Award-winning Hayley Brown, of LouBrown Design, is designing a complete Guthrie Bowron makeover for a Hits fan who despairs of her cluttered spare room.
Keep an eye on this space to see incredible transformations taking place in our exciting new series of room makeovers. Next time – our designer presents her gorgeous ideas for Heather's room.
Heather Dixon is very proud of the fact that she has been able to buy her own property in Palmerston North. It’s her first home and, she hopes that it will be her forever home, too.
“I have so much to do in order to make it perfect,” she told The Hits. “Most of it is yellow, which I don’t like, but at least that’s easy to paint over, however, this particular room is so red!”
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The house was built in the 1930s and retains much of that era’s distinctive personality so Heather is hoping to introduce more neutral décor and a relaxing vibe, that will sit together perfectly with the original features.
“My favourite design styles are coastal, and back-to-nature and I’d like to have somewhere comfortable to sit in this room so I can relax and read, in the sun.”
Heather says it’s also important that the room can provide stylish accommodation for friends and family when they come to stay.
She’s ready to tackle the other rooms in the house but loves the idea of having help with a head-start on this one, thanks to Guthrie Bowron.
“When I make mistakes, I cannot stop seeing them, so having professionals do this will be wonderful.
Hayley-Anne Brown, Lead Interior Designer. Image / Leon Rose.
We chatted with Hayley about the transformation ahead.
OneRoof: What was your first impression when you saw Heather’s current spare room?
Hayley: I can see why she wants to make changes as it’s a smallish room, and she’s right about the red walls, which are very overwhelming and make it feel smaller still. She’s hoping my design will have a spot for her to relax with a book and a cup of tea, as well as room for a queen-size bed, and I think I can definitely help her with that.
OneRoof: What challenges do you see ahead in creating Heather’s dream room and adding that laid-back style?
Hayley: Lack of storage is obvious in many New Zealand homes, and Heather’s is no exception. I’m going to be thinking very carefully about ways in which we can hide her clutter in a stylish way, while making sure it’s still easily accessible. Once that’s all out of sight, it will be quite simple to bring the room alive with a much more fresh, neutral scheme.
Heather's spare room. Image / Mark Coote.
OneRoof: You gave Heather a set of questions to find out a little more about her, and her personality. What did you learn from her answers?
Hayley: Heather likes the outdoors, hiking, skiing and sailing, but she’s also a homebody who enjoys baking, reading. She has travelled in Australia, Europe, and in the US and South Africa and has lived in the UK, Spain and Austria.
Heather appreciates family memories, and her special treasures include a vintage ladder and an heirloom trunk. Heather’s a keen op-shopper and likes looking for items that she can do up. Her favourite artists are Monet and Banksy, so quite a contrast there, and she adores rugged beaches and lush green, flower-filled gardens.
OneRoof: Heather can’t wait to see the finished room. What happens next?
Hayley: I’ve taken all these insights into Heather’s personality and I’m putting together what I hope will be a dream scheme, incorporating many of the things that she loves. I’m currently looking through the huge range of exciting products at Guthrie Bowron.
Some of their new arrivals for summer are going to be just perfect, including a wonderful range of sheer curtain fabrics, which is another thing on Heather’s list of favourite furnishings.
I’ve been gathering samples so I can do up a 3D visual board, using 3D imagery to give Heather a realistic look at what I’m imagining for her room.
Heather's spare room. Image / Mark Coote.
OneRoof: Why is Guthrie Bowron such a good fit for a project like Heather’s spare room?
Hayley: I always enjoy working with Guthrie Bowron, because everything’s there in one place, with paint, wallpaper, flooring, curtains, and blinds. They have lots of experts on staff in their showrooms to show shoppers what’s available - and demonstrate how to use it. It’s great they’re a New Zealand-wide company, with 50 stores. This means that most people have one nearby but, if they prefer, customers can always take advantage of Guthrie Bowron’s in-home consultations, measures and quotes for window furnishings and flooring*.
*Flooring not available in all stores. Travel distance parameters may apply.
Heather loves vintage furniture. Image / Mark Coote.
Top tips to add value
Using the very best quality products you can afford will make your property stand out – especially in terms of flooring, wallpaper, paint and furnishings. If you don’t have the confidence to DIY, get an experienced tradesperson to assist to ensure a quality finish.
Cleverly creating rooms that perform more than one function makes a home more attractive to buyers. Heather’s spare bedroom will double as a private living and relaxing space as well as providing extra storage – and as we all know, you can never have too much!
Alternatively, spare rooms can be repurposed as office space – especially as so many of us are working from home. A clever trick is to incorporate a bed – perhaps a futon pull-out sofa bed, which is also a nice soft comfortable couch. Pull-down beds have always been popular overseas and are quickly catching on in New Zealand - as an excellent space-saver.
Design Tip from Hayley at Lou Brown Design - Balancing A Room
You only have to tilt your head to see an often-forgotten area in a home’s interior: the top half of the space.
Many rooms are what I call "bottom-heavy" because most of the furniture and furnishings are in the lower half.
Here are some quick ways to add weight above, so that your space will instantly feel more balanced.
1. Use a paint colour, other than white - or even wallpaper the ceiling.
2. Large pendant, track lighting or grouping of lights will draw the eye upwards.
3. Ceiling rosettes, timber moulding or panelling can also add interest to the top half of a room.
4. Furnishings that are partially positioned within that top half of the space: tall mirrors, large artworks, tall plants, black curtain rods and other bold elements also serve to help add balance.
Watch out for Heather's room makeover progress in Guthrie Bowron Love Where You Live makeover series.
To find a Guthrie Bowron store near you go to www.guthriebowron.co.nz
This content has been created in partnership with Guthrie Bowron.
