Whatever your décor, choosing a bold, show-stopping element is a great way to add energy to a room, and make it a place that gives you pleasure every time you enter.

For some, it’s a great piece of art; others may choose a gorgeous ‘look at me’ light fitting, rug or furnishings with an arresting design.

Particularly in pared back contemporary kitchens, bathrooms or living rooms, a single and lively element is a great way to inject visual interest in the space.

Some great examples are these from a Sydney home for which dbm completed a recent renovation.

In the modern, open plan living room below, a beautiful piece of marble backs the gas flame fireplace. Like an artwork, the marble catches your eye as soon as you enter the generous space.

And in the kitchen below – like a slick of red lipstick – this coloured glass splashback punctuates the streamlined kitchen, making the area more dynamic.

At dbm, we design fantastic kitchens, bathrooms and living rooms throughout Sydney. We’re good at translating your ideas about how you want your renovation to look, and also how you plan to live in and use the space.

Contact us to discover how your kitchen, bathroom or home makeover will be one you’ll be thrilled with by drawing on our design and renovation skills.

Having a kitchen free of visual clutter is many people’s dream.

We are often asked to design a kitchen that has a minimal look, and an important consideration in this is the choice of rangehood.

In the not too distant past, the only choice was to have a large overhead rangehood that tended to be a dominating feature in the kitchen.

Not any more. Today, more and more of our clients are choosing a downdraft rangehood that disappears from view at the touch of a button.

Sounds good? Yes, it does, and for many good reasons.

A huge benefit of a downdraft rangehood is that it can be installed practically anywhere.

Under a window or in an island bench or anywhere else you can think of, this slick and efficient steam extractor will emerge only when needed, then retreat out of sight when it’s not, via its smooth hydraulics.

A downdraft rangehood is a particularly good choice in rooms with low ceilings, or where you have a view you don’t want to obstruct.

The Wolf range of downdraft rangehoods is the system we often recommend. It’s quiet and easy to wipe down to keep clean. Built from stainless steel, it complements the look of many kitchen styles.

For those who are keen to keep their kitchen as tidy looking as possible, we think islands are better for cooktops rather than kitchen sinks. This is because with a cooktop, the island is only busy when you are cooking and packing away, whereas kitchen sinks tend to attract bits and pieces all day long.

A kitchen island that incorporates a cooktop can be a real feature when you are entertaining too. Guests can gather around and be served straight from the cooktop, which is much more convivial than gathering around to watch you wash up!

As Sydney kitchen designers, we can help you create a customised and stylish kitchen to fit the way you live.