How to create warehouse style
Love the look of your local café? You are not alone. For a while it seemed as though every interior was embracing the industrial style of inner-city hotspots. Inspired by rustic raw materials, New York loft apartments and the odd indie movie, this style is capturing the imagination of architects, designers and latte-drinkers everywhere.
Exposed brick walls, copper piping and unpolished timber floors are some of the key elements of the warehouse look. It particularly has appeal for families wanting to add a rustic appearance and look of authenticity to their new homes.
And so, it was only natural that the House Rules family decided to tackle this look, with the teams’ first challenge of 2019 – creating a warehouse feel in an industrial-era apartment building.
Judge Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen said the resulting renos were an exciting indication of what was to come throughout the competition, while Wendy Moore said it was the best beginning of any of seven seasons of the show.
Inspired? We asked new judge Jamie Durie to tell us what he thinks are the key elements of warehouse style and how to get it right in your home.
“I think you have got to pay homage to the original features of the warehouse, and the rough distressed walls and so-forth,” he says. “I think, to a certain extent that has to play into the design.”
Jamie says he was really impressed by the style shown by the teams. “I think they did a really great job in honouring the warehouse and allowing these rooms to feel like they were a cosy, warm, inviting, luxurious space, in what was a warehouse – that's not easy to achieve,” he says.
He was a fan of the painted brick wall in the living space, which included a white wash over a rich blue. “By putting a matte white paint over the blue (‘Stepping Stone’ Everlast Low Sheen paint from Berger Paints), they were really playing with the shadows of the brickwork, rather than the colour. It was really about embracing the texture of those old bricks. That was their way of sharing the warehouse with us, which I thought was appropriate.”
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