My Favourite Make-overs!

3/ The Federation Lounge room.

The owners of this house had wanted something bright and sunny - after all, they'd moved from England in search of the sun!

I felt this room needed a chic makeover, something bright yet still in keeping with the period style of the building.

I selected a Dulux "Eldorado Tan" for the wall and architraves off set with the vibrant contrast of a single wall and window frame in a Murobond Pentimento Limewash "Phoenix Red".

To add a little interest to the remaining walls, I alternated stripes of the "Eldorado Tan" in a flat and gloss finish.

Because the owners expressed concern at the only window facing the street and being right at head level, I decided to replace the old aluminium framed window with a large panel of glass bricks. This afforded the owners plenty of natural light and privacy!

Storage was a problem in this home, so a credenza unit was fitted along the window wall and painted in a gloss Black. Likewise the existing lounges were given some extra padding, some new legs for height and a new covering of Black Cotton Drill.

I couldn't let that stunning old plaster ceiling go to waste: Michael Angelo would have been proud of us on our backs on a scaffolding painstakingly picking out the detail with gold leaf and the "Phoenix Red" - very elegant!

With the mantle piece reinstated, an old sideboard back and some new artwork the room is complete: for just over $AU1600 this Federation living Room is alive and vibrant - just in time for it's 100th birthday!