November 27, 2024 • 50 mins
Unlock the secrets to transforming your living space into a sanctuary of self-expression and creativity with us, Lauren Li and Bree Banfield, as we share our personal adventures in decorating our homes. Ever wondered how to make a rented space truly yours without breaking the rules? Discover the liberating power of changing your mind and embracing bold design choices, even if they have to be undone later. We'll share how we navigated the constraints of rental living, from experimenting with colors and patterns to turning limitations into opportunities for personalization.
Our conversation also unravels the art of sense engagement in home decor. Learn how to create an environment that not only looks good but also feels and sounds comforting. From the tactile contrasts of timber and textiles to the role of music and scent, we reveal how to engage all your senses to craft a comforting retreat. We’ll take you through our kitchen experiences too, providing innovative tips for maximizing efficiency and personalizing these essential spaces, even when design constraints loom large.
Finally, let us guide you through the intriguing world of color and design, as we challenge the notion of neutrality in home decor. Explore the joy of investing in pieces that resonate personally rather than just aesthetically.
Bree is now offering a 90-minute online design consult to help you tackle key challenges like colour selection, furniture curation, layout, and styling. Get tailored one-on-one advice and a detailed follow-up report with actionable recommendations—all without a full-service commitment.
Bookings now open - Book now
Join Lauren online for a workshop to help break down the Design steps to run your project & business a little smoother with the Design Process MasterClass, opening 15th October!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Design Anatomy, the interior design
podcast hosted by friends andfellow designers.
Me, lauren Lee.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
And me, Brie Banfield , with some amazing guest
appearances along the way.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
We're here to break down everything from current
trends to timeless style, with ashared passion for joyful,
colour-filled and lived-inspaces.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
We're excited to share our insights and
inspiration with you.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
And today I think it's going to be a nice episode
Brie, because we're talkingabout our personal approach to
how we decorate.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Yeah, exactly the way we decorate in our homes, not
for other people.
Yes.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Well, I think you know what I thought would be so
great to talk about this,because I saw your home in
Sunday Life magazine and it isjust so joyful.
Obviously, colour is a big partof it, but it's just amazing
just to see how you've expressedyourself in your own home.
(01:02):
So I just wanted to talk to youa little bit about that and
maybe you could sort of speak ona little bit like how, with
your expertise in colourforecasting, you know, for Dulux
you're so known for colour, butwhen it comes to your own home,
is it an easy choice or do yousort of get paralysed?
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Yeah, I was actually just talking to someone today
who was going.
One of my doctors was like whatdo you do again?
I'm like I interior design.
She goes oh, it must be thebest job in the world.
I said, oh, you look, it'spretty good.
Good and bad days, yeah.
But she was like, oh, I wouldjust be terrible at it because
there's just too many decisionsand I get overwhelmed.
(01:46):
I said, well, I guess that's whypeople come to us, right is
because they don't want to beoverwhelmed or they're
struggling with making thedecision.
I said, but if it comes to myown stuff, that's exactly how I
feel as well.
I think probably it's becausewe see so much stuff, right, and
(02:06):
so we get excited about so manydifferent things.
So it's like you kind of it'shard to settle on something
because then you see somethingelse, girl, but I love that.
So it's like I could sort of Idon't know flip and change, and
I think I did for a long timetoo.
I feel like it takes a littlewhile as you get older to kind
of settle into your style a bitmore and maybe be a little more
(02:30):
not brave.
Just you don't care as muchabout what other people think.
Absolutely, yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
And I also think that you know, after a number of
years working in the industry,you see different waves of
change and you're like you know,after a number of years working
in the industry, you seedifferent waves of change and
you're like, you know what I?
I absolutely love the idea of apink bedroom.
I'm gonna go for it, like it'sjust what I love right now, it
doesn't mean I'm gonna have tolove it forever yeah, and that's
liberating when you let go.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Yeah, I think clients can get stuck on that and think
that when they've made thatdecision, then that's it.
They've got to kind of stick toit.
I think it's totally fine toeven to get it wrong, like we
all get it wrong, like we get itwrong right, like I've done
things, definitely oh wow, thatdoesn't work at all, it's not,
or it's not what I thought itwould be or whatever.
(03:21):
But I think people can getreally stuck in that fatigue
because they do put thatpressure on themselves, thinking
this is this big decision, evenabout like a cushion or
something.
Should I buy this exact one?
What will I do if it doesn'twork in my house?
What if I hate it?
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Take it back, yeah exactly, and I think that's the
thing when it comes to our ownhomes.
It can be a bit of a testingground.
You know you can, you knowpaint a room and if you don't
love it and you know what youcan live with it for a year and
you can just change it.
I mean, obviously it'sinconvenient, but it's not like
(03:59):
you've invested thousands ofdollars, especially when it
comes to paint colors.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
It's just the tint of paint and a time investment, or
you get a painter out from airtasker or whatever, like it's
not such a huge decision for allof that impact that you get and
I remember, like when you wererenting in your apartment and
you did a few things like Ithink you might have even
installed, like you did somelights and paint, yeah, and some
(04:26):
shelving and some things, and Iremember thinking to myself oh
so I've been renting for areally long time I think we both
have and it can be veryrestrictive.
As designers, because ofexactly what you said.
We do want to use our spaces tokind of test things and express
stuff and experiment with coloror pattern or even furniture
(04:48):
placement or whatever it is.
And then when you're renting,you sort of feel like you've got
this restriction.
And then I remember when youdid that, I was like why?
didn't, I just ask permission todo this stuff, like you know.
Yes, you're going to have toprobably put it back to how it
was, but I finally did that thisyear and painted and it has
been the best thing I've everdone in a home since I I mean, I
(05:11):
have owned a home before butsince I've been renting because
it's just made it feel like myspace and it is going to be a
pain in the ass to paint it back.
But you know, we hope to behere for you know, another year,
so in that year I might evenchange my mind and paint a
different colour, but at least Iknow I can do that and have
that freedom of expression here.
I mean, I guess I've alwaysbeen able to hang artwork, but
(05:38):
even then it's like you know,using the 3M hooks is a pain in
the ass because nothing everquite hangs properly or they
fall off in the middle of thenight.
I've had that happen, hopefully.
Or they'd fall off in themiddle of the night.
If that happened, hopefully nota picture over your bed.
But you know you hear thiscrash and you go, oh my God,
what was that?
And then you go downstairs andthe whole artwork's fallen off
the wall or something.
But so when you paint, ofcourse if you're going to have
to paint back, you have to patchtoo, so you might as well use
proper hooks.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Well, I mean that apartment that you mentioned.
We moved, moved into thisbeautiful new apartment.
It overlooked the Yarra River,had amazing views of the city.
I loved it and, yes, I wantedto make it my own.
I wanted to experiment and sowe painted one of the main walls
in the space this actually waspretty much the whole living and
(06:19):
kitchen area this beautifulsort of putty, warm color.
By doing that, we had to patchthe walls.
They weren't in the best shape,but I would recommend, you know
, if you're renting, don't waitbefore you move in, get the
paint brushes out and make themost of that.
You know you're getting atleast a year of that longevity.
You know, I loved hearing yousay how much it just really
(06:41):
changed your life and it justmakes you feel so good and I
still, in a way, I miss thatapartment.
I mean, we're in a much biggerhouse now, but I miss that.
It was such a great space andhad the most cool views and had
a rooftop pool, like you knowthere's so many benefits to a
apartment living yeah, we lovedit and um, yeah, and when we
(07:02):
left, you know all of those, uh,you know scratches and whatever
the wall, they were all patchedand painted right back.
And you know we left theapartment in a much better
condition as we came in.
And you know, in this house aswell, we didn't want to wait too
long.
I've painted my bedroom here,I've painted the kids' room and
(07:22):
I'm just looking at this whitewall behind me thinking, hmm,
what am I going to do here?
But you know, as you know, we'rerenting this house and you have
a right to paint and you justneed to return it back to how it
was.
You also have a right to hangpictures in your space.
So you know we actually do.
I mean, renting is a lot morecommon in European countries,
(07:44):
isn't it?
But you know this new meanrenting is a lot more common in
European countries, isn't it?
But you know this newgeneration renting is the norm.
And you know it's a wholediscussion for maybe another day
, brie, but I suppose my pointis do it If you're renting,
express yourself in your home.
It's just so fulfilling.
And if it means the paintbrush,if it means getting out, you
know hanging up photos and, youknow, artwork on your walls.
(08:05):
Please do it.
It's such a good feeling.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
And maybe we should do that.
Let's talk about renting, andyou know what you can do because
we both have had thisexperience.
But I guess, coming back towhat we want to talk about with
our I guess personal approach todecorating, maybe tell me about
, like, I guess, do you thinkit's changed for you since you
were in an apartment to thehouse, or do you think your
style has just kind of followedyou and it's the same approach,
(08:32):
or did you find that different?
Speaker 1 (08:34):
I think the architecture definitely
influences the way that Iapproach to decorate the space.
And we're in a mid-centuryhouse now and the floor plan is
so wonderful.
You know, we have really bigwindows and lots more natural
light and all those kind ofthings.
But I suppose my approach todecorating is it's crazy because
(08:56):
this house that we're in Idon't know how we fit all of the
furniture in a three-bedroomapartment and now we've filled a
whole house.
How does that work?
You fill the space that youhave, but I suppose the approach
is the same.
We've installed pendantlighting here.
We did that in our apartment aswell.
We left that there as a littlegift to them.
(09:17):
We even went so far as to havesome sheer curtains made for
that apartment.
We've been able to take themhere and they've worked as well.
Yeah, yeah, I mean we also.
Yeah, they're the kind ofinvestments that some people
will think is crazy to do, but Ineed that.
I need my home to feel like mysanctuary, and especially, you
(09:38):
know, during COVID times andeverything like that.
I think that it was soblatantly obvious how our space
affects the way we feel and ifyou can create a home that
expresses yourself, that you canreally tap into what your style
is, it's good for your mentalhealth.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Yeah, a hundred percent it is.
I couldn't agree more.
I guess the other thing that Imean, if we're talking about
like things that you realize inCOVID, is there was that huge
move towards tactility, and Ifeel like that's when I think
about your style.
You know, when people thinkabout my style, we often think
about color, obviously.
That's kind of what I'm knownfor.
I feel like your approach todecorating definitely includes a
(10:19):
lot of kind of tactility, andyou know material, like
materiality, I suppose, suppose,and you use color, but it's in
a much more subtle way and it'sit's, I guess, quite connected
to those things the material andthe tactility of it, of
something.
Do you think what is it aboutthat that you love like?
Why do you think that that'ssort of what you're gravitating
towards, or am I wrong?
(10:39):
You can tell me no, um it's?
Speaker 1 (10:42):
it's a bit yeah, you're right like I think it is
the inherent colours of timberand the inherent colours of
stone and brass and it's workingwith those materials, but it's
also about engaging all of thesenses.
So it's having that obviouslysight, you know that visual
(11:04):
contrast, and it's about touch,isn't it?
And sometimes you know you getthat sense of touch by seeing
something.
But it's also contrasting.
You know, a velvet next to atimber, next to that brass, and
a wool and a linen, like.
I find that tactile contrastreally interesting.
And I suppose in the home it'salso sound.
(11:26):
We love music, right, bree?
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Like I love to have music playing.
That is something we definitelyhave in common, and we do have
a lot of similar musical tastestoo, but yes, we have excellent
music taste.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
Yeah, smell.
I know that's probably where weare very divided, because I
know that you despise scentedcandles.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
But you know what I do.
I have like my little physiqueoil burner and I'll often,
sometimes I feel like I needthat to set the mood, like for
work or whatever it is, and so Ihave my different little oils
that, you know, create differentmoods.
So, yeah, I do that.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
I've got that physique.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
It's F-A-Z-E-E-K.
Yeah, it's like this reallycool glass oil burner.
It's beautiful.
I've got one of those too.
They are really nice.
So we've got sight, we've gottouch, we've got sound.
We've got smell, taste I don'tknow about in interiors how
taste could be.
Well, I suppose you know what Ilove about kitchens is where
the activity of cooking is alsoexpressed in what you see.
(12:27):
I don't really believe ineverything being packed away.
I think it's a kitchen.
It's functional, like, let'scelebrate that.
So maybe in some ways the tastecould come across in the
kitchen area.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
Isn't it funny, I find kitchens quite tricky,
particularly for okay, we'regoing to go back to renting
again.
I think we're naturally goingto talk about renting because we
both do and it definitelyaffects the way we approach
things for ourselves.
Like, I don't love the kitchenthat I've got in terms of, like
the finishes it's yeah, I won'tget into it, but I would say
(12:59):
it's very not me.
So it's quite.
It's kind of gray and white andeven like a couple of things I
don't think work well together.
But I don't like a lot of stuffout in the kitchen, except if
it's beautiful.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Or if, like you're, you would probably be a bit more
I don't know what the word isfor it Like, yeah, those
practical things out in thekitchen where I'm like I want to
have a little.
Or we could have the discussionof the butler's pantry, which I
know you've jumped on before inthe past to talk about how you
know you don't think they'reneeded or you don't really, you
(13:36):
don't rate it.
Let's say Well.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
I just think they're too big.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
Yeah, Well, see mine's tiny here and I have,
I've had one for a while.
Actually Was in mine's tinyhere and I have I've had one for
a while.
Actually, Most of the housesI've moved into have been fairly
new houses and they have somekind of butler's pantry and I
like it to be at least bigenough.
I like my fridge in there, if Ican have it in there Coffee
machine, microwave and maybelike one other appliance, Like
I'd love the toaster and thekettle to be in there, but mine
(14:01):
actually isn't big enough forthat.
It's only big enough for thecoffee machine, the fridge and
there's a spot for the microwave.
I just made one in a shelfbecause, like many kitchens,
there was no specific spot forthe microwave.
I find that baffling thatpeople think you're just going
to put it on the bench.
I couldn't think of anythingworse than that.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Well, I mean the effect of life is, if you've got
a baby and a toddler, youactually find yourself heating
up pre-made meals so often.
So exactly what you're saying,Brie, like there's that
functionality that you need in akitchen.
But yeah, I suppose I like tohave my aesthetic appliances out
.
Yeah, you know like a cuteJapanese kettle that I've got
that.
(14:38):
Yeah, that are sort of a littlebit more designed for being on
display, like it's not exactlyall my plastic containers and
Tupperware.
That's not aesthetic.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
I'm sorry if I made it sound like that's what I was
inferring.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
Oh no, you didn't.
Oh, I know, but I think thatyou know when I I was thinking
more.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
You know beautiful timber canisters or something
you know.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Yeah, the stuff that gets used and not the stuff
that's just there to.
You know, collect dust which alot of people are like oh my God
, I couldn't handle it on mybench.
I'm like but how do you make acup of tea?
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Yes, there, still needs to be obviously the
functionality, but I do, and Iactually do have quite a bit of
stuff on my benches now.
But I try and like I've got aspot where on one side of the
kitchen, I actually paint alittle spot there, as it was
just plasterboard, which hasmade me feel a lot better about
(15:30):
my kitchen now and that's whereI put the KitchenAid the lilac
KitchenAid, which is one of myfavourite things the mixer, and
I've put an artwork there.
So that's kind of next to where, like, we put our keys and all
of that sort of stuff.
So it's still that little spotis quite pretty.
And then I've moved.
There was some open shelveslike above where the like next
to the range, wood and stuff,and I actually ended up just
(15:52):
taking out the middle shelf andmaking it just like one big
opening and putting an artworkin there and creating a little
vignette.
So, yeah, I've, I've improvedit, but it's not.
I love that.
I'd love to just like changeall the cupboards, but that's
not going to happen.
Oh, exactly, although you knowsorry, I just remembered a new
product.
I haven't looked at it properlyyet, but there is a new product
(16:12):
out.
You might know it.
So, like you know the removablewallpaper Okay, that
self-adhesive one where you canput it to the wall then they've
created one that you can putonto laminate cupboards.
That makes it look like a vinylwrap.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
Wow.
So that's the thing I think youknow.
We've like you.
We've owned our own place.
We've done a really funrenovation there.
We've also rented, and in oneof the apartments we rented we
actually installed a splashbackbecause it was a glass
splashback.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Oh, yes, I remember.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
That was a flashback, that was a covid thing and it
was, um, it was called air slateand it's actually real slate,
but it's a very fine veneer of aslate.
Don't ask me how it works, butit's quite cool, yeah, and um,
we had that piece cut to size,and so there are things that you
can do.
You know, I, I think my, myadvice would be just don't wait,
just get onto it and make themost of your time living there.
(17:12):
And I think another sort ofgeneral approach to decorating
is to decorate your kitchen.
So I love the way to bringartwork into your kitchen.
I feel like it's so much partof our living area.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
Oh, completely.
We spend so much time therereally as well.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
That's right.
Don't forget to decorate it.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
Yeah, yeah, it's beautiful, even just the
beautiful tea towel.
Mine are terrible.
I need some new ones.
Yes, yeah.
I know Mine are functional, notpretty.
Yeah, I know, I mean, sometimesit is just a touch like that it
(17:53):
can just really just make yourexperience, your everyday
experience of the home, justfeel really nice and those
little things, those littletouches, I would say that's a
huge factor in my approach ingeneral too in the home, in my
home is making sure that everyspace has a little joy.
So you do get I don't know thatnice feeling in a room.
That's probably the main goalfor me and to me that's about
colour, and artwork is probablya big part of it too.
And then lighting, which I knowwe've probably touched on
(18:16):
before, like making sure thatit's not just like downlights
and there's lamps or you know,there's another lighting source
that's not kind of, you know,coming from directly above.
You know all those things to arethe kind of I don't know the
basis of how I would approach aroom.
It's like those three things.
It's okay, the color, obviously, practicality definitely comes
(18:36):
into it, but color, artwork,lighting, yeah, I feel like
they're the things that.
And comfort, I suppose.
But, um, that probably isn't myfirst, it's not the first thing
.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
I'll sacrifice a little bit of comfort if
something is beautiful, you know, I agree, I agree I agree, yeah
, and I think you know when itcomes to lighting, sure, you
know that's such a big part ofhow you experience a space and
you can plug in lamps.
But also you know what we didwith different places we've
lived in and it's so cool to seehow different spaces adapt to
(19:12):
how you live.
I've got one of those Lamp deMarseille labs Le Corbusier lab
that's been over my desk, it'sbeen over my dining, it's been
as a bedside, like you can movethose things around.
There's another one that I'vegot.
It's just behind me.
It's called I'll have to let youguys know but it's you just
plug it in, but it's actuallyhung from the ceiling, so it's
(19:32):
just a small little screw thatagain, you patch it when you
leave, but it's very, veryminimal, yeah, and you're sort
of getting that wall lightingsort of effect within the space.
I think it's a floss lightactually.
It's fancy.
You've got fancy lights, butit's actually really.
I mean it's really affordableas well for the impact that you
(19:53):
get.
Yeah, because it's quite asimple, just a bulb and a cable
that connects to the ceiling,with a weight on the bottom that
hangs down.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Yeah, I know the one, and I can't think of what
that's called either.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
Yeah, parentesi, or something like that.
So I think that you know, youand I would agree on the colour
that has just changed the waythat we live in our space and
when I wanted to paint mybedroom it was quite daunting to
try to choose.
I think it's we know too manyoptions and we do get I get very
distracted by oh, I love this,I love that.
(20:25):
That's why I like so manydifferent styles.
But you sort of just have tothink about okay, what is the
feeling I want to create hereand I wanted to have like a
feminine sort of space?
Obviously, my husband has tosleep there too, so it's not
like a Barbie pink, it's more ofa dusty kind of pink.
Sorry, phil, doesn't really geta huge say in it, I'm sure.
(20:45):
Sorry, phil.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
You know, I think he's got good taste too, Like I
think he'd go oh, I get it.
I understand why you're doingthat kind of thing he does.
He's a bit supportive.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Yeah, it does feel really good and you know, every
time I'm in my room and you canfeel like you're being able to
express yourself, it's just areally fulfilling feeling.
So I think colour is such a bigone, but also, you know less,
something less committal is, youknow, in terms of a sofa.
I know that people can well, alot of people, a lot of clients
(21:20):
get a little bit scared aboutgoing for a color and they want
to go with something neutral,like a gray or a beige or
something like that, whichobviously has its place.
But we went for a peach fabricand it brings me a lot of joy as
well.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
So you know, that's something where you can really
dive into color in upholstery.
As you said before Brie, acushion, a colorful or a
patterned cushion.
It's so crazy how much it canreally bring joy to a space, and
it's so minimal.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
Yeah, and that does serve a bigger purpose.
I love cushions on my sofa,like I get put them all behind
me and lean on one and, like youknow, you can make it your own
little spot.
So they're not just pretty,they actually do have a bigger
purpose.
Yeah, I agree with theupholstery thing, particularly
with sofas.
I think I know people feel muchmore comfortable with something
(22:12):
that they consider to beneutral because they think that
it has longevity.
I don't know, I kind of I pushback on that a little bit and
say, but how do you feel aboutit?
Like, if you're that practicalthat everything has to have
longevity, then your house isnot ever going to connect to you
, unless you're like someonewho's just like's your whole
(22:32):
personality.
I don't know right, but you'vegot to have something that you
have a feeling about, and so Iwould kind of push back and say,
on a bigger investment piece,it's even more important to have
a connection to it so that youfeel good about it.
You spend all this money on itand you want to love it.
You don't want to go with.
That was a very good investmentfor the future.
Yes, it was a very practicalhome.
(22:55):
Yeah, and a sofa can make likequite a statement in a room.
I mean, I don't mean, like youknow, a bright pink sofa, I just
mean the shape or the fabric orwhatever it is that it's kind
of really important to get thatright and to love it.
(23:16):
So, yeah, I would kind of pushback and say, and you know, we,
I had a charcoal sofa for a verylong time and it made me so
unhappy.
It made me so I can tell you now.
It made me so unhappy and Ithink when it was first
purchased it was for, um, whatwe were kind of using like a
cinema kind of room or a TV room, and so it wasn't a main area
and then it kind of just gotcarried with us for years and
years and to the point where itwas also quite discreet we just
(23:38):
needed to be out on the side ofthe road and gotten rid of.
So it was one of my big thingsthat I did this year and I
didn't get a very, veryexpensive sofa.
But what's great about the sofaI've got?
It's the Eva Everyday littlepod there is.
It's the Eva Everyday littleplug there is.
It's modular, so I can add to it.
I can when I do move.
I know I can change theconfiguration if I need to,
(23:59):
because the other sofa that Ihad, it was like two-piece
modular but it meant you couldonly go like one direction and
so you'd kind of get stuck.
Sometimes it didn't work in aroom.
It was quite big.
But the Eva sofa you can changethe covers.
I've actually got two colors.
I haven't changed it yet.
(24:19):
Yeah, so you can buy extra,extra covers for it.
So if you wanted to have likeone color for half the year and
another color for another halfof the year, or you did just get
like a bit bored with it, youcan buy new ones.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
Sorry, wow, so the color you've got now it's like a
raisin colour.
Is that correct?
No, it's terracotta.
It's terracotta.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
Okay, cool, the walls are probably a bit more of a
raisin colour, but yeah, I thinkit's actually called terracotta
.
The colour Beautiful and thenthe other colour.
I can't remember the name of it,but it's like a green, like a
not quite forest green, notemerald, like a softer green.
Beautiful, I'll green, notemerald, like a softer green.
Um, beautiful.
I'll definitely post when Ichange that.
(24:57):
I need to do it soon so I canshow everyone what it looks like
.
That'll be our summer sofa, solike our pericardium can be our
winter sofa, and we'll switch tothe green I mean, everybody
needs to have a winter and asummer sofa, right bray.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
We so have to switch that out.
But I suppose I could.
Something that is a little bitdifferent, for for me and and
maybe for you as well, is thatyou know our we, we need to live
through our beliefs in terms ofinterior design.
You know, if we're sort ofsaying to a client, go for it,
go for color, and then you,sitting on your charcoal sofa,
(25:27):
like, yeah, it's not livingthrough your you know for, like
it's just, it's not livingthrough your.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
You know, it's a shocking ambition, isn't it?
Speaker 1 (25:36):
this viral.
Well, you know what?
It is interesting?
Because both of us we've hadour homes photographed for
various things, like we were uh,yeah, we mentioned sunday life
in the beginning.
So yeah again, if you, if youguys want to watch this on
YouTube and you'll see thosekind of visuals pop up, but it
is part of our career and it'spart of our profession.
(25:59):
So do you design ever for that,for Instagram or for brands or
anything like that?
Speaker 2 (26:08):
Yeah, I guess.
So I mean, I think it's a bigpart of our lives now to do
social media content.
So I think it's at the back ofmy mind all the time.
You know, and I've done somecontent for the golf rehearse I
had rugs made here.
That's another thing I did, toadd.
So even in my bedroom I boughta rug loom, um, because the
(26:32):
carpet's just a bit well, it'skind of like a murky gray brown.
Just I don't love it and it,and it really changed the room
to put a rug in, um.
And then godfrey hearst made mesome rugs.
I put one under the diningtable, um, and in the living
room and down the hallway.
So so, yeah, I do think aboutthat and I've done it in a
(26:54):
deliberate way where I've gone,okay, I'm going to work with a
brand and actually create thecontent.
But a big part of me was alsolike and I do post things like
fashion as well was I don't havegreat, I didn't have great
backdrops, I didn't loveanywhere in my house to shoot or
even just like create momentsso that people I think you know
(27:15):
what people like to see is yourpersonal style on social media.
I think that's kind of whythey're there.
I mean, they obviously want tosee all the projects and the
things we're doing, but I thinkthey also want to see, well,
what did you do and how do youlive?
And I didn't really have spacesI was happy to show and that
kind of made me a bit unhappy.
So, yeah, yeah, definitely.
(27:37):
What about you?
I know you've done some co-lebsand stuff too.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
Yeah, and you know, thank you for saying that as
well, because it is just a partof our work and our life, and I
don't have a mode where I switchfrom one to the other, like my
work is so much part of my life.
So, therefore, my home reflectsthat too.
And yes, we've done collab withjewel locks.
You know, in our kids roomwe've done, um, oh, a few of
(28:04):
them.
We did one with double, doublerugs, and I mean those images I
pop up every single day almoston my Instagram.
So, yeah, I don't know if I I'mlike, I don't know, do I think
about Instagram and how that myhome might be captured on
Instagram?
I suppose I do in a way.
I don't know if it's the firstthing I think about, though, but
(28:26):
it definitely.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
You know, I'd be lying if I said I never thought
about it, because it is part ofour yeah, it's all a lie, right,
it's like it's not.
It's not like we're constantlygoing, oh, I can't do that.
That won't look good on socialmedia.
We're still still doing what welove.
I think that's what it was.
For me is, it wasn't that Ididn't think it was good enough
for other people, it was that Ididn't think it represented me.
Now that I have spaces that Ifeel connected to and I feel
(28:58):
like actually show more of who Iam, then now I'm more
comfortable sharing more of that, whereas before, when it wasn't
, it wasn't me and it was likewell, why would I even want to
show some of this?
Because it didn't represent meat all.
So it kind of meant nothing.
Yeah, true.
Speaker 1 (29:07):
And I mean I'm on Zoom with the Design Society
every week and obviously withthis podcast.
So if you do think about yourbackground and to be, honest
with you.
Clients think about that too.
You know, I've got a client whohas a very successful podcast
and the backdrop it's actually abig deal.
You know it's part of her brandand everything as well.
So it's not uncommon.
(29:28):
It's just a different way to you.
Know, we don't work in anoffice where that's it and it's
just a different way to you.
Know you, we don't work in anoffice where that's it and it's.
You know, one way to the other.
It's part of our work, it'spart of our even.
You know this client.
She's not even in in theinteriors or design industry at
all, yet it still affects herand yeah working from home as
she does, which is so amazing.
so, yeah, it's um, it's, it'sall of the things, isn't it?
(29:50):
It's for us, it's, uh, where wecan test our style and where we
can.
You know, we've had a number ofphoto shoots here as well, and
I mean, the bones of this houseis just, it's a gift.
So we're so grateful and I will, you will, I don't know, I
don't think I could ever leavethis house because my soul is
connected to it, so you will seeme on a current affair.
(30:13):
I will shame myself, but youknow that's sad.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
You'd probably end up with people like signing a
petition for you saying shecan't leave, she has to stay.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
But I think this is the thing.
I just um, I just appreciate itso much more, maybe because I
know that I'm not going to behere forever and I am so
grateful for every single dayand I want to make the most of
us.
Every space, you know, theentry, the living, the every
little space.
I want to make the most of itand I wish that I had the
(30:44):
capacity to really spend a lotof time styling every single
corner, but it is, but you'vedone a bit, haven't you like?
Speaker 2 (30:50):
I mean, um, I know you posted about your entry that
you yeah some um practical yetbeautiful little spot there
where, with the shelving, wasthat job you already had?
Speaker 1 (31:02):
I actually won that from cult, so oh, that's right,
sorry it was an instagramcompetition and it's just really
cool.
I love when that happens.
Imagine like a cube.
It's like a cube, a chrome wirecube.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
They're some of my favorite shows.
I love those.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
I love them, so they gifted me those from the
competition.
So yeah, creating a littlemoment as soon as you walk in, I
mean that just makes me sohappy.
And you know, on the other sideof that, we've got another.
I mean that just makes me sohappy, and you know, on the
other side of that, we've gotanother.
I mean I've never had such abig entry before.
The storage is just.
you fill every nook and cranny,which is ridiculous because,
(31:41):
we've gone from apartment livingwith zero, but anyway, it's
what you do, isn't it?
Speaker 2 (31:45):
And if you're going to move you'll need, like,
another truck or something.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
I't know how that worked, but we managed to fill
it, don't we?
But yeah, I suppose you know mymain point would be just dive
in, don't spend too longthinking about it, just do, do
it and enjoy it for the maximum,maximum amount of time that you
can, and nothing's forever, isit?
Speaker 2 (32:06):
so and also not like remembering that, um, I know a
lot of people feel and I guessit happens when we work with
clients as well but I neverreally feel like a space is
never really finished.
You'll get it to a point likewhere you're happy, but then
you've got to allow forevolution.
Right, you've got to allow forthe change of I don't love these
(32:27):
cushions as much as I did, evenif you're just putting them
away in a cupboard or changingthe covers to something else,
and you might come back to thosecovers at another time or give
them to a friend or whatever youwant to do, or change an
artwork or eventually maybe it'sa rug or add a chair.
I feel like you've got to letyourself realize that it doesn't
have to be finished.
(32:48):
I think a lot of people forgetthat and they're kind of like I
need to finish this room andit's like got a deadline but
then it's done.
I don't think that's how lifeworks.
I think you've got to allow fora bit of you know, yes, you can
renovate and finish something,but then allow yourself to want
to just adapt and change andevolve.
Like you know, you don't haveto change everything, but you're
going to change.
(33:08):
We all change, so you've kindof got to let your space do that
too, I think.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
I love that and it's not stagnant.
We don't.
You know, I'm at a stage oflife where I have a
three-year-old, a 10-year-oldand a 12-year-old and we are I
mean, I did not the baby cominglike anyway, that was a bit of a
surprise, but anyway.
So we're back, we're back inpotty training, we're back in
all of that again.
So you know, it's such a joy tobe back in that phase of life
(33:36):
again and, yeah, lean into itand you just know it's not
forever and I think, just be inthe moment, feel in the moment.
It's a decision that you makeand I mean I don't want to sound
too frivolous with making a$20,000 sofa purchase, but yeah,
nothing is forever but alsohold onto those things that are
sentimental.
(33:56):
I think that there are thingsthat we have in our home that a
camera won't.
I'll never show because I mightnot want to show my family
photos.
So, just because you, you knowif you're listening and you
think, oh God, I really lovethese family photos.
But is that, is it daggy, is ittacky?
Is it?
Don't worry about it.
It brings me joy to see myfamily photos in my home and I
(34:20):
don't care if it's somethingthat I like design for you.
I guess is what I'm trying tosay as well.
You know, I try to do it in anaesthetic way.
They're black and fine blackframe so it looks cool like yeah
you know, but don't get toocarried away with.
I suppose you know the instagramand everything like that.
If it feels good for you, like,that is the most important
(34:40):
thing yeah, that's what I guess.
Speaker 2 (34:42):
That's what I was trying to get at before when I
was talking about that was we'renot, yeah, not doing it because
it looks good.
Just you're doing it because itmeans something to you, and
then that's why you're happy toshare it.
So, yeah, don't get caught upin going, I need it just to look
good.
I guess.
Get caught up in what makes youfeel good, I think that's yeah,
and then it looks good anyway,because it might, you know, like
it's gonna give you thatimpression right?
Speaker 1 (35:04):
yeah, I think so.
Like you know, we've got thingsfrom Phil's parents like this
big Buddha, and I love thatBuddha.
You know it doesn't mean I'mgonna put it sentimental yeah
yeah, it's this, this huge, bigfat Buddha with all these babies
um on it.
So it's actually.
It works.
If you rub its stomach, don'trub its stomach if you don't
(35:24):
want to get pregnant, justsaying I did that.
That's what happened.
I've also rubbed that tummy onbehalf of other friends, and
they're pregnant too, so anyway,I'm now, you're gonna have you
can go.
Lauren, can you please rub thetummy for me?
I will do it for you umsomebody that we know too.
Brie, I'll tell you later whoit is.
I'll let her tell you but anyway, um, so that has so much
(35:49):
sentimental value for me.
I don't care if it's not Vogue,living worthy, it's just part
of our family and it makes mefeel good.
So I guess it's striking thatbalance, isn't it?
You know, I've got this artworkwhich is like the most scary
painting of an old lady.
It's just scary when I waslittle because she's got long
nails.
Anyway, I love it now, though.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
Do you know that Friends episode, where Phoebe
makes the artwork?
Speaker 1 (36:14):
I don't know if you're a Friends person.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
I was more of a Seinfeld.
I was both.
Well, for the people that knowFriends, they'll know the
episode I'm talking about, wherePhoebe makes this really scary
artwork and wants to give it toone of the girls and they
pretend like, oh, I can't, suchand such can have it because
it's so horrible and scary.
Anyway.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
Yeah, I've got something like that.
But um, again, thesentimentality.
I am a sentimental person and Ithink you know, creating a home
which is a backdrop to memoriesis really important.
You know, you're growing up andyou're taking in your
environment as a kid and um youknow, who knows what that scary
painting's done to me.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
But it's funny that you said remember in you know
the episode I think it was thewas it Anatomy of a Room perhaps
where you were talking aboutthat huge impression that was
left on you by someone else'shome, one of your friends' homes
.
And I think about that here,even just the change that I've
made in this space, because Iused to think about that all the
(37:17):
time when I was renting and thekids were younger, I was like
they're not going to have thislovely memory because for me, I
think aesthetics really affecthow I think about things and I
would always maybe put too muchimportance on oh, but they don't
have this connection to theirroom or have this like feeling
about it when they're older intheir memories and I do think
(37:38):
even just the things we've donehere in the last, you know, six
months or so I feel like they'llremember this more, these
spaces more, because they'reactually, there's character to
it and because it represents me.
That'll kind of I don't know.
I think they'll carry that intheir memory, whereas before it
was never.
They were our homes, but theyweren't really.
I don't know if that makessense.
Speaker 1 (37:59):
Oh, it does, and it's important, and I think that's
why it's great that at least inVictoria the laws are that you
can paint as long as you returnit to the original condition.
So yeah, check what your rentallaws are in your state.
Sometimes they are a bit hardto find, but it is important.
You know, I painted, as I said,coco and Benji, so the middle
(38:22):
child and the little guy sharinga room together.
It's the sweetest thing and sheloves her room.
She's got a canopy over the bedand just to have that sense
that that's her special space.
And then Indy's got her ownroom, which has got a bunk.
She's up high and she's gotthis beautiful, you know.
She's got a bright yellow chairin there where she reads her
books, which she's probablydoing right now.
Speaker 2 (38:44):
A bit of a bookworm, but how?
Speaker 1 (38:45):
special to have.
Yeah, that spot just for herand little brother doesn't go in
.
You know, I think they'rereally important parts of
growing up.
But I feel like you can createthat when you're renting and I
don't think that we pay enoughin rent.
God, don't we breathe that we,that, we um, that we can um.
(39:06):
You know, let our kids havethose good memories too.
Yes, so good.
So I suppose, yeah, when itcomes to you know our personal
style.
I think we both agree on a lotof things where we lean into
color, we lean into artwork, wewant to express ourselves, we
want to layer texture, we lovelamps and and rugs and all of
the things.
(39:26):
I don't think you woulddescribe us as a minimalist.
Speaker 2 (39:28):
No, definitely not yes, that'd probably be the
opposite.
Well, maximalist is probablywhat people would say about my
style.
Speaker 1 (39:35):
I think all the things yeah, I love all the
things too.
Um, but yeah, you know vintagepieces as well, pieces that
carry yeah a history.
I think they just give a soulto a space.
You know they've they've liveda life and they show that patina
like it's a lovely thing books,plants, I mean all of those
fabulous things we fill our homewith.
Speaker 2 (39:56):
So I think probably the other.
The other thing I'd add, um, ifI'm thinking about personal
style, like decorating for me athome, is I'm pretty good at
like working a bargain intothings.
I'm like I mean I've got a fewcouple of side of the road
things which are fantastic, butI mean like just really looking
(40:17):
at things that are could be.
Ikea, for instance, is probablyone of my favorite brands for
affordable stuff, because I feellike most of the things are
fairly original.
Um, they're reasonably wellmade, depending on what you're
looking at, like some betterthan others, but they often just
have like some unique things orthey're doing a lot of really
great collabs.
So you know, I love just likefinding a little cool.
(40:39):
I can't literally the chair I'msitting in it's the same color
as your top.
Yeah, gorgeous green in um, itis an ikea chair.
It was actually, I think, arevival of an 80s design that
they did you know how they'relike relaunching some of their
old designs and I I was lucky tosnap it up because it kept
being out of stock for ages and,like you know how you put the
(41:01):
alerts on.
Yes, and then one day it cameup and like I just got in in
time and got it.
Oh, I love that, yeah, so likethings like that, like this
isn't an expensive chair, but Iknow I'll probably have it
forever because it's just one ofthose things that I'm like that
was like a cool thing to pickup at a reasonable price, that
it's super comfy too Well.
Speaker 1 (41:22):
I have a controversial opinion about Ikea
is that it is designerfurniture.
So what I mean is that everysingle thing you buy at Ikea
every light, every furniture ithas a designer's name on it,
which you can't say about otherbig box kind of retailers and
the designers that they workwith are world-class designers.
(41:44):
Because if you think that andas you said, you know it's not
all created equal I find thelighting to be generally pretty
good.
I've got these lamps that werea collaboration with Hay and the
dimmable feature.
It's fantastic.
Speaker 2 (42:00):
I remember the Hay ones.
I just doubt on that.
Speaker 1 (42:02):
They're great.
It's a beautiful, the glow thatit gives is beautiful.
So I think you know wesometimes we don't have the
budget that our clients have, sowe have to be creative and I
think that if you've got thateye and you know your own style.
You can go to Ikea and you cansift through the billions of
different pieces on offer andfind that gem that speaks to
(42:24):
your style.
Speaker 2 (42:25):
So I think that's really clever yeah, and even
just like that side of the roadthing is a thing for me as well.
But, um, I've had, I've got acouple of chairs now which I
love and I haven't reupholsteredbecause the fabric's actually
quite cool, but I probably willin time.
But I remember the first sideof the road.
Yeah, I remember the first sideof the road.
I think it was the first.
I was in college and my friendand I I was on the train and
(42:49):
every time I went past thisparticular spot on the line I'd
see this old chair just sittingthere and I don't know how long
it had been there.
It was probably disgusting.
I was probably like it'd beenin the rain and it was like a
proper old chair.
It had like the old um, what isit Like?
The hair upholstery inside,horse hair.
Yeah, yeah, it was like properold.
But I really want.
(43:10):
Every time I saw it I'm like Iwant that chair, I'm going to
get that chair.
So one day my friend and I wentin her little car and this was
like a big high back kind ofwing sort of chair and we sort
of put it into her boot and,like you know, tied it down.
So I was like literally hangingout the things we do, and my
(43:32):
friend who is now actuallyactually she was studying, I
think, at the time and ended upbeing a police officer.
I can't remember if she was atthe academy then.
So it was very illegal what wewere doing, a just picking up
stuff from I don't know.
It was like a railway property,like we didn't have to jump
fences or anything.
It was just sort of thisabandoned spot and then we drove
all the back streets back to.
We had like a little flat inMalvern East, like all the
(43:53):
little back streets back, andMalvernice like all the little
back streets back, and honestly,we often get stupid things.
We just laughed the whole timewith this bloody thing in the
back and it was so wet.
We put it in our little flat infront of the heater and it
probably took like two weeks todry out and I still I think my
mum has it.
Now I don't have it anymore butI had a beautiful cover made
for it, like a hot pink sort offuchsia corduroy fabric.
(44:15):
Oh wow, and it was just a greatlittle and so that was sort of
free.
I mean, I had to pay for thecover to be made.
But I kind of like that stuff,like that's.
I don't know they're the funthings that happen.
Speaker 1 (44:26):
Well, I think that you know, because you've got an
eye for design, you are lookingbeyond the wetness, You're
looking at the shape.
Speaker 2 (44:34):
You know you can appreciate when you, I had,
literally I slept on a phone,like actually, and my shelves in
my room were, you know, thosecrates.
You could get the timber crates.
I didn't know where I got themfrom, but I got them for free
from somewhere and I, you know,stacked those and made my
shelving in my room.
Speaker 1 (44:52):
It's called industrial chic.
Speaker 2 (44:54):
Yes, it was Very rustic.
Speaker 1 (44:58):
Well, you know, again , it's looking beyond the you
know, the big retailers, isn'tit?
And it's looking at auctionhouses, it's looking at Ikea,
it's looking at the side of theroad and slamming on the brakes
and making it happen.
So fun.
So I think that, yeah, you know, don't be afraid, don't be
afraid to look a bit atsomething unconventional.
(45:19):
And you know, with your coolIKEA chair that you're sitting
on, don't turn your nose up atIKEA, because I think that it's
you know, as I like to call it,it's imported Scandinavian
furniture.
So, you know, I love that.
Yeah, okay.
Speaker 2 (45:38):
Well, I think that was really fun, brie any other
points you wanted to make.
Speaker 1 (45:39):
Oh, I'm sure I'll think of some later.
Yeah, exactly that's how itgoes, isn't it okay?
Well, let's wrap this up then.
And, um, I suppose, before wego, I wanted to let you guys
know that in the design society,we are starting a group mentor
program for 2025.
So if you want to learn aboutinterior design, this is more
for interior designers, in areally small group.
(46:02):
I just want everyone to be ableto be seen and heard, just to
you know, build yourprofitability, learn how to
market your business and reallyhow to onboard clients and how
to even vet your clients All ofthose things to run your
business.
A really nice small group.
That's opening up.
And then, yeah, we've got ourstyle studies course too.
That looks really cool.
(46:23):
Yeah, it's so fun.
Speaker 2 (46:24):
Yeah, I'd say you've started that too, haven't you?
You've launched that alreadythe style studies.
Speaker 1 (46:30):
Style studies essential.
So it's like basically fourdifferent modules.
We're talking about, you know,being able to name your style
and we're going through each ofthe different styles and you
know, the feedback that I've gotwas oh, I've been walking
around my house and I'mrealizing why those spaces don't
work, and just being able toidentify that it's been really
(46:50):
cool.
We talk about color because Imean, that's a big module.
We actually send out a littlepaint kit to everyone and I
really want to encourage peopleto understand color and I don't,
I think you just reallyremember it when you do it yeah,
that's so we're mixing thetints, the tones, the shades,
and then you understand whensomebody says, oh, that's a
(47:11):
white, but it has a bit of blackin it.
They're like what do you mean?
Yeah yeah, that's with black.
Speaker 2 (47:15):
Yeah, yeah, that's so true.
Speaker 1 (47:17):
It's really cool.
And then you add yellow.
Speaker 2 (47:20):
They could just watch those tint videos on.
You know when that becamereally popular, to watch the
tint go into the paint and thentry and guess what the color was
.
Speaker 1 (47:27):
Oh, I love that.
So fun.
Oh my God, Is that a thing?
Have you not seen it?
Oh my God, Send them to me.
Speaker 2 (47:34):
Yeah, all right, you can probably just I'm sure
they're on YouTube as well, butthey used to come up a bit on
socials so you'd have someoneyou know like basically
commentate and watch it and tryand guess what the color's going
to be.
And you know, they do theshaking and then they open it up
and they're like what?
That's purple.
Speaker 1 (47:58):
Like they're really like here.
Here's youtube.
We talk about, yeah, color indepth and what, uh, you know how
to.
Well, how to, how the colorwheel works and, um, yeah, all
that stuff, when you're lookingat a space and identifying why
that works and you know what,why some spaces maybe don't work
.
And then we talk about layoutspopular layouts, uh, that we see
in kitchens.
You talking about butler'spantries, for instance.
You know the kitchen triangleversus the zones.
(48:18):
You know all of these things.
Anyway, it's really reallygreat, I hope.
I think feedback has been goodso far.
So if you're not a designer butyou want to learn from a
designer, I guess like that'skind of what that's about, so
you can just implement that foryour own home.
Speaker 2 (48:33):
Yeah, and I am very close to launching our
pre-selected design packages,which are basically there could
be five different styles and theidea is that you get to have, I
guess, my point of view and abespoke looking design at a
fraction of the cost that itwould be to actually hire me to
do a whole full design for you.
(48:55):
So you kind of get a snippet ofyou know, you can select a room,
select a style, and I basicallyhand over everything for you.
That's all ready to go and tellyou how to do it and how to put
it together lists, all thethings that would go into the
room, options, differentpalettes, how to put the palette
together.
So it just sort of spells itall out for you, but then you
(49:20):
can go off and do that in yourown time.
So, um, yeah, we're very.
We'll probably launch those injanuary.
We were going to try and launchthem this year, but I feel like
I totally forgot about the oldum black friday sales that go on
forever and make a lot of noise, so I'm just going to give it a
little space.
Speaker 1 (49:30):
That's smart and so I think that's so exciting
because I guess when I see yourprojects, I'm like where's that
from, where's that from?
Oh my gosh, like how she putthose together.
So it's like your little secret, you know sources and
everything, which is really nice.
Speaker 2 (49:45):
Yeah, and just to make you know it's great to try
and make you know good designaffordable, not just from a
product point of view, but beingable to, like, pull together a
space that you feel great in,like what we've talked about, um
.
So you know, I'm hoping thatthose five styles that we create
, there's one that you can bedrawn to, um, that you'll love
and be able to, you know, dothat in your own home, which is,
yeah, fantastic, so they can doyour course and they can come
(50:08):
and buy my thing and they've gotthe whole thing together living
a fabulous life.
Speaker 1 (50:13):
I love that, I.
I love that.
So good Brie, all right, yeah,lovely to chat Azel.
Yeah, lovely to chat.
And yeah, you guys, we have gotsome really special guests
lined up for you, so we're superexcited to be sharing them
every week Very exciting.
So thanks for listening, ciao,bye.
We've got the utmost respectfor the Wurundjeri people of the
(50:35):
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.
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
(50:56):
the future.
We're just lucky to be on thisjourney together.
Welcome to Design Anatomy, the interior design
podcast hosted by friends andfellow designers.
Me, lauren Lee.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
And me, Brie Banfield , with some amazing guest
appearances along the way.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
We're here to break down everything from current
trends to timeless style, with ashared passion for joyful,
colour-filled and lived-inspaces.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
We're excited to share our insights and
inspiration with you.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
And today I think it's going to be a nice episode
Brie, because we're talkingabout our personal approach to
how we decorate.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Yeah, exactly the way we decorate in our homes, not
for other people.
Yes.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Well, I think you know what I thought would be so
great to talk about this,because I saw your home in
Sunday Life magazine and it isjust so joyful.
Obviously, colour is a big partof it, but it's just amazing
just to see how you've expressedyourself in your own home.
(01:02):
So I just wanted to talk to youa little bit about that and
maybe you could sort of speak ona little bit like how, with
your expertise in colourforecasting, you know, for Dulux
you're so known for colour, butwhen it comes to your own home,
is it an easy choice or do yousort of get paralysed?
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Yeah, I was actually just talking to someone today
who was going.
One of my doctors was like whatdo you do again?
I'm like I interior design.
She goes oh, it must be thebest job in the world.
I said, oh, you look, it'spretty good.
Good and bad days, yeah.
But she was like, oh, I wouldjust be terrible at it because
there's just too many decisionsand I get overwhelmed.
(01:46):
I said, well, I guess that's whypeople come to us, right is
because they don't want to beoverwhelmed or they're
struggling with making thedecision.
I said, but if it comes to myown stuff, that's exactly how I
feel as well.
I think probably it's becausewe see so much stuff, right, and
(02:06):
so we get excited about so manydifferent things.
So it's like you kind of it'shard to settle on something
because then you see somethingelse, girl, but I love that.
So it's like I could sort of Idon't know flip and change, and
I think I did for a long timetoo.
I feel like it takes a littlewhile as you get older to kind
of settle into your style a bitmore and maybe be a little more
(02:30):
not brave.
Just you don't care as muchabout what other people think.
Absolutely, yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
And I also think that you know, after a number of
years working in the industry,you see different waves of
change and you're like you know,after a number of years working
in the industry, you seedifferent waves of change and
you're like, you know what I?
I absolutely love the idea of apink bedroom.
I'm gonna go for it, like it'sjust what I love right now, it
doesn't mean I'm gonna have tolove it forever yeah, and that's
liberating when you let go.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Yeah, I think clients can get stuck on that and think
that when they've made thatdecision, then that's it.
They've got to kind of stick toit.
I think it's totally fine toeven to get it wrong, like we
all get it wrong, like we get itwrong right, like I've done
things, definitely oh wow, thatdoesn't work at all, it's not,
or it's not what I thought itwould be or whatever.
(03:21):
But I think people can getreally stuck in that fatigue
because they do put thatpressure on themselves, thinking
this is this big decision, evenabout like a cushion or
something.
Should I buy this exact one?
What will I do if it doesn'twork in my house?
What if I hate it?
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Take it back, yeah exactly, and I think that's the
thing when it comes to our ownhomes.
It can be a bit of a testingground.
You know you can, you knowpaint a room and if you don't
love it and you know what youcan live with it for a year and
you can just change it.
I mean, obviously it'sinconvenient, but it's not like
(03:59):
you've invested thousands ofdollars, especially when it
comes to paint colors.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
It's just the tint of paint and a time investment, or
you get a painter out from airtasker or whatever, like it's
not such a huge decision for allof that impact that you get and
I remember, like when you wererenting in your apartment and
you did a few things like Ithink you might have even
installed, like you did somelights and paint, yeah, and some
(04:26):
shelving and some things, and Iremember thinking to myself oh
so I've been renting for areally long time I think we both
have and it can be veryrestrictive.
As designers, because ofexactly what you said.
We do want to use our spaces tokind of test things and express
stuff and experiment with coloror pattern or even furniture
(04:48):
placement or whatever it is.
And then when you're renting,you sort of feel like you've got
this restriction.
And then I remember when youdid that, I was like why?
didn't, I just ask permission todo this stuff, like you know.
Yes, you're going to have toprobably put it back to how it
was, but I finally did that thisyear and painted and it has
been the best thing I've everdone in a home since I I mean, I
(05:11):
have owned a home before butsince I've been renting because
it's just made it feel like myspace and it is going to be a
pain in the ass to paint it back.
But you know, we hope to behere for you know, another year,
so in that year I might evenchange my mind and paint a
different colour, but at least Iknow I can do that and have
that freedom of expression here.
I mean, I guess I've alwaysbeen able to hang artwork, but
(05:38):
even then it's like you know,using the 3M hooks is a pain in
the ass because nothing everquite hangs properly or they
fall off in the middle of thenight.
I've had that happen, hopefully.
Or they'd fall off in themiddle of the night.
If that happened, hopefully nota picture over your bed.
But you know you hear thiscrash and you go, oh my God,
what was that?
And then you go downstairs andthe whole artwork's fallen off
the wall or something.
But so when you paint, ofcourse if you're going to have
to paint back, you have to patchtoo, so you might as well use
proper hooks.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Well, I mean that apartment that you mentioned.
We moved, moved into thisbeautiful new apartment.
It overlooked the Yarra River,had amazing views of the city.
I loved it and, yes, I wantedto make it my own.
I wanted to experiment and sowe painted one of the main walls
in the space this actually waspretty much the whole living and
(06:19):
kitchen area this beautifulsort of putty, warm color.
By doing that, we had to patchthe walls.
They weren't in the best shape,but I would recommend, you know
, if you're renting, don't waitbefore you move in, get the
paint brushes out and make themost of that.
You know you're getting atleast a year of that longevity.
You know, I loved hearing yousay how much it just really
(06:41):
changed your life and it justmakes you feel so good and I
still, in a way, I miss thatapartment.
I mean, we're in a much biggerhouse now, but I miss that.
It was such a great space andhad the most cool views and had
a rooftop pool, like you knowthere's so many benefits to a
apartment living yeah, we lovedit and um, yeah, and when we
(07:02):
left, you know all of those, uh,you know scratches and whatever
the wall, they were all patchedand painted right back.
And you know we left theapartment in a much better
condition as we came in.
And you know, in this house aswell, we didn't want to wait too
long.
I've painted my bedroom here,I've painted the kids' room and
(07:22):
I'm just looking at this whitewall behind me thinking, hmm,
what am I going to do here?
But you know, as you know, we'rerenting this house and you have
a right to paint and you justneed to return it back to how it
was.
You also have a right to hangpictures in your space.
So you know we actually do.
I mean, renting is a lot morecommon in European countries,
(07:44):
isn't it?
But you know this new meanrenting is a lot more common in
European countries, isn't it?
But you know this newgeneration renting is the norm.
And you know it's a wholediscussion for maybe another day
, brie, but I suppose my pointis do it If you're renting,
express yourself in your home.
It's just so fulfilling.
And if it means the paintbrush,if it means getting out, you
know hanging up photos and, youknow, artwork on your walls.
(08:05):
Please do it.
It's such a good feeling.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
And maybe we should do that.
Let's talk about renting, andyou know what you can do because
we both have had thisexperience.
But I guess, coming back towhat we want to talk about with
our I guess personal approach todecorating, maybe tell me about
, like, I guess, do you thinkit's changed for you since you
were in an apartment to thehouse, or do you think your
style has just kind of followedyou and it's the same approach,
(08:32):
or did you find that different?
Speaker 1 (08:34):
I think the architecture definitely
influences the way that Iapproach to decorate the space.
And we're in a mid-centuryhouse now and the floor plan is
so wonderful.
You know, we have really bigwindows and lots more natural
light and all those kind ofthings.
But I suppose my approach todecorating is it's crazy because
(08:56):
this house that we're in Idon't know how we fit all of the
furniture in a three-bedroomapartment and now we've filled a
whole house.
How does that work?
You fill the space that youhave, but I suppose the approach
is the same.
We've installed pendantlighting here.
We did that in our apartment aswell.
We left that there as a littlegift to them.
(09:17):
We even went so far as to havesome sheer curtains made for
that apartment.
We've been able to take themhere and they've worked as well.
Yeah, yeah, I mean we also.
Yeah, they're the kind ofinvestments that some people
will think is crazy to do, but Ineed that.
I need my home to feel like mysanctuary, and especially, you
(09:38):
know, during COVID times andeverything like that.
I think that it was soblatantly obvious how our space
affects the way we feel and ifyou can create a home that
expresses yourself, that you canreally tap into what your style
is, it's good for your mentalhealth.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Yeah, a hundred percent it is.
I couldn't agree more.
I guess the other thing that Imean, if we're talking about
like things that you realize inCOVID, is there was that huge
move towards tactility, and Ifeel like that's when I think
about your style.
You know, when people thinkabout my style, we often think
about color, obviously.
That's kind of what I'm knownfor.
I feel like your approach todecorating definitely includes a
(10:19):
lot of kind of tactility, andyou know material, like
materiality, I suppose, suppose,and you use color, but it's in
a much more subtle way and it'sit's, I guess, quite connected
to those things the material andthe tactility of it, of
something.
Do you think what is it aboutthat that you love like?
Why do you think that that'ssort of what you're gravitating
towards, or am I wrong?
(10:39):
You can tell me no, um it's?
Speaker 1 (10:42):
it's a bit yeah, you're right like I think it is
the inherent colours of timberand the inherent colours of
stone and brass and it's workingwith those materials, but it's
also about engaging all of thesenses.
So it's having that obviouslysight, you know that visual
(11:04):
contrast, and it's about touch,isn't it?
And sometimes you know you getthat sense of touch by seeing
something.
But it's also contrasting.
You know, a velvet next to atimber, next to that brass, and
a wool and a linen, like.
I find that tactile contrastreally interesting.
And I suppose in the home it'salso sound.
(11:26):
We love music, right, bree?
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Like I love to have music playing.
That is something we definitelyhave in common, and we do have
a lot of similar musical tastestoo, but yes, we have excellent
music taste.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
Yeah, smell.
I know that's probably where weare very divided, because I
know that you despise scentedcandles.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
But you know what I do.
I have like my little physiqueoil burner and I'll often,
sometimes I feel like I needthat to set the mood, like for
work or whatever it is, and so Ihave my different little oils
that, you know, create differentmoods.
So, yeah, I do that.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
I've got that physique.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
It's F-A-Z-E-E-K.
Yeah, it's like this reallycool glass oil burner.
It's beautiful.
I've got one of those too.
They are really nice.
So we've got sight, we've gottouch, we've got sound.
We've got smell, taste I don'tknow about in interiors how
taste could be.
Well, I suppose you know what Ilove about kitchens is where
the activity of cooking is alsoexpressed in what you see.
(12:27):
I don't really believe ineverything being packed away.
I think it's a kitchen.
It's functional, like, let'scelebrate that.
So maybe in some ways the tastecould come across in the
kitchen area.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
Isn't it funny, I find kitchens quite tricky,
particularly for okay, we'regoing to go back to renting
again.
I think we're naturally goingto talk about renting because we
both do and it definitelyaffects the way we approach
things for ourselves.
Like, I don't love the kitchenthat I've got in terms of, like
the finishes it's yeah, I won'tget into it, but I would say
(12:59):
it's very not me.
So it's quite.
It's kind of gray and white andeven like a couple of things I
don't think work well together.
But I don't like a lot of stuffout in the kitchen, except if
it's beautiful.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Or if, like you're, you would probably be a bit more
I don't know what the word isfor it Like, yeah, those
practical things out in thekitchen where I'm like I want to
have a little.
Or we could have the discussionof the butler's pantry, which I
know you've jumped on before inthe past to talk about how you
know you don't think they'reneeded or you don't really, you
(13:36):
don't rate it.
Let's say Well.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
I just think they're too big.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
Yeah, Well, see mine's tiny here and I have,
I've had one for a while.
Actually Was in mine's tinyhere and I have I've had one for
a while.
Actually, Most of the housesI've moved into have been fairly
new houses and they have somekind of butler's pantry and I
like it to be at least bigenough.
I like my fridge in there, if Ican have it in there Coffee
machine, microwave and maybelike one other appliance, Like
I'd love the toaster and thekettle to be in there, but mine
(14:01):
actually isn't big enough forthat.
It's only big enough for thecoffee machine, the fridge and
there's a spot for the microwave.
I just made one in a shelfbecause, like many kitchens,
there was no specific spot forthe microwave.
I find that baffling thatpeople think you're just going
to put it on the bench.
I couldn't think of anythingworse than that.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Well, I mean the effect of life is, if you've got
a baby and a toddler, youactually find yourself heating
up pre-made meals so often.
So exactly what you're saying,Brie, like there's that
functionality that you need in akitchen.
But yeah, I suppose I like tohave my aesthetic appliances out
.
Yeah, you know like a cuteJapanese kettle that I've got
that.
(14:38):
Yeah, that are sort of a littlebit more designed for being on
display, like it's not exactlyall my plastic containers and
Tupperware.
That's not aesthetic.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
I'm sorry if I made it sound like that's what I was
inferring.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
Oh no, you didn't.
Oh, I know, but I think thatyou know when I I was thinking
more.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
You know beautiful timber canisters or something
you know.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Yeah, the stuff that gets used and not the stuff
that's just there to.
You know, collect dust which alot of people are like oh my God
, I couldn't handle it on mybench.
I'm like but how do you make acup of tea?
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Yes, there, still needs to be obviously the
functionality, but I do, and Iactually do have quite a bit of
stuff on my benches now.
But I try and like I've got aspot where on one side of the
kitchen, I actually paint alittle spot there, as it was
just plasterboard, which hasmade me feel a lot better about
(15:30):
my kitchen now and that's whereI put the KitchenAid the lilac
KitchenAid, which is one of myfavourite things the mixer, and
I've put an artwork there.
So that's kind of next to where, like, we put our keys and all
of that sort of stuff.
So it's still that little spotis quite pretty.
And then I've moved.
There was some open shelveslike above where the like next
to the range, wood and stuff,and I actually ended up just
(15:52):
taking out the middle shelf andmaking it just like one big
opening and putting an artworkin there and creating a little
vignette.
So, yeah, I've, I've improvedit, but it's not.
I love that.
I'd love to just like changeall the cupboards, but that's
not going to happen.
Oh, exactly, although you knowsorry, I just remembered a new
product.
I haven't looked at it properlyyet, but there is a new product
(16:12):
out.
You might know it.
So, like you know the removablewallpaper Okay, that
self-adhesive one where you canput it to the wall then they've
created one that you can putonto laminate cupboards.
That makes it look like a vinylwrap.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
Wow.
So that's the thing I think youknow.
We've like you.
We've owned our own place.
We've done a really funrenovation there.
We've also rented, and in oneof the apartments we rented we
actually installed a splashbackbecause it was a glass
splashback.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Oh, yes, I remember.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
That was a flashback, that was a covid thing and it
was, um, it was called air slateand it's actually real slate,
but it's a very fine veneer of aslate.
Don't ask me how it works, butit's quite cool, yeah, and um,
we had that piece cut to size,and so there are things that you
can do.
You know, I, I think my, myadvice would be just don't wait,
just get onto it and make themost of your time living there.
(17:12):
And I think another sort ofgeneral approach to decorating
is to decorate your kitchen.
So I love the way to bringartwork into your kitchen.
I feel like it's so much partof our living area.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
Oh, completely.
We spend so much time therereally as well.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
That's right.
Don't forget to decorate it.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
Yeah, yeah, it's beautiful, even just the
beautiful tea towel.
Mine are terrible.
I need some new ones.
Yes, yeah.
I know Mine are functional, notpretty.
Yeah, I know, I mean, sometimesit is just a touch like that it
(17:53):
can just really just make yourexperience, your everyday
experience of the home, justfeel really nice and those
little things, those littletouches, I would say that's a
huge factor in my approach ingeneral too in the home, in my
home is making sure that everyspace has a little joy.
So you do get I don't know thatnice feeling in a room.
That's probably the main goalfor me and to me that's about
colour, and artwork is probablya big part of it too.
And then lighting, which I knowwe've probably touched on
(18:16):
before, like making sure thatit's not just like downlights
and there's lamps or you know,there's another lighting source
that's not kind of, you know,coming from directly above.
You know all those things to arethe kind of I don't know the
basis of how I would approach aroom.
It's like those three things.
It's okay, the color, obviously, practicality definitely comes
(18:36):
into it, but color, artwork,lighting, yeah, I feel like
they're the things that.
And comfort, I suppose.
But, um, that probably isn't myfirst, it's not the first thing
.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
I'll sacrifice a little bit of comfort if
something is beautiful, you know, I agree, I agree I agree, yeah
, and I think you know when itcomes to lighting, sure, you
know that's such a big part ofhow you experience a space and
you can plug in lamps.
But also you know what we didwith different places we've
lived in and it's so cool to seehow different spaces adapt to
(19:12):
how you live.
I've got one of those Lamp deMarseille labs Le Corbusier lab
that's been over my desk, it'sbeen over my dining, it's been
as a bedside, like you can movethose things around.
There's another one that I'vegot.
It's just behind me.
It's called I'll have to let youguys know but it's you just
plug it in, but it's actuallyhung from the ceiling, so it's
(19:32):
just a small little screw thatagain, you patch it when you
leave, but it's very, veryminimal, yeah, and you're sort
of getting that wall lightingsort of effect within the space.
I think it's a floss lightactually.
It's fancy.
You've got fancy lights, butit's actually really.
I mean it's really affordableas well for the impact that you
(19:53):
get.
Yeah, because it's quite asimple, just a bulb and a cable
that connects to the ceiling,with a weight on the bottom that
hangs down.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Yeah, I know the one, and I can't think of what
that's called either.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
Yeah, parentesi, or something like that.
So I think that you know, youand I would agree on the colour
that has just changed the waythat we live in our space and
when I wanted to paint mybedroom it was quite daunting to
try to choose.
I think it's we know too manyoptions and we do get I get very
distracted by oh, I love this,I love that.
(20:25):
That's why I like so manydifferent styles.
But you sort of just have tothink about okay, what is the
feeling I want to create hereand I wanted to have like a
feminine sort of space?
Obviously, my husband has tosleep there too, so it's not
like a Barbie pink, it's more ofa dusty kind of pink.
Sorry, phil, doesn't really geta huge say in it, I'm sure.
(20:45):
Sorry, phil.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
You know, I think he's got good taste too, Like I
think he'd go oh, I get it.
I understand why you're doingthat kind of thing he does.
He's a bit supportive.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Yeah, it does feel really good and you know, every
time I'm in my room and you canfeel like you're being able to
express yourself, it's just areally fulfilling feeling.
So I think colour is such a bigone, but also, you know less,
something less committal is, youknow, in terms of a sofa.
I know that people can well, alot of people, a lot of clients
(21:20):
get a little bit scared aboutgoing for a color and they want
to go with something neutral,like a gray or a beige or
something like that, whichobviously has its place.
But we went for a peach fabricand it brings me a lot of joy as
well.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
So you know, that's something where you can really
dive into color in upholstery.
As you said before Brie, acushion, a colorful or a
patterned cushion.
It's so crazy how much it canreally bring joy to a space, and
it's so minimal.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
Yeah, and that does serve a bigger purpose.
I love cushions on my sofa,like I get put them all behind
me and lean on one and, like youknow, you can make it your own
little spot.
So they're not just pretty,they actually do have a bigger
purpose.
Yeah, I agree with theupholstery thing, particularly
with sofas.
I think I know people feel muchmore comfortable with something
(22:12):
that they consider to beneutral because they think that
it has longevity.
I don't know, I kind of I pushback on that a little bit and
say, but how do you feel aboutit?
Like, if you're that practicalthat everything has to have
longevity, then your house isnot ever going to connect to you
, unless you're like someonewho's just like's your whole
(22:32):
personality.
I don't know right, but you'vegot to have something that you
have a feeling about, and so Iwould kind of push back and say,
on a bigger investment piece,it's even more important to have
a connection to it so that youfeel good about it.
You spend all this money on itand you want to love it.
You don't want to go with.
That was a very good investmentfor the future.
Yes, it was a very practicalhome.
(22:55):
Yeah, and a sofa can make likequite a statement in a room.
I mean, I don't mean, like youknow, a bright pink sofa, I just
mean the shape or the fabric orwhatever it is that it's kind
of really important to get thatright and to love it.
(23:16):
So, yeah, I would kind of pushback and say, and you know, we,
I had a charcoal sofa for a verylong time and it made me so
unhappy.
It made me so I can tell you now.
It made me so unhappy and Ithink when it was first
purchased it was for, um, whatwe were kind of using like a
cinema kind of room or a TV room, and so it wasn't a main area
and then it kind of just gotcarried with us for years and
years and to the point where itwas also quite discreet we just
(23:38):
needed to be out on the side ofthe road and gotten rid of.
So it was one of my big thingsthat I did this year and I
didn't get a very, veryexpensive sofa.
But what's great about the sofaI've got?
It's the Eva Everyday littlepod there is.
It's the Eva Everyday littleplug there is.
It's modular, so I can add to it.
I can when I do move.
I know I can change theconfiguration if I need to,
(23:59):
because the other sofa that Ihad, it was like two-piece
modular but it meant you couldonly go like one direction and
so you'd kind of get stuck.
Sometimes it didn't work in aroom.
It was quite big.
But the Eva sofa you can changethe covers.
I've actually got two colors.
I haven't changed it yet.
(24:19):
Yeah, so you can buy extra,extra covers for it.
So if you wanted to have likeone color for half the year and
another color for another halfof the year, or you did just get
like a bit bored with it, youcan buy new ones.
Speaker 1 (24:27):
Sorry, wow, so the color you've got now it's like a
raisin colour.
Is that correct?
No, it's terracotta.
It's terracotta.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
Okay, cool, the walls are probably a bit more of a
raisin colour, but yeah, I thinkit's actually called terracotta
.
The colour Beautiful and thenthe other colour.
I can't remember the name of it,but it's like a green, like a
not quite forest green, notemerald, like a softer green.
Beautiful, I'll green, notemerald, like a softer green.
Um, beautiful.
I'll definitely post when Ichange that.
(24:57):
I need to do it soon so I canshow everyone what it looks like
.
That'll be our summer sofa, solike our pericardium can be our
winter sofa, and we'll switch tothe green I mean, everybody
needs to have a winter and asummer sofa, right bray.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
We so have to switch that out.
But I suppose I could.
Something that is a little bitdifferent, for for me and and
maybe for you as well, is thatyou know our we, we need to live
through our beliefs in terms ofinterior design.
You know, if we're sort ofsaying to a client, go for it,
go for color, and then you,sitting on your charcoal sofa,
(25:27):
like, yeah, it's not livingthrough your you know for, like
it's just, it's not livingthrough your.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
You know, it's a shocking ambition, isn't it?
Speaker 1 (25:36):
this viral.
Well, you know what?
It is interesting?
Because both of us we've hadour homes photographed for
various things, like we were uh,yeah, we mentioned sunday life
in the beginning.
So yeah again, if you, if youguys want to watch this on
YouTube and you'll see thosekind of visuals pop up, but it
is part of our career and it'spart of our profession.
(25:59):
So do you design ever for that,for Instagram or for brands or
anything like that?
Speaker 2 (26:08):
Yeah, I guess.
So I mean, I think it's a bigpart of our lives now to do
social media content.
So I think it's at the back ofmy mind all the time.
You know, and I've done somecontent for the golf rehearse I
had rugs made here.
That's another thing I did, toadd.
So even in my bedroom I boughta rug loom, um, because the
(26:32):
carpet's just a bit well, it'skind of like a murky gray brown.
Just I don't love it and it,and it really changed the room
to put a rug in, um.
And then godfrey hearst made mesome rugs.
I put one under the diningtable, um, and in the living
room and down the hallway.
So so, yeah, I do think aboutthat and I've done it in a
(26:54):
deliberate way where I've gone,okay, I'm going to work with a
brand and actually create thecontent.
But a big part of me was alsolike and I do post things like
fashion as well was I don't havegreat, I didn't have great
backdrops, I didn't loveanywhere in my house to shoot or
even just like create momentsso that people I think you know
(27:15):
what people like to see is yourpersonal style on social media.
I think that's kind of whythey're there.
I mean, they obviously want tosee all the projects and the
things we're doing, but I thinkthey also want to see, well,
what did you do and how do youlive?
And I didn't really have spacesI was happy to show and that
kind of made me a bit unhappy.
So, yeah, yeah, definitely.
(27:37):
What about you?
I know you've done some co-lebsand stuff too.
Speaker 1 (27:40):
Yeah, and you know, thank you for saying that as
well, because it is just a partof our work and our life, and I
don't have a mode where I switchfrom one to the other, like my
work is so much part of my life.
So, therefore, my home reflectsthat too.
And yes, we've done collab withjewel locks.
You know, in our kids roomwe've done, um, oh, a few of
(28:04):
them.
We did one with double, doublerugs, and I mean those images I
pop up every single day almoston my Instagram.
So, yeah, I don't know if I I'mlike, I don't know, do I think
about Instagram and how that myhome might be captured on
Instagram?
I suppose I do in a way.
I don't know if it's the firstthing I think about, though, but
(28:26):
it definitely.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
You know, I'd be lying if I said I never thought
about it, because it is part ofour yeah, it's all a lie, right,
it's like it's not.
It's not like we're constantlygoing, oh, I can't do that.
That won't look good on socialmedia.
We're still still doing what welove.
I think that's what it was.
For me is, it wasn't that Ididn't think it was good enough
for other people, it was that Ididn't think it represented me.
Now that I have spaces that Ifeel connected to and I feel
(28:58):
like actually show more of who Iam, then now I'm more
comfortable sharing more of that, whereas before, when it wasn't
, it wasn't me and it was likewell, why would I even want to
show some of this?
Because it didn't represent meat all.
So it kind of meant nothing.
Yeah, true.
Speaker 1 (29:07):
And I mean I'm on Zoom with the Design Society
every week and obviously withthis podcast.
So if you do think about yourbackground and to be, honest
with you.
Clients think about that too.
You know, I've got a client whohas a very successful podcast
and the backdrop it's actually abig deal.
You know it's part of her brandand everything as well.
So it's not uncommon.
(29:28):
It's just a different way to you.
Know, we don't work in anoffice where that's it and it's
just a different way to you.
Know you, we don't work in anoffice where that's it and it's.
You know, one way to the other.
It's part of our work, it'spart of our even.
You know this client.
She's not even in in theinteriors or design industry at
all, yet it still affects herand yeah working from home as
she does, which is so amazing.
so, yeah, it's um, it's, it'sall of the things, isn't it?
(29:50):
It's for us, it's, uh, where wecan test our style and where we
can.
You know, we've had a number ofphoto shoots here as well, and
I mean, the bones of this houseis just, it's a gift.
So we're so grateful and I will, you will, I don't know, I
don't think I could ever leavethis house because my soul is
connected to it, so you will seeme on a current affair.
(30:13):
I will shame myself, but youknow that's sad.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
You'd probably end up with people like signing a
petition for you saying shecan't leave, she has to stay.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
But I think this is the thing.
I just um, I just appreciate itso much more, maybe because I
know that I'm not going to behere forever and I am so
grateful for every single dayand I want to make the most of
us.
Every space, you know, theentry, the living, the every
little space.
I want to make the most of itand I wish that I had the
(30:44):
capacity to really spend a lotof time styling every single
corner, but it is, but you'vedone a bit, haven't you like?
Speaker 2 (30:50):
I mean, um, I know you posted about your entry that
you yeah some um practical yetbeautiful little spot there
where, with the shelving, wasthat job you already had?
Speaker 1 (31:02):
I actually won that from cult, so oh, that's right,
sorry it was an instagramcompetition and it's just really
cool.
I love when that happens.
Imagine like a cube.
It's like a cube, a chrome wirecube.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
They're some of my favorite shows.
I love those.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
I love them, so they gifted me those from the
competition.
So yeah, creating a littlemoment as soon as you walk in, I
mean that just makes me sohappy.
And you know, on the other sideof that, we've got another.
I mean that just makes me sohappy, and you know, on the
other side of that, we've gotanother.
I mean I've never had such abig entry before.
The storage is just.
you fill every nook and cranny,which is ridiculous because,
(31:41):
we've gone from apartment livingwith zero, but anyway, it's
what you do, isn't it?
Speaker 2 (31:45):
And if you're going to move you'll need, like,
another truck or something.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
I't know how that worked, but we managed to fill
it, don't we?
But yeah, I suppose you know mymain point would be just dive
in, don't spend too longthinking about it, just do, do
it and enjoy it for the maximum,maximum amount of time that you
can, and nothing's forever, isit?
Speaker 2 (32:06):
so and also not like remembering that, um, I know a
lot of people feel and I guessit happens when we work with
clients as well but I neverreally feel like a space is
never really finished.
You'll get it to a point likewhere you're happy, but then
you've got to allow forevolution.
Right, you've got to allow forthe change of I don't love these
(32:27):
cushions as much as I did, evenif you're just putting them
away in a cupboard or changingthe covers to something else,
and you might come back to thosecovers at another time or give
them to a friend or whatever youwant to do, or change an
artwork or eventually maybe it'sa rug or add a chair.
I feel like you've got to letyourself realize that it doesn't
have to be finished.
(32:48):
I think a lot of people forgetthat and they're kind of like I
need to finish this room andit's like got a deadline but
then it's done.
I don't think that's how lifeworks.
I think you've got to allow fora bit of you know, yes, you can
renovate and finish something,but then allow yourself to want
to just adapt and change andevolve.
Like you know, you don't haveto change everything, but you're
going to change.
(33:08):
We all change, so you've kindof got to let your space do that
too, I think.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
I love that and it's not stagnant.
We don't.
You know, I'm at a stage oflife where I have a
three-year-old, a 10-year-oldand a 12-year-old and we are I
mean, I did not the baby cominglike anyway, that was a bit of a
surprise, but anyway.
So we're back, we're back inpotty training, we're back in
all of that again.
So you know, it's such a joy tobe back in that phase of life
(33:36):
again and, yeah, lean into itand you just know it's not
forever and I think, just be inthe moment, feel in the moment.
It's a decision that you makeand I mean I don't want to sound
too frivolous with making a$20,000 sofa purchase, but yeah,
nothing is forever but alsohold onto those things that are
sentimental.
(33:56):
I think that there are thingsthat we have in our home that a
camera won't.
I'll never show because I mightnot want to show my family
photos.
So, just because you, you knowif you're listening and you
think, oh God, I really lovethese family photos.
But is that, is it daggy, is ittacky?
Is it?
Don't worry about it.
It brings me joy to see myfamily photos in my home and I
(34:20):
don't care if it's somethingthat I like design for you.
I guess is what I'm trying tosay as well.
You know, I try to do it in anaesthetic way.
They're black and fine blackframe so it looks cool like yeah
you know, but don't get toocarried away with.
I suppose you know the instagramand everything like that.
If it feels good for you, like,that is the most important
(34:40):
thing yeah, that's what I guess.
Speaker 2 (34:42):
That's what I was trying to get at before when I
was talking about that was we'renot, yeah, not doing it because
it looks good.
Just you're doing it because itmeans something to you, and
then that's why you're happy toshare it.
So, yeah, don't get caught upin going, I need it just to look
good.
I guess.
Get caught up in what makes youfeel good, I think that's yeah,
and then it looks good anyway,because it might, you know, like
it's gonna give you thatimpression right?
Speaker 1 (35:04):
yeah, I think so.
Like you know, we've got thingsfrom Phil's parents like this
big Buddha, and I love thatBuddha.
You know it doesn't mean I'mgonna put it sentimental yeah
yeah, it's this, this huge, bigfat Buddha with all these babies
um on it.
So it's actually.
It works.
If you rub its stomach, don'trub its stomach if you don't
(35:24):
want to get pregnant, justsaying I did that.
That's what happened.
I've also rubbed that tummy onbehalf of other friends, and
they're pregnant too, so anyway,I'm now, you're gonna have you
can go.
Lauren, can you please rub thetummy for me?
I will do it for you umsomebody that we know too.
Brie, I'll tell you later whoit is.
I'll let her tell you but anyway, um, so that has so much
(35:49):
sentimental value for me.
I don't care if it's not Vogue,living worthy, it's just part
of our family and it makes mefeel good.
So I guess it's striking thatbalance, isn't it?
You know, I've got this artworkwhich is like the most scary
painting of an old lady.
It's just scary when I waslittle because she's got long
nails.
Anyway, I love it now, though.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
Do you know that Friends episode, where Phoebe
makes the artwork?
Speaker 1 (36:14):
I don't know if you're a Friends person.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
I was more of a Seinfeld.
I was both.
Well, for the people that knowFriends, they'll know the
episode I'm talking about, wherePhoebe makes this really scary
artwork and wants to give it toone of the girls and they
pretend like, oh, I can't, suchand such can have it because
it's so horrible and scary.
Anyway.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
Yeah, I've got something like that.
But um, again, thesentimentality.
I am a sentimental person and Ithink you know, creating a home
which is a backdrop to memoriesis really important.
You know, you're growing up andyou're taking in your
environment as a kid and um youknow, who knows what that scary
painting's done to me.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
But it's funny that you said remember in you know
the episode I think it was thewas it Anatomy of a Room perhaps
where you were talking aboutthat huge impression that was
left on you by someone else'shome, one of your friends' homes
.
And I think about that here,even just the change that I've
made in this space, because Iused to think about that all the
(37:17):
time when I was renting and thekids were younger, I was like
they're not going to have thislovely memory because for me, I
think aesthetics really affecthow I think about things and I
would always maybe put too muchimportance on oh, but they don't
have this connection to theirroom or have this like feeling
about it when they're older intheir memories and I do think
(37:38):
even just the things we've donehere in the last, you know, six
months or so I feel like they'llremember this more, these
spaces more, because they'reactually, there's character to
it and because it represents me.
That'll kind of I don't know.
I think they'll carry that intheir memory, whereas before it
was never.
They were our homes, but theyweren't really.
I don't know if that makessense.
Speaker 1 (37:59):
Oh, it does, and it's important, and I think that's
why it's great that at least inVictoria the laws are that you
can paint as long as you returnit to the original condition.
So yeah, check what your rentallaws are in your state.
Sometimes they are a bit hardto find, but it is important.
You know, I painted, as I said,coco and Benji, so the middle
(38:22):
child and the little guy sharinga room together.
It's the sweetest thing and sheloves her room.
She's got a canopy over the bedand just to have that sense
that that's her special space.
And then Indy's got her ownroom, which has got a bunk.
She's up high and she's gotthis beautiful, you know.
She's got a bright yellow chairin there where she reads her
books, which she's probablydoing right now.
Speaker 2 (38:44):
A bit of a bookworm, but how?
Speaker 1 (38:45):
special to have.
Yeah, that spot just for herand little brother doesn't go in
.
You know, I think they'rereally important parts of
growing up.
But I feel like you can createthat when you're renting and I
don't think that we pay enoughin rent.
God, don't we breathe that we,that, we um, that we can um.
(39:06):
You know, let our kids havethose good memories too.
Yes, so good.
So I suppose, yeah, when itcomes to you know our personal
style.
I think we both agree on a lotof things where we lean into
color, we lean into artwork, wewant to express ourselves, we
want to layer texture, we lovelamps and and rugs and all of
the things.
(39:26):
I don't think you woulddescribe us as a minimalist.
Speaker 2 (39:28):
No, definitely not yes, that'd probably be the
opposite.
Well, maximalist is probablywhat people would say about my
style.
Speaker 1 (39:35):
I think all the things yeah, I love all the
things too.
Um, but yeah, you know vintagepieces as well, pieces that
carry yeah a history.
I think they just give a soulto a space.
You know they've they've liveda life and they show that patina
like it's a lovely thing books,plants, I mean all of those
fabulous things we fill our homewith.
Speaker 2 (39:56):
So I think probably the other.
The other thing I'd add, um, ifI'm thinking about personal
style, like decorating for me athome, is I'm pretty good at
like working a bargain intothings.
I'm like I mean I've got a fewcouple of side of the road
things which are fantastic, butI mean like just really looking
(40:17):
at things that are could be.
Ikea, for instance, is probablyone of my favorite brands for
affordable stuff, because I feellike most of the things are
fairly original.
Um, they're reasonably wellmade, depending on what you're
looking at, like some betterthan others, but they often just
have like some unique things orthey're doing a lot of really
great collabs.
So you know, I love just likefinding a little cool.
(40:39):
I can't literally the chair I'msitting in it's the same color
as your top.
Yeah, gorgeous green in um, itis an ikea chair.
It was actually, I think, arevival of an 80s design that
they did you know how they'relike relaunching some of their
old designs and I I was lucky tosnap it up because it kept
being out of stock for ages and,like you know how you put the
(41:01):
alerts on.
Yes, and then one day it cameup and like I just got in in
time and got it.
Oh, I love that, yeah, so likethings like that, like this
isn't an expensive chair, but Iknow I'll probably have it
forever because it's just one ofthose things that I'm like that
was like a cool thing to pickup at a reasonable price, that
it's super comfy too Well.
Speaker 1 (41:22):
I have a controversial opinion about Ikea
is that it is designerfurniture.
So what I mean is that everysingle thing you buy at Ikea
every light, every furniture ithas a designer's name on it,
which you can't say about otherbig box kind of retailers and
the designers that they workwith are world-class designers.
(41:44):
Because if you think that andas you said, you know it's not
all created equal I find thelighting to be generally pretty
good.
I've got these lamps that werea collaboration with Hay and the
dimmable feature.
It's fantastic.
Speaker 2 (42:00):
I remember the Hay ones.
I just doubt on that.
Speaker 1 (42:02):
They're great.
It's a beautiful, the glow thatit gives is beautiful.
So I think you know wesometimes we don't have the
budget that our clients have, sowe have to be creative and I
think that if you've got thateye and you know your own style.
You can go to Ikea and you cansift through the billions of
different pieces on offer andfind that gem that speaks to
(42:24):
your style.
Speaker 2 (42:25):
So I think that's really clever yeah, and even
just like that side of the roadthing is a thing for me as well.
But, um, I've had, I've got acouple of chairs now which I
love and I haven't reupholsteredbecause the fabric's actually
quite cool, but I probably willin time.
But I remember the first sideof the road.
Yeah, I remember the first sideof the road.
I think it was the first.
I was in college and my friendand I I was on the train and
(42:49):
every time I went past thisparticular spot on the line I'd
see this old chair just sittingthere and I don't know how long
it had been there.
It was probably disgusting.
I was probably like it'd beenin the rain and it was like a
proper old chair.
It had like the old um, what isit Like?
The hair upholstery inside,horse hair.
Yeah, yeah, it was like properold.
But I really want.
(43:10):
Every time I saw it I'm like Iwant that chair, I'm going to
get that chair.
So one day my friend and I wentin her little car and this was
like a big high back kind ofwing sort of chair and we sort
of put it into her boot and,like you know, tied it down.
So I was like literally hangingout the things we do, and my
(43:32):
friend who is now actuallyactually she was studying, I
think, at the time and ended upbeing a police officer.
I can't remember if she was atthe academy then.
So it was very illegal what wewere doing, a just picking up
stuff from I don't know.
It was like a railway property,like we didn't have to jump
fences or anything.
It was just sort of thisabandoned spot and then we drove
all the back streets back to.
We had like a little flat inMalvern East, like all the
(43:53):
little back streets back, andMalvernice like all the little
back streets back, and honestly,we often get stupid things.
We just laughed the whole timewith this bloody thing in the
back and it was so wet.
We put it in our little flat infront of the heater and it
probably took like two weeks todry out and I still I think my
mum has it.
Now I don't have it anymore butI had a beautiful cover made
for it, like a hot pink sort offuchsia corduroy fabric.
(44:15):
Oh wow, and it was just a greatlittle and so that was sort of
free.
I mean, I had to pay for thecover to be made.
But I kind of like that stuff,like that's.
I don't know they're the funthings that happen.
Speaker 1 (44:26):
Well, I think that you know, because you've got an
eye for design, you are lookingbeyond the wetness, You're
looking at the shape.
Speaker 2 (44:34):
You know you can appreciate when you, I had,
literally I slept on a phone,like actually, and my shelves in
my room were, you know, thosecrates.
You could get the timber crates.
I didn't know where I got themfrom, but I got them for free
from somewhere and I, you know,stacked those and made my
shelving in my room.
Speaker 1 (44:52):
It's called industrial chic.
Speaker 2 (44:54):
Yes, it was Very rustic.
Speaker 1 (44:58):
Well, you know, again , it's looking beyond the you
know, the big retailers, isn'tit?
And it's looking at auctionhouses, it's looking at Ikea,
it's looking at the side of theroad and slamming on the brakes
and making it happen.
So fun.
So I think that, yeah, you know, don't be afraid, don't be
afraid to look a bit atsomething unconventional.
(45:19):
And you know, with your coolIKEA chair that you're sitting
on, don't turn your nose up atIKEA, because I think that it's
you know, as I like to call it,it's imported Scandinavian
furniture.
So, you know, I love that.
Yeah, okay.
Speaker 2 (45:38):
Well, I think that was really fun, brie any other
points you wanted to make.
Speaker 1 (45:39):
Oh, I'm sure I'll think of some later.
Yeah, exactly that's how itgoes, isn't it okay?
Well, let's wrap this up then.
And, um, I suppose, before wego, I wanted to let you guys
know that in the design society,we are starting a group mentor
program for 2025.
So if you want to learn aboutinterior design, this is more
for interior designers, in areally small group.
(46:02):
I just want everyone to be ableto be seen and heard, just to
you know, build yourprofitability, learn how to
market your business and reallyhow to onboard clients and how
to even vet your clients All ofthose things to run your
business.
A really nice small group.
That's opening up.
And then, yeah, we've got ourstyle studies course too.
That looks really cool.
(46:23):
Yeah, it's so fun.
Speaker 2 (46:24):
Yeah, I'd say you've started that too, haven't you?
You've launched that alreadythe style studies.
Speaker 1 (46:30):
Style studies essential.
So it's like basically fourdifferent modules.
We're talking about, you know,being able to name your style
and we're going through each ofthe different styles and you
know, the feedback that I've gotwas oh, I've been walking
around my house and I'mrealizing why those spaces don't
work, and just being able toidentify that it's been really
(46:50):
cool.
We talk about color because Imean, that's a big module.
We actually send out a littlepaint kit to everyone and I
really want to encourage peopleto understand color and I don't,
I think you just reallyremember it when you do it yeah,
that's so we're mixing thetints, the tones, the shades,
and then you understand whensomebody says, oh, that's a
(47:11):
white, but it has a bit of blackin it.
They're like what do you mean?
Yeah yeah, that's with black.
Speaker 2 (47:15):
Yeah, yeah, that's so true.
Speaker 1 (47:17):
It's really cool.
And then you add yellow.
Speaker 2 (47:20):
They could just watch those tint videos on.
You know when that becamereally popular, to watch the
tint go into the paint and thentry and guess what the color was
.
Speaker 1 (47:27):
Oh, I love that.
So fun.
Oh my God, Is that a thing?
Have you not seen it?
Oh my God, Send them to me.
Speaker 2 (47:34):
Yeah, all right, you can probably just I'm sure
they're on YouTube as well, butthey used to come up a bit on
socials so you'd have someoneyou know like basically
commentate and watch it and tryand guess what the color's going
to be.
And you know, they do theshaking and then they open it up
and they're like what?
That's purple.
Speaker 1 (47:58):
Like they're really like here.
Here's youtube.
We talk about, yeah, color indepth and what, uh, you know how
to.
Well, how to, how the colorwheel works and, um, yeah, all
that stuff, when you're lookingat a space and identifying why
that works and you know what,why some spaces maybe don't work
.
And then we talk about layoutspopular layouts, uh, that we see
in kitchens.
You talking about butler'spantries, for instance.
You know the kitchen triangleversus the zones.
(48:18):
You know all of these things.
Anyway, it's really reallygreat, I hope.
I think feedback has been goodso far.
So if you're not a designer butyou want to learn from a
designer, I guess like that'skind of what that's about, so
you can just implement that foryour own home.
Speaker 2 (48:33):
Yeah, and I am very close to launching our
pre-selected design packages,which are basically there could
be five different styles and theidea is that you get to have, I
guess, my point of view and abespoke looking design at a
fraction of the cost that itwould be to actually hire me to
do a whole full design for you.
(48:55):
So you kind of get a snippet ofyou know, you can select a room,
select a style, and I basicallyhand over everything for you.
That's all ready to go and tellyou how to do it and how to put
it together lists, all thethings that would go into the
room, options, differentpalettes, how to put the palette
together.
So it just sort of spells itall out for you, but then you
(49:20):
can go off and do that in yourown time.
So, um, yeah, we're very.
We'll probably launch those injanuary.
We were going to try and launchthem this year, but I feel like
I totally forgot about the oldum black friday sales that go on
forever and make a lot of noise, so I'm just going to give it a
little space.
Speaker 1 (49:30):
That's smart and so I think that's so exciting
because I guess when I see yourprojects, I'm like where's that
from, where's that from?
Oh my gosh, like how she putthose together.
So it's like your little secret, you know sources and
everything, which is really nice.
Speaker 2 (49:45):
Yeah, and just to make you know it's great to try
and make you know good designaffordable, not just from a
product point of view, but beingable to, like, pull together a
space that you feel great in,like what we've talked about, um
.
So you know, I'm hoping thatthose five styles that we create
, there's one that you can bedrawn to, um, that you'll love
and be able to, you know, dothat in your own home, which is,
yeah, fantastic, so they can doyour course and they can come
(50:08):
and buy my thing and they've gotthe whole thing together living
a fabulous life.
Speaker 1 (50:13):
I love that, I.
I love that.
So good Brie, all right, yeah,lovely to chat Azel.
Yeah, lovely to chat.
And yeah, you guys, we have gotsome really special guests
lined up for you, so we're superexcited to be sharing them
every week Very exciting.
So thanks for listening, ciao,bye.
We've got the utmost respectfor the Wurundjeri people of the
(50:35):
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.
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
(50:56):
the future.
We're just lucky to be on thisjourney together.
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