A Touch Of Glamour

Over the last few weeks we have completed some truly stunning master bedroom schemes for our clients that I can't wait to share with you in the New Year. For now I thought I would share our bedroom makeover in our showroom here at Verandah House. We wanted to create a completely different look to our previous rooms, opting for a more neutral scheme. We started with an inspirational board and an array of textures appeared; inspiring us to create an unexpected but harmonious scheme. 

To create a more effortless look we had to add texture and interest and we wanted the room to look collected and unique. To create this look we used a combination of tortoiseshell rattan with crystal, brass rather than silver, french wallpaper with panelling, silks and trims. We tried at first not to add the drapery to the four poster bed but the room lacked softness and we wanted the space to have a more luxurious feel.

We post most days on our Instagram page http://instagram.com/verandahhouse, we would love to hear from you too x

A Collective Interior

Lately I have been reading several inspirational books which I would love to share with you over the coming weeks. One particular chapter hit a chord with me about being true to one-self and living an honest life. I had to really think about this and realised how true that is in my life as a designer. 

When I look back at all the styles that have been popular over the decades, I can sit and laugh and be guilty to have fallen victim to many of these trends and to be honest I have absolutely no regret, they have defined me to who I am today.

What I have learnt from experience is every trend has its place so long as you don't loose your own authentic sense of style in the process. Several years I questioned my style, was I playing it too safe?Was I being original enough? Lots of self doubt crept in, I was a victim to my own self doubt, I lost my way and I still shudder when I think of that time.

Over a year and a half later the doors of Verandah House opened and my talented daughter Jess joined me in our new design venture; we promised ourselves that we would be respectful of trends but not be lead by them. We would be true to our design aesthetic of classic, timeless interiors and to be respectful to follow our clients dreams and desires within their home.

One of my greatest lessons was originality: Being original is to make it your own, be true to your own style, own it! I believe originality is in the special objects we place around our home, pieces that you have collected, that have a past, that mean something to you and your family. We recently completed this entry, I love that so many of the pieces have their own story, the collected art on the wall is a mix of new and very old pieces which evokes a conversation and takes you back to another era. The dark seagrass walls add depth to the room and creates the perfect backdrop for the artwork. Greenery from the garden adds a homely touch and candles can be added for ambience at night.

We are lucky to be exposed to so many looks and styles...appreciate all of them and decide what is the look that speaks to you and live the very best life you can!

Hydrangea Love

Its hydrangea season and its my favourite time of year! Spring flowers are blossoming everywhere - at the local market, corner store and arriving in our homes. The first image is of the fabulous style icon Aerin Lauder...how I would dream to have her garden!

Image Credits: Aerin: Pinterest image sources via my pinterest page

Table Top Inspiration

I love nothing more than a beautifully set table, a fabulous tablecloth, napkins, candles and fresh flowers, collected crockery, great food and wine. The entire ritual and planning of setting a table, whether it be for Christmas, a special occasion or a Sunday lunch with family and friends is by far the best part for me. The down side is I'm not a very confident cook but I would really love to be great even if only my family think so. Recently I went to see a movie called a Hundred-Foot Journey, if you haven't seen it yet I highly recommend it. I am probably the only weird person who cried in the movie, not that it was sad, it was just so heart felt and symbolises to me what life is all about.

Its only November but I have already started to plan my personal goals for 2015, top of the list is cooking classes to improve my skills in the kitchen,  I have been told Spring has great lessons and its loads of fun, hopefully I can lean some new recipes too, I have attached the link here... http://www.spring.com.au/pages/cooking-school.


Image credits : AERIN Lauder and Pinterest.

Effortless Sensibility

I have often thought over the years how much my style has evolved and changed, maybe as we get older we start to see value in lasting pieces. I can honestly say that at times I have swayed from my style, afraid not be in the moment of the latest trends and to constantly feel the need to keep evolving - hence why my showroom is once again having a complete makeover! But the truth is I finally understand my design ethos...its" Effortless Sensibilities." I'm in my complete happy place being in a room filled with old and new, collected, a story in every piece, a touch of modern with traditional, texture with interest and uniqueness...but above all what makes my heart beat is effortless interiors in a room filled with interesting architectural detail and lots of natural light.

Coastal Living

When we received our brief from our client and the keys were handed over we couldn't wait to get started. Whilst the cabinetry was dated the house itself had great bones: timber beams, stone floors and large open areas onto the pool and outdoor entertaining. We removed the old kitchen, library the existing bar and master wardrobe. We added new carpet, repainted the house, added panelling and wallpaper. Whilst I was tempted to add blues our clients really wanted to stick with a more neutral palette. The fabrics were the hero pieces in the rooms, our clients appreciation for quality and uniqueness allowed us the freedom to use hand painted wallpapers and designer fabrics that really make the difference to the overall look finish and style of the home. Our project is featured in this months Queensland Homes Magazine.

Our Latest Project

Our blog is finally up and running and what better way to start our first post with a recent job we completed on the Gold Coast. We were so excited to receive our copy and even more thrilled that we made the cover in this months Spring edition of Queensland Homes Magazine. Over the next week we will be sharing with you this fabulous home. If you haven't read the article, our clients purchased the home and what was initially an Interior Decorating job, turned out to be a very exciting major renovation. The original library was very dark and surrounded all the walls of this very large room, initially we discussed just repainting the existing timber but we wanted to add a fireplace, wall lighting and more display shelves rather than just books, so we designed and created stunning shaker profile cabinetry, panelling, wall lighting, desks and missing from the photo stunning pin-striped Ralph Lauren silk wallpaper with vintage artwork. The entire brief of the home was neutrals and earthy tones but I really wanted this room to feel different from the rest of the home. The black and white theme was grounded by adding sisal carpet creating a more relaxed look. I cant wait to show you the cellar off this room, what was just a storage cupboard ended up being one of our clients favourite & most used rooms in the house.

Room Reveal

Just a re post for all our past followers who may not have realised we moved our blog temporarily to word press, you can see our room progress here http://www.verandahhouse.com.au/One-Room-Challenge-Reveal/ we loved reading all the amazing comments a huge thank you.