When interior designer Shona McElroy first walked into her Edgecliff apartment, most people would have walked straight back out. The layout was awkward, the kitchen was hidden away, the bathroom opened into the living room, and a closed-in balcony came with terracotta floors, popcorn walls and a popcorn ceiling.
But Shona, founder and principal of Smac Studio, saw what it could become.
In this episode of The Edit, Shona joins Home Beautiful Editor-in-Chief Elle Lovelock to talk about turning an old 1920s apartment into a beautiful, functional home, why north-facing light matters, how to avoid the dreaded “Pinterest house”, and what interior designers really think through before a room comes together.
She also shares how she helps clients edit their belongings when downsizing, why a coffee table book can be the beginning of an entire room, how virtual reality is changing interior design, and the deeply nostalgic item she brought from her mystery drawer.
“I think the problem is that a lot of people have beautiful things mixed in with just a lot of stuff.”
Shona McElroy
“I love the part of our process that feels like marriage counseling. With the right couple, it’s totally funny.”
Shona McElroy
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.
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