If you’ve ever stood in a beige box of a rental property, staring at the vertical blinds and mystery downlights, wondering how on earth this is supposed to be “you,” this episode is your permission to start again. In part two of our chat with digital creator and “friend in home and hosting” Loui Burke, we move past Instagram-ready corners and get into the mechanics of making a temporary space feel like a real home you’re proud to invite people into.
Loui shares the ways to transform any rental – no renovations, no landlord approval forms required. If you would believe Loui rents his stunning home, you can imagine how well-versed he is in transforming spaces that aren’t your own — but still making them worthy of a Home Beautiful spread.
“I’m not afraid to change things… in 2026 with more people renting, it’s a given, it’s gonna happen, start making those rentals look like your home, because… what’s the point?”
Loui Burke
For anyone overwhelmed by a modern “white box” home or apartment, Loui offers an unexpectedly brilliant styling hack alongside editor Elle Lovelock: treat your favourite flagship stores and boutique hotels as living moodboards. From Mecca and fashion flagships in Armadale or Paddington to carefully designed Airbnbs, Loui breaks down how to steal their ideas, colour palettes, materials, layout tricks, and translate them directly into your living room, bedroom or hallway. Genius! There’s also a very practical chat about foundational furniture in small spaces, why a modular sofa might save your sanity (and your stairwell), and how many sheets is too many sheets.
“Prioritising the furniture is really important – I think it’s more important than the homewares. I think it’s better to buy gorgeous furniture and then accent it with the homewares.”
Loui Burke
Listen now: This episode of The Edit is available via the iHeart app, homebeautiful.com.au, or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch below or listen here. /
The Edit podcast from the team at Home Beautiful is supported by OZ Design and Luxaflex.
A space to connect and belong to a growing group of our audience who want to go behind the scenes of our glossy pages to discover exactly what makes a house a home.
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