Ideas Blog
Choosing the Perfect Pillow
Pillows are pillows, right? Well, for anyone who's slept in a different bed with a different pillow, the response to that statement is a resounding NO! And if you've ever stood in the pillow section of a department store and scratched your head in confusion over the...
Colour and Interior Design – Pink
Ah, pink. As soon as you mention pink, people think of women. Which is interesting, considering it's not that long since pink was the colour of choice for clothing small boys, as it was considered the precursor to strong reds, which men wore. It's only gained its...
Vignettes – Cosy Up in Style
You've had a lovely time putting together the items you want to use in your latest vignette. You've thought about colour, textures, a theme and more. Now it's the moment of truth - styling the vignette. But then comes the burning question - do you put the items close...
Are You Suffering from Renovation Decision Fatigue?
Most of us have been there. You start a renovation, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and spend hours scrolling on Pinterest and Instagram for inspiration. In your head you have a vision of what you want to achieve. Then the questions start. What colours? What layout?...
Styling Your Bed Throw – the Basics
Images of beds that have been styled in preparation for a photo shoot are everywhere - from the razor sharp lines of a well-made bed to the boisterous enthusiasm of cascading pillows and plumped-up doonas. One thing they almost all share is the latest "must-have"...
Controlling Kitchen Chaos Part 5 – Drawers
Welcome to the latest instalment of controlling the chaos in your kitchen. This time, we're looking at using drawers. Kitchens have changed a lot over the years, and replacing cabinets with drawers is one of the biggest changes. It's so much easier to pull out a...
Vignettes – Add a Little Texture
When it comes to creating a stylish vignette, it's important to find ways to attract and hold the eye. We've already looked at the use of colour, so now it's time to consider texture. The eye is naturally drawn to explore a group of items in a vignette when there is...
Furniture – the Forgotten Cost Part 2
In a previous blog post I talked about furnishing your home on a shoestring budget. This included spending any extra dollars you have on buying core items that will last. But what are those core items?Your Bed And by bed, I mean mattress! Anyone who has slept on a...
Colour and Interior Design – Purple
Purple is an underused colour when it comes to interior design, which is a shame. It encompasses everything from deep aubergine through to the softest of lavenders, making it extremely versatile in terms of the mood you want to create. Historically, purple was the...
Controlling Kitchen Chaos Part 4 – Small Things Use Big Spaces
If your kitchen is like mine, then you have a bunch of small appliances - toaster, kettle, juicer, coffee machine, food processor, Thermomix, slow cooker, rice cooker... Aargh! Although each of these individually are rightly referred to as "small" appliances, put them...
Vignettes – Add Some Colour
Current interior design trends are very minimalist, both in terms of objects in the room and the amount of colour used. Neutral, natural tones and textures abound. Which leaves you room at risk of being a tad... boring. So adding a splash of colour with a vignette is...
Kids Bedrooms 101
Anyone with a child knows how fast their interests and tastes change as they grow. Which means their bedroom needs to be as quick to change as they are! So how do you keep up, without needing to completely renovate their room every few months? The answer is simple -...
Colour and Interior Design – Green
Green is a colour that goes in and out of fashion regularly for interior design. Particular shades are very reminscent of certain eras; who can forget the stunning lime green so popular in the 1970s, for example? As a colour, being a combination of the primary colours...
Controlling Kitchen Chaos Part 3 – Divide and Conquer
We've hung it up and shelved it, but there's still more chaos to be controlled in the kitchen - small things. That's where divide and conquer comes into play, by taking large spaces, which frequently end up as a jumbled mess, and turning them into practical, usable...
Furniture – the Forgotten Cost
You've built your new home, or bought your first one, or are just upsizing. And you have that moment of sudden panic - in all your number crunching, budgeting and planning, you didn't think about furniture. Somehow, the slightly mangy couch you grabbed off a...