which boasts a magnifi cent view over the Brisbane River. Together, their end goal was to truly enhance the lives of their clients and their family. Integral to the concept was creating living areas that catered to all members of the household. John Croft Design supplied new furniture, rugs and furnishings throughout the home to satisfy the current needs of this active family and their growing children. The parents were well catered for with a separate sitting room, which includes new custom-made cabinetry designed to display the husband’s hobby of replica army models and aeroplanes.

Both parents lead very busy lives and it was necessary for the home to be relaxing, comfortable and, above all, functional. Kylie and Nyria achieved this through modernising the home and bringing in stylish details. With a neutral palette operating as the basis for the design, beautiful natural accents were layered over the top to create elegant spaces. The natural accents run deeper than just aesthetics, however. Kylie and Nyria anticipated the refl ection of the stylish Queenslander lifestyle

to match the indoor/outdoor footprint of the home and the Queensland climate. Flower and leaf patterns are incorporated in the furnishings and rugs, with the natural world invited in through the large open doors and patio spaces. While a neutral palette of browns and taupes forms the basis of the designs, colourful accents of aqua, green, purple and olive dance on the fabrics and rugs.

The family living area — which Kylie explains is very much the hub of the home — was particularly considered carefully. The generous-sized curved sofa is big enough for all the family to sit on comfortably together, creating optimal relaxation for everyone. Had Kylie and Nyria opted for a typical right-angle-shaped modular sofa, the room would have become closed off and the seamless view out across the river would have been stunted.

“The role of an interior designer is always to enhance the lives of the client,” Kylie explains. And in this endeavour, the happy clients now have a perfect combination of natural accents, colours, storage space and relaxed family solutions, enabling them to move effortlessly into the next stage of their lives — teenagers, parents and natural accents all in tow. HD

more info?John Croft Design07 3257 0633johncroftdesign.com.auPhotography Clive Buxton

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