Exquisite joinery is always compelling.
A meticulous process allows our team to focus on the detail.
Design / Valentine Interiors
Photography / Loic Le Guilly
Compelling Joinery
9 9 April, 2021Author: Jane Valentine
A lucid quality
9 9 April, 2021
Our design was informed by the necessity of a bath within the family home. The space was small and the spatial layout needed careful consideration.
Listening, along with methodical planning allowed us to create a design that enhanced the flow and layout substantially. By utilising smart cabinetry and material selections, the end result was a room that felt expansive with an inviting lucid quality.
Design / Valentine Interiors
Photography / Loic Le Guilly
Classic contemporary style
9 9 April, 2021
A classic contemporary style requiring careful thought and consideration.
Harmony has been achieved through proportion, scale and understanding our client needs.
Paring back, curvaceous forms and being respectful of tradition with a fresh approach.
Design / Valentine Interiors
Photography / Loic Le Guilly
Welcome Naomi Doedens
22 22 March, 2021
We are very excited to welcome Naomi Doedens to our Valentine team!
Naomi is an interior designer with a strong background in commercial design, where her most recent role involved designing temporary installations and spaces for the Melbourne Cup Carnival. The fast-paced world of events requires a strong creative flair, an excellent work ethic, and an ability to think on your feet, all of which Naomi brings to the Valentine team.
A First Class honours graduate from the RMIT Bachelor of Interior Design, Naomi was nominated by the university for the Design Institute of Australia’s Graduate of the Year Awards (GOTYA), a program for the most exceptional students.
A classic contemporary twist
22 22 March, 2021
Respect and understanding the original era of a home is crucial when designing any interior space.
Our classic contemporary kitchen pays homage to the mid-century style, with warm timber tones and feature shelving. Views have been maximised allowing the merging of the interior and exterior.
Detail is refined, all components have been carefully crafted and there is a seamless flow throughout the space resulting in a timeless design.
Design / Valentine Interiors
Photography / Loic Le Guilly
Imagine seeing the world through an unfocused lens. Now try to find a door when it looks no different to the wall.
19 19 March, 2021
Imagine seeing the world through an unfocused lens.
Now try to find a door when it looks no different to the wall.
If we are to dismantle space and then reassemble it, must we as designers embrace our responsibility to establish inclusivity for all that will pass through it? Let’s pose the question to ourselves and our industry; are we designing for all or are we passively bypassing regulations because we don’t understand their original intent? An omission that causes displacement for the user and that impacts their ability to navigate a space with confidence and ease.
Luminance contrast requirements in commercial projects highlight a fundamental flaw in the world of design practice. In regulatory terms ‘luminance contrast between building elements is the difference in the amount of light reflected from the 1st building element compared to the amount of light reflected from the 2nd building element’ [1]. The provisions identify the correct luminance contrast using a calculated percentage to ensure that built elements provide purposeful way finding cues for those who are visually impaired. But, as ‘plain English’ advocates would undoubtedly argue; is the outdated language too difficult to comprehend? And as a result, does this diminish the possibility to design and build compelling and functional spaces for all?
‘Universal design is not about disability – it’s about better living for everyone’ Erick Mitkiten, architect. [2]
With every design we need to ask the question, have we put ourselves in the shoes of all users equally? In order to understand what is required from us, do we need to break down preconceived regulations, and work to build new ones? An informed conversation that includes the key experts in the field; VisAbility Australia and Equal Access Australia, along with others to determine what really works for everyone.
Let’s make life simpler, refocus the lens, and allow everyone to navigate the built environment equally and easily, after all, it is the user we are designing for.
[1] AS 1428.1 – 2009 Appendix B.31
[2] Vencill Sanchez, K (2021), Design for Everyone, Dwell Media, NY. Viewed 12 March 2021.
The Tasmanian Tuxedo article
13 13 March, 2021
Check out The Tasmanian Tuxedo for their latest article. The story so far of Valentine interiors + design and of Jane, the driving force behind the name, the success and the hundreds of compelling interiors to date. We are honoured to be part of their unique take on the stories of everyday Tasmanians doing just a little bit more than the everyday.
Creativity runs in Jane Valentine’s blood. Growing up on the outskirts of Hobart in a quirky hexagonal home designed by her father, Jane warmly recalls the effect the family property had on her life. “That house had a really big influence on me without me even realizing it until much later in life. The hexagon is one of the most efficient shapes in nature and really minimizes wasted space. Although we didn’t have huge bedrooms, what we did have was very cleverly utilised.”
Jane graduated from the University of Tasmania with first class honours in graphic design before embarking on a twenty year journey of design in Hobart. She is now the driving force behind Valentine interiors + design – a contemporary Hobart studio serving both residential and commercial clients.
Jane speaks passionately about the skills required to create functional, practical and aesthetically pleasing spaces. “Interior design is so much more than what people imagine,” she says. “The stereotype is that it’s just about colours and placing a few cushions in the right spot, but the reality is so much more complex. It’s really about understanding human behavior in order to create functional spaces. Spatial planning – knowing how people will move throughout a space – is critical to success in this industry. Every job we do begins with function and behaviour, long before we consider aesthetics.”
It’s a careful balance of art and science. Step inside the world of one of Tassie’s most talented interior designers – https://www.thetasmaniantuxedo.com/…/81-interior…/
Photography: The Tasmanian Tuxedo
Written Article: The Tasmanian Tuxedo
International Women’s Day
13 13 March, 2021
For International Women’s Day, we celebrate the ‘hero’ in Jane’s life. The woman she admired, the mum she loved and the artist who was an incredible inspiration on her life and business.
Lynne Andrews suddenly passed away before Christmas and we were all deeply saddened. At Valentine interiors + design we celebrate her everyday. Our studio is always filled with Lynne’s artwork, along with copies of her book Antarctic Eye: The Visual Journey, a history of the art and artists of Antartica.
If you are passing by our studio this week please pop in for a cuppa and complimentary copy of Lynne’s book, Antarctic Eye (or send Jane a message and she’ll place one aside for you), to help us celebrate and remember Lynne’s love of landscape, bushland and the exploration of wild remote places.
Design Institute of Australia
13 13 March, 2021
The theme: A challenged world is an alert world and from challenge comes change. So let’s all choose to challenge.
How will you help forge a gender equal world?
Jane Valentine was honoured to be asked to contribute her thoughts in a written piece for the Design Institute of Australia as part of International Women’s Day.
‘When women are involved in decision-making, in research, in knowledge production, women do not get forgotten.’ [1]
Our collective challenge is to ensure research, empathy and design thinking are tightly woven into every circumstance. To reflect on past responses while striving for what could be. A pivotal moment as we strive to be gender inclusive.
Designers must empathise first, imaginatively stepping into the shoes of each user, rather than the generic approach of the past, that left us mired in a world that works for everybody and yet nobody. We are not all the same and nor should our design responses be.
It will require not just the application of anthropometrics and spatial planning but also consideration of the impact on the individual and an understanding of cultural diversity, to ensure future spaces are not just functional and engaging but encourage the societal behaviours that will ensure we all feel safe and at ease.
If we pause, amplify our skills and provide an integration of expertise from the beginning we can expect design that just works, design that will carry us through to a more egalitarian society.
[1] Criado Perez, C, 2019, Invisible Women Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men, Random House, UK.
Written by Jane Valentine for the Design Institute of Australia
Design layout of pic featured / Design Institute of Australia
Photography by Alex Grimshaw Photography
Integration with architecture
4 4 March, 2021
Merging the external landscape with an interior can be challenging while enriching.
Ferny undergrowth, bracken and charred trees weave their way through our furniture, integrating the architecture of this Fern Tree home.
Spotted Gum highlights are enhanced with texture and form, creating a stillness and sophistication that envelops the home.
Interior Design / Valentine Interiors
Architecture / Gregory Eade
Photography / Loic Le Guilly
