If you’ve ever looked at a glossy renovation and thought, “Must be nice to start with money,” this episode is the part no one usually tells you.
Lysandra Fraser first appeared in our lives in a police uniform, standing back-to-back with her twin sister, Alisa, on The Block audition tape, manifesting a win before they’d laid a single tile. They did, indeed, win twice - and became known for calm, quietly luxe interiors that looked like they belonged to people who had always lived that way. But in this conversation, Lysandra walks Editor Elle Lovelock through the bits that never made it into the reveal shots: growing up in Housing Commission with a single mum, secretly mortified to bring friends home, painting the hallway in suede‑finish purple to try and make it feel less “less than".
Lysandra talks about leaving the police force after reality TV, building a design business by sheer instinct (and zero formal training), and then selling her own dream house to fund al.ive BODY, the beauty and home brand she co‑founded with Alisa. For six years, while designing multi-million dollar homes for clients and being asked what it was like to be “a millionaire from The Block,” Lysandra was living in a friend’s dilapidated granny flat, followed by a three‑bedroom ’70s rental with apricot walls and floral carpet. This is not a sob story! More of a reality check on what risk actually looks like when you’re a single mum with two teenage boys and a public profile people project onto.
Moments You'll Hear
How two exhausted Adelaide cops with babies at home decided, one auction night, that they weren’t just applying for The Block, they were going to win it, and why they actually believed that.
The whiplash of going from Housing Commission to TV renovations to clients with Louis Vuitton “thank you” gifts, and the imposter syndrome that sits under it all.
The very un‑Pinterest path to interior design: no moodboards, no Pinterest, no Insta, just learning on the job, taking judge feedback on the chin, and then reverse-engineering a career out of it.
Why Lysandra now believes in “who, not how”: building a team of CAD wizards and specialists so she can stay in the lane she’s actually good at, instead of trying to be across everything.
A sensory tour of her current home: black, refined, functional and the mental gymnastics of describing it when you know people assume you’ve “always” lived like this.
What it really costs to launch a product brand from scratch, and why Lysandra thinks more founders should say out loud, “Yes, I sold my house for this.”
If you’re sitting in a neutral rental, doom scrolling renos and wondering how everyone else got so far ahead, consider this your reminder that the before shots of someone’s life are rarely on the grid.
Thank you for listening ❤️
before you leave...
🗣️ Get in touch
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Great (easy) Ideas for Rented Apartments
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Credits:
Edited by Propod
Production by Thomas Crnkovic
Our wonderful Home Beautiful team
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
This is an our media podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
We knew within our heart of hearts that we were
not only going to get on the blot, but we
were going to win the blog. Really, every single one
of our products, yeah, has been developed purely out of
something that was missing in our lives. Sorry that would
we be there anyway? I dropped my cushions.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
This episode is brought to you by Luxeflex, transforming homes
with beautiful, functional window coverings designed to change your life
and lifestyle. Today's set has been thoughtfully curated by us
Design sharing life with you since nineteen seventy nine. Welcome
back to the Edit, the show about your style and
(00:58):
your Sanctuary, where we step inside the homes, habits and
headspaces of the people who help us live better. Today's
guest is someone many Australians first met on the Block,
where she and her twin sister Alisa made a lasting
impression with their calm considered approach to design. Since then,
she's built a multi layered career spanning interiors, television and business,
(01:18):
and most recently, she stepped into the world of beauty
and well being as the co founder of Alive Lessandra
Fraser is known for spaces that feel refined and functional
and quietly luxurious, many of which we've been lucky enough
to feature in Home Beautiful. And right now she's balancing
design work, media projects, and growing a brand in a
completely different category. So today we're talking about life after
(01:42):
reality TV, building a business from the ground up, and
later taking a sensory tour of Lessandra's own home. Lessandra Fraser,
Welcome to the edit. Thank you for having me. It's
I'm here. Oh, it's so lovely having you. We've seen
so much of your life. Really, I mean that sounds
a bit creepy. I don't mean it too, but because
(02:05):
we first met you and your sister Alisa on the Block.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
I know, and that was like, that was what are
we coming up to? Like end of this year? That
will be like fourteen years. I know. It's actually crazy.
It's a lifetime, isn't It's actually really scary how fast
it goes. We were like twenty eight and were like
almost forty two.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
A completely different life stage. All of the stages we'll
get into. Tell me about the Block. Initially, why did
you sign up? Because what did you do as your
day job?
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Well, for for anybody that doesn't know the backstory, It
was we were police officers in Adelaide, and we were
both police officers for about seven years. We'd always been
massive block fans, yep. Like we watched it religiously, and
then one auction night we decided to well, we always
watched it together and then they I think it's a
(03:01):
South Melbourne series and they won a lot of money.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
And we looked at each.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Other and like, do you think we should apply?
Speaker 1 (03:11):
And did you think you'd get through?
Speaker 2 (03:14):
So I'm not just saying this. So the second that
we decided to apply that night, like something came over
our bodies and we knew within our heart of hearts
that we were not only going to get on the block,
but we were going to win the block really and
there is nothing that like anybody could have said that
would make us think otherwise. So the second we decided it,
(03:36):
and like even the very first line of our audition
tape was it was so corny to this like in
our place, uniforms back to back with like a drill
up in the air as if they're like firearms. We
looked at the camera and we're like, we're Relisa and
Lessandra and we're going to be the winners of the
Block twenty and thirteen and founded like we you did
(04:02):
knew it within our blood, like within our boats.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Are you a bit woo woo?
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Ah, I wouldn't like not fool woo woo. But we
are very instinctial and we trust our guts and we
believe in manifesting to a certain degree. But you have
to put your actions behind Yeah, we could have said
that unless we had an audition and actually put the
you know, into action. Yeah, but we knew it. So yes,
we are a little bit a Lasa reckon. She's psychic,
(04:28):
I think more psycho, but she's not here, so it
sounds like a good time.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Did you have any DIY skills, let alone renovation skills?
Speaker 2 (04:39):
We had both like added extensions onto our homes. But
we were we were young, like we well at the time,
we didn't feel that young, but I look back now
and we were. But you know, we we were young.
We were just you know, both had young babies. We
didn't have much money, and so we liked the idea
(05:02):
of design, but never in our like we would sit
there and critique the block religiously like we were like
as we were experts, you know, like we thought we
had that right to critique that cushion or why did
they do this? I would have done that. Do you know,
like we had that kind of do it. We had
that mindset of we thought we knew yeah, you know
(05:23):
that we were designed. Yeah, but no, as far as
experience goes, no, absolutely not.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
How did it feel getting feedback from actual judges?
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Well, our first bedroom, I think we counted like thirteen
pillows or cushions that we put on and the end
the bench at the end, and it was it was
a little bit of a disaster, but we took what
the judges said on board from that from the first room.
Actually we lost the challenge. We came last and we
(05:54):
got the bottom floor. And then, yeah, we took everything
that the judges said on took We took it on
board and we applied it straight away. So we were
able to turn it around really fast and win the
most room reveals and challenges out of any other couple
on the block. And they had all, you know, experience
with a trade.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Or exactly is it actually learning on the job.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Oh, it was one hundred percent learning on the job.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Was there anything that really surprised you?
Speaker 2 (06:21):
I think like the difference between like now and then,
Like we weren't in the day where Instagram was a
thing like Facebook was, but Instagram didn't really exist. Well,
I didn't have an Instagram account. Pinterest wasn't really a
thing like it was. It was around, but it wasn't
really a thing. I feel like now you could prepare
(06:42):
yourself probably a lot more, whereas back then, honestly it
was flicking through magazines going we like this, but we
actually didn't even have time to do that, to be fair,
so it was one hundred percent like learning on the job.
We did not go in prepared, you know, like you
see some contestants now, they come with their full boards,
are pretty laid out like their star, what they're going to,
They know the supplies, pretty much curated the whole space
(07:05):
before it's even started. We had We did not do that.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Do you think it's a good idea for current and
future contestants to do that?
Speaker 2 (07:12):
It would make your life way less stressful. True, But
I do think that there was something really genuine and
organic about how our journey and time on the block happened,
because it was so natural and so organic, not pre
(07:33):
conceded in any way. Really that I do feel like
and it was instinctual, but I also do feel like
sometimes like you know, we have too much time to
make a decision. Oh but even you know, like even
with client shops and like you know, or is it
you forced to make a decision then and there? Like
you made your decision.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
Well, let's talk about that because you have a whole
different career. Now, let's talk about the creating homes.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Yeah, when we finished the block, we actually did two
seasons the block. Yeah, I did another one back to back.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
I did to do that.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Oh, they asked us back and it was like, okay,
how do you say no to that?
Speaker 2 (08:08):
So we actually it kind of forced us to lead
the police force, which was a good thing. And then
after we finished that, we were like, right, well this
is that passion, you know, Gosh, we're actually not too
bad at it. Let's move into doing this as a
as a career. So that's what we did. And you know,
I guess you look back and like, holy hell, how embarrassing.
I wish I could go back to my first client
(08:29):
and give that console all over again for free.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
Without naming names. Who was your first client? What were
they like? What was the home like?
Speaker 2 (08:41):
It was somebody that had watched the Block and he
had a it was actually very similar to our second
season on the Block. It was like a warehouse kind
of conversion. So he got us on board because it's like, well,
obviously you did a good job on the show, and
you know at the time we did a good job,
but when you look back now, I know I could
(09:05):
do so much better. But hate you're just start somewhere
exactly exactly. But yes, going from the Block to actually
turning it into a full time job is obviously like
a massive change. And going from a police officer to
that as well.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
Did you dive right in or did you have you
did right different training or meet different people to build
a team.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
It's funny like if hindsight is twenty twenty, right, So
we kind of just dove straight in. And if I
was to give anybody advice that was looking at doing
the same thing we did, like a real basic course,
but I would have gone, right, knowledge is power, and
(09:48):
when you don't have that knowledge to a degree, you're
winging it and you get to the end result. But
it's so much harder, like spend that time, like going
and doing an interior design course a photoshop course, like, yeah,
spend that time and even now, like do you know
how many times, so many years we're like we need
(10:08):
to do this, we need to actually stop and learn that.
But life is just too fust paced that we've never
had a chance actually do that, so we always get
to the end. But so learn from me, learn from us.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
It's working for you because last year, one of your
homes was the number one, as voted by our audience
home Beautiful Home of the Year.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
I know, it's crazy, said, I was sitting in the
saw and I was like leaking through Instagram and I
saw Home Beautiful come up and they're like the one
house as abated by you, and I was like, oh, yeah,
he got that title this year. I was like, we
obviously didn't know anything about so that. Yeah, that was
a massive compliment. Not our house. It was a project
(10:52):
to client's project.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
But gorgeous that house. We'll link it in the show
notes so everybody can have a look at it. Tell
me about but how you built a team around you
of were you working with builders, any building designers and
all the trades? How did you choose them?
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Honestly, Elisa and I were pretty much doing all of
the work ourselves. We would collaborate with local builders, but
we didn't really have like a team as such. We
would work for an individual client they might have a builder.
Now obviously it's like we're massive believers in the who
not how? Yeah, and get that team behind you. You
(11:33):
don't need to know everything like that. We still don't
know everything, but it's having those people that know what
you don't know exactly, you know, like all of the
like we've got a team that does all the drawings,
the cut files, like they're the experts in that field.
I don't need we don't need to be spending our
time learning that when our strengths are, you know, being
(11:53):
front of face, being the creative when it comes to
what style, the direction and the layout that type of thing,
and letting other people do what they do so well.
So yes, it has become very collaborative now. But yes,
at the start we tried to do it ourselves. And yes,
like I said, we got there the long way around.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
Do you think you have a particular design style that's
evolved or does it depend on the client.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
It really depends on the client. Like you know, obviously,
some interior designers.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Have a very specific book and that's why they're so
good within that space. So that's why particular clients go
to them. We really don't have any I love doing
all design styles. I think I would get bored if
it was just one. So it's really just listening to
the client. What they you know, whatever they want we
can create. Like there are some stars that we're probably
(12:47):
a little bit like out of our comfort zone with,
but we don't generally get like that clientele. So yeah,
I would say definitely, like we can do farmhouse contemporary,
you know, like we've got quite a large range of difference.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Something I've noticed that goes through all your projects is
such a great use of material It's always so interesting
the blend of materials and the way you pull them together.
It's really beautiful.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
Thank you. And you know, like I think it goes
back to like we are not formally trained. We don't
pretend to be like an expert within it's so hard
because we are interior designers. Yes we are experts within
the field, but as far as understand like being able
to sit here and tell you why that works, why
(13:36):
that works, why that works. Like we're very visual and
we are very gut orientated and you know, like I don't.
We're not hugely academic, but it's you just know exactly.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
I think that's with anything in life, particularly in the
creative world. Some people just have it and some people
can learn it.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Either a natural at it and if you're not, you
can learn it to maybe be pretty good at it.
And yeah, so yeah, it is. It is interesting. Having
said that, though, obviously as time goes on and the
more experience you get, you start to actually learn a
lot more like the layering using different materialities, like we
were saying, like we use that and that just becomes
(14:20):
instinctual exactly. You know, it's not like we're sitting there
like we used to be here, we use some stone here,
we layered that. You know, it just becomes instinctial.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
How do you choose your clients? Because do people sometimes
come to you for who you are? And in the public.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
I would I would say that that has definitely helped.
Obviously having that profile and having a big Instagram following,
and obviously people.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Trust you because they can see you.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
And I think the one advantage that we do have
is that people Okay, so if we weren't on TV
and we just rocked up. People might think that we're
a little bit lunt or a little bit unprofessional. Tell
me you're not really refined? No, yes, tell me what
(15:08):
you like. But I think where we have that advantage,
people are hiring us because they actually want us to
just tell them the truth and be and honest with them, so.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Good to know.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
And we don't change that, Like we do not put
on an act to our clients that were refined and professional.
We're just like, no, you definitely cannot do that. Like,
I'm so sorry if that comes across as blunt, but
that's I think people. That's why people hire us because
they are confused. They need that direction. They need somebody
(15:45):
to be like right that that's not going to work.
And you wouldn't.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
Say that without reason.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
You've pushed boundaries, and they do it because I think
they obviously know the projects that we've worked on and
the outcomes out of it has achieved. So it's like
that trust element is there, Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
Do you have any favorite projects or favorite clients?
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Yeah, definitely, there's a couple that stand out. I think
we did a big project in Paradise Point in the
Gold Coast. Yeah, we worked on that project for about
three years. They bought like a double fronted waterfront property
and we literally designed it from the ground up. And
oh they obviously they had a really big budget, which
(16:24):
always make things way more exciting. But they were all lovely,
lovely clients and they trusted us with everything. But he
was an engineer as well, so be able to be
able to work with somebody that was so like methodical
and particular to detail and really wanted that quality. Yeah,
that project went without a hitch in three years.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
Just precision.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
This client. Look, they bought me that Louis Vaton. They
bought both of us a Louis Vton bag. Can you
see that there?
Speaker 1 (16:57):
Really we need clients that he.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
Said the high Now every time I finish a project,
I'm like.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Yes, where's my present? So did you say it took
three years?
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Yeah, it was a massive that they had because they
were on the waterfront. They had to like the engineering
just within the slab alone, like yeah, the pylon. Yeah,
it was it was huge. And then probably the project
that we got the vote for from our farmhouse, which
is a recent project we've finished. Look, you just you
(17:32):
kind of forget about so many like when you actually
look back drop box order all your past clients, You're like, holy,
but those are the ones that probably those two are
the ones that probably stand out.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
So talking about precision and attention to detail. I want
to hear more about your other business, which is so
popular and so many people know the brand. But I
do wonder sometimes do people know that you're behind it?
And that is alive for anyone who doesn't know what
is it?
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Okay, So I'll give you a little bit of a
backstory about house A Life came to be. So Alisa
and I were doing a personal development in Melbourne. We
were f lipping a property in Albert Park and we
went to Stele our bathrooms and we just couldn't find
anything to sell the bathrooms that we hadn't seen before.
(18:22):
You know, the a pocket theory bottle and there's beautiful,
but you know, quite a high price point, and we
were just we just we wanted something that we hadn't
seen anyway, we couldn't find it, and we spent the
whole day literally looking. And then Alisa called me one
day and she was like, hey, I reckon we should
(18:44):
make our own soap. And I was like huh, And
she goes and then she threw out like we should
collaborate with Palm Alive or something, and then that lost me.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
I was like, that's a stupid idea if you're listening, collabor.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Not not that anything is wrong with Palmeli, but you know,
we came from an interior design background where it's very important.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
It's a different product.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
Yeah, that was the motivation she needed to go, right,
I'm going to prove her. So she kind of went
underground and developed, you know, like a personal care range obviously,
and she presented it to me, and she had come
up with the brand, like the name Alive and that
(19:28):
was a laser less underdog ive like Alive. From there,
we probably worked on it for another two years. We
came up with a bottle design, the colors, the interlocking,
like it was just a full process and like the
fire in our belly, Like once we could see the
vision and we're like, why can't we design a product
that is aesthetically beautiful but also functional, like and it
(19:52):
doesn't have to be so it doesn't have to just function.
Why does that be beautiful? Why can't it have the
ability to transform a space? And it really does. And
I think that introduction of colors, Like, we only started
with three products, three duos, because that's all we could afford,
and we launched in COVID the week of COVID, And
so what we were finding is people were obviously at home.
(20:19):
They were washing their hands a lot, they were hands.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
Oh my gosh, I didn't even think of that, but
I mean.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
I know people like you.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
Time that was like, ah, do you realize how long
that talked to get off.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
We were actually contemplating holding off watching it until COVID finished.
Luckily we didn't. People were at home and they wanted
their space to feel nice and elevated, and so that's
kind of where it all started. But back to your question,
the nice thing is now and like we don't mind
that people associate us with the block, like we will
(20:51):
never be ashamed that. The really nice thing now is
that we are finding more and more people coming up
to us on the streets and say, oh my god,
you girls own a live rather than you girls are
on the block. So we are now kind of transitioning
to you know, people knowing us for being founders of
(21:12):
Alive rather than you know, reality TV people.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
So how do you choose the sense I've always wondered
this because I am just a scent obsessive. How do
you decide which ones to put in production?
Speaker 2 (21:27):
The colors probably almost hardened the scent. Really, what we
like to do is we like to cover variety. Obviously
within the range we have six core scents, so obviously
we don't want them to all be sweet, or we
don't want them all to be masculine or fresh like.
So we like to have a different variety. And obviously
there are a couple of cents where it's a safe
(21:49):
bet that everybody's going to love them, and then we
have a couple where it's a little bit more personal.
I think it's just kind of ticking the boxes for
what covering every body is kind of palette, yeah, and
it's interesting. So people like, do you pick the color
of the duo or do you pick the scent or
(22:09):
do you We're always like, all right, go with the
color that you prefer, because you can always refill them
with the scent that you like, because we sell refills
as well, do you know what I mean? So it
doesn't necessarily have to be refilled with that same scent
if you wanted to try a different one.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Comes back to the decor.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
It does one d percent.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
So then how did you choose the colors for So.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
We actually started with three and only one of those
exists now we kind of discontinued the others and brought
in So we started with the blue, which some people
called charcoal. It's one of those you know that dress, like,
what color do you see? It's like a charcoal blue.
We had a clay color, yes, and we did like
a green color. We don't do the clay and the
(22:56):
green anymore. But obviously we've got the white, We've got
the stone, our two most popular because you can literally
put them into any space. Then we've got the olive green,
which you know it's on trend too, and then we've
got the plum. Oh, the nude you know if you
because we brought out a skin care line as well,
so we're like, oh, people are like some people are
going to want that same nude duo with their skincare.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
So why did you bring out the skin care line?
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Every single one of our products has been developed purely
out of something that was missing in our lives. So
selfish it is, what are we struggling with? Like that's
how the Jews were born. Our number one selling product
kitchen Trios that sells our bathroom duos go Forget, because
(23:45):
we solved a problem of like everybody was having their
dishwashing liquid in green bottle, ugly bottle. I won't mention
names out on the table, but then they would put
sorry out on their bench dish washing, but then they
would hide it. Yes, it was ugly. We're like, they're
having to bend down every time they want to spray
(24:05):
their bench or clean their dishes or wash their hands.
So that's how the trio. We're like, all right, well
let's solve that problem. And I guess going into your
question with the skincare, that's also how that product we
decided to launch skin because yes, we're not experts in
that field, but we were struggling with the day to
day routine of how complicated is skincare? Honestly like, well,
(24:30):
you got this serum and that you know cleanser and
that we'd go to our skincare and she'd write down
on a piece of paper in the am, you've got
to put this serum in. I know you would have
a post it note, suck to our mirror.
Speaker 1 (24:45):
Try to come up with this.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Routine of all these different brands and like you didn't
know whether that would clash with that that read it
would and so anyway, we're like, I mention, if you
just had a skincare routine where it pretty much like,
you know, this is your morning routine, This is your
routine and you have it out on your.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
Bench because it looks nice.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
Because it looks nice, but then it encourages you to
actually use them. And you know what, I have never
stuck to a skincare routine, and since we've launched that,
every morning, I get up my skincare AM PMS on
the rock and I use and you're all set, and
I'm set and my skin has Honestly, it's all about
being consistent.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
And you have beautiful skin for anyone listening who may
I'm thinking about you too. Sometimes we retouch photos and
yes things can be filtered on TV in real life gorgeous.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
Thank you. Yeah. So it's all about just creating. Every
product is out of a need. A need.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
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day living. The new Winter collection embraces warm tones, sleek finishes,
and smooth silhouettes, offering timeless pieces designed to transform your
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(26:06):
Balancing form and function. The collection helps you create a
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(26:27):
I want to change things up a little bit, and
I'd like to come over to your place. So we
do this thing where we take our listeners on a
sensory home tour. You know, home beautiful home tours are
our thing. So I'd love for you to set the scene.
It's a typical day or maybe maybe a weekend or
(26:47):
a relaxing day your place, and I'm coming over. I
come to the door and you open the door. What
do I see? Take us through your home? What do
we see?
Speaker 2 (26:57):
So when you're coming up to my place, you don't
want to go to the left side because that's the LASiS.
You definitely want to go to the NASA side on
the right hand side.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
S she's not here.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
This is would you like? Yes? Next to each other?
And now it's crazy. Don't judge. She went light and
I went dark, not like our personalities. But so you
walk through my big custom made timber door, and the
first thing I guess people comment on is I have
(27:30):
down my hallway. I have done like an inlay of
natural stone from c DK with a brass border and
then surrounding that dark timberfore.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
Yes, there are those mixed.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Materials and it's a bit boring just walking into a
hallway with the timber floor, you know, and you do
add that little bit of luxury. And then onto the left,
I've rendered that whole wall down the whole side of
the house and looking up to avoid that is like
nine meters nine the way and then you walk down
(28:03):
I've actually got a very long hallway. But what you'll
find consistent throughout my house is that I have bronze
mirrors in a lot of places actually, and I'm like, wow,
I really did overkill it with the mirrors, but it
doesn't actually realize it. Yeah, I know that if you've
got a complex with how you look or.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
Whatever, do you find you forget they're there?
Speaker 2 (28:22):
I do, yeah, but I love like they're quite subtle.
I think that mirror definitely helps and then you and
then off to the right is my master bedroom. Obviously
it has to be on the bottom floor. What I
really like about that is I've actually included, like carried
through my floorboards from my hallway into my master bedroom
(28:44):
by about a meter okay, and then I've divided with
a brass strip and put my carpet.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
It's like a visual entryway.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
Yeah, so I like that. You know, sometimes when you
walk into a bedroom, oh shoes do I take it off?
For I avoid that, And that carries through to my
walking wardrobe. And I've also got that brass strip that
divides into the carpet once you get into my walking
wardrobe and then my on suite.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
Now the flooring is that something that's quite simple to
do because I imagine it looks really lux.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
It really does, like I honestly feel like I live
in a luxury hotel, but homie, yeah, you know, but
not like sterile like No, it still has that warmth
and hoiness. It's so simple to mix up what could
be boring like a hallway pretty easily. Yeah, just with
(29:37):
those small little details, you're.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
Getting the flooring put in anyway, what doesn't matter if
it's a bit more this sway and a bit more.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
That way, yep, And it just breaks the room up
a little bit, and it defines my bed and my
bed and makes it really cozy. And yeah, I just
like the fact I don't have to take my shoes
off every time. That's true.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
So on sweet, what's it on? Sweet?
Speaker 2 (29:56):
Like? I feel like it's very luxurious. I've got big
slab tiles, three meters slab tiles that go all the
way up to the ceiling. I've got a double vanity
which actually a vanity a least when I have a
vanity collection as well, So I've got our archie vanity
double vanity in a stellar oak and then shaving cabinet.
(30:16):
So I've used the same tile, three meter tiles, slabtil
all three out. And then I went like this kind
of green almost square mosaic to define my shower space nice.
And so you walk through, You've got your shower screen
either side, double shower, and then I've got my bath
which is kind of put on a little bit of
a platform, and that green tile goes from the shower
(30:38):
zone up to the green platform, so it defines the space.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
Yeah, let's be on the bed trip, so.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
You walk through. You've got a lovely big laundry on
the right hand side, and that goes off to the
powder room and drops on for the boys, and they're
school wags because two boys, two boys, two teenagers, fourteen
and sixteen next week, and yeah, a little powder room
and just the laundry where I can actually like, oh
(31:05):
my gosh, I went from a yeah, so I sold
my house to funder a live body and a lot
of people don't actually realize this so real track a
little bit. Yeah, let's go back. I think it's really
important for people not to see this perception of us
living in these nice, beautiful homes and just think that
that's what it was, because it wasn't that. Like, So
(31:27):
I sold my house to fund Alive and I had
to live in a friend's move into a friend's granny
flat like that was like old and like dilapidated for
about three years. So she was in her house. He
had a husband, so she didn't mean.
Speaker 1 (31:42):
To she could sell her house. I was on my own.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
I then moved into a rental which was picture a
three bedroom rental in the seventies, carpet apricot walls, like
car floor, like like living really bad. And here I
am going off and designing people's homes.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
And now I was like, you want money on the block,
Like you want a million dollars on the block?
Speaker 2 (32:06):
I was.
Speaker 3 (32:06):
I had to split that with the lad said, then
I had to split it with my ex husband, and
now I had to fund alive.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
So yeah, that's why I'm living. So anyway, I just
thought it was important to like really like and my
kids like lived. We lived for about six years in
really not very standard living. Yeah. And on top of that,
like Alisa and I grew up, we grew up with
(32:31):
a single mum. We grew up in housing trust our
whole life, like in housing commission, our whole life. So yeah,
like it. Certainly, I just feel sometimes uncomfortable explaining my
home and the fact that it's like I don't want
to without the content without thinking oh you lucky bitches,
(32:52):
or yeah, our labor. So I just think it's not Yeah,
but anyone starting over or wanting to do something different,
like was.
Speaker 1 (33:03):
Your mum a good homemaker? How did she make your
homes feel well like yours? Growing up?
Speaker 2 (33:10):
Not to be like not really, I think we always
had that. I think you know why we naturally kind
of can look at a space and be like, look me.
I actually, honestly do believe that stems back from when
we were growing up in our Housing Commission home, like
we were because Mum always sent us to really good
schools so that we were surrounded. So we used to
(33:32):
have to drive quite a long way to go to
a good school. But Alasta and I like we were embarrassed,
like kids don't like when they were bringing their friends
over to our like they don't care, and I love
that about them. They also don't care. We've got a
really nice house now, But yeah, we were really embarrassed,
(33:53):
and I think that's where it started. When we were like,
how can we like do little things that are going
to make this house like less embarrassing. So I remember, like,
you know the suede paint.
Speaker 1 (34:04):
Oh do I ever?
Speaker 2 (34:05):
Oh my god, So we convinced Mum to let us
paint the whole way. It's like purple plum.
Speaker 1 (34:13):
I was gonna say, tell me you did the dark
chocolate purple color.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
And then I think we put the blue into the kitchen.
Speaker 1 (34:22):
Dine.
Speaker 2 (34:23):
These gerbras, these colorful.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
Were there any other flowers back then?
Speaker 3 (34:30):
In order to just not feel quiet and embarrassed so
distracted the DA.
Speaker 2 (34:38):
And so I think that that's probably where it all
makes it kind of started. Yeah, definitely, And so anyway,
let's continue on with my house.
Speaker 1 (34:49):
So back to your mansion with all the fancy flooring,
and then you.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
Just walk into the back area. We've got my kitchen
which opens onto a lounge room and a probably my
face one of my favorites areas isn't my dining area.
So it's all open plan, but I've in built like
it's a banquette. It's it's ten lovely, it's about probably
about a twelve seater, but it's a real statement within
that room and obviously favorite I actually don't know. I
(35:15):
think because the scale of it, and it does feel
really grand, and I think that upholstery that I know,
I've put an on cream upholstery. I know, I'm stupid.
I've got the kids in, the.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
Boys have their friends over. Can you feel ten teens
around there. I just put like some towels down or.
Speaker 2 (35:36):
Maybe cross it outside. Yeah, and then like two massive
oversized pieces of artwork and just feels homey, and even
after three years, I still I still love it. And
then upstairs is probably more of the boys area where
they've got their own bedroom, a living area, their bathroom.
My home office is up there too, Yeah, and then
(35:57):
a pool in the backyard, and then I lay the
next door and her cats now cat. We a gate
at the end of at the back of our yard
for the cats for us and the kids, which can
be shut off if we were to sell, or we'll
just put another panel up. But yes, so we have
access to each other's homes and so do our cats
and our children. So we work together, we live together,
(36:18):
and it definitely has its pros, you know, absolutely. Sometimes
when she's not there, I'll go to her back fridge
and still drinks and stuff.
Speaker 1 (36:29):
Well, she knows. Now what does home mean to you.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
I'm not proud of this. I'm very like I think
I'm OCD. I think I'm getting worse with the age,
and I think I love things in order and place,
and I know that is hard when you've got teenagers,
and it is something that I have to deal with,
and I actually do do think it stems from our
lives being so manic that that's the one place, that's
(36:57):
the one area that I like to have come and
I've got control over. Yes, I really do like to
have my house pretty pristine. My house represents I guess,
being in that Housing Trust house as a kid, having dreams,
knowing we were going to be something I don't know what,
believing that we were going to get onto the block,
(37:19):
taking that dive into starting an interior's business, and taking
that dive to invest into alive that my home represents
all those years of hard work. And I think the
thing I love about it the most is, like I said,
my kids don't give a shit that we've got a
nice house. Like they honestly do not care. They don't care.
(37:41):
But what they do see is the hard work that
we've been It's been almost fifteen years, the blood, sweat
and tears, the late night has we did this. That's
the result of my home is a result of that
hard work. So that's what it represents to me.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
Yeah, I've got some more questions like this, so but
they're perhaps not as there may be as deep. Let's
see how we go.
Speaker 2 (38:05):
Sorry, that would be there. I chopped my cushions. I'm
here for the d and I know you chopped cushions.
I'm with you. I don't we don't.
Speaker 1 (38:16):
Go full bunny years. But there is a bit of a.
Speaker 2 (38:20):
I don't know how people could not chop one, but
a great it's weird.
Speaker 1 (38:25):
So you alluded to this before.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
Shoes in the house on or off on, If it's
on floorboards, I like to take them off with it
on carpet.
Speaker 1 (38:33):
Nice candles. Do you have them burning all the time?
Do you only put them on for guests or are
you just not a candle person?
Speaker 2 (38:41):
Well, we have a home fragrance trains for the live
as well, so of course, I mean I'm the co
founder of a live of course. I like scent. I
have of course, So at my front door, I have
a live candle and a room spray ah, and I
like to scent trench like. So I will like to
put a candle one and then use that same scent
(39:06):
and I will spray my front like the front of
the house. I just love do. It's like a ritual. Now,
It's I'm almost like a daily thing. And I come
down and light my candle at the beginning of the day,
open up my windows to get that natural airflow, do
some sprays of my room spray, and then I really
like to use our diffuses like in the living room.
So it's like that constant kind of scent, but more subtle,
(39:27):
and it's almost like a set and forget. I don't
have to worry, and I have cats. Don't judge me.
There are there is a litter tray that does exist
in my house.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
Where they supposed to go.
Speaker 2 (39:38):
I know, so I without without all of like our
home fragrance, like gross?
Speaker 1 (39:45):
Do you change it up? Or do you? What does
your home smell like? Most?
Speaker 2 (39:48):
I like to keep it fairly. I changed my sense up.
That might be every three months or something. So, but
I like to keep this, like if I've got a candle,
I like to keep the same rooms like this room
spray in the same scent. I think within different zones
like upstairs. I don't mind changing my scent, the scent,
(40:09):
but I do like to keep it pretty consistent like that.
But I think who wouldn't use a candle or a
ramspray or diffuses?
Speaker 1 (40:17):
Now you'd be surprised. Who Wendy Moore.
Speaker 2 (40:21):
She doesn't know. I don't get that.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
I know we were talking about it just last week.
Speaker 2 (40:26):
It's one of those things that you do and then
you get used to it and you become addicted to it,
I think so, and so it's like if you've never
had it, you probably don't know, but once you've started it,
it's like something that you can't fathom, like you've lived
without for so long.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
I'm a scent person, but I do understand for some
people it's just too much. They don't need it.
Speaker 2 (40:46):
Or just I'm like, you get into a car or
an uber and they've got melly car fan thing and
literally got your head out the window. Like that I
can relate to. I can totally relate to.
Speaker 1 (41:00):
I imagine that's how Wendy feels about home.
Speaker 2 (41:02):
Sure, well she hasn't tried our life from home fragrance range,
very very nice.
Speaker 1 (41:07):
Prospect coming to you real soon.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
I should send it. Can we make a note to
send her someplace? So?
Speaker 1 (41:15):
I know you were saying that OCD calm home. It's
your thing. Is there a corner or a room or
a drawer in your home that is chaotic?
Speaker 2 (41:26):
Oh? There is one draw that that's like on my
to do list this weekend. I am I like to keep.
I do a refresh pretty like I'm always always going
through each space.
Speaker 1 (41:42):
It's a rota.
Speaker 2 (41:42):
It's almost like you know when they paint the harbor
bridge and they finish one end and then they go
back and stuff like it's like that for my home. Yes,
do you know what I mean that? Yeah? The only
like it's funny. So my house is pretty. People always say,
oh my god, your house is I can makul it
and you work. But then you turn the corner in
(42:03):
my pantry and this is my favorite. This is probably
my favorite part of my home. I have a woll
of pen markers where all of my friends kids, like
my kids, my friends, their friends have come from a
young age and when measure their heights really and it's
like there's probably twenty different names and they come every
(42:26):
time and they mark. So this whole wall is dedicated
to like you know, dates, names, height, see how much
they've grown. And it just it feels so out of
place being in such a pristine home. And yes it's
not in Ivy, but it's like it makes it feel
it's mean, it's real, it's real, and just to be
able at it, I'm like, when I leave, how I
(42:48):
want to be able to like take a photo, get
it on more paper, and like I don't want.
Speaker 1 (42:52):
To lose no exactly, surely that can happen.
Speaker 2 (42:54):
Yeah, Oh, make it happen.
Speaker 1 (42:56):
What does your home sound like? And what music do
you if I have.
Speaker 2 (43:01):
The kids that week or not, it depends whether it's
my week or not. We'll go with the look. It
can sound quiet and calm in a moment, and then
it can sound crazy full of kids. And then obviously
you've got next door. You can hear the kids in
the pool, the kids playing basketball in the backyard, the
(43:25):
kids from upstairs. So I've got son of speakers in
my home and it's crazy like. What I love most
is on a Saturday or a Sunday morning just opening
up my windows, my curtains and laying in bed and
turning the son off speakers on and listening to some music.
(43:45):
Oh my gosh, you puts you in the best mood.
I'm a massive podcast listener. I listened to Crime. I
have a sick mind, sick sick mind. But I was
a police officer, so I think, so I'm a massive
I don't like silence. So if ever I'm on my own,
I have a podcast on. I listened to Interior. I
(44:05):
listen to this podcast. I listened to Darren's podcast. I
listened to quite a few to break it up because
it can't all be about matter, but to be able
to turn the music on a Saturday and Sunday, it's
a really nice ritual slow. It's almost like what life
is meant to be, exactly you know it is. And
(44:26):
so you talk about opening the curtains. Tell me about
your home window treatments. Are you curtains lines? So I
didn't realize the importance of window dressing. So we have
worked with Lucks of Flex for years now on projects,
and we were lucky enough to have them on board
(44:46):
for our home. And so I have the luminetes in
my bedroom and I just did the best of anyone
that's not familiar with this. It's like they look like
a sheer curtain when they're open, but they act like
a blind so it's like a blockout when they're shut,
and when they open, it's that natural filtering light. And
(45:07):
then I've got a jewet. I'm like, anyone think I
work for lights of folks, I don't. I just bloody
love their products. I have a piro wet in my
bathroom which is amazing, pirout jewet lunette. I have a
piro wet which is almost looks like a plantation shut it,
but it's a blind down and see through when you
(45:28):
want the light filtering, and then it goes to blockout
and it is the perfect window dressing for that space,
Like I wouldn't have able to pick something else for
that space. So and then I have, yeah, jewets, I
have all of it, yeah all and you just you think, oh,
I'll just do a shar in a blind, a roller blind,
(45:49):
but you don't have to. And it just honestly, I'm
so glad that I chose the products that with the
window dressings I picked because every single wind addressing in
my house it has a purpose and it is so
so thoughtfully considered, but they all act differently.
Speaker 1 (46:10):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
It really is crazy how how different it can be the.
Speaker 1 (46:14):
Form and the function. Tell me about something in your
home that you always have in your home that's fresh, well.
Speaker 2 (46:24):
Definitely not bread. I recoon. We get about four pieces
in and then I go to get.
Speaker 3 (46:30):
A piece of what's that green stuff? I'm bread now
by the time. Actually, my kids don't really eat a
ready either. I don't have fresh flowers every week. I
do love fresh flowers, but that's not a weekly thing
like obviously it's got to be the fruit in the vegetable.
Speaker 2 (46:52):
Yeah, you know, obviously having kid.
Speaker 1 (46:55):
Yeah. My next question come in a way combines both
your careers or previous. If there was one Australian design
crime in every home that you wish that you could
solve or get rid of. What is the design crime
(47:17):
that Australians make that you just think stop that.
Speaker 2 (47:20):
Oh that's such a hard question because I go into
homes that have been built like in the eighties or
the seventies where they want to do a full renovation
and they want you to change the floor plans. So like,
the floor plan obviously is our strength. We that's why
(47:41):
like a lot of people do get us and we
have this this ability to be able to make a
floor plan work. But you know, the crimes like you
remember like the non open plan living or the time
like the proportions of a room where they would like
make one room rely really big and not like the
(48:02):
living room really small, and it's like why have you
got this much space here and like such a small
area there? The zoning I think, so that kind of
goes back into probably more of the floor plan.
Speaker 1 (48:13):
You know, focus on your floor plan.
Speaker 2 (48:16):
People oh, get that right first, people, You have to
get the functionality of a space before we even talk
about the pretty stuff. Do you know? That is the
one thing like that people, which is I think why
we are as busy as what we are because we
started a service where it was like an intensive design
consult where people could come to us and just pick
(48:37):
our brains if they didn't have the capacity for an
ongoing interior designer. So, oh my gosh, once we opened
up this design service that just honestly have been inundated
by people needing, like to make a decision on their
floor plan. They builders onto them about looking in a
design but they're just really not sure and like, no
disrespect to architects or anything, but you know, a lot
(48:58):
of the time it's just like put this here because
you know, just.
Speaker 1 (49:03):
Because there's so many choices.
Speaker 2 (49:06):
I think we have this ability to be able to
jump in and whether that's like mum, female definitely not
being sexist here or whatever. I know it's a bit controversial,
but we have this ability to be able to envisig
yourself within that space and thing, right, you think that,
but when you actually think about it, would you want
to be doing this every day or having that in
that spot every day, like actually think about it properly.
Speaker 1 (49:28):
Knowing how people really live, knowing.
Speaker 2 (49:29):
How people really live before any of the pretty stuff.
So once you got the layout right, you know, then
go on to the place stuff and where, which I
guess is like comes back to how lives started as well.
It's like it's the function sits neatly on a in
a tray. Yeah, and then you know, yeah, yeah, we'll
(49:51):
worry about the pretty.
Speaker 1 (49:53):
Favorite.
Speaker 2 (49:54):
What makes your home beautiful? I think it ties back
into what it took to get there. It's the meaning
behind it. So many people have lovely homes, and you know,
my home's not any more beautiful than somebody else's because
they think that that house is beautiful and what it
means to them. Do you know what I mean? I
just think it. It's what it symbolizes. It's what it's
(50:16):
taken to get there. It's that journey. It's it may
be a bit different if say we were born into
money or you know, married into money or whatever, and
we had nice things and nice homes and they weren't,
you know, but it would have a different meaning. I'm
definitely not having any disrespect or any for anybody that
is in that position. But I think my home is
(50:38):
beautiful to me because of the of what it represents,
all the hard work.
Speaker 1 (50:43):
Absolutely, I have a question about daycore regrets. Do you
have any? It doesn't have to be in this home
you're in right now. Ever, ever, ever, have you had
a daycor regret? Is it the Swaye effect wall paint?
Speaker 2 (51:00):
Yeah, like we're going that far back. Yeah, I didn't.
That was in my house. I just painted that. Not
maybe a daycre regret, but maybe when we did renovate
my very first home, we maybe a finish regret. Yeah,
the materiality regret. Before I really knew what I was doing.
(51:21):
We put this extension on living dining kitchen, and we
chose a shiny porcelain tile for the flooring and.
Speaker 1 (51:31):
Service is going.
Speaker 2 (51:33):
Like what it was awful. You could see every footprint,
every like reflection, and we had lots of natural light
and we ended up just floorboarding over the top of it.
You know. So that was that that was probably maybe
not a daycres regret, but that was like a nassive,
(51:53):
massive design regret. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (51:56):
So the shiny porcel and tiles, they're not ideal because.
Speaker 2 (52:02):
Everything I even imagine a place that they would be ideal,
like obviously in bathrooms and stuff. I just like in
such a big spet and like, I'm not not saying
I'm against a tiled area. I love it. A loss like, yeah,
I proceed with cautia, I proceed. I would never do
that again.
Speaker 1 (52:23):
Okay, Lossandra. We do this thing on the edit called
Room for Advice, where our listeners sending questions and then
we team these questions with the experts we think best
to answer them. So we have a question here a
designed dilemma from Sophie, and Sophie writes high home Beautiful.
I'm renovating my home and I love the modern farmhouse look,
(52:46):
but I have no idea where to start. What are
the key design elements I should be using, What colors
and materials work best? Is there anything I should avoid
so it doesn't feel too steamy or overdone?
Speaker 2 (53:00):
That's a great question. Given the fact that just finished
out American farmhouse, I think in order to really capture
that farmhouse look, you really need that the high ceilings.
You know, if you can have a pitched ceiling with
some beans, timber beans, you know you're halfway there to
creating that look. I think that natural element, like the
(53:21):
timber flooring. You know, you probably want to go more
towards that mid darker color power for.
Speaker 1 (53:26):
The floor you could point otherwise want to go.
Speaker 2 (53:33):
I think that mid tone is a really nice you know,
it sets the tone. I like to keep walls fairly
neutral and let like the element. Obviously, you can also
introduce I think marble, like marble bench tops probably lend
itself really well to You don't want to do anything contemporary.
You want to do something that feels like it's been
there for you know, a really long time. And having
(53:56):
that that marble with the little brass accents and that
ornate detailing within the tap where you know, the pop filler.
And then you know, introducing whether you want to have
like a barn sliding door to create that little bit
more of an impact, or that stone fireplace. You know,
if you can have a real fire it's even better,
(54:17):
and then layering that with like lots of different textures
like in your ruggy coffee table, you know, your coffee tables,
your cushions, your big linen curtains that drape all the
way down to the ground, and big statement you know,
lights you know farmhouse lights.
Speaker 1 (54:36):
Really go for scale, Go for scale. Is there anything
that you would avoid?
Speaker 2 (54:42):
Look, I think anything too contemporary. I think, you know,
if you're trying to create that farmhouse looks, stick away
from the lighter, the lighter timbers, stick away from, you know,
the more of the contemporary stones like the Dolomites, and
go for more the classics, like the marbles, and like,
go for something that's like a living tumbled brass that's
(55:02):
going to age, that feels like it's been there.
Speaker 1 (55:04):
For a farmhouse under a styal. Yeah, it will have patina,
it will have texture.
Speaker 2 (55:11):
And if you were wanting that style, you're probably open
to having that. Things not be perfectly imperfect, you know,
like who cares if there's a little bit etched on
the marble that brings me a character? Who cares? If
you're living, you know, your brast up with you know,
tarnishes over time or furnish, Like who cares? Character? It's life,
you know, bringing in those like and what I love
(55:33):
about the farm is you kind of you know, bring
in those recycled material you know, all that recycled furniture,
you know, going to the antique stores and and really
like you know, play on.
Speaker 1 (55:44):
It doesn't have to be femi, but you can.
Speaker 2 (55:46):
Buy pieces personality like the persons, like a piece of
furniture that's been around for a couple of hundred years,
you know.
Speaker 1 (55:52):
Probably in a farmhouse.
Speaker 2 (55:53):
Probably.
Speaker 1 (55:54):
Yeah, Lessandra, thank you so much for coming onto the edit,
joining us here in our little home. It's been such
a joy getting to know you more and finding out
more behind the design. And I can't wait to go
and wash my hair quite alive.
Speaker 2 (56:13):
Thank you for having us, and thank you for featuring
our projects. And we love being a part of this
home beautiful family. So thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (56:21):
An absolute pleasure. What an incredible insight into Lossandra's life
and motivations. I loved learning about her approach to design,
not just the what, but the why. Ps I am
so doing that flooring trick next time I renovate. If
you've enjoyed this episode, make sure you follow the edit
for more conversations about home's style and the people shaping
(56:45):
the way we live. Next time, we'll be stepping into
another home, another story, and another design dilemma. This is
the edit, your style, your sanctuary, and a little inspiration
to take into the rest of your day. This episode
is brought to you by Luxeflex, transforming homes with beautiful,
(57:06):
functional window coverings designed to transform your light and lifestyle.
Thank you to OZ designed for our beautiful set. Come
and visit the experienced team in store and see the
collection for yourself.
Speaker 2 (57:24):
This is an Our Media podcast
This is an our media podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
We knew within our heart of hearts that we were
not only going to get on the blot, but we
were going to win the blog. Really, every single one
of our products, yeah, has been developed purely out of
something that was missing in our lives. Sorry that would
we be there anyway? I dropped my cushions.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
This episode is brought to you by Luxeflex, transforming homes
with beautiful, functional window coverings designed to change your life
and lifestyle. Today's set has been thoughtfully curated by us
Design sharing life with you since nineteen seventy nine. Welcome
back to the Edit, the show about your style and
(00:58):
your Sanctuary, where we step inside the homes, habits and
headspaces of the people who help us live better. Today's
guest is someone many Australians first met on the Block,
where she and her twin sister Alisa made a lasting
impression with their calm considered approach to design. Since then,
she's built a multi layered career spanning interiors, television and business,
(01:18):
and most recently, she stepped into the world of beauty
and well being as the co founder of Alive Lessandra
Fraser is known for spaces that feel refined and functional
and quietly luxurious, many of which we've been lucky enough
to feature in Home Beautiful. And right now she's balancing
design work, media projects, and growing a brand in a
completely different category. So today we're talking about life after
(01:42):
reality TV, building a business from the ground up, and
later taking a sensory tour of Lessandra's own home. Lessandra Fraser,
Welcome to the edit. Thank you for having me. It's
I'm here. Oh, it's so lovely having you. We've seen
so much of your life. Really, I mean that sounds
a bit creepy. I don't mean it too, but because
(02:05):
we first met you and your sister Alisa on the Block.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
I know, and that was like, that was what are
we coming up to? Like end of this year? That
will be like fourteen years. I know. It's actually crazy.
It's a lifetime, isn't It's actually really scary how fast
it goes. We were like twenty eight and were like
almost forty two.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
A completely different life stage. All of the stages we'll
get into. Tell me about the Block. Initially, why did
you sign up? Because what did you do as your
day job?
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Well, for for anybody that doesn't know the backstory, It
was we were police officers in Adelaide, and we were
both police officers for about seven years. We'd always been
massive block fans, yep. Like we watched it religiously, and
then one auction night we decided to well, we always
watched it together and then they I think it's a
(03:01):
South Melbourne series and they won a lot of money.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
And we looked at each.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
Other and like, do you think we should apply?
Speaker 1 (03:11):
And did you think you'd get through?
Speaker 2 (03:14):
So I'm not just saying this. So the second that
we decided to apply that night, like something came over
our bodies and we knew within our heart of hearts
that we were not only going to get on the block,
but we were going to win the block really and
there is nothing that like anybody could have said that
would make us think otherwise. So the second we decided it,
(03:36):
and like even the very first line of our audition
tape was it was so corny to this like in
our place, uniforms back to back with like a drill
up in the air as if they're like firearms. We
looked at the camera and we're like, we're Relisa and
Lessandra and we're going to be the winners of the
Block twenty and thirteen and founded like we you did
(04:02):
knew it within our blood, like within our boats.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Are you a bit woo woo?
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Ah, I wouldn't like not fool woo woo. But we
are very instinctial and we trust our guts and we
believe in manifesting to a certain degree. But you have
to put your actions behind Yeah, we could have said
that unless we had an audition and actually put the
you know, into action. Yeah, but we knew it. So yes,
we are a little bit a Lasa reckon. She's psychic,
(04:28):
I think more psycho, but she's not here, so it
sounds like a good time.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Did you have any DIY skills, let alone renovation skills?
Speaker 2 (04:39):
We had both like added extensions onto our homes. But
we were we were young, like we well at the time,
we didn't feel that young, but I look back now
and we were. But you know, we we were young.
We were just you know, both had young babies. We
didn't have much money, and so we liked the idea
(05:02):
of design, but never in our like we would sit
there and critique the block religiously like we were like
as we were experts, you know, like we thought we
had that right to critique that cushion or why did
they do this? I would have done that. Do you know,
like we had that kind of do it. We had
that mindset of we thought we knew yeah, you know
(05:23):
that we were designed. Yeah, but no, as far as
experience goes, no, absolutely not.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
How did it feel getting feedback from actual judges?
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Well, our first bedroom, I think we counted like thirteen
pillows or cushions that we put on and the end
the bench at the end, and it was it was
a little bit of a disaster, but we took what
the judges said on board from that from the first room.
Actually we lost the challenge. We came last and we
(05:54):
got the bottom floor. And then, yeah, we took everything
that the judges said on took We took it on
board and we applied it straight away. So we were
able to turn it around really fast and win the
most room reveals and challenges out of any other couple
on the block. And they had all, you know, experience
with a trade.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Or exactly is it actually learning on the job.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Oh, it was one hundred percent learning on the job.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Was there anything that really surprised you?
Speaker 2 (06:21):
I think like the difference between like now and then,
Like we weren't in the day where Instagram was a
thing like Facebook was, but Instagram didn't really exist. Well,
I didn't have an Instagram account. Pinterest wasn't really a
thing like it was. It was around, but it wasn't
really a thing. I feel like now you could prepare
(06:42):
yourself probably a lot more, whereas back then, honestly it
was flicking through magazines going we like this, but we
actually didn't even have time to do that, to be fair,
so it was one hundred percent like learning on the job.
We did not go in prepared, you know, like you
see some contestants now, they come with their full boards,
are pretty laid out like their star, what they're going to,
They know the supplies, pretty much curated the whole space
(07:05):
before it's even started. We had We did not do that.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Do you think it's a good idea for current and
future contestants to do that?
Speaker 2 (07:12):
It would make your life way less stressful. True, But
I do think that there was something really genuine and
organic about how our journey and time on the block happened,
because it was so natural and so organic, not pre
(07:33):
conceded in any way. Really that I do feel like
and it was instinctual, but I also do feel like
sometimes like you know, we have too much time to
make a decision. Oh but even you know, like even
with client shops and like you know, or is it
you forced to make a decision then and there? Like
you made your decision.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
Well, let's talk about that because you have a whole
different career. Now, let's talk about the creating homes.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Yeah, when we finished the block, we actually did two
seasons the block. Yeah, I did another one back to back.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
I did to do that.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Oh, they asked us back and it was like, okay,
how do you say no to that?
Speaker 2 (08:08):
So we actually it kind of forced us to lead
the police force, which was a good thing. And then
after we finished that, we were like, right, well this
is that passion, you know, Gosh, we're actually not too
bad at it. Let's move into doing this as a
as a career. So that's what we did. And you know,
I guess you look back and like, holy hell, how embarrassing.
I wish I could go back to my first client
(08:29):
and give that console all over again for free.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
Without naming names. Who was your first client? What were
they like? What was the home like?
Speaker 2 (08:41):
It was somebody that had watched the Block and he
had a it was actually very similar to our second
season on the Block. It was like a warehouse kind
of conversion. So he got us on board because it's like, well,
obviously you did a good job on the show, and
you know at the time we did a good job,
but when you look back now, I know I could
(09:05):
do so much better. But hate you're just start somewhere
exactly exactly. But yes, going from the Block to actually
turning it into a full time job is obviously like
a massive change. And going from a police officer to
that as well.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
Did you dive right in or did you have you
did right different training or meet different people to build
a team.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
It's funny like if hindsight is twenty twenty, right, So
we kind of just dove straight in. And if I
was to give anybody advice that was looking at doing
the same thing we did, like a real basic course,
but I would have gone, right, knowledge is power, and
(09:48):
when you don't have that knowledge to a degree, you're
winging it and you get to the end result. But
it's so much harder, like spend that time, like going
and doing an interior design course a photoshop course, like, yeah,
spend that time and even now, like do you know
how many times, so many years we're like we need
(10:08):
to do this, we need to actually stop and learn that.
But life is just too fust paced that we've never
had a chance actually do that, so we always get
to the end. But so learn from me, learn from us.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
It's working for you because last year, one of your
homes was the number one, as voted by our audience
home Beautiful Home of the Year.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
I know, it's crazy, said, I was sitting in the
saw and I was like leaking through Instagram and I
saw Home Beautiful come up and they're like the one
house as abated by you, and I was like, oh, yeah,
he got that title this year. I was like, we
obviously didn't know anything about so that. Yeah, that was
a massive compliment. Not our house. It was a project
(10:52):
to client's project.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
But gorgeous that house. We'll link it in the show
notes so everybody can have a look at it. Tell
me about but how you built a team around you
of were you working with builders, any building designers and
all the trades? How did you choose them?
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Honestly, Elisa and I were pretty much doing all of
the work ourselves. We would collaborate with local builders, but
we didn't really have like a team as such. We
would work for an individual client they might have a builder.
Now obviously it's like we're massive believers in the who
not how? Yeah, and get that team behind you. You
(11:33):
don't need to know everything like that. We still don't
know everything, but it's having those people that know what
you don't know exactly, you know, like all of the
like we've got a team that does all the drawings,
the cut files, like they're the experts in that field.
I don't need we don't need to be spending our
time learning that when our strengths are, you know, being
(11:53):
front of face, being the creative when it comes to
what style, the direction and the layout that type of thing,
and letting other people do what they do so well.
So yes, it has become very collaborative now. But yes,
at the start we tried to do it ourselves. And yes,
like I said, we got there the long way around.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
Do you think you have a particular design style that's
evolved or does it depend on the client.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
It really depends on the client. Like you know, obviously,
some interior designers.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Have a very specific book and that's why they're so
good within that space. So that's why particular clients go
to them. We really don't have any I love doing
all design styles. I think I would get bored if
it was just one. So it's really just listening to
the client. What they you know, whatever they want we
can create. Like there are some stars that we're probably
(12:47):
a little bit like out of our comfort zone with,
but we don't generally get like that clientele. So yeah,
I would say definitely, like we can do farmhouse contemporary,
you know, like we've got quite a large range of difference.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Something I've noticed that goes through all your projects is
such a great use of material It's always so interesting
the blend of materials and the way you pull them together.
It's really beautiful.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
Thank you. And you know, like I think it goes
back to like we are not formally trained. We don't
pretend to be like an expert within it's so hard
because we are interior designers. Yes we are experts within
the field, but as far as understand like being able
to sit here and tell you why that works, why
(13:36):
that works, why that works. Like we're very visual and
we are very gut orientated and you know, like I don't.
We're not hugely academic, but it's you just know exactly.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
I think that's with anything in life, particularly in the
creative world. Some people just have it and some people
can learn it.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Either a natural at it and if you're not, you
can learn it to maybe be pretty good at it.
And yeah, so yeah, it is. It is interesting. Having
said that, though, obviously as time goes on and the
more experience you get, you start to actually learn a
lot more like the layering using different materialities, like we
were saying, like we use that and that just becomes
(14:20):
instinctual exactly. You know, it's not like we're sitting there
like we used to be here, we use some stone here,
we layered that. You know, it just becomes instinctial.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
How do you choose your clients? Because do people sometimes
come to you for who you are? And in the public.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
I would I would say that that has definitely helped.
Obviously having that profile and having a big Instagram following,
and obviously people.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
Trust you because they can see you.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
And I think the one advantage that we do have
is that people Okay, so if we weren't on TV
and we just rocked up. People might think that we're
a little bit lunt or a little bit unprofessional. Tell
me you're not really refined? No, yes, tell me what
(15:08):
you like. But I think where we have that advantage,
people are hiring us because they actually want us to
just tell them the truth and be and honest with them, so.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Good to know.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
And we don't change that, Like we do not put
on an act to our clients that were refined and professional.
We're just like, no, you definitely cannot do that. Like,
I'm so sorry if that comes across as blunt, but
that's I think people. That's why people hire us because
they are confused. They need that direction. They need somebody
(15:45):
to be like right that that's not going to work.
And you wouldn't.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
Say that without reason.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
You've pushed boundaries, and they do it because I think
they obviously know the projects that we've worked on and
the outcomes out of it has achieved. So it's like
that trust element is there, Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
Do you have any favorite projects or favorite clients?
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Yeah, definitely, there's a couple that stand out. I think
we did a big project in Paradise Point in the
Gold Coast. Yeah, we worked on that project for about
three years. They bought like a double fronted waterfront property
and we literally designed it from the ground up. And
oh they obviously they had a really big budget, which
(16:24):
always make things way more exciting. But they were all lovely,
lovely clients and they trusted us with everything. But he
was an engineer as well, so be able to be
able to work with somebody that was so like methodical
and particular to detail and really wanted that quality. Yeah,
that project went without a hitch in three years.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
Just precision.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
This client. Look, they bought me that Louis Vaton. They
bought both of us a Louis Vton bag. Can you
see that there?
Speaker 1 (16:57):
Really we need clients that he.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
Said the high Now every time I finish a project,
I'm like.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Yes, where's my present? So did you say it took
three years?
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Yeah, it was a massive that they had because they
were on the waterfront. They had to like the engineering
just within the slab alone, like yeah, the pylon. Yeah,
it was it was huge. And then probably the project
that we got the vote for from our farmhouse, which
is a recent project we've finished. Look, you just you
(17:32):
kind of forget about so many like when you actually
look back drop box order all your past clients, You're like, holy,
but those are the ones that probably those two are
the ones that probably stand out.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
So talking about precision and attention to detail. I want
to hear more about your other business, which is so
popular and so many people know the brand. But I
do wonder sometimes do people know that you're behind it?
And that is alive for anyone who doesn't know what
is it?
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Okay, So I'll give you a little bit of a
backstory about house A Life came to be. So Alisa
and I were doing a personal development in Melbourne. We
were f lipping a property in Albert Park and we
went to Stele our bathrooms and we just couldn't find
anything to sell the bathrooms that we hadn't seen before.
(18:22):
You know, the a pocket theory bottle and there's beautiful,
but you know, quite a high price point, and we
were just we just we wanted something that we hadn't
seen anyway, we couldn't find it, and we spent the
whole day literally looking. And then Alisa called me one
day and she was like, hey, I reckon we should
(18:44):
make our own soap. And I was like huh, And
she goes and then she threw out like we should
collaborate with Palm Alive or something, and then that lost me.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
I was like, that's a stupid idea if you're listening, collabor.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Not not that anything is wrong with Palmeli, but you know,
we came from an interior design background where it's very important.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
It's a different product.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
Yeah, that was the motivation she needed to go, right,
I'm going to prove her. So she kind of went
underground and developed, you know, like a personal care range obviously,
and she presented it to me, and she had come
up with the brand, like the name Alive and that
(19:28):
was a laser less underdog ive like Alive. From there,
we probably worked on it for another two years. We
came up with a bottle design, the colors, the interlocking,
like it was just a full process and like the
fire in our belly, Like once we could see the
vision and we're like, why can't we design a product
that is aesthetically beautiful but also functional, like and it
(19:52):
doesn't have to be so it doesn't have to just function.
Why does that be beautiful? Why can't it have the
ability to transform a space? And it really does. And
I think that introduction of colors, Like, we only started
with three products, three duos, because that's all we could afford,
and we launched in COVID the week of COVID, And
so what we were finding is people were obviously at home.
(20:19):
They were washing their hands a lot, they were hands.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
Oh my gosh, I didn't even think of that, but
I mean.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
I know people like you.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
Time that was like, ah, do you realize how long
that talked to get off.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
We were actually contemplating holding off watching it until COVID finished.
Luckily we didn't. People were at home and they wanted
their space to feel nice and elevated, and so that's
kind of where it all started. But back to your question,
the nice thing is now and like we don't mind
that people associate us with the block, like we will
(20:51):
never be ashamed that. The really nice thing now is
that we are finding more and more people coming up
to us on the streets and say, oh my god,
you girls own a live rather than you girls are
on the block. So we are now kind of transitioning
to you know, people knowing us for being founders of
(21:12):
Alive rather than you know, reality TV people.
Speaker 1 (21:16):
So how do you choose the sense I've always wondered
this because I am just a scent obsessive. How do
you decide which ones to put in production?
Speaker 2 (21:27):
The colors probably almost hardened the scent. Really, what we
like to do is we like to cover variety. Obviously
within the range we have six core scents, so obviously
we don't want them to all be sweet, or we
don't want them all to be masculine or fresh like.
So we like to have a different variety. And obviously
there are a couple of cents where it's a safe
(21:49):
bet that everybody's going to love them, and then we
have a couple where it's a little bit more personal.
I think it's just kind of ticking the boxes for
what covering every body is kind of palette, yeah, and
it's interesting. So people like, do you pick the color
of the duo or do you pick the scent or
(22:09):
do you We're always like, all right, go with the
color that you prefer, because you can always refill them
with the scent that you like, because we sell refills
as well, do you know what I mean? So it
doesn't necessarily have to be refilled with that same scent
if you wanted to try a different one.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Comes back to the decor.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
It does one d percent.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
So then how did you choose the colors for So.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
We actually started with three and only one of those
exists now we kind of discontinued the others and brought
in So we started with the blue, which some people
called charcoal. It's one of those you know that dress, like,
what color do you see? It's like a charcoal blue.
We had a clay color, yes, and we did like
a green color. We don't do the clay and the
(22:56):
green anymore. But obviously we've got the white, We've got
the stone, our two most popular because you can literally
put them into any space. Then we've got the olive green,
which you know it's on trend too, and then we've
got the plum. Oh, the nude you know if you
because we brought out a skin care line as well,
so we're like, oh, people are like some people are
going to want that same nude duo with their skincare.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
So why did you bring out the skin care line?
Speaker 2 (23:20):
Every single one of our products has been developed purely
out of something that was missing in our lives. So
selfish it is, what are we struggling with? Like that's
how the Jews were born. Our number one selling product
kitchen Trios that sells our bathroom duos go Forget, because
(23:45):
we solved a problem of like everybody was having their
dishwashing liquid in green bottle, ugly bottle. I won't mention
names out on the table, but then they would put
sorry out on their bench dish washing, but then they
would hide it. Yes, it was ugly. We're like, they're
having to bend down every time they want to spray
(24:05):
their bench or clean their dishes or wash their hands.
So that's how the trio. We're like, all right, well
let's solve that problem. And I guess going into your
question with the skincare, that's also how that product we
decided to launch skin because yes, we're not experts in
that field, but we were struggling with the day to
day routine of how complicated is skincare? Honestly like, well,
(24:30):
you got this serum and that you know cleanser and
that we'd go to our skincare and she'd write down
on a piece of paper in the am, you've got
to put this serum in. I know you would have
a post it note, suck to our mirror.
Speaker 1 (24:45):
Try to come up with this.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Routine of all these different brands and like you didn't
know whether that would clash with that that read it
would and so anyway, we're like, I mention, if you
just had a skincare routine where it pretty much like,
you know, this is your morning routine, This is your
routine and you have it out on your.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
Bench because it looks nice.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
Because it looks nice, but then it encourages you to
actually use them. And you know what, I have never
stuck to a skincare routine, and since we've launched that,
every morning, I get up my skincare AM PMS on
the rock and I use and you're all set, and
I'm set and my skin has Honestly, it's all about
being consistent.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
And you have beautiful skin for anyone listening who may
I'm thinking about you too. Sometimes we retouch photos and
yes things can be filtered on TV in real life gorgeous.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
Thank you. Yeah. So it's all about just creating. Every
product is out of a need. A need.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
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and smooth silhouettes, offering timeless pieces designed to transform your
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(26:06):
Balancing form and function. The collection helps you create a
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(26:27):
I want to change things up a little bit, and
I'd like to come over to your place. So we
do this thing where we take our listeners on a
sensory home tour. You know, home beautiful home tours are
our thing. So I'd love for you to set the scene.
It's a typical day or maybe maybe a weekend or
(26:47):
a relaxing day your place, and I'm coming over. I
come to the door and you open the door. What
do I see? Take us through your home? What do
we see?
Speaker 2 (26:57):
So when you're coming up to my place, you don't
want to go to the left side because that's the LASiS.
You definitely want to go to the NASA side on
the right hand side.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
S she's not here.
Speaker 2 (27:06):
This is would you like? Yes? Next to each other?
And now it's crazy. Don't judge. She went light and
I went dark, not like our personalities. But so you
walk through my big custom made timber door, and the
first thing I guess people comment on is I have
(27:30):
down my hallway. I have done like an inlay of
natural stone from c DK with a brass border and
then surrounding that dark timberfore.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
Yes, there are those mixed.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
Materials and it's a bit boring just walking into a
hallway with the timber floor, you know, and you do
add that little bit of luxury. And then onto the left,
I've rendered that whole wall down the whole side of
the house and looking up to avoid that is like
nine meters nine the way and then you walk down
(28:03):
I've actually got a very long hallway. But what you'll
find consistent throughout my house is that I have bronze
mirrors in a lot of places actually, and I'm like, wow,
I really did overkill it with the mirrors, but it
doesn't actually realize it. Yeah, I know that if you've
got a complex with how you look or.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
Whatever, do you find you forget they're there?
Speaker 2 (28:22):
I do, yeah, but I love like they're quite subtle.
I think that mirror definitely helps and then you and
then off to the right is my master bedroom. Obviously
it has to be on the bottom floor. What I
really like about that is I've actually included, like carried
through my floorboards from my hallway into my master bedroom
(28:44):
by about a meter okay, and then I've divided with
a brass strip and put my carpet.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
It's like a visual entryway.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
Yeah, so I like that. You know, sometimes when you
walk into a bedroom, oh shoes do I take it off?
For I avoid that, And that carries through to my
walking wardrobe. And I've also got that brass strip that
divides into the carpet once you get into my walking
wardrobe and then my on suite.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
Now the flooring is that something that's quite simple to
do because I imagine it looks really lux.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
It really does, like I honestly feel like I live
in a luxury hotel, but homie, yeah, you know, but
not like sterile like No, it still has that warmth
and hoiness. It's so simple to mix up what could
be boring like a hallway pretty easily. Yeah, just with
(29:37):
those small little details, you're.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
Getting the flooring put in anyway, what doesn't matter if
it's a bit more this sway and a bit more.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
That way, yep, And it just breaks the room up
a little bit, and it defines my bed and my
bed and makes it really cozy. And yeah, I just
like the fact I don't have to take my shoes
off every time. That's true.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
So on sweet, what's it on? Sweet?
Speaker 2 (29:56):
Like? I feel like it's very luxurious. I've got big
slab tiles, three meters slab tiles that go all the
way up to the ceiling. I've got a double vanity
which actually a vanity a least when I have a
vanity collection as well, So I've got our archie vanity
double vanity in a stellar oak and then shaving cabinet.
(30:16):
So I've used the same tile, three meter tiles, slabtil
all three out. And then I went like this kind
of green almost square mosaic to define my shower space nice.
And so you walk through, You've got your shower screen
either side, double shower, and then I've got my bath
which is kind of put on a little bit of
a platform, and that green tile goes from the shower
(30:38):
zone up to the green platform, so it defines the space.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
Yeah, let's be on the bed trip, so.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
You walk through. You've got a lovely big laundry on
the right hand side, and that goes off to the
powder room and drops on for the boys, and they're
school wags because two boys, two boys, two teenagers, fourteen
and sixteen next week, and yeah, a little powder room
and just the laundry where I can actually like, oh
(31:05):
my gosh, I went from a yeah, so I sold
my house to funder a live body and a lot
of people don't actually realize this so real track a
little bit. Yeah, let's go back. I think it's really
important for people not to see this perception of us
living in these nice, beautiful homes and just think that
that's what it was, because it wasn't that. Like, So
(31:27):
I sold my house to fund Alive and I had
to live in a friend's move into a friend's granny
flat like that was like old and like dilapidated for
about three years. So she was in her house. He
had a husband, so she didn't mean.
Speaker 1 (31:42):
To she could sell her house. I was on my own.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
I then moved into a rental which was picture a
three bedroom rental in the seventies, carpet apricot walls, like
car floor, like like living really bad. And here I
am going off and designing people's homes.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
And now I was like, you want money on the block,
Like you want a million dollars on the block?
Speaker 2 (32:06):
I was.
Speaker 3 (32:06):
I had to split that with the lad said, then
I had to split it with my ex husband, and
now I had to fund alive.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
So yeah, that's why I'm living. So anyway, I just
thought it was important to like really like and my
kids like lived. We lived for about six years in
really not very standard living. Yeah. And on top of that,
like Alisa and I grew up, we grew up with
(32:31):
a single mum. We grew up in housing trust our
whole life, like in housing commission, our whole life. So yeah,
like it. Certainly, I just feel sometimes uncomfortable explaining my
home and the fact that it's like I don't want
to without the content without thinking oh you lucky bitches,
(32:52):
or yeah, our labor. So I just think it's not Yeah,
but anyone starting over or wanting to do something different,
like was.
Speaker 1 (33:03):
Your mum a good homemaker? How did she make your
homes feel well like yours? Growing up?
Speaker 2 (33:10):
Not to be like not really, I think we always
had that. I think you know why we naturally kind
of can look at a space and be like, look me.
I actually, honestly do believe that stems back from when
we were growing up in our Housing Commission home, like
we were because Mum always sent us to really good
schools so that we were surrounded. So we used to
(33:32):
have to drive quite a long way to go to
a good school. But Alasta and I like we were embarrassed,
like kids don't like when they were bringing their friends
over to our like they don't care, and I love
that about them. They also don't care. We've got a
really nice house now, But yeah, we were really embarrassed,
(33:53):
and I think that's where it started. When we were like,
how can we like do little things that are going
to make this house like less embarrassing. So I remember, like,
you know the suede paint.
Speaker 1 (34:04):
Oh do I ever?
Speaker 2 (34:05):
Oh my god, So we convinced Mum to let us
paint the whole way. It's like purple plum.
Speaker 1 (34:13):
I was gonna say, tell me you did the dark
chocolate purple color.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
And then I think we put the blue into the kitchen.
Speaker 1 (34:22):
Dine.
Speaker 2 (34:23):
These gerbras, these colorful.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
Were there any other flowers back then?
Speaker 3 (34:30):
In order to just not feel quiet and embarrassed so
distracted the DA.
Speaker 2 (34:38):
And so I think that that's probably where it all
makes it kind of started. Yeah, definitely, And so anyway,
let's continue on with my house.
Speaker 1 (34:49):
So back to your mansion with all the fancy flooring,
and then you.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
Just walk into the back area. We've got my kitchen
which opens onto a lounge room and a probably my
face one of my favorites areas isn't my dining area.
So it's all open plan, but I've in built like
it's a banquette. It's it's ten lovely, it's about probably
about a twelve seater, but it's a real statement within
that room and obviously favorite I actually don't know. I
(35:15):
think because the scale of it, and it does feel
really grand, and I think that upholstery that I know,
I've put an on cream upholstery. I know, I'm stupid.
I've got the kids in, the.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
Boys have their friends over. Can you feel ten teens
around there. I just put like some towels down or.
Speaker 2 (35:36):
Maybe cross it outside. Yeah, and then like two massive
oversized pieces of artwork and just feels homey, and even
after three years, I still I still love it. And
then upstairs is probably more of the boys area where
they've got their own bedroom, a living area, their bathroom.
My home office is up there too, Yeah, and then
(35:57):
a pool in the backyard, and then I lay the
next door and her cats now cat. We a gate
at the end of at the back of our yard
for the cats for us and the kids, which can
be shut off if we were to sell, or we'll
just put another panel up. But yes, so we have
access to each other's homes and so do our cats
and our children. So we work together, we live together,
(36:18):
and it definitely has its pros, you know, absolutely. Sometimes
when she's not there, I'll go to her back fridge
and still drinks and stuff.
Speaker 1 (36:29):
Well, she knows. Now what does home mean to you.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
I'm not proud of this. I'm very like I think
I'm OCD. I think I'm getting worse with the age,
and I think I love things in order and place,
and I know that is hard when you've got teenagers,
and it is something that I have to deal with,
and I actually do do think it stems from our
lives being so manic that that's the one place, that's
(36:57):
the one area that I like to have come and
I've got control over. Yes, I really do like to
have my house pretty pristine. My house represents I guess,
being in that Housing Trust house as a kid, having dreams,
knowing we were going to be something I don't know what,
believing that we were going to get onto the block,
(37:19):
taking that dive into starting an interior's business, and taking
that dive to invest into alive that my home represents
all those years of hard work. And I think the
thing I love about it the most is, like I said,
my kids don't give a shit that we've got a
nice house. Like they honestly do not care. They don't care.
(37:41):
But what they do see is the hard work that
we've been It's been almost fifteen years, the blood, sweat
and tears, the late night has we did this. That's
the result of my home is a result of that
hard work. So that's what it represents to me.
Speaker 1 (37:57):
Yeah, I've got some more questions like this, so but
they're perhaps not as there may be as deep. Let's
see how we go.
Speaker 2 (38:05):
Sorry, that would be there. I chopped my cushions. I'm
here for the d and I know you chopped cushions.
I'm with you. I don't we don't.
Speaker 1 (38:16):
Go full bunny years. But there is a bit of a.
Speaker 2 (38:20):
I don't know how people could not chop one, but
a great it's weird.
Speaker 1 (38:25):
So you alluded to this before.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
Shoes in the house on or off on, If it's
on floorboards, I like to take them off with it
on carpet.
Speaker 1 (38:33):
Nice candles. Do you have them burning all the time?
Do you only put them on for guests or are
you just not a candle person?
Speaker 2 (38:41):
Well, we have a home fragrance trains for the live
as well, so of course, I mean I'm the co
founder of a live of course. I like scent. I
have of course, So at my front door, I have
a live candle and a room spray ah, and I
like to scent trench like. So I will like to
put a candle one and then use that same scent
(39:06):
and I will spray my front like the front of
the house. I just love do. It's like a ritual. Now,
It's I'm almost like a daily thing. And I come
down and light my candle at the beginning of the day,
open up my windows to get that natural airflow, do
some sprays of my room spray, and then I really
like to use our diffuses like in the living room.
So it's like that constant kind of scent, but more subtle,
(39:27):
and it's almost like a set and forget. I don't
have to worry, and I have cats. Don't judge me.
There are there is a litter tray that does exist
in my house.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
Where they supposed to go.
Speaker 2 (39:38):
I know, so I without without all of like our
home fragrance, like gross?
Speaker 1 (39:45):
Do you change it up? Or do you? What does
your home smell like? Most?
Speaker 2 (39:48):
I like to keep it fairly. I changed my sense up.
That might be every three months or something. So, but
I like to keep this, like if I've got a candle,
I like to keep the same rooms like this room
spray in the same scent. I think within different zones
like upstairs. I don't mind changing my scent, the scent,
(40:09):
but I do like to keep it pretty consistent like that.
But I think who wouldn't use a candle or a
ramspray or diffuses?
Speaker 1 (40:17):
Now you'd be surprised. Who Wendy Moore.
Speaker 2 (40:21):
She doesn't know. I don't get that.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
I know we were talking about it just last week.
Speaker 2 (40:26):
It's one of those things that you do and then
you get used to it and you become addicted to it,
I think so, and so it's like if you've never
had it, you probably don't know, but once you've started it,
it's like something that you can't fathom, like you've lived
without for so long.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
I'm a scent person, but I do understand for some
people it's just too much. They don't need it.
Speaker 2 (40:46):
Or just I'm like, you get into a car or
an uber and they've got melly car fan thing and
literally got your head out the window. Like that I
can relate to. I can totally relate to.
Speaker 1 (41:00):
I imagine that's how Wendy feels about home.
Speaker 2 (41:02):
Sure, well she hasn't tried our life from home fragrance range,
very very nice.
Speaker 1 (41:07):
Prospect coming to you real soon.
Speaker 2 (41:10):
I should send it. Can we make a note to
send her someplace? So?
Speaker 1 (41:15):
I know you were saying that OCD calm home. It's
your thing. Is there a corner or a room or
a drawer in your home that is chaotic?
Speaker 2 (41:26):
Oh? There is one draw that that's like on my
to do list this weekend. I am I like to keep.
I do a refresh pretty like I'm always always going
through each space.
Speaker 1 (41:42):
It's a rota.
Speaker 2 (41:42):
It's almost like you know when they paint the harbor
bridge and they finish one end and then they go
back and stuff like it's like that for my home. Yes,
do you know what I mean that? Yeah? The only
like it's funny. So my house is pretty. People always say,
oh my god, your house is I can makul it
and you work. But then you turn the corner in
(42:03):
my pantry and this is my favorite. This is probably
my favorite part of my home. I have a woll
of pen markers where all of my friends kids, like
my kids, my friends, their friends have come from a
young age and when measure their heights really and it's
like there's probably twenty different names and they come every
(42:26):
time and they mark. So this whole wall is dedicated
to like you know, dates, names, height, see how much
they've grown. And it just it feels so out of
place being in such a pristine home. And yes it's
not in Ivy, but it's like it makes it feel
it's mean, it's real, it's real, and just to be
able at it, I'm like, when I leave, how I
(42:48):
want to be able to like take a photo, get
it on more paper, and like I don't want.
Speaker 1 (42:52):
To lose no exactly, surely that can happen.
Speaker 2 (42:54):
Yeah, Oh, make it happen.
Speaker 1 (42:56):
What does your home sound like? And what music do
you if I have.
Speaker 2 (43:01):
The kids that week or not, it depends whether it's
my week or not. We'll go with the look. It
can sound quiet and calm in a moment, and then
it can sound crazy full of kids. And then obviously
you've got next door. You can hear the kids in
the pool, the kids playing basketball in the backyard, the
(43:25):
kids from upstairs. So I've got son of speakers in
my home and it's crazy like. What I love most
is on a Saturday or a Sunday morning just opening
up my windows, my curtains and laying in bed and
turning the son off speakers on and listening to some music.
(43:45):
Oh my gosh, you puts you in the best mood.
I'm a massive podcast listener. I listened to Crime. I
have a sick mind, sick sick mind. But I was
a police officer, so I think, so I'm a massive
I don't like silence. So if ever I'm on my own,
I have a podcast on. I listened to Interior. I
(44:05):
listen to this podcast. I listened to Darren's podcast. I
listened to quite a few to break it up because
it can't all be about matter, but to be able
to turn the music on a Saturday and Sunday, it's
a really nice ritual slow. It's almost like what life
is meant to be, exactly you know it is. And
(44:26):
so you talk about opening the curtains. Tell me about
your home window treatments. Are you curtains lines? So I
didn't realize the importance of window dressing. So we have
worked with Lucks of Flex for years now on projects,
and we were lucky enough to have them on board
(44:46):
for our home. And so I have the luminetes in
my bedroom and I just did the best of anyone
that's not familiar with this. It's like they look like
a sheer curtain when they're open, but they act like
a blind so it's like a blockout when they're shut,
and when they open, it's that natural filtering light. And
(45:07):
then I've got a jewet. I'm like, anyone think I
work for lights of folks, I don't. I just bloody
love their products. I have a piro wet in my
bathroom which is amazing, pirout jewet lunette. I have a
piro wet which is almost looks like a plantation shut it,
but it's a blind down and see through when you
(45:28):
want the light filtering, and then it goes to blockout
and it is the perfect window dressing for that space,
Like I wouldn't have able to pick something else for
that space. So and then I have, yeah, jewets, I
have all of it, yeah all and you just you think, oh,
I'll just do a shar in a blind, a roller blind,
(45:49):
but you don't have to. And it just honestly, I'm
so glad that I chose the products that with the
window dressings I picked because every single wind addressing in
my house it has a purpose and it is so
so thoughtfully considered, but they all act differently.
Speaker 1 (46:10):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
It really is crazy how how different it can be the.
Speaker 1 (46:14):
Form and the function. Tell me about something in your
home that you always have in your home that's fresh, well.
Speaker 2 (46:24):
Definitely not bread. I recoon. We get about four pieces
in and then I go to get.
Speaker 3 (46:30):
A piece of what's that green stuff? I'm bread now
by the time. Actually, my kids don't really eat a
ready either. I don't have fresh flowers every week. I
do love fresh flowers, but that's not a weekly thing
like obviously it's got to be the fruit in the vegetable.
Speaker 2 (46:52):
Yeah, you know, obviously having kid.
Speaker 1 (46:55):
Yeah. My next question come in a way combines both
your careers or previous. If there was one Australian design
crime in every home that you wish that you could
solve or get rid of. What is the design crime
(47:17):
that Australians make that you just think stop that.
Speaker 2 (47:20):
Oh that's such a hard question because I go into
homes that have been built like in the eighties or
the seventies where they want to do a full renovation
and they want you to change the floor plans. So like,
the floor plan obviously is our strength. We that's why
(47:41):
like a lot of people do get us and we
have this this ability to be able to make a
floor plan work. But you know, the crimes like you
remember like the non open plan living or the time
like the proportions of a room where they would like
make one room rely really big and not like the
(48:02):
living room really small, and it's like why have you
got this much space here and like such a small
area there? The zoning I think, so that kind of
goes back into probably more of the floor plan.
Speaker 1 (48:13):
You know, focus on your floor plan.
Speaker 2 (48:16):
People oh, get that right first, people, You have to
get the functionality of a space before we even talk
about the pretty stuff. Do you know? That is the
one thing like that people, which is I think why
we are as busy as what we are because we
started a service where it was like an intensive design
consult where people could come to us and just pick
(48:37):
our brains if they didn't have the capacity for an
ongoing interior designer. So, oh my gosh, once we opened
up this design service that just honestly have been inundated
by people needing, like to make a decision on their
floor plan. They builders onto them about looking in a
design but they're just really not sure and like, no
disrespect to architects or anything, but you know, a lot
(48:58):
of the time it's just like put this here because
you know, just.
Speaker 1 (49:03):
Because there's so many choices.
Speaker 2 (49:06):
I think we have this ability to be able to
jump in and whether that's like mum, female definitely not
being sexist here or whatever. I know it's a bit controversial,
but we have this ability to be able to envisig
yourself within that space and thing, right, you think that,
but when you actually think about it, would you want
to be doing this every day or having that in
that spot every day, like actually think about it properly.
Speaker 1 (49:28):
Knowing how people really live, knowing.
Speaker 2 (49:29):
How people really live before any of the pretty stuff.
So once you got the layout right, you know, then
go on to the place stuff and where, which I
guess is like comes back to how lives started as well.
It's like it's the function sits neatly on a in
a tray. Yeah, and then you know, yeah, yeah, we'll
(49:51):
worry about the pretty.
Speaker 1 (49:53):
Favorite.
Speaker 2 (49:54):
What makes your home beautiful? I think it ties back
into what it took to get there. It's the meaning
behind it. So many people have lovely homes, and you know,
my home's not any more beautiful than somebody else's because
they think that that house is beautiful and what it
means to them. Do you know what I mean? I
just think it. It's what it symbolizes. It's what it's
(50:16):
taken to get there. It's that journey. It's it may
be a bit different if say we were born into
money or you know, married into money or whatever, and
we had nice things and nice homes and they weren't,
you know, but it would have a different meaning. I'm
definitely not having any disrespect or any for anybody that
is in that position. But I think my home is
(50:38):
beautiful to me because of the of what it represents,
all the hard work.
Speaker 1 (50:43):
Absolutely, I have a question about daycore regrets. Do you
have any? It doesn't have to be in this home
you're in right now. Ever, ever, ever, have you had
a daycor regret? Is it the Swaye effect wall paint?
Speaker 2 (51:00):
Yeah, like we're going that far back. Yeah, I didn't.
That was in my house. I just painted that. Not
maybe a daycre regret, but maybe when we did renovate
my very first home, we maybe a finish regret. Yeah,
the materiality regret. Before I really knew what I was doing.
(51:21):
We put this extension on living dining kitchen, and we
chose a shiny porcelain tile for the flooring and.
Speaker 1 (51:31):
Service is going.
Speaker 2 (51:33):
Like what it was awful. You could see every footprint,
every like reflection, and we had lots of natural light
and we ended up just floorboarding over the top of it.
You know. So that was that that was probably maybe
not a daycres regret, but that was like a nassive,
(51:53):
massive design regret. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (51:56):
So the shiny porcel and tiles, they're not ideal because.
Speaker 2 (52:02):
Everything I even imagine a place that they would be ideal,
like obviously in bathrooms and stuff. I just like in
such a big spet and like, I'm not not saying
I'm against a tiled area. I love it. A loss like, yeah,
I proceed with cautia, I proceed. I would never do
that again.
Speaker 1 (52:23):
Okay, Lossandra. We do this thing on the edit called
Room for Advice, where our listeners sending questions and then
we team these questions with the experts we think best
to answer them. So we have a question here a
designed dilemma from Sophie, and Sophie writes high home Beautiful.
I'm renovating my home and I love the modern farmhouse look,
(52:46):
but I have no idea where to start. What are
the key design elements I should be using, What colors
and materials work best? Is there anything I should avoid
so it doesn't feel too steamy or overdone?
Speaker 2 (53:00):
That's a great question. Given the fact that just finished
out American farmhouse, I think in order to really capture
that farmhouse look, you really need that the high ceilings.
You know, if you can have a pitched ceiling with
some beans, timber beans, you know you're halfway there to
creating that look. I think that natural element, like the
(53:21):
timber flooring. You know, you probably want to go more
towards that mid darker color power for.
Speaker 1 (53:26):
The floor you could point otherwise want to go.
Speaker 2 (53:33):
I think that mid tone is a really nice you know,
it sets the tone. I like to keep walls fairly
neutral and let like the element. Obviously, you can also
introduce I think marble, like marble bench tops probably lend
itself really well to You don't want to do anything contemporary.
You want to do something that feels like it's been
there for you know, a really long time. And having
(53:56):
that that marble with the little brass accents and that
ornate detailing within the tap where you know, the pop filler.
And then you know, introducing whether you want to have
like a barn sliding door to create that little bit
more of an impact, or that stone fireplace. You know,
if you can have a real fire it's even better,
(54:17):
and then layering that with like lots of different textures
like in your ruggy coffee table, you know, your coffee tables,
your cushions, your big linen curtains that drape all the
way down to the ground, and big statement you know,
lights you know farmhouse lights.
Speaker 1 (54:36):
Really go for scale, Go for scale. Is there anything
that you would avoid?
Speaker 2 (54:42):
Look, I think anything too contemporary. I think, you know,
if you're trying to create that farmhouse looks, stick away
from the lighter, the lighter timbers, stick away from, you know,
the more of the contemporary stones like the Dolomites, and
go for more the classics, like the marbles, and like,
go for something that's like a living tumbled brass that's
(55:02):
going to age, that feels like it's been there.
Speaker 1 (55:04):
For a farmhouse under a styal. Yeah, it will have patina,
it will have texture.
Speaker 2 (55:11):
And if you were wanting that style, you're probably open
to having that. Things not be perfectly imperfect, you know,
like who cares if there's a little bit etched on
the marble that brings me a character? Who cares? If
you're living, you know, your brast up with you know,
tarnishes over time or furnish, Like who cares? Character? It's life,
you know, bringing in those like and what I love
(55:33):
about the farm is you kind of you know, bring
in those recycled material you know, all that recycled furniture,
you know, going to the antique stores and and really
like you know, play on.
Speaker 1 (55:44):
It doesn't have to be femi, but you can.
Speaker 2 (55:46):
Buy pieces personality like the persons, like a piece of
furniture that's been around for a couple of hundred years,
you know.
Speaker 1 (55:52):
Probably in a farmhouse.
Speaker 2 (55:53):
Probably.
Speaker 1 (55:54):
Yeah, Lessandra, thank you so much for coming onto the edit,
joining us here in our little home. It's been such
a joy getting to know you more and finding out
more behind the design. And I can't wait to go
and wash my hair quite alive.
Speaker 2 (56:13):
Thank you for having us, and thank you for featuring
our projects. And we love being a part of this
home beautiful family. So thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (56:21):
An absolute pleasure. What an incredible insight into Lossandra's life
and motivations. I loved learning about her approach to design,
not just the what, but the why. Ps I am
so doing that flooring trick next time I renovate. If
you've enjoyed this episode, make sure you follow the edit
for more conversations about home's style and the people shaping
(56:45):
the way we live. Next time, we'll be stepping into
another home, another story, and another design dilemma. This is
the edit, your style, your sanctuary, and a little inspiration
to take into the rest of your day. This episode
is brought to you by Luxeflex, transforming homes with beautiful,
(57:06):
functional window coverings designed to transform your light and lifestyle.
Thank you to OZ designed for our beautiful set. Come
and visit the experienced team in store and see the
collection for yourself.
Speaker 2 (57:24):
This is an Our Media podcast
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