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Q&A WITH ANDREW BRASIER reprinted from Herald Sun Home March 10 2007
Mornington-based interior designer Lisa Cull discusses changing trends for inside the home.

Q: Why has the internal look of a house become more important to homeowners?
A: In our fast-paced lifestyle, our home has become a haven for us to unwind and recharge. Today’s home, more than ever, reflects the personalities of the people who reside there. It is filled with feel-good things and memorabilia of happy times. It has quiet spaces for reflection and inner peace and entertaining hubs where family and special friends converge in conversation and laughter.

We are, as a society, more in touch with our inner-selves. Therefore, the look and feel of our internal environment has become a major part of our everyday happiness and wellbeing.

Q: Is less more when it comes to a new home’s interior?
A: I recall from a very young age being told that it’s quality that counts. These words definitely ring true in interior design. The quality of the space, and how it is used, is more important than its size. The furnishings within the home are more useable and aesthetically more attractive with the less is more approach.

Large windows mean less artwork on the walls, but more of nature’s beauty blending the indoors with the outdoors and creating a lighter, brighter environment. Yes, less is definitely more when it comes to a new home’s interior.

Q: Why is colour such a major tool in your designs?
A: I love colour. In fact, I’m passionate about it. Colour gives a home personality. It articulates space, creates mood, blends areas, accentuates details, provides balance and harmony, can project a fashion trend, be bold or subtle, warm or cool and will always make a statement.

Colour is such a powerful medium. It must be used carefully. Few people are trained to understand the design aspect and psychology of colour and how great an impact it can have on our homes and on our lives. Too much colour, or too many shades in one area, can detract from a room’s aesthetic qualities. Too little colour can make a home feel cold and barren. But colour, used wisely, can become the definitive factor in a home’s interior design.

Q: What are the major emerging trends in interior design?
A: As we strive for a slower pace, for greater happiness and for easy living in our everyday environment, new trends will emerge. Once an interior design professional was seen to used only by the rich, but design advice is now accessible to everyone.

Design trends will see space and light remain a priority. But energy usage will influence heating and cooling, resulting in better zoned living, perhaps with movable walls for different seasons and occasions.

The alfresco area will continue to be big. We will push to use this space all year, so screening for outdoor spaces, heating and specialised lighting, will be a priority. We will also look more carefully at creating useable space in our homes. We will focus on designers and builders who can customise our homes to suit our lifestyle.