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See The Garden As Part Of The Architecture

When people plan exterior renovations, the building usually takes centre stage. The garden becomes an afterthought, something to “tidy up later.” This is where cohesion unravels. The outdoor space frames the house visually and emotionally. It influences how large the property feels, how light behaves, and how welcoming the entrance appears.

Instead of treating the garden as decoration, think of it as an extension of the architecture. Lines, shapes, textures, and materials should feel related. Not identical, but connected. A sleek modern update pairs beautifully with structured planting and clean paving geometry. A traditional home often benefits from softer edges and layered greenery.

Rethink Movement, Not Just Layout

A garden redesign works best when it follows human behaviour rather than rigid symmetry. How do you step into the space? Where do guests drift? Which routes feel natural and which feel forced?

Paths should guide movement intuitively. Terraces should sit where people genuinely want to pause. A beautifully paved corner that nobody ever uses is simply expensive scenery. Observe sunlight patterns, natural shortcuts, and the subtle ways people interact with the space.

Flow creates comfort. Comfort creates use.

Choose Hard Landscaping With Long-Term Vision

Hard landscaping decisions shape the garden for decades. Stone, porcelain, timber, gravel. These choices define character and maintenance levels. Materials should complement the updated house without trying too hard to match it.

Practicality is critical. Rain, frost, damp conditions, and algae growth. A surface that looks stunning in summer but becomes treacherous in winter quickly loses its charm. Texture, slip resistance, and drainage capacity matter just as much as colour.

Address Levels And Structure Early

Exterior renovations often involve scaffolding, groundwork, and heavy access. This is the ideal moment to correct awkward garden levels or introduce structural improvements. Raised terraces, gentle steps, retaining walls, sunken seating zones. Even subtle height changes add dimension and purpose.

However, altering levels is not purely aesthetic. Drainage, soil stability, and water behaviour must be carefully considered. Poor planning can result in pooling, shifting surfaces, or gradual damage. Integrating proper drainage and erosion control ensures the garden remains resilient rather than problematic.

Use Planting To Soften And Balance

A newly renovated exterior can sometimes feel stark, particularly if colours are bold or lines are sharp. Planting restores warmth and movement. The key is restraint combined with intention.

Evergreen structure anchors the design year-round. Seasonal highlights prevent visual fatigue. Texture adds depth that paint alone cannot achieve. Grasses, layered shrubs, sculptural trees. The goal is not abundance, but atmosphere.

Create A Unified Exterior Experience

Redoing your entire home exterior is a rare opportunity to align building and landscape into a single, coherent story. When the garden is considered alongside the façade, the transformation feels complete. The house does not simply look better. It sits better, flows better, and welcomes better.

That sense of harmony is what people respond to, even if they cannot quite explain why.

The post What To Do When Redoing Your Entire Garden appeared first on The Stylist Splash.

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1. Revamp The Front Door

Your front entrance represents the focal point of your home’s exterior. Changing an old or weathered front entrance into a new, modern front entrance in a colour that complements your house will immediately alter the overall look of your front façade. Clean-lined, horizontal panels made of wood or steel, or frosted glass inserts, are perfect for a modern look.

Also, don’t forget about hardware. Modern door hardware, such as brushed nickel or matte black finishes, can give your front entrance a touch of elegance. Make sure the walkway to the front entrance is unobstructed, straight, and defined by some type of plants or lighting.

2. Refinish Your Exterior Paint

An older home can be given a completely different appearance with a simple repaint of its exterior in a colour that fits today’s contemporary design trends. Use a neutral or earthy colour scheme when painting the exterior of your home so it fits in with the neighbourhood. It is important to paint all of the eaves, trims and fences on your home in a similar colour palette to avoid creating unnecessary clutter in terms of visual appearance.

Before you start painting, take time to inspect the surface of the walls and roof for any damage and fill any holes or cracks in the wood or masonry first. If you do this, you will have a better quality paint job, and your house will remain looking great for years to come.

3. Add Modern Exterior Lighting

Outdoor lighting serves two purposes – it adds function to the exterior of your home, but it also enhances the appearance of your home. Installing wall-mounted lights near the entryway, in-ground path lights, and under-eave down-lights can help to define the shape of your home at night. When selecting modern outdoor lighting, choose lights that are minimal in their shape and are made of materials that are suitable for the climate in which you live. Choose warm or yellow lighting for ambience.

Light placement is critical. When placing lights around your home, remember that they should enhance the architecture of your home rather than overpower it. Avoid over-lighting areas and use no more than two to three different light temperature settings to create lighting harmony.

4. Update Your Garage Doors

Garage doors generally cover a significant amount of your home’s curb appeal. Replacing your old, dated-looking garage doors with a modern, sleek alternative can balance out the symmetry of your home’s exterior and create a visually appealing image. Aluminium or timber-look panel garage doors are available in a wide range of designs and can complement contemporary homes.

Modern garage doors also provide greater security and operational reliability compared to older models. Check out our Garage Doors section for examples and options for garage doors.

5. Enhance Your Landscaping

Lush landscaping creates a natural contrast to the hard elements of a home’s exterior. Over-seeding or replacing thin or uneven lawns with drought-tolerant groundcovers or synthetic lawn may be necessary to achieve a uniform, well-manicured appearance. Defining the garden bed with a low-maintenance material such as stone or wood borders can help to frame your garden, and groupings of plants can give the appearance of a natural setting.

Keep it simple, avoid cluttering the area with decorative items such as statues, fountains, etc., unless they add a functional element to your home or are in proportion to your home’s size. Keep the number of plant species limited to one or two that blend together well to give a cohesive look.

Conclusion

Improving street appeal doesn’t require extensive construction or high costs. Targeted upgrades make a noticeable difference. These changes contribute to a more structured, intentional appearance that holds its appeal over time. Assess what elements of your exterior can be updated and approach each one with consistency and purpose.

The post 5 Practical Home Upgrades That Improve Street Appeal appeared first on The Stylist Splash.

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Stone as Structural Material and Visual Contrast

Stone lends permanent structural integrity to the exterior of a house. Stone is well-suited to foundational areas of a house as well as walls of interest. The rugged surface and varied tones of stone provide a perfect backdrop for smooth finish surfaces. While many different types of stone are used to clad walls, surround entrances, and blend into landscapes, regionally-sourced stone provides environmental compatibility and reduced transportation costs. Properly selected colour and layout, as well as careful placement, help avoid visual clutter. Additionally, in colder climates, the thermal mass of stone is a significant benefit.

Timber as a Softening Accent

Timber provides a warm element to a cold, hard structure. Used in soffits, screens, and vertical slats, timber breaks up large flat surfaces and introduces warmth. As with all natural materials, proper maintenance and protection are essential, especially when the timber is exposed. Durable hardwoods generally perform better than less durable hardwoods. Pre-finished timber products minimise on-site labour and provide predictable weathering performance. Depending on how timber is cut, arranged, and finished, timber is suitable for contemporary or traditional designs.

Brick as a Unifying Component

Brick performs both structural and aesthetic functions. The modular nature and high compressive strength of brick make it a dependable choice for a wide variety of applications. Brick is commonly used for load-bearing walls, fencing, and decorative details such as sills and soldier courses. In Australia, bricks come in a vast array of textures, colours, and shapes. Australian bricks are manufactured specifically to meet the demands of the various climate zones of Australia, as well as the architectural preferences of each region. Low-maintenance requirements and the ability of brick to regulate temperature add to the value of using brick in residential construction.

Combining Materials with Intention

Effective integration of these natural finishes depends on proportion, placement and colour alignment. Stone typically suits grounding or structural portions of the facade. Timber can be introduced around openings or entry points to draw attention and break up the solid mass. Brick, with its versatile geometry, fills transitional roles and connects different materials. Scale also influences effectiveness. Larger homes can accommodate a greater variety, while compact dwellings benefit from restraint.

Joint detailing, alignments and backing structures must be considered early in design to avoid material clashes or unintended expansion issues. Each material has different responses to moisture, heat and movement. Proper separation joints, compatible fixings and consistent flashing details help preserve longevity and appearance.

Natural materials remain relevant in exterior design due to their proven performance and adaptability. Stone, timber and brick provide contrasting yet complementary qualities. When composed with intent, they form a robust envelope suited to a wide range of environments and architectural expressions. Their appeal is grounded not in aesthetic novelty, but in practical consistency.

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Safety 

First of all, when it comes to owning a pool, it’s vitally important that you consider safety for two reasons.  The first is that while pools can be a wonderful addition to the family home, they can also be deadly if not properly protected from unintended use.  Secondly, as the pool owner, you will have a legal duty of care to ensure the safety of all people on your property.

With that in mind, it’s important that in addition to your pool, you also install safety compliance pool fencing that prevents anyone from gaining unintended access to the water.  There is a wide range of options you can choose from when selecting pool fencing. Although the frameless glass pool fencing that providers like Brisbane Glazier can be a great choice. The reason for this is that they are not only safety compliant but also offer an uninterrupted view of your pool, which you can enjoy from other locations in the garden and house. 

Self-closing gates are another crucial element of pool safety that must be considered. They would because even when users forget to close them, they will still shut and prevent unapproved access, protecting small children and animals from ending up in the water. 

Maintenance 

Another important consideration when getting a swimming pool is all of the maintenance involved. Swimming pools are not a low-effort investment, and while they can produce a lot of pleasure, you will need to take care of them properly to ensure their longevity and to provide a safe environment in which to swim. 

This means you will need to regularly monitor the water PH and add pool chemicals when needed. Keeping your pool clean, which means not only fish out debris like dead leaves, but doing a regular deep cleaning is vital too. You’ll even need to make sure that you check equipment like the pump on a regular basis to prevent the buildup of mold and algae. 

Size & Shape 

Once you have made the decision to go ahead with your pool, you will need to carefully consider its size and shape. When it comes to sizes, you’ll want to find the sweet spot between meeting the needs of your family and filling up your entire yard. 

Shape, on the other hand, will be influenced by a range of factors, from cost, with more complicated shapes costing more, and style to match with your home and property. 

Cost 

Lastly, you must consider all the costs involved with being a swimming pool owner. The first of these will be the consultation and installation process costs, and it’s worth knowing that different types of pools (in-ground vs above ground, plastic liner vs tile, vs concrete) differ in price. Then there is the ongoing maintenance cost, not to mention the money you will need for repairs and safety upgrades, so do be sure to do your math and check that you can afford everyone before going ahead. 

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Building a property, whether it’s a home or something more commercial, offers more than a few benefits. You’ll have plenty of reasons why you’ll want to do it. But, that doesn’t mean it’s the easiest process to get through, no matter how big or small the finished building ends up being.

Thankfully, more than a few tips can help you build a property without needing to experience nearly as much stress or hassle as you would have otherwise.

You could find some of these a whole lot more helpful than others, making them more than worth focusing on. By putting the time and effort into it ahead of time, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t have more and more of an impact as time goes on.

Know Your Priorities

No matter what kind of property you’re building, you should have specific priorities with it. For a house, it should be a functional home that addresses your family’s needs. With a commercial property, however, you should focus on helping people work productively.

Know specifically what your priorities are with the property you want to build. Once you do, you’re in a much better position to plan out the design to meet these priorities. You’ll end up being less likely to need to make changes and renovations as time goes on.

Work With the Right Contractors

One of the more major decisions you’ll have to make before you start building any property is who you’ll hire to build it for you. Make sure these are experts at what they’re doing. Some of this could depend on your exact needs and the overall design of the property itself.

If you’re building a commercial property, for example, you could need to hire formwork companies and similar professionals. Spend time comparing your options so you can find the best ones for your budget. You wouldn’t have to worry about work quality later on.

Have a Realistic Budget

Speaking of budget, it’s always worth making sure you’re as realistic as possible with this. Don’t just know how much you can spend and leave it at that. Break your budget down based on core elements involved in the build so you know exactly where it’s going.

Getting quotes and estimates on various parts of the build helps you put this together relatively easily. It’ll take a bit of time, but there’s no reason it shouldn’t help. Don’t overlook having a built-in emergency fund in case something comes up during the process.

You’ll have plenty of reasons to build a property, whether it’s either a commercial or residential one. But, the stress could prove overwhelming if you don’t know what you’re doing ahead of time. Be as prepared as possible so you can avoid this.

More than a few building tips could help with this, and they should have more and more of an impact as time goes on. There’s no reason why they shouldn’t help make the building process a whole lot less stressful than it could’ve been.

The post 3 Smart Tips to Build a Property Without the Stress appeared first on The Stylist Splash.

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Ensuring your home is suitable for your needs is fundamental in so many ways, not least to having a good night’s sleep. We really need to get out of the habit of thinking that sleep is about the number of hours we get, but actually more about the quality and how restorative it truly feels. A deep and recharging sleep leaves you feeling refreshed, energised, and ready for the day ahead, but so many of us struggle with restless nights and wake up feeling tired. The good news is, by making a few changes, we can ensure that our bedrooms and our attitudes become better for sleep, including the following:

Double Down on Comfort

Organic wool comforters and cotton sheets like those provided by Antipodean Home are great for deep sleep, as they can keep you cool when it’s warm and warm when it’s cold. Wool comforters wick away moisture and prevent night sweats, while cotton sheets feel soft and breathable against your skin. Organic materials are free from harsh chemicals and irritants, making them ideal for sensitive skin and allergies. Together, they can promote longer and uninterrupted periods of deep, restorative sleep that truly recharges your body and mind.

Create a Calm and Clutter-Free Bedroom Environment

There’s a lot more information about how clutter in the physical world communicates stress. Removing distractions that could cause stress or mental overload, particularly phones, TVs, and tablets, can make a big difference. Devices interfere with melatonin, which is your natural sleep hormone, and this is because of blue light. If you really need to use devices at bedtime, invest in a blue light filter, but also opt for warm and soothing colours and soft lighting in the bedroom to encourage relaxation as you wind down.

Meditation Machines

Meditation machines can be game-changers for many people who have struggled with their sleep for years. A meditation machine works by playing binaural beats in the ears while showing a pattern of LED lights in purpose-made glasses to put someone into a meditative state. Many people who have used them and experienced anxiety have seen their sleep transform very quickly. Using these every night will mean deeper, more restful sleep.

Hack Your Circadian Rhythm

Your circadian rhythm is your body clock, and there are many things that we can do to ensure that we regulate this. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, even on weekends, is one thing, but you also need to avoid caffeine and heavy meals in the hours before bedtime. You should also look at how much daylight you’re actually getting; try to get daylight in your eyes as close to your wake-up time as possible, but also get outside as it’s getting darker. Don’t forget that little signals to your body that it’s time to relax can work wonders too, such as a warm bath, gentle stretches, or reading a calming book.

The thing is, these changes are simple for the most part, ensuring that you don’t just fall asleep faster, but that you improve the quality of your rest so you are healthier and more energised every morning.

The post More Than the Amount: Ensuring Sleep Actually Recharges You appeared first on The Stylist Splash.

Embracing new packaging trends can be an effective way to make your product more attractive. From choosing new sustainable materials to experimenting with innovative manufacturing technologies, there are many different pioneering packaging ideas to try out. Here are 7 inspiring solutions. 

Seaweed packaging

Seaweed packaging has been making waves recently as a sustainable alternative to plastic. Introduced by companies like Notpla, this material is made from seaweed farmed in the ocean. It’s a biodegradable, highly abundant and naturally waterproof material. Advertising the fact that your product uses seaweed packaging is also certain to turn heads and get consumers interested in your product. Just be prepared to splash out a little extra, as this material is still relatively new and therefore costs slightly more to produce than plastic or card. 

Mushroom packaging

It’s also now possible to make packaging out of mycelium (mushroom fibres). Just like seaweed packaging, mushroom packaging is an excellent, eco-friendly option to plastic due to its biodegradability. It also requires 12% of the energy of plastic to produce. Companies like Ikea and Lush have already started to adopt mushroom packaging for certain products. However, it’s still a fairly new material, and most companies aren’t aware of it. Could this be the perfect attention-grabbing packaging solution for your product?

Bioplastic packaging

Research is currently being made into bioplastics – materials that have the same properties as petroleum-based plastic, but which are made from biodegradable organic materials instead. PLA (polylactic acid) is an example of one bioplastic already in use. This material is made from cornstarch and sugar cane. PHA is another bioplastic that is made from agricultural waste, synthesized with bacteria. Both of these materials have started to be used to manufacture bags and food containers. They are not as cheap as traditional plastic to produce, but the price is likely to come down over time. We could also start to see even more robust bioplastics produced in the future for more heavy-duty packaging uses. 

Dissolvable packaging

A lot of plastic gets dumped in rivers and oceans, and is a threat to wildlife. Certain plastic products also get flushed down the toilet and can clog up plumbing. Dissolvable packaging is designed to combat this by degrading in water. Such materials have been used for products like washing machine pods for a couple of decades. However, new innovative materials, as produced by companies like SmartSolve are making even more robust packaging that is completely soluble. Such a packaging material may not be suitable for all applications (you certainly don’t want to make a water bottle out of dissolvable packaging), but could be an excellent choice for certain products. 

Fresh food sealed packaging

Fresh foods are typically served in basic packaging that does not fully seal the product. However, companies like iPak have provided a new groundbreaking option for cafes and restaurants: compact canning machines for instantly sealing products like freshly-made drinks on-site. This can give customers the option of being able to purchase milkshakes and smoothies in larger quantities that can be preserved and drunk at a later date. For companies, being able to sell in larger quantities means more profit. 

3D printed packaging

3D printers are capable of producing products in all kinds of complex shapes that other manufacturing methods aren’t easily capable of. Some companies have already started using this technology to create truly innovative packaging. This includes intricately designed perfume bottle designs as sold by L’Oreal and elaborate drink bottles for new sports drinks. There are 3D printing companies you can outsource to create this packaging or you can invest in your own 3D printer. It’s worth noting that 3D printing is not as speedy as other production methods and is often best suited to luxury or novelty products due to this. 

Thermochromic packaging

Thermochromic ink has existed for a while – this ink changes color in response to changes in temperature. However, only recently have companies started to realise its application within packaging. A fun and practical use of this technology is the use of thermochromic ink on craft beer cans, which changes color when chilled to the perfect drinking temperature. Similarly, some medical products have started using thermochromic ink on packaging to warn customers when a product has been exposed to unsafe temperatures and is no longer suitable for consumption.

Conclusion

These are just a few exciting new packaging ideas that could be worth considering. By doing your research, you may be able to find other novel solutions to help your product stand out and to potentially make it more eco-friendly. Don’t settle for dull and generic packaging.

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