We want to help you design with confidence so we’re answering the three most common interior design challenges people experience.
Typically, our clients come to us feeling overwhelmed with all the decisions laying ahead of them for a renovation OR knowing they don’t have the time to solve all the design challenges on their own.
And as you can imagine, we get asked lots of renovation and decoration questions, so below we unpack the three most common design dilemmas and share our professional advice. Let me know if any of these resonate with you!
What are the most important elements for a contemporary kitchen?
How do I make my open-plan living space feel cohesive and functional but also that each zone feels cosy and intimate?
How can I inject personality into my home without making it feel cluttered or chaotic?
1: What Are The Most Important Elements For A Contemporary Kitchen?
Optimising your kitchen layout is the most important step to create a highly functional kitchen. Depending on your house and the space you have, your kitchen layout may be an L-shaped, Galley, U-shaped or Island Bench layout. All the critical things to consider when designing a contemporary kitchen can be applied to the different layouts.
- Flow and Functionality – Create Zones
Group the functional work zones in your kitchen to optimize workflow and efficiency. The five zones important to a kitchen include food storage, preparation, cooking, cleaning, and appliance / crockery storage. Ensuring the zones are connected will help streamline kitchen tasks and makes the space more functional.
- Choose finishes that go the distance
The kitchen is one of the hardest-working spaces in the home, so your finishes need to be up to the task. In addition to selecting beautiful finishes that bring your design vision to life, prioritise quality, durability, and craftsmanship so that your selections can stand up to daily wear and tear!
- Create A Space Worth Lingering
That saying ‘the kitchen is the heart of the home’ might sound cliché but it’s very true! So whether you’re a big entertainer or you like to keep your home your sanctuary, every modern kitchen should have a space that invites you and your guests, to pause and connect. Whether you have a large-scale island bench or a smaller L shape kitchen, carving out a relaxed, welcoming zone to sit and relax, will add warmth and personality to your kitchen – making it more than just a place to cook. To do this, you can add comfortable stools tucked under the bench, soft ambient lighting with a wall sconce or pendant lights, or even a small nook by a window.
- Storage, storage, storage
Space is precious in our homes so make the most of your kitchen space – these ideas can make all the difference…- Joinery that goes all the way to the ceiling (or bulkhead). Items you don’t access every day can go up high – vases, cookbooks, low frequency entertaining items.
- Under bench storage – we always recommend drawers over cupboards to help ensure you can maximise all storage area and reach those otherwise-hard-to-reach items at the back!
- Appliance storage for those important items you use everyday – think coffee machine, Thermomix, blender, toaster, kettle. Place these above counter for easy access and you’re not constantly bending down to get them out. Pocket doors are recommended to maximise the accessibility, and you can keep the doors open without impacting the flow of your kitchen.
- A cupboard to keep your hand vacuum, broom and mop close by in the kitchen. Don’t forget to add a GPO in there for charging!
For more Kitchen design advice, check out our blog post – Stress free kitchen renovation: 5 expert tips to help you avoid common mistakes!
2: How Do I Design An Open-Plan Living Space?
Open-plan living is practically a staple in modern Australian homes because we love the sense of flow, light, and connection that open plan living provides. But designing one that feels warm, welcoming and well-zoned (rather than one big echoey room) can be a challenge.
Here are our go-to tips for creating a balanced open-plan layout:
Create visual zones
Have something that anchors each unique zone to create cosy intimate spaces within a large open plan area – furniture placement, rugs, lighting and artwork will define each zone.
A rug placed under your sofa, layer with coffee and side tables, lamps and décor to create a cosy “living zone”. To ground your dining area, focus on creating ambiance with pendant lights over the dining table (a rug isn’t always necessary under a dining table so focusing on the lights will create that anchoring point).
Repeat colours and materials
Creating a cohesive colour palette, with a defined accent colour will help to tie zones and the entire space together. For instance, if your accent colours are sage green and bronze, weave those throughout the different zones in your living space, with the pendant lights, dining chairs, the knobs of your kitchen cabinetry, cushions and décor (but remember it doesn’t all have to be matchy, matchy!)
Don’t push everything to the walls
This is a common misconception – that your furniture needs to be anchored to the walls. This is not true and in fact bringing furniture inward creates intimacy and makes the space feel more intentionally designed.
First things first – decide the position for your rug, it should be placed off each wall, the sofa on top – if possible, with the back legs off the rug, add a coffee table / side table, a lamp in the corner, a lovely artwork on the walls – and you’ve an intimate cosy living area.
For more open plan living design inspiration, check out our projects that have stunning open plan living spaces– here and here.
3: How Do I Add Personality To My Home’s Interior Design?
So many clients come to us saying, “I want my home to feel like me — but I don’t want it to look messy or cluttered.” We completely understand! It’s about striking the balance between character and individualism in a curated, seamless way!
Here’s how to bring soul into your space — without sacrificing cohesion:
Start with a neutral foundation
A soft, neutral base allows your personality pieces to shine through. So think creamy whites, warm greys, or gentle greiges on walls and in the large-scale furniture pieces (i.e. sofas).
Layer in meaningful accents
Books, art, travel finds, family heirlooms — these are the elements that tell your unique story. Display them with intention, and not in a cluttered way – this might be trial and error, to get the perfect combinations and balance.
Curate, don’t crowd
You don’t need to showcase everything at once, hold some items back so you can refresh your vignettes each season to create fresh energy. Curate little moments of joy throughout your home like a cluster of special items on the entry console, some books and a candle on the coffee table, a favourite ceramic bowl on the island bench, pieces placed on your bookshelves (with space to breathe).
Play with height and scale
If all the décor items are a similar height and size, you may find it looks… meh. It’s a good idea to have at least one tall item, such as a vase or sculpture. Then add shorter, wider pieces such as bowls, candles, books or a tray. The different sizes and shapes will create an arrangement with interest. And remember odd is good – groups of 3 (or another odd number) generally work best.
For an easy guide to finding your design style, check out our previous blog here or you might enjoy reading about the ‘Personalisation trend’ that’s influencing interiors in 2025 here.
We hope our expert tips answered these common design challenges and help you feel confident and excited about creating (and curating) your dream home!
Designing a home that reflects your lifestyle, taste, and personality doesn’t have to feel daunting. Whether you’re navigating open-plan layouts, planning a dream kitchen, or trying to inject more soul into your interiors, you’re not alone — and the good news is, you don’t have to do it all yourself.
At McMillan Design, we’re here to help you move from overwhelm to excitement. With the right guidance, thoughtful planning, and a clear design direction, your home can become the beautiful, highly liveable sanctuary you’ve always wanted.
If you’d like our help to create your dream home, simply book a complimentary 20min Discovery Call here. We’d love to chat.
And if you’d like some more clever ideas to plan a home that reflects your style and is highly liveable, download our FREE guide to create a home that nourishes your soul here.
Anna x