After honing their interior decorating skills on Channel Seven’s The Block, Deb and Andy Saunders started their very own digital renovation series, DNA of Design. Their first project took them to Mudgeeraba, Queensland, where they converted an 80’s hinterland Gold Coast home into a coastal contemporary retreat.
Deb and Andy chose Luxaflex window coverings as part of this stylish and rather large-scale re-design.
“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Luxaflex on the window coverings for our first house project, House 1, in the Gold Coast Hinterland,” they said.
“When it comes to choosing the perfect window coverings, there’s no doubt it can feel overwhelming – especially since this was one huge house that needed completely new coverings. Not only did we have to make sure that each room looked incredible inside and out, but we also had to think about light and temperature control,” they added.
For Deb and Andy, the most challenging aspect of this project occurred right at the start, when the devastating Queensland floods prevented them from crossing the border from New South Wales, in order to visit the Mudgeeraba home.
Deb and Andy originally had plans to meet the home’s owners, Suzie and Gregg, together with a Luxaflex consultant on site in order to measure and select window coverings for each room. When this couldn’t happen, technology fortunately came to the rescue.
“Luckily, we’re no strangers to the challenges of renovations. At this point, they’re to be expected! So, we didn’t waste a moment and knew we had to come up with a plan B,” they said.
“Soon enough, we got in contact with the local Luxaflex store on the Gold Coast. In the blink of an eye, they managed to get one of their team members on-site, tape measure in hand. We jumped on our computer and had a Zoom call with both Suzie and Luxaflex.”
“Moving from room to room (virtually for us, of course), we discussed what was needed for each space, including how we wanted it all to function and how we wanted it to look. Before we knew it, we’d visited the entire home, and each window now had the perfect solution – no matter if it was a sliding door, high window, or quirky shape,” they added.
Once this was complete, Deb and Andy then visited a Luxaflex Showroom near their home in New South Wales in order to choose fabrics and finishes.
According to the couple, “this was the fun part. Being able to see the colours up-close-and-personal, and touch the fabrics made such a difference in being able to establish the look and feel of each space.”
The final step was installation. This happened not long after the fabric scouting process, and Deb and Andy were finally permitted back into Queensland where they were able to visit the home and see the window coverings in place.
“The finished product was better than we could have ever imagined. Everything fit perfectly, the fabrics were stunning, and we even included motorisation in some rooms for added convenience.”
“Overall, we think it’s a superb result. We were more than impressed by the professional service we received all the way from measurements through to installation, and we’re looking forward to choosing Luxaflex for future renovations,” they said.
Here’s a quick overview of the window coverings which Deb and Andy chose throughout this home, and why:
Deb and Andy chose the innovative Luxaflex® Duette® Shades to create a sense of style and ambience in the home’s study/media room. This is the space where Suzie and Gregg and their family spend a lot of their time, and so it was important it be made as comfortable and usable as possible.
The unique honeycomb structure of the Luxaflex® Duette® Shades lends a striking, contemporary look, with the added benefit of providing effective insulation by trapping air inside the honeycomb cell. The honeycomb-within-a-honeycomb structure of these unique shades helps reduce heat loss in winter and keeps homes cool in summer.
Deb and Andy chose elan fabric in daisy white colour, to give the shades a modern, light feel. They also chose blockout opacity, so the shades can be completely closed when the family wants to watch a TV or movie.
Luxaflex® Duette® Shades are also easy to care for, and flexible enough to cater for a range of window shapes including arches, angles, and skylights.
Stylish Luxaflex® Curtains were used in several rooms of the home to create a flowy, billowy feel. They were used in all of the bedrooms of this Mudgeeraba home, including the master, as well as the rumpus room and formal lounge.
To create a consistent look, all of the curtains were chosen with a sheer opacity, in white colour and in soft and flowy Byron fabric. They seamlessly frame the windows and add a layer of softness to each room.
Luxaflex® Pirouette® Shadings were also used in many rooms of the home, in gentle, neutral tones.
These shadings feature softly contoured, front-facing fabric vanes which are attached to a single sheer backing. During opening and closing, the vanes move in tandem for a fluid, graceful effect. Three-dimensional fabric vanes provide a striking and uniform interior look whilst softly filtering sunlight and providing privacy.
Deb and Andy chose these shades for the bedrooms, the master bedroom and study. Each set of shades was designed in satin colour using Magnolia ClearView® fabric and in room darkening opacity.
They also added PowerView® Motorisation to enable the home’s owners, Suzie and Gregg, to operate the shades with the touch of a button––or even control the opening/closing of their shades when not at home.
For the home’s luxurious ensuite, Deb and Andy chose Luxaflex® PolySatin® Shutters. These smart shutters are ideal for wet areas as they are impervious to moisture, and will not blister, peel, flake, corrode or fade. They can also be angled or completely closed for privacy.
Automation was a big priority for Deb and Andy in this renovation, and they added PowerView® Motorisation to the window covering solutions they installed in the master bedroom, study and media room.
“We love that with a press of a button on either a remote, smart phone or tablet, you can customise the window coverings to suit whatever you need. They can be completely opened or closed or opened part-way for perfect light control,” they said.
“The home’s owners, Suzie and Gregg, are thrilled with the results – even more so the fact that with one press of a button, they can now gaze at the outdoor pool without setting foot out of bed.”
You can watch the full series online or if you are interested in learning more about how you can use Luxaflex® window coverings in your home, get in touch.
