Renovating your home is an exciting time, but it can also be challenging if you don’t know where to begin. It all starts with having a strong understanding of the look you want – from size and shape through to colours and materials. Luckily, there are some easy ways to bring your vision to life – try these tips to help focus on designing the exact look and feel you want to achieve.
For ideas on everything from exterior cladding through to tapware, Pinterest is a treasure trove of creative inspiration. Start by making a board for each area in your home that you plan on renovating, for example ‘Exterior’, ‘Kitchen’,’ Bathroom’, ‘Deck’ and so on. Follow existing Pinterest users who have already created their own boards, or ‘pin’ images directly from other websites, to archive and organise your ideas. With millions of images available, it helps to make your search terms as specific as possible. For example, ‘Modern home with alfresco pool area‘ or ‘Contemporary renovation with industrial style cladding’. For inspiration on creating a modern look, visit the Scyon Walls Pinterest page where you’ll find boards dedicated to everything from coloured cladding to mixed material façades.
Instagram is a great tool for sourcing and saving ideas for your renovation, with an endless stream of images from all around the world providing daily inspiration. Follow your favourite accounts and save images straight to the ‘saved posts’ page in your profile by clicking the bookmark icon underneath the image. A feature called Instagram Collections allows you to further organise your saved images into folders, which might be titled ‘Deck Extension’ or ‘Home Façade’. Alternatively, you can use the search tool to look for hashtags like #australianarchitecture or #modernhomedesign. Visit the Scyon Walls Instagram account for modern architecture inspiration from around Australia, from classic, elegant façades to inviting outdoor entertaining areas.
For expert tips on planning your renovation, look to those in the know. An array of talented architects, interior designers and landscape gardeners, including home renovation expert Joe Snell, offer practical and aspirational advice on designing the home of your dreams. Seek out influencers you love on social media who share your aesthetic – many will also have websites and blogs featuring home renovation projects in greater detail. Don’t forget to save the images you love to your Pinterest board or Instagram’s ‘saved posts’ page – keeping your ideas together will stop you from becoming distracted and help you to narrow in on a precise vision of your renovation, from the overall build through to interior design and redecorating.
The best way to visualise your future home is by creating a clear picture of exactly how you imagine it will look. This helps to keep you focused and is a reminder of the end goal – it also ensures that you are considering the bigger picture when it comes to your renovation. Start by selecting the look you love – from mid-century modern or contemporary bungalow to coastal or country Hamptons – with the shape and size you desire. Once you’ve got the basics sorted, you can begin to choose the all-important details such as colours, materials and features that will make your modern home one of a kind.
While these tools can be used for your own reference, they’re also perfect for sharing with your builder or architect so that you can communicate the exact look you want. Planning your renovation should be fun – so start now and pull together your dream modern look in no time!