Dining is a lot more casual than it once was and formal dining rooms are not as common as they once were. Today's dining in the home has been replaced by meals or dining spaces within an open plan living space and alfresco dining, particularly in the Australian climate.

Lindy Evans from Windemere Interiors has some practical handy hints for dressing up a dining space in the home.

• A rug under a dining room table will define the space. Sometimes with open plan space that combine the dining with the lounge and kitchen, it can be hard to clearly separated the dining area. A practical, easy to clean rug or floor mat will create interest and texture as well as clearly separate the area.

• Sideboards and buffets create excellent storage and can also be a feature of the space. Storage for crockery, cutlery, placemats and napkins is always useful and can also be dressed up with photo frames, fruit bowls and other decoration.

• Mirrors or art are fantastic for dressing up a space. Particularly above a sideboard and combined with lighting, mirrors can be an interesting feature piece in a dining space.
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Lack of space is one of the most common dilemmas when it comes to walk in wardrobes and a good solution is to have the fit out custom designed to maximise the space.

Lindy Evans from Windemere Interiors says each wardrobe size and space is different and it is worth the initial outlay to have a wardrobe custom designed to maximise the use of space. "A professional wardrobe design will take into account your personal wardrobe needs and clever design can double, perhaps triple the use of the space," she said.

There are some basic principles that can help you maximise the use of space in a wardrobe. Double hanging rails (hanging one rail above the other) will double the amount of space and can be used for short clothes such as shirts, skirts, jackets, short dresses and long pants if they are folded over. These are suitable for both his and her side of the wardrobe.

A single rail or full-height hanging space will house long dresses, trench coats, suits and other items that can’t be folded. To ensure efficient use of the space; include a single level shoe rack or drawer at the base of your wardrobe, this is the ideal place to keep shoes.

A combination of open shelving and drawers, depending on your needs, will make the best use of the space. Large open shelving at the very top is good for bulky items such as bags, suitcases and hat boxes while multi sized drawers are good for smaller, flatter items such as underwear, socks and t-shirts. Pigeon holes are good for folded bulkier items such as men's jumpers.

Slim-line, pull out racks will minimise the space used for accessories such as belts, scarves and ties while a dressing area with a mirror and shallow jewellery and accessories drawer may be suitable if there’s no room for a dresser in the bedroom.

Good lighting will also provide the space with easier access. Consider a skylight for good natural lighting and warm downlights for effective night lighting.

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