Wednesday 27 September 2017

House Envy: Inside Julia Van Daele's Japandi Home!

Today were taking a peek inside the monochome home of Julia Van Daele, the founder of stylish stationery line, Well Received. Her home is dressed in black and white with the occasional pop of grey. But it's far from cold and boring. In fact it's interesting, inviting and cosy! Though black and white is a very minimal colour palette that creates sharp contrasts, it is softened with textiles, fur, greenery and timber accessories.

The design aesthetics of Julia's home has a serious slant towards design trend Japandi, an eclectic combination of Scandinavian and Japanese design that is minimal yet has warmth, makes this home tour not one to be missed. So come along to have a peek and see if you too go black and white with house envy!I'm interested to know what you thought of the achromatic colour palette? To tell you the truth, I'm in love with that black-and-white soapstone coffee table in the living room! Who wouldn't be!

Till next time... get your Japandi on!

xox
Rani

Monday 25 September 2017

Interior Design Trends That Are Taking Over the Rest of 2017

Interior design trends are more than just following the newest and hottest rules in décor and patterns. Moving things around, even making slight changes to your décor provides you with an opportunity to bring something new and fresh into your lifestyle. However, keeping abreast of all the design trends and incorporating them can be challenging and expensive.

From luxe use of natural materials in interiors, new paint colours dominating the design world and luxury upcycling taking over the furniture market, interior design trends especially at this time of the year, keep popping up on all our favourite high-profile design blogs, home décor websites and interior design magazines.

To keep abreast of the interior design trends, our guest contributor Cate gives us a peek at what’s coming your way for the rest of 2017.
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Trend 1: Let’s talk about colour
Never underestimate the influence of a great colour palette in your home. It can not only be a feast for your eyes but also a remedy for your soul. Milan Design Week 2017 certainly highlighted the importance of colour. Green is still very popular with a slant towards brighter, daring shades like avocado or celery. Violet and purple are being combined together, while pink is having a comeback in a far too long shunned girly hue called “millennial pink”. The whole idea is to rediscover the Eighties vibe with stronger modern colours that are both bespoke and luxe.

Trend 2: Wallpapers are IN more than ever
In 2015, wallpaper made a strong comeback. Not everyone accepted this new trend right away, but since then, we've come a long way! 2017 is all about celebrating patterns and designs you can get from creative and inspiring wallpapers. Furthermore, big floral motifs and abstract patterns have became one of the biggest trends in 2017 with no stopping in sight. Great wallpaper just like paint, has the power to change the whole feel of a space especially if it is combined with design appropriate furniture and adjusted to the size and scale of the room. Even small apartments can be bold with their wallpaper choice thanks to fabulous designs coming our way in the next few seasons.
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Trend 3: Marble your home
Marble has gained its high-profile reputation because of gracing countertops and floors of classy and elegant houses usually reserved for royalty and the uber wealthier populace. But it's become more affordable and so we can all enjoy its beauty and elegance. White marble with grey and brown strains were very popular in 2017, and that trend will only expand and be enriched in the future seasons. Depending on your overall design, you can use it for kitchen countertops or bathroom tiles to achieve that elegant and refined décor or use it as flooring for a sophisticated interior design!

Trend 4: Richness of materials 
Those loving luxurious and plush home décor trends will be happy with the upcoming material recommendations. 2017 is all about combining textures like velvet, leather, fur, metal and wood to promote comfort and luxury. Metals like brass and gold will be useful to accentuate design details, matte black metal accessories will provide stark contrast, while textural fabrics like velvet will add to the plushness of the interiors.

Trend 5: Go tribal on your home
When trying to create a natural organic feel and look in your space, adding tribal elements like patterns and accessories create popular organic segments in your home design. Carpets, paintings, pillows, prints and decorative items are the usual parts of décor to include tribal elements and motifs. You could also look at furnishing your space with furniture with engraved tribal art on leather.

Trend 6: Welcome greenery indoors
Combining plants with your interior design is a great way to revive interiors and create positive energy in your home. A few hanging potted plants or arrangements can refresh the space instantly and create an organic living environment.

And lastly...
Even if it's minimal, change is positive.

Changing your living space from time to time is good for you, physically and mentally and following the 6 style trends listed above will undoubtedly help refresh your home, create a positive living environment and unforgettable interior spaces!

Till next time... which trend is your favourite?


About the Author
Cate Palmer is a designer by day and a writer by night. Her fields of expertise can be summed up to interior design, architecture, and art related topics. Her interests are, on the other hand, wide and ever-evolving. These days Cate is quite obsessed with design trends that are about to take over. She is constantly browsing through latest collections of home decoration Sydney based companies in order to find something trendy, stylish and functional.

Saturday 23 September 2017

Redecorating Your Apartment On A Shoestring Budget!

Decorating or redecorating on a budget is never easy but it isn't impossible. There are many things that you could do to infuse style and personality into your apartment within set funds and stretch those dollars to buy the things that your really want.

Today, I've broken down the 'redecorating process' into three important parts - all you need is a bit of clutter removal, a little up-cycling or recycling and some smart shopping to create a whole new stylish apartment on a shoestring budget!

Step 1: Clearing Clutter
When it comes to decorating on a budget, clearing clutter is an effective tool to start with. However, it can be a little overwhelming to know where to begin. My tip, start with the floor. It is the largest surface and once that is clear of all unnecessary items, it will make a huge difference to the look and feel of your home. Once the floor is clear, move upwards to flat surfaces like tables, sideboards, vanity counters, kitchen benchtops and then to storage cabinets and cupboards. Flat surfaces are often clutter catchers and can be difficult to declutter, so start with just one room at a time to keep yourself motivated.

Once all rooms are free of unnecessary items, sort through it. Sell any old furniture, unused homewares and accessories and drop off used clothes and other furniture at a local op shop. In case you've missed the council's hard rubbish collection dates and find it difficult to dispose off broken items and rubbish overflow, it is a good idea to call a rubbish removal company. In case you have any old renovation material and building waste cluttering up your garage and shed, rubbish removal companies can dispose of that as well.

Clutter removal helps in creating a blank canvas to refresh and decorate and the process can be cathartic and detoxing not only for your home but also for yourself.

Step 2: Luxury Upcycling
In recent years, in the world of interiors, luxury upcycling is definitely having a moment. With trends constantly circling back, upcycling is a great way to get creative, keep abreast of the latest interior design trends and decorate on a tight budget. However, luxury recycling or rather upcycling does not mean slapping on some paint on broken items, fixing them and reusing them. Rather, reimagine and upgrade items such as reupholstering old yet useful furniture with luxe details and furnishings like velvet or linen, adding value to them and giving them a new and stylish lease of life.

Changing our mindsets from the usual out with the old and in with the new can have positive effects on our home and lifestyle. And apart from reducing waste, using less and reusing more can have a favourable effect on our wallets as well.

Step 3: Smart Shopping
Smart shopping is not about purchasing the cheapest option available, but buying the best option to make the most of your space and also add heaps of timeless style in the process. When buying furniture for a small space, consider space-efficient, multi-functional pieces that add value to your interior design, home décor and lifestyle.

My tip, is to invest in furniture pieces, often the biggest ones in a room, that you love since you will be living with them for a long time rather than cheap ones that you will need to replace often. For example, when redecorating your living room, invest in a good quality, comfortable and stylish sofa and decorate the rest of the room on a budget. Just remember to mix and match quality pieces with less expensive finds to create an eclectic and unforgettable space. In the bedroom, apart from your bed, invest in good quality bed linen, again the rest of the accessories and furniture can be bought on a budget. Never underestimate the power of beautiful and quality bed linen! 

To help stick to a set budget, consider creating a design inspiration board, researching prices and sales, making a shopping list and overall shopping smart!

Refreshing or redecorating your apartment on a budget can be challenging but also a lot of fun. There are affordable ways to dress up a small space and take your apartment from drab to fab on a budget! The decluttering process will help you sort through what you own, things you need and items that you can let go of. Just a tip, designing and styling a space or home takes time, so don't rush out to buy everything at once.
So what do you think? What money-saving decorating tips have worked for you? Share with us in the comments below.

Till next time... start with the decluttering!

This post has been written in collaboration with Mr Cheap Rubbish Removal. As always all thoughts and opinions are all mine and genuine and I only ever work with brands that I love or think could benefit my readers.

Thursday 21 September 2017

House Envy: The House Built with Love!

This is a special post in our House Envy series. I can't really call it House Envy, though this home is extra special, absolutely stunning, exceptionally styled and it will be the envy of everyone who reads this blog post! But let's differ on this one and call it House Envy Love!

To mark International Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in 2017, Children’s Cancer Institute, McDonald Jones Homes and Walker Corporation have joined forces to undertake an extraordinary challenge of building a house in just 28 days! This is such a wonderful way to raise vital funds that will go towards raising awareness for Childhood Cancer and also finding ways to beat the disease that has touched the lives of so many.
Work on building the house began on Monday 21 August, 2017 in the picturesque town of Appin, Walker’s newest community in Greater Western Sydney. The Appin community have been hugely enthusiastic in coming together to support Build for a Cure, including families touched by childhood cancer.

Not only has this fully-furnished, luxury four bedroom home been donated, but selfless volunteers have come together to donate their time and skill to build it. Every partner, every tradie and all materials have been sourced free of charge. The build has been organised by McDonald Jones Homes and the real estate services are being donated by Di Mez Real Estate and The Block celebrity auctioneer Damien Cooley. The four bedroom house has been fully furnished for free by Winning Appliances, Fisher & Paykel and Freedom. 

"This is my third Build for a Cure, it is always the highlight of my year, it gives me an opportunity to use my creativity and design skills to help towards saving lives and for that I feel honoured and humble", says Jill Clements, Senior Interior Decorator from Freedom. "The style we've used has a relaxed but luxurious contemporary feel. We've introduced some of this seasons colours and textures which include rich greens, navy and burnished brass. We've layered velvets and linens, alongside some interesting more raw textures. Our overall design caters for a family and everyday comfort."

17th September was the big reveal supported by Children’s Cancer Institute campaign ambassador -The Block's Scott Cam on the fun family day. I'm so excited to share photos of the stunning reveal of the Build for a Cure home with you all, so let's take a walk through this gorgeous home that has been an absolute labour... a labour of love!


Every aspect of this four bedroom luxury family home has been designed and styled to perfection with meticulous attention to detail. 

"In terms of design we have incorporated a mix of themes to create an eclectic style- a combination of mid-century modern and industrial chic. We've taken inspiration from designers such as Arne Jacobson for the simple yet elegant and functional elements, Charles and Ray Eames modern and abstract flair is reflected in the choice of flooring." says Jennie Princehorn from MyChoice Design Studio. "The colour palette has been drawn out of the trends which we are exposed to today, simple tones with bold and edgy accents and the shower screens, tapware and accessories are an example of this using matt black fittings and fixtures to express this emotion."
The House Built with Love will be auctioned off by The Block celebrity auctioneer Damien Cooley on 22 October. The fully furnished four-bedroom home is anticipated to fetch $680,000-plus from the auction with all proceeds from the sale going directly to Children’s Cancer Institute’s vital research. 
To find out a little about Children’s Cancer Institute and the fantastic work they do, you can watch this video: Declan’s Story. (Warning: You might need an extra large box of tissues. I did.)

Till next time... together we will cure childhood cancer. It’s not if, it’s when.  

xox
Rani

A huge thank you to Eva Martin from Children’s Cancer Institute for organising exclusive photos and interview quotes for La Maison Jolie.

Tuesday 19 September 2017

4 Simple Maintenance Tasks To Keep Your Home Looking Like New

Many issues come in the way of keeping your home new and maintained. These problems may be associated with the kitchen, bathrooms, electricity or general issues that crop up now and then. However, ignoring them can only make them worse, so it is always advisable to treat them on time so that your home is problem free, clean and looks newer for longer.

There are certain tasks which must be carried out daily to maintain household items while others need maintenance quarterly or bi-annually. Our guest contributor, Emily has listed out 4 maintenance checks that will help ensure your home is well maintained and looks newer for longer.

Kitchen issues
Kitchen sink disposals is one of the major problems in maintaining the kitchen. Clogs and slow draining situations are most common. To avoid these problems, some home remedies can be followed which includes the disposal of the combination of baking soda and a half cup of vinegar into the sink. It will also keep your kitchen odour free. Sink disposal can also be maintained by grinding pieces of lemon and ice cubes. Other issues in the kitchen including cleaning the splashback and exhaust vents, maintaining kitchen cabinet doors and also cleaning tile grout as required.

Unused bathrooms
There are some places in the house which are not frequently used such as the guest room bathroom. The washrooms specifically require more attention. You should run the taps, turn on the shower and flush the toilet on a regular basis to keep the guest bath well maintained. Also giving the shower and bathroom tiles a good clean once in a while is important to keep it looking fresh and new.

Inspect your fire extinguisher and fire alarms
Fire extinguishers must be installed in every home to protect it from fire accidents and emergencies. There are different types of fire extinguishers, but the ones which can be used at home are water, foam, Carbon dioxide, wet chemical, fire blanket and dry powder. These extinguishers are used on a wider range of fires in the home. They are appropriate for putting out fires related to carpet and soft furnishings, woods, flammable liquids, petrol and spirits. These extinguishers are safe to use on textiles, gases and electrical fires. Keep the fire extinguisher and a fire blanket in a handy cupboard, cabinet or in the kitchen for easy access. Also remember to check all fire alarms in your home and change and replace batteries as and when required.

General maintenance
There are certain household issues which need also proper attention. These include replacement or repair of broken windows, clearing dead plants and shrubs and cleaning the gutter. Other than inspection of annual roof damage and leakage inspections, getting air conditioners serviced and ready for summer, checking exterior drainage systems, testing the water heater’s pressure, carpet cleaning, replacing light bulbs are all general maintenance issues that must be conducted on a regular basis. Along with that vacuuming of refrigerator coils and cleaning of faucet aerators are also important maintenance tasks.

So there you have it, a handy list of the general maintenance checks that need to be conducted to keep your home looking well-kept and new for longer!

Till next time... don't put off conducting those maintenance tasks around your home any longer!

About the Author
Emily is obsessed with home machinery and gadgets. She loves home decor as well and enjoys the sunset. She regularly posts at http://www.protoolguide.com.

Monday 18 September 2017

House Envy: A Play of Patterns At Kirra Jamison's!

Today we are wandering through the colourful home of artist Kirra Jamison and it is house envy at first sight! 

Kirra Jamison is an Australian artist born in Sydney, who grew up in Byron Bay and is currently Melbourne based. Her beautiful home is a smorgasbord of geometric patterns, giant art prints and splashes of colour. And even though I'm not big on colourful patterns, every room makes me smile! Kirra's home is eclectic, playful and whimsical with heaps of personality oozing from every nook and cranny! Come along and have a look...
I simply adore the combination of various prints, textiles, colours and interesting layers in this stunning home and that swing in the bedroom... LOVE! And it doesn't end there, Kirra's art print in the dining room from her Love Me Two Times series, the stunning dining table, fun yet functional open shelving in the kitchen and her light filled studio, all have her creative touch and artful eye! And just throwing this into the house envy mix... Kirra's home has been styled by none other than Jason Grant! What! How fantastic is that!

Till next time... do you have a serious case of house envy too?
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