The Swiss Cheese approach to decluttering your home
Posted at 12:45 PM | Filed Under Home Design
After speaking with lots of people over the January period I found, as usual, many people had set about doing small fix-up jobs about the house. This year it was a revelation to me that it’s a ‘clean up and throw out’ period as well. I thought it would be great to pass on a [...]
A renewed confidence in the building industry
Posted at 12:49 PM | Filed Under Home Design
Last year was generally a tragic year for most companies in the construction industry with many businesses going into debt just to keep afloat. But 2010 is looking good, very good, and there is a buzz of optimism in the building industry. We talk with our advertisers in length about their business and it seems [...]
Summer brights
Posted at 8:14 AM | Filed Under Home Design
In 2008 we witnessed a renaissance of strong clear vibrant colour and the trend for Summer 2009/10 is a continuation of this theme, but if anything the colours are even bolder than before. Beautiful strong bright colours have re-emerged as the stars of decorating, breaking out from the more muted tones that we [...]
Be asbestos alert when you renovate
Posted at 12:01 AM | Filed Under Home Design
Many people think asbestos is only a problem in houses built before the mid 1950s. But, the reality is, you’ll find significant amounts of asbestos in homes built right up until the early 1980s. And this makes this once lauded, now loathed, building material a real cause for caution for nearly all home renovators.
Why is [...]
Think twice, build once
Posted at 12:01 AM | Filed Under Home Design
As an architect, I always recommend living in your home for at least a year before you embark on any major renovations. This way you’ll have experienced the place through the seasons, through different light conditions and through your daily life, and you’ll come out knowing what your renovation priorities truly are.
Unfortunately, it’s not so [...]
DIYers who go too far
Posted at 6:00 AM | Filed Under Home Design
Give them an inch and they take a mile. It’s an old saying but it’s the perfect way to sum up DIYers who cross the line into dangerous territory.
Last week I had coffee with an interior designer friend who was telling me about a kitchen renovation she is overseeing for a relative. My friend has [...]
Colour your home as nature intended
Posted at 10:11 AM | Filed Under Home Design
I wish I had a dollar for every book and article I’ve seen about creating colour schemes for homes. Okay, I know there is a certain science to colour and that professionals like me need rules and guidelines, especially when pushing aesthetic boundaries or working on big complex projects. But for the average person who [...]
I love my light bulbs!
Posted at 11:27 AM | Filed Under Home Design
I am an eternal home decorator and there’s nothing I hold more sacred than lighting. For me it’s what makes a house a home, regardless of colour schemes, furnishings or accessories. So you can imagine my concern about a year ago when I heard these new energy-saving light bulbs would soon be the only sort [...]
These are recycling times….
Posted at 10:12 AM | Filed Under Home Design
I was listening to the ABC radio this morning and they were talking about Op shops like St Vinies and church based shops that are currently seeing a 20% rise in sales. People can’t afford to buy new things as they did in the past. This recycling of clothing and household items does not have [...]
Interior styling unmasked
Posted at 2:00 PM | Filed Under Home Design
Since we first published our article ‘How to design your own home‘ back in 2006 we have had constant emails from people saying how great the article is. It also became obvious from these emails that our visitors were craving for informative interior design articles. Over the last twelve months we have created many infomative [...]
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