Anatomy of a Room: What Makes a Room Amazing

Transform your living spaces into sanctuaries of style and emotion as we embark on a journey through the intricacies of interior design. Our conversation promises practical insights into how nostalgia, unique personal touches, and a blend of materials can evoke positive feelings and connections. We'll explore the power of balancing high and low elements, the charm of finishing touches, and how every space tells a story through items that reflect the inhabitants' personalities and histories.

Discover what truly makes a space amazing, as we share personal stories and memories that highlight the character of a room. From quirky decor to unexpected furniture choices, these elements bring a sense of nostalgia and wonder. You'll learn about the beauty found in spaces that surprise and resonate on a personal level, and how books and records add depth and soul to any room. We also discuss the benefits of incorporating natural materials and lighting that transform environments into welcoming havens.

By the end of this episode, you'll have a wealth of inspiration to create visually captivating rooms using a mix of old and new. Whether through affordable art, vintage finds, or embracing Indigenous culture, every choice can enhance the soul and character of your home. We challenge conventional design norms, encouraging you to prioritize art and intention over budget for a truly magical space. Join us as we celebrate the beauty in creating spaces that not only look good but feel good too.

Want the low-down on the good stuff? Sign up for the launch of Design Edit by Bree Banfield - curated pre-selected decor collections, workshops, design tours and trends. Learn more: BREE BANFIELD

If you're sitting at your desk about to send a fee proposal and you'd just like to run it by someone else first? Or have you ever had a client dilemma and it just doesn't feel right but no one you know understands (except for the dog)?
And do you wonder why you're not raking it in when you're practically living at your desk, busting your creative chops 'round the clock?

These are the things we're diving into with a small group of designers just like you. And so much more in THE CONVERSATION CIRCLE

YouTube launching very soon subscribe for the visual experience DESIGN ANATOMY PODCAST

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Design Anatomy, the interior design
podcast hosted by friends andfellow designers.
Me, brie Banfield.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
And me, Lauren Lee, with some amazing guest
appearances along the way.
We're here to break downeverything from current trends
to timeless style.

Speaker 1 (00:17):
With a shared passion for joyful, colour-filled and
very lived-in spaces, we'reexcited to share our insights
and inspiration with you.
This episode is all about theanatomy of a room.
Lauren Lee and I discuss howinterior design transforms
spaces, impacts our moods andlives, and really emphasise

(00:38):
about personal connections andpositive feelings.

Speaker 2 (00:42):
So good Bree.
So we're exploring elementslike nostalgia, personality,
layering and materials, andalong with those finishing
touches like books and evenrecords, and how to blend the
old and the new.

Speaker 1 (00:55):
And we're going to highlight the role of things
like pattern, texture, lightingso important natural materials
art and that balance of high andlow elements will explain how
people can bring all thistogether in a space to bring its
energy to life.
Also, if you're loving whatyou're hearing, I'd love you to

(01:16):
jump into the show notes.
There's a link there.
You can sign up for moreinformation from me about my
very soon to be releasedpre-selected furniture
collections, and also trendinformation and then some
courses that will be coming soonas well.

Speaker 2 (01:31):
Oh, good stuff.
Brie, trend, information, love,that Love it.
Everybody loves that.
I know Just getting thoseinsights before everyone else is
so valuable and, if you wantedto, I can help you with your own
home and make it the best itcan be through my course.
It's called the Style StudiesEssentials and for any designers

(01:52):
listening in there, jump intothe Design Society.
Talk about all sorts of thingsin there.
We even talk about how to useAI for interior design.
We talk about how to marketyour business and get your work
published, along with fees,marketing all of the things and
it's such a cool community andalso don't forget that this

(02:13):
episode.
you can see it.
Oh, thanks, brie, so cool tohave you in there too.
This episode you can find amore visual sort of experience
on YouTube.
So some of these images thatwe're talking about and spaces,
you can kind of see them onthere too.
So we thought that might be abit of fun for you.
Yeah, it's an enhancedexperience.

Speaker 1 (02:35):
let's say it is.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
We are visual people, so shall we jump in, brie?
Yeah, let's get going.
Welcome everyone.
Today we are talking about asubject that we're probably both
really passionate about andthat is sharing with you the
anatomy of a room and what makesa space feel amazing, because I

(02:59):
really believe that interiordesign we're not saving lives,
but we really are changing lives, and it really is.
It continues to amaze me thatthe transformation of a client
space, or even our own spacelike it, can really change the
way that you feel, and I reallywant to share with you some

(03:22):
ideas on what you can do in yourown home just to make it the
best it can be.
And I don't think that all ofthese things really cost a lot
of money.
Some of them do, some of themdon't.
Some of them you can likeliterally implement straight
away.
So, yeah, I'm really excited tokind of dive into this topic

(03:43):
because I feel like it's a bitof a core of why we started this
podcast.
Would you say, brie?

Speaker 1 (03:49):
Yeah, the whole thing about how a space makes you
feel and you know we're notsaving lives, but I do think
it's changing lives.
I actually really believe inthe power of a beautiful space
or a space that evokes aparticular feeling and in your

(04:09):
own home obviously it's usuallypositive stuff and, to you know,
come into that space at the endof the day or even in the
morning, like go downstairs intoa room or a kitchen or whatever
, and feel that good energy orsomething positive is just like
a great way to start or end yourday or whatever it is.
So, yeah, I'm a big believer inthat whole that it does affect

(04:34):
your life.
Maybe it saves lives, I don'tknow.
Maybe someone will tell us astory about that.

Speaker 2 (04:41):
I think we could probably dig up some scientific
data.
You know, you can always findit if you look for it.

Speaker 1 (04:46):
But yeah, I think that's a Well, look, you know,
if you really want to stretch it, I think having a really great
space and we're probablydigressing slightly off the
topic but can affect your moodand if you're someone who
suffered from depression in thepast and I know that my

(05:07):
environment makes a differenceso if you're, you know,
struggling with things andyou're also in like a space that
doesn't make you feel good, itwill make it worse.
It's like even light for me, solike not having great sunlight
spaces with good light, makes areally big difference to me with

(05:28):
that stuff.
So, yeah, anyway, it can besomething that's.
Yes, we're not brain surgery,like we're not curing cancer,
but I think we can really make adifference and you can make a
difference at home in your ownspace and we're going to, I
guess, guess, make some pointsabout what we think really
improves the space, I guess.

Speaker 2 (05:48):
Yeah, yeah, what makes the room?

Speaker 1 (05:50):
amazing exactly um.

Speaker 2 (05:54):
Firstly, I'm sorry that you have been in the past
suffering depression like that'shorrible, um, but I also
Horrible, but I also Just partof life for me, yeah, okay.
But thank you, and it is.
You know, I think you and I,and maybe a lot of our listeners
as well, you know we are veryin tune with our environment.

(06:17):
Yeah, and it can really impactus in a way that's real,
definitely.

Speaker 1 (06:27):
I think so.
Maybe, not everyone, but yeah,definitely I think creative
people probably in particulartoo, maybe as well.

Speaker 2 (06:36):
Yeah, true.

Speaker 1 (06:36):
People who have a lot of empathy, I think as well,
are affected by theirenvironments.

Speaker 2 (06:42):
People who sense mood .

Speaker 1 (06:44):
Yes, so, like it's intuitive people or you know
that places have an energy.
I'm getting a little bitwoo-woo, but they have an energy
.

Speaker 2 (06:54):
right, you can walk into a space and it has an
energy.
Yeah, they definitely do.
Last year my mum broke herankle so off we went into the
ambulance to the hospital.

Speaker 1 (07:06):
And.

Speaker 2 (07:07):
I waited in the little room off to the side of
the emergency room where youknow people wait while their
loved one is having the worstday of their life, basically,
and the energy in that room wasdisgusting yeah.

Speaker 1 (07:25):
Most hospitals are.

Speaker 2 (07:26):
I find Well, that's right.

Speaker 1 (07:29):
I'm not a fan.

Speaker 2 (07:30):
I think that's like, if we're talking about what
makes a space feel amazing, it'sprobably good just to say well,
this is the opposite of that.
You know, hospitals aresupposed to heal you, and I
looked around the most drab roomwith zero natural daylight,
zero thought to aesthetics orcomfort or comfort.

(07:52):
There was some sort of you knowgrey vinyl sofa and some really
something hanging on the wall.
I don't know if you could evencall it art, but I just thought,
oh my God, get me out of thisroom.
I can't even begin to imaginewhat has gone on in this room.
So when you're talking aboutyou know it's being a woo-woo.

(08:13):
There's definitely something inthat.
And it reminds me as well.
When I started my first jobwith an interior decorator, we
drove out to this house and ithad such a bad vibe in there.
I think I've told you about itbefore.
Oh yeah, there's just sometimes.

(08:33):
I remember and she picked up onit the lady I worked with, I
picked up on it but I didn'teven know I had.
I just knew I didn't want tospend time in there.
So there's definitely an energyin a space that doesn't feel
good.

Speaker 1 (08:48):
Yeah, and on the flip side of that it's another topic
that we talk about on anotherepisode, which was the genius
Lockie of a space, the spirit ofa place.
I think that is part of that aswell, but we'll talk about it
another time.

Speaker 2 (09:01):
Yeah, no, I think it's so important to the work
that we do and you know, a spacecan feel really bad, but
sometimes the space can justfeel amazing and I don't know,
have you got any memories of umin your childhood, of being in a
space where you were like Ireally like it here?

Speaker 1 (09:19):
oh, that's a really good point.
I think that I have, I guess,nostalgic memories that are
probably more based around thethings that happened in those
spaces, imprints on you a littlebit when you're younger.
So if you, uh, let's say, youknow you have a beautiful blue

(09:51):
living room when you're growingup and maybe it's not even
beautiful, it's just blue butyou have great memories there
and, um, you know, you spendtime with the people you love
you probably always have a bitof a feeling when you have blue
around you, like you probablyconnect that back.
So, um, I don't, none of thespaces I grew up in were

(10:14):
particularly amazing in terms ofdecor or decoration, or in fact
, I would say they were probablythe opposite.
They were pretty daggy, but Imean, actually, you know what?
Probably okay, this is the roomthat probably sticks with me
the most.
It's my Nana's dining room, butit was the kitchen as well.

(10:37):
You know that style in the 50swhere the kitchen's sort of
around the outside and thenthere's the dining room table
and she had one of those classicchrome and that beautiful kind
of red laminate, the flecky redone.
I'm picturing it, yeah, in themiddle of that, yeah, and you
know, like Christmas and wewould.

Speaker 2 (10:56):
That's where dinner would be.
It would be in the middle ofthe kitchen.

Speaker 1 (10:59):
So that room for me probably, and it had colour, it
wasn't.
It did have colour.
So I wonder if that's kind ofand even the photos I can think
of you know of those times andevents.
They weren't drab, there wascolour and it was kind of a bit

(11:21):
celebratory, I suppose, becausea lot of those events were, you
know, christmas and birthdaysand all that sort of stuff.
So that room probably has had abig um, I guess imprint on me
and then my own bedroom, becauseI actually used to do a lot of
stuff in it when I was growingup and I had to have color, much
to my dad's dismay, I think.
You know, like um, here's anice timber bookcase.

(11:42):
Okay, can we paint it?
Yeah, why do?

Speaker 2 (11:44):
we need to paint it.
I love it.
Well, I remember, you know,when I was in prep I had a
friend and I still know her now,her name's Tori and all of my
friends' houses I went to like Ijust remember them so much
because it was so exciting justgoing to and again, I think it

(12:08):
begins that fascination with howdo these people live, and I
remember, yeah, um, so I grew upin mount eliza, which is a um
down on the mornington peninsula, and it was like a really cool
1970s house.
It had all timber cladding onthe inside, but when you walk,
walk through the front door itwas kind of like a mudroom and
they had like surfboards andstuff there, and so then you'd

(12:30):
come into this big open kitchenarea and her parents were from
America so they would have, youknow, peanut butter and jello
and it was just so exciting as afive or six year old going to
her house and then they hadguitars hanging up on the wall
and I'd probably take a guess tosay they still are like that,
and I think that's the thing.
Their space said so much aboutthem as people.

(12:53):
The character.
Yeah, it's just always beenimprinted.
I could just draw you the floorplan and then, yeah, other
friends' houses.
Yeah, so I think that just hadyou know, she had these really
cool older sisters, because, Imean, older sisters are just
always so cool.
You and me are older sisters,so we get it Exactly.

(13:15):
But yeah, just a good vibe,beautiful family, and it had a
good feeling.
And I remember, you know, mymum chatting to her mum and it
was just really nice.
And I remember, because Toriand I broke up when we were in
grade one oh no, I know, couldyou imagine?
We were like six years old, soI must have been really little

(13:35):
when I went to her house.

Speaker 1 (13:37):
But yeah, that was just you know one memory that's
quite young too to remember thatright.

Speaker 2 (13:41):
It feels yeah, that's always felt amazing, and I
think that you know it'sprobably not normal, for you
know, I remember the materials,I remember the layout, I
remember so many things aboutthe houses that I would, you
know, go to, you know, friends'houses.
It started that kind offascination.

(14:02):
But I suppose the thing is you,you know, when we're talking
about a space that feels amazing, how do we define amazing?
And I think that's differentfor a lot of people.
So how would you?

Speaker 1 (14:16):
definitely would be.
Yeah, I guess you know if I'mgoing to be technical about it.
It's literally that momentwhere you kind of go wow, oh
like, and you have that.
You walk into a space and youhave an immediate kind of
feeling, I guess, or effect, soI don't know, gosh, that could
be so many things for me, but Ido think it's probably different

(14:40):
for everyone because it's sosubjective.
I feel like decoration andinterior design is a bit like
art.
Everyone's going to kind of bedrawn to something different.
Amazing for me would definitelybe colour combinations, sure,
and then just the overall depthof a room.

(15:00):
So it could be that materials,it could be the layout of the
space, it could be the joinery,but I'm way more amazed or I'm
going to be more amazed by aspace that has a bit more going
on than just like a square roomwith, you know, some stuff put
in it, um, yeah, so kind ofthat's what I mean by depth,

(15:24):
like just something else, so, orsomething a little bit
different.
So I love not everyone loves,but I love quirky, unexpected
things.
So if there's something therethat's like what, I wouldn't
have thought of that, or I go,that's so cool, like that.
One thing might be the thingthat just kind of pushes it over
the line for me.

Speaker 2 (15:44):
I love that I don't know about you like, what's your
amazing?
Well, I mean similar.
I think an amazing room for meis a space that reflects
somebody's personality.
So those unexpected things,like you know, as I mentioned,
as a kid, you know visiting thishouse and seeing electric
guitars hanging on this.
You know wood paneled wall thathad a really pitched, high

(16:07):
pitch.
Kid, you know visiting thishouse and seeing electric
guitars hanging on this.
You know wood paneled wall thathad a really pitched, high
pitched ceiling and you know amezzanine Sunken rooms.

Speaker 1 (16:13):
It had a sunken lounge.
Yep had a sunken lounge andpitched ceilings, yep.
Or clear story windows, oh God,you'll have me hello on those
ones, yep.
Yeah, it was like that.
Hanging me a hello on thoseones.

Speaker 2 (16:21):
Yeah, so even you know, hanging a guitar on the
wall, like that's just notnormal art.
But it's different.
I love weird furniture, I loveweird chairs, so sometimes it's
like even something that's a bitugly.
I'm like, oh, that's cool.
Like it doesn't always have tobe every single thing is an

(16:42):
iconic, beautiful piece.

Speaker 1 (16:44):
I feel like if it's ugly, it usually has a story too
, so like it's more fascinating,you go like, look, that's not
the best looking thing, but whyis it here?
Yeah, exactly, and then there'susually some reason why yes.

Speaker 2 (16:56):
I think that's that thing that is hard to define,
that does give a room a certainmagic Like that shouldn't be
here.

Speaker 1 (17:07):
But next to that's so worked because it's like it
creates a tension or somethingthat you've never seen before.

Speaker 2 (17:12):
Yeah, so I think it is hard to pin down, but I I
love something weird that sayssomething about the people that
live there.
I think books are definitelysomething that make a room feel
amazing.
That's big for me too.

Speaker 1 (17:25):
Yeah, I think that also comes back to, I don't know
, soulful spaces.
Let's say yeah, have meaning tothem, and books often bring
that.
Like I mean not all books, somebooks are just pretty and
decoration, but most of the timeif you walk into a space and it
has books, there's a reasonthose particular books are there
.
So it might be the subject, itmight be the cover, but that

(17:48):
sometimes is a reason you love abook, or it's a collection of
you know, amazing novels thatthat person's read or that
family has read or the peoplethat you know live in the space.
So that's adding soul andcharacter.
And books, I think, are a hugepart of that, and I guess you
know probably not as much now,but even records would have been

(18:11):
a big thing for me.
Like what's your recordcollection?
Like, what music are youlistening to?

Speaker 2 (18:15):
I think those things add a lot of personality to a
space yeah, I mean, just try toresist flipping through a whole
stack of records like so.

Speaker 1 (18:24):
I can.
I can actually spend a longtime just in vinyl stores and
walk out.
They probably hate me because Iusually walk out without buying
anything, because at the momentI don't have a tent.
I'm sure not the only one.
I just can't resist.
But I would sit there and justlike flick through and like,
yeah anyway.

Speaker 2 (18:40):
So nostalgic, like, yeah, anyway, so nostalgic.
But then I think you know withrecords that you know you see
all of um.
Any uh popular artist today,you know, releases records, so
it's coming back, isn't it?
Yeah?
Uh, hugely, yeah, yeah I thinkagain a book.

Speaker 1 (18:55):
You know books just tell you about the people that
live there, so it's just reallyfascinating yeah I actually um,
uh, I won't name any names butif they're listening to this
they'll know who I'm talkingabout.
But I had a story from a friendwho, um, was working on a shoot
at someone's house and theylike knew the person normally

(19:21):
it's a location, you don't knowthem and she said there was two
books in the house and the bookswere I won't say what the books
are, just so nobody canrecognize it but like they were
just like kind of just reallybad books.
And my friend was like I justthink it says so much about a
person sort of lack of I don'tknow depth and character when

(19:46):
you have, when you don't own anybooks yeah, I mean sorry to the
people that don't, but I don'tknow how you can not own.

Speaker 2 (19:54):
Well, I think a lot of people would also say I read
a book.
I might buy a book, I mightread it and I give it away
because I've already read it.

Speaker 1 (20:03):
Or they borrow books from the library, but then you
would have some right.
There'd be some in the house, Iagree.
I'm just trying to think aboutthat.
You might have a bookshelf fullof them.

Speaker 2 (20:11):
Exactly, or I get that, there's Kindle.

Speaker 1 (20:17):
Oh, I have a lot of stuff.
I still do that too, butthere's some books I'll always
buy.
Like I listen to probably audioa lot now, but I often still
buy the book because I want tohave the book.
Like I don't know I'm a bitsentimental about it, and
sometimes I'll read as well, andthen I'll flip back to the
audio book, like I like to haveboth.

Speaker 2 (20:38):
I've got a few both as well.

Speaker 1 (20:40):
Yeah, books that you just want to quickly flip to and
refer.
Maybe this person had a wholeheap of audio books that we just
don't know about.
Let's just give the grain ofsalt.
Give them the benefit Benefitof the doubt.

Speaker 2 (20:55):
Well, where I live, there is a huge bookcase there's
actually sort of two and I meanI've got a few books and I've
got stacks of magazines.
But the lady that lived here,rosemary, it was packed with
books and I've just gotdecorative objects on the shelf.

Speaker 1 (21:15):
We have to have a mix , although a great room that's
dedicated to that In a dreamhouse for me, I would have kind
of like a reading room, rightmaybe, where you just go and sit
.
There's no digital devices,it's just shelves of books, of
all kinds.

(21:35):
Love it and you can just likeeven just soak up a book for a
little while and have greatlighting and just I don't know.
That would be amazing to have.

Speaker 2 (21:44):
That would be a dream , I think A dream that would be
amazing.
Another thing I think that doesmake a room amazing is when
things are coordinated but notmatching.

Speaker 1 (21:57):
Yeah, you've got to be careful right, there's a fine
line there, I think, betweenthings all working together and
things being almost like theyall came out of exactly the same
collection, kind of thing.

Speaker 2 (22:09):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (22:10):
Because of danger.

Speaker 2 (22:12):
Yeah, I don't think you want to have a dining table
and chairs with a matchingbuffet all in the same timber.

Speaker 1 (22:20):
Yes, even you know, like when you can buy, I guess,
a set of dining chairs and tablethat match.
I can't, I could never do that.
There's something about thatthat just really bothers me and
almost the same.
I know you can buy greatvintage ones, but I'd still
break them up, I still wouldn'tkeep them together.

Speaker 2 (22:41):
Yeah, true, break them up.
Or a bed with matching bedsides?
Oh no, yeah, don't keep themtogether.

Speaker 1 (22:46):
Yeah, true, break them up.
Or a bed with matching bedsides, oh no yeah.
Don't do that either Just reeksof, I don't know, parents and
grandparents.
I guess that's probably whatyeah?
Particularly grandparents.
They probably bought sets likethat.
Yeah, you see that even whenthey're reselling vintage sort
of 50s, 60s, those sets kind ofgo together.
Yeah, no, I couldn't do thateither.

(23:07):
I'd have to mismatch.

Speaker 2 (23:12):
Yeah, so yeah, I think that's a thing.
It looks so contrived.

Speaker 1 (23:16):
You've just seen a picture in a catalogue.

Speaker 2 (23:19):
It's sort of a bit lazy yeah yeah, yeah, if I can
say that no imagination.
But then I shouldn't say thatbecause I guess sometimes very
you don't have, you're notreally that concerned about it.

Speaker 1 (23:33):
it's very easy to do that doesn't mean it's that you,
that you're lazy.
It just means that, um, it's,it's harder to try and go.
Oh well, what would I dootherwise?
And that they're offering thisand it looks good to me, kind of
thing.
So I totally get why it happens.
But if we're going to talkabout what makes a room amazing,
that's not it right, that's notit, it's not part of what makes

(23:55):
it so yeah, it's aboutcoordinating.

Speaker 2 (23:59):
So again, it doesn't even have to be matching in the
terms of timber tones, like Iwas just talking to a client,
the other day and we're tryingto figure out the floor, the
stone, the table and trying tomake it harmonious, but not
everything matching it and youneed to break it up sometimes.

Speaker 1 (24:21):
Absolutely.
I think it's actually reallytricky when you've got and let's
face it, probably most homesnow have a timber floor, um, and
then most homes probably haveat least a timber side table,
they might have a veneer onjoinery or their kitchen, and I
think it's a really easy mistaketo make to think that they all

(24:41):
need to kind of be as close aspossible together and actually
that makes it worse.
I think you're way better tohave um contrasting timber tones
that still all work togetherbeautifully when you kind of,
you know, have them all side byside but trying to match them
you'll never match them, sothey'll always just look a bit
off and not quite right, andthen you, the effect is just not

(25:05):
what you think it's going to be, I think true.

Speaker 2 (25:07):
Yeah, sometimes it's easy to say, okay, these are two
pieces of furniture, they'rethe same timber, but why don't
we go for a contrast?
Because if that's being made bythem and that's being made by
them, you put them together andit looks like yes, you try to
match it but miss.

Speaker 1 (25:22):
It's better just to contrast it instead.
And I think the same thingsometimes with metallics.

Speaker 2 (25:28):
I know that some people really feel quite fixated
on making sure that everymetallic you know door handle,
from the tapware, from the lightfitting they all need to be the
same.
But when you read a space youdon't read it like that.

Speaker 1 (25:47):
It doesn't have to be all the same.
I actually kind of think too,even if you say, if you decide,
your accents are warm, like yourmetallic accents are warm, and
let's say they're brass, I stillthink it's also good that the
brasses don't all look exactlythe same, because there's sort
of a cheapness about that orsomething.
It's better if, like one'sbrush and what, the other one
might be slightly shinier or alittle bit warmer than that one.

(26:10):
Like I think it's nicer ifthey're not all perfectly
matched.
The metallics.

Speaker 2 (26:15):
I think it looks like it's too much of a catalog.
Is that what?
It is yeah curated it looksdoesn't look.
Curated it looks too much.
Is that what it is?

Speaker 1 (26:25):
And maybe too new, like we don't want everything to
look even if you're doing aspace and everything is new, you
kind of want it to also feellike it just came together like
that over time, and not, yeah,straight from a showroom, like
you didn't just kind of pick itup and go that looks great, here
we go.
Put it here Like it has a bitmore thought to it.
That curation is a good word, Ithink.

Speaker 2 (26:47):
Yeah, I think.
But yeah, that's such a goodpoint.
The key for a room to lookamazing is it has to have
something old in it yes whetherit's a vintage piece, an antique
, some weird piece of art, um,an old armchair, an old vintage

(27:07):
light fitting, or just somethingwith at that age that I guess,
as you said beautifully before,something that has a soul to it,
that makes a room sing, I feelso yeah, add something old and I
guess, on the topic ofmetallics as well, add a
metallic.
There has to be something thatjust kind of catches your eye in
a room.
So whether it be, you knowagain, a lamp with a metallic

(27:32):
base or a light fitting, or aobject, a sculpture, even a
glass, can kind of give you thatshine as well, like you just
need something that's theimportant thing, isn't it?

Speaker 1 (27:46):
it's, um, it's the materiality.
If everything feels like it's.
You know, actually there'sprobably two ways that can go,
because I was about to saysomething which I actually think
would probably look quite good.
So, if everything is exactlythe same, so say, you had an
amazing room full of greatcolors, that was, everything was
like a lacquered finish or likea block color finish and there

(28:08):
was no pattern um, it couldactually be amazing because it's
like en masse.
Yeah, what generally makes aroom feel curated and and
special is mixing materials andnot having too much of the same
thing.
If every furniture piece istimber, it's sort of lacking.
You need glass, you need ametallic, you need some fabric,

(28:31):
you need texture.
Yeah, yeah, so, bringing indifferent materials in your
furniture.
Maybe your coffee table has atiled top, for instance, or
you've got, you know, a metalaccent on the leg of a chair.
I think all of those littlethings come together to make a
room feel, I don't know muchmore layered and interesting.

(28:55):
So it's interest too, I think Iwould say makes something
amazing.
It's like what we were sayingbefore, with character of books
or things that are from you know, collections of things from
people's past.
It's interest, it's sort oflike wanting to know more about
something in the space.
So you don't just kind of likewalk in, take it in and go, oh
that's pretty and you can walkback out.
You actually want to spend timethere and you want to know more

(29:17):
about it.
I think that's also part ofwhat makes a space amazing.

Speaker 2 (29:21):
Oh, I love that and I love creating, yeah, like
little moments, little pockets.
So, you know, you've got yourliving area and it doesn't even
I feel like it's not a spacething as much, it's just a
layering.
So you might have a compactliving area but you've got an
armchair next to a lamp withsome artwork above it.

(29:41):
That's a little moment and thenyou've got, you know, your sofa
.

Speaker 1 (29:44):
Hold on like this.
Sorry, if you can see thevisual, it's exactly like your,
exactly.

Speaker 2 (29:49):
I was so inspired by just looking at your little
moment there.

Speaker 1 (29:54):
No, no, sorry to interrupt, it's exactly that I
get it 100% yeah yeah, it's that, it's the collections of things
that kind of work together asvignettes, I suppose, is the
classic word for it, isn't it?
These little vignettes that youcan create within the larger
space of a room.
So there should be moments todiscover in a space.

Speaker 2 (30:13):
Yeah, you don't want to clock it just in one glance.
You know, definitely, creatingthose little moments is like
really that makes a spaceamazing.
I feel Creating those littlemoments is like really that
makes the space amazing.
I feel, and I think that atleast one element of pattern and
I think people are a bit scaredof pattern, but trust me when

(30:41):
people say that, but I reallythink, trust me.

Speaker 1 (30:41):
but one, I've got a diagonal stripe cushion, and it
just is yes, I love that cushion.

Speaker 2 (30:44):
Yeah, it's just so.
No, no jokes, I know.

Speaker 1 (30:47):
I love it too.
Well, I'm a bit of a stripefreak.
You are a stripe freak, yeah, Iam, but I do love that cushion
in your space.
You need it.
It does lift it.
If that wasn't there, I meanit's still.
I mean you happen to have avery soulful room, even though
almost without putting anythingin it, Exactly.

(31:07):
The architecture is amazing.
So you've got that.
I have to work a bit harderhere because the architecture is
just super, super basic.
But yeah, just having that onething to lift a space, I guess
it's like something aboutcatching it with your eyes on it
.

Speaker 2 (31:24):
And I think you know it's pattern.
It's a diagonal stripe.
I mean, we're talking reallyspecifically about one cushion
here.

Speaker 1 (31:32):
Go and buy this cushion.
Actually, we'll just put itonline and sell it.

Speaker 2 (31:35):
I think I saw some at Country Road that are similar,
because I think the one I've gotis now discontinued.
But yeah, it's a diagonalstripe.
It just draws your eye in adifferent way.
It's kind of dynamic and I'mnot talking about?

Speaker 1 (31:51):
Yes, dynamic is the word I was thinking of.

Speaker 2 (31:53):
Yeah, and I get it.
You get a bit scared ofthinking about pattern.
But in one little cushion, ormaybe it's in the floor rug or
it's, you know, in a Eventhrough art, true.

Speaker 1 (32:06):
If you're scared of pattern on a cushion, even art
can I mean.
It's a different kind ofpattern, potentially, but like
that also brings, I guess,contrast and it's a type of
pattern isn't it Movement, yeah?
it depends.
Movement, yeah, yeah, yeah,contrast and yeah, it's a type
of pattern, isn't it?
Movement?
Yeah, it depends.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
But I it's funny I was thinkingabout, um, the whole pattern

(32:26):
thing, and I love pattern.
Um, I also love a block colorand I was trying to think.
I was thinking okay, so if youhad no pattern in a room, I
think you can pull it off, buteverything would have to be very
graphic and bold so that almostthe pieces in the room created
pattern because they werecontrasting against, like you

(32:49):
know, say, if you had like forwant of a better description of
colours, a black wall with whiteblocks of furniture or
something.
So it's like I think it's aboutcreating contrast and that
dynamic feeling and you can doit.
I think, obviously, it's kindof a lot more thought's got to
go into something that's justblock colour and creating

(33:10):
pattern.
It would be much easier to goand buy your favourite cushion
and add it to your sofa.
True, it's just easy.

Speaker 2 (33:18):
You know the key and you're sort of talking about
scale as well, you know, and themixing of pattern, you know, as
a tight stripe on a cushion,you know you can really contrast
that with a huge, big patternof a rug, which is big block,
you know more blocky.
So I think the key is, you knowyou could have a really tight

(33:39):
pattern of a wallpaper and thenyou're contrasting that with a,
and I think you know we'vetalked to or this episode is
before or after Nicole, nicole,it's coming up, or you've just
listened to it.
Nicole of Atelier ND Go find it.
Yeah, and the way she usespattern.

(34:00):
It's just so exciting becauseshe uses beautiful huge pattern
repeats on drapery, theseamazing Pierre Frey fabrics, and
then she'll have a tight stripewith it.
You know, it's just thatconfidence to coordinate it, but
it absolutely makes a room feelamazing.

Speaker 1 (34:19):
Yeah, and I think that you know if you're
struggling confidence-wise, butyou're listening to this and
going okay, I feel like I don'thave any pattern.
I think it's a matter of justpicking some basic stuff like
cushions are probably the bestexample and just giving it a go
and just seeing how it feels,just buy a couple.
You know you can buy a coupleand if they don't work you can

(34:40):
just go change them.
Like it's kind of like ano-risk investment to do that
and I think when you do ityou'll get a little bit more
confident to maybe add somethingelse.
It's like adding colour, youknow do a little bit, and then
you can kind of get theconfidence to do a little more.

(35:01):
And then you'll be obsessed likeus in no time.
Exactly, I love how we've got alittle note here about natural
materials.
I do think that that's reallyinteresting because I think that
it would almost be hard not tohave.
Do you think it's tricky not tohave natural materials?
I guess if you've got no timberand all your fabrics were, like

(35:26):
you know, polyester orsomething, well, I think nylon.
Yeah, and then you had metaland glasses.
Glasses are natural materialreally, or are we saying it has
to come straight from nature,like timber?

Speaker 2 (35:39):
well, I think this is really important as well,
because you know you could sayI've got a timber floor, but
actually it's a vinyl.
It's not real timber, yes.
So I feel like you coulddefinitely have a room with no
natural materials.
You could have a porcelain tilefloor, you could have a

(35:59):
laminate kitchen and a man-madestone bench, and that's your
main living areas and whiteplasterboard walls, and already
that doesn't paint a very lovelypicture to me at all.

Speaker 1 (36:13):
I feel like you do need some natural material in
there, don't you?

Speaker 2 (36:16):
If we're talking about hospitals, what are they
lacking?

Speaker 1 (36:19):
Natural materials.
There are no natural materials.
Oh, that's so true.
And in schools and in officesand those spaces you're not
getting a lot of naturalmaterial, you know it's so I
feel like schools have reallyimproved Not every school, but I
think design of school has hadsome fantastic design where
they're managing to kind of makeit feel more homely is probably

(36:43):
a good word, and I would sayit's because of colour and
material.
But hospitals I've yet to seeanything.
Please send me something ifyou've got any in mind.
Actual hospitals, I thinkclinics and things are
potentially come a long way, buthospitals, yeah, to create the

(37:03):
right mood.
I reckon that's a massivechallenge because everything has
to be so functional what is it?

Speaker 2 (37:11):
hygienic yeah, like sanitary yeah it's sanitary and
aesthetic is not on that list.
But really, but really, ahospital is a space to heal, I
mean in all different levels.
So why is aesthetics all theway down that bottom of the list
?
I?

Speaker 1 (37:28):
mean.

Speaker 2 (37:29):
I think the Children's Hospital in Melbourne
, the Royal Children's Hospital,is an outstanding example of a
hospital that will heal you Idon't know in more ways than
just traditional medicine,because, um, thankfully, I've
never had to go there, but, umyou know, it's got a huge

(37:51):
aquarium, it's got animals andthey're trying to bring nature
into it right, exactly, and Iremember, you know, back
probably 15, 20 years ago.
It won so many awards and a lotof interior designers were
working on that project and howamazing to be part of such a
special project like that.
So but yes, I suppose back tonatural materials.

(38:12):
You know, if you think aboutwhat, if you're choosing between
a timber floor versus a vinylthat looks like timber, I mean,
there is a place for that.
But I think it's really tryingto appreciate the beauty of a
natural wood and it's notperfect and it's going to change

(38:33):
over time.
A vinyl will be exactly thesame over time and it's a lot
more hard wearing, not a lotmore.
It is a bit more hard wearing ita lot more.
It is a bit more hard wearing,but it wears differently, you'd
say, right, yeah, it's exactlywhat you said.

Speaker 1 (38:47):
A tinct floor is actually really hard wearing but
it'll change over time it will.
It will wear in a way that itum a bit like natural stone,
that it can actually become morebeautiful over time.
But those first moments whereyou get a mark and a scratch are
kind of a bit painful.
But as that floor ages, its ageis part of its beauty.

(39:10):
I think if you're talking abouta solid timber natural floor,
these days I think they're kindof pretty rare because I think
they're also just reallyexpensive.
They're kind of pretty rarebecause I think they're also
just really expensive.
So they put the out of a lot ofpeople's price brackets to have
a proper solid timber floor andit's way more common now to
have.
If it's real timber, it's stillonly a veneer, so that's

(39:33):
trickier because it's still itdoesn't have the same life as a
solid floor, because you can't.
I guess it wears, but I thinkit doesn't wear as well in terms
of a beauty, in terms of kindof like getting nicer as it gets
older.
So, then people go okay, well,do we opt for because we're
starting a flooring episode.

Speaker 2 (39:54):
I know I'm thinking of all the things.
That is a fantastic storyBecause I guess you know when
you go into?

Speaker 1 (40:01):
yeah, we should, we should actually talk about it.
But, um, when you go into, ifyou, if you're someone going in
to purchase a floor, um, andyou're looking at budget versus
how it looks and how it performs, I think that's why so many
people opt for maybe notnecessarily vinyl, but, like you
know, the ones that can be inwet areas and, um, what do they

(40:22):
call a hybrid floor?
Okay, yeah, like a vinyl timberhybrid, I think they call it so
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (40:31):
I need to get more details lots of options, but,
yeah, I think, yeah, talkingabout you know natural materials
for and it could be.
You know, you touched on stonethen and it's it's really an
education piece.
Maybe that could be anothertopic you know we could talk
about natural materials.
Um, it's how we live, you know.
It comes back to how you liveand what you will.

(40:52):
What's your tolerance on that?
But there's just nothing asbeautiful as a natural stone.

Speaker 1 (40:57):
I don't care what you tell me you know.

Speaker 2 (41:01):
There are beautiful examples of a porcelain, you
know, like a Dekton, or I thinkArtidomus do one as well and
it's in their showroom.
It's stunning, it's just notreal stone.

Speaker 1 (41:12):
The porcelains yeah.

Speaker 2 (41:13):
Yeah, the porcelains, they're amazing.
Yeah, but I think a room withnatural materials, you know,
wool carpets or linen drapery,it's….

Speaker 1 (41:26):
It's something to do with how it looks.
I think when you mimic, saylike you mimic stone and you can
mimic timber, and they'regetting so good at it.

Speaker 2 (41:36):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (41:37):
But something about us knows it's not real, like
it's.
There's no way you could saylike.
I think these days you'd golike you used to be able to tell
because you could see thepattern or it was the sheen or
whatever it was.
I think they've gotten verygood at that, but there's still
something not right about it.
Sometimes that's how it feels.

(41:58):
You know, you're so right Justvisually it's still not the same
and I don't know how you'd evenput a point out.

Speaker 2 (42:09):
I was going to say you're so right about that, it
is so hard to tell.
I went to the Labman X showroom.
I go there almost once a week.
I have client meetings thereand everything and they're
really helpful in there.
But they have a timber finishand it's called the chalk.
Well, they've got lots oftimber patterns but the finish

(42:31):
is called chalk and it is sorealistic.
So I feel like if you weredoing a kitchen.
There's a really cool one.
They've released a fewdifferent australian timber
laminates and that's right.

Speaker 1 (42:45):
Yes, yeah, there's a beautiful walnut.

Speaker 2 (42:48):
There's a jarrah, um, and that chalk finish.
It just feels incredibly real.

Speaker 1 (42:54):
I feel like if there was a kitchen done in that, I
would still say it's, but it's aroom with natural materials, um
, you're still getting yeah okaybut it's obviously a lower
price and I feel like, and Ithink if we're able to say that,
then the average consumer isnot going to pick up on it

(43:16):
probably at all, like for mewith laminate or with uh, even
sometimes with the veneer.
I guess it all comes down tohow well the joins are done.
You know, like all those little, that's the tiniest details
that that give it away.
But when you have um, you knowthe technology they have now

(43:36):
where you can't see any kind ofpattern repeat because it's such
a large um it's like a photoreel situation and then they get
that beautiful finish rightlike that chalk finish um, yeah
it's very tricky to say that.

Speaker 2 (43:50):
That's, I guess, I don't know I would say just have
a real plant in there then yeah, you're getting the benefits of
it, of a room I wonder,wouldn't it be fascinating to
know?

Speaker 1 (44:05):
I mean, you have looked at how um some stats on
how you know, like naturalmaterials or timber and things
make a room feel amazing becauseit actually changes your um,
it's like spending time innature can can actually heal you
, like in a scientific way, notjust in a way.
So I wonder how.
I wonder if we get to a point,or if we're at a point where

(44:30):
something like that, when thelaminate is so good it looks
like the real thing.
Are we tricked?
Do we still get the benefit ofthinking we've got timber?

Speaker 2 (44:40):
around us?
I think you do.
I mean, it depends on, yeah, asyou say, the quality of that.
But I feel like with thoseLamin-X ones, you really are
getting the benefit of it beinga natural material, even though
it's not.
And you know what I have afeeling.

Speaker 1 (44:57):
I think we are tricked.
I could be really wrong.
I must look it up properly.
But I think you can even justhave a beautiful image of nature
in your room and it will stillimprove your well-being, so
maybe we can be tricked byfinishes that look very natural.

Speaker 2 (45:15):
Well, I think that's true in terms of, yeah, kitchen
cabinetry wall paneling, but Ithink it's when it is a coffee
table that you're very close totouching and you see that end
grain, you see the top of thethe piece of wood.
Yes, there's something that youcannot fake about that
beautiful that solid timbersolid nature.

(45:36):
Yeah, so I think it depends.
Sometimes you can fake it andsometimes you can't.

Speaker 1 (45:41):
So yeah, but I think that, to me, is the thing with
the porcelain too, is, um, Iactually actually really like
the feel of a lot of theporcelain.
You know how it's not as coldas stone, and so when you touch
it you can usually tell whetherit's stone or not.
It's usually the feel thatgives it away I actually don't
mind that it's yeah, well but umyeah, the one in the artidoma

(46:07):
showroom.

Speaker 2 (46:08):
And again, it's all about how they finished it.
They finished it with a steeledging and it just looks so real
.
It's beautiful yeah um, so Ithink you'll still be getting
the effect of a natural material.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (46:22):
Okay, we'll accept that.

Speaker 2 (46:24):
We'll accept that, we'll take that.
What about no?

Speaker 1 (46:27):
cheap imitations though, like the crappy ones.
Well, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (46:35):
I think you've got to find the right ones.
I think, yeah.
I think another thing thatmakes a room amazing is lighting
.

Speaker 1 (46:45):
Oh, 100%.
In fact, I would even go as farto say you could have an
amazing room that doesn't feelamazing anymore because the
lighting's bad.

Speaker 2 (46:52):
Yes, I mean, you could probably have a lot of the
things on the list that we'vejust been talking about, but if
you don't, have the rightlighting, it can fall flat,
can't it?

Speaker 1 (47:02):
Put fluorescence in there and it's gone like and
isn't that just so crazy?

Speaker 2 (47:07):
because imagine the time and investment you could,
you know, spend on a room, andthen lighting is an afterthought
and and I think this happens oh, definitely people go, people
who don't think too much aboutlighting and just do what's
expected, the norm, which isdown lights right in a new house

(47:28):
.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (47:29):
You know, and kill a room completely by just having
that, and they've just spent allof this money and then in the
evening they're not enjoying it.

Speaker 2 (47:39):
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (47:41):
So I think the key is to have.

Speaker 2 (47:43):
Yeah, that, um, that architectural lighting.
You know it is strategicallyplaced down lights.
Who cares if they're not in agrid?
It's about what you want tolight, and then it's mixing that
with the more atmosphericlighting.
So it's that layer of the, thetask lighting plus the ambient
lighting and little spots oflight in the room, like my mum.

(48:07):
She's got seven lamps in herlounge room and we still need
more.
I love your mum.
She's so obsessed.
Yeah, she's like.

Speaker 1 (48:15):
I think I need another one.
I do love a lamp, but I do nothave seven.

Speaker 2 (48:22):
She's obsessed.

Speaker 1 (48:24):
I want to know how that works.
I need a little moreexplanation on the seven.
Where are they?

Speaker 2 (48:29):
Okay so she's got a next to the sofa.
She's got like a.
It's one of those menutravertine labs, the reverse lab
.
Oh yeah, I love those.
She's got one of those menutravertine labs, the reverse lab
.

Speaker 1 (48:40):
Oh yeah, I love those .
She's got one of those.

Speaker 2 (48:43):
What else has she got ?
She's got the carry labs.
Well, it's Bordeaux now, butit's not menu.

Speaker 1 (48:48):
We've given her like, so many of those little
portable labs.

Speaker 2 (48:52):
She's got so many I do love the portable ones.
Yeah, she loves them, she's gotone in every room.

Speaker 1 (48:59):
She does she.
She doesn't have any otherlighting.
She just walks around with thatfrom room to room, puts one
down, picks another one up whatelse has she got?

Speaker 2 (49:08):
she's got standard lamp.
She's got um a lamp with aglass base.
I know she's got one like she'sliterally got a lot of them.
I mean I've got a lot too, butshe really she's just obsessed,
and I guess we're now allobsessed.

Speaker 1 (49:23):
So yeah, no, I'm with you there, I've got.
I thought that.
I had too many, um, and I don'teven have that many, so, like
I've got, in my living roomwe've got the that Sabine,
marcellus or white, you know thedonut orange donut, which I
love.

Speaker 2 (49:39):
Yeah, mum's got that.

Speaker 1 (49:40):
Of course she does and then I've got, um, I just
bought a new Kip and Co bigwicker striped, which I love
because it's really oversized,it's like a big impact.
And then I've got my favoritelittle hay, the little red one,
little portable one cool, I didthat, which is a weird thing to

(50:01):
do, but you turn it on.
I'm doing weird things with myfingers, people that could go
different ways, but anyway, okay, change subject.
Um, yeah, no, but I I justthink people don't realize how
much of a difference lightingcan make in a space and, and it

(50:22):
also, like, goes back tocreating little moments, like we
were talking about, creatinglike little vignettes, like the
lighting can just do that all onits own create little moments
or highlight um little spaces ina room which I I just love that
yeah and they look great whenthey're not on Like they're
another shape or material.
If they've got fabric or, likeyou said, a glass base or even a

(50:47):
glass, I've got.
You know, I've just got likethat white West Elm glass
mushroom.
You know the.
I just love that.
I don't know why.
I just love that from the start.
I like the shape.

Speaker 2 (50:57):
Well, and that's the thing, you don't have to spend a
lot of money on lighting.
Like, get yourself to Ikea andsee what they've got.
Go to West Elm, I think theyhave great lighting there.
Where else would I recommendDesign stuff, you know, for all
those portable lights?

Speaker 1 (51:14):
Yeah, I was going to say, design stuff Top 3 by
Design and they're online so youcan jump on anywhere and look
at their stuff.
And then you know beautifulceramic.
There's a few great ceramicistswho make beautiful lamps as
well, if you want something alittle bit different too, yeah
our friend Herman Blue.

Speaker 2 (51:34):
I think that's a good one.
Jan Vogelpohl oh, Jan Vogelpohl.
Yeah, I know, I actually justput one of her lamps into a
project.

Speaker 1 (51:42):
Oh, cool and they're like that's an art piece, really
, Absolutely.
It's like a sculpture thathappens to turn on at night, you
know.
So getting the best of bothworlds in that.

Speaker 2 (51:54):
My favourite is one that I bought a few years from a
jar.
It's by Santa and Cole and it'sgot this little timber frame
and a roundish what do you callit?
It's like an elongated sphereand it just glows.

Speaker 1 (52:10):
Yes, like a pill.
I think it's called the.

Speaker 2 (52:11):
Susita or something.
Yeah, it comes in this reallycute little wooden kind of with
a carry thing.

Speaker 1 (52:18):
Anyway, we put the link in the show notes Like a
little page kind of thing, yeah,thing, anyway we put the link
in the show, like a little pagekind of thing.

Speaker 2 (52:24):
Yeah, another one, you mean, I just love it.
So, um, yeah, lighting makes aroom amazing.
And then I suppose you knowyou've talked about art a bit,
but I think art, every roomneeds some sort of art like I'm
talking about even the bathroomand the kitchen.

Speaker 1 (52:38):
Yeah, the entry the hallway all those in between
spaces.
I need to put some in there yes, it's just.

Speaker 2 (52:45):
We've just got a couple of prints in there.

Speaker 1 (52:47):
I think people forget how that you can just put it
wherever you want, like there'sno rules, I think so well, I
think the thing is that we thinkit needs to go above the metal
piece.

Speaker 2 (52:58):
It needs to be in that statement, you know.
But think outside of that andhang it above a door hang it,
you know, above your bedsidetable.

Speaker 1 (53:07):
On a door you know, yeah, yeah.
I mean if you're slamming doors.

Speaker 2 (53:11):
I don't know how you live at home.

Speaker 1 (53:12):
I love art in the kitchen too.
Yeah, I know Probably wouldn'tbe good here, but in a kitchen,
I love art in a kitchen.
I mean, that's been done for along time now but like people
still don't think about it.
No, it doesn't even have tohang, it can just sit on the

(53:32):
bench.
Like against the, I have acouple of pieces in my kitchen
because my kitchen's not veryinspiring, so I feel like I need
a little more in there.
But like, yeah, yeah, why not?
Why me?

Speaker 2 (53:43):
and again, it doesn't have to be an oil masterpiece
like um the paper collect thepaper collective poster club.
You know those scandinavian?

Speaker 1 (53:53):
yeah, they're so fantastic, they're so such a
huge, amazing range, yepbeautiful and you're getting
that beautiful impact.

Speaker 2 (54:02):
Yeah, and that's easy affordable, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (54:04):
I would say no, probably to IKEA art because,
even though it is veryaffordable, every time I go in
there and look at it it's justnot quite right, I don't know
what do you think?
Have you ever had IKEA art, youknow, like taking by the
posters and put them in theirframes?

Speaker 2 (54:22):
I managed to score some great Ikea art.
I can't believe.
I'm admitting that I'll have totake a photo and send it to you
.
It was probably about oh, myGod.

Speaker 1 (54:33):
Like vintage stuff or no, like from a while back.

Speaker 2 (54:36):
Oh God, it probably is vintage now, I guess that's
how old.

Speaker 1 (54:39):
That depends.
I know when we say vintage wethink 50s Vintage is like the
80s now, oh no 90s.

Speaker 2 (54:50):
Phil and I, we lived in a little apartment in South
Yarra for 10 years and Iprobably bought them in 2004,
2005.
And they are sort of abstract.
They're like a mustard burgundykind of coloured stripes and
they came with their own oakframe they came framed and they
just look really impactful.

(55:11):
I don't have them hanging up.

Speaker 1 (55:13):
I think they're just in storage.
Maybe it's just every time I'velooked they haven't had the
right stuff.

Speaker 2 (55:18):
Well, I think you see the same one, you see the
Audrey Hepburn thing, and theblack and white that's super
tacky and the skyline thing likeyou see the same things over
and over.
But they do sometimes kidsstuff.
Well, they do sometimescollaborations.
I know I've showed clients yeah,kids rooms, a kid's room, sorry

(55:38):
, short, um short.
Well, not technically limitededition, but they just do one
run of them and that's it.
Yeah, okay, but you know what?
Of course, it's just keeping iton your radar, isn't it?
West Elm have been talkingabout that, and even I don't
know if H&M have ever donesomething, but they have

(55:59):
affordable artworks and I wouldreally just encourage everybody
just to go out there with anopen mind and, if you like it,
hang it up.
I don't care what I think.
I don't care what anyone thinks,but just don't have your walls
bare Like that's the main thingMiddle of Nowhere is another
good, affordable.

Speaker 1 (56:17):
I think they do cute stuff Middle of Nowhere and you
can get a lot of um prints thesedays, or even so, if you love
an original artist, always sortof look into whether they do
prints, because it doesn'talways mean, you know, um on
paper under glass.
A lot of prints now are oncanvas and they're stretched and
I can tell you I've done it forjobs where you cannot, unless

(56:40):
you go up to it closely and gooh, it's not actual.
Like you know, textured paintthey look like the real thing,
so they're such a great optiontoo if you're sort of looking
for affordable.

Speaker 2 (56:52):
Yeah, if you love it, do it.
Who cares like op shops.

Speaker 1 (56:56):
I love finding random art in op shops.
Totally, that could be your oldthing too, if you find or you
know marketplace or whereveryou're sort of looking at like
your affordable vintage stuff,those things that no one else
has got, that.

Speaker 2 (57:11):
Love that Because it's like, yeah, you know, mix
that with your big box stores.
And then you know it's aboutthat mix, isn't it Exactly?

Speaker 1 (57:19):
Yes, it's about that, exactly.
Yes, that's probably anothergood point actually in terms of
um.
Another thing that can make aroom amazing is you can have all
the money in the world andstill have a crap room.
You can spend lots of money onit if you know, especially if it
is all really high-end stuff.
Um, that doesn't really have aparticular reason to be there

(57:43):
other than it is a high-endpiece.
I agree.
So you kind of.
I think the best streamsusually are made up of maybe not
high-low, but like maybehigh-mid or, you know, even
really high and lower.
I think the mix of things andthe fact that those things have
a reason to be there and when Isay reason to be there, there's,

(58:04):
you love it, or it wasinherited, or you bought it
because it was like this amazingthing that you fell in love
with.
I think when you mix thosethings together, it means so
much more and it's far moreinteresting than just having a
ton of money that you drop onall the best things and then
just put them in a room.

Speaker 2 (58:25):
I don't know what do you think?
Couldn't agree more, I mean.
I think that a room like thatthat has all of those iconic,
expensive things, is a lovelyroom and I wouldn't say no don't
get me wrong.
I know, as I was saying that,I'm like what am I saying?
No, but I think no, you'reabsolutely.

(58:47):
I agree with you 100%, becausesometimes they can be a bit
predictable and it is lackingthat magic, it's lacking that
soul, it's lacking that extralevel of, you know, amazingness.
So I think that's what we'retrying to dig into here and you
know talking about when I waswriting the French book, the new
French look, it was trying to.
You know what is that thingthat the French do so well?

(59:10):
You know, it isn't always thosepredictable iconic pieces, it's
just that interesting mix andthat's what really draws me to
that style.
So, yeah, there's that, andthey managed to capture it in
the photography as well.
So, you know, that's anotherthing.
Who knows, sometimes thoserooms that we see on line have

(59:32):
maybe been stripped down.
Yeah, all the quirky uglythings Guarantee that there's
spaces.

Speaker 1 (59:38):
Yeah, I think also there's spaces that have had
things brought into them to tojust finish a room off.
That is almost an amazing room.
I guess I'm saying like a goodstylist, if you're shooting a
space or even, just as you and Iknow the whole smoke and
mirrors of a shoot movingsomething into a different spot
so that it captures somethingthat feels so amazing, but

(01:00:02):
actually maybe the room's alittle bit lacking.
In real life that happens.

Speaker 2 (01:00:06):
Yes.

Speaker 1 (01:00:08):
So yeah, don't believe everything.
You see, I guess Do not believeit.

Speaker 2 (01:00:15):
And I guess you know what you're sort of getting to
as well with that point of allthose expensive things.
I think a room can be amazingwithout the huge, huge budget.
Absolutely yeah, and I almostthink that sometimes the things
that we choose to invest inshould be flipped.
So the things like we're toldwe need to invest in a sofa and

(01:00:41):
a dining table and those bigpieces which, yes, I mean in an
ideal world it would be great,but sometimes you should get a
really good sofa that's at agood price point.
The things I really would loveto invest in more is the art Art
.
Yeah, there you go.

Speaker 1 (01:00:58):
Like right on board, it's so predictable, right on
board.

Speaker 2 (01:01:03):
No, no because.

Speaker 1 (01:01:04):
I'm exactly the same.

Speaker 2 (01:01:04):
You know, yeah, yeah, so it's just another way of
looking at it.

Speaker 1 (01:01:07):
Actually, it's a really good point and I, um, I,
I totally agree.
But I hadn't really thoughtabout ever saying to a client
spend less on that sofa so thatyou can afford that art, because
the art will feed your soulmore than that sofa will.
The sofa will still lastprobably a similar amount of
time, if it's still a goodquality, but you know mid-priced

(01:01:30):
instead of high-priced but thatartwork will be forever the
great artwork that you reallylove.

Speaker 2 (01:01:38):
Make the room sing yeah.
I don't know, I think thatwe're probably out on our own
with that.
Maybe let us know, write us amessage.
What do you think?
Because I'm curious.
That's something that sort ofswirls around in my brain, but
I've never really suggested thatto a client because I think
they would think I was crazy.

Speaker 1 (01:01:58):
I guess you could kind of throw in there too,
though, that some furniturepieces are like works of art,
right, but I think we're talkingabout, you know, your family
sofa.
It doesn't have to be crazy,crazy high, expensive, if your
budget can kind of I likebudgets to be flexible, so, like
when I'm working with a clientyou know you need to have a

(01:02:21):
budget, but I would never havelike a fixed okay, 10 grand for
this and it's two grand for thisI'd go.
Here's a bit of a loose idea,but the room is maybe this much
so that you've got the option,when you're putting that room
together, to be able to say, hey, that artwork that you really
loved, if we just spent a littlebit less here, we can still
have it loved.

(01:02:41):
If we just spent a little bitless here, we can still have it.

Speaker 2 (01:02:43):
So I guess it's that right, it's just working out the
, the balance it is um you know,having said that, I went to
mobilia the other day with aclient.
We've gone back this sofa.
It's a new release by casino.
It's by patricia urchiola andI've not stopped dreaming about
how comfortable this sofa is.

(01:03:03):
Oh my God.
And the thing with this sofa isZoe.
Do you know Zoe at Mobilia?
She's so amazing.
She was telling me Patriciawanted to design this sofa that
was at a more affordable pricepoint.
That's got all of this recycledmaterials and content in it.

Speaker 1 (01:03:23):
I love that yeah and it looks great.

Speaker 2 (01:03:26):
It just ticked all the boxes on my client.
She looked so happy sitting onit.
So, anyway, it's something tothink about.

Speaker 1 (01:03:34):
So what is a more affordable sofa by Patricia, I
know.

Speaker 2 (01:03:39):
Why are?

Speaker 1 (01:03:39):
we talking here?
I mean, you know we, are wedropping reasonable amounts?

Speaker 2 (01:03:44):
I think the modular under 30 for a three by three
meter modular a lot of sofa size.

Speaker 1 (01:03:51):
Yeah, there'll be a lot of people still falling over
, but like it is a biginvestment for a casino sofa.
When you sit in it, you can seethe A new casino sofa.
Yeah, yeah, amazing.

Speaker 2 (01:04:02):
Yeah, I think.

Speaker 1 (01:04:04):
Finally, the thing that makes a room amazing is the
people, the people Of course,in the space, so that's where
the energy comes from a lot ofthe time, right.

Speaker 2 (01:04:14):
Yeah, I think so, and I don't know how you can kind
of capture that.

Speaker 1 (01:04:20):
Well, it's funny like you know how you said told that
story before about um going toa place where you just went.
You just had bad vibes and youjust wanted to leave.
Sometimes you can have anamazing room that can be killed
by the people, and I'm talkingabout that.
Maybe there's just very unhappy.

(01:04:41):
People don't have to bepsychopaths.
The unhappiness can create abad vibe in a room, but maybe
rooms also can make people happy.
So maybe it's like a yeah, but Ido think there's a.
There's an energy right thatcomes from people, so amazing
people can create amazing roomsjust by having their beautiful

(01:05:03):
selves in there and expressingthemselves through their space.

Speaker 2 (01:05:08):
So you know don't be afraid to express your
personality.
What, how, how you want tounpack that you know.
Ask yourself all of thesequestions, how you want to live
and have that confidence to justyou know whatever.
I just have always dreamedabout a pink kitchen.

(01:05:28):
I've just always dreamed aboutit.
I'm going to do it Like, please.

Speaker 1 (01:05:31):
What sort of pink are we talking?

Speaker 2 (01:05:33):
I mean, I'm just using an example.

Speaker 1 (01:05:35):
Oh, okay, yeah all right?
Oh sorry, I thought you weresaying you dreamed of a pink
kitchen, which?

Speaker 2 (01:05:40):
was shocking to me.
Well, maybe I am actually nowdreaming of a pink kitchen.
That's why I went hang on.

Speaker 1 (01:05:44):
What sort of pink are we talking about?

Speaker 2 (01:05:46):
Yeah, if that's you like, do you?
Yes, so true, yeah, whatever itis like just really dive in and
have that confidence.

Speaker 1 (01:05:53):
It's actually Go for it A hundred percent.
The the person right, becauseif you try and think about um, I
guess a kind of good example,but maybe they're not amazing
rooms so much is walking into adisplay home that nobody lives
in, but it might have all theright ingredients but it doesn't

(01:06:13):
have the touch of the personthat lives there.
So that's exactly what you'resaying.
Like you, you've got to putyour mark on it for it to
actually be amazing, because itwon't be properly amazing until
it has the things you love in it.
I think.

Speaker 2 (01:06:26):
That is a really good example.

Speaker 1 (01:06:28):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:06:29):
Okay.

Speaker 1 (01:06:30):
Amazing.
I think we've given some reallygreat points.

Speaker 2 (01:06:32):
I hope so, and I've digressed enough.
Great, that was a good chat.
Thanks, brie.

Speaker 1 (01:06:40):
No worries.
Thanks, clara, and see you nexttime everyone bye.

Speaker 2 (01:06:44):
Such a fun episode, brie.
I think this is almost like abit of a master class in the way
that we sort of see interiordesign anyway, and I hope that
you guys listening enjoyed ittoo yeah, there's a lot to take
away from that.

Speaker 1 (01:06:56):
I feel like people would be taking notes.

Speaker 2 (01:07:00):
Yes, note takers, that was me in the front row.
You know so nerdy.
But if you also would like somehelp with pulling together your
dream home, I'm helping a bunchof beautiful people inside my
course called the Style StudiesEssentials.
And for interior designers outthere, I have got you.
Come into the Design Societyand we're helping you with

(01:07:22):
working out your fees, workingout your process and all of the
fun things, not to mention theamazing guests we've had come in
as well.
You can access.

Speaker 1 (01:07:31):
We've had some great guests, but also I just love the
community in there andeverybody.
That's the best part of it is.
You're with like minded people,you can ask the questions and
they're there for you.
That's what I love.

Speaker 2 (01:07:42):
Totally, it's kind of rare and it's nice.

Speaker 1 (01:07:45):
Yeah, it is.
It's really good.
And in the same show notes youcan find a link.
Jump in there and sign up formore information from me on
soon-to-be-released pre-selectedfurniture packages, as well as
some fun trend informationstraight to your inbox.

Speaker 2 (01:08:03):
So jump in there and sign up gorgeous, so good, brie,
lovely to see you.
See you next time, over and outbye.
We've got the utmost respectfor the Wurundjeri people of the
Kulin nation.
They're the OG custodians ofthis unceded land and its waters
, where we set up shop, createand call home and come to you.

(01:08:26):
From this podcast today, a bigshout out to all of the amazing
elders who have walked before us, those leading the way in the
present and the emerging leaderswho will carry the torch into
the future.
We're just lucky to be on thisjourney together.