Tag: blog

Our 10 most clicked blog posts of 2017!

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date January 5, 2018
1 Comment on Our 10 most clicked blog posts of 2017!

I always love wading through Google Analytics at this time of year, getting a good insight into what our readers have enjoyed the most and hopefully learning from it for the year ahead in terms of what kind of content to create. So, here they are, our most popular posts of last year! There are some real crackers in here. The top post, about Melbourne furniture brand Barnaby Lane, proves that amazing styling and photography go a really long way towards getting your brand noticed (and shared, and pinned!).

How to: Create a minimalist interior with Barnaby Lane

I’m not at all surprised this next post from Cherie Barber ranked highly. Who doesn’t love a bargain, DIY before and after (in fact, any before and after!)? And bathrooms are probably the most expensive rooms to reno, so these two examples of overhauling them for $3,000 and $8,000 got thousands of hits.

Real homes: Two bathrooms transformed for just $3000 and $8000

Our biggest competition ever with Latitude Financial Services, was of course popular! It was a dream to be able to offer one of our readers $10,000 to better their home. We’ll be bringing you the results of the winner’s bathroom renovation later this year. Exciting!

Win $10,000 for your reno with Latitude Financial Services

Take a look at this trends piece from the Australian Interior Design Awards’ judges and see which ones were indeed popular in 2017.

Australia’s hottest design trends for 2017

I really enjoyed putting together this honest account of what I’d learned from doing our first bathroom reno (in the apartment we ended up selling two months after we finished it, lucky buyers!) and hoped it would be useful. It seems it was!

20 things I learned from my first bathroom reno

This next post aimed to educate people on how to use timber in their homes in a sustainable, no-guilt way and I’m thrilled to see it in the top 10, hoping it has inspired lots of you to use this beautiful natural material, but in the right way.

How and why you can use wood in your home guilt-free, like me!

A second post by regular contributor Cherie Barber to make it into the top 10, this one showcases some real kitchen makeovers with details of how they were transformed on shoestring budgets.

The best tricks for a cheap DIY kitchen makeover

The idea for this post just came to me randomly one day and I have to say it is often these unexpected lightbulb moments which lead to great content which you love! Here’s to many more in 2018! I wanted to share all the styling tips I’m lucky enough to pick up from being surrounded by talented interiors folk on a regular basis.

10 of the best styling tips I’ve stolen from the professionals

It’s a hat trick for Ms Barber with a third post in our top 10, featuring a kitchen and bathroom updated with nothing but good old paint!

Budget reno: A kitchen and bathroom revamped with just paint!

And to round it off we have a real home, and one of my personal favourites of the year. It belongs to interior designer Kate Walker. I love how individual this Mornington Peninsula home is; it doesn’t follow any of the usual trends, but features what Kate truly loves and has brought together so well.

Real home: Traditional American design meets Chinoiserie

I hope you enjoyed this roundup and discovered some posts you may have missed last year. I always love hearing what you’d like more of so feel free to comment below or email [email protected] at any time.

Happy New Year, readers!

Jen

Tags 2017 top posts, best posts of 2017, blog, blogging, interiors addict, new year, review of the year, trends

Expert Tips House Tours Styling

Briar from Sunday Collector shares her small home office tips

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date February 11, 2016
No Comments on Briar from Sunday Collector shares her small home office tips

As we come off the high of holidays and settle back into work for the year ahead, we’re looking for fresh ways to create a functioning and invigorating space to work from.

Sydney-based interior decorator and founder and editor of Sunday Collector, Briar Stanley, recently shared her perfectly curated home office space, so she can already tick #officegoals off her to-do list for 2016.

Today she shares seven tips on creating the perfect small space home office:

Purchase quality. Storage items that look great on display are a must (avoid the corporate/plastic variety). A beautiful pen caddy, in tray and magazine file is all I need in front of me for my day to day desk duties. I also choose to work on a laptop as I often have to take work with me when travelling, but it’s also a far more compact option for a small desk space than a bulky monitor and hard drive combination.

SundayCollector_WestElm_web_jacquiturk-5

Hide your work. As pictured in my apartment, custom build a small home office as an extension from your kitchen that can be concealed with neat pocket doors when not in use. Other good spaces for a compact home office would be the space under a set of stairs or a stairway landing space, an awkward corner of a room not in use, or even a large empty wardrobe.

Good light. I find working in natural light during the day is lovely, but a good quality desk lamp such as the Factory Task Lamp, is important to brighten up your small work space at night, just ensure the lamp is not oversized and proportions are in keeping with the small desk. An angle poise lamp is also a good idea for task light direction you can control.

Minimise the clutter. Avoid the mistake of trying to keep everything sitting in front of you at your work space. If it’s possible – dedicate a cupboard close by for the items that tend to clutter a desk – including bulky items such as folders and a printer.

Look up. Free up floor space and make the most of the wall space in front or to the side of your desk with a large moodboard. Open wall mounted shelving for things like reference books, storage boxes and trays will keep your desk clean, as would a tall bookshelf or cupboard – make the most of the full height of your walls.

Keep cords and wires hidden. Hide the spaghetti mess as much as possible. Pictured in my home office are doors underneath the desk that open up to reveal wall mounted powerpoints. Cords are directed down to these powerpoints from a small opening in the corner of my desk.

Be comfortable. If you’re already sacrificing on space, you don’t want to be sitting in an uncomfortable chair all day. Look for adjustable height, armrests, a deep seat depth, proper wheels and of course something that looks good. I chose a chair for my office with a low back and light in fabric colour – so it’s not too overpowering at the small desk.

Styling by Briar Stanley | Photography by Jacqui Turk | Images courtesy of west elm

Tags blog, blogger, briar stanley, decorator, home office, office nook, sunday collector, tips, west elm, working from home

Art Competitions

Win the ultimate craft studio for your home with furniture, accessories and the help of a professional stylist

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date April 16, 2015
2 Comments on Win the ultimate craft studio for your home with furniture, accessories and the help of a professional stylist

Check out brand new lifestyle blog, We Are Scout

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date March 2, 2015
No Comments on Check out brand new lifestyle blog, We Are Scout

A new blog launched today and I think it’s going to be pretty great. We Are Scout is a collaboration between two popular Australian design and lifestyle bloggers, Lisa Tilse (The Red Thread) and Rebecca Lowrey Boyd (Wee Birdy).

Lisa-and-Rebecca_we-are-scout — Lisa and Rebecca

With an impressive 13 years of combined blogging experience, along with many years’ experience in the magazine, publishing and design industries, Lisa and Rebecca bring a fresh and thoroughly professional edge to the lifestyle blog category. And if there’s something I’ll personally always champion it’s professional bloggers. The more of us out there, showing we’re a force to be taken seriously, the better!

Based in Sydney, both Lisa and Rebecca offer an expert global view on design, craft, interiors, travel, shopping, fashion and beauty, with a distinctly Australian voice and focus. By combining forces, the pair believe that We Are Scout will quickly establish itself as a trusted, respected and influential lifestyle blog that will lead trends and shape tastes.

Content will include:
– free DIY craft tutorials;
– free printables;
– shopping & destination guides and maps;
– a weekly newsletter with extra content.

Designer, crafter and maker Lisa established The Red Thread, in 2008. Her passion for living a creative life and inspiring others to embrace creativity has attracted a loyal global following.

Experienced journalist Rebecca Lowrey Boyd founded Wee Birdy during the summer of 2007 in London, and captured the attention of a global audience obsessed with shopping, fashion, design, interiors, style, travel and beauty.

What are you waiting for? Go check it out and tell the girls I sent you!

Tags blog, blogger, blogging, craft, fashion, interiors, lifestyle, lisa tilse, rebecca lowrey boyd, the red thread, we are scout, wee birdy

Expert Tips

Blogging tips for beginners from Interiors Addict

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date January 20, 2015
19 Comments on Blogging tips for beginners from Interiors Addict

Last week, I met with a friend of a friend who really wants to make a go of blogging as a career. She is already off to a good start and full of enthusiasm and passion, which is really half the battle. I get asked for blogging tips all the time but unfortunately I don’t have time to sit down one on one with everyone. So I thought I’d share some of my most common sense beginner tips here with you all, if you’re looking to blog seriously. And by seriously, I mean to one day, if not immediately, monetise your blog. In fact, these tips are for anyone who wants to make a longterm go of blogging and even if not for money, to be taken seriously as a blogger. I hope you enjoy!

Interiors Addict’s Jen Bishop

KEEP IT REAL. If there’s one thing readers tell me they like over and over it’s that they feel like they know me and that I come across as someone who is genuine and doesn’t sugar coat everything. I really try to achieve that. It’s my personality to be this way and that’s what I hope to get across, whether it’s being honest about the realities of self-employment and blogging for a living or not having the perfect interior myself. It’s also a lot easier to be yourself than to keep up a pretence and readers appreciate you letting them into your life a little. I don’t talk about myself and my feelings a lot but, when I do, there’s always a big response.

CHOOSE WORDPRESS. This is my personal platform of choice and of course, you don’t have to take my word (pardon the pun) for it, but I believe this is the best blogging platform out there and its flexibility is key to that. Choosing self-hosted WordPress also means YOU own your blog and if you’re going to start hosting ads and making money, why would you want anyone else to own it? That’s just crazy talk! Did you know Interiors Addict used to live on Tumblr? (Click WP moved me across a couple of years ago).

OUTSOURCE. You can’t do everything. You likely don’t have the time or the skills. I’m no good with web development, graphic design and advertising sales and I outsource all these things. At the beginning, even when budgets are tight, you will still do yourself a favour by getting someone to help you. You have to spend money to make money and if you’re serious, you’ll invest in your blog, even if it’s just a few hundred dollars (you’ll have to sacrifice a bit of your shopping/meals out/holiday money). These days, as a full-time blogger with an employee, I outsource many things, but when I was new it would be an hour of graphic design work here and a bit of email server help there. It all makes a difference.

USE SOCIAL MEDIA BUT DON’T RELY ON IT. Plenty of bloggers (myself included to an extent) felt the pain of relying too heavily on Facebook for traffic when it changed all its rules last year and stopped people seeing the majority of pages’ content unless you paid to boost it. The biggest learning from this is to not put all your eggs in one basket. Social media isn’t the only way to get the word out about your blog either. Consider guest posting on other sites, sending a newsletter and looking at your SEO.

COLLECT EMAIL ADDRESSES. This was a major fail for me and possibly my biggest blogging regret. Although I have a very respectable email database these days, I didn’t start collecting my readers’ email addresses for almost TWO YEARS. D’oh! Start now (I recommend Mailchimp for its ease of use, and it’s free until you have over 2,000 subscribers, but there are other options out there). Make it easy and maybe even offer an incentive, for your readers to sign up to hear more from you. And then make sure you send them content which is relevant, useful and enjoyable. When my second blog launches next month, I will be collecting email addresses from day one! (Oh, you can sign up for our newsletter and get a free eBook in return here!)

BE HONEST AND ETHICAL. While the law around disclosure is a bit patchy, it is increasingly being questioned as brands use influencers like bloggers more and more to spread their marketing messages. I have absolutely no issue with being paid by a brand (provided I like the way they do things) to spread their message to my readers. I have worked hard, and continue to work hard, to build that following and to earn their trust. What I am very big on is transparency. If a post has been paid for on this blog it will always say so at the top. If I’m gifted a product I will always say so. If I don’t like something, I won’t blog about it. It’s that simple. Don’t disrespect your readers by trying to pass off a paid message as your own, unbiased thoughts. If they find out, they’ll not be impressed and you’ll quickly lose their trust.

GET EDUCATED. Of course, you learn a lot as you go when blogging, but in the early days when I was a newbie, I soaked up eBooks and webinars like a sponge (most of them free). I still can’t get enough of the blog learning but these days I seem to have way less time! Some sources I recommend are: Secret Bloggers’ Business, ProBlogger, Blog with Pip, Blog Society, Decor8’s Blogging Your Way and Copyblogger.

COLLABORATE, DON’T COPY! AND BE PREPARED FOR ANNOYING COPYCATS! My advice here is to be open to working with other bloggers and small business owners on win-win situations. Or even just mentor each other. I have had incredible success from teaming up with others and have one friend I regularly meet with to biz brainstorm. Also be prepared that once you start to do well, people will rip off your ideas. It is massively annoying, no matter how flattering people will tell you imitation is. You put in the time and effort and come up with the good idea, then you see it pop up on another blogger’s Instagram a few days later. Not cool. But there’s nothing much you can do about it and getting irritated is a waste of energy. Remember this: there’s no substitute for hard work and originality so just keep doing what you’re doing, let people copy. They won’t get the satisfaction of having had that great idea themselves! And when you see someone else’s great idea, of course it’s natural to be tempted to replicate it (it’s great to be inspired by other bloggers too), but try to at least put your own spin on it and imagine how you’d feel if someone did the same to you!

DITCH THE FREE EMAIL ADDRESS. While there’s nothing wrong with Gmail for example (I heart Gmail a lot), to be taken seriously as any kind of business, I think it really helps to have your own specific, paid-for email address. It just gives a professional impression from the get go. Seems crazy to me, as a website business, to be using a free email address that’s not attached to your URL.

JUST START! For some people, the hardest part about starting a blog is just that: starting. You can procrastinate until the cows come home about the perfect blog name, layout, theme, whether you’re good enough, if anyone will read it and if you’ll run out of things to say, but you really just have to start. It’s that simple. What’s the worst that can happen?

Having said that…

IF YOU’RE NOT TRULY PASSIONATE ABOUT IT, DON’T BOTHER. I blogged for 18 months without earning a cent and I spent hours and hours of my time on Interiors Addict because I just bloody loved it. It was a long time before people started telling me I could make a business out of it and even longer before I started to believe them. You pretty much have to really want to do it, even if you don’t get paid (which is why I never really advocate starting a blog with making money as a priority), to be able to keep going, day in, day out, week in, week out (and that’s as far as many people get because they simply don’t care enough). But if you love what you’re going to write about, the rest can come later. Go for it! Passion will get you a really long way.

You can come and hear me speak about making money from digital publishing at this Pozible event in Sydney as part of the Digital Writers’ Festival next month. You can also watch it online and it’s free.

Tags advertising, blog, blogger, blogging, blogging tips, email database, gmail, mailchimp, media law, monestisation, social media, subscribers, transparency, wordpress

Travel

The future of blogging and the power of collaboration

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date January 8, 2015
8 Comments on The future of blogging and the power of collaboration

dubai getaway

This Bloggerati getaway was proudly sponsored by Dubai Tourism.

One of the best things about taking part in Australia’s biggest ever social tourism campaign last month, when I went to Dubai with more than 20 other bloggers, was meeting and learning about other people who blog passionately like I do, whether about interiors or something else. It was a great opportunity to swap notes and find out how other people do things, from earning money to planning their content, managing their time and juggling their other commitments like family and, in some cases, jobs (I remember well the 18 months of juggling this blog alongside a full-time job, just for the love of it. It was BUSY!).

Being pregnant, it was great to meet so many ‘mummy bloggers’ and hear their tips, especially Samantha Jockel from School Mum who brought her adorable five-month-old baby Ellis with her. She is lucky I didn’t try and steal him…

Samantha Jockel, blogger at School Mum, and son Ellis

There were fellow interiors bloggers too: Anne-Maree Russell from The House That A-M Built and Dani Wales (ex of The Block) from Basic Habitat. We are all part of Nuffnang’s talent group of Australian bloggers called Bloggerati.

Before heading into tje mosque with fellow interiors blogger Anne-Maree Russell from The House that A-M Built — Before heading into the mosque with fellow interiors blogger Anne-Maree Russell from The House that A-M Built

In my opinion, there is almost always something to learn from other bloggers, whether you’re in the same niche or different, whether you’re bigger or smaller than they are. And that was part of the beauty of the trip; picking each other’s brains on things each other were weaker or stronger at. While blogging as a career is still a relatively new concept, and not everyone in Bloggerati falls into that category or aspires to, as someone who has been doing that for two years, it was a rare and useful chance to swap notes with so many other bloggers at one time. We all have large audiences and, although the synergies aren’t always immediately obvious, scratch below the surface and you’ll often find we have readers with interests in common and things we can help each other with.

It is fantastic that an organisation like Dubai Tourism saw the value in investing a significant amount of money and resources into taking more than 20 Australian bloggers to the UAE and saw the value of our influence in sharing all the variety Dubai has to offer with our readers (estimated to be in the millions between us). It’s a fine example of one of my favourite things: a win-win situation.

This year, I’ve resolved to hang out more with other bloggers and form mutually beneficial partnerships and relationships. And hey, even friendships!

Who are your favourite bloggers (apart from Interiors Addict, of course!)?

If you’re a blogger, do you network, share with and learn from other bloggers?

Tags blog, blogger, bloggerati, bloggers, blogging, blogging as a job, career blogger, dubai, dubai tourism, nuffnang, the block, the home journal, the house that a-m built, the life creative, tourism, travel, uae

Dining Styling

The Tabletop Project day 3: Tash Sefton & Elle Ferguson of They All Hate Us

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date December 17, 2014
No Comments on The Tabletop Project day 3: Tash Sefton & Elle Ferguson of They All Hate Us

Christmas is all about gathering together for a feast with your favourite people. Sydney furniture makers Mark Tuckey asked seven of their favourite creatives to create a Christmas table (Some are glitzy, some are glam, some are just plain dotty) and we’re sharing one with you each day this week.

Fashion bloggers Tash and Elle used the Locator Dining Table. “Our table top was created for the perfect Christmas lunch for the They All Hate Us girl. In our world it’s all about controlled chaos just like the montages on our website.

“We wanted to excite all the senses with our lunch so we called on the help of Mivioleta for the divine explosions of colour through the flowers, Palm Beach Candles for our signature They All Hate Us scent and we made sure every guest received a dream gift from the likes of Hermes, Chanel, Celine, Cartier and many more.

“What we especially like about our table is that it is a reflection of who we are and from every angle you discover something from the wonderful world of They All Hate Us.”

Speaking of tables, see what’s on Tash Sefton’s coffee table.

Photography by Cameron Bloom.

THE TABLE TOP PROJECT They all hate us from www.shayneallen.com on Vimeo.

Tags blog, bloggers, covet my coffee table, elle ferguson, fashion, mark tuckey, mivioleta, palm beach candles, tabletop, tash sefton, they all hate us, theyallhateus

Covet my coffee table Expert Tips

Covet my coffee table: with style guru Melissa Penfold

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date December 15, 2014
1 Comment on Covet my coffee table: with style guru Melissa Penfold

Photography by Jacqui Turk

If there’s one thing Melissa Penfold knows, it’s how to create a classy, expensive look without spending a small fortune; something we can’t get enough of at Interiors Addict. We couldn’t wait to see what’s on Melissa’s coffee table and how she styles her living room space.

“Some sneer at coffee tables, but for me they’re an indispensable accessory,” Melissa Penfold says. “You want to be able to put a glass, teacup or book down without thinking, but you don’t want coffee tables to block important traffic routes through a room or involve you in awkward manoeuvres when you reach for your evening aperitif. Stability and positioning are vital. My favourite options are Chinese black lacquer stools, glass or timber tables with metal frames or ottomans with a hard top. A pair of cross-based stools can also look terrifically chic.”

There are just a few books on her coffee table!”I always choose ones with lovely pictures covering subjects such as houses, gardens, food, flowers, travel and art. I pile up glossy hard-covered books to the edges of my coffee table. Four to six deep piles. Not only do I think books finish a room but they also reflect your personal style. For me, books are central to an interior, the ultimate finishing touch. I use them like works of art.They are decorative, interesting and a statement that you are interested in the world.”

Melissa also stacks her coffee table with beautiful things that inspire her, from coral to bowls, boxes, baskets and flowers. “It’s a passing parade of covetables. That’s the magic of decorating. You can can change one group of accessories for a new lot and instantly update a space. I find my books and bits at shops everywhere: high-end, bargain, online, offline. I never shop with an agenda, I find the best things when I’m not looking.”

Browse the Covet My Coffee Table section

She bought the Chinese stool many years ago at Oriental Arts (now closed). “Try Orient House for similar pieces. It’s a brilliant source of tables of every kind, old and new in lacquer, timber, bamboo, the lot. A-list designers swear by the place.”

Melissa recently launched a website covering the latest in interiors, design and shopping. “I am also offering a fab new e-decor service which is a quick hit of professional design advice for a single room or your whole house. It’s about engaging with design-savvy folk who are looking for a quicker, more affordable way of decorating their rooms, for less than a traditional decorator. It’s a flat-fee design service with a transparent pricing system, that’s about sourcing the right door knob, table lamps, fabric, furniture, blinds or paint colour for you and your interior. If it becomes a bigger project, and you want a hand in actually executing what we have suggested, we hand you over to one of our preferred decorators who we think is perfect for your job.”

She describes her own home as about 70 percent classic, and 30 percent trends. “I think that’s the best ratio for ensuring that your interior is both timeless and up-to-the-minute. My own style is a mix of things from all times and places. Interestingly, our new country pad has a laid-back, contemporary, casual look with aged timber floors, bagged ecru walls, white woodwork, raw stone fireplaces, and lots of easy pieces that can be mixed and matched. I’ve filled it with old and new sofas and armchairs slip-covered in tactile natural stone and white linens, timber tables and weathered cabinets painted in muted hues. It’s a relaxed way to live.”

Melissa is a former columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald on all things style and currently writes for House & Garden. She wrote Melissa Penfold’s Little Black Book and co-authored Australian Style.

Come back tomorrow for Melissa’s top tips for interior style on a budget.

See all our other featured coffee tables.

Tags australian style, blog, coffee table books, columnist, coral, covet my coffee table coffee table, edecorating, interiors, Melissa Penfold, style, sydney morning herald

Expert Tips Furniture Homewares

Three interiors trends we predict will last well into 2015

Post author By Guest Poster
Post date December 12, 2014
4 Comments on Three interiors trends we predict will last well into 2015

By Lisa Tilse

In the world of interiors — as in fashion — trends come and go seasonally and sometimes with even more frequency. Unlike in the fashion industry though, there are often looks and colours that have longevity. These three trends are ones that I’ve seen around for a year or more and are continuing to evolve and gather momentum.

1plants_angusceleste_via_lisa_tilse_the_red_thread — Photo: Angus & Celeste

1. INDOOR PLANTS

From succulents to fiddle leaf figs and ferns, this is a major trend that isn’t going away. Whether you opt for large or small plants, groupings or standalone pots, the addition of living greenery to your home will soften the edges and make your space seem calmer and more welcoming. A bonus of lush indoor greenery is the gorgeous array of pots, buckets and hanging planters that are now available.

Clockwise, from top left: Minimal Hanging Garden – Angus & Celeste; Brass Vessel – Lightly; Waves Canvas Planter Bag – Elephant and Bird; Romy Northover Planter – Mr Kitly; Hourglass Plant Stand – Ivy Muse; Canvas Bucket – Lumiere Art & Co; Pink Pot of Gold – Pop & Scott.

2. BLACK & WHITE

Trends are all about contrast, and this one juxtaposes nicely with other current looks like the softness of pastels and the luxe of metallics. The contemporary simplicity of this monochromatic colour scheme has seen it grow in popularity over the past year or two. You can incorporate the black and white trend into your home in small ways, or be brave and go all out and remove all traces of colour!

Clockwise from top left: Banyan Cushion – Freedom; Moon Pot – Paterson & Steele; Forever Print – Blacklist; Sea Tangle Blanket – Kate & Kate; Oiva/Siirtolapuutarha deep plate – Marimekko; Chi Pendant Lightshade – Citta; Wire Baskets – Lark.

3. GEOMETRICS

This is one trend that’s been around for some time now, and it shows no sign of losing its edge — we are still crushing on triangular patterns, grids and geometrics. The versatility and adaptability of geometric shapes and patterns is ensuring longevity in homewares from rugs to ceramics, tea towels to bed linen. A new variation of the geo trend is the Memphis look which is enjoying a revival from the eighties.

Clockwise from top left: Kaleidoscope Rug – Dan300; Peach Stary Night Cushion – Pony Rider; Luck of the Drawer – Family Love Tree; Oiva/Lamppupampula Spoon – Marimekko; Lovett Side Table – Freedom; Budgie Print – Studio Cockatoo; Lattice Tablecloth – Aura by Tracie Ellis.

Whether you embrace trends with open arms and transform your living spaces often, or you dabble and mix and match with your existing style, you can have fun with these looks. Even adding a few plants, some new homewares or a key piece of furniture can change up the look of a room and breathe new on-trend life into it.

–Lisa Tilse blogs at The Red Thread.

Tags 2014, 2015, black and white, blog, blogger, craft, geometrics, indoor plants, interiors, lisa tilse, monochrome, the red thread, trends

Travel

The countdown is on to Dubai!

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date November 26, 2014
9 Comments on The countdown is on to Dubai!

This Bloggerati Getaway is proudly sponsored by Dubai Tourism

With a week to go until I head to Dubai with 20 other bloggers, I’m getting pretty damn excited but I’m also as woefully unprepared as ever. You’d think, after spending six months traveling earlier in the year, I’d be a whizz at packing but no, I have something approaching a phobia when it comes to deciding what to take and fitting it all in the suitcase. I think it stems from the fear of making the wrong choices and arriving only to find I am under/over/impractically dressed for every occasion. This is, of course, a little easier in Dubai, where I believe it is important to be sensitive to the ways and customs of a largely Muslim country and dress respectfully and accordingly. No, not everyone does, but I really think you should. So for me, this means many a maxi dress to keep cool with a light shawl to cover my shoulders. And of course, plenty of statement jewels. Done! And while I know flat sandals would be sensible, I prefer a wedge heel…

Enough of my wardrobe choices! Here’s what I’m looking forward to most. While Dubai is known, more recently, for its amazing, super modern, super tall, super expensive architecture, I’m much more intrigued by The Old Town, the gold souks and the traditional food and crafts. I love spicy food so bring on the Emirati cuisine! I’m dreaming of dishes packed with saffron, turmeric and cardamon and sweets drizzled with date syrup and sprinkled with sesame seeds! On our itinerary is a meal at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding.

Of course, my first love being interiors, checking out local examples of these will be top of my list, from the impressive accommodation at the five-star JW Marriott Marquis where I’m very excited to be staying, to the more traditional Arabian and Persian-inspired homes. There’s nothing like getting a little off the tourist track and seeing how locals really live. This fascinates me most about travel so it is always nice to meet and talk with residents, not just fellow tourists. I’ll be meeting up with an old school friend from England who has now lived in Abu Dhabi and Dubai for many years.

Much of this year’s travels with my husband were spent in Europe and the USA and although I loved every minute, I’m ready for a culture shock in Dubai! It’s a place where you really can experience so many different things. We just got our itinerary and it is so varied and exciting, including a Sundown Desert Safari (squeal!), shopping at The Dubai Mall, penguin encounters at Ski Dubai and the Underwater Zoo & Aquarium!

I’m really looking forward to spending so much time with some of Australia’s finest bloggers too. What a unique opportunity to swap ideas, learn from each other and even just discuss the weird and wonderful world (for many of us) of blogging as an actual job! I’m sure to come home full of inspiration from Dubai and my new travel buddies!

If you’ve been to Dubai, I’d love to hear your tips and recommendations. Please share them in the comments below. Thanks!

Tags &tradition, abu dhabi, addict abroad, arab, arabian, architecture, blog, bloggerati by nuffnang, bloggers, blogging, culture, dubai, dubai tourism, emirates, emirati, food, holiday, hotel, interiors, jw marriott marquis, nuffnang, persian, souks, spices, tourism, travel

Designers House Tours

Tel Aviv house tour with Aussie Nat Shell from Apartment Diet

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date November 11, 2014
7 Comments on Tel Aviv house tour with Aussie Nat Shell from Apartment Diet

Aussies sure are known for their love of travel and Natalie Shell has made Tel Aviv her home, via stints in New York, Copenhagen and Amsterdam! Today, she shows us around her home and shares some expert tips on decluterring and small space living.

One half of global interior design and decluttering business Apartment Diet, Nat met fellow Aussie and business partner Tip Atkins Moore in Amsterdam. Now they work together via the wonders of the world wide web.

In 2007, Nat had a friend living in Tel Aviv so she went to stay for the summer holidays and ended up falling in love with the place. She later met (now husband) Noam and the rest, including son Luke, is, as they, say, history!

Now back to her newly renovated Tel Aviv home: “We live in an old, typical Tel Aviv building in the city’s “old north”. We bought in May 2010 and moved in in September after renovating for 2.5 months (read: gutting it and starting again). Even in its weird, pokey, unrenovated state (there were seven rooms in only 75 square metres!) it had great light and airflow and a lovely energy, and is situated in a great neighbourhood (location, location, location always applies!).”

Almost everything needed changing so serious vision was required. The layout and flow were all wrong and the pink bathroom and olive green kitchenette, plumbing and electricity hadn’t been touched since 1950s.

“I knew what I wanted and worked with an architect friend Roy Itzhaki, to create the technical plans for a layout I envisioned and learn building project management,” Nat says. “First and foremost, after the basics, was making the flow work for us to create two bedrooms, a bathroom and guest toilet and an open kitchen/living room. I wanted to maximise living space and the light and create a space that was relaxed, fun and inviting.”

She chose a simple colour palette of timber, white and dark grey. “I’d lived in Copenhagen and have picked up a bit of the Scandinavian aesthetic. I also I love art and fun pillow covers and wanted a simple palette that would allow me to show them off.”

Almost all the internal walls came down and the bathroom was moved while other rooms were reoriented. They added a laundry into a closet in the new bathroom and lots of built-in storage, and Roy suggested turning the walk-in closet into a walk-through, effectively turning the apartment’s one bathroom into an en-suite from the master as well. Clever!

The new layout is a vast improvement, not least because you no longer have to walk through the kitchen to get to the second bedroom! “There were just too many rooms for such a small space and the layout made the space feel dark.”

Nat’s favourite thing about the apartment is how it feels. “It just feels good.” She’s also a big fan of the exposed brick areas. “My original plan was to remove a pylon between our living room and kitchen but then the structural engineer said the building couldn’t handle it, even with a steel beam. That weird brick structural pylon, and the original brick wall that was behind the original kitchen (now our bedroom), are now features I love.”

While Nat misses her family and friends in Oz, she describes Tel Aviv as an amazing, vibrant creative city, filled with great food, coffee, sunshine and beaches. “It’s in a crazy part of the world, but perhaps that’s part of the attraction.”

Nat and Tip have plenty of advice for other people living in small spaces but the key is to design for how you actually live, not for how you think you should. “For instance, if you don’t eat at home, you may prefer to have a larger couch area with a coffee table and some extra stools, making your living space bigger and not having furniture you don’t need. If you are renovating, think about how you want to live — do you like to spend time in the living room? Then consider designing more space in shared areas than say the bedrooms.

“Have good storage (preferably that closes). At the same time, we sometimes make the mistake of paying for extra storage rather than first letting go of things that don’t belong. Sliding doors and mirrors are also a good trick, though I personally went for art framed with glass and a glass splash back over mirrors because I prefer that type of reflective surface.

“When it comes to furniture, don’t have too much. Choose furniture that is the right scale for the space and that can easily move (for instance, we often host dinner parties where we add a fold-up table to double the size and move the table into the living room/entrance void).”

Last but not least: “Have some empty space. It sounds strange but empty space, like our entrance and part of our bedroom, can make a space feel bigger. Edit what you own regularly and if something doesn’t belong, even after you’ve bought it especially, sell it or let it go.”

Nat and Tip help clients create homes and workspaces that they love, delivered either in person or online via Skype and email. Their business grew out of the blog apartmentdiet.com, which they’ve been collaborating on for five years. They’ve also created an online course that teaches people their Happy House Rules™ process: helping them get started, declutter, let go, and create homes they love plus systems that are easier to manage them with, across five weeks.

The next course starts next Monday 17 November 2014, just in time to get your space ready for guests to ensure a stress-free holiday period! Find out more.

Tags amsterdam, apartment diet, blog, bloggers, copenhagen, declutter, ecourse, edecorating, house tour, interior design, interiors, nat shell, natalie shell, new york, real home, tel aviv, tip atkins moore

Interiors Addict

My two-year anniversary of full-time blogging

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date October 15, 2014
9 Comments on My two-year anniversary of full-time blogging

Well I’ve made it: a second full year of blogging as a proper job! I’m so delighted! It’s been a particular achievement this year because for half of it, I was out of the country. And for that, thanks must go to my editorial assistant Olivia Shead for being a fantastic righthand woman!

There’s plenty more to thank too: those people who sell my ads, buy my ads, look after the techy stuff that goes right over my head, look after my books and do my graphics. So a big thanks to my advertisers, Emma and the team at HS3, Bloggerati by Nuffnang, David, Chantelle, Janna, and to Kathryn for stepping in as Block correspondent while Olivia and I were both overseas. It may seem like blogging is a solo pursuit, but when it becomes a business, you definitely can’t do it all and I’m really lucky to work with some absolute legends! Thanks also to Mr Francis and my supportive friends and family. Not to mention the many wonderful people in the interiors industry who champion the blog.

And you didn’t think I was going to forget you guys, did you? The readers! Without you reading I’d have none of this. A huge thanks. I am truly grateful.

Here’s to many more years! I’ll be using the Christmas break to work on new features for Interiors Addict and I would really value your input. If you have any feedback or ideas, please comment below. Thanks!

Jen

Tags advertisers, blog, blogger, blogging, career, full time blogging, interiors addict, work, writer

Styling

Affordable ‘work with what you’ve got’ styling service

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date October 8, 2014
2 Comments on Affordable ‘work with what you’ve got’ styling service

Interior stylist and blogger Briar Stanley from Sunday Collector and daughter Sunday

I love this new concept from fellow blogger, stylist and decorator Briar Stanley of Sunday Collector.

“When visiting a house — be it the home of a client, family member or friend, I’m frequently asked to have a quick look at a certain room and give some advice. So often, the room is halfway there — it may need some furniture rearranging, a piece of art positioned and a new rug. I find the home owner often loves all their pieces, but doesn’t quite know how to combine everything to make the room ‘work’. I thrive on giving this sort of advice, which is why I’ve put together a package for the Sydney metro area that I’m pretty excited about,” she says.

For $300, Briar is offering two-hour in-house consultations (Sydney only) where you can talk to her about everything from wall colours, to sofa positioning. “If it’s something like a bookshelf you need styled, I could do that too. I can primarily ‘work with what you’ve got’ but also recommend any additions that I think will improve the space.” Afterwards, she’ll email you a summary of her advice, including online links to any items she recommends. “One week of email conversations can follow this email, all included in the one-off fee.”

I think this a great, affordable way to get just enough decor and styling advice to put the finishing touches to your home. I might even try it myself…

Contact Briar at [email protected] and read her blog here.

Tags blog, blogger, briar stanley, decorating, styling, stylist, sunday collector

Interiors Addict

How I make money blogging: my interview with Secret Bloggers’ Business

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date July 29, 2014
2 Comments on How I make money blogging: my interview with Secret Bloggers’ Business

It’s the question everyone wants answered, so I thought I’d share an interview on the topic I did with Secret Bloggers’ Business last week. SBB is run by Kate McKibbin, the very successful ex journalist and blogger behind Drop Dead Gorgeous Daily.

Photo by Helen Coetzee, hair and makeup by Jessica Berg

I have nothing to hide and I’d love even more people to be able to make money from blogging so I hope it inspires people. At the end of the day, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication and there are no shortcuts to that. But it can be done! You can learn more from Kate in her respected blogging e-course.

Read the interview.

Tags blog, blogger, blogging, drop dead gorgeous daily, interiors addict, journalism, kate mckibbin, making money from blogging, monetising, secret bloggers business

Interiors Addict

In defence of bloggers making money

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date July 19, 2014
13 Comments on In defence of bloggers making money

Another week, another person taking issue with bloggers making a business out of doing what they love. This time, the offensive comment was directed at Holly Becker of Decor8, someone whose blog, and business sense, I admire. Reading Holly’s post really got my back up and made me feel for her. I would encourage you to read it. I say that because sadly, this attitude is one bloggers come across a lot and this gives a very good insight into how it can make them feel. I’m fortunate not to get this directed at me often but sometimes I get hints of it, and I wouldn’t be surprised if people are thinking or saying it behind my back. But I live in hope that they’re not! I digress…

Here is the comment Holly received on her blog:

(Excuse me while I bite my tongue!)

As Holly rightly questions in her post today, is it really so bad for someone to make a commercial success of what they do? For them to do what they love? Are they expected to do so for free because the job is enjoyable and they get to be their own boss? Or to work another job and spend all their free time blogging as a public service? Creating a blog that makes enough money for it to be your job is hard work. It is great and so rewarding but it is hard. Even if it wasn’t hard, so what?! I actually hate that every time someone slags off bloggers we feel we have to justify how hard are jobs are. That may well be the case, but we shouldn’t have to justify ourselves to anyone. Other professions don’t.

Sadly, I read people on blogging forums all the time suggesting that accepting advertising is selling out and that it is a given that content will become all salesy and treat readers as if they are idiots. It simply isn’t true. Not all bloggers get it right. I hate it as much as the next person when bloggers write about things they’re paid to and they hide the fact a post is sponsored (maybe putting it at the end, after you’ve read a post and not had the opportunity to choose not to read what is effectively advertorial), but bloggers like Holly and I are transparent. You can’t tar everyone with the same brush. Other bloggers don’t make any money and their content is rubbish. So what? Don’t read it and leave them to it!

The best part of Holly’s post is the eloquent reply her husband wrote to this comment. Thorsten is a journalist, as I have always been, and rightly points out that if journalists were asked to work for free (sadly, they often are!) there would be (is) outrage. So, what’s the difference? He also makes a good point, which I hadn’t really considered, that male full-time bloggers don’t seem to get the same amount of stick.

I know for sure that my blog has only got better since I’ve concentrated on it full-time. It gets more of my time and energy, I treat it as a business with high standards, my readers get more and better content. I don’t ask them to pay to read it. The same can be said for many other blogs. I just wish people would stop being so damn bitter about bloggers making money. I feel a lot of it stems from envy and that makes me sad. What happened to women supporting women?

I know all too well how much an anonymous online comment can hurt your feelings, even though you know it shouldn’t, so I wanted to have my say and add my support to Holly.

Tags blog, blogger, blogging, decor8, full time blogging, holly becker, making money

Expert Tips Homewares House Tours

Video: How to update your living room for winter with Checks and Spots

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date May 16, 2014
2 Comments on Video: How to update your living room for winter with Checks and Spots

Fellow blogger Clare Hillier from Checks and Spots has made a cool video about how to update your living room for winter. I love a bit of seasonal decorating, me! Any excuse!

You can read more about how Clare teamed up with Freedom to create the warm, layered look below, and in the video, in her post.

Styling: Clare Hillier and Sally Singline
Photography: Fiona Storey
Video directing and editing: Alec McCloskey.

Tags blog, blogger, checks and spots, claire hillier, freedom, interior design, interiors, layered, living room, textured, winter

Interiors Addict

Win a $2,000 homewares shopping spree!

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date April 22, 2014
7 Comments on Win a $2,000 homewares shopping spree!

As I wrote yesterday, last week Interiors Addict turned three, and if that isn’t an excuse for a celebration, I don’t know what is! I wouldn’t be here without my readers, so I want to give one of you the chance to go on a MAJOR spending spree with some of my favourite homewares brands. Interested?

HOW TO ENTER

1. Head on over to Instagram and regram (or screen grab and re-post, depending on your apps and technical know-how!) this image from our feed:

2. Use the hashtag #interiorsaddict3rdbirthday and in your caption/comment, tell us why YOU are the ultimate interiors addict!

3. To complete your entry, if you’re not already, make sure you’re signed up to our newsletter (the winning entry will be checked against our database so if your full name isn’t in your insta profile, make sure it’s in your caption/comment).

4. You have a week to enter, until midnight on Tuesday 29 April 2014. The winner (the answer Jen finds most creative, convincing and/or amusing) will be announced the following week).

WHAT YOU COULD WIN

One lucky winner will receive $200 credit for each and every one of the 10 brands pictured to spend online, a massive total of $2,000 worth of gorgeous new things for your home! Thanks to our prize sponsors Bonnie and Neil, I Love Linen, Temple & Webster, Dinosaur Designs, Urban Road, Billy Heckenberg, Alisa & Lysandra Collections, The Block Shop, Kate & Kate and Lumiere Art + Co.

What are you waiting for? If you’re not on Instagram yet, it’s time you joined up!

Tags $2000, alisa and lysandra, billy heckenberg, birthday, blog, bonnie and neil, competition, dinosaur designs, giveaway, homewares, i love linen, kate & kate, lumiere art + co, shopping, temple & webster, the block shop, third birthday, urban road, win

Travel

Thoughts on turning three and a $2,000 birthday giveaway

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date April 21, 2014
7 Comments on Thoughts on turning three and a $2,000 birthday giveaway

This blog turned three last week. I can’t believe it! For fun, I thought I’d take you back to the Interiors Addict that was, back in 2011, on Tumblr. This was when I didn’t even call it a blog! My first ever post was about displaying single stems of flowers and this shot was taken three apartments ago. Ah, the memories…

I like to think I had good taste from the start however and could spot a rising star. Here’s one of my first interviews with Darren Palmer, way before he became the big TV star (and I’m glad to say friend of mine) he is today.

After more than a decade of working as a journalist, mostly in print (and initially resistant to going online, can you believe it?!), I remain fascinated, excited and obsessed with the immediacy and potential of online publishing.

Here are few of my blogging highlights this year:

Being sponsored to go to the Milan international furniture fair this month
Having my apartment featured in Home Beautiful
Helping uber interior designer Greg Natale write his book
Having created a business that’s established enough that I can work overseas for six months (this comes to you from London but we’re off to Amsterdam today)
Expanding the team beyond just me, with the addition of editorial assistant Olivia Shead
Two fab 7 Vignettes reader events with Darren Palmer in Sydney and Melbourne (where Block twins Alisa and Lysandra made a guest appearance).

My last rented apartment in Home Beautiful

So, three years on, Interiors Addict is on its third new look, it has more readers than ever (around 80,000 each month), continues to grow month on month and I’m making more money than I ever have, doing something I ADORE. Although I’m delighted, I’m still very much on the journey and not ready to rest on my laurels any time soon! The next year, like the last one, will be all about growth and improvement.

Although I’ve of course just listed all the good bits, it’s definitely not all glamour and I mainly share the edited highlights on Facebook and Instagram! You won’t see many pics of me with no makeup and working in my PJs at home, but that happens a lot! I have the same stresses at tax and BAS time as the next person, I’m rubbish with numbers, I sometimes worry WAY TOO MUCH about work stuff, I also worry too much about what other people think (but I’m getting better at it), and I really should switch off from social media a little more often.

If I’ve learned anything about creating a successful blog and business, it is realising just that, that it is a business. It requires a level of professionalism and setting yourself high standards, being organised, doing things properly, thinking like a business owner, constantly diversifying, improving and looking to grow and be sustainable. While yes it’s all very well going to fancy parties, getting goody bags and PR and being featured in magazines and the like, this is not what pays the bills and gets you a following big enough to be able to charge money for ads and sponsored content that enables you to make a living.

I’d love to do this for free but frankly, I can’t! And the fact that it’s a business makes me strive to keep improving all the time. And I always make sure I think about you, the readers (customers, if you will), and what you want to read about. I still get that buzz when I discover something I know you’re going to LOVE or I finish a great interview which I know will inspire and motivate some of you to follow your dreams and get into the design industry.

My ultimate business advice is, and always has been, work hard and be nice! Simple!

I am full of gratitude and thanks and still full of passion for this blog, and its readers, and making it even better, even more than ever. I won’t single people out for thanks because I like to think I appreciate them all year round and I don’t want to miss anyone! You know you are!

So please follow your dreams. I certainly never EVER thought I’d end up doing this for a living!

To celebrate turning three, I’m giving one of you the chance to win a massive $2,000 online homewares shopping spree! Find out all the details on the blog tomorrow!

Tags birthday, blog, blogger, blogging, darren palmer, greg natale, three