Australia has a love affair with building and renovation that shows no sign of abating. Popular home improvement shows including The Block and Reno Rumble remain firmly in the limelight. There are endless possibilities to explore when creating personal and private spaces, and homeowners are increasingly more informed.
We all want to create better living environments using modern materials and building systems. CSR Gyprock shows how great planning in the build stage leads to beautiful structures and interiors that can significantly increase the value of your home.
Channel 9’s The Block Triple Threat was a record-breaking success at auction with featured apartments transitioning from the limitations of four plain walls and a flat ceiling to more inventive and practical ways of organising a space.
“Furnishings add to the overall comfort and feel of a finished room, however structure and configuration at the building stage is where real value is added to a property.” Najwa Khoury, Gyprock Marketing Manager
Plasterboard was used on The Block to create bulkheads and niches that were innovative, visually appealing and ultimately functional. The overall design of the room was considered so simply decorative flourishes could visually expand the space or be used for handy storage areas.
Niches were used to showcase features, such as a flatscreen TV, while cleverly hiding the nest of cables leading to a beautifully fluid finish. Incorporated in bathrooms, thoughtful niches provide storage in the shower or above the bath. Running the entire length of a wall, or with an added feature such as a mirror, a niche not only works functionally but creates drama through size or reflection. When you include niches in the design phase of your project, you create fine lines with interesting design elements, while delivering practical and easy-to-clean storage solutions.
“By taking advantage of your given surroundings you can work well within a room plan to create attractive and unobtrusive storage features,” says Najwa. “Plasterboard can be used to make a recess and to create nooks for storage units that don’t consume valuable floor or wall space.”
Add style and architectural depth to hallways with floor to ceiling storage that is visually streamlined and very useful, as was done on The Block. CSR Gyprock offer a variety of design, decoration and renovation possibilities at a relatively low cost. Add visual depth and conceal unsightly details, such as blinds in the kitchen window and the curtain rod in the bedroom. Plasterboard can also be used to echo different elements of a space, such as the angles on a stairway.
I love the considered use of bulkheads on The Block as they add drama, can conceal structural elements such as beams and are fabulous for concealed and accent lighting. The clever use of ceiling detail will create personalised style elements such as a shadowline where the wall and ceiling meet. This effect provides clean, sleek lines and dramatic framing around the room.
For more information about the creative use of plasterboard in your building or renovation project, check out Gyprock.com.au
If you want more building and design inspiration from The Block, see our feature on Dry Pressed Bricks. You might also like to read about creating a Home Office in a Closet, expert Kitchen design tips, and expert Bathroom design tips. Plus decking ideas and four popular additions to open up your space.
