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 Vaucluse mansion, which her family recently moved into, is a case study in clean lines and elegant touches. And how about this kitchen?!
We recently caught up with Roxy to ask her about her interior style, and found out she is not a fan of clutter!
It was a long eight months of renos, some of which were seen on her recent reality TV show I Am Roxy (famously, the dressing room mirror bulbs!), before the family finally moved in three months ago. Roxy says they’ve completely changed the look and feel of the home, making it a lot more timeless and classic, with a nod to the ever popular Hamptons aesthetic.
Working with celebrated interior designer Blainey North and builders JCorp, the multimillion dollar home had a complete overhaul. It was Roxy’s fourth project with Blainey, who she says just “gets” her and is the best in the business.
One of the things we love most is the use of timber mouldings from Intrim to create panelled walls. “I love it!” Roxy says. “I have always loved panelling; it can make a dreary plain walls fabulous!”
While husband Oliver Curtis project managed the renovation, Roxy says they chose the furniture and homewares together (although, not those lightbulbs!). “He did an amazing job,” she said. “I think he aged 10 years during the process but the end result is incredible and I love it.”
The natural light and open space is what she loves most about the home. “There’s something very calming about no clutter and clear space when you are in my world!” Roxy, who is mum to Pixie and Hunter, describes her interior style as minimal and clean. “I have always lived a very minimal lifestyle in terms of home – everything has a place and it’s always very tidy. We had two 20ft containers of furniture from previous homes, it was time to start fresh with this home and get rid of it!”
While the home has every luxury you could ever need, it’s perhaps not surprising that Roxy won’t commit to it being a forever home. “Look, everything is for sale for a price! That said we love it, it’s got a cinema, a gym, infra-red sauna, you name it! There’s no need to ever leave!”
Although the decor looks perfectly put together, you won’t find Roxy arranging her own vignettes! “Blainey has done it all, even the books! She has the best eye – the spines match the décor! You could say the house says a lot about who lives there: always in good order!”
Much of the furniture is from Blainey’s own collection but Roxy loves Becker Minty for accent pieces and accessories. And when it comes to artists, they recently put a Jasper Knight piece from Chalk Horse Gallery in the study, which Roxy says is magnificent!
Later this month, I’m hosting an exclusive meet and greet at AGHA Sydney Gift Fair where I’ll be sharing tips on how to get your products into the media, on blogs, and how to use your own social media channels to effectively promote your brand.
As a journalist of more than 15 years, I deal with PR people all the time, and more recently as a professional blogger, people are constantly trying to persuade me to share their brand, paid or otherwise (in fact, much more often for free). So I know a thing or two about how to get noticed.
Madras Link: Professionally styled and photographed
Here, I’m sharing some of my best tips! And don’t forget I’ll be on hand at AGHA Sydney Gift Fair on 23 February if you have an important question about your business you’d like to ask in person.
Invest in styling and photography
Often I have to say a polite no to people featuring on the blog because their photography isn’t up to scratch. Even if you’ve really put the effort into styling and photographing your products yourself, with half decent light and a good camera, I hate to break it to you (and I really do, because I hate saying no!) it’s usually obvious it wasn’t a professional job. Not only does it not show your product in the best light, it can also make it look like you’re too small to get a photographer. This may not cost as much as you think at all. A few hundred bucks is money extremely well spent on a photographer in my opinion. While hiring a stylist too may seem overkill (or too expensive), it is always great to see products in a lifestyle situation, i.e. in a room, not just on a white background (although that’s useful too). Approach local design schools or reach out to people whose style you like on Instagram. Those starting out may not charge a hefty fee, but equally, please don’t ask creatives to work for free!
Once you’ve paid for your beautiful new photographs, get your money’s worth and use them on your website, socials and anywhere you can think of, as well as sending them to media. More on that later…
Establish relationships with influencers
Influencer is a fancy word for people like me; bloggers and personalities online with large followings, who people trust and take advice and/or recommendations from. They do not have to be huge, Kim Kardashian-like celebs to be able to have a real impact on your brand by highlighting it to their followers. Even though you may need to pay these people and enter a business relationship with them, it’s always best if this starts from an authentic place, where you have reached out and had a chat with them online, sent them a DM or commented on their posts. Some influencers are open to gifting, where you send them product for free and they agree to post about it in return. Others have a set rate they charge for product shout outs. Some, like me, do both. Try requesting their media kit via the contact page on their website, or direct messaging them via Instagram.
Don’t forget traditional media
You may think you’re too small or new to be featured in traditional media like magazines, but don’t talk yourself out of PR opportunities. Just make sure you do your homework first. Look at the magazine you want to be featured in and think about where your product might fit. No, you may not get a double-page-spread but could you offer them a prize for a competition, be featured in a new product roundup, or talk about how you started your brand in a business feature? Think outside the box! As a former magazine editor, I can tell you there’s nothing better than a pitch where someone has done their homework and makes it easy to say yes to them! For example: “I have the perfect product for your regular XYZ feature. Can I send you samples? Take a look and download our professional lifestyle images at XYZ. Have a look at my attached catalogue and let me know what works best for you. Contact me any time if you need anything else at all.”
CASE STUDIES: THREE AGHA EXHIBITORS GETTING IT RIGHT!
1. Rayell (Stand 3K12).
Rayell’s Kevin Porter says: “We use social media to try and show our products in a real life setting and feature all of the gorgeous details of the products. Part of the barrier of being online is that customers can’t feel, touch or examine the products up close. We try to help our customers imagine the products in their business or even imagine the end use of how their own customers will use the products.”
Rayell
What they’ve learned about digital:
Regramming tagged photos and sharing and supporting other businesses always pays off! It is great to see how other people style your products and what they are pairing them with.
Enewsletters are a must! They are the perfect way to alert customers to new products and direct them to content they might benefit from.
Strong branding is important! Keep consistent with your visuals and branding so your business is instantly recognisable and memorable.
2. Melko (Stand 4N9)
“We love to connect with our customers and show our appreciation by featuring their photos on our daily Instagram stories,” says managing director Guido Melo. “We’ve learnt that people are always looking for something new, and by using social media we are always able to reach new audiences. Our content across all platforms also needs to be high quality and engaging.
“Customers love to share their thoughts and opinions so if we can get them involved as much as possible, it creates a budding relationship between customer and business which in return, we believe, increases the likelihood of returning customers and also new customers through tagging, sharing or telling their friends about us.”
He adds: “Another key lesson is that video and photography is incredibly important in retail business. Coming up with creative concepts is important to stay relevant, and producing high quality images will not only intrigue the customer to view or buy the product but people in general love to follow a great looking feed. We find value in investing money into photoshoots because creating a great catalogue of images can easily increase revenue.”
Their top photography tips
You don’t need to go too over the top with your images, being minimalistic and clean is the best way as it is also easier on the eyes.
Filters or presets can definitely make or break a photo–make sure you choose one that is consistent to your brand and feed, and doesn’t take away from the product that you’re trying to sell.
Lighting is everything! Find your light and the photo becomes instantly beautiful. Play around with natural light (avoid super sunny days), and use a reflector when necessary.
Lastly, make sure you don’t overwhelm your customers with your products. A breakdown of other images/videos/messages that still keep with your brand and that you think your customers will love, will create a positive experience.
3. Madras Link (Stand DN5)
The brand uses social media and professional photography to showcase their range of cushions, furniture and home accessories.
Ashini Grey says: “The key lessons we have learnt over the years are to ensure you’re sticking to a regular schedule (neglected accounts are not inspiring); it’s important that every post communicates something of value, and every post is an opportunity to reach your current and new customers.”
They use a professional photographer because image quality is high priority when sharing images to social media or in a catalogue or magazine. “Blurry images and poor arrangements of products could result in a missed opportunity to convey your brand’s story,” Ashini adds. “Our top tips are to use a professional photographer, put a lot of work into your styling to ensure the products complement each other whilst maintaining your brand’s point of difference and, lastly, pay attention to detail. When you’ve spent so much time lovingly designing your collection, it’s essential that clear photos convey the details such as colour, texture and design.”
It’s not too often that I stumble upon something I’ve never seen before, but Concrete & Honey certainly ticks that box!
With a unique business model, owner Nicola Greenaway provides an affordable styling and photography service for growing little businesses, encompassing everything from photography and styling to prop and studio hire, plus a little bit of PR.
“Clients post their products to me and in just a few days, they have beautifully styled images to share on social media, in online and print advertising and for their websites and webstores,” explains Nicola. “The service includes beautiful photography through to social media, as I share on my Instagram and/or blog. I also photograph babies and have been asked to design and photograph nurseries which I love to do.”
Running Concrete & Honey alongside her blog and Etsy shop of the same name, Nicola is also a mother and a full-time employee (is she superwoman or what?!). “I work full-time in a bank and started my blog six years ago as a creative outlet from the corporate world. This year, I started my website and now style and photograph on weekends and craft at night for my Etsy shop.”
Selling a range of products on Etsy, from paper feather clusters to stitch dot garlands, you’ll also find kids room design packages including mood boards, shopping lists and styling tips. Due to popular demand, she has even created a package based off her own dream nursery, her daughter Piper’s!
“Piper’s room is pretty dreamy: white walls and floors and grey linen curtains, a Número 74 canopy with lots of lush cushions and a great clothes rack to top it off. Her IKEA Ribba picture shelves are an effective way to display books and prints and the HK Living button wall hooks used as door handles on her wardrobe look gorgeous.”
With a style that is modern, graphic and a little bit romantic; Nicola loves everything light and white, though let’s not forget some beautiful things to give the room a pop of colour. She believes you can create the look – be it in your kids room or anywhere in your home — without the big budget. “A fresh coat of paint is a must. If in doubt, make everything white and add colour with the wares. Remove anything you don’t absolutely love from sight. Paper storage bags are great for this. Beautiful greeting cards can be art when framed and they’re only a few dollars each.”
We were thrilled when Jen asked us to contribute a guest post and introduce you to Press Loft. We specialise in the interiors industry ourselves so definitely share her passion for gorgeous brands in Australia!
Press Loft is all about securing product placement features for home and gift brands in print magazines and blogs, and at an affordable price. Being an online portal where everything is streamlined, we’re able to make hundreds of amazing opportunities available every week to any company, large or small, with or without a PR agency.
Since a beautiful product image is often all it takes for a journalist to want to include you in their features, it’s key to put these (along with the associated info) in front of the right people at the right time. This is why Press Loft’s online model works so well, we simply hold high resolution product images, stockist/contact info and press releases from hundreds of brands all in one place. Since launching in Australia almost 3 years ago, we’ve quickly become interiors journalists’ first point of contact for their pages.
I am a big fan of stylist Jane Frosh and this week I featured her Blue Mountains home, which is up for sale. It was recently on the cover of Country Style and it is AMAZING. Check it out.
I had my first visit to Potts Point homewares and fashion store Becker Minty and met owner Jason Minty. A real pleasure all round, and thanks for letting me have my photo taken in your gorgeous shop for The West Australian (more on that later).
Ecoya revealed they will open a flagship store in Sydney’s Woollahra at the end of this month and what’s more, it’s been designed by stylist Megan Morton. Can’t wait!
There’s always something interiors-related going on in Sydney and I love that. Passionate About Design (PAD) is the latest store to announce an upcoming styling and colour workshop.
It’s been a fantastic week for PR, with a double-pager in Ivy & Piper magazine and a feature in The West Australian’s Habitat section. I’m always really grateful for and excited by press coverage. I love getting the Interiors Addict message out far and wide so I was particularly please to be in a WA newspaper.
This coming week my apartment is being photographed for Northside magazine’s ‘At home with’ feature. I’m a little nervous, I must admit!
I’m looking forward to speaking at decoration + design in Melbourne on Friday. I’ll be there on Thursday too. If you’re exhibiting or coming to my talk with Darren Palmer, please let me know and I’ll try and make time to say hi! I’m making a weekend of it and can’t wait to stay at The Blackman, one of the art series hotels. The interiors look stunning and I can’t wait to check it out.
In totally unrelated news, this week I took the diamond my fiancé proposed with to the jeweller to be made into my engagement ring. VERY exciting and still floating on a post-engagement cloud…
I’m off to watch Downton Abbey. Have a fantastic week ahead and I hope to meet lots of you at decoration + design!
