Tag: interiors addict

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Styling The Block

Photos: Friday night’s Sydney 7 vignettes event

We had another wonderful reader event with The Block’s Darren Palmer in Sydney on Friday, at BoConcept in Crows Nest.

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Double act: Darren Palmer and I
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It was great to have such a big crowd
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We pride ourselves on a good spread at our events!

A crowd of more than 100 people came along to listen to me interviewing Darren and sharing his insider take on The Block as well as insight on how he got to be where he is today, tips on decor and getting into the interiors industry. He was a popular guest of honour with plenty of people queuing up to have their photo taken with him and ask him questions.

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Interviewing Darren for his fans

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Later in the evening, the crowd were let loose on the BoConcept showroom to move anything they liked and create their own vignettes, uploading them to Instagram for the chance to win a fabulous BoConcept stool worth almost $500. The lucky winner was Tessa White.

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It was great to meet so many readers in person

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Darren delighted our guests, having lots of chats and photos with them
Our youngest guest, Annabel with her mum, Emma
Our youngest guest, Annabel with her mum, Emma

Guests mingled and met each other, having got to know each other first through the monthly 7 Vignettes challenge on Instagram. I loved meeting so many of you. It is always a pleasure and I swear I have the nicest (and most creative) blog readers in Australia!

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Setting up vignettes
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Tom Ryan arranges his vignette. Yes, men come to our events too!
Emma Blomfield snapping her vignette for Instagram
Emma Blomfield snapping her vignette for Instagram

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More happy guests
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Guest of honour Darren Palmer and I

Delicious food was provided by The Wooden Whisk and drinks by First Creek Wines and Santa Vittoria water.

A huge thank you to Darren and our event partner BoConcept. There’ll be more events in Sydney and interstate before the end of 2014, but first my 6-month overseas trip!

Thanks also to our gift bag sponsors: Byron Bay Cookies, Temple & Webster, Taubmans, The Wooden Whisk, Ultraceuticals, Babe Scrub, BoConcept and Silk Home Staging & Styling.

ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACQUI TURK

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Interiors Addict’s editorial assistant, Olivia Shead
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Previous 7 Vignettes winner Galina Dixon
Guests enjoyed wines from First Creek
Guests enjoyed wines from First Creek
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Guests took home packed gift bags
 
Categories
Styling The Block

Photos: Interiors Addict Melbourne event with Darren Palmer

Guest of honour Darren and I, with Alisa and Lysandra

As we gear up for our next event in Sydney on Friday, I thought I’d share some pictures from this month’s hugely successful event with Darren Palmer at Haymes Paint’s gorgeous new Southbank showroom in Melbourne.

Guest of honour Darren and I, with Alisa and Lysandra
Guest of honour Darren and I, with Alisa and Lysandra

It was an absolutely packed house with readers and keen vignetters queuing to get in! I enjoyed interviewing Block judge and interior designer Darren live on stage, sharing his know-how with the audience, and having plenty of laughs too. We later surprised them with a visit from The Block twins Alisa and Lysandra Fraser, who stuck around to talk to delighted fans.

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Travel

Exciting news: Interiors Addict is off to Europe for 6 months!

I wanted to share some exciting news with you. In just under 2 months, my husband and I will be taking off to Europe for 6 whole months! Before you panic, first things first, the blogging will continue as usual! Interiors Addict will still be your one stop shop for everything about Australian interiors, homewares and personalities. But, in addition to this, I’ll be bringing you inspiration and finds from all over Europe, and especially the UK, too.

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As most of you know, I recently married Damian and I’m originally from the UK. Before we settle into domestic bliss, a mortgage and parenthood, we’ve decided (after much deliberation) that now is our last chance to do something just for us and get the travel bug out of our system while it’s easy (of course you can travel with kids but it’s definitely easier and cheaper when it’s just you!). Added to this the fact that I can technically work from anywhere with a good internet connection, and it seems to be a no-brainer! I’ve employed my new assistant Olivia Shead to be my eyes and ears here in Sydney though, just to cover all bases!

Continue reading “Exciting news: Interiors Addict is off to Europe for 6 months!”

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The Block

Two reader events in Melbourne and Sydney with The Block’s Darren Palmer

Jen and Darren

I’m delighted to announce two free reader events in Melbourne (our first!) and Sydney next month with guest of honour, The Block judge and interior designer Darren Palmer.

Jen and Darren
Jen and Darren

The 7 Vignettes evening events will be open to more than 100 readers in each state, thanks to Interiors Addict’s sponsors Haymes Paint (in Melbourne) and BoConcept (in Sydney). I’ll be interviewing Darren live as he shares his top decorating and design tips and takes audience questions. Then attendees will be encouraged to create their own vignettes around the venues with prizes for the best ones. There’ll also be food and drink, goodie bags and the chance to meet fellow readers, interiors addicts and Instagram buddies, and of course, Darren and I! All Interiors Addict readers are welcome to apply for a spot.

The last Interiors Addict reader event at BoConcept
The last Interiors Addict reader event at BoConcept

Where and when

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Interiors Addict

My home in Home Beautiful, out now

I’m so excited to tell you that our apartment (well, the one we moved out of last month!) is in this month’s Home Beautiful. Such an honour!

In the article, I talk about my favourite possessions and my role as an amabassador for the Salvos’ new My Salvos Stores’ online eBay store, alongside the lovely Baz Dubois from the Living Room.

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Interiors Addict

Get the look: the Interiors Addict guide to wedding styling

Today it’s 2 months since I married my love. How times flies when you’re honeymooning, moving house and enjoying married life! Before I completely let go of being a recent bride and get on with being a wife, I thought I’d share one last wedding post with you, this time about the styling aspect.

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It will come as no surprise that I was more interested in what my wedding would look like than what I’d look like! I don’t DO dresses. I do however, do decor! So I had a lot of fun with this part of wedding planning. Here are some highlights and details of all my suppliers.

Perhaps the most talked about things at my wedding were: the dress, the flowers and the vintage caravan which I had arranged to serve tea and biscuits (I know, how English) as a fun and pretty time-killer after church and before the reception. That Vintage Caravan were brilliant. I’d seen their pink caravan (Sweet Jane’s Travelling Teahouse) at events before but when I found out they had a new addition, Spencer, who was not only very handsome but also navy and therefore on colour scheme, it was just meant to be!

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Suffice to say none of my guests had ever been to a wedding where they served tea from a caravan parked on the street outside the church before and everyone said it was “very Jen”. The priest, in his wisdom, didn’t hesitate to give us the go ahead. Kelly Holcroft and her team did a top job of styling the grassy area around Spencer too, which suited the relaxed, pretty vibe we were going for. Total event professionals!

Continue reading “Get the look: the Interiors Addict guide to wedding styling”
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Interiors Addict

10 things I learned from planning our wedding

1. A wedding planner or on-the-day co-ordinator can be a lifesaver! We used the lovely Katie Moore from Piccadilly Events. I was all over every detail of our wedding. I had spreadsheets and lists; LOTS of lists. So I wasn’t sure I really needed someone to help on the day (as well as my many generous friends who got stuck in) because I thought I’d already organised everything. Wrong! When there’s a wedding there is ALWAYS something else that needs doing! Katie was our wedding angel. So many guests commented on how fabulous she was.

That's Katie behind the flowers!
That’s Katie behind the flowers!

As well as the million things she probably did that I knew nothing about, she took the flowers from the church to the reception, made sure everyone knew where they should be and when and made sure my dad had a torch to read his speech with (he was seriously nervous that his eyesight was going to let him down, although I was of course oblivious!). When I arrived at the church, she produced a small tin of M&Ms, offered them to me and said: “Sugar hit?” Brilliant! Katie came to our rehearsal too so she knew the plan for the day as well as I did (we merged our respective run sheets!) and who all the key players were. I thoroughly recommend having someone like Katie as a go-to girl on the day. I told everyone that if they had any issues at all they should go and speak to the girl in the yellow dress (yes, she even told me what she’d be wearing in advance).

And she did all of this IN HEELS.

2. While we’re on the subject of extra pairs of hands, the next thing I learned (after a while) is that it’s okay to ask for help.

Continue reading “10 things I learned from planning our wedding”
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Interiors Addict

The best Etsy finds from my wedding

I spent a LOT of time on Etsy prior to our wedding and I only really realised quite how much I bought for it via my favourite online shopping destination recently. This is because when people asked me where did I get this or that, the answer was, more often than not, Etsy! So, here’s what I bought and where you can get it. Enjoy…

Swarovski crystal earrings (worn by me). $58.96 from simplychic93. I really wanted them blue and a little different to the usual pearl bridal earrings but couldn’t afford real sapphires. It took two online purchases before I hit the nail on the head with these.

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My veil (serious bargain and custom made to my requirements by a lovely girl in America). $60 including shipping from the States from PrettyThingsByJenni.

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Interiors Addict

Celebrating my first year of full-time blogging

This week marks a year since I was made redundant from my magazine job and decided to give blogging a go as a job. I’ll be honest with you; I wasn’t confident it would work out and be sustainable long-term but I knew I had to give it a go. It was a now or never moment. All the usual clichés, like at least I could say I tried, even if it didn’t work out. I think having a wedding to pay for (which was on Saturday and was the best day of my life so far WITHOUT A DOUBT) spurred me on, as did my usual steely determination and my supportive fiance (now husband), friends and family. It has been hard work but boy, has it been enjoyable and a brilliant, challenging, rewarding learning curve. Today I am so proud of how well Interiors Addict is doing as a one-year-old business and I want to thank you all, genuinely, from the bottom of my heart, for reading it, because without you I’d be nowhere!

Here’s to many more years of full-time blogging!

Jen x

Categories
House Tours Styling

Photos: The finished Palm Beach Apartment!

We put the finishing touches to the Interiors Addict/Nest Designs apartment project we’ve been working on last Thursday night to host opening drinks and reveal the transformation. Here are the photos you’ve been waiting for! We know many of you have been following its progress and the reality behind the scenes of a reno, but what everyone really wants to see are the after shots, let’s face it!

The living area

Emma Blomfield from Nest Designs did a fantastic job furnishing and styling the apartment and I think this living area shows how she nailed a coastal holiday apartment vibe without falling into dodgy, overly-beachy territory (I think we’ve all seen that on a weekend away)!

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While there it was great to reference the stunning Palm Beach location here and there, she definitely got the balance just right. Do you agree?

Continue reading “Photos: The finished Palm Beach Apartment!”
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Styling

The reality of a reno: The Interiors Addict & Nest Designs Palm Beach apartment project

By Emma Blomfield

As we prepare to reveal the finished Palm Beach Apartment project (a joint project between Interiors Addict and Nest Designs) this Thursday, stylist Emma Blomfield tells us about the less glamorous reality behind the scenes of a top-to-bottom reno.

The Palm Beach Project hasn’t been without drama. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you will have seen a few of the issues that have arisen!

Firstly, the tenants in the apartment when it sold weren’t the tidiest, so the kitchen, bathroom and carpets had seen a lot of wear and tear. We got to work repainting and giving the apartment a bit of a facelift; that was relatively drama-free apart from the fact that the light switch cover plates were apparently imported from Europe so there were none anywhere in the country that would fit for us to replace them! We also soon realised once the tenants’ furniture was removed, that the carpets would need more than a steam clean so they were ripped up and replaced with gorgeous sisal in a chocolatey colour.

Continue reading “The reality of a reno: The Interiors Addict & Nest Designs Palm Beach apartment project”

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Interiors Addict

Win with Paint Place in 7 Vignettes October

Sugary Sweet, from the New Look 2014 interior trend collection

Yes, it’s that time again! Already!  7 Vignettes October starts one week today and, thanks to Paint Place, you could win $180 of New Look paint and a brush and roller kit.

Sugary Sweet, from the New Look 2014 interior trend collection
Sugary Sweet, from the New Look 2014 interior trend collection

Here’s the themes list:

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Interiors Addict

Please vote for me in The Blogster Awards: closes Wednesday!

Lovely readers, I am flattered to be a finalist in the lifestyle category of this year’s Pedestrian.TV Ultrabook Blogster Awards and I would LOVE your vote! What’s more, it’s super easy. Just go here, click the Facebook like button next to the little YEAH BLOG icon and you’re done! Easy! Voting closes this Wednesday 25 September so please don’t hang around! A big thank you in advance. I couldn’t do any of this without you guys!

Jen

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Categories
Expert Tips Renting

What to consider when furnishing and decorating a holiday rental

As we prepare for the unveiling of our Palm Beach apartment project at the end of the month, I asked Emma Blomfield of Nest Designs what special considerations need to be made when furnishing a holiday rental.

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Durability and being easy to clean are 2 of the top, and less pretty and creative priorities when embarking on your holiday rental. “You never know who will be renting the apartment and when you might have families with children there for summer holidays, you can’t be sure how it will withstand a visit from sticky fingers or what will happen during a game of hide and seek,” says Emma. “Materials that should be avoided are things like glass top tables that aren’t secured, veneers — they are soft, dent easily and don’t withstand heavy duty cleaning agents that the cleaning company might use – and high gloss MDF as it scratches easily and ages faster.”

When it comes to flooring, hardwearing is key. Tiles, sisal carpet and timber floors are best. “There are loads of wool carpet options too that are commercial grade and come in a huge range of colours to suit your decor.”

flooring apartment

Emma also had to think about easy and regular cleaning between guests. “I’ve chosen bench tops that have flecks of taupe and brown so any scratches or spills won’t be obvious. The sofa is scotch guarded to prevent spills staining and the rug is a jute material, making it easy to shake out to clean. Sisal carpet is good for disguising sandy footprints.”

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Interiors Addict

Jen’s first Facebook for business workshops open for bookings

Due to massive demand, I’m going to start running regular social media for small business workshops in Sydney and the first two will take place on Thursday 28 November and Thursday 5 December 2013.

The 2.5-hour workshops, Taking Facebook for Business out of the Too-Hard Basket, cost $295 to include a light supper. They will take place in Surry Hills from 6.30-9pm. I usually charge $200 per hour for one-on-one work so take advantage of a much lower price in a group situation which is still small enough to be intimate.

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Interiors Addict

Interiors Addict teams up with Nest Designs to bring you the Palm Beach apartment project

I have an exciting new project to share with you today and I’ll be sharing it with you from start to finish over the next few weeks! A few months ago, I was approached by Judith Webster, who had just bought an investment property on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, to help her style and decorate it and share the process with my readers.

I loved the idea of course, but with a wedding to organise and not actually being a stylist or interior designer, I thought I decided to pass this project on to my friend Emma Blomfield at Nest Designs, knowing what a great job she’d do. One of you will get the chance to win a weekend away at the apartment once it’s finished! Sound good? Yes, I thought so!

Work has just begun, with a a thorough clearout and paint job and plans for a new kitchen and flooring. Today I’m sharing Emma’s moodboards for each room with you.

Palm Beach Apartment Project - Lounge

Judith, who first met me when she came to my blogging course at the Australian Writers Centre in Sydney, said: “Earlier this year I bought a two-bedroom apartment at Palm Beach. It is in a small, resort style complex that was developed about 10 years ago for holiday stays. It’s right in the heart of Palm Beach with the beach, restaurants, boutiques and ferry all within walking distance.

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Interiors Addict

Save the date for the first 7 Vignettes Meetup with Belle’s Steve Cordony and BoConcept

The BoConcept showroom, where the event is taking place

I’m so excited! Only seems a couple of weeks ago (probably because it was) that a few members of our 7 Vignettes Instagram community asked if we could perhaps have a meet up. Like, in real life. And now, I’m delighted to announce it’s happening on Friday 23 August.

Belle's Steve Cordony
Belle’s Steve Cordony

Judging by the buzz and the sense of the community we have online, I can only imagine how fun it might be to meet some of you in person! What’s more, Belle’s interior designer editor, the hugely talented stylist Steve Cordony, will be doing a demonstration on how to style vignettes. Learn from the master!

This is all made possible thanks to our friends at Danish furniture store BoConcept and the event is taking place at its stunning Crows Nest showroom in Sydney, with support from Belle. On the night there’ll be food and drink, fabulous goodie bags, and a live styling competition, which you can choose to take part in.

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Interiors Addict

June 7 Vignettes starts tomorrow

Are you ready for our next Instagram challenge? Just in case, here’s the list:

7vignettes june list

And a reminder that the prize, for one lucky winner, is two extra large canvases of your choice from Urban Road’s latest collection. I’d definitely pick this one!

Urban Road Autumn

You must tag @interiorsaddict and guest judge Suzie Atkin (@suzie_urbanroad) and use the hashtag #7vignettes. You must have uploaded all 7 images by midnight on 7 June, and be an Australian resident, to be in with a chance of winning. The usual instructions can be found here. The fun starts tomorrow (1 June). I’m looking forward to the hashtag passing 15,000 images this time around!