What is Australian style interior design?

We tend to give a nod to our unique Australian landscape in all of my interiors in one way or another. There is something special about our island nation that we love to see celebrated in our homes. This material board pays homage to our country in a more overt way with its earthy greens and pops of rust, warm timbers and rich metals.

Conceiving the colour palette

Laminex Seed set the tone for this scheme. We had the colour matched to a paint colour, Dulux Still, which in practice gives the opportunity to repeat the colour however we want. Repeating colours this way in an interior scheme can be very effective in creating a sense of calm and cohesiveness, which is generally what I aim for in my interiors. For instance, you might like to use a Laminex colour on the kitchen cabinets and paint the surrounding walls in the same colour. We also have some experience using Laminex Possum and Laminex Seed as cabinetry fronts and can confirm they make for a beautiful, sophisticated finish.

Source: Abide Interiors

Selecting your hard finishes and fixtures

If you can slip some decorative wall panelling into your interior scheme it’s a sure way to elevate your space. The demi round MDF wall panelling (Laminex Surround Demi round 20) reminds us of corrugated iron which feels iconically Australian, but it’s also quite a contemporary profile that could be used behind a TV or bedhead to add some dimension and pattern.

The fluid pattern of the large tile in the scheme creates the backdrop to this look and the pops of rust have made it easy to tie back the ochre colours in the board. We’d use a tile such as this as a floor tile where we believe it would make a beautiful foundation. Although, we’d avoid using it on a wall application where you risk the pattern being too busy.

We’ve opted for bronze metal in this scheme which feels on-brand with my Australiana look and feel. The board depicts a combination of living bronze and electroplated bronze which we wouldn’t place side by side or even in the one room, but you could certainly use a combination of both in the home. Living bronze is uncoated and will beautifully patina over time. It’s also in a higher price bracket so we’d include it in heavy-use space like the kitchen and potentially opt for the more cost-effective option for the bathrooms and/or laundry. In both cases, the warmth of the colour feels perfect, not grabbing any attention, just gently enhancing the look.

Soft furnishings

Natural, breathable fibres like linen and cotton textiles feel like a natural integration into an Australian inspired theme. we’d love to see these linens used to upholster a bedhead or made into cushions covers. 

In contrast, to the subtle linens, the chunky loop pile wool carpets add rich texture and a sense of luxury. They could even inspire a beautiful rich rug for a living room or for under a bed if you didn’t want to commit to wall to wall carpet.

Let’s Get Started

Creating a mood board for the design of your future home will not only assist with communicating your vision to your colour-selection specialist but will also give you confidence in the outcome of your home design. A reference you can always go back to in future, keep your Australian inspired mood board close during your home selections process.

Don’t forget to share with us your mood board design by tagging @ausmarhomes on Facebook and Instagram.