Read our latest blogs written by managing editor, Kate St James and her editorial team.
See all blogs »
A Timeless Renovation
What’s most striking about the renovated Coburg home of design forecaster and interior designer Marylou Paino is how incredibly well it has stood the test of time. She reveals the art of achieving a look that won’t date overnight
Although the work was undertaken 20 years ago, in terms of today’s trends Marylou Paino’s renovation could easily pass as newly completed.
As a specialist design forecaster — whether it’s colours, product, environment or design in general — this leading light in Australian design has the knack of foreseeing the future of design trends while steering clear of short-term fads.
The refurbishment and extension of the single-fronted, brick Victorian dwelling, which happens to be amid the longest row of fully detached terraces in Victoria, was approached in stages. And although this was largely determined by budget, patience delivered many advantages.
“As much as you want to be able to do everything at once, the positive of a staged renovation is that it actually grows the style. You can add components as you go along and it becomes dateless. So long as you’re not living in a construction site, the benefit is a result that will endure.”
Marylou wanted to create an element of surprise while taking into consideration the needs of her family’s lifestyle when devising the floor plan. In doing this, the two front bedrooms remain in their original location, but in a reversal of the predictable central bathroom followed by kitchen and living spaces. Instead, the decision was made to position the bathroom and laundry at the rear of the home to counteract the practical issue that Marylou’s husband, Anthony, who is a tradesman, would otherwise by default traipse dirt throughout the house at the end of each day. Conversely, this configuration enabled one-stop access from the garage to the wet area.
The heart of the home is now a spacious living room and adjoining galley kitchen, both of which overlook a cosy, light-filled outdoor courtyard.
“I wanted to create a bit of mystery and exploration going through one area into another so I could achieve zones,” she explains.
The bathroom and kitchen in particular showcase Marylou’s design edge and uncanny talent for seeing into the future.
Once the extended shell was in place, refurbishing the bathroom became the immediate priority. Stunning honed bluestone floor and wall tiles were chosen well “before most people dreamt of bringing dark colours into the bathroom” and demonstrate that using natural materials with innate tonal variation is one way to create timeless appeal.
“For something to last a long time it can’t be perfect to begin with. It has to have imperfections, like the stones in the streets in Europe — there’s a history to it.”
A section of glass bricks served to introduce light to inhibit mould and to make the space seem larger. While a subtle metallic laminate for the floating cabinet was a bold design choice at the time, it is now very much a current look.
The second port of call was the kitchen, prompted by the pending arrival of daughter Tayla, now seven years old. Up until that juncture, a temporary open shelving structure housed plates and cookware and a piece of MDF board with a cut out did the trick for the sink.
Quality European appliances were purchased from the outset and then re-used in the eventual refurbishment. This approach allowed a trial run of the flow and consolidation of ideas. In such a long, narrow terrace, a galley kitchen formation is the best choice, Marylou says.
“You either choose to pop the kitchen in the middle and add a box without a courtyard or create a light-filled galley style,” she explains, emphasising that a view from the sink was a must.
Another example of Marylou’s crystal ball perceptiveness was her choice of industrial stainless-steel square tube framing in which to sit the furniture-style cabinetry that a decade ago involved customisation by commercial fabricators. Today, it’s readily available for residential applications. She has always been a fan of drawers clustered in groups for specific functions. Interestingly, drawers with intricate storage systems have become a very strong trend as we seek to maximise space and kitchens sit as part of a living space. There is also the ergonomic benefit of being able to see things at a glance without bending. Other timeless choices were: stone benchtops and splashback, a dark grey two-pack paint finish and glass sliding doors to cabinetry, as well as stainless-steel rod handles and stainless-steel appliances.
Marylou has worked with key Australian manufacturers, suppliers and major retailers for more than 23 years, including the design of kitchens and bathrooms for Mitre 10, Porter Davis Homes, Laminex and Reecedesign. Underscoring her design of kitchen layouts is consideration of day-to-day conveniences to allow people to “automatically” find things that are used frequently for preparation or cooking.
“I do a lot of design based on living,” says Marylou. That involves looking at the first thing you do in the kitchen of a morning and drawing circles for different functions, which in turn shows what to put where and then all of those circles come together, she says.
A prime example is the coffee and tea drawer that stores cups, coffee, spoons, tea and sugar near the boiling water tap instead of having to go to three different locations. Sliding glass doors on the underbench cupboards and a tall, narrow, pull-out pantry avoid encroaching on space while visually enlarging the confines of the galley kitchen.
Because research is critical to staying abreast and ahead in design, product and material development, Marylou has been an avid visitor of trade fairs for more than 15 years.
A revered calendar event is Eurocucina held bi-annually in Milan — it’s the world’s leading exhibition for kitchen furniture trends, covering new products, designs, materials, finishes and technologies. Marylou has teamed with Liz Jones, who is a business consultant to the building industry, to publish a book on the latest offerings from Eurocucina 2008 titled Trendjournal, journey through Eurocucina 2008.
The duo has sifted through and packaged information into three distinct kitchen styles they believe complement the Australian lifestyle, culture and taste buds: The Living Room Kitchen, The Workspace Kitchen and the Gourmet Deli Kitchen.
Normally this information is made exclusively available to kitchen manufacturers in Australia to help them determine their next range, but as kitchens are becoming increasingly important spaces within the home and consumers have become hungrier for information to aid their decision-making, Marylou and Liz decided to make the trade trend secrets more widely accessible.
“Everyone can be inspired and excited about new kitchen ideas,” she enthuses.
Although the work was undertaken 20 years ago, in terms of today’s trends Marylou Paino’s renovation could easily pass as newly completed.
Marylou wanted to create an element of surprise while taking into consideration the needs of her family’s lifestyle when devising the floor plan. In doing this, the two front bedrooms remain in their original location, but in a reversal of the predictable central bathroom followed by kitchen and living spaces. Instead, the decision was made to position the bathroom and laundry at the rear of the home to counteract the practical issue that Marylou’s husband, Anthony, who is a tradesman, would otherwise by default traipse dirt throughout the house at the end of each day. Conversely, this configuration enabled one-stop access from the garage to the wet area.
“For something to last a long time it can’t be perfect to begin with. It has to have imperfections, like the stones in the streets in Europe — there’s a history to it.”
Another example of Marylou’s crystal ball perceptiveness was her choice of industrial stainless-steel square tube framing in which to sit the furniture-style cabinetry that a decade ago involved customisation by commercial fabricators. Today, it’s readily available for residential applications.
“I do a lot of design based on living,” says Marylou. That involves looking at the first thing you do in the kitchen of a morning and drawing circles for different functions, which in turn shows what to put where and then all of those circles come together, she says.
