Remember the old school Follow Friday on Instagram (and even Twitter!)? How cool was that?! I thought I’d share some of my fave Instagram accounts with you here every month, kicking off today with three goodies!
I seriously cannot get enough of this Sydney reno account and if you haven’t discovered it yet, go follow immediately. It’s not actually a 70s house, it’s an Edwardian one, but the handle stems from their previous reno.
Chloe Brookeman (founder of kids’ brand Olli Ella) and husband Charlie are designing their family home (they have 5 gorgeous kiddos) in Coogee and it’s dreamy. Chloe has exquisite taste and there’s absolutely nothing cookie cutter or mainstream about the home but oh my goodness, I bet you’ll love it as much as I do!
If you want some unique interiors inspiration and someone who will make you want to do something a bit different too, you’re going to thank me. Chloe and Charlie, who happens to be super handy and does a lot of the work himself, keep things real too and are eminently likeable so you won’t hate them, even if you develop severe house envy!
Chloe Brookman
Although if you don’t like wallpaper, patterned tiles or vintage finds, look away.
Gemma Peanut, co-host of the We Don’t Have Time for This podcast, photographer and influencer, is documenting the renovation of her newly purchased Cabarita Beach holiday home (which will be available to rent as well as used by her and her fam).
Gem and husband Matt
The plan is to transform it into a 1970s Palm Springs inspired fun house in just three weeks so WATCH THIS SPACE! Plenty of dopamine dressing has been promised and I’m loving the look of the kitchen to come!
If you’re an interior designer and you’re not already following Clare Le Roy then where have you been?! But, just in case…
Clare generously shares SO much knowledge to help you grow a profitable business for free (seriously, so much!), but you can also check out her popular SketchUp and other short courses.
Do you remember when you were at primary school, and they told you the job you would end up doing probably wasn’t even invented yet? I certainly do and the prediction was quite correct in my case (blogging – who knew?) and it’s certainly the case for Sunshine Coast based interior decorator and presenter Susanna Tolo of Coastal Hampton Style.
Susanna Tolo
After a career in beauty, the home enthusiast started an Instagram page – @coastalhamptonstyle – and began documenting her love of Hamptons and coastal interiors. Concurrently, she also began renovating a Queenslander home, documenting the process via Instagram Stories.
“I showcased the renovation process and started making friendships through the platform. I started doing tours of display homes also as I was visiting them for inspiration,” says Susanna who jumped on the IGTV wagon as soon as that launched – the format was perfect for her content.
Susanna’s kitchen
“IGTV allowed me to post full home tours that wouldn’t disappear, and I must have gotten on bandwagon at the right time because Instagram seemed to boost my content,” says Susanna. And when the most popular videos on the platform included ones made by both Susanna and Will Smith, she couldn’t quite believe it. “I went up by 60k followers in less than one month – it was insane. Nobody was doing home tours and posting them to Instagram, so I guess I started doing it at the right time,” says Susanna whose popularity is no doubt in part due to her warm, approachable style.
Back then, Susanna’s home tours would get 500,000 views which is when the design industry started knocking. “Builders, designers and architects started asking me to do tours for payment and at that point I realised that it was something I could do as my own business,” says Susanna who has since grown her audience to 295k people.
Susanna’s dining room
Aside from creating video tours, Susanna also collaborates with brands including Zanui, One World Furniture and Montauk Lighting. “I just built a new home that was a collaboration with Brighton Homes and Stockland have hired me as their marketing face too,” says Susanna.
Her personal style has also caught on with many of her followers asking where she sources her signature linen shirts. After multiple requests Susanna decided to launch her own linen shirt line. “I see the shirts as a little piece of me that can be easily posted out. It’s not easy sending homewares overseas but as shirt is a way of supporting me. Plus, it’s still coastal and on-brand and something that I generally love wearing,” says Susanna.
Susanna’s lounge room
As for her interior style, Susanna loves a variety of things in the the coastal, classic, and Hamptons vein. “People think of me as just Hamptons style but my taste is a combination of everything and it’s not too neutral. It’s coastal with pops of colour including pink, green and blue. Mostly it’s a combination of things that I love but it’s always fresh and airy.”
Interior designer works with heritage features on Hamptons makeover
While it’s hard to compete with the many charms of a heritage home, the ubiquitous jarrah floor can be a hard one to reconcile with contemporary interiors – mainly because…
Wabi sabi is the ‘Japandi’ trend that celebrates the beauty of imperfection;think irregular shapes, worn out timbers and paints, decorative accents, and handcrafted furnishings. If this is your vibe, here’s where to find design and styling inspiration on Instagram.
This beautiful Australian nursery and gardening account collates the best in design inspiration from around the world. Their styling tips and boutique products show how you can easily recreate the wabi sabi trend in your own home.
Boutique antiques, furniture, and homewares store Carmague is based in Mosman, Sydney. This breathtaking account highlights uneven, worn timbers and textured natural fabrics, perfectly capturing the beautiful mantra of imperfection at the heart of wabi sabi.
This interior design studio serves up daily inspiration of world class Japandi, minimalist and wabi sabi interiors. Each day, this perfectly curated account spotlights a new space from around the world, celebrating the beauty of worn out furnishings and diverse textures in the home.
Sleek lines, irregular shapes and stunning textures define this sophisticated architectural account by Melbourne designer Travis Walton. Proving that minimalism has caught a second wind through the Japandi trend, this breathtaking account will offer you endless inspiration on how to bring the wabi sabi trend into your home with a local, elegant touch.
Latest home design trends: Japandi, neon lights & shelfies will be hot in 2021
With more than 400 million people around the world using Pinterest each month, it’s a great place to spot a trend. So when the platform’s annual ‘Pinterest Predicts’ report landed…
The best ‘cleanstagram’ accounts to follow for home organisation inspo
It’s #NewYearSameMe and a fresh opportunity to get on top of all those life admin tasks you’ve been putting off. First stop, home organisation. If 2020 (good riddance!) has taught…
Given the fast-paced tech-driven world that we live in, there’s something charming about the latest trend to invade our Instagram feeds – the taper candle. Low-fi and nostalgic, the taper candle has a long history in the home (they found their way into gothic, baroque and colonial interiors mainly out of necessity) but the latest designs have a distinctly modern flavour. There’s unusual shapes, neon colours and a gorgeous array of contemporary vessels to house them in.
De Crecy candles: Designed and hand poured in Bondi by Tony Assness, these gorgeous candles have taken over our Instagram feeds – no doubt due to their unique, sculptural shapes. They’re made from Australian-sourced butter beige wax and are priced from $44.
Urban Outfitters Ombre Taper candle set: Bring a colourful glow to your next tabletop display with these ombre-hued taper candles. They’re very reasonably priced at $18 for a set of four.
XRJ Celebrations taper candles: Never one to do things in halves, Roxy Jacenko’s candle foray certainly packs a visual punch. Styled en masse, the key to this look is the sheer number of candles in the mix. The acrylic and wooden bases are available for purchase too. From $100.
Black Blaze Colour Pillar candles: Available in an array of gorgeous hues (eucalyptus, honey and peach to name just a few), these candles (from $16) are made in Sydney from pure plant based wax. The matching minimalist solid brass candle holder, $59, completes the look.
Lex Pott ‘TWIST’ twisted candle in pink: Made in the Netherlands from paraffin wax, this fun sculptural piece is a fabulous blend of form and function. It’s available in an array of colours. $44.
Gloria Speaking Alias candlestick in pink: The perfect vessel in which to hold a taper candle, these delicate glassware pieces are giving us major mid-century modern vibes. The matching taper candles are also available for purchase. $44.
One of Australia’s leading designers, when Greg Natale looks into his crystal ball makes interior trend predictions we sit up and take notice. Read on for his take on what…
Non toxic candles: our top picks
By Kathryn Bamford To me, candles always needed to be two things: beautiful aesthetically and fabulous smelling! I’ve recently added a third requirement: non toxic. I hadn’t ever given much…
Roxy Jacenko’s new house: a kitchen to die for!
When your life’s as crazy as Roxy Jacenko’s, it’s perhaps no surprise the PR queen likes things to be calm and minimal at home, and the renovation of her new…
It’s #NewYearSameMe and a fresh opportunity to get on top of all those life admin tasks you’ve been putting off. First stop, home organisation.
If 2020 (good riddance!) has taught us anything, it’s that our home is our castle. Freshen up your living space and Instagram feed in 2021 with inspiration from the best Aussie “cleanstagram” accounts on the ‘gram, according to Instagram themselves.
This Gold Coast mother-of-three was inspired to tidy up her home and is on a mission to help others do the same. Kat Springer’s account provides inspiration and advice to people across Australia on how to clean up their home and create space in the smallest of cupboards, amounting to nearly 110K followers. Start 2021 on the right foot by following along with Kat’s New Year 14 Day Home Refresh guide, posted daily on her ‘gram. Check out this reel on how to organise your junk drawer.
Carmen Strong, a creative mastermind, inspires her followers to bring a little more organisation into their life. The mother-of-two is a full time retail manager by day and part-time organisational wizard by night. Take a look at this reel here tackling the dreaded under-sink cupboard!
Nina Belle built her home with her husband a couple of years ago, designing it in a way that would make her life easier so she could spend more time with her family. With almost 40K followers, Nina is all about empowering Aussies to get the best utility out of their homes and spend the extra time with loved ones – a lesson that has proven to be very true after a year like 2020. This dreamy before and after reel will give you endless inspiration for your pantry.
Melbourne mother-of-two, Chantel Mila has broken the internet with her clever home hacks and organisation. With over 40K followers and counting, her time-saving and cost-cutting hacks bring fun and functionality back into the home, from time-saving ways to fit a quilt cover, to DIY cleaning products, and how to make better use of your cupboard space by learning to fold your towels into a resort-style display.
And here’s a couple of Jen’s personal fave follows for home organisation inspiration:
Plant-based cleaning brand Koala Eco breaks into the US
“We were constantly on the hunt for safe, affordable, toxic-free cleaning products that would not only make our home smell naturally fabulous but would actually work. We felt our sons, and…
Natural cleaning products: DIY these options!
I don’t know about you, but having two kids home all day, every day, and the constant in and out, means my home has never needed more cleaning! But also,…
I’m back with this month’s five favourite interiors Instagram accounts to follow. I hope you love them, and find them as inspiring and enjoyable as I do!
Greenhouse Interiors I love following Greenhouse Interiors (Julia Green) for beautiful colourful interiors, discovering the amazing new artists she champions (who all seem to be delightful as well as talented!) and lots of fun watching her and her mum dancing around the kitchen on Stories! And I don’t need to mention how good her recent art tea towel collab with Rachel Castle is, do I?!
Indah Island If you love Hamptons interiors you HAVE to follow Natalee Bowen. She’s a Perth-based interior designer and host of TV show Open Homes Australia. She just completed the most incredible farmhouse reno. I met Natalee when we were lucky enough to go on a dream media trip to The Hamptons a couple of years ago. Her feed features pictures from her own projects as well as Hamptons inspo from around the world.
Georgia Ezra Most of my favourite accounts to follow are a combo of beautiful inspiration and real people, and Georgia is a great example of this! She’s a Melbourne interior designer and importer of the most incredible handmade tiles. But what I love most is her philosophy of what our homes should feel like. She has a very unique and beautiful, earthy style and I love the glimpses of her own home, her cooking and her gorgeous kids! I first met Georgia back in 2012 when she was designing cool perspex side tables! If you love all things Moroccan, you must follow Georgia!
By Rosie (OK, this one’s not interiors!) Rosie is a fellow Pom and a registered clinical nutritionist based in Queensland. I love her healthy (and straightforward) recipes and unrivalled knowledge of which foods are good for your body and why! And her photography’s lovely too. You can even book an online consultation if you need a little nutrition help.
Lynne Bradley Interiors I always love seeing Sydney interior designer Lynne’s latest projects, especially her kitchens and bathrooms with more than a touch of glam!
I hope you’ve discovered at least one new must-follow among these! I’d love to know who your favourites are too?
My 5 favourite interiors insta-accounts this month (May 2020)
I often assume everyone else is following the same Instagram GOLD that I am, but I’ve realised that’s not always the case. I don’t want you to miss out, so…
Stylist Julia Green, totally addicted to her job
Looking at Julia Green’s styling work, it’s very hard to believe she’s only been doing this professionally for 3 years or, indeed, that she spent 15 years in the corporate…
Adding character to a kitchen: steal Georgia’s style
It can be hard to add character to a brand new kitchen but Melbourne interior designer Georgia Ezra makes it look easy in this stunning space. A love of Mediterranean…
Before & after: Designer maximises space for downsizers
Located on Sydney’s Lower North Shore, this original 1970’s townhouse was renovated by interior designer Lynne Bradley recently after a family of four moved in. “My clients had recently purchased…
I said we’d carry on the #interiorsaddictheartyourhome Instagram challenge until we were all out of lockdown, so this may be the last one. Let’s make it a goodie! The idea is, as you know, to help you all fall in love with your homes a bit more!
To keep it simple, I’m sharing all the coming week’s challenges and prizes below. You can do them all or just one.
Complete the task by midnight that day, snap a pic and share it on your Instagram feed (must be on public for us to be able to see it). Tag us @interiorsaddict and use the hashtag #interiorsaddictheartyourhome to be in with a chance of winning. Sometimes we love the captions more than the photos, so don’t forget your words too!
Good luck! Any questions, do drop them in the comments below!
Monday 15 June
Prize: A Cocolux Australia large Luna brass candle with onyx trivet in island fig, cassis and peach worth $100.
Task: Create a vignette somewhere unexpected in your home.
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Tuesday 16 June
Prize: A $300 artwork voucher from United Interiors. They work with a global team of artists and designers to deliver curated contemporary artworks made to order.
Task: Move some things around to create a colour clash/pop somewhere in your home that excites you! You don’t have to commit to keeping it forever, but just step a little outside your colour comfort zone. It might inspire you!
***
Wednesday 17 June
Prize: A hand wash and lotion duo with tray (worth $79) in your choice of three scents from al.ive body, the new brand from former Blockheads Alisa and Lysandra. This will look fab in your kitchen or bathroom, and help with all the extra hand washing we’re doing at the moment!
Task: Do something special for your bathroom: get out some special bath salts you were gifted but haven’t opened, roll up all your clean towels and arrange them in a nice basket, move a pot plant in there, cut some foliage from the garden and put it by the sink, clear out the vanity. The choice is yours!
***
Thursday 18 June
Prize: A luxury sanitising scent from Have A Nice Day Goods (H.A.N.D)! Fragranced with Australian botanical essential oils with mood-enhancing benefits, the 50ml hydration bundle worth $44.95 contains a pocket size 10ml with a pouch and funnel, and a 50ml refill.
Task: Cosy up your lounge or bedroom for winter. Add a lamp, blanket, throw, rug, candle, for example. Doesn’t have to be new, you can pinch it from somewhere else in you home!
***
Friday 19 June
Prize: These two beautiful Marque vessels in terracotta, pink and grey, from OZ Design Furniture worth almost $165.
Task: Declutter. Anything you like, just declutter it and feel the smugness!
Saturday 20 June
Prize: This lightweight, versatile drawstring palest pink backpack (Squid Pocket Large) from iconic Aussie bag brand Crumpler worth $49. In celebration of the fact we are all getting out and about a bit more now, or to help us go for that socially distant picnic, bike ride or overnight stay.
Task: Give your handbag/backpack/work or nappy bag a tidy out and possibly even a clean! Replace only what you need, including your hand sanitiser, naturally! Satisfying much? This one’s not technically about your home, but we all have a bag that could do with some attention!
Sunday 21 June
Prize: Two fab new books from Hardie Grant: Simply Living Well by Julia Watkins and The Less Waste No Fuss Kitchen by Lindsay Miles.
Task: In the spirit of reusing and recycling, list something to give away on your local Freecyle or Facebook Group. Even if you could get a bit of money for it, just give it away. It’ll make you feel good, it’ll make the recipient feel great, and it’ll get something not loved or used out of your home! The hardest part will be making this task into a photo but you’ve got this!
Good luck! And if you’re confused about anything, do ask in the comments.
Interior designer, stylist and makeup artist Melissa Rettore stumbled across yet another string to her bow when she started doing watercolour hand drawn renders and soon realised people would pay her to sketch their much-loved homes. It’s work she has come to really enjoy because of the personal stories behind the commissions, as well as the fact she’s been obsessed with houses and their details for as long as she can remember.
It’s perhaps no surprise that, as a child growing up in Melbourne, she could be found rearranging her bedroom or madly sketching, and she remembers being as young as seven, making a hobby of walking past houses, spying into bay windows and trying to catch a glimpse of life inside.
A Coburg cottage.
As an adult, she went on to get qualifications in art, teaching and interior design and decorating.
“I’ve always been obsessed with Edwardian charm, California Bungalows, Victorian terraces and Melbourne’s unique Boom Style housing. It was around my fifth year as a primary school teacher that it dawned on me that my favourite part of the school year was during summer break when I would set up the classroom ― organising and styling the space. The penny finally dropped.”
Melissa realised her true calling was in interior design. “Turning a space into a home is what makes me feel content. I love that I have combined my childhood obsession of houses with my instinctual understanding of how people respond to, use, and inhabit a space. Oh, and I happen to have married a carpenter who builds houses for a living. No secret motive there at all, I promise!”
She’s been officiallyworking in the interiors industry for the last three years. “The very first time I presented a design concept, my hand rendered sketch highlighted with watercolour received a great response from my peers and tutors. I suspect this approach offered a personal touch that digitally produced images lack, and captured their attention.
“I began sketching houses to assist with designing colour schemes. What started as a preliminary approach to design planning, led me to develop a unique series of architectural drawings that I now regard as art in themselves. The clients I have designed for have also become the clients I have sketched for.”
She’d already been sketching purely for pleasure for a long time though, largely prompted by her love of nostalgia. “I started to explore my inspiration through an investigation into my childhood. I grew up in Melbourne’s charming suburbs of Coburg, Brunswick, Preston and Reservoir and started sketching memorable houses of my childhood.” This evolved into an exploration of iconic TV houses of her childhood such as Ramsay Street (Pin Oak Court) from Neighbours, Monica’s Apartment from Friends and the McCalister mansion from Home Alone.
Think you recognise it? It’s because you do! The iconic Ramsay Street from TV show Neighbours.
“I love sketching the exterior of houses and places I frequented as a child. I have fond memories of heritage buildings, local pasticierras, Italian restaurants, churches, the family bakery and local businesses,” says Melissa, who admits her home is a shrine to things that remind her of the good times. “I’m a sucker for gorgeous architectural details and ornate houses and over time I’ve allowed myself to become obsessed with drawings and discovering the details within each architectural style.”
Her favourite sketching job is a funny little story. “I had recently taken a screenshot of a gorgeous little kitchen I wanted to sketch, while deep in an Instagram rabbit hole. A few weeks went on, and I had forgotten about the image and started sketching another find. After sharing the sketch on Instagram, it gained the attention of the owner of the original kitchen I was going to sketch. Her name was Jen Bishop.”
[Yes folks, that’s how I got talking to Melissa, and I couldn’t wait to share her work with you all. Of course, Melissa has since sketched that kitchen, my pride and joy, and here it is! You might also recognise my living room above! Jen]
My kitchen, as sketched by Melissa.
Ironically, her own home — contemporary with black structural details, concrete floors and bright white walls — is the complete opposite to the character houses she loves to sketch. “My styling inspo comes from my favourite artist Claude Monet’s Water Lilies. Wherever possible, everything is organised by colour, and I display nostalgic treasures I’ve collected throughout my life. My dream home is a character-filled arts and craft home with a stepped roof, in a leafy suburb. Think gingerbread house meets Alice in Wonderland!”
Among those who have commissioned sketches from Melissa are proud homeowners that have fallen in love with their new space, and people who have recently sold their childhood home and want a keepsake. “Interior designers have used my drawings to help sell their designs, stylists have used them in properties they finesse, and agents have bought them for vendors as settlement gifts,” she says. “I love it when family members buy one for their parents or grandparents, and share with me the stories and history attached to a home.”
A Brunswick exterior.
If you’re interested in getting a sketch of your own home, you can simply send Melissa a photograph, she quotes depending on the amount of detail required, and it’s yours within three weeks. “If there’s a floor plan that you need help visualising, I can sketch the space and assist with a theme and scheme or with the styling and design.”
If you’re as nostalgic as Melissa you could ask her to, for example, sketch your grandparents’ kitchen from the 70s from a photograph. What a great keepsake or meaningful gift idea!
Sketching a coloured interior starts at $350. Detailed black and white exterior house sketches start at $280 ($350+ for colour) and basic black and white house sketches start at $120. These are provided as digital files or prints.
I’ve been coveting Rachel Burke’s tinsel confections for a while now (she of @imakestagram Instagram fame). If you’re not familiar with the Brisbane based artist and designer, she is a self-described ‘tinsel maven’ who is known for her vibrant, tactile and flamboyant creations that have been acquired by the likes of Dannii Minogue and Kesha. So, when we heard Rachel had teamed up with Pottery Barn Kids x west elm to create a nursery for her new baby boy Hugo, we couldn’t wait to take a look.
Rachel in her son’s nursery before his birth
“I wanted to create a space that reflects our family’s style. I’ve kept some of my favourite pieces like the vintage wardrobe I customised – and mixed it back with the Pottery Barn Kids cot, bassinet and changing table – resulting in a calm yet contemporary nursery that will continue to grow as my baby does,” says Rachel, who gave birth last week.
The team were tasked with transitioning her studio into a nursery before working with the designer to select pieces that erred away from trends and can be easily transitioned for use as a toddler, tween and beyond. The rocker is one such item that can ultimately be moved to another part of the home.
A variety of neutral pieces work to showcase Rachel’s distinct aesthetic while creating a warm, inviting room. “I worked with a palette throughout that creates a sense of harmony but the space itself is fun and playful. I brought in details that amp up the fun, like the Skyler rug, the collected art pieces from friends, my pom poms – and of course the mini tinsel jacket ready for baby!”
Look at that adorable mini tinsel jacket!
Images courtesy of Pottery Barn Kids Australia Photography: Mindi Cooke | Styling: Noël Coughlan
We love finding new accounts to follow on Instagram, for inspiration and even just enjoyment and fun! Each month, Jen shares her favourite from right here in Australia and across the globe.
Lindsay Emery is a ceramicist in North Carolina with the mission to make mealtimes beautiful! Her feed is full of stunning handmade pieces and there’s plenty of my favourite colour combo: navy, deep pink and gold. Swoon! Good news is, she ships worldwide! I don’t think I can resist much longer… I mean, can you have too many gilded bowls?! She also designs a commerically produced range for Anthropologie and Nordstrom.
You probably know Australian interior and events stylist extraordinaire Steve Cordony BUT did you know he and his partner Michael are renovating the most stunning farmhouse in Orange , NSW? Recently featured in Harpers Bazaar, this place is serious interior-inspo. I mean, they have peacocks, ostriches and Shire horses, come on?! I can’t get enough of this feed and it makes me want to move to the country, stat! It’s photoshoot heaven and I’ve no doubt it will be the location for many of them in the coming years! You can tell just how much passion and hard work has been poured into this place.
Two Lovely Gays are a couple, Jordan and Russell, who also work together in their interior design studio of the same name. The former actors love period features and playful colour and I find their feed provides a kind of aesthetic Australia just doesn’t really do!
A new account by the owners of much photographed holiday accommodation Soul of Gerringong on the NSW South Coast, Soul Home is about achieving that holiday feeling in your own home, or indeed holiday accommodation. There’s generous advice, tips and product suggestions from owner and interior designer Simone Mathews. Want a quick fix, buy-the-whole-look type solution? Check out the photos of her popup accommodation Soul Cottage (we recently stayed and it’s perfection!) on the website, where there are links to almost everything featured. If anyone knows about creating #holidayhousegoals, it’s her!
The Travelling Bar is Sydney’s hottest mobile bar, a cute baby blue vintage caravan serving cocktails at weddings, parties and corporate events across NSW. It’s run by mother-daughter duo Meredith and Lydia (who also happens to be our amazing nanny!). They also do grazing tables and have a pop up (non-caravan) bar too.
When Aaron and Sarah Waters purchased a tired 1970’s brick and tile home with the intention of giving it a quick flip, little did they know they’d found their next passion project. “The original thought was to do it up and sell it – not spend much and basically put it straight back on the market. However, we fell in love with the area and once we started we fell more and more in love with the house too,” says Aaron of the home that is referred to as the Bilinga Beach Abode.
Before and after: What a transformation!
Set in the seaside town of Bilinga on Queensland’s Gold Coast, the original 1970’s build was comprised of red brick, a yellow Colorbond roof with black gutters, asbestos walls and an asbestos fence around the perimeter. The home also had three bedrooms and one car space but has since been transformed into a comfortable 5 x 2 – the expansion driven by Aaron and Sarah’s expanding brood. The couple have a six-year-old boy Brax, three-year-old girl Frankie and a baby girl due next month.
A seamless transition from inside to outside
The home takes design cues from its coastal location combined with a smattering of Palm Springs inspo and features plenty of white – Dulux Vivid White to be exact. “We found a house in Cape Town, South Africa that inspired the feel we wanted. I think that once you have found a style you just have stick to it and for us, it was a coastal Palm Springs vibe,” says Aaron. The home certainly has aesthetic consistency throughout (the white paint for one) and it’s something that Aaron is focussed on. “Once you transition, or your mind wanders, you will find yourself lost and the home can lose its soul,” says Aaron.
The pool
A prominent design feature, the home’s breeze blocks were brought in from Sydney and are multi-purpose. “The breeze blocks are not original. The idea behind them was, of course, some breeze but foremost their style. Another benefit is the shadows that they form at different times of the day,” says Aaron.
The gorgeous breeze blocks
As for renovating with young children, Aaron saw the challenge as an opportunity and got them involved too. “It was hard at the start but the children love it now. Our children watched Dad work and they wanted to work. Out came a plastic kid’s tool belt and I would hand them a small, soft piece of wood so they felt part of it,” says Aaron.
Alfresco lounge
The eldest child, Brax, is no doubt the envy of his school friends given he has his very own skateboard ramp at home. “The skate ramp came about because we took Brax to the local concrete skate park and it was crazy. There were kids everywhere and it was just so dangerous that an accident was bound to happen, but Brax just loved it. We didn’t want our little boy to get hurt, and we didn’t want to take something he enjoys off him, so we built a ramp at home,” says Aaron.
Skate ramp
And unlike most children’s toys, the ramp only seems to add to the relaxed beachy vibe of the place – Venice Beach anyone? “We wanted it to tie into our house and basically blend in. We built it from scratch and have to regularly maintain the painting to give it life, but the kids absolutely love it,” says Aaron.
Another fabulous feature is the home’s pool – it sits adjacent to the property and is lined with patterned concrete encaustic tiles. “It was designed to have all day sun and face north west to take in the amazing sunsets. The kids love it and so do we. You basically step out of the lounge room and into the pool and you can see it from our kitchen so there aren’t too many blind spots. We also have an outdoor chimney fireplace that looks over the pool,” says Aaron.
It’s always exciting to discover an artist at the beginning of their career, especially when you find out they’ve made a big leap of faith to follow their passion. Such is the case with 31-year-old Christopher Broome, a Gold Coast electrician who decided he would rather live a more creative life, largely inspired by his mother Karen, fiancee Mel, and young daughter Chelsea. I now have two pieces of Christopher’s work hanging in my home and they make me so happy I was keen to learn more about the man behind the paintbrush.
“I knew I loved art from a young age, but I only recently realised I wanted to do it as a career,” says Christopher, who made the big switch last year. “As a kid, I wanted to be a comic book illustrator, so I was always sketching people and simple backdrops. Then I decided I wanted to do animation and joined art class when I got to high school. They didn’t teach any of that there but that’s where I learned the basics of painting! Then, once I was out of high school I pretty much stopped cold turkey and got a full-time job, so painting was just something I did in my downtime.”
Christopher became an electrician, working 60-hour weeks. He and Mel had completely renovated their house, leaving them with a lot of bare walls to fill, so he picked up his paintbrush again. “I just got really fired up to paint again so once we sold it, we basically got in a position where I could take the chance at doing art as my career and I haven’t looked back. Although I do want another reno project too now!” Becoming a dad to Chelsea has also kept him busy and he’s loving the flexibility his new career affords him to spend time with her.
He definitely still considers himself an emerging artist and while her admits he’s still experimenting with various styes, he can’t imagine ever sticking to just one. “I’m still learning a lot and always ask a lot of questions to hone my skills. Abstract work is especially new to me, because I started out doing illustrations, but I feel like I have the most fun with it. I think my biggest challenge is I have too many thoughts running through my head so it’s hard to just stay on one path and try to express how I feel, but that’s the beauty of being able to work on multiple pieces at once!”
The ladies in his life have been a huge inspiration to Christopher. Almost losing his mum a few years ago, really made him realise that life could be short and you should give it your best shot. “My fiancee Mel encourages and supports every hair-brained idea I come up with and she’s always behind the scenes, helping me achieve the things I want to. She also has no problems telling me rethink an idea or colour choice!”
As for little Chelsea, she makes him want to be a very present dad. “Being able to work out of a studio from home gives me that ability. Her personality and spirit give me a lot of inspiration too. The series ‘Peaceful By Name’ is just like her, beautiful to look at but still plenty of chaotic elements!
“Women influence me by being some of the greatest supporters in my life. I wouldn’t exist without my mum and I wouldn’t be where I am today without my own family. My ‘Luxurious Ladies’ series started when we found out Mel was pregnant. Women really are amazing and what they go through to carry children is just mind-blowing. So I guess I just wanted to recognise the female form and based them off women that I think are positive role models for today’s youth… I’m not going to tell you who though!”
While the Gold Coast art scene is full of talented artists and galleries, Christopher says it’s definitely a smaller community compared to Melbourne and Sydney. He has recently started to sell a lot of work via his Instagram and says having a strong social media presence is important and like having an online gallery without the wine and cheese platter. “Social media’s reach is immeasurable. My artwork is now in Tassie, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and the Gold Coast, and I’ve had commission requests from London and LA too. It’s really up there as a marketing and sales tool.”
He describes the bulk of his work as energetic. “Then I have the pieces that are deeper tones with subtle highlights that are more moody. I’m not sure how to describe them. But I love trying to get an emotion into the work so you feel something when you look at it.”
Christopher’s inspired by fellow artists Tania Blanchard, Michael Bond, Marnie McKnight, Ruchi Rai and Jennifer Lia. “It’s like I find a new one every day!”
So, what’s a day in the life of a full-time artist and new father working from home really like? “Balance is probably the biggest challenge, but we have a good routine which I think helps a lot. I’m usually up first and get a couple of layers down across a few canvases and then take over dad duties while Mel gets ready. We basically tag in and out for the rest of the day while I order materials and do some marketing and Mel runs the rest of the house and reminds me to eat and stay hydrated!
She does an amazing job as Mum though, it’s just so natural for her which makes focusing on my work much easier. The advantages are exactly what you would think they are; we get to hang out as a family much more, even while I’m painting we can have a chat. We always try to keep the weekend free though so we don’t forget to have a break and just enjoy being parents and spending time with friends.”
Most of Christopher’s sales are online, the rest come from retail. “I will post a picture of a completed piece on Instagram and it can be instantly sold because of how much people use their social media. Art is definitely more accessible now. Again, I think we have social media to thank for that, because basically anyone with an Instagram account or internet connection can see what you are creating day to day and can be more involved in the process. This brings the masses into the art world rather than it being a kind of closed off industry like it has in the past. I also think being able to create prints of artwork has been great because it’s so affordable. Limiting the number of prints so the piece is still somewhat exclusive is a great idea, and then, for those with bigger budgets, there is always the original. Nothing beats having an original piece, but having people just enjoy the work is the main thing.”
He says art can be the icing on the cake of your interior. “Personally, I’m a big fan of a simple home that’s kind of a blank canvas with the colours and softness of the home coming from the interior styling. That way your home can always adapt to the changes in your style without needing to literally renovate.”
After moving into a new home in 2015, Perth’s Jen Farr relished the opportunity to create her ultimate pad, and built a significant Instagram following as a result. “I had never built before so it was a dream come true to be able to do a custom design to suit us and to choose all our own fixtures and fittings. Also, it was a great opportunity to purchase all new furniture and homewares, including art to fit the space,” says Jen who started her Instagram account @designdevotee throughout the process.
The glamorous Jen Farr
Jen had some initial help from an interior designer at pre-start (primarily with bathroom tile and cupboard laminate selections), and she also had some professional styling help too. “When it came closer to furnishing the house, I contacted Jane Ledger from Spacecrush who I found on Instagram to help pull everything together and steer me in the right direction. Working with Jane was such a wonderful experience and I learnt a lot from her,” says Jen.
Bedroom
But as for her Instagram following (46k and growing), Jen puts it down to the exposure that her home has gotten in print media. “My home was photographed for Adore magazine in January 2016, and featured in the homes section of a Perth weekend paper in September 2016. My grandkids’ room was on the front cover of Minty Magazine in December last year too,” says Jen. And what a bedroom it is!
The grandchildren’s room. What a lucky bunch!
“The grandkids’ room was designed as a fun space for my six grandkids to spend time whenever they come over. It is still a work in progress as I am planning on buying a new floor rug for the area as well as another piece of art. And now that the kids are getting older, I will need to add new books, games and Lego to keep them entertained. They all love this room and whenever they are here, it is the first place that they run to,” says Jen.
The grandchildren’s room
“My favourite thing in the room is the wallpaper. I love the feel that it adds to the room. As the wallpaper, carpet and wall colour are all neutral, this room can slowly be changed from a girly room to a more gender-neutral one as the kids grow up. Originally it was for my four granddaughters and one grandson, but now with a grandson born in 2015 and another one due later this year I think perhaps it’s time for the pink to be toned down!” says Jen.
Lounge room
As for Jen’s following, unsurprisingly it has led to many requests for product promotion and her decorating advice is highly sought after too. “I receive many free items from Instagram businesses. I have also found that many people want decorating advice including furniture selection and I have recently been helping a woman in Ecuador redecorate. I am also working with a woman in Sydney who has just moved into a new home and wants help with furniture, rugs, artwork and décor items – so pretty much everything,” says Jen who is managing both jobs entirely through Instagram’s direct messaging service.
Kitchen
It’s pretty impressive for a woman with no formal training, who used to construct her own interiors as a child. “Ever since I was in primary school I would make my own doll houses by joining empty shoe boxes together and then I would sew curtains for them and make all the furniture,” says Jen.
We think it goes without saying that the sort of people who love playing 7 Vignettes have an appreciation for beautiful stationery, and that’s just what the winner of next month’s Instagram challenge can win! Thanks to our latest sponsor Blushing Confetti, we have these great themes and the winner will get a $250 stationery pack.
I love these themes, do you?!
Blushing Confetti are a Brisbane-based brand who design (and mostly print) everything right here in Australia. We love that they also hand assemble most of their packages, often adding a handwritten note. Cant beat the personal touch! As well as gorgeous stationery they also make prints for your home, calendars, wrapping paper and more. If it involves paper of gold foil, they’re into it!
For all the details about how to take part, go here. The fun starts on Saturday 1 April for seven days. Good luck and have fun!
I’m delighted to announce the winner of this month’s 7 Vignettes, sponsored by Life Interiors, as Ruth Stephensen!
“This is our third time hosting 7 Vignettes,” says Life Interiors showroom and creative manager Nicole Arvela. “We have always found it an extremely rewarding experience and we love seeing all the entries come through! We just love how enthusiastic the 7 Vignettes community is and how excited and involved everybody gets.
Tropical
“It’s always so hard to choose an overall winner as there are so many amazing entries, however we just loved Ruth Stephensen @thecontentcreative’s series. It was so beautiful styled and fresh, we also loved her interpretation of the themes.
Shelf
“It’s been a busy year here at Life Interiors, we had major window renovations in our Sydney showroom and we have also recently opened a new Melbourne showroom in Abbotsford. Both our showrooms are open seven days, so please come and say hi! Featuring a wide range of exclusive Australian and imported brands, our ethos is to provide everyday Australians with designer furniture at a high street price.”
Framed
She wins a $500 Life Interiors voucher (please contact us with your details: [email protected]). We’d also like to offer our congratulations to Ruth on her recent marriage and wish her and her husband many happy years together!
SPECIAL READER DISCOUNT
Life Interiors are offering all our readers 10% off everything! Use the code INTERIORSADDICT10OFF or mention it in store. Valid until Friday 21 October 2016.
The winner of this month’s 7 Vignettes is @overgrown_garden and she wins a beautiful Edgar chair from our sponsor Weylandts worth $895! And you can see why…
“Overgrown_garden nailed the Weylandts look! Each day had a raw, earthy aesthetic yet maintained a clean minimalistic approach,” says Weylandts’ Kelly Brawn. “Congratulations for seven days of consistent vignettes for some challenging themes and enjoy your beautiful Edgar chair!”
Theme: leather
Weylandts’ Luci Sleep added: “We were overwhelmed with the calibre of entries that came through over the week and greatly enjoyed everyone’s different interpretations of the Weylandts style. We look forward to seeing you all in store for 10% off storewide for the month of September!”
Theme: artisan
Weylandts began as a traditional furniture manufacturer in Windhoek Namibia, in 1964. Today, the company has seven retail showrooms in South Africa and one in Melbourne. Its aesthetic, established by Edgar Weylandt and later refined by his son Chris, marries Scandinavian design-mindedness with an African heartbeat.
Our readers can get 10% off storewide when they mention 7 Vignettes until the end of this month. Items can also be shipped Australia wide.
The winner of next month’s 7 Vignettes Instagram challenge will receive this stunning Edgar chair worth $895 thanks to our generous sponsors, Weylandts.
Weylandts began as a traditional furniture manufacturer in Windhoek Namibia, in 1964. Today, the company has seven retail showrooms in South Africa and one in Melbourne. Its aesthetic, established by Edgar Weylandt and later refined by his son Chris, marries Scandinavian design-mindedness with an African heartbeat. You can’t say more unique and interesting than that!
Weylandts is known for its distinctive merging of clean minimalism with a raw, earthy spirit. Ranges are sourced from designers and makers from all corners of the globe, providing customers with the finest furniture and homewares from the best materials that nature has to offer.
“I just love how 7 Vignettes inspires the creativity in anybody. I just had to get Weylandts Home involved in this fantastic creative outlet,” says sales consultant Luci Sleep.One lucky winner of 7 Vignettes will receive a signature Edgar chair valued at $895. Conceived as an homage to Weylandts’ founder, the Edgar is handcrafted in South Africa from a combination of the finest American Oak and natural leather. Inspired by the original Spanish design by Borge Mogensens, it lends a Scandinavian aesthetic to any space yet triumphs in its functionality and versatility.
Here are September’s themes:
“We greatly look forward to what you all have in store for September 7 Vignettes and how you interpret the Weylandts way through the chosen daily themes,” Luci adds.
If you’re new to the challenge, you can find all the details here.
Please use the hashtag #7vignettes and tag @interiorsaddict and @weylandtshome
Reader offer
10% off storewide when you mention 7 Vignettes for the month of September 2016. Items can also be shipped Australia wide. For more information.
This month’s very deserving winner is @_fridays_child_ for her very chic series of images! She wins the beautiful bar car from our sponsor, Pottery Barn. I know I’m jealous!
By @_fridays_child_
Chantal Jesson, social media manager for Williams-Sonoma Australia, said: “Fast, fun and furious, the scope of shots that came through from this month’s #7vignettes were original and bang on trend. We loved playing along.
“Like Oliver Twist, we kept coming back for more from @_fridays_child – we’re hooked on her artfully curated flatlays, visually rich and we loved her natural riff off the daily themes.”
By @_fridays_child_
The overall runner up is @mozsas, who wins a $50 Pottery Barn giftcard.
By @mozsas
The Tristan bar cart
If you’d like to get your hands on the Tristan bar cart, you can see more online or in store at Pottery Barn. A huge thanks to them for the great themes and prizes this month.
See you next month!
Winners should contact us with their mailing address and telephone number to claim their prizes.
Weylandts began as a traditional furniture manufacturer in Windhoek Namibia, in 1964. Today, the company has seven retail showrooms in South Africa and one in Melbourne. Its
