Hot new home styling trends on show at Eastside

Hot new styling trends for 2019 that make the most of affordable, low-maintenance living are being showcased in a brand new display home at Stockland’s Eastside at Highlands townhome community at Craigieburn.

Styled by renowned Australian homewares and furniture retailer Temple & Webster, the inspiring interiors take full advantage of the smart, spacious floorplan.

The result is a stunning, cost-effective contemporary look that celebrates a resurgence in luxe textures, velvet and marbled finishes along with a smattering of large-scale greenery.

Eastside features a collection of contemporary two and three-bedroom townhomes with airy open-plan designs and an abundance of natural light, high ceilings, stone benchtops, stainless steel appliances and low-maintenance landscaping.

Ben Cantwell, General Manager of Retirement Living and Medium Density at Stockland, said the rising popularity of low-maintenance living was showing no signs of abating.

“The ongoing popularity of Eastside reflects the increasing number of Melbourne homebuyers seeking affordable low-maintenance living options that don’t compromise on style,’’ Mr Cantwell said.

“With their proximity to leafy parks and kilometres of walking trails, as well as dining and entertainment options, shops and medical facilities, the townhomes have been carefully designed appeal to a wide range of homebuyers from first homebuyers to young families and professionals.’’

Lucy Sutherland, Head of Trade and Commercial at Temple & Webster, said that the light-filled, open-plan layout of the Eastside townhomes provided a versatile canvas for interior styling.

“Our display home styling has been designed to take advantage of the angles and abundant light in the townhomes at Eastside and be achievable for first home buyers through to young families and professionals,’’ Ms Sutherland said.

“Impressive but affordable and space efficient, it uses a range of textures and finishes to create contrast and balance including leather and rattan as well as touches of ‘luxe’ such as brass and marble finishes.

“One of the strong, emerging trends is a return to ‘bringing the outside in’ through the introduction of greenery and natural materials into our living spaces.

“A touch of nature in the form of an abundance of indoor plants creates a contemporary design statement in the home as well as giving a room a sense of soul and life. Highly realistic artificial foliage has been used to create this effect.’’

Eastside will ultimately comprise approximately 200 townhomes and will be constructed over eight stages.

Highlands is an award-winning community just 32km from Melbourne’s CBD in the thriving northern corridor, close to childcare, schools, the Stockland Shopping Centre, parks and state-of-the-art sporting and community facilities.

The Eastside at Highlands display home is available for viewing by appointment by visiting the Sales and Information Centre at 1 North Shore Drive in Craigieburn or by calling 13 LAND (13 5263).

To find out more about Eastside at Highlands, visit www.stockland.com.au/eastside.

Top tips for townhome styling from Temple & Webster

1. Don’t crowd your space with too many elements. It is better to pick out a few colours from a feature point such as a rug or a piece of artwork and repeat.

2. If you are young or a first home buyer, be aware that your styling preferences are likely to change as you grow older. It pays to be more conservative with your choice of furniture such as lounges which are long-term investments, and more experimental with less expensive, decorative pieces.

3. Textured furniture and decorative pieces can be a great way to bring life to a room and are especially helpful if you are starting out and unsure about how to use colour. Try high loop-pile rugs, leather chairs, velvet throw rugs and textured cushions.

4. To save space, find pieces of furniture that have a dual function including storage such as a fold-out sofa or a coffee table with drawers.

5. Placing furniture at the edges of the room can often make a room feel less inviting. Instead, create a “visual anchor’’ in the middle of the room such as a rug and place your furniture around it.

6. Touches of marble, leather, velvet, brass and rattan are all making a comeback and are perfect for obtaining a spectrum of textures and finishes to add balance to your styling.

7. The rules of design are often more relaxed in children’s rooms, which tend to reflect the personality of the child and where colour and a sense of fun are more likely to reign.