Jody D'Arcy
There’s nothing like a good before and after and many of us look to those who have blazed the trail in home renovation and decoration to avoid the pitfalls of planning, cost blowouts, managing tradespeople and design challenges.
As we are invited into beautiful homes all over the country to share the stories of homeowners and their journey to achieving their ultimate abode, the Home Beautiful team are often struck by their words of wisdom that can be taken along on the journey of many others.
Here is a selection of those that have inspired us.
1. Borrowed ideas
“The inspiration for my office palette of grey, pink and white was the flagship Dior boutique in Paris, and I added the gold accents for a sprinkle of whimsy” ~ Kerrie Hess, Illustrator
2. Use colour
“I love that we didn’t just go white everywhere” ~ Louise
3. A new way of life
“The renovation has changed the way I live. I used to have knick-knacks everywhere and now I love having it clean” ~ Christine
4. Know what to expect
“Renovating properties and bringing them to life is hard work. Making sure everything is as good as it can be is always harder than you expect: ~ Jeff
5. Go the extra mile with your choices
“If you design well and use good materials, the result will be fairly timeless” ~ Shania
6. Look to nature
“We used natural finishes and products – they allow a home to age gracefully” ~ Craig
7. Listen to your home
“We tried to enhance the home’s heritage features, but also subtly modernise the look for today” ~ Joanne
8. Be realistic
“We have two little kids who don’t care about finishes, so I have tried to be practical in most of my choices” ~ Amy
9. Harness Mother Nature
“Plants have been integrated into the interior to soften it and bring a definite green accent to everything. We love to bring the outside in” ~ Nina
10. Embrace the evolution of home
“This is our first ‘grown-up’ home and it’s really grown with us – so it has involved many an incarnation as our needs have changed” ~ Joy
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