gOLd ChaLK

Gold Chalk meets Josh and Charlotte from The Block

2015-07-26T14:56:00.000+10:00

I recently attended Josh and Charlotte from The Block’s guest talk at Coco Republic Design School in Melbourne. Here is my take on their top tips for renovating success:

(see this article in Reno Addict and The Block....)

1. Location is paramount, buy the best you can afford.

2. Try to minimise any structural changes: knocking out walls costs a lot of money.

3. Try to maximise all living spaces and make sure they all connect. If you can and have the space, add stools to the kitchen bench. The kitchen is now another living space!

4. Invest in kitchens and bathrooms.

5. Save money on laundries — especially if, like theirs on The Block, it’s hidden out of the way.

6. Don’t forget the outside! Landscaping is a huge factor — their green wall was a pivotal space, it could be seen from all rooms and connected them together.

7. Use quality furniture, where possible custom build pieces to fit spaces. This then gives the illusion of space and really finishes off a room.

8. Josh was really big on calling in professionals to help with the planning; don’t be scared to enlist a professional for help, they are full of knowledge and will probably save you money in the end.

9. When it comes to following trends, they have a strict rule: trends are used only in easy to change pieces like cushions and linen.

10. Their last bit of advice was to give renovating a go yourself; it’s the only way you learn. Don’t be afraid to try it yourself!

What I loved best about the night was that these two were very down to earth, they mixed with the crowd and let us take lots of photos. They wanted to share all their knowledge with us. I will be keen to see what they work on next. It was easy to see that Charlotte was a big fan of Coco Republic, their style seemed to suit her: classic and timeless. She also mentioned she had just graduated from the design school having done the Decorating Essentials 101 course, all of which she hopes to put to use in Josh’s business, J T Design and Construct.

Fabulous Gallery Walls

2015-04-13T14:44:00.002+10:00

all pics pinterest

Random Goodness

2015-04-01T15:52:00.001+11:00

Don't you just love Pinterest, it's my go to place for inspiration and God dam good photography, I can waste away the hours on there. I also stumbled across a blog called www.dearseptember.com.au

Check it out. Totally groovy cool stuff!! Happy Easter you all xxoo

All images from dearseptember

7 Vignettes by The 'Interiors Addict

2015-01-21T16:12:00.001+11:00

Have you participated in 7 Vignettes from The Interiors Addict on Instagram? I had been thinking about it for a while and trying to decide whether I could or should, to be honest, I was a little apprehensive about the standard and really not that sure what I had to do to participate. So I had some time over the holidays and I thought it may just be what I need to get my creative mojo back for 2015. I researched it here and had a look at some of the past winners here and here, and I decided to give it a go!

The 7 themes for January were:

1. Sparkle

2. Yellow

3. Blue

4. Green

5. Pink

6. Rainbow and

7. Black and White

playing around with the image and adding filters

I didn't really have a plan in place to start pulling the vignettes together, I more or less just started collecting some of my favourite things in the nominated themes and then started grouping them together. You need to submit a picture a day for the first 7 days of the month, I would strongly suggest to do a couple of pics at a time and have them ready to post each day, unless you have lots of time and are super organised!

started here, and finished a little differently

It did get easier as the process went along and some of them are nothing like what I had intended or started out with, but I just kept playing around with each one and then photographed it with my iPhone a couple of times, cropping and varying the angles until it just felt right. Sometimes what you see and what the camera sees can be two different things - do you ever find that?.

The blue image is my favourite from this round, followed closely by the Black and White image and the Green one and then the Pink one!!!!

It was a really worthwhile experience, I would highly recommend it - the 7 Vignettes community on Instagram is HUGE and highly supportive .You get to interact with like minded creatives, some of the images are truly amazing. Geez some people are so talented. Here are a few of my favorites.

me and my girl

The Stylish Splash

Mint and Fizz

Would you give it a go? you can sign up for the alert newsletter here! If I get time, I'm thinking of doing all months in 2015! so stay tuned!!

Diary of a styling assistant ........

2015-01-18T21:24:00.002+11:00

Getting a styling assistants gig on one of this countries leading home magazines, Home Beautiful, was a tremendous highlight for me in 2014. It really was a dream come true, I had put it on my wish list and I did everything to make it happen. Home Beautiful is one of my favourite magazines, I buy it every month and stalk the pages from back to front and then back again. So to actually get in behind the scenes and see what really happens on a photo shoot was actually pretty amazing!!

The day starts really early (around 7am), the head stylist arrives (in this case the very lovely Julia Green), her car is usually packed to the brim with props and flowers, Then the photographer (in this case - Armelle Habib - an absolutely amazing creative!) arrives, lots of gear and her assistant is usually not far behind! On this particular job, there were two styling assistants working under Julia's direction, myself and another girl - both of us big fat sponges and just watching every move she made. Next up the stylist and the photographer scope out the house - this is where the fun begins - before you know it - things are being moved around, props moved in and mixed with the existing furniture - this can be as big as a new floor rug, a throws, cushions and/or artwork and as small as a pair of glasses resting on a book!!!!. Everything is strategically positioned so that the space is best captured by the camera - every little detail counts. In actual fact magazine shoots are all about the details - can you imagine turning every room upside down and then moving it back again once the right shot is captured - it was a huge day - very long hours, lots of waiting for the right light to enter a room - some rooms easier than others. The experience was amazing, I feel very lucky. I left the house at 6pm - the shoot was not complete by then and if that was not long enough - they were all getting up the next day to get to a house Daylesford by 7am on a Saturday - their commitment to capturing beautiful homes is truly amazing. I did learn a lot from that day, but one of the biggest learnings I came away with was that magazines love detail and colour, the house has to have the right bones, it has to be something special and it need to photograph, although in saying that Armelle is the BOMB, she has an amazing ability to make anything look fabulous - check out her website to see more of her amazing work.
I would love both her and Julia to come to my house one day!!!! ( another grand wish of mine) and make it look amazing and see it in the pages of Home Beautiful - imagine that - ohhh to dream!!!

gold chalk gets to take a look at Kate's place

2014-12-14T23:10:00.002+11:00

Do you ever drive by a house and wonder what's behind that gate??? Or think, wow, that looks amazing - I bet there is something really special in there! Well that's exactly what I thought when I first turned up to this house in my local neighbourhood. Lucky for me, the very lovely owner let me take a closer look inside, she herself was a little camera shy, but what was behind those gates absolutely blew me away - designed and built by the owners, the architecture and detail both externally and internally is amazing - I really hope my photography gives you a very small indication of the awesomeness of this home - thank you Kate for inviting me inside x

this huge deck is the perfect spot to entertain and take in the amazing views

beautiful leadlight doors salvaged from the original house

the entrance

more amazing leadlight

cushions - how to style them and where to buy them!

2014-11-24T16:11:00.002+11:00

picture from The Design Files

Cushions are a stylists best friend - I love using them to add colour, texture and interest to a space, but all too often, I see them not being used correctly or people just lacking confidence to pull them together. In fact it's probably one of the most asked questions I get - how do I pull them together and where do I buy them from. Well, today I am going to reveal some of the things I like to do with cushions!

picture Freedom Furniture

1. no matter what colour couch you have always include a black and white zig zag (or Chevron) cushion - it helps define the space and ground it!

2. Add interest with colour and shape - mix the shapes up, round, large square, rectangular

3. Mix prints and strips

Add texture - velvet, shag - what ever tickles your fancy

4. never match - always mix

5. Layer them in odd numbers - 3, 5 or 7!!!

6. don't try to hard - just throw them on - there really is no formula

Picture - Crate Expectations

7. Add some quirk - words or animal prints - have some fun

8. I love feather inserts - they really make all the difference

9. kids ranges can equally look good in an adult setting!

always add black and white to the mix - this cushion is so affordable - from IKEA

Rachel Castle Round Cushions - add some fun and Colour to a space

this is my go to cushion from the IKEA range and it feather filled!

9. keep the colour pallet simple - no more than 3 shades of colour

10. add some metallic to spice things up.

My top 10

Destinations for Cushions

1. Bed Bath and Table The Works - Hawthorn

they have the most amazing cushion wall - shop here for range

2. Bonnie and Neil

shop here for colour and quirk

3. Castle and Things

beautiful shapes and colours

4. Kip and Co

on trend and lots to mix and match

6. Hard to Find

huge range and fast delivery

7. Aura

bold designs and nice shapes

8. Gorman Home

shop here to add quirk

9. Ikea

great basics and some feather filled - affordable

10. Freedom

on trend and easily accessible, also great basics at affordable prices

If you need help choosing cushions for your space, I can help you! In home consultations are available and cushion workshops/shopping trips - please contact me for further details.

When fashion and Home collide - Mister Zimi and the Bali Villa

2014-11-17T15:08:00.002+11:00

What happens when one of your favourite fashion labels opens a villa for rent in one of your favourite holiday destinations!!!!?????? Well, meet Mister Zimi . This is like a dream come true for me, a Villa decked out in the most fabulous array of colours in the most beautiful place - Bali - now that's enough to make me get all hot and clammy! The Mister Zimi style is clear throughout the three-bedroom villa, with bright furnishings, gorgeous feature walls in all bedrooms and rugs laid throughout from their own collection. The villa is available to rent, it sleeps five adults and one child and cost approx $190 per night - see here for more details Mr Zimi Villa

a sneak peek into Mister Zimi's latest Bird of Paradise Range - amazing!

all pictures Mister Zimi

colour really does make the world go round - don't you think!!!???

gold chalk spends some time with Brooke HOLM - learning from the master.........

2014-09-09T15:10:00.001+10:00

On Saturday I attended an amazing course through Megan Morton and The School, it was the second time I have been to the school, the first was about two years ago to do the Styling Master Class with Megan Morton herself!- I was very excited and keen to get some insights on how to photograph interiors and make them POP on gOLd ChaLK's social media outlets. I was not disappointed! Brooke Holm is amazing - the venue was amazing, it had so many props to use - it was so much fun - now I am primed to start practising - hope you all start to notice a difference in my shots!!!!

I came home and took these shoots of my Inspiration board, trying to keep in mind all the things I had learnt - Aperture, shutter speed, F stop! ISO - sounds complex - well it was sort of, but I feel a whole lot more informed, so now I am now keen to get myself a new lenses specially for shooting interiors and a tripod! Watch out gOLd ChALk followers!!!

gOLd ChALk's latest makeover

2014-08-26T22:29:00.000+10:00

It took us two big days to pull this beauty together, this house has such a beautiful feel - it the perfect entertainer! It reminded me of an old Queenslander! It has a beautiful elevated deck, lots of huge windows, bifold doors and three huge living spaces - I can't wait for it to hit the market.

ChALk's rules for selling!

2014-08-22T22:55:00.000+10:00

Chalk's golden rules for Selling!

If you’re thinking of selling your property, you need to follow my golden rules before you even think about listing your home with a Real Estate agent!

Think and plan ahead– think about who might buy your home – make sure you appeal to the right buyer – your home needs to cater to their needs, if that means packing up the sewing room and turning it into a nursery, then that’s what you do to maximise your sale price – be realistic and most importantly, be honest with yourself. Its hard work getting a house ready for sale – Lets face it anything worthwhile usually takes time and effort.

Start right at the beginning - look at your home with new eyes, clear ALL clutter, box up whatever you do not need, this includes all personal objects, photos and memorabilia, nobody wants to see Collingwood winning their last Grand Final or an enlarged photo of you and your partner above the main bed!!!!! Order that skip you have been talking about for months and start clearing!

Clean windows, inside and out – include fly screens, purchase a new welcoming doormat and don’t forget the humble letterbox, all to often I see neglected letterboxes covered in webs and with no street number, or no letterboxes at all. It’s your first introduction to potential buyers – it sets the tone for what they are about to see– make sure its looks the part!

Clean, clean, clean, and then clean again - don’t forget to look up, behind and under furniture – cobwebs, dust, dirty hand prints – they all have to go. Repaint if you need to, peach walls or suede effects paints and the like need to go – this is business and you need to appeal to as many buyers as possible, personal taste needs to be put aside! White walls or off white works best. New carpet will do amazing things to a house – it doesn’t have to be expensive, it just has to look good!

Natural Light is key – pull the blinds back or lift them up as high as they will go – let your windows do the talking, heavy drapes weigh down a room – I often ask clients to remove window dressings all together for sale purposes, especially in living areas – there is nothing better than looking out clean fresh windows, just make sure what you are looking out to is worth looking at!

New Linen – new bedlinen in the main bedroom will speak wonders for your campaign – invest in white linen and a quilted valance (trust me!)Layer your bed with colour and texture and match your towels back. New pillows will give you that magazine look – it’s so important not to sleep on the linen or the pillows during the campaign – use your old set and keep changing it over – believe me it will be worth the short term inconvenience!

Lastly Dress the House – give each room a wow factor – I love to use artwork and key pieces of furniture to create interest. The buyer needs to remember your house – they need to make a connection with your space! Believe me, you do not want to blend, you want to give them something to remember. Make sure your house stands out for all the right reasons!

Good Luck!!!

Inside Lorenn's house

2014-08-08T20:58:00.000+10:00

It's not everyday you get to take a tour of a stylist's home - my lovely friend, Lorenn, finally caved, after months of me pestering her - she finally allowed me to shoot her in her space - her house is a true reflection of the lovely person she is, her taste is impeccable and her style is to die for - she always looks so effortlessly chic and has an obvious flair for fashion. Apart from being a lovely person, she also has some amazing experience with homewares and fashion under her belt!! Having run her own retail business and styling for some big names in the business!!!!!

I only hope my amateur photography has done her space justice!!!

who remembers these swap cards??? - this features in Lorenn's daughters bedroom.

Lorenn's beautiful business cards, I love the oriental slant on her style!

a big thank you to Lorenn for letting us inside her home!

secrets of a Stylist revealed!

2014-06-25T20:33:00.000+10:00

picture - The Design Files

almost two years ago now, I attended a workshop by the very famous Abigail Ahern, she travelled out to Australia from the UK and revealed all of her trade secrets - the workshop was fabulous, I was and still am a big fan of hers - she is a little off centre and really knows her stuff, in fact she is famous for breaking all the rules in the decorating world. Here are some of her secrets revealed - dare you to try some of them , if not, all!!!

Break rules

I break rules all the time. Not to be gimmicky or newsworthy but simply because rules restrict us way too much. Break them I say who wants a home that reflects some boring old road map with oodles of regulations. Stuff like coffee tables should be so high (no they shouldn’t) or pendants should be suspended such and such a height from the ceiling, ugg! Don’t listen to that stuff. I’ve hung a chandelier so low that I wack my head on it every time I get out of the bath! I’ve used African drums and little stools as coffee tables that are supposedly too high or too low. That is what creates the magic, the intrigue and the drama, so go ahead and break some rules!

Add pops of colour

Colour is clever it enlivens, brightens and delights so if clients are worried about applying to walls (always) I’ll apply it to accessories. Think vases, art, pillows, throws the small stuff basically. And when I say pops I mean pops of bright intoxicating hues for full on impact.

Do something unexpected

Wallpaper the closet or loo, hang a chandelier lower than expected, use a stone bust as a hat stand, put something way too big on something too small that sort of thing. You’ll find it’s a bit like sprinkling fairy dust over things suddenly your rooms start to look magical!

Have fun.

I adore this quote by the American designer Ross Cassidy “I don’t think people have enough fun with decorating. It doesn’t always have to be so serious. Design isn’t like marriage, you don’t have to commit for life.” Here, here to that!!

Make it comfortable

No matter if you live in a palace or a houseboat the most important thing is making a home comfortable because if you can’t be comfortable at home where can you?. Squishy loungey chairs, laid back sofas, real comfortable things that strike a visual note in every room, giving it this sense of the most fabulous laid back lair.

Accessorize, accessorize, accessories

Don’t neglect the accessories they are the finishing touches that they tell a story all about you, from that old jug picked up in a souk in Morocco, to a painting found in a flea. I overdose on them, filling my home and the homes of my clients with things that makes us all happy.

and here is a little secret of mine, every Wednesday, I wait with baited breath to see what home "The Design Files" will share with us - I love peaking into other peoples homes, don't you?. Studying the details and replicating them with my own little twist!! The following pics are some of my favourites featured recently. To get your weekly dose, bookmark The Design Files - well worth it. I do hope to share some homes of my own with you all soon, so stay tuned!

my take on a gallery style picture wall!

2014-06-10T20:23:00.003+10:00

This is my perfect answer to a gallery wall - I think the Gallery Walls you see in magazines and the like look fantastic, but in reality I am yet to see one so fabulous! Instead of the gallery wall I prefer to us the picture ledge, available here and here. It is so much more stylish, easier to change and not so busy/in your face!!!! Not every ones cup of tea, but it certainly is my choice when showing off lots of pictures and photos. What do you think? Are you willing to give it a try?? I have!!

ledges available at West Elm in Melbourne or on-line, Ikea also do a great version too.

and then whilst you are at it - grab yourself a print from

STUDIO COCKATOO

the most devine artwork going around

perfect in an IKEA or Country Road Frame

all pictures via pinterest and Studio Cockatoo

Imagine...., being able to style a house using all the things you love and know work!

2014-06-09T17:32:00.000+10:00

FENTON & FENTON

How fabulous do these pictures look, I can't stop looking at them, this is a house styled for sale by Lucy Fenton using Fenton & Fenton product only, imagine having that resource to do your job! Oooohhh, I just love this look and feel - this would be my ideal job! Blank canvas - white walls and then adding colour and texture with furniture accessories, artwork and rugs! The colour pops, the artwork and Rugs are used to dictate the colour scheme. Wood is added to soften the space and there is layer upon layer - look at the wooden stool in the bathroom - perfection! to take a closer look of this home and also to see more from this fabulous on line magazine - head to Adore Home - well worth a read. And if you live in Melbourne, pencil in a date with yourself to visit this gorgeous store. Although their on-line presence is quite resourceful and inspiring too!

So true, a RUG can transform a space - finding the right one is the hard part!

all pictures taken from the latest issue of Adore Home - Great read!

Adore Book GIVEAWAY!!

2014-05-01T21:34:00.001+10:00

It's officially out - finally the book has arrived, I have been waiting to get my paws on a copy of this book ever since the creator Loni Parker floated the idea of creating a book after the huge success of her on line magazine Adore Home. I have had the pleasure of working on the magazine for Loni and was even featured in it a little while back. To celebrate the launch Gold Chalk is giving away a brand new copy of the book(valued at $55.00) along with a pass for two to the launch of the book in Melbourne on May 15th! This will be an event not to be missed in the interiors world!!! and it is being held at the new West Elm store in South Yarra. To win, simply "Like" the Gold Chalk Facebook page, share the page with your friends, and leave a comment on the post. The lucky winner will be drawn on May 11th. Good Luck!!!

Some of my favourite pages so far in the book

inside Amanda's Home

2014-04-10T22:18:00.001+10:00

Now, I'm no photographer, but I do know a good house when I see one - this is a girlfriend of mine (Amanda) who kindly let me photograph her stunning home for my blog. I have been lucky enough to help her pull her home together and inject some of her beautiful personality She loves Bally!!! She is now confident to use colour, mixes old with new, oriental and modern and like every girl I know - she loves a cushion!!!! Her house is not complete, lets face it - when do we ever finish all those "love to do" jobs on our list, but as you will see, she is well on her way! A big thank you to the Jones' for being so lovely and letting us take a peek into their home. xx

Property Styling - My Week in pictures - Before and After shots

2014-04-08T19:47:00.002+10:00

it's been a crazy couple of weeks getting these houses ready for sale - but well worth the time and effort - if only these pictures could talk!

Real Estate photography V's Photography for Styling - 101

2014-03-20T20:40:00.003+11:00

I am hoping you find this post as interesting as I do.........Whilst I was learning all about the world of styling I would have killed to have read a post like this!!!! See, not that long ago, I was confused about Real Estate Photography V's Photography for print media - i.e. magazines etc. So I decided to investigate the styling world and find out what the big differences were. Why did magazine photography appeal to me so much more than real estate photography???? Why after spending hours styling a property for Sale did it not photograph anything like I wanted it to. Well, here's what I have learnt so far, I hope it explains the subtle differences and why both forms of photography are important.

The photos below are from the amazing home of Super Blogger Lucy Feagins from The Design Files - I love her blog, I especially love reading her post every Wednesday, where she features an Australian home - This week it was her very own!!!!! But not only was that a great find, I was already drawn to her house, as I noticed it featured in The Age Domain on the weekend - so with that in mind, I decided to show you her space through eyes of two very different lenses!!! The First picture is the feral Estate photo, the second is the photo taken by an interiors photographer after the space has been styled! take a look and see if you can tell the difference........

the biggest learning for me has been that Real Estate photography is all about getting wide angled shots and getting as much as possible into the picture, whilst styling photography is all about the detail, colour and making a space feel lived in(even though it has probably been propped to the eyeballs!!). Neither of them are how we actually live on a daily basis, but both serve their purpose. Most of us aspire to have a home that looks like the covers of a magazine, but the reality is very different, and so, even when you look at a home that you think looks lived in, most of the time a Stylist would have spent hours working on it, moving things the slightest millimetre and adding a lots of things to make the image look just perfect - its a real skill!!! - In my job, I am constantly trying to make Real Estate photography look more appealing, whilst also serving its main purpose, which is to showcase the space of the room/home.

Its my wish to achieve something in the middle, a little bit of both worlds.

photography - from here and here

Inside George Calombaris' home....

2014-03-17T09:00:00.000+11:00

I love a little bit of celebrity stalking, I noticed the home of George Calombaris is on the market - check it out here for a little bit of celebrity eye candy!!!! My favourite rooms in his house are the Bathroom and the Dining Room.

not a big fan of the curved island bench - Similar to The Block one recently!!!

I wonder if this place was professionally styled??? What do you think??

all pictures from Realestate.com.au

Gold Chalk Home Love and Online Shopping Find

2014-03-13T21:36:00.002+11:00

this week, I am thinking lots about the homes I love, whilst dreaming of spending more time in my own home and completing all those jobs that just seem to be put off, day after day, week after week !!! This year, I want to be more disciplined in only having things I love in my space and making every room feel and look fabulous - a bit of practising what I preach one could say!!!!!! Time - where does it go!?????!!!

This is a home I have spent a lot of time looking at - it was a stroke of luck that I stumbled across it - It is the home of Prue, it was featured in the January issue of Country Style Magazine. I saw it whilst on holidays down at the beach and it was one of the highlights of my trip. This lady is super stylish in her own way - she has a fabulous ability to mix new with old - I so love that - and nature with colour!!!!

In the article Prue mentions she is influenced by Anna Spiro - I love Anna Spiro, maybe that's why I am drawn to Prue's home. But not only does she have a magical home that I could look at for days!!! Yes, seriously days on end, but she has a fabulous on-line store that I am sure you are all going to love!!!! This is seriously my style all over!!! Check it out here

Mixing cushions and pillows - love the Megan Park cushion!

I have this print at home - I can't take my eyes off those pineapple in that beautiful bowl!

I love that wire lamp with the Yellow shade and the Coloured book spines are a perfect fit here

some of my favourites from her on line shop - Olive and Clover

beautiful mix of country and colour, from memory I think Prue's farmhouse is in Orange NSW

happy weekend all, hope this home inspires you to take a dip into colour at your place!

all pics from Olive and Clover and taken by me directly from the magazine

Inside Megan's House

2014-03-12T15:40:00.000+11:00

You may recall I introduced you all to Megan here, well Megan is my trusty styling companion - we set up a lot of houses together, she really does add a breath of fresh air to my houses and I love working with her. So today, when I got invited into her very special abode - I couldn't help myself, I had to take some pics to show off her amazing home style!!! and to think , she called me into help her!!!! LOL!! I love her colour palette, how disciplined she is when adding new items and also how she has added so much of her own personality to her space. This is perfectly Megan.

Megan has pulled this room together amazingly - long rectangular living spaces are hard to work with - love how she had added circles to this space (one of the golden rules when working with lots of rectangles and squares!), the dark wall contrasts perfectly with the rug, and sofa - her colour choices are to die for.

The details - that's what I love - it's personality plus!

I also love this little study nook,off the kitchen, again, dark and light - perfectly functional - I want that chalkboard!!!

Now, Megan did not want me to photograph her space, but as I am sure you will agree, it's amazing!!

Freedom Furniture's new collection - my top 5

2014-03-05T14:40:00.000+11:00

always love when Freedom release their new seasons collection - this seasons range is pretty exciting - I love the colour combinations and the simplicity of the designs - guaranteed to work in lots of spaces. My first love is the Round Mirror (above) perfect mixed back with light wood, could equally work with a black or brown sofa. The floor lamp is Number two - this has a slight Japanese feel, its been a long time since I've been so excited about a floor lamp!! Love this.

This Canvas is perfect for adding colour and impact to a room - It is strong but also soothing, I can see this working in lots of spaces - this is high on my hit list!

Its all about copper this season, and these two pieces, the Rug and Cushion are easy updates to ensure you are on trend without over doing it - two very easy pieces to work with that won't date and can be used with lots of couches - works well with Grey, Charcoal, Brown, Black and Neutral - perfect if you have updating in mind.

I always love to head into store to check out the items for myself - I was pleasantly surprised at the quality and feel of the product - well worth a visit to your nearest Freedom Furniture store.

it's hip to be green - Thrifty decorating

2014-02-05T20:40:00.002+11:00

Green is still huge for 2014 - this is the perfect way to add it to your home - subtle hey!

And if that isn't enough to make you go OMG!!!!

I spy the Ikea $10 baskets(I featured here!) being used as pendant light shades - how fabulous do they look!!

image House Beautiful magazine

hello Lover!

2014-02-04T21:28:00.000+11:00

Look what happens when you cross an iconic Swedish brand and Australia's leading premium chocolatier!!!! Kikki K & KOKO Black have joined forces for Valentines day. Life really is too short not to get yourself or the one you love some of this limited edition chocolate. Actually don't stop there - the whole Neon Hearts Collection is amazing - I don't think I've been quite as excited about Valentines Day in a long time! - don't just spoil your lover, this range is perfect for any loved one in your life!

Happy Valentines Day Lovers!