I get asked a lot what the pitfalls of bathroom design are for designer’s who are just starting out in the business and I would have to say that bathrooms [...]
The most asked question that I get as an interior design mentor is how do interior designer's get clients, and the next in line is how do I run an [...]
I have found myself repeating this to my mentees and I realize it is something I am quite passionate about. For me, being a designer is a lifestyle. Ok, I [...]
Most people who think about what an interior designer does, think that interior designers only design high-end luxury properties or hotel interiors for lucrative projects. This is pretty outdated thinking [...]
By the time I started my business I had invested in two degrees, postgraduate courses, business coaching and probably close to another hundred extra programs and courses to grow my [...]
How can I become an interior designer? Well everyone will tell you that you should go do a course and then go and get experience. WRONG! There are a few [...]
In my last blog post, we went through what the golden ratio (or as I’m using here Golden rectangle) is and why it is important to a designer. This week, [...]
The Golden Ratio What is it and why is it important to a designer? At the moment I am mentoring my first round of amazing interior designers who are setting [...]
My clients always ask, when is the right time to hire an interior designer? Funnily enough, pretty much 99% of the time, clients want and need you to start their [...]
The interior design world is full of people who will say no to the above question. But the biggest criticism the workplace world gives design schools is that they send [...]
The idea of natural talent has resurfaced often throughout my career and I think it is an interesting topic. I was having a chat this week with an amazing woman who [...]
A couple of years ago I was invited to a local school to talk to students about their careers. I was astounded at the reasons why people wanted to go [...]
How to get your first client and specifically How To Get Your First Interior Design Client - Without a portfolio of work and without a long list of contacts.
My secret obsession is perving at houses on Rightmove and Air B&B. I love seeing how people live, I’m totally fascinated by it. Besides snowboarding, I only have one other [...]
Bathrooms can be rooms that get overlooked in a house and they shouldn’t. These spaces are nearly always the first place we go to when we wake up and the [...]
Im not sure when my obsession with boot rooms started, although it was probably around the same time as when the Plain English kitchens started to get advertised in Elle [...]
No sure what happens to kitchen waste in the USA, but in Australia, Europe, Scandinavia and the UK, kitchen waste goes to the same place as your poo poo. It [...]
The dark nights are closing in and as the temperature drops, I wanted to share a couple of tips on how you can make you’re home feel warm and comforting [...]
If you have decorated a room recently or bought a piece of furniture for its colour, you may have been gravy disappointed when in the evenings you get home and [...]
Although the dictionary meaning suggests that styling is just arranging things in a particular way, I like to describe it as setting the mood for a space.
Being limited by the layout of a home that doesn’t work for your family is where zoning issues really arise. One home could be a perfect fit for the lifestyle [...]
It's not until most people get a chance to stop and really focus or analyse the way they are living in a space that helps them see it isn’t really [...]
Did you know that we feel and absorb the colour we see around us? We are stimulated, energised and relaxed by certain colours. Wearing or being exposed to a colour [...]
The one thing many of my clients have been saying recently is that they are inspired by Scandinavian style interiors. So here are a few say guidelines for those of [...]
If you decorated a room recently and you were expecting a “wow its exactly like I imagined”, but got more of a “there’s something just not right yet”, then try [...]
I always had this vision of me and my husband flicking paint on each other and laughing whilst eating pizza and sleeping on the ground (like a movie scene) and [...]
This week we have been testing paint for our new kitchen and it hasn’t been easy! Of course, I wanted to use luxury paint like Farrow and Ball, Benjamin Moore, [...]
How do you choose a kitchen counter top? Price is a huge factor for most, but look comes a close second, third practicality pops in and out (how easily does [...]
I have worked on over 400 kitchens, either alongside a kitchen designer or just designing them for client’s (or bosses) and I always stick to the design rules I was [...]
100% of my clients request guidance with lighting when we start on their project. It hadn’t occurred to me before I started working for myself that this was something people [...]
From the day my brother brought home his first Asterix comic, I was absolutely hooked on them. Although I loved the stories and humour, what stopped me in my tracks [...]
Some houses have a view that is so spectacular its pretty obvious what idea you are going to run with when designing the spaces, but what if there really isn’t [...]
My husband asked me what I was writing this morning and I bet you thought the same thing when you read the title of today’s blog! “Yeah Right!” But when [...]
So last week I wrote about the first way to choose paint colours for your home, which was by starting with something you already have. I gave you important advice [...]
Some people find choosing paint colours easy and others can change their minds a million times before finally deciding on an option. Hopefully this will break it down for you [...]
If you didn’t hire a designer or opted for the cheaper alternative at the beginning (DIY or technician) or even worse, letting your builder deal with the design and detailing, [...]
I always get the best clients and I count my lucky stars every day because I am pretty sure that I only ever get the coolest people contacting me. Recently, [...]
In the UK, I don’t get asked this question too often! The spaces here are much, much smaller than I have come across anywhere else in the world. Often times [...]
Back in Architecture school, I remember we were taught to look to our context when designing buildings. We were taught to really study the local area, the environment and then [...]
Everyone who knows me knows how I live and breath architecture and buildings. It is not only my full-time job but my obsession and passion. In recent years, however, I [...]
When my friend said that Milan design week is definitely a show I shouldn’t miss, (and I have been to many, many shows) she was right! Wow. Just Wow! I [...]
As you know, I have been researching the hotel industry as I’m getting my foot back into hotel design and I can’t be more excited to see that the latest [...]
Buying a new house is a beautiful fresh new start and is a really great time to consider starting fresh with your furniture, especially if you have been renting for [...]
Yes, in design we usually use black to make things stand out, bring them closer visually, to create a luxury feel or to create contrast. But black should be treated [...]
Having lived in shared accommodation for most of my life and having travelled and moved way too many times, I have so many space saving ideas that I have used [...]
We all love a good before and after. Many big transformations can take time and are most often unbelievable or difficult to imagine. What could you imagine when looking at [...]
I have heard myself repeating these things a lot lately, so it made me realize that its not something many people know about! If you are choosing items ...
Pretty much every home that I have lived in, here in the UK and in Australia wasn’t insulated. That freaks me out these days, but actually, only houses built in [...]
We went through why you need a mood board a few weeks back when I wrote the post about what you need before buying furniture or choosing paint colours. If [...]
Everyone, unless they have a clear vision of the end result and what they want it to look like, they fail in reaching their end goal with their design.
Christmas in London is usually loads of fun, but we have to make it fun because we are usually far from family and friends. As you might know, I am [...]
On the plane, while everyone around me stared with suspicious eyes, I watched every recent Hindu, Arabic and Chinese movies that I could, so that I could get as much [...]
I dreamed of living in the inner city and having that healthy Australian lifestyle that comes with living so close to the water and trendy inner city areas with bars, [...]
I used to spend my childhood looking at the free flyers that came through the door and dream about living in spaces like the ones in those advertisements.
It took me a few years to start noticing the subtle differences in older buildings and new buildings built to look old. It wasn't until I started working on
Design is everywhere. When I was studying architecture in Brisbane so many years ago, I was in disbelief when my lecturers would say that the architects ...
So what do I believe you must do before even considering buying furniture or paint colours for your home? What do I know will save you tones of money ..
Living in a small space becomes a lifestyle. You will have to adapt to your surroundings or a more compact way of living (unless you have always lived in small [...]
Having lived in small, shared, inner city spaces for much of my 20’s, I found lots of ways of making my tiny rooms appear much bigger than they were...
Have you spent ages designing your living room, meticulously choosing pieces, mulling over colours, styles, Pinterest and Houzz photos, then stood back ...
The thing that every designer is talking about right now might feel a little underwhelming, although what I like about it, is its complexity. (Geek alert).
STEP 6 - SHOW OFF YOUR PERSONALITY & STYLE - Domestic interior design wouldn't exist if there were no people willing to express their personality and style. What do you [...]
I usually get 3 types of requests from clients. I get asked to; 1. Completely overhaul a room 2. Bring a room into this century (make it more modern) or [...]
Early on in my career I remember asking one of the architects I worked with, which colour to choose for the outside of a property. She told me that ...
In my online interior design business I often see myself repeating a few reasons why things haven't been looking coherent or actually finally feeling ...
STEP 5 - DEFINE YOUR THEME & MOOD, THEY ARE THE KEY TO ALL OF YOUR DECISIONSThe first main step to decorating, now that you understand your space, limitations, budget [...]
Since living in the UK, I have had the pleasure of working on many historic or listed buildings in England, Europe and Scandinavia. I have even lived ...
STEP 3 - DESIGN STORAGE. HIDE WHAT YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE AND SHOW OFF THE REST.One of my most favourite things to design in an interior has to be [...]
I thought this bathroom would be a good example to use to help you understand what is going on here, and also I think the designer did such a beautiful...
Understanding what makes a room so nice can be easily simplified just by taking away elements. I used this image from ecb architects to show you how ...
BE CREATIVE, DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT FIRST AND THEN MAKE IT PRACTICAL. The next step to creating a gorgeous home office space that you love and want to spend ...
BE INSPIRED, HAVE VISION AND DECIDE ON WHAT KIND OF SPACE YOU WANT. This is the first step in interior design to turn your home office into a gorgeous ...
