When I contacted Alistair I really had no idea about renovating / extending so I wanted a low commitment starting point to ask all the embarrassing questions. With his Dr Retro visit I got what I was looking for – answers about the extend/rebuild/sell dilemma and the next steps in the process. It felt like the right move for someone completely new to the renovation business and helped us to keep our expectations realistic.
Secret Design Studio’s “Dr Retro House Call” service visits Ringwood East, Victoria
Secret Design Studio’s “Dr Retro House Call” service visits Ringwood East, Victoria
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Secret Design Studio
Secret Design Studio is a small, boutique building and interior design studio that specialises in retro homes of the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s.
Secret Design Studio received three vinyl tile samples from “Stick on Tiles Australia” and I have mixed feelings about this product. Each 30cm square tile has a paper backing that conceals the sticky back. The product made me think about honesty and dishonesty in materials for interior design. My test always involves putting a sample of the imitation product adjacent to the real thing to see how fake (or real) it looks.![]()
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In this case, the “terrazzo” pattern look is a failure, the pattern is too bold, the finish is too matt, and the colours look wrong. The other two are more “honest”, as they look like what they are – vinyl tiles. ![]()
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It is a product designed for the DIY and Flipper market, and I would not consider it in wet areas, or a kitchen splashback close to a heat source. Due to the lightness of the product its ideal application could be for refreshing a caravan floor which has lighter use than most domestic situations. As with any flexible flooring material so much depends on what is underneath, as the thinness of the tile will transfer any imperfections from beneath the tile.
