Colin and Justin: The Ten Commandments of Modern Home Design
Design can sometimes feel unnecessarily complicated. Open plan or closed plan? White kitchen or dark kitchen? Wallpaper or paint? Marble or quartz? Frankly, we're exhausted just typing those questions. After decades of rescuing clients from questionable decisions, we've learned that great homes are created not by following trends, but by observing principles. So, whether decorating a downtown condo, a suburban family home or a coastal cottage, here are our ten golden rules…
1. Function First
We've all seen them: magazine-perfect rooms with nowhere to position a coffee or a book. Come on: environments should first and foremost work, so before worrying about colours and finishes, consider the way in which your subject room will be used. If your chi-chi island prevents your dishwasher from properly opening, it's not a design feature, it's a design failure. Sure, looks matter, but function matters more.
2. Stop Designing for Imaginary People
One of the biggest mistakes is creating spaces for fantasy people. You know: dining rooms designed for eight, despite hosting half that number each day. Or that pristine white sofa in a home with three dogs, two cats and a litter of children. Or a guest bedroom occupied only once every year. Envision for real life, not the life you think you should be living.
3. Storage Wars
Nothing calms more quickly than zones into which everything can be thoughtfully stashed. We're not talking about endless cupboards crammed with forgotten gadgets, rather purposeful nooks that make daily life easier. Clutter, as we see it, is visual noise. It creates stress, shrinks rooms and makes otherwise lovely interiors feel chaotic.
4. Lighten Up
If your entire scheme boasts just one ceiling fixture, we need to talk. The best rooms, like our project scheme today, use layered lighting. Ceiling spots provide general illumination, table lamps create atmosphere and task lighting helps with practical activities. Think of lighting as makeup for your home: used properly, it'll soften and flatter. Used badly, however, and your nest will resemble a police interrogation room.
5. Mix and Mingle
A modern home should feel connected, not cloned. The days of buying an entire furniture suite belong in the past – in modern application, curated specifications will serve you better. Sure, rooms should speak to one another via colour, texture and material, but each space should retain its own character. Think family resemblance, not twins.
6. Big Items First
Consumers often blow their budget on the wrong things. Our advice? Invest in that which you touch every day – mattresses, sofas, dining chairs, quality taps and proper flooring – rather than decorative bowls or schematic confetti, because comfort never goes out of style.
7. Kitchens Are Workshops, Not Galleries
The modern kitchen is the social heart of the home, but, somewhere along the way, many stopped being places to cook, and became places to pose beside expensive coffee machines. A successful food prep zone prioritises workflow, storage and durability. Beautiful finishes are important, but practicality should always lead the conversation. The best kitchens invite participation, the worst merely fingerprints.
8. Small Rooms Deserve Big Personalities
Hallways and compact bedrooms serve perfect opportunity to take risks. Dramatic wallpaper, rich colour and bold lighting can transform forgotten spaces into memorable moments. If space is tight, embrace it. Don't apologise for it by painting it white. Some of the most exciting interiors we've ever witnessed could fit inside a garden shed.
9. Love Nature
Natural materials, timber finishes, stone surfaces, indoor plants amplify wellbeing. Large windows and meaningful outdoor spaces are increasingly important in a world dominated by screens. Humans are wired to respond positively to nature, and a view of trees always beats a view of your TV or tablet.
10. Trends Are Guests, Not Family
Trends should visit occasionally, bring wine and leave politely. They shouldn't move in permanently, so only specify colours you genuinely love. Buy furniture and accessories because they suit your life, not because an influencer told you to, mindful that the most beautiful homes aren't necessarily the most trend forward, they're the ones that feel authentic.
Competent home design pertains to creating spaces that support, comfort and reflect the people who live there. Balance our ten principles, and your home will survive shifting tastes and the next wave of fashion. And, unlike that avocado bathroom suite from the 1970s, your space will age rather gracefully. It's all in the layering, and it's all in the detail…
Watch 'Small Town Escapes with Colin and Justin' on HGTV. Discover the 'Colin+Justin Home Collection' at Homesense and Winners. Follow them on Instagram and Facebook.
