Cue Designbx! Just because you’re feeling rushed to get your sleeping arrangements sorted, it doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice on quality, function or the aesthetic of your space to squeeze everyone in.
One of the key items we are always asked about is sofa beds. Because they range so vastly in price, size and quality, cleverly integrating them into your homes layout is the key in choosing the right one.

With Designbx’s Refresh package at $199 per room, we can help you plan for those extra guests by taking the pain out of some of the guessing work. Or, if you decide you want to finally finish off any of those “too hard basket” rooms that might just need some minor TLC, like artworks or soft furnishings, this package has you covered!
We know most of our clients are run off their feet at this time of year and in the lead up to Christmas, so why not take advantage of our exclusive trade discounts just in time for the holiday season with our complimentary Personal Shopper as a part of your package.

Below are 7 of our faves under $2,000, and why we think they’re winners:

The Civic Ottoman from Oz Design

A versatile Ottoman is the perfect seating addition for almost any room. The Civic Ottoman will also transform into a comfy double bed and is available in a range of different colour and fabric options.

The Agnes Ottoman Sofabed from Oz Design
We all forget about the popular trundle bed for the kids room – but this fun Ottoman which also converts to a single bed will double as practical seating in the reading nook when not being used as a bed.

The Vermont Sofa bed from Matt Blatt
This retro fold-down sofa bed can be set up in under a minute! Less clunkier than the traditional sofa bed, the arms act as a great pillow rest and style isn’t compromised with this funky every-day sofa.

The Rovia Sofa bed from Matt Blatt

An armless sofa is a great option if you are space-poor. It’s also a great design solution for awkward nooks or under a window bay as a window seat. The lush velvet fabric is also durable – this great piece can go anywhere!

The Reisel Sofabed from Matt Blatt
This brings back a few memories of the futon era! Still such a great design for a more casual or low ceiling rooms. A playful design that’s also great in TV rooms.

The Bayview Chaise sofa bed from Zanui

With this brilliantly designed Sofa, you can actually gain three beds from one sofa! Great for the kids lounge or play area with a durable synthetic fabric.

The Kent sofa bed from Oz Design

Luxury, comfort and a queen size mattress!! This is for one of those special guests. An array of colours and fabrics available to match your homes style, the Kent provides a beautiful everyday sofa option converting to a beautiful bed.

The post Top 7 Sofa beds – Time to get ready for those extra guests! appeared first on Designbx.

The bathrooms are one of the most used areas in a home. Though the value of your property is determined based on your entire property, key rooms such as the bathroom and kitchen are known to hold more worth. Hence, renovating your bathroom before putting your property on the market is an almost risk-free way of increasing its value.

1. Update taps, fixtures and fittings

Though taps, fixtures and fittings make up a small area of your bathroom as a whole, they
can play a large part in your bathroom aesthetic. Things like taps, towel rails and toilet roll
holders can all get rusty or dull after being in use for a long time.
Silver tap ware remains the go-to choice since it gives a clean, neutral look. If you’re hoping to increase the value of your property, it is important to ensure that your bathroom remains neutral-coloured so that it can appeal to as many potential buyers as possible.

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2. Upgrade to a larger mirror

Bathroom mirrors tend to be small and/or unattractive. Upgrading your mirror is a good idea if your mirror is scratched, worn or has water damage. Also, if your bathroom is small, switching to a larger mirror can give the illusion of more space.

Mirrors are also a design piece. Choosing a unique one can take your interior design to the next level. However, aim to choose a mirror that would appeal to most people. Otherwise, it could potentially make your home less valuable to prospective buyers.

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3. Paint or re-tile walls and floors

Refreshing outdated tiles whether it be on your walls or floors can make one of the most
significant changes to your bathroom. For your walls, you can use tile paint for a budget-
friendly and quick rejuvenation. Of course, if your budget and time allows for it, re-grouting or re-tiling completely can make your bathroom look brand new.
Unfortunately, bathroom floor tiles can’t be repainted. If your tiles are in relatively good
condition, a DIY re-grout might be enough. However, it might be worthwhile to have a
professional re-tile your floors. If you have a small bathroom, larger tiles help to make the
room seem more spacious.

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4. Replace toilet

Another relatively fast renovation you can complete over the weekend is replacing your
toilet. If you get a professional involved, the process will be smooth for you. However, this
would require a larger budget.

If you’re hoping to do something yourself or to save money, replacing the toilet seat alone
won’t leave a massive dent in your wallet. Plus, it’s relatively easy to do on your own or with the help of a friend.

5. Add storage solutions

Adding storage to your bathroom is an almost guaranteed way to make your bathroom more appealing. If you have a small bathroom, being able to add hidden storage such as storage cabinets with mirrors can add a lot of value.

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Having a variety of storage solutions is important for bathrooms in particular. You can add
simple floating shelves to keep things off the floor, giving the illusion of more space. Extra
towel racks and hooks can also make the room more attractive.

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Bathrooms renovations can range in difficulty and price. Some of these ideas can definitely be done on your own. However, you might want to hire some extra help for anything out of your skill range. They can still be quick! In terms of budget, the common rule of thumb to follow is to allocate no more that 2% of your current property value to a bathroom renovation.

Guest author: James Pointon is a Commercial Manager at OpenAgent.com.au, an online
agent comparison website helping Australians to sell, buy and own property.

The post 5 value-adding bathroom renovations you can complete this weekend appeared first on Designbx.

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Make a game out of it

It doesn’t matter how old you are, cleaning is never fun for anyone.  Turn cleaning into a game of musical chairs, with each person assigned to a different space or room in the house and given five minutes to clean and tidy as much as they can. Before you know it, within 15-20 minutes the whole house can be cleaned and tidied depending on the level of mess. Try playing it with your untidy partner, pump their favourite tunes and set a timer as you sweep through the apartment on a rainy day or lazy afternoon. Not only does it keep the house clean, but it encourages everyone to maintain the place, as 5 minute rooms can get quite competitive!

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Less is more

The trick with untidy people is to eliminate the amount they can make a mess with. Think about hoarders who create piles of clutter. Those with minimalist interior design styles have little to no opportunity to create havoc and clutter in a space. As new items are added and reach the point you’d consider ‘clutter’, force the house into spring cleaning mode. Rid your interiors of any unnecessary items and clear out spaces like the living room, chest of drawers, bathroom cabinets and kitchen bench. Clutter gives the illusion of a fuller space, and mess makers see this as a perfect excuse to add to it. Forcing people to cull their belongings should hopefully create less temptation in the future.

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Have a place for everything

If there isn’t an established position for each belonging, how can people be expected to put things back in place? Items that float around are usually the ones that are left on tables and benches. Buying storage baskets, cabinets and drawer organisers will encourage the mess makers to put it back where they found it. Negotiate with the untidy person to find a solution that works for them. Labelling and colour coding works brilliantly for little kids, as well as adults who need some extra direction. Try adding little coloured dots to items such as personal products, and assign them to a matching coloured basket in the bathroom. If the situation is particularly challenging, create a ‘last warning basket’ and add anything that hasn’t been put back. After two days, if it’s not claimed, it goes in the bin – no exceptions!

Designbx client Corinna uses these tables which are also storage tubs – the perfect storage solution for any playroom in Corinna’s Coastal Transformation!

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Chore charts

Everyone needs a bit of guidance, and those who love to organise love charts! If you live in a share house or with a large family, combating mess requires military precision. As a team, figure out essential chores that need to be done daily, weekly and fortnightly to keep the palace fit for royalty. On a whiteboard, draw up a simple chart that lists duties to be completed, and assign people in turn to complete them. House meetings can be called if things are going pear-shaped, and use the power to name and shame! For the untidy folk there’s nowhere to hide, as they can only be responsible for the task they have been assigned to.

With these space saving ideas your home will enjoy a Cinderella-style transformation in no time. With a light push (or a heavier shove!) your housemates and family can assist you to keep the castle clean. Experiment with each option and embrace the ones that get the most cooperation while keeping the atmosphere in your home light and fun.

If you need help with styling or designing an organised home, we are here to help!  

The post Living with untidy people appeared first on Designbx.

If you are anything like us, your Pinterest feed has been increasingly filled with luxurious bathrooms that are more spacious than the average studio apartment these days. A best case scenario, you feel like these bathroom goals are completely out of reach. Worst case, you’re left feeling downright defeated. Well chin up, friends. We may not have our palatial loos just yet, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t have incredibly clever storage that meets all of our needs while keeping our small bathrooms stylish and clutter-free, too.

1… Tall and thin vertical shelving maximises space.
Vertical shelving is always a great option to sneak in bathroom storage. Having fresh towels and facecloths readily available is a luxury no matter how big or small your space is. Bonus points for adding in greenery. Bathrooms are a great home for plants, since plants can liven up a space and the need to water them is eliminated thanks to moisture that occurs in bathing spaces.

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2… Use the space above your toilet to add shelving.
Whether it’s urban planning or bathroom planning, when there’s limited space to go out, go up. Utilising the space above the toilet is a fantastic option to maximise storage. And with floating shelves more popular than ever, you can store necessities while keeping the feeling open and airy.

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3… Trays next to your sink to keep the small items tidy.
For the OCD in all of us, trays just might be our saving grace. They are a perfect way to curate the items you can’t live without, and help to avoid a cluttered bathroom bench top. If you only have one bathroom, think about storing things like makeup and brushes on trays so you can easily transport your items to another household mirror when the queue to the toilet gets long.

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4… Store your towels and small items on a ladder.
Again, going vertical is always a good way to go when you’re dealing with small spaces. Repurposing as ladder in the bathroom can up your storage and drying game at the same time without taking up too much space. You can even add hooks and hang them on the wall to free up floor space or purchase one that offers a small shelf or two to store things like surgical jars, candles and soaps. Here, you can find more of our tips and tricks to using ladders around the home.

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5… Disguise your laundry baskets.
Who doesn’t get sick of picking up dirty clothes and towels in the bathroom. Let’s make things a bit easier on ourselves by adding a hideaway laundry basket. Since they slide out for easy tossing, and right back in for incognito storage, they make for a perfectly seamless bathroom and you don’t have to worry about a bulky basket in the corner.

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6… Use the space under your sink to add shelving.
Adding storage underneath your sink might seem like a no-brainer, but keeping everything nice and organised can be a bit more of challenge. Consider adding a small lazy-susan to one of your shelves and place everyday items that you and your household member use daily. This ensures easy access, without the hassle of knocking everything over in an effort to reach your favourite moisturiser.

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7… Hang hooks for towels and other objects.
Compared to towel bars, hooks in the bathroom can bring a more relaxed element to the space. And they have the added bonus of taking up less space than bars. Be sure to get sturdy hooks with with an approximate 6 cm projections so towels don’t slip off and wet towels are far enough away from the wall to dry well without rubbing off wall paint over time.

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8… Bathroom caddy equals mobile organisation.
Let’s face it, there’s a lot that goes into keeping us our most fabulous selves. Store everything from toilet paper, makeup and blowdryers in a roller caddy to meet your needs and you can move it from one place to the next if you’re sharing the bathroom with multiple people.   

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9… Use jars, boxes and containers for all your loose objects.
Have you ever experienced one of those super chaotic mornings that always ends up making the rest of the day just as frustrating and unproductive as it started? Keep your mornings as stress-free as possible by keeping things organised. Having a large drawer for storage is amazing, but it can get unruly really quickly. Add inexpensive dividers to keep each item in its rightful place. Clear jars are a tasteful way to display items, and you can easily see when supply replenishing is in need.

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10… Bring life into your bathroom.
Bonus points for adding in greenery. Bathrooms are a great home for plants, since plants can liven up a space and the need to water them is eliminated thanks to moisture that occurs in bathing spaces.

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We know that cramped bathrooms can be a real pain. Hopefully by putting to use just a few of our storage tips for small spaces, you will be able to transform your bathroom into the stress-free sanctuary we all deserve.

Which storage tips will you try? You can shop the look with our new bathroom style boards.

The post Double your storage in a teeny-tiny bathroom appeared first on Designbx.

Santa is checking his list of naughty and nice, rounding up the reindeers and preparing the sleigh.  All the children busily writing their Christmas wish lists ready for the big day!

Families are getting in the festive spirit, putting up trees, decorating houses, and laying out the treasured sacks and stockings for the jolly man in red ready to fill.

Christmas sacks and stockings are as fun and trendy as ever, there is a design and style just for you are your little person’s personality.  

Here are some of our faves!

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Let’s get fun and jolly with Sack Me and their brilliantly bright and fun collection… a truly coastal vibe From $79.90 a set.

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Giant pom poms and luscious velvet…a luxe Christmas Kip & Co Santa sacks ($59).

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Sweet and simple, a more traditional chic approach Cabin & Co gold tree santa sacks ($49) A timeless piece!

These beautiful heirloom-quality Santa sacks by Down to the Woods ($69.95) are designed to be family keepsakes for many years to come.

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Go Scandi this year with these bold stripe and geometric designs from Cotton On Kids santa sacks.

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Black and white…why not!  monochrome stockings by Liewood ($59.95) are for those cool cats!  

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Pretty and pastel these thoughtful designs by Scandi brand Fabelab ($55) come in a range of earthy colours and critters.

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Designbx | Santa stockings and socks with sass! | designbx.com

The post Santa sacks and stockings with sass! appeared first on Designbx.

In addition to this article’s title, we could probably cram at least fifty more puns into the text, but that would distract us from the subject matter (possibly another pun), which happens to be one of our favourite interior design features: the humble bookcase.

It’s incredible that an item which should, in theory, ruin colour schemes and challenge most design styles, remains a powerful visual display. It’s even more impressive that in the e-book era, the bookcase continues to be a consistent inclusion in most homes. The reason for the bookcase’s stubborn refusal to die isn’t the significant amount of readers who simply prefer the feel of a printed publication in their hands; it’s the fact that a bookshelf adds to the look of a space while suggesting nostalgia, sentimentality, culture and personality.

In the Modern Eclectic home, a wall dominated by an extensive book collection perfectly suits the type of character we’d expect to find in the environment. In fact, printed words are such an integral part of their lifestyle that built-in cabinets are the most effective way of displaying all those soft and hardbacks. Built-ins not only add value to the property, but also frame architectural features. If you’re afraid of losing that Modern Eclectic sense of clean and open space, make sure you match the colour of your built-ins with the wall.

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If there’s a design style that can be communicated effectively by the addition of a bookcase, it’s Vintage. In fact, it’s probably compulsory to include at least one large bookcase. A lot of effort can go into expressing old world values and craftsmanship, but an impressive set of classics does the job effortlessly. Suddenly we achieve a sense of warm nostalgia as we’re reminded of old library shelves. You can also try floating shelves, which make your presentation of books feel more like artwork.

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Over the past few years we’ve seen books displayed in increasingly intelligent ways as homeowners use functional design to achieve compact living. Once driven by practicality, the art of using every possible square centimetre of space has become a feature. We’re seeing bookcases become walls and bed heads as homeowners utilise every nook. The warmth books add to the feel of a space is undeniable, so there are few examples of bookcases looking out of place.

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If your design is Industrial, choose materials for your cases that reflect your home’s style. You’ll want finishes that tap into the edgy, raw energy your space projects. Regardless of the barebones appeal of your interiors, harmony is still important. Consider layering furniture items, and place a sofa in front of the bookcase to add dimension.

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As you can see from the example we’ve included, it’s definitely possible to find bookcases with a truly Luxe appeal, so if you’re aiming for elegance, don’t feel limited by your choice of cases. Take the time to find an ornate item that will add rather than detract from your design. Bold use of patterns and shapes should be consistent with your style, and colours must help the case feel integral.

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If Vintage needs a few dusty tomes on display, Boho is the other style that demands the use of bookshelves. Everything about an impressive bookcase is consistent with Boho, which suggests an open and furtive mind; one that is certainly well read. In an open plan space, use your bookcase as a divider to create a little intimacy, and remember that unlike other interior design styles, you can be bold with colour, as long as you’re consistent. Finally, the Boho lover will garnish the shelves with keepsakes from travels and sentimental items, in line with the style’s disregard for convention.

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There are many good reasons why we hate throwing books away. They’re significant parts of our past that link us to characters and atmospheres. They’re the items that have unlocked our imaginations since we were children. But don’t underestimate their beauty. Whether individual or part of well presented collection, the humble book’s aesthetic appeal is here to stay.

Designbx |  “On the case_ Bookshelves for your style and space” | designbx.com

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