A leading expert in her field, Shaynna’s career has spanned many disciplines, including interior design, homeware design and television. The sophisticated and artful way she layers a space have earned her a loyal following, striking an even balance between comfort and style. And it’s no coincidence that her personality is as brilliant and vibrant as her designs.

“I’ve been surrounded by design I would say all my life with my family dabbling in renovations, artwork, music and performing,” says Shaynna. “It was never anyone’s job when I was growing so I always thought it was a hobby, so when I was older and found out it was career path I knew it was what I was meant to be doing.”

When it comes to her individual interior style, the designer is known for effortlessly combining crisp, clean interiors, with unexpected twists.  “I do stick to basics in the planning and functionality of a home but I love making statements in colour, art and fixtures that aren’t trend driven and a space to fall in love with,” says Shaynna.  “I find people engage in your space more when you deliver something different.”

Whether you’re decorating your first home or fifth, with great design the devil is in the detail. Shaynna says allow your space to continuously change – as your life does.  “The best way to add character to a room is to add what makes you smile,” says Shaynna. “Don’t focus on pieces such as a chair or a cushion, but more about the elements that will bring you alive when you walk into a room,” she says. “Is it the colour because it reminds you of your holiday, a certain picture/artwork that holds some significance to you or the textures and touch of fabrics that spell a subtly luxury to you.”

Shaynna’s latest project sees the designer go beyond being the face of a campaign, designing a homewares range exclusive to Harris Scarfe. As a designer who builds from the ground up, she believes in starting with the basics, then layering to create the extraordinary. The range has two distinct looks; timeless classic with a formal edge, and a more casual look for everyday living.

“I am over the moon with this collection as it takes on my philosophy of classic with the unpredictable.  The linen collection is a mix of textures with a very classic palette of grey, navy, white and taupe and then layered with prints that are bold and cheeky and unexpected features such as the miniature pom-pom accents on the sheets.  The quality is beautiful to touch and they have a lux feel, without the price.  Over the next few months we are introducing more pieces to the collection that will extend throughout the home so the collection will not only work with what you have, but be able to be added to seamlessly!”

“I am loving the pom-pom sheets, the Flower Watlz doona cover and cushions, but to tell you the truth I am loving all of the pieces, as I know how versatile they are and won’t date,” says Shaynna.

The post The Influencer Project-Shaynna Blaze appeared first on Completehome.

It’s amazing how quickly interiors can age. What once seemed cutting-edge and contemporary can become irrelevant and dated before you know it. The homeowners of a Collingwood apartment found themselves in this conundrum and decided to rethink their warehouse residence. But they couldn’t do it alone, so they called on the expertise of one of Australia’s favourite interior designers, Shaynna Blaze.

The homeowners purchased the home 15 years ago from a developer and hadn’t touched it since. The residence was a lolly factory in a past life and features iconic windows, steel beams and exposed brick — strong bones for a revised interior that would suit the clients and their pet Schnauzer. In spite of these character features, there was still plenty of work to do to bring the apartment up to scratch. “The kitchen, outdoor area and bathroom were a basic builder’s spec and didn’t function as they should have,” Shaynna says. “The furniture and interiors were void of anything personal, so the look was very bland. This is the home they love and want to stay in for the next 20 years, so it was about creating a place they never want to leave.”

The body of work included a new kitchen, outdoor courtyard, lounge/dining space, master bedroom and a bathroom. “The kitchen needed to be a whole new update as there was no functionality in the storage or connection to the rest of the space,” says Shaynna. “The streamlined design of the kitchen was broken up with black lines, which mirror the horizontal lines of the original windows.” Bronze accents were incorporated into the space through the splashback, which adds warmth and a touch of glamour to the kitchen. Following on from the warming ambience of the kitchen, a timber fireplace was installed in the living room. “A physical warmth was added with a new fireplace to not only fire up the place, but to break up the long spine wall of bricks and help define the areas in the large, open-plan space.”

Due to the industrial style nature of the structure and the clients’ need for a functional space, everything had to be considered, from the fixtures and fittings to the furnishings. “The clients’ style is very minimalist, so it was important that everything had a function and every feature meant something,” says Shaynna. Injecting a sense of warmth into the warehouse space was high on the agenda, as was striking the right balance between an industrial vibe and a cosy atmosphere, something perfectly suited to the Shaynna Blaze style. “As the building was filled with cold surfaces, it was important to bring warmth into the space with materials,” says Shaynna. “The simple design was highlighted with the grains and textures of timber, as well as the exposed brickwork.”

Timber features heavily in the palette and was utilised throughout the apartment. “The feature floating entertainment unit was custom-built out of messmate (timber), which is repeated on the breakfast bench in the kitchen,” says Shaynna.

Ecstatic with the end result, the homeowners are now enjoying the full potential of their home. The new space maintains a sense of history while boasting a unique aesthetic that is sure to stand the test of time.

Written by Annabelle Cloros

Photography by Vanessa Hall

Originally in Grand Designs Australia Volume 6 Issue 4

The post The Sweet Life: a Shaynna Blaze Collingwood Grand Design appeared first on Completehome.

“Colours will change with different lighting and reflection and so each colour looks different in every house. Testing your paint colour with sample pots allows you to see the colour at different times of the day and see how it looks in your surroundings. This way you can test a couple of colours at one time to work out your best palette.

Paint can be a bit of a chameleon, and even the most seasoned designer or decorator (including myself) cannot be 100% sure of the performance of a colour. Don’t get me wrong – a colour won’t change dramatically from a blue to a red, but the subtleties of a colour change in a room. For example, a blue might take on a greener tone depending on its surroundings, or what you thought was a very bright white might have a slight yellow to it in your house due to the timbers in the room or the direction it is facing.” says Blaze.

In terms of some practical tips, Shaynna suggests:

• Trying only two colours at once – any more can get confusing. By process of elimination you can easily define the right colour for you.
• Using an A4 piece of cardboard gives you the flexibility to move the colour around all four walls of each room (as every walls get different light and reflections). Not rushing to paint straight on your walls means you don’t end up with a rainbow while you are still working out the perfect colour.
• View your colours in both morning and afternoon daylight, plus with lights on at night, ‘sitting’ with them for around three days – any more and you risk over-analysing. Colour should give you an instant feeling, so taking longer possibly means you are procrastinating on the work, rather than the colour choice!

To help get you sampling away, Shaynna picks a colour from each of Taubmans 2017 lookbooks and suggests how to best to use it:

Coastal Curator

Shaynna: “Welcome to pure bliss inspired by the Hamptons and Scandi – you like it simple and fresh, but with a twist of urban cool. You know how to use white to open up a space, but still maintain that cosy and homely feel.”

Sample Taubmans SNOW DROP to achieve a freshness to an interior.

New Neutralist

Shaynna: “There is nothing ‘beige’ about you – in fact, you are a colour vanguard. You know how to combine the tried and trusted with the unexpected to create a look that turns the conventional idea of a neutral colour palette upside down, inside out and wrong way round…”

Try a little Taubmans WINTER MIST in your lounge room or bedroom for a soft glow to your walls.

Nature Warrior

Shaynna: “You are probably a practical, down-to-earth person who knows how to harness the goodness of nature… In your home, you strive for balance and harmony and this you achieve (chances are if you are a green lover, you are a super high-achiever across most areas of your life…)”

Taubmans HIGHLAND MEADOW is a colour to cocoon you in your home – so perfect when you have a garden view.

Pastel Pioneer

Shaynna: “All of the sweet with none of the calories. These sugary combinations will inspire you to extract all of the fun and leave most of the twee. Taubmans has the perfect pastel palettes for every room in your home – not just the bub’s room!”

A sample pot of Taubmans STORMY SHADOW can help you experiment to find your perfect pastel – a great colour to add contrast.

Dark Horse

Shaynna: “Taking the leap over to the ‘dark side’ has the potential to invoke terror in some. But not you. You are bold. You are a pioneer. You go beyond the pale. You’ve got guts. You know how to make a dark palette work in any space.”

Taubmans HOYA could be the perfect moody hue to add just the right dose of drama to your room or home – don’t be afraid to paint all the walls in your room as this is a colour that will lift a room, not enclose it.

Treasure Hunter

Shaynna: “A collector of experiences and exotic wonders. You are inspired by your travels and by the colours, sounds and scents of unknown places. You make your own maps when it comes to decorating your home.”

Try a little Taubmans MOJO to help you find the best backdrop for your treasured collections, working just as well in modern or traditional interiors, while contrasted with whites gives a classical elegance to any space. For more, visit taubmans.com.au

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