May 17, 2026 • 48 mins
What happens after you win The Block, sell the house, have a baby, launch a business and start again?
In this episode of The Edit, host and Home Beautiful Editor-in-Chief Elle Lovelock sits down with Steph Ottavio, architect, designer, founder of Japandi Estate and one half of beloved The Block duo Steph and Gian.
Steph opens up about the pressure of renovating on national television, what she and Gian carried from The Block into real life, and how she renovated her own home while pregnant, with a five-month deadline and her mum living across the road.
But this is also a more personal conversation about the strange quiet that can come after a huge, formative chapter. Steph talks honestly about experiencing “post blues” after The Block, feeling disconnected from purpose, going to therapy, and learning to strip life back to the basics: community, connection, conversation, morning rituals and the little moments that make you feel like yourself again.
Together, Elle and Steph explore what really makes a home beautiful, from decluttered spaces, layered rugs and 12 skylights to the feeling of walking into a home that has been designed for real family life.
Moments You'll Hear:
- Why Steph says her home has to be organised so life can be chaotic
- What The Block taught her about pressure, outsourcing and working with Gian
- How Steph renovated while pregnant and moved in before her baby arrived
- The truth about her “post Block blues” and rebuilding a sense of purpose
- Why community became the brief for her next home
- Steph’s take on Japandi style, character within minimalism and why she does not love cold modern homes
- The clever design ideas inside Steph and Gian’s home, including the Jack and Jill bathroom, 12 skylights and a pool craned in through the neighbours
- Her rules for shoes, scent, clutter and the design trend she would happily leave behind
Thank you for listening ❤️
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
This is an our media podcast. We applied and forty
thousand people apply and we were like, we're not going
to get on. But you know what, it's fun. We
just built our house. We can mash up, you know,
a version of an audition tape and by a mashup.
Remember I'm a perfectionists. So then I fuller.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
I was going to say, this is not a mash.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
I like hired a company. I was like, let's do
this properly. I was like, let's get lights, I need
a seat, I need.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Tell me what makes a home beautiful?
Speaker 1 (00:36):
I feel ultimately the people in it. Yeah, I mean
that's obvious. Yeah, but it's decluttered spaces, it's a harmonious
color palette. It's allowing the outside to be integrated with
the inside. Courtyards, greenery, lights, skylights.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Yeah. I couldn't agree more. Think about the last you
walked into a beautifully styled home and thought, why does
my kitchen bench never look like this? The truth is
most of us are doing our best with a mishmash
of bottles and cables and kids stuff and the odd
dying plant and things that we use every day. To
(01:16):
be honest, they're often the worst offenders. Today's guest, Steph Atavio,
decided to fix that. She took everything she learned from
years of creating warm layered rooms and big revealed TV
moments on the block, and she poured it into her
own interior design business and the home that she lives
in now. Steph, welcome to the edit.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
You it is.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
It's so great to have you here because we were
just talking about we've seen each other across the room
at events. Yea, all these people in the way, we
couldn't get.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Across the table the way I know. At last we meet,
we are at a forum that is intimate exactly.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
I don't know about you, but I've had a tough morning,
so I just need to get this fair face. Tough
is extreme, but talk to me. I know you'll understand
because you're a new parent. I have a five year
old and every morning we have our little routine. We
wake up where we have a drinking bed together. Here
it's smoothie, I have my coffee. It's nice and colme
and I think, yes, this is how we're going to
start the day. That it gets to ten to eight
(02:18):
and my start freaking out that we're behind schedule, like
come on, come on, we've got to go get your shoes,
and we leave the house in an absolute tip and
then I think about it all day and then I spiral.
So that's that's where I'm at.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Okay, yeah, I got you. But I feel relate, you know,
I absolutely can relate. I feel that sometimes I start
the morning. I'm not a scheduled person. Let's put it
that way. Ah, Okay, you wouldn't actually think that I
would be, but I am a very regimented, ordered control freak.
But I don't have a schedule. Same. Okay, great, So
(02:52):
that is why you know I'm relating to you when
you say that you have, you know, started your morning
and you're already not on a schedule. Yeah, but I
think that's the problem. You're not actually on a schedule.
It's okay, don't leave it a certain time. Just make
sure that you're out the door. And if you're out
the door and you've ticked off, okay, we've had the kids,
have had this movie, and I've had some food, the
cars packed, there's nappis, you know, Like, that's what I'm
(03:14):
thinking about. I'm starting my day and I'm in the
car and I don't care what time it is. That's
it because I've ticked off what I needed to do.
That's the schedule. Yees, the time schedule.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
The schedule is the list. Are you a list person?
Speaker 1 (03:25):
I am a list person?
Speaker 2 (03:27):
How do you keep some mothering on your phone? Are
you're a paper diary kind of gal?
Speaker 1 (03:30):
I'm a calendar like person. Again, there's no time assigned
to it. It says all day.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
That's good. Yeah, I think I'll adopt that.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Yeah. So that's what I'm saying. So you actually achieved
everything you wanted this morning, but you were putting the
pressure that needed to be done by a certain time.
That was the problem. For less the pressure, at least
the pressure. There's no time.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
So talking about pressure, you have been through your fair
share of pressure. Yes, the most public version being the block. Yes,
how did you manage that? Because there are time crunches there?
Speaker 1 (04:00):
There were definitely time crunches, But it was I worked
like day to day, everything that I need to get
done in the day.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
I think that's probably that's my biggest advice. I've never
really articulated in that way. I just thought, you know
what's just set a task for yourself for the day.
And then if you can get them done, get done.
But there's many times that I go into my calendar
and I go, Okay, I'm going to move that to
the next day and move to the next day, and
when you get to the crunch time when it needs
to be actually completed, right, there's no other day that
you can push it to, adrenaline kicks in and then
(04:27):
you always get it done. You always get it done.
Don't think that you won't.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Do You thrive on adrenaline.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Yeah, I do, And I think that's probably exacerbated on
the show. So let's say that we've moved those tasks
day to day and then we've gotten to the day
that it needs to be done, like Sunday is revealed
nine am. Right, so I'm staying on night up like
we're doing an or either. And again, you're not tired adrenaline.
That's we're pushing through, we're styling, we're getting everything done.
Nine o'clock comes bam, I'm done.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Yeah. I agree. It's the same in publishing and when
we're recruiting I guess more junior people into the industry.
I always ask at school, did you leave your homework
to the last minute? And they look terrified and think,
I'm like, oh, what answer do I give you to do?
I tell the truth and I want to hear it.
Yes I did, because if you can cram at the
(05:17):
last minute and get a good result, you'll be a
great journalists.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
I think so. But I think that there's something beautiful
that comes out of that in those moments of pressure.
You know, diamonds are built under pressure. It's true, it's true.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Here we are, we are.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
John is very much like methodical timed. It always to
be we have to get this done so that we
have adequate enough time thinking about this?
Speaker 2 (05:37):
How does he handle your k that.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
At that end point, I think he was had no
choice but to do it on the show. Everybody's watching,
everybody's watching, and you know, God forbid. But he actually
gets more anxiety watching me operate under that, like, oh
my god, there's like time pressure. But I was like, no, no,
I'm thriving. It's good, it's good.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
This is a good thing.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
And I think that he's just like learned to like,
let go, that's my process. And then I've also learned
to understand that that's not how he wants to operate,
so he can be planned and regimented. Like let's say,
if we've got a meeting or a podcast or something
to go do together. Yeah, he's like looking at the
questions before thinking about it, you know. Yah, whilst I'm
coming in not thinking about it, not looking at anything,
and just whatever it's in front of me. I'm just
(06:21):
dealing with.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
I tell you, we are kindred spirits. I love that
I haven't prepared for today, of course, but it's really chat.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Yeah, Like I think the more pressure, well, that's why
I say it. John and Argue we sort of say,
I'm like, but if you put pressure on it, then
you're anticipating it, and then you overthink it and then
in the moment then you're saying, what are you saying?
Speaker 2 (06:38):
That's true, I don't know what.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
And it's like this premeditated thing, and that's that's more
anxiety reaching. But he doesn't believe, so so I have
to understand that there are different people in this one.
That's fine.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
So you've also, I don't know if you did it
on purpose, but experienced one of the greatest pressures that
we will go through in our lives, and that is
you renovated a house while pregnant. Yes, with the goal
to move in before your baby was born.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
I know, again, this is actually amazing. How did you
structure this because now falls really perfectly. Look at this person.
She said that she didn't a plan. Yes, I've lived it,
that's all right. Were you the same, Yes, I've lived it?
Speaker 2 (07:22):
And then but we ended up delaying, and they're just going,
we can't do this. Were to call it, we will
park this period of our life and just devote it
to this new little baby.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
And you began renovating, and then you said, noah.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
We began the process and we had everything, all the
plans done, we had the counsel approvals, we had everything
locked in, and to be fair, then COVID happened and
we thought, this is a bit so we'll pause. But
but I was just about to say, we went straight
into it.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
I think the difference between you and I is you
weren't already in the mud, right, And once you're in
the mud, there's not you have to get out of
the mud. You were like in the planning process. It
was all on paper, that's true. And when things are
on paper, you can push them. Remember we're moving in
in the calendar. Oh, we'll put that. But once I'm done,
that's it. It's gonna get done. But it's you know,
(08:14):
whilst the pressure of the house for us when we
bought it was not great. It had dust everywhere. And
let me tell you some tips. Whenever you're buying an
old house and it like looks seemingly good, you know
it's built well, like really nice, like flow, there's air,
there's no mold underneath, look up in the ceiling. This
house was over one hundred years old and it had
(08:35):
a layer of thick dust like this. Now, no matter, no,
it's absolutely not. That was not insulation, no matter what
you you think, like I could probably park it and think,
oh yeah, okay, I can move in. When you have
a baby on the way, you're thinking about air quality
and you're thinking about, oh my gosh, the paint on
(08:55):
the wall and like low voc in the toxic of
the sea.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Do you put the mode in wi fi?
Speaker 1 (09:00):
My god? Yeah, the baby not neither, baby, I don't
even think about that, don't worry. So But so for me,
I was already in the mud in that way. The
house was not fit to house a newborn child. So
it was a matter of I've got five months to
get a DA approved build it.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Oh my god, move in.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
And because we're the type a personalities, the rose needs
to be like planted in the front pot, and the
mat needs to be down and the marble porch needs
to be sealed. Like that needs to happen. It's not
just like let's move in and you know there's things everywhere.
We'll live with figuring out no boxes, no boxes, no boxes, perfection,
(09:41):
the only way is the only way. And then she'll come,
and she came anyway, how did we do it?
Speaker 2 (09:47):
It just kept going, how did you do it? And
what I'm going to go there? What emotional toll did
it take? Because as I experienced it having a baby,
your hormones are insane, and I thought, you know, I'm
a fairly like you controlled person, and I pride myself
on controlling my emotions. I could not control a thing,
(10:11):
and that really took me by surprise.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
Did you crave certain foods?
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Yeah? I ate watermelon all the time.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
Okay, I just wanted to did you have a boy
or a girl?
Speaker 2 (10:21):
A boy?
Speaker 1 (10:22):
O pears? I speak about food because I feel like
food became my fuel and my routine so long as
I had my hydrault and my shake in the morning.
I could get up at any time, I could roll
out of bed, I could do whatever. But I'm like ready, yeah,
So food had to be like my grounder because I
(10:43):
was growing the baby. And like you're thinking you're growing
the baby because of the food that you're eating, but
like you're not. But you think that you're absolutely yourself
so that you can do everything else, because that's got
to take care of itself so then I can be
over there. So every morning was Now I will say
that my mum moved in with me because we were
(11:04):
renting across the road from the house that we were building.
We took a leaf from the block. We said, we
built a whole home in three months. I have a
house that I need to renovate. What can I implement
from that experience into real life? And it was an.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Experiment because how long did you actually have?
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Five months? Now, I say it's five months. Of course,
we had the nine months in the sense that from
the moment I realized I was pregnant. We didn't move
out until I was two months pregnant, right, so then
we're you know, the times like this, But also we
can't count the last trimes the last month, so we're
down to six. So I had five months, so I
(11:45):
had to get it done in five months. So implementation
of block theories. Okay, we lived on site when we
were on the show. Okay, as bad as it seems, well,
it's not great. Let me tell you. It's not probably
healthy for a pregnant woman. So that's why I rented
across the road. Yeah, so that's one thing on the show.
(12:08):
You're definitely fed right, Like again, that regimented. So mum
moving in helping me with you know, not having to
think like about lunch or dinner like she sort of
things are there. The food is, you know, the fridge
is stocked just so I can just I don't even know,
like just grab a can of tuna and some rice.
It's nothing major, but it's that helping. The good thing
(12:31):
is my parents and like our whole families, Joan's parents
as well, we do everything simultaneously. If someone's doing something,
someone else has to do something to. So my parents
decided to renovate their house as well. Why not, right,
So we rented together. It was mutually beneficial, a great idea. Yeah,
that was great right now that obviously the downside of
my parents is they leave half an hour away. So
they were driving to their rental half an hour away,
(12:52):
but I was across the road. But you know the
things you do for your pregnant daughter life.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
So did your mom lived with you after your daughter
was born?
Speaker 1 (13:04):
No? You know people would say like, don't you need
your mum and your dad like as soon as the baby? No? No, no,
no no.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
My mom stayed with us for a week. And my
husband said, in hindsight, I was looking after three of you.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
And it's their emotions too. You know, they've gone through
a lot.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
She's been through a lot, and.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
They relive it, I think through us.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Yeah, but it's not just cuddling the baby. Things have
to get done.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Oh yeah, yeah, No, I love that. John and I
sort of said no, no, no, wait, we feel definitely capable
to be like, okay, let's move into the house. Yeah.
We had a month to sort of get established a
bit of routine before the baby came. Right, have we
finished with the reno? The Renno is done.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
No, we're going back there.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
We'll go back.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
We're going every year, We're going everywhereever.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
You like, I don't know, I don't know how you
want to structure this. But but if we're going to
talk about now that we've moved in, yeah, tell me
about right, So we've moved in, we've got a month
to go. It was all about establishing some good movements
and routines and places and you know the miscellaneous.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Draw Yeah, oh yes, you know, yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
Like that sort of stuff. I had. This wonderful lady
approached me to come and sort of help me organize
my nursery, which outsourcing became something that I really learned
to lean on. As someone who was always creative and
like dry savvy, I always always thought I could like
(14:37):
I can do that, I can do that, I can
do that. Yeah, the block taught me that doesn't matter.
If you can do it, what time are you saving
getting someone else to be able to help you in
that capacity?
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
And that's the same thing when it comes to even
work and the way John and I take on anything
at this point, should we pay for that job to
be done? Because if we're our thought and energy somewhere else,
we're actually getting more money that way. Yeah, it's all
that now, and absolutely we moving into this house definitely
definitely have implemented that in so many ways and we'll
(15:11):
get to online shopping in a.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Second, right, But that was quite important to you to
have the house organized, organized, And does that come back
to that control trait.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
I think it is the controlled trait because I know
that you can flow and be chaotic if the foundations
are settled. And I'm happy to be flowed and chaotic
and a little bit more like that non organized person
that we speak about. In an organized, methodical, predetermined foundation,
so long as all that's organized, you're allowed to be
(15:47):
a bit.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
Yeah, it's so true.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
And I thank myself every day as I walk through
my house and like there's a draw that that's that
that because everything has been thought about before, so that
when I'm in the chaos of the day, it's easier.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
It is incredible, particularly with a new baby and children
in general. I find that if there is something chaotic
in my life, then if I can control one thing,
even if it's organizing a cutlery draw, you know that
it brings me a sense of calm. And we were
talking before about nap times, and you were saying that
(16:26):
your daughter she's sleeping quite well or sleeping well.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
I'm not a scheduled nap person.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
Exactly. But does that freak you out that you don't
have a schedule for the nap or you know that
it's going to happen.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
Yeah, I think because again, foundationally, our night sleeps have
historically been incredible. Whatever happens in the day happens. So
she was always sleeping from about ten to maybe about five. Yeah,
that was our time. Well, thankful enough for when she
left the hospital, she left above her natural born weight. Right,
Oh that's good. Yeah, so when you leave the hospital
(17:01):
at that point, you don't need to wake the baby
for feeds. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
So many babies do drop back down you haven't got
to plump them up.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
Yeah, but she was above it. So that's great in
the sense that I didn't have to wake her up
for her feet. So we really established our night feeds.
So then anything that happened during the day was we
were just going with it. And she tells me, she's like, okay,
I'm hungry, I'm a great and then you know, and
then in this beautiful flow of like organization of each
other and working each other out, we sort of established
that Okay, well mid morning, I'll need to sleep around lunchtime,
(17:30):
past lunchtime, I sleep and then in the afternoon sep
and whatever time that looks like, I just know in
my head that there's probably going to be about three. Yeah,
and then we wind down around eight o'clock and then
she's sleeping until the next eight o'clock and we're eight
to eight.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Now, that is fantastic. And how does that work with work?
Speaker 1 (17:52):
Probably from a scheduled perspective, it doesn't. I do online consultations,
and like I'm obviously beginning that, you know, what's this
idea of Matt Lee, what's this idea of being a
working mother. When is the right time to start?
Speaker 2 (18:06):
And everyone does it differently.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
That's it. And you know, I understand when you're in
a nine to five job and you have to schedule
in that ten o'clock meeting, Well, yeah, you're going to
have to know that your baby's going to need to
sleep at ten o'clock because you have to, you know,
attend that meeting. I think I'm grateful enough to you know,
of course, ome my own business, we own a homewas's business,
J Pandey Estate, and that sells online. That's obviously doesn't
(18:28):
matter about the time. But when I do do my
online consultations, I sort of cap it to a couple
of day and I've built enough rapport with my amazing
people that I want to call them clients, but they're friends.
I sort of pop up to them and say, hey,
you know, Alari has been a little unsettled. Can we
move this fifteen half an hour? Is that okay? As
(18:50):
soon as you add that personality in anything your job,
you just absolutely and I think in your nine to
five I'm sure people would understand in that meeting, Hey,
can we just shift this a bit. I'm just you know,
I'm struggling at the moment. I am working, but you know,
I still have to take care of my baby. This
is sort of happening in the background. Can we just
shift that fifteen? It's all right?
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Who were you before the block? And we can talk
about what you did before that for for work, what
your training was in and then I'd love to hear
more about post bloc.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
Yeah, I'm an architect. I'm a registered architect in Victoria
and New South Wales. I that was a seven year
journey to get there.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
So basically, we really have to want to be an architect.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
I really want that. Yeah, it's like a goal orientated thing.
I'm like, Okay, I got to get to that goal.
I remember, it's not about the day, it's about the journey.
I finished school and all I knew that. I never
thought that was smart ever.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Really yes, I'd say, you come across as really really smart.
It was so articulate.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
No, I thank you, But no, I wasn't. I always
saw myself as someone that wasn't in the smart classes.
I was always like struggling with you know what even
it means to be smart or intelligent. I just never
saw myself like that. But what I knew was I
was creative. I was this creative person who loved to
(20:19):
create and make with my hands. I was very much
like that. And I felt really confident about that. And
I think confidence goes a long way because so long
as you can back yourself in one aspect of your
life and you put thought and passion behind it, you'll excel. Right.
But you've got to, you know, nurture that confidence too.
And I'm thankful enough to have a family that really
(20:40):
was like, yeah, like kicking and so I did really
well in art and drama, you know, textiles, and I
finished off my schooling, you know, finishing in the top
two percent for visual arts. I created thirty ceramic pots.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
That's incredible.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
It was amazing, and I was like great, like, oh,
I'm being recognized, you know. But my atar wasn't great
because the arts don't scale well. So then I was like, okay, well,
I don't have the atar for to be an architect,
but I like, you know, the more methodical way of
thinking when it comes to creating. So I was like,
I'm going to do something that you know the atar allows, right,
(21:21):
And the atar allowed interior architecture. So I was like, okay,
I'm going to do interior architecture. It was either that
or a visual arts teacher.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Yea.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
And I know that I will be a visual arts
teacher in my life. I will finish my career out
of school teaching arts and being like class today, we
are doing this. I know that that's why I'll get there.
But you know, I was like, let's do it.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
Let's do an end goal.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
Let's the end goal. And then I finished first year
interior architecture and my lecture came up to me and
she goes, I think your mind is better suited for architecture.
I said, I agree. I was like me an architect. No,
so then you're to reapply, but you apply with your
results from the year of first year UNI rather than okay, yeah,
(22:06):
that's how it works. And I got into architecture, which
is like ninety seven eight.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
This is what so many young people don't know. I
think that there is not one linear path that's to
what you want to do. Yeah, I love talking about
so many ways in that's it.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
So now I'm an architect and that's a three year degree,
and then you have to then graduate from your bachelor's
and then you're doing your masters, and somewhere along the
way that you realize that you're not actually an architect
unless you do your master's and then you do your
registration and then you're like, wow, this is seven years.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
Wow, that's a long time. Was it worth it?
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Yes? Before what I learned, what it taught me resilience, persistence.
After I finished my degree, I worked for a company
and I quickly worked out that I wanted to work
for myself, and I wanted to do that because I
wanted to be able to have a flexible lifestyle. It
was really hard for me to then think of myself
(23:03):
as like, okay, well I'm Steph I work for myself.
I own my own company, SA Architects, But I really
want to be a mom.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
Does that mean that I have to pick one or
the other. But I really like love spending you know,
my afternoons cooking and being a homemaker and you know,
watching the sunset and then like waking up on a
Sunday and having my tea. But I want to be
a business woman. Yes, but I but but then I
really want to be pregnant and have kids and and
you know, and take them to Saturday sports. But I
(23:32):
want to be a business woman. Yeah, So working for
myself was the answer to that. How do you work
for yourself and then get all these clients? Okay, well
just put yourself out there all right, great, that sounds
really easy. I mean obviously leverage off your you know,
your Instagram, your your network, your hey what'd you have? Yep? Well,
you know I should go on a TV show. And
(23:56):
that's how the block was born because I just said.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
There's the why.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
So right, opened the business, built the house? Okay, right, yeah,
Well why did I have to build the house? I
could have just you know, I don't know, like it
was part of my process. I feel like, how can
I be an architect helping people design their homes if
I didn't have my own and went through that process
and actually empathized with that journey with them.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
Yes, definitely.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
So I said, let's buy the you know, the ugliest
house on a good street, and let's run a business
and build that. And I did that while getting married,
and I learned a lot and I really was able
to be a better architect for my clients for that.
We just got married and we sat on our couch
(24:41):
and we're looking at the TV and we're sort of saying, oh,
the box on, let's watch that, you know, like we
newlyweds watching a show. Let's just apply And we applied
and forty thousand people apply and we were like, we're
not really yet on, but you know, it's fun. We
just built our house. We can mash up you know
a version of an audition tape. And by mash up,
remember I'm a perfectionist. So then I fully I was going.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
To say, this is not a mash.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
I like hired a company. I was like, let's do
this properly. I was like, let's get lights, I need
a seat, I need let's talk to them. Absolutely but
we just threw it together and we go, yes, hello,
you should pick John and I for the show. And
(25:27):
then we mashed that professionalism with the rawness of the
iPhone footage of my build because obviously I didn't think
about that at the time, and they picked you, they
picked us.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
I said, okay, so what's that like? And what's the
timeline from when you get the call? Say you're on
no a month a month.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
That's intentional, don't think too much, right, But on the show, Oh,
it was incredible, Like I can't actually explain what happens
to you when you're put under those pressured that pressured environment.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
You could try. I'm listening, Well, yeah, you you.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
It's the same thing. It's the adrenaline. You just push
people like. I couldn't do that. I was you. I
couldn't do that either.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
So you have your skills, you're trained architect. What are
GM skills?
Speaker 1 (26:20):
John is a mortgage broker, but John's got a background
in finance, so he's all the budgets, the spreadsheets. Do
you understand You are probably understanding why I'm a bit
like oh, and he's like a lot because he's like
an Excel spreadsheet to be able to be creative, and
especially in this economy, you need that to be under wraps.
And John manages the whole household in that way and
(26:43):
all of our money, all the expenses and on the show,
all of the budget and everything, and hey, you got
this and it's been that and whatever. Okay, return that
and you'll be able to do that.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
So you've got all that down. But did either of
you have experience on the tools? Had you with your
previous renovation?
Speaker 1 (26:58):
So we built that house that we we lived in
at the time, And yes, John and I were really
hands on. And why because you know, that's just got
to do what you got to do.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
It's cheap a.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
Dollar, got to save a dollar. And yeah, like John
was on a jackhammer, like working it out. My dad's
a builder, so this is familiar to you, yep. But
I definitely was not someone that was like, because my
dad's a builder, you're the builder. I did my own
a builder course and I became my owner builder for
the for the house.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
I just love this. So did you go into the
block thinking we've got this?
Speaker 1 (27:31):
No?
Speaker 2 (27:31):
And did you see other contestants who maybe didn't have
the skill sets that you and John had? Oh?
Speaker 1 (27:39):
Gosh, look, I definitely didn't think that I got this.
I definitely think that I had a formula that that
would make something work here. But I was out of
my depth. I was ten years younger than all the other.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Contestants, so life experience counts, I.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
Think, so, yeah, I think so, I don't know what
we're doing in that show's in the first two weeks.
If you watched the show, I had no idea. I'm like, yeah, like, yes,
I know how to put it room together, and yes,
I know, you know, John know's how to manage your budget,
but no, I don't know how to manage all of this. Yeah,
and then create a brand in the background, and like,
I don't know how to do all of that. And
(28:13):
I think that's probably why I resonated with people on screens. Yeah,
because I was.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Like, I don't know what I'm doing, yeah, and you
can all see it.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
And we can work it out together. Yeah, And we did.
But that's like anything, just put your put your feet
in and just do it. That's my biggest advice always
people like, think about the journey before they've even gotten
just just just do it. Work it out on the way.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
So you've built your own house. You've won the block.
Your next project is that the house that you're in now, Yes,
tell me about that.
Speaker 1 (28:47):
So we won the block, we sold the house that
we built. Yeah, we just thought that was a new chapter.
It was not so much about the house anymore. It
was about finding a community. After the show, I sort
of got a bit of those post blues, right, Yeah,
I did. I did, because it is the block.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
Is it quite community focused? There's a lot of people
that we see.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
Yeah, Like you always have people around you, and you know,
you're walking down to the mcafe and and you're leaning
on that consultant, all this person and you're building this team.
And obviously, after working for myself for a bit, you know,
you don't have that. So I don't know. I guess
I didn't look at it that way, but I guess
I probably found that there.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
How do you find a community? I mean, it's not
the option you tick on on real estate websites.
Speaker 1 (29:31):
I know, I know, right well, you find it. So
we launched Japandee Estate, which was a home is a
homewa's business, and I offer architectural services through that and
I help people create their homes and curate their spaces.
I said to John, I really want to learn more
about what he is in the Japande estate. Is Japande
(29:53):
estate is built on Japanese and Scandinavian ideologies, right, and
what their countries advocate for.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
Can you give me some examples.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
Yes, we went to Japan and we went to Scandinavia
great that year, and we're like, we need to like
be one with our architectural practice, one with our style,
one with what we preach warmth, texture, coziness, connection with
the outdoors. Combine that with clean lines minimalism, allowing you
(30:27):
to be have a declotted life. And if you combine
the two, that is what Japandea state is, right. But
out of that, that's your home. Out of that to
have like this clean and minimalistic sanctuary, you know, think
about like these chimes in the background and like a pond,
and then like you're looking at like the light coming
(30:47):
through in your house and you've got the courtyard sort
of there, and your dog's sleeping and the baby's nice.
That's the homemaker, right, that's the vision outside of that
to come out and you want to go to the
butcher and you want to go get your flowers and
you want to go get your fresh produce and you
want to be able to interact with your neighbors. Yeah,
(31:08):
that's the community.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
And you talk about a decluttered life, how do you
marry that with Your house is Queen ann Star, which
is quite ornate.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Yes, that's the Japanese I feel okay within Japanese culture
and architectures rich with embellishments and ornamentation. And that's how
I feel that the more standardized version of Japande online
is like very beige and like no cornices and whatever.
My version of Japande has ornamentation because I work on
(31:44):
that Japanese side a little bit more and I pop
them in together and it's like character within minimalism. I
love that because I don't like modern houses. Sorry I
said it. I don't. Yeah, there's nothing nice about it.
It's old and I don't want to see P fifty
shadow line. I don't want to see no skirting board.
(32:04):
I don't like it.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
Oh, it hurts my heart.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
I'm sorry. If your house was no.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
I live in a one hundred and thirty year old.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
Victorian perfect, amazing, amazing.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
Coming up STEPH walks us through her own home and
we get some surprising rules that she has in her
own house, through some revealing questions back in a bit.
As you know, we do home to Urses in Home Beautiful,
and we've just photographed your home and it's coming out
(32:36):
in an issue very soon. So when we publish that
online as well, we'll leave it a link in the
show notes so that everybody can have a look. But
I would love for you to take us on an
audio tour of your home. So if I'm coming over
to your place, I knock on the door, what's the
first thing I see?
Speaker 1 (32:56):
Well, before we even get there, we have to speak
about what's outside.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
Yes, of course, please start at the door. So I
come off the street, what do I see it?
Speaker 1 (33:05):
And remember why I sold my house was to buy
into a community that was buzzing and down the road
from me. There's shops and there's cafes, and it's movement
and there's people when there's bars, and it's fun. And
I really got that from our trip. But I should
say that John and I are Italian and Greek. And
when you go and you live in Greece and you
(33:26):
live in Italy and you're trying to get an airbnb,
where are you going in the center of the town,
so that when you open your door, it's like hustle. Absolutely,
So we're harnessing a little bit of our culture into
that too. So that's where we bought. We born in
this beautiful suburb that has that buzz. You know, you're
parking your car and you're feeling that, you're feeling that,
(33:47):
and I love that. You want to hear a bit
of a buzz. And then you walk into our gate
and there's definitely an array of different plants. I'm not
an ordered hedge person.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
Oh god, I am. Love a neat hedge.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
No, that's structured, not a structured you know what I
mean by that? What is that called?
Speaker 2 (34:09):
Oh the hedge trimmer. Yeah, you've got a mini one
for the small hedges.
Speaker 1 (34:13):
Of course you are. Are you that one doing those
circles I do have. It's too structured, it's too but no,
I love it. I love it for you. I love
that for you to you. No, No, no structure. The
plants have to be organized, but clustered. Different textures, colors
(34:36):
again within palette, yes, dichondra or mondo grass, sort of
going in between the steppers. No structure, yeah, no, like
neat garden.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
The garden goes where it goes, it grows where it grows.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
Okay, so we're entering the porch. I have a steel
door which is perforated, so you're already in my house
without being in my house. Of course, I have a
door front door that I close, but I I like
the idea of being able to hear or smell the
smells on the outside, you know, like you can hear
the people being like, Mom, get the toes. There's people,
(35:13):
there's life in there. And then you're entering into the
old part of the house. We've got like a marble
sort of step. As you walk in, you're entering into
timber flooring. And we've got an array of layered rugs
in our house. I do own a rug company, thank you.
Under Japan the state, we sell our rugs and all
of our rugs again, it's a collection. If you bought
(35:35):
the whole collection, you can put them in your whole
house and it all works together. Buying rugs is hard,
you know, because I buy one for that room or
is it going to work with the one in the hallway.
I've thought about that for you. So that's that's the steps. Yeah,
we're walking through. We're seeing ornate ceilings, we're seeing picture ales.
We're seeing but not picture ailes with pictures hung on
(36:00):
the picture ales. Right, We're not doing that because that's
that's too much character.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
We find a sweet spot.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
We're finding that minimalist side, right, because we are wanting
to still be minimalist. We don't we want to be decludded,
but we still want character. So you have those lines,
you have that ornamentation, you have you know that really
nice skirting board, cornices, picture ale architraves through a minimalistic surface,
(36:33):
a few key pieces in the hallway, some nice pictures
on a mantlepiece. That's a vas texture. Skylights, light coming
through skylights. I have twelve skylights in my house.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
I was going to say, I've heard you. You love
a skylight. You love twelve skylights. That's a lot in
a house.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
I know, I know it is a lot, but it's essential.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
And why did you put them all in?
Speaker 1 (37:00):
I've the obvious and more light inter city living, of course, right,
And and I'm very much about I have to obviously
speak about that. My property is narrow, yeah, and my
property is a small property. I'm one three hundred square
so you're wanting to be able to maximize your small space.
So that's my favorite sort of architecture. Yeah, because you
(37:20):
are forced to think clever, you thought, forced to think
you got this. How do you put all of this
into this?
Speaker 2 (37:27):
Your floor plan is amazing, Thank you, as I love
floor plans, and I noticed you have a jacket Jack
and deal bathroom. But the flow of the house, it
just feels good.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
It does. It's intentional.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
Yeah, I love it.
Speaker 1 (37:43):
You haven't even been but you feel it.
Speaker 2 (37:45):
I know I could feel. I've seen the pictures. That's great,
I've seen the video. But the floor plan, I think
a great floor plan.
Speaker 1 (37:52):
I think that's the architects coming out in me. For sure.
I definitely love to work in confined spaces. All of
my rooms have that traditional you know, square ornamented ceiling.
Anything that comes off from that room is like separate,
So the wardrobes are separate to that structure. The Jack
(38:13):
and Jill is separate to that.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
And we should tell people for anyone who doesn't know,
a Jack and Jill bathroom is essentially a bathroom accessed
on two sides.
Speaker 1 (38:22):
And the forward planning of like okay, like I want
to have two kids, so that they'll be their bathrooms.
That's what that is. And our bedroom flows as well.
But we also need a his and hers. But I
don't have room for a massive his and hers. So
my biggest hack there is as you open the door,
you open the door through a wardrobe. Let me paint
(38:44):
the picture for you.
Speaker 2 (38:45):
Yes, paint away.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
So you've got your wall, the doors in the center
of the wall. Entering the center of the room, you
haven't felt that you've walked in because you swing the door.
But when you've swung the door, you've actually gone through
a whole wardrobe around that's his great and you walk
in obviously the bedroom where you've got the en suite
(39:07):
and where you've got the robe. The other robe that's hers,
and that's the on swite.
Speaker 2 (39:11):
That is clever. Yeah, that was good. I also read
that you craned in a swimming pool.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
I did that. We read this.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
How do you? How do you do that?
Speaker 1 (39:23):
I know it's kind of bizarre.
Speaker 2 (39:25):
Do you have to get the street closed? What do
you do?
Speaker 1 (39:30):
Or you become really friendly with your neighbors?
Speaker 2 (39:33):
Got it?
Speaker 1 (39:34):
Now? Look, logistics and moving through a space is how
I work out which property to buy. I need to
make sure they've got good access. Now did I think,
you know, do I have access for a swimming pool? No,
but I knew that I'll make it work. So our
neighbors behind us are on this massive property, it's probably
like three times the size of ours, and they've got
(39:54):
this massive, big backyard and nothing in it. It's an
older sort of home and I sort of said, hey,
could we you know, just public crane through.
Speaker 2 (40:03):
And no big deal.
Speaker 1 (40:04):
And they needed some work done on their front fence
and I was like, what if I did that, you know,
in exchange and yeah, they said, yes, what.
Speaker 2 (40:11):
A good idea.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
Yeah, so community community great. So it was about then
creating a floor plan that sort of integrated and elevated pool.
So the pool is at the same level as the kitchen,
living and dining space. So that just created like a
really beautiful flow. It feels like you're sort of in
the outdoors, and I think that's what is amplified with
(40:32):
all the skylights and the cathedral ceilings. And again we
have the courtyard and the back area, so that area
works really really well. And I think that's the pub
the public space, and everything at the front is the
private space and I've really differentiated our floor plan like that.
So yeah, it works really well, but we love it.
It's it's a beautiful home.
Speaker 2 (40:51):
Tell me more about how you live in the home,
and the way we'll do this is, I'm going to
ask you some questions and you tell me your first. Okay, so,
shoes on or off?
Speaker 1 (41:04):
Off?
Speaker 2 (41:05):
The a reason you.
Speaker 1 (41:06):
Have to leave outside out, you take off your coat,
you take off the keys, everything comes off with you
and you enter. Yeah, no questions.
Speaker 2 (41:17):
What does your home sound like?
Speaker 1 (41:21):
Well, John always has jazz music playing, so it's either that.
I wouldn't say that there's a dog barking now, there's
definitely a little baby gig giggling. Yeah, I feel like
it's trunquel because we've created a haven like that.
Speaker 2 (41:37):
I like that. What about scentered candles? Are they always
on only for guests or don't even go there?
Speaker 1 (41:46):
At the front door, you put a diffuser with those
sticks and you just rotate that every now and then.
That's it.
Speaker 2 (41:52):
This question is about design trends. Are there any that
you would happily never see again?
Speaker 1 (41:58):
I think I will answer this through architecture terms more
so than interior design terms. In the seventies, it was
all about maximizing space and not necessarily allowing negative space
to be what it is. What I mean by that
is when you're in Paddington, Newtown, these suburbs that have
(42:19):
this is obviously Sydney, but the likes in Melbourne, you
had those boarded up balconies because it was all about
maximizing of space when it's not about that. It's about
organizing space better inside and allowing yourself to still have
those courtyards, those side access to the balconies as free
(42:41):
breathing spaces to allow the home to breathe. We're not
needing to bulk up every single space for storage for
stuff that we don't need.
Speaker 2 (42:50):
That answers another question that I was going to ask,
which is what is a design crime that you see
in Australian homes that you wish if you could fix
one thing? What would it be? Yeah, and is it
that I think.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
That that's like an overarching design movement that did happen
in the seventies. But I don't like knickknacks.
Speaker 2 (43:13):
I can't say I'm surprised.
Speaker 1 (43:15):
Yeah, an organized shelf, thank you. Yes, it's funning small
little knickknacks that are like sometimes like built.
Speaker 2 (43:26):
Up like collections of thing things just for the sake
of buying the things. Yeah, there's no thought to where
it goes.
Speaker 1 (43:32):
Yes, yeah, just little things. Honestly though, the way that
that connects to the way in which you live in
the space and the way that that clutters your mind
is huge. I think about that so like, I don't
just say something because it's like I don't like that.
It's like, I don't think that that's conducive to a
really good lifestyle for you.
Speaker 2 (43:51):
Yeah, tell me what makes a home beautiful?
Speaker 1 (43:54):
Oh, I feel ultimately the people in it. Yeah, I
mean that's obvious, but I feel like creating a space
that feels good is so intentional. And it's these things
that we've touched on today. It's decluttered spaces, it's a
harmonious color palette. It's allowing the outside to be integrated
(44:15):
with the inside. Courtyards, greenery, light, skylights.
Speaker 2 (44:19):
Yeah, I couldn't agree more. Steph. For anyone listening at
home who will be going through the same thought processes
and be in the same season and that balance of
family and business and doing it all going through that yourself,
what advice would you have for them or what words
(44:40):
of encouragement.
Speaker 1 (44:41):
Yeah, well, I think it's important to say that it
doesn't come easy, and I think I've tried to sort
of articulate that today. But you know, like I said before,
when I came off the show, I was related, but
I also was the lowest I've ever been because I
didn't know what my purpose was. And I think what
I learned in that time through therapy was I need
(45:04):
to just strip back down to basics and taking some
time away from work if you can, for a moment,
to just regroup on what your purpose is. I think
was really important for me. Now, this happened before I
even had kids, So it wasn't about I'm going to
have kids to feel that void of purpose, because I
think that that's a false narrative there, because you'll then
(45:26):
pick that up as a problem when your kids are
out of your house. Right, So it's not about solving
it like that or feeling a void. It's about understanding
in yourself to how to feel content and how to
feel whole and not be so distracted by this constant
dopamine fix that we need from everything and everyone else. Right,
(45:46):
And for me, what that was was I really started
to enjoy that sense of community. But also I loved
being able to just wake up, watch the sunrise, have
a tea, go to the markets, interact with people around me,
speak more to you know, the local people, talk to
people down the street, ask people how the days going.
(46:08):
Like it's so simple, but like think about immunity. It
is because it made That's how it made me feel
more alive. It made me understand that we're all actually
in the same boat. And when you just speak to
other people, they just sort of help you identify that.
And you know that you'll chat to someone and be like, oh,
you know what, I'm struggling with this too. Straight away,
(46:31):
there's a weight off straight away, Like I said, your
shoulders relaxed because you sort of connect with other people
and you sort of think, I'm struggling right now, but
so are other people. But you know what, that's okay
because that's life and that's this season right now, and speak,
be open, be conversational, chat about it. And that's actually
what got me out of my darkest thoughts and time
just being stripping it back down to basics. And of
(46:54):
course my husband assisted me so much in that, and
it was just more like okay, like let's have a
morning shake. I would wake up and not want to
want to do anything. Yeah, and like to think about
me like that as someone like who I am today.
I can't believe I went through that, but I'm so
glad I did. And the lowest times helps me be
the person that I am today. And if they come back,
(47:15):
and you know, if times like that do exist where
they're low, I know how to get out of it,
strip it all.
Speaker 2 (47:21):
Back, pair it all back, and connect.
Speaker 1 (47:23):
And connect, enjoy the little moments now that I have
a baby, and then connecting because she's helping me be present.
And it's really true. It's just think about the things
in front of you, not everything else around you.
Speaker 2 (47:39):
Steph. It's been so lovely having you here with us.
I have had a great time too. It's been so
lovely getting to know you, and I hope our listeners
have loved it too, And if they want to see more,
of course they can find it in home Beautiful and
on home Beautiful dot com dot au.
Speaker 1 (47:58):
It's been a pleasure. Thanks so much having me.
Speaker 2 (48:01):
It was so lovely chatting with Steph and there's plenty
more to come on Part two of her creative journey.
Whether your style matches Steffs or not, the bigger idea
is this, your home should tell your story and still
function on a Tuesday night when there's washing on the
couch and dishes in the sink. If today's chat has
given you one idea for making your place more personal
(48:23):
and more practical, we'd love you to follow the show,
leave us a review, and tag us at home beautiful
to share the little home update that you're working on.
We want to see the spaces you're creating.
This is an our media podcast. We applied and forty
thousand people apply and we were like, we're not going
to get on. But you know what, it's fun. We
just built our house. We can mash up, you know,
a version of an audition tape and by a mashup.
Remember I'm a perfectionists. So then I fuller.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
I was going to say, this is not a mash.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
I like hired a company. I was like, let's do
this properly. I was like, let's get lights, I need
a seat, I need.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Tell me what makes a home beautiful?
Speaker 1 (00:36):
I feel ultimately the people in it. Yeah, I mean
that's obvious. Yeah, but it's decluttered spaces, it's a harmonious
color palette. It's allowing the outside to be integrated with
the inside. Courtyards, greenery, lights, skylights.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Yeah. I couldn't agree more. Think about the last you
walked into a beautifully styled home and thought, why does
my kitchen bench never look like this? The truth is
most of us are doing our best with a mishmash
of bottles and cables and kids stuff and the odd
dying plant and things that we use every day. To
(01:16):
be honest, they're often the worst offenders. Today's guest, Steph Atavio,
decided to fix that. She took everything she learned from
years of creating warm layered rooms and big revealed TV
moments on the block, and she poured it into her
own interior design business and the home that she lives
in now. Steph, welcome to the edit.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
You it is.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
It's so great to have you here because we were
just talking about we've seen each other across the room
at events. Yea, all these people in the way, we
couldn't get.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Across the table the way I know. At last we meet,
we are at a forum that is intimate exactly.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
I don't know about you, but I've had a tough morning,
so I just need to get this fair face. Tough
is extreme, but talk to me. I know you'll understand
because you're a new parent. I have a five year
old and every morning we have our little routine. We
wake up where we have a drinking bed together. Here
it's smoothie, I have my coffee. It's nice and colme
and I think, yes, this is how we're going to
start the day. That it gets to ten to eight
(02:18):
and my start freaking out that we're behind schedule, like
come on, come on, we've got to go get your shoes,
and we leave the house in an absolute tip and
then I think about it all day and then I spiral.
So that's that's where I'm at.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Okay, yeah, I got you. But I feel relate, you know,
I absolutely can relate. I feel that sometimes I start
the morning. I'm not a scheduled person. Let's put it
that way. Ah, Okay, you wouldn't actually think that I
would be, but I am a very regimented, ordered control freak.
But I don't have a schedule. Same. Okay, great, So
(02:52):
that is why you know I'm relating to you when
you say that you have, you know, started your morning
and you're already not on a schedule. Yeah, but I
think that's the problem. You're not actually on a schedule.
It's okay, don't leave it a certain time. Just make
sure that you're out the door. And if you're out
the door and you've ticked off, okay, we've had the kids,
have had this movie, and I've had some food, the
cars packed, there's nappis, you know, Like, that's what I'm
(03:14):
thinking about. I'm starting my day and I'm in the
car and I don't care what time it is. That's
it because I've ticked off what I needed to do.
That's the schedule. Yees, the time schedule.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
The schedule is the list. Are you a list person?
Speaker 1 (03:25):
I am a list person?
Speaker 2 (03:27):
How do you keep some mothering on your phone? Are
you're a paper diary kind of gal?
Speaker 1 (03:30):
I'm a calendar like person. Again, there's no time assigned
to it. It says all day.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
That's good. Yeah, I think I'll adopt that.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Yeah. So that's what I'm saying. So you actually achieved
everything you wanted this morning, but you were putting the
pressure that needed to be done by a certain time.
That was the problem. For less the pressure, at least
the pressure. There's no time.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
So talking about pressure, you have been through your fair
share of pressure. Yes, the most public version being the block. Yes,
how did you manage that? Because there are time crunches there?
Speaker 1 (04:00):
There were definitely time crunches, But it was I worked
like day to day, everything that I need to get
done in the day.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
I think that's probably that's my biggest advice. I've never
really articulated in that way. I just thought, you know
what's just set a task for yourself for the day.
And then if you can get them done, get done.
But there's many times that I go into my calendar
and I go, Okay, I'm going to move that to
the next day and move to the next day, and
when you get to the crunch time when it needs
to be actually completed, right, there's no other day that
you can push it to, adrenaline kicks in and then
(04:27):
you always get it done. You always get it done.
Don't think that you won't.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Do You thrive on adrenaline.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Yeah, I do, And I think that's probably exacerbated on
the show. So let's say that we've moved those tasks
day to day and then we've gotten to the day
that it needs to be done, like Sunday is revealed
nine am. Right, so I'm staying on night up like
we're doing an or either. And again, you're not tired adrenaline.
That's we're pushing through, we're styling, we're getting everything done.
Nine o'clock comes bam, I'm done.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
Yeah. I agree. It's the same in publishing and when
we're recruiting I guess more junior people into the industry.
I always ask at school, did you leave your homework
to the last minute? And they look terrified and think,
I'm like, oh, what answer do I give you to do?
I tell the truth and I want to hear it.
Yes I did, because if you can cram at the
(05:17):
last minute and get a good result, you'll be a
great journalists.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
I think so. But I think that there's something beautiful
that comes out of that in those moments of pressure.
You know, diamonds are built under pressure. It's true, it's true.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Here we are, we are.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
John is very much like methodical timed. It always to
be we have to get this done so that we
have adequate enough time thinking about this?
Speaker 2 (05:37):
How does he handle your k that.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
At that end point, I think he was had no
choice but to do it on the show. Everybody's watching,
everybody's watching, and you know, God forbid. But he actually
gets more anxiety watching me operate under that, like, oh
my god, there's like time pressure. But I was like, no, no,
I'm thriving. It's good, it's good.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
This is a good thing.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
And I think that he's just like learned to like,
let go, that's my process. And then I've also learned
to understand that that's not how he wants to operate,
so he can be planned and regimented. Like let's say,
if we've got a meeting or a podcast or something
to go do together. Yeah, he's like looking at the
questions before thinking about it, you know. Yah, whilst I'm
coming in not thinking about it, not looking at anything,
and just whatever it's in front of me. I'm just
(06:21):
dealing with.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
I tell you, we are kindred spirits. I love that
I haven't prepared for today, of course, but it's really chat.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Yeah, Like I think the more pressure, well, that's why
I say it. John and Argue we sort of say,
I'm like, but if you put pressure on it, then
you're anticipating it, and then you overthink it and then
in the moment then you're saying, what are you saying?
Speaker 2 (06:38):
That's true, I don't know what.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
And it's like this premeditated thing, and that's that's more
anxiety reaching. But he doesn't believe, so so I have
to understand that there are different people in this one.
That's fine.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
So you've also, I don't know if you did it
on purpose, but experienced one of the greatest pressures that
we will go through in our lives, and that is
you renovated a house while pregnant. Yes, with the goal
to move in before your baby was born.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
I know, again, this is actually amazing. How did you
structure this because now falls really perfectly. Look at this person.
She said that she didn't a plan. Yes, I've lived it,
that's all right. Were you the same, Yes, I've lived it?
Speaker 2 (07:22):
And then but we ended up delaying, and they're just going,
we can't do this. Were to call it, we will
park this period of our life and just devote it
to this new little baby.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
And you began renovating, and then you said, noah.
Speaker 2 (07:38):
We began the process and we had everything, all the
plans done, we had the counsel approvals, we had everything
locked in, and to be fair, then COVID happened and
we thought, this is a bit so we'll pause. But
but I was just about to say, we went straight
into it.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
I think the difference between you and I is you
weren't already in the mud, right, And once you're in
the mud, there's not you have to get out of
the mud. You were like in the planning process. It
was all on paper, that's true. And when things are
on paper, you can push them. Remember we're moving in
in the calendar. Oh, we'll put that. But once I'm done,
that's it. It's gonna get done. But it's you know,
(08:14):
whilst the pressure of the house for us when we
bought it was not great. It had dust everywhere. And
let me tell you some tips. Whenever you're buying an
old house and it like looks seemingly good, you know
it's built well, like really nice, like flow, there's air,
there's no mold underneath, look up in the ceiling. This
house was over one hundred years old and it had
(08:35):
a layer of thick dust like this. Now, no matter, no,
it's absolutely not. That was not insulation, no matter what
you you think, like I could probably park it and think,
oh yeah, okay, I can move in. When you have
a baby on the way, you're thinking about air quality
and you're thinking about, oh my gosh, the paint on
(08:55):
the wall and like low voc in the toxic of
the sea.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Do you put the mode in wi fi?
Speaker 1 (09:00):
My god? Yeah, the baby not neither, baby, I don't
even think about that, don't worry. So But so for me,
I was already in the mud in that way. The
house was not fit to house a newborn child. So
it was a matter of I've got five months to
get a DA approved build it.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Oh my god, move in.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
And because we're the type a personalities, the rose needs
to be like planted in the front pot, and the
mat needs to be down and the marble porch needs
to be sealed. Like that needs to happen. It's not
just like let's move in and you know there's things everywhere.
We'll live with figuring out no boxes, no boxes, no boxes, perfection,
(09:41):
the only way is the only way. And then she'll come,
and she came anyway, how did we do it?
Speaker 2 (09:47):
It just kept going, how did you do it? And
what I'm going to go there? What emotional toll did
it take? Because as I experienced it having a baby,
your hormones are insane, and I thought, you know, I'm
a fairly like you controlled person, and I pride myself
on controlling my emotions. I could not control a thing,
(10:11):
and that really took me by surprise.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
Did you crave certain foods?
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Yeah? I ate watermelon all the time.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
Okay, I just wanted to did you have a boy
or a girl?
Speaker 2 (10:21):
A boy?
Speaker 1 (10:22):
O pears? I speak about food because I feel like
food became my fuel and my routine so long as
I had my hydrault and my shake in the morning.
I could get up at any time, I could roll
out of bed, I could do whatever. But I'm like ready, yeah,
So food had to be like my grounder because I
(10:43):
was growing the baby. And like you're thinking you're growing
the baby because of the food that you're eating, but
like you're not. But you think that you're absolutely yourself
so that you can do everything else, because that's got
to take care of itself so then I can be
over there. So every morning was Now I will say
that my mum moved in with me because we were
(11:04):
renting across the road from the house that we were building.
We took a leaf from the block. We said, we
built a whole home in three months. I have a
house that I need to renovate. What can I implement
from that experience into real life? And it was an.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
Experiment because how long did you actually have?
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Five months? Now, I say it's five months. Of course,
we had the nine months in the sense that from
the moment I realized I was pregnant. We didn't move
out until I was two months pregnant, right, so then
we're you know, the times like this, But also we
can't count the last trimes the last month, so we're
down to six. So I had five months, so I
(11:45):
had to get it done in five months. So implementation
of block theories. Okay, we lived on site when we
were on the show. Okay, as bad as it seems, well,
it's not great. Let me tell you. It's not probably
healthy for a pregnant woman. So that's why I rented
across the road. Yeah, so that's one thing on the show.
(12:08):
You're definitely fed right, Like again, that regimented. So mum
moving in helping me with you know, not having to
think like about lunch or dinner like she sort of
things are there. The food is, you know, the fridge
is stocked just so I can just I don't even know,
like just grab a can of tuna and some rice.
It's nothing major, but it's that helping. The good thing
(12:31):
is my parents and like our whole families, Joan's parents
as well, we do everything simultaneously. If someone's doing something,
someone else has to do something to. So my parents
decided to renovate their house as well. Why not, right,
So we rented together. It was mutually beneficial, a great idea. Yeah,
that was great right now that obviously the downside of
my parents is they leave half an hour away. So
they were driving to their rental half an hour away,
(12:52):
but I was across the road. But you know the
things you do for your pregnant daughter life.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
So did your mom lived with you after your daughter
was born?
Speaker 1 (13:04):
No? You know people would say like, don't you need
your mum and your dad like as soon as the baby? No? No, no,
no no.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
My mom stayed with us for a week. And my
husband said, in hindsight, I was looking after three of you.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
And it's their emotions too. You know, they've gone through
a lot.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
She's been through a lot, and.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
They relive it, I think through us.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Yeah, but it's not just cuddling the baby. Things have
to get done.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Oh yeah, yeah, No, I love that. John and I
sort of said no, no, no, wait, we feel definitely capable
to be like, okay, let's move into the house. Yeah.
We had a month to sort of get established a
bit of routine before the baby came. Right, have we
finished with the reno? The Renno is done.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
No, we're going back there.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
We'll go back.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
We're going every year, We're going everywhereever.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
You like, I don't know, I don't know how you
want to structure this. But but if we're going to
talk about now that we've moved in, yeah, tell me
about right, So we've moved in, we've got a month
to go. It was all about establishing some good movements
and routines and places and you know the miscellaneous.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Draw Yeah, oh yes, you know, yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
Like that sort of stuff. I had. This wonderful lady
approached me to come and sort of help me organize
my nursery, which outsourcing became something that I really learned
to lean on. As someone who was always creative and
like dry savvy, I always always thought I could like
(14:37):
I can do that, I can do that, I can
do that. Yeah, the block taught me that doesn't matter.
If you can do it, what time are you saving
getting someone else to be able to help you in
that capacity?
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
And that's the same thing when it comes to even
work and the way John and I take on anything
at this point, should we pay for that job to
be done? Because if we're our thought and energy somewhere else,
we're actually getting more money that way. Yeah, it's all
that now, and absolutely we moving into this house definitely
definitely have implemented that in so many ways and we'll
(15:11):
get to online shopping in a.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Second, right, But that was quite important to you to
have the house organized, organized, And does that come back
to that control trait.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
I think it is the controlled trait because I know
that you can flow and be chaotic if the foundations
are settled. And I'm happy to be flowed and chaotic
and a little bit more like that non organized person
that we speak about. In an organized, methodical, predetermined foundation,
so long as all that's organized, you're allowed to be
(15:47):
a bit.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
Yeah, it's so true.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
And I thank myself every day as I walk through
my house and like there's a draw that that's that
that because everything has been thought about before, so that
when I'm in the chaos of the day, it's easier.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
It is incredible, particularly with a new baby and children
in general. I find that if there is something chaotic
in my life, then if I can control one thing,
even if it's organizing a cutlery draw, you know that
it brings me a sense of calm. And we were
talking before about nap times, and you were saying that
(16:26):
your daughter she's sleeping quite well or sleeping well.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
I'm not a scheduled nap person.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
Exactly. But does that freak you out that you don't
have a schedule for the nap or you know that
it's going to happen.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
Yeah, I think because again, foundationally, our night sleeps have
historically been incredible. Whatever happens in the day happens. So
she was always sleeping from about ten to maybe about five. Yeah,
that was our time. Well, thankful enough for when she
left the hospital, she left above her natural born weight. Right,
Oh that's good. Yeah, so when you leave the hospital
(17:01):
at that point, you don't need to wake the baby
for feeds. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
So many babies do drop back down you haven't got
to plump them up.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
Yeah, but she was above it. So that's great in
the sense that I didn't have to wake her up
for her feet. So we really established our night feeds.
So then anything that happened during the day was we
were just going with it. And she tells me, she's like, okay,
I'm hungry, I'm a great and then you know, and
then in this beautiful flow of like organization of each
other and working each other out, we sort of established
that Okay, well mid morning, I'll need to sleep around lunchtime,
(17:30):
past lunchtime, I sleep and then in the afternoon sep
and whatever time that looks like, I just know in
my head that there's probably going to be about three. Yeah,
and then we wind down around eight o'clock and then
she's sleeping until the next eight o'clock and we're eight
to eight.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Now, that is fantastic. And how does that work with work?
Speaker 1 (17:52):
Probably from a scheduled perspective, it doesn't. I do online consultations,
and like I'm obviously beginning that, you know, what's this
idea of Matt Lee, what's this idea of being a
working mother. When is the right time to start?
Speaker 2 (18:06):
And everyone does it differently.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
That's it. And you know, I understand when you're in
a nine to five job and you have to schedule
in that ten o'clock meeting, Well, yeah, you're going to
have to know that your baby's going to need to
sleep at ten o'clock because you have to, you know,
attend that meeting. I think I'm grateful enough to you know,
of course, ome my own business, we own a homewas's business,
J Pandey Estate, and that sells online. That's obviously doesn't
(18:28):
matter about the time. But when I do do my
online consultations, I sort of cap it to a couple
of day and I've built enough rapport with my amazing
people that I want to call them clients, but they're friends.
I sort of pop up to them and say, hey,
you know, Alari has been a little unsettled. Can we
move this fifteen half an hour? Is that okay? As
(18:50):
soon as you add that personality in anything your job,
you just absolutely and I think in your nine to
five I'm sure people would understand in that meeting, Hey,
can we just shift this a bit. I'm just you know,
I'm struggling at the moment. I am working, but you know,
I still have to take care of my baby. This
is sort of happening in the background. Can we just
shift that fifteen? It's all right?
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Who were you before the block? And we can talk
about what you did before that for for work, what
your training was in and then I'd love to hear
more about post bloc.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
Yeah, I'm an architect. I'm a registered architect in Victoria
and New South Wales. I that was a seven year
journey to get there.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
So basically, we really have to want to be an architect.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
I really want that. Yeah, it's like a goal orientated thing.
I'm like, Okay, I got to get to that goal.
I remember, it's not about the day, it's about the journey.
I finished school and all I knew that. I never
thought that was smart ever.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Really yes, I'd say, you come across as really really smart.
It was so articulate.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
No, I thank you, But no, I wasn't. I always
saw myself as someone that wasn't in the smart classes.
I was always like struggling with you know what even
it means to be smart or intelligent. I just never
saw myself like that. But what I knew was I
was creative. I was this creative person who loved to
(20:19):
create and make with my hands. I was very much
like that. And I felt really confident about that. And
I think confidence goes a long way because so long
as you can back yourself in one aspect of your
life and you put thought and passion behind it, you'll excel. Right.
But you've got to, you know, nurture that confidence too.
And I'm thankful enough to have a family that really
(20:40):
was like, yeah, like kicking and so I did really
well in art and drama, you know, textiles, and I
finished off my schooling, you know, finishing in the top
two percent for visual arts. I created thirty ceramic pots.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
That's incredible.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
It was amazing, and I was like great, like, oh,
I'm being recognized, you know. But my atar wasn't great
because the arts don't scale well. So then I was like, okay, well,
I don't have the atar for to be an architect,
but I like, you know, the more methodical way of
thinking when it comes to creating. So I was like,
I'm going to do something that you know the atar allows, right,
(21:21):
And the atar allowed interior architecture. So I was like, okay,
I'm going to do interior architecture. It was either that
or a visual arts teacher.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Yea.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
And I know that I will be a visual arts
teacher in my life. I will finish my career out
of school teaching arts and being like class today, we
are doing this. I know that that's why I'll get there.
But you know, I was like, let's do it.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
Let's do an end goal.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
Let's the end goal. And then I finished first year
interior architecture and my lecture came up to me and
she goes, I think your mind is better suited for architecture.
I said, I agree. I was like me an architect. No,
so then you're to reapply, but you apply with your
results from the year of first year UNI rather than okay, yeah,
(22:06):
that's how it works. And I got into architecture, which
is like ninety seven eight.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
This is what so many young people don't know. I
think that there is not one linear path that's to
what you want to do. Yeah, I love talking about
so many ways in that's it.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
So now I'm an architect and that's a three year degree,
and then you have to then graduate from your bachelor's
and then you're doing your masters, and somewhere along the
way that you realize that you're not actually an architect
unless you do your master's and then you do your
registration and then you're like, wow, this is seven years.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
Wow, that's a long time. Was it worth it?
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Yes? Before what I learned, what it taught me resilience, persistence.
After I finished my degree, I worked for a company
and I quickly worked out that I wanted to work
for myself, and I wanted to do that because I
wanted to be able to have a flexible lifestyle. It
was really hard for me to then think of myself
(23:03):
as like, okay, well I'm Steph I work for myself.
I own my own company, SA Architects, But I really
want to be a mom.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
Does that mean that I have to pick one or
the other. But I really like love spending you know,
my afternoons cooking and being a homemaker and you know,
watching the sunset and then like waking up on a
Sunday and having my tea. But I want to be
a business woman. Yes, but I but but then I
really want to be pregnant and have kids and and
you know, and take them to Saturday sports. But I
(23:32):
want to be a business woman. Yeah, So working for
myself was the answer to that. How do you work
for yourself and then get all these clients? Okay, well
just put yourself out there all right, great, that sounds
really easy. I mean obviously leverage off your you know,
your Instagram, your your network, your hey what'd you have? Yep? Well,
you know I should go on a TV show. And
(23:56):
that's how the block was born because I just said.
Speaker 2 (23:59):
There's the why.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
So right, opened the business, built the house? Okay, right, yeah,
Well why did I have to build the house? I
could have just you know, I don't know, like it
was part of my process. I feel like, how can
I be an architect helping people design their homes if
I didn't have my own and went through that process
and actually empathized with that journey with them.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
Yes, definitely.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
So I said, let's buy the you know, the ugliest
house on a good street, and let's run a business
and build that. And I did that while getting married,
and I learned a lot and I really was able
to be a better architect for my clients for that.
We just got married and we sat on our couch
(24:41):
and we're looking at the TV and we're sort of saying, oh,
the box on, let's watch that, you know, like we
newlyweds watching a show. Let's just apply And we applied
and forty thousand people apply and we were like, we're
not really yet on, but you know, it's fun. We
just built our house. We can mash up you know
a version of an audition tape. And by mash up,
remember I'm a perfectionist. So then I fully I was going.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
To say, this is not a mash.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
I like hired a company. I was like, let's do
this properly. I was like, let's get lights, I need
a seat, I need let's talk to them. Absolutely but
we just threw it together and we go, yes, hello,
you should pick John and I for the show. And
(25:27):
then we mashed that professionalism with the rawness of the
iPhone footage of my build because obviously I didn't think
about that at the time, and they picked you, they
picked us.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
I said, okay, so what's that like? And what's the
timeline from when you get the call? Say you're on
no a month a month.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
That's intentional, don't think too much, right, But on the show, Oh,
it was incredible, Like I can't actually explain what happens
to you when you're put under those pressured that pressured environment.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
You could try. I'm listening, Well, yeah, you you.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
It's the same thing. It's the adrenaline. You just push
people like. I couldn't do that. I was you. I
couldn't do that either.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
So you have your skills, you're trained architect. What are
GM skills?
Speaker 1 (26:20):
John is a mortgage broker, but John's got a background
in finance, so he's all the budgets, the spreadsheets. Do
you understand You are probably understanding why I'm a bit
like oh, and he's like a lot because he's like
an Excel spreadsheet to be able to be creative, and
especially in this economy, you need that to be under wraps.
And John manages the whole household in that way and
(26:43):
all of our money, all the expenses and on the show,
all of the budget and everything, and hey, you got
this and it's been that and whatever. Okay, return that
and you'll be able to do that.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
So you've got all that down. But did either of
you have experience on the tools? Had you with your
previous renovation?
Speaker 1 (26:58):
So we built that house that we we lived in
at the time, And yes, John and I were really
hands on. And why because you know, that's just got
to do what you got to do.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
It's cheap a.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
Dollar, got to save a dollar. And yeah, like John
was on a jackhammer, like working it out. My dad's
a builder, so this is familiar to you, yep. But
I definitely was not someone that was like, because my
dad's a builder, you're the builder. I did my own
a builder course and I became my owner builder for
the for the house.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
I just love this. So did you go into the
block thinking we've got this?
Speaker 1 (27:31):
No?
Speaker 2 (27:31):
And did you see other contestants who maybe didn't have
the skill sets that you and John had? Oh?
Speaker 1 (27:39):
Gosh, look, I definitely didn't think that I got this.
I definitely think that I had a formula that that
would make something work here. But I was out of
my depth. I was ten years younger than all the other.
Speaker 2 (27:50):
Contestants, so life experience counts, I.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
Think, so, yeah, I think so, I don't know what
we're doing in that show's in the first two weeks.
If you watched the show, I had no idea. I'm like, yeah, like, yes,
I know how to put it room together, and yes,
I know, you know, John know's how to manage your budget,
but no, I don't know how to manage all of this. Yeah,
and then create a brand in the background, and like,
I don't know how to do all of that. And
(28:13):
I think that's probably why I resonated with people on screens. Yeah,
because I was.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
Like, I don't know what I'm doing, yeah, and you
can all see it.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
And we can work it out together. Yeah, And we did.
But that's like anything, just put your put your feet
in and just do it. That's my biggest advice always
people like, think about the journey before they've even gotten
just just just do it. Work it out on the way.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
So you've built your own house. You've won the block.
Your next project is that the house that you're in now, Yes,
tell me about that.
Speaker 1 (28:47):
So we won the block, we sold the house that
we built. Yeah, we just thought that was a new chapter.
It was not so much about the house anymore. It
was about finding a community. After the show, I sort
of got a bit of those post blues, right, Yeah,
I did. I did, because it is the block.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
Is it quite community focused? There's a lot of people
that we see.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
Yeah, Like you always have people around you, and you know,
you're walking down to the mcafe and and you're leaning
on that consultant, all this person and you're building this team.
And obviously, after working for myself for a bit, you know,
you don't have that. So I don't know. I guess
I didn't look at it that way, but I guess
I probably found that there.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
How do you find a community? I mean, it's not
the option you tick on on real estate websites.
Speaker 1 (29:31):
I know, I know, right well, you find it. So
we launched Japandee Estate, which was a home is a
homewa's business, and I offer architectural services through that and
I help people create their homes and curate their spaces.
I said to John, I really want to learn more
about what he is in the Japande estate. Is Japande
(29:53):
estate is built on Japanese and Scandinavian ideologies, right, and
what their countries advocate for.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
Can you give me some examples.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
Yes, we went to Japan and we went to Scandinavia
great that year, and we're like, we need to like
be one with our architectural practice, one with our style,
one with what we preach warmth, texture, coziness, connection with
the outdoors. Combine that with clean lines minimalism, allowing you
(30:27):
to be have a declotted life. And if you combine
the two, that is what Japandea state is, right. But
out of that, that's your home. Out of that to
have like this clean and minimalistic sanctuary, you know, think
about like these chimes in the background and like a pond,
and then like you're looking at like the light coming
(30:47):
through in your house and you've got the courtyard sort
of there, and your dog's sleeping and the baby's nice.
That's the homemaker, right, that's the vision outside of that
to come out and you want to go to the
butcher and you want to go get your flowers and
you want to go get your fresh produce and you
want to be able to interact with your neighbors. Yeah,
(31:08):
that's the community.
Speaker 2 (31:09):
And you talk about a decluttered life, how do you
marry that with Your house is Queen ann Star, which
is quite ornate.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
Yes, that's the Japanese I feel okay within Japanese culture
and architectures rich with embellishments and ornamentation. And that's how
I feel that the more standardized version of Japande online
is like very beige and like no cornices and whatever.
My version of Japande has ornamentation because I work on
(31:44):
that Japanese side a little bit more and I pop
them in together and it's like character within minimalism. I
love that because I don't like modern houses. Sorry I
said it. I don't. Yeah, there's nothing nice about it.
It's old and I don't want to see P fifty
shadow line. I don't want to see no skirting board.
(32:04):
I don't like it.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
Oh, it hurts my heart.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
I'm sorry. If your house was no.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
I live in a one hundred and thirty year old.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
Victorian perfect, amazing, amazing.
Speaker 2 (32:14):
Coming up STEPH walks us through her own home and
we get some surprising rules that she has in her
own house, through some revealing questions back in a bit.
As you know, we do home to Urses in Home Beautiful,
and we've just photographed your home and it's coming out
(32:36):
in an issue very soon. So when we publish that
online as well, we'll leave it a link in the
show notes so that everybody can have a look. But
I would love for you to take us on an
audio tour of your home. So if I'm coming over
to your place, I knock on the door, what's the
first thing I see?
Speaker 1 (32:56):
Well, before we even get there, we have to speak
about what's outside.
Speaker 2 (32:59):
Yes, of course, please start at the door. So I
come off the street, what do I see it?
Speaker 1 (33:05):
And remember why I sold my house was to buy
into a community that was buzzing and down the road
from me. There's shops and there's cafes, and it's movement
and there's people when there's bars, and it's fun. And
I really got that from our trip. But I should
say that John and I are Italian and Greek. And
when you go and you live in Greece and you
(33:26):
live in Italy and you're trying to get an airbnb,
where are you going in the center of the town,
so that when you open your door, it's like hustle. Absolutely,
So we're harnessing a little bit of our culture into
that too. So that's where we bought. We born in
this beautiful suburb that has that buzz. You know, you're
parking your car and you're feeling that, you're feeling that,
(33:47):
and I love that. You want to hear a bit
of a buzz. And then you walk into our gate
and there's definitely an array of different plants. I'm not
an ordered hedge person.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
Oh god, I am. Love a neat hedge.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
No, that's structured, not a structured you know what I
mean by that? What is that called?
Speaker 2 (34:09):
Oh the hedge trimmer. Yeah, you've got a mini one
for the small hedges.
Speaker 1 (34:13):
Of course you are. Are you that one doing those
circles I do have. It's too structured, it's too but no,
I love it. I love it for you. I love
that for you to you. No, No, no structure. The
plants have to be organized, but clustered. Different textures, colors
(34:36):
again within palette, yes, dichondra or mondo grass, sort of
going in between the steppers. No structure, yeah, no, like
neat garden.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
The garden goes where it goes, it grows where it grows.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
Okay, so we're entering the porch. I have a steel
door which is perforated, so you're already in my house
without being in my house. Of course, I have a
door front door that I close, but I I like
the idea of being able to hear or smell the
smells on the outside, you know, like you can hear
the people being like, Mom, get the toes. There's people,
(35:13):
there's life in there. And then you're entering into the
old part of the house. We've got like a marble
sort of step. As you walk in, you're entering into
timber flooring. And we've got an array of layered rugs
in our house. I do own a rug company, thank you.
Under Japan the state, we sell our rugs and all
of our rugs again, it's a collection. If you bought
(35:35):
the whole collection, you can put them in your whole
house and it all works together. Buying rugs is hard,
you know, because I buy one for that room or
is it going to work with the one in the hallway.
I've thought about that for you. So that's that's the steps. Yeah,
we're walking through. We're seeing ornate ceilings, we're seeing picture ales.
We're seeing but not picture ailes with pictures hung on
(36:00):
the picture ales. Right, We're not doing that because that's
that's too much character.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
We find a sweet spot.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
We're finding that minimalist side, right, because we are wanting
to still be minimalist. We don't we want to be decludded,
but we still want character. So you have those lines,
you have that ornamentation, you have you know that really
nice skirting board, cornices, picture ale architraves through a minimalistic surface,
(36:33):
a few key pieces in the hallway, some nice pictures
on a mantlepiece. That's a vas texture. Skylights, light coming
through skylights. I have twelve skylights in my house.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
I was going to say, I've heard you. You love
a skylight. You love twelve skylights. That's a lot in
a house.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
I know, I know it is a lot, but it's essential.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
And why did you put them all in?
Speaker 1 (37:00):
I've the obvious and more light inter city living, of course, right,
And and I'm very much about I have to obviously
speak about that. My property is narrow, yeah, and my
property is a small property. I'm one three hundred square
so you're wanting to be able to maximize your small space.
So that's my favorite sort of architecture. Yeah, because you
(37:20):
are forced to think clever, you thought, forced to think
you got this. How do you put all of this
into this?
Speaker 2 (37:27):
Your floor plan is amazing, Thank you, as I love
floor plans, and I noticed you have a jacket Jack
and deal bathroom. But the flow of the house, it
just feels good.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
It does. It's intentional.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
Yeah, I love it.
Speaker 1 (37:43):
You haven't even been but you feel it.
Speaker 2 (37:45):
I know I could feel. I've seen the pictures. That's great,
I've seen the video. But the floor plan, I think
a great floor plan.
Speaker 1 (37:52):
I think that's the architects coming out in me. For sure.
I definitely love to work in confined spaces. All of
my rooms have that traditional you know, square ornamented ceiling.
Anything that comes off from that room is like separate,
So the wardrobes are separate to that structure. The Jack
(38:13):
and Jill is separate to that.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
And we should tell people for anyone who doesn't know,
a Jack and Jill bathroom is essentially a bathroom accessed
on two sides.
Speaker 1 (38:22):
And the forward planning of like okay, like I want
to have two kids, so that they'll be their bathrooms.
That's what that is. And our bedroom flows as well.
But we also need a his and hers. But I
don't have room for a massive his and hers. So
my biggest hack there is as you open the door,
you open the door through a wardrobe. Let me paint
(38:44):
the picture for you.
Speaker 2 (38:45):
Yes, paint away.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
So you've got your wall, the doors in the center
of the wall. Entering the center of the room, you
haven't felt that you've walked in because you swing the door.
But when you've swung the door, you've actually gone through
a whole wardrobe around that's his great and you walk
in obviously the bedroom where you've got the en suite
(39:07):
and where you've got the robe. The other robe that's hers,
and that's the on swite.
Speaker 2 (39:11):
That is clever. Yeah, that was good. I also read
that you craned in a swimming pool.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
I did that. We read this.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
How do you? How do you do that?
Speaker 1 (39:23):
I know it's kind of bizarre.
Speaker 2 (39:25):
Do you have to get the street closed? What do
you do?
Speaker 1 (39:30):
Or you become really friendly with your neighbors?
Speaker 2 (39:33):
Got it?
Speaker 1 (39:34):
Now? Look, logistics and moving through a space is how
I work out which property to buy. I need to
make sure they've got good access. Now did I think,
you know, do I have access for a swimming pool? No,
but I knew that I'll make it work. So our
neighbors behind us are on this massive property, it's probably
like three times the size of ours, and they've got
(39:54):
this massive, big backyard and nothing in it. It's an
older sort of home and I sort of said, hey,
could we you know, just public crane through.
Speaker 2 (40:03):
And no big deal.
Speaker 1 (40:04):
And they needed some work done on their front fence
and I was like, what if I did that, you know,
in exchange and yeah, they said, yes, what.
Speaker 2 (40:11):
A good idea.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
Yeah, so community community great. So it was about then
creating a floor plan that sort of integrated and elevated pool.
So the pool is at the same level as the kitchen,
living and dining space. So that just created like a
really beautiful flow. It feels like you're sort of in
the outdoors, and I think that's what is amplified with
(40:32):
all the skylights and the cathedral ceilings. And again we
have the courtyard and the back area, so that area
works really really well. And I think that's the pub
the public space, and everything at the front is the
private space and I've really differentiated our floor plan like that.
So yeah, it works really well, but we love it.
It's it's a beautiful home.
Speaker 2 (40:51):
Tell me more about how you live in the home,
and the way we'll do this is, I'm going to
ask you some questions and you tell me your first. Okay, so,
shoes on or off?
Speaker 1 (41:04):
Off?
Speaker 2 (41:05):
The a reason you.
Speaker 1 (41:06):
Have to leave outside out, you take off your coat,
you take off the keys, everything comes off with you
and you enter. Yeah, no questions.
Speaker 2 (41:17):
What does your home sound like?
Speaker 1 (41:21):
Well, John always has jazz music playing, so it's either that.
I wouldn't say that there's a dog barking now, there's
definitely a little baby gig giggling. Yeah, I feel like
it's trunquel because we've created a haven like that.
Speaker 2 (41:37):
I like that. What about scentered candles? Are they always
on only for guests or don't even go there?
Speaker 1 (41:46):
At the front door, you put a diffuser with those
sticks and you just rotate that every now and then.
That's it.
Speaker 2 (41:52):
This question is about design trends. Are there any that
you would happily never see again?
Speaker 1 (41:58):
I think I will answer this through architecture terms more
so than interior design terms. In the seventies, it was
all about maximizing space and not necessarily allowing negative space
to be what it is. What I mean by that
is when you're in Paddington, Newtown, these suburbs that have
(42:19):
this is obviously Sydney, but the likes in Melbourne, you
had those boarded up balconies because it was all about
maximizing of space when it's not about that. It's about
organizing space better inside and allowing yourself to still have
those courtyards, those side access to the balconies as free
(42:41):
breathing spaces to allow the home to breathe. We're not
needing to bulk up every single space for storage for
stuff that we don't need.
Speaker 2 (42:50):
That answers another question that I was going to ask,
which is what is a design crime that you see
in Australian homes that you wish if you could fix
one thing? What would it be? Yeah, and is it
that I think.
Speaker 1 (43:02):
That that's like an overarching design movement that did happen
in the seventies. But I don't like knickknacks.
Speaker 2 (43:13):
I can't say I'm surprised.
Speaker 1 (43:15):
Yeah, an organized shelf, thank you. Yes, it's funning small
little knickknacks that are like sometimes like built.
Speaker 2 (43:26):
Up like collections of thing things just for the sake
of buying the things. Yeah, there's no thought to where
it goes.
Speaker 1 (43:32):
Yes, yeah, just little things. Honestly though, the way that
that connects to the way in which you live in
the space and the way that that clutters your mind
is huge. I think about that so like, I don't
just say something because it's like I don't like that.
It's like, I don't think that that's conducive to a
really good lifestyle for you.
Speaker 2 (43:51):
Yeah, tell me what makes a home beautiful?
Speaker 1 (43:54):
Oh, I feel ultimately the people in it. Yeah, I
mean that's obvious, but I feel like creating a space
that feels good is so intentional. And it's these things
that we've touched on today. It's decluttered spaces, it's a
harmonious color palette. It's allowing the outside to be integrated
(44:15):
with the inside. Courtyards, greenery, light, skylights.
Speaker 2 (44:19):
Yeah, I couldn't agree more. Steph. For anyone listening at
home who will be going through the same thought processes
and be in the same season and that balance of
family and business and doing it all going through that yourself,
what advice would you have for them or what words
(44:40):
of encouragement.
Speaker 1 (44:41):
Yeah, well, I think it's important to say that it
doesn't come easy, and I think I've tried to sort
of articulate that today. But you know, like I said before,
when I came off the show, I was related, but
I also was the lowest I've ever been because I
didn't know what my purpose was. And I think what
I learned in that time through therapy was I need
(45:04):
to just strip back down to basics and taking some
time away from work if you can, for a moment,
to just regroup on what your purpose is. I think
was really important for me. Now, this happened before I
even had kids, So it wasn't about I'm going to
have kids to feel that void of purpose, because I
think that that's a false narrative there, because you'll then
(45:26):
pick that up as a problem when your kids are
out of your house. Right, So it's not about solving
it like that or feeling a void. It's about understanding
in yourself to how to feel content and how to
feel whole and not be so distracted by this constant
dopamine fix that we need from everything and everyone else. Right,
(45:46):
And for me, what that was was I really started
to enjoy that sense of community. But also I loved
being able to just wake up, watch the sunrise, have
a tea, go to the markets, interact with people around me,
speak more to you know, the local people, talk to
people down the street, ask people how the days going.
(46:08):
Like it's so simple, but like think about immunity. It
is because it made That's how it made me feel
more alive. It made me understand that we're all actually
in the same boat. And when you just speak to
other people, they just sort of help you identify that.
And you know that you'll chat to someone and be like, oh,
you know what, I'm struggling with this too. Straight away,
(46:31):
there's a weight off straight away, Like I said, your
shoulders relaxed because you sort of connect with other people
and you sort of think, I'm struggling right now, but
so are other people. But you know what, that's okay
because that's life and that's this season right now, and speak,
be open, be conversational, chat about it. And that's actually
what got me out of my darkest thoughts and time
just being stripping it back down to basics. And of
(46:54):
course my husband assisted me so much in that, and
it was just more like okay, like let's have a
morning shake. I would wake up and not want to
want to do anything. Yeah, and like to think about
me like that as someone like who I am today.
I can't believe I went through that, but I'm so
glad I did. And the lowest times helps me be
the person that I am today. And if they come back,
(47:15):
and you know, if times like that do exist where
they're low, I know how to get out of it,
strip it all.
Speaker 2 (47:21):
Back, pair it all back, and connect.
Speaker 1 (47:23):
And connect, enjoy the little moments now that I have
a baby, and then connecting because she's helping me be present.
And it's really true. It's just think about the things
in front of you, not everything else around you.
Speaker 2 (47:39):
Steph. It's been so lovely having you here with us.
I have had a great time too. It's been so
lovely getting to know you, and I hope our listeners
have loved it too, And if they want to see more,
of course they can find it in home Beautiful and
on home Beautiful dot com dot au.
Speaker 1 (47:58):
It's been a pleasure. Thanks so much having me.
Speaker 2 (48:01):
It was so lovely chatting with Steph and there's plenty
more to come on Part two of her creative journey.
Whether your style matches Steffs or not, the bigger idea
is this, your home should tell your story and still
function on a Tuesday night when there's washing on the
couch and dishes in the sink. If today's chat has
given you one idea for making your place more personal
(48:23):
and more practical, we'd love you to follow the show,
leave us a review, and tag us at home beautiful
to share the little home update that you're working on.
We want to see the spaces you're creating.
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