Ideas Blog
Choosing the Right Rug – Part 3 – Design
In earlier posts I've shared some tips on thinking about the purpose, size and location of your rug. Now it's time to think about design. One of the first questions you need to ask is whether you want the design of your rug to blend in and harmonise with its...
Renovation Value Adds: Cheap Kitchen Hacks Part 2
Last time we looked at the big items in your kitchen, and there's a reason for that. When a prospective buyer walks in, it's natural to get an overall impression of a room before focusing in on the details. So big spaces like walls and cabinets are very important in a...
Tips for Using the Colour of the Year
Recently, I wrote a blog post talking about the "Colour of the Year for 2022" announcements from various sources. Pantone is the big one, and they chose Very Peri. But orchid and emerald green got a look in as well. There's no doubt a lot of people in the fashion and...
Controlling Kitchen Chaos Part 9 – Pull Outs
With the integration of kitchens into our general living spaces through open plan living, keeping the kitchen neat and tidy has become a big priority. The minimalist look demands benches without clutter or mess. In itself that's not an issue, as I've already gone...
Colour of the Year 2022
As the last of the fireworks fade out of the sky and the champagne bottles are dumped in the recycling bin, it's time to think about colour trends for the new year. There have been lots of announcements in the past month. Probably the most eagerly awaited one was from...
Caring For Your Pillow – Washing
When you think about how many hours a day you spend asleep in bed, it's easy to see why it's important to keep your pillow clean. The last thing you need to do is breathe in dust mites and other nasties all night long. While pillow protectors are easy to remove and...
Renovation Value Adds: Cheap Kitchen Hacks
There are many sayings around the concept that the kitchen is the heart of the home. Given most modern home designs are very open plan, that trend continues, and there's quite a lot of research to suggest that whether or not the woman likes the kitchen is a big...
What’s on Trend Right Now? Multi-Function Spaces
If there's one thing we've all learnt from the pandemic, it's that staring at the same four walls all day long can get pretty boring. This has led to a quest for spaces within the home that can be repurposed quickly and easily, allowing us to do a wider range of...
Choosing the Right Rug – Part 2 – Size and Location
Last time, we looked at choosing the right rug based on the purpose it needed to serve in your interior styling. Now we're moving on to the more practical elements of choosing and using rugs - their size and location.If you have a large, open space, then rugs can be...
A Butler’s Pantry – Useful Addition or Passing Fad?
Over the years, I've inspected thousands and thousands of houses, to the point that most of the time I can give you a rough idea of the decade the property was built, based on certain features. And it looks like the 20s are shaping up to be the decade of the Butler's...
Choosing the Perfect Pillow – Thickness
In previous blog posts I've talked about considering what type of fill you prefer in your pillow, and to some extent the type of fill dictates how thick the pillow is. So your fill preference may have already made this choice for you. But in reality, that's probably...
Creating an Awesome Al Fresco Area
While the trend of having an outdoor entertainment area, often fondly referred to as an al fresco space, has been around for a substantial period of time, there's no doubt it has accelerated thanks to the pandemic. There's only so much time you can spend, staring at...
Colour and Interior Design – Grey
Grey has been the darling of the interior design world for a number of years now, with good reason. It's an extremely versatile neutral, ranging from deep charcoal greys right through to the lightest of greys that border on white. Grey can also work well for a variety...
Choosing the Right Rug – Part 1 – Purpose
Rugs have long been used to add a touch of individuality to a space, turning minimalist and neutral backgrounds into more homely places to live. The vast range of sizes, shapes and designs makes it easy to find one that's perfect for creating the look and feel you're...
Renovation Value Adds: Flooring
I have been known to say that cat's pee smells like money to me. Which does tend to raise a few eyebrows in polite society! Along with some very strange looks. But if you want to renovate and flip houses, paying less when you buy and making the biggest impact with...