It’s a new month, a new season, and I thought it might be fun to explore a question that has been coming up a lot recently.

Today I visited a client’s home and she wasn’t sure how to explain her style. While the idea of style might sometimes seem a little ‘fluffy’, it’s the foundation of many of the decisions we make in our homes.

First, I always want to know how a client uses their home (form follows function, after all). Next, how do they want their home to feel?

The answer to this question can tell us a lot about our personal style.

But when someone feels stuck, there are three simple questions I ask.

But First…

There is often a lot of confusion about what ‘style’ means.

Your personal style at home isn’t a decorating style. Instead, your style is how you express yourself in your spaces — the choices that you make, because they are meaningful to you.

That’s why two people can both be drawn to, say, Japanese Minimalism or French Farmhouse, and create homes that look completely different.

But do you need to know your style?

Yes, if you want to create a home that feels like you.

There’s something magnetic about a home that expresses the homeowner’s personality. These are the types of spaces you never want to leave.

Your personal style is already there. You just need to take a closer look.

The method I use is simple. I start by asking my clients three questions:

1. How Do You Want To Feel?

When you step through your front door, how do you want to feel? If we go a little deeper, you can ask yourself: Which parts of your personality do you want to express?

Here are some words that might help you:

Calm
Relaxed
Welcoming
Comfortable
Inviting
Simple
Still
Restrained
Considered
Playful

Still not sure? Find three references of other homes or spaces you love. What specifically do you love about them?

Rather than focusing only on what they look like, pay attention to the way they make you feel.

2. Which Homes Do You Remember?

When you look back on the homes you’ve lived in, places you’ve stayed on your travels, and the homes of family and friends you’ve visited, which are the ones you loved? What was it about them specifically that you appreciated? Which elements stay in your memory?

The homes we remember can tell us more about our personal style than the images we’ve just saved.

I have happy memories of staying in old farmhouses in the French countryside on family holidays in my formative years. The houses were simple stone buildings, sparsely furnished with antique furniture. Everything had character and a rustic simplicity. This style of space feels like home, even though my own family home looked nothing like this.

Think about some of the favourite places you’ve visited. What do you remember about them? And, perhaps more importantly, why do you remember them?

3. What Do You Appreciate?

When you step into a space, what are the details you notice? Do you get excited by simple joinery or sculptural hardware? Perhaps it’s the colour palette, use of materials or the art on display.

Pay attention to what you notice. It’s often a clue to what matters to you.

You can look beyond interiors, too. Consider the clothes you wear, the design and art books you return to, even the objects you’ve kept for years.

Do you prefer simple lines or more feminine forms? Muted palettes or bold colours? Restraint or decoration?

The more you pay attention to what you naturally notice and appreciate, the easier it becomes to recognise the threads that run through your personal style.

Still Not Sure? Try This

If you’re struggling to answer any of the questions above, try considering the opposite.

How don’t you want to feel in your home? Which homes didn’t you like? What don’t you like about the aesthetic choices of others?

You can appreciate someone else’s retro-inspired home, but know it’s not right for you.

Sometimes knowing what you don’t like makes it much easier to understand what you do.

What Your Answers Say About Your Style

Your answers probably won’t point to one definitive decorating style — and that’s the point.

Look for the common threads. Which words, feelings and ideas keep coming up? Let these guide you.

It’s okay if you are drawn to spaces that feel quiet and restrained, but also love pieces with age and character. Or you might prefer simple architecture, but want colour and playfulness in the details.

It’s the combination that makes your style personal.

Once you start to recognise these patterns, you can use them as a filter for the choices you make in your home. Instead of asking, Does this work?, you can ask a more useful question:

Does this feel like me?

~

JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Which words describe how you want your home to feel?
I’d love to hear from you — share in the comments below.

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Know someone who is struggling to make decisions about their home? Share this resource with them — this simple three-question method might help.

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When you’re ready, here are three ways I can help:

THE ADVISORY

Design Consults: Expert guidance for interior projects — from floor plans and renovations to layouts, lighting, and refining the overall direction. Book a session

The Mentorship Experience: A personalised, tailored approach to help you start or grow your creative business with greater clarity, confidence, and direction — through industry insights, practical feedback, and experienced guidance . Apply here

The Creative Business Group Program: Strategy, systems, coaching and community for established creative business owners who want to build a more profitable and aligned business. Join here

THE BOOKS

Discover my bestselling books: This is Home, Still, Style and Home By The Sea. ​

I’ve enjoyed compiling this selection of discoveries for you. As it turns out, August has been a good month of exploring, travel, and connection.

Here are some recent favourite finds…

Discover the details below…

01 | PARADISE LIVING CO

Last weekend I discovered Paradise Living Co en-route to my daughter’s soccer game, and how glad I did. Not only do they stock an extensive range of furniture (tables, benches, stools), but they also have an impressive selection of stone sinks and baths.
Shop here

02 | MAANA HOMES

Bookmarked this beautiful hotel for the next time we travel to Japan. It doubles as inspiration for our renovations, which are making progress. Maana Homes offers accommodation, workshops, and retreats in Kyoto.
Discover here

03 | REUBEN HILLS / AP BAKERY

A couple of weeks ago my daughter had a drama excursion to Sydney, performing at the Australian Theatre for Young People. We had a mini stay, eating lunch at AP Bakery and breakfast the next day at Reuben Hills.

04 | MUD TRAIL

Every year many local ceramicists in the Northern Rivers region open their studios as part of the Mud Trail. One of my favourite places to visit is Rainforest Ceramics. I’ve collected a few ramen bowls from there over the years, and always enjoy stepping onto this beautiful property. Even though the studios are now closed, you can often visit the studios by appointment.
Discover here

05 | STRANGERS BY BELLE BURDEN

A book that I read in less than a week. A book that I was excited to read every night, and stayed up late to finish. It’s a memoir of marriage that raises more questions than it solves. Perhaps that is part of its appeal.
More here

Also…

06 | AT HOME IN EVERY SEASON

I was excited to get an advanced copy of my friend Courtney Adamo’s new book, At Home In Every Season. It’s a sweet book, celebrating the rituals of the year and filled with family-focussed activities.
Pre-order here

07 | THE SALVOS

My fifteen-year-old daughter loves op shopping/thrifting and during our recent trip to Sydney we managed to squeeze in a visit to The Salvos in Surry Hills. It had such a great selection of clothes, shoes, and bags — if only we had more time!
339 Crown St, Surry Hills
Support The Salvos here

Dear Reader: What’s one of your recent favourite discoveries? Please share!

Leave a comment

Editions explores design & ideas that shape how we live.

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GO DEEPER

When you’re ready, here are three ways I can help:

THE ADVISORY

Design Consults: Expert guidance for interior projects — from floor plans and renovations to layouts, lighting, and refining the overall direction. Book a session

The Mentorship Experience: A personalised, tailored approach to help you start or grow your creative business with greater clarity, confidence, and direction — through industry insights, practical feedback, and experienced guidance . Apply here

The Creative Business Group Program: Strategy, systems, coaching and community for established creative business owners who want to build a more profitable and aligned business. Join here

THE BOOKS

Discover my bestselling books: This is Home, Still, Style and Home By The Sea. ​

We really need little to live a good life. And, yet… it’s so easy to fill our homes, cupboards, schedules, and lives with so much stuff.

Some of my happiest family holidays have been spent taking our vintage caravan on summer road trips. How little we needed! There was something freeing about living with less.

This year, I’ve been rethinking my relationship to so many areas of my life, and have found it helpful to define what is enough.

In many ways, it’s a practical way to embrace the idea of ‘less, but better’ — a philosophy I’ve been applying to my life ever since I read Essentialism, about 10 years ago.

Here is how I’m putting it into practice…

The Beauty of Enough… At Home

We have made the decision to keep our home small. We have enough space to add an extension. We could also had a second storey. But instead, we are going to renovate within the original footprint of the home. It is enough for us. It also feels that it’s maintains the integrity of the original design. There is a beauty in giving a house physical breathing room around its perimeter, rather than extending the building envelope to the boundaries of the block.
➤ Ask: What’s enough for you at home?

The Beauty of Enough… On My Shelves

Last weekend I donated about 50 design books to my local charity shop. I have less space to store them, but I also found myself questioning: Why am I holding onto all these books? Some of them I hadn’t opened in years. Others were dated. It was time to let go and create more space in my home.
➤ Ask: What am I holding onto that I no longer use?

The Beauty of Enough… On My Bedside Table

Recently, I removed the stack of books piling up on my bedside table and edited it down to the one I was reading. Now, when I look at my side of the room I feel a sense of peace. I have just one lamp, one book, and my alarm clock. I also borrowed the book from a friend, and now store books at the library, rather than on our shelves.
➤ Ask: How can I create a sense of calm in my bedroom?

The Beauty of Enough… In My Schedule

This year, my calendar looks different to previous times in my life. I work four days a week, four hours a day. What’s been fascinating about this change is that it has made me take a look at how I was filling my days, and question what was really important, and necessary. As it turns out, focussing on the essential work has created more capacity for creativity. It also reminds me of Parkinson’s Law — the idea that work expands to fill the time we give it.
➤ Ask: Where am I spending my time unnecessarily?

The Beauty of Enough… At Work

Another major change has been embracing a simpler business model. For the past seven years, I’ve offered online courses. I loved connecting with students all over the world, but there was a lot of work on the back end in terms of support and deliverables. Now, I work with a handful of design and mentoring clients, and connect with a small but dedicated group of creative business women through my group program.
➤ Ask: Where can I simplify my business to create more capacity?

Dear Reader: Which areas of your life are you embracing (or curious to explore) ‘enough’?

Leave a comment

Editions explores design & ideas that shape how we live.

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When you’re ready, here are three ways I can help:

THE ADVISORY

Design Consults: Expert guidance for interior projects — from floor plans and renovations to layouts, lighting, and refining the overall direction. Book a session

The Mentorship Experience: A personalised, tailored approach to help you start or grow your creative business with greater clarity, confidence, and direction — through industry insights, practical feedback, and experienced guidance . Apply here

The Creative Business Group Program: Strategy, systems, coaching and community for established creative business owners who want to build a more profitable and aligned business. Join here

THE BOOKS

Discover my bestselling books: This is Home, Still, Style and Home By The Sea. ​

This time last year I made a radical decision.

It hadn’t been on my vision board (didn’t have one, although I do now) and it wasn’t in my business plan.

It came out of almost nowhere.

And, yet, it was creeping up on me in slow and subtle ways for months.

I decided to Let Go… of almost everything.

I closed my successful courses business, decided to sell my beautiful home, downsize to a house one-third the size, and simplify my business.

To provide some context, my courses business had been supporting my family of six for the past seven years. Our home was a two-acre property in the hills above Byron Bay. I had a small but dedicated and wonderful team that was helping me grow my business.

Even though everything looked good on paper, my life was increasingly feeling out of alignment.

Let me explain…

Why I Decided To ‘Let Go’

Maybe it was because we were in the Year of the Snake (and all the shedding that comes with that), maybe because I was about to turn 50, maybe because my body was changing, maybe because my children were growing up and I wanted to hold onto the precious last years of their childhood…

There were many reasons inching me towards the decision to make a big change in my life.

But when it came down to it, I just knew deep down within that something needed to change.

I had a whisper within that was getting louder. I couldn’t ignore it any longer.

What I Feared

Knowing it’s time to make change, and embracing it are two entirely different scenarios.

Was I being foolish?

Would I regret the decision?

Was I un-doing all the hard work and hours I’d put into my business for so many years?

Maybe… and maybe there was a greater opportunity — one that I couldn’t overlook.

What I Gained

One of the biggest reasons to simplify my life was to create more space, and more capacity for my children.

When they were younger, they were happy to play with a basket of blocks at my feet while I packed orders, or styled corners of our home for my shop and other ventures.

Now, they are growing up fast (we have an adult child now, at the age of 18, as well as an almost 15yo, 13yo and 10yo), and they have an array of interests: from coding AI to performing in the theatre, competing in club and representational soccer competitions, and playing tennis.

I will never regret taking this time to be with them — driving them to tournaments, watching them perform, engaging in deep (and sometimes difficult) conversations, taking them to their after-school jobs, watching lots of soccer, and playing tennis.

What I Didn’t Expect

I have approached this chapter in my life with an unusual sense of calm and curiosity. Usually, I’m in a hurry to do something, be somewhere, achieve something.

And while I still have dreams and ambitions, I’m allowing them to unfold at a slower pace in the belief that there is enough time. It will happen, when it’s meant to.

Creating more white space in my daily life has also opened the door to engage in more creative work.

I’ve started writing a new book, a little something different from past projects. At this stage, I’m allowing it to take the lead.

I’ve also had more capacity to take on design work. Consults have blossomed into design development projects. And I’ve also mentored liked-minded creative women who want to build their own aligned businesses.

Alongside this work has been a regular cadence of connecting and sharing with a special group of women inside my program for creative business owners.

My days look and feel significantly different to what they did a year ago. I am working less, but creating more. I have more agency over my time. I feel more connected to my local community, and have forged deeper friendships. And, most importantly for me in this season, I am immersed in the joys of family life, and motherhood.

That is not to say I am losing myself. No, instead I feel like I becoming who I am meant to be.

What I Have Learned

I’ve realised that it’s okay not to have all the answers, all the time.

The more space we create in our lives, the more we have capacity for new opportunities.

Nothing is forever, and to cherish each season.

Your Questions

I reached out on Instagram Stories last week to see if you had any questions about this journey. I have done my best to answer them, below. If you have a question that I haven’t covered, please click on the “Leave a comment” button, and I’ll get back to you shortly.

What prompted the change?
It wasn’t just one thing, or one event, but a series of signs (and feelings) that I wanted to change direction. A huge part of it was realising that my children were in the final chapter of their childhood. My eldest son turned 18 this year, and in his last year of high school. He will most likely leave home next year. I want to be present, and enjoy this time with them before they go on to forge their own lives, on their own terms.

Any regrets?
Absolutely not. I our previous home dearly. It was a special place but I feel a sense of gratitude, rather than regret. We were so fortunate to be able to live in such a beautiful home for so many years. We created many special memories there. But our current home feels just right for this chapter of our lives.

How do you genuinely feel now you have to those things go?
Honestly, I feel so much lighter. I feel calmer. I feel that I have capacity to pursue new ideas, and new projects. Nothing is forever.

Do you miss having land?
It was such a beautiful experience to have all that space. But it’s also a big responsibility. It takes a lot of time and care. I don’t miss that part.

Are you enjoying the downsize?
Yes, I’m enjoying the lessons it’s teaching me. I have always tried to live simply, but I didn’t quite realise how much stuff we have. It has been a slow process to let go of many things, mainly because I have such little spare time on the weekends. And also because I am choosing deliberately what we keep, what we donate, what we recycle. It’s quite a process. But I’m getting there.

Will you be writing another book on design?
I would love to, however, at the moment I’ve started a different type of book, and feel pulled to see where it leads me. It’s a topic that has always been close to my heart, and hope it resonates with others too.

Dear Reader: If you have any questions about what this year has looked like, please leave a comment and I look forward to sharing more below.

Leave a comment

You can learn about more about my ‘Letting Go’ journey here:
Why I closed my courses business: The End of An Era
Letting go of my family home: A Bittersweet Goodbye
Reflections on change at the half-way point: What This Year Taught Me

Also, you might enjoy listening to these episodes of my podcast, Imprint:
🎧 My New Chapter: Why I Sold My Business
🎧 The Surprising Truth About Why You Need To Quit More

Editions explores design & ideas that shape how we live.

If this resonated, pass it on.

Share

GO DEEPER

When you’re ready, here are three ways I can help:

THE ADVISORY

Design Consults: Expert guidance for interior projects — from floor plans and renovations to layouts, lighting, and refining the overall direction. Book a session

The Mentorship Experience: A personalised, tailored approach to help you start or grow your creative business with greater clarity, confidence, and direction — through industry insights, practical feedback, and experienced guidance . Apply here

The Creative Business Group Program: Strategy, systems, coaching and community for established creative business owners who want to build a more profitable and aligned business. Join here

THE BOOKS

Discover my bestselling books: This is Home, Still, Style and Home By The Sea. ​

Rachel Cooper is one of the wisest, most grounded people I know. She is someone who is endlessly creative, and focussed on her love of art.

Some of you may know her through her fashion brand Frank & Dollys. She is not only the creative director but hand paints the many designs that are printed onto dresses, shirts, and more. Rachel’s work has been featured in Vogue and F&D has been selected as an Australian Fashion Council Curated Brand.

To me, Rachel is a friend and confidante. She is someone whose opinion I trust explicitly. She also has a way of viewing the world through the artist’s eye — seeing beauty everywhere, and bringing it to life in magical ways.

Enjoy…

The Edit with Rachel Cooper

1. What are you working on right now?

I’m deep in a colour series at the moment; exploring colour theory through my painting practice, which has become a lovely kind of obsession. I’ve also recently made a commitment to myself to create every single day, no matter how small. It’s quietly shaping my daily habits. Alongside that, each collection we make takes 9 months to create from conception to release so I always have at least 4 on the go at different stages; fabric design, garment design, sample approval, and release.

2. What is a recent life lesson you learned?

That I don’t need to get to the end of my to-do list before I pick up a paintbrush. I’m used to saving creativity for last, as though it has to be earned once everything else is done. Now I’m learning to treat it as a priority, something I protect and nurture. As a mum of three, the to-do list will always be there.

3. What was the last fun or unexpected thing you did?

Playing cards with my teenage kids. I’m realising every day how much I love their company. We share the same sense of humour; they’re quick and dry and wickedly funny, I’m just really enjoying them in this stage of life.

4. Where are your favourite places to eat, visit or stay locally?

We eat really well at home, so I’m not the most reliable local restaurant guide. But a coffee from Sparrow on the Bangalow main street on a slow Saturday morning is hard to beat, and we are blessed with an abundance of waterfalls, swimming holes and beaches to choose from in our region.

5. Where are your favourite places to eat, visit or stay further afield?

Ubud, Bali always. The local food there is unbeatable. My favourite restaurants include Sweet Orange, which sits overlooking rice paddies and is only accessible by motorbike. Another favourite is Warung Rama for the most simple and delicious local cuisine. Suka Espresso make my all time favourite coffee in the world, I dream about it while I’m not in Ubud! And Paris, specifically Le Marais. There’s a patisserie on Rue Montorgueil called Stohrer, the oldest in Paris, founded in 1730. The croissants are extraordinary and the interior is a listed historical monument.

6. A favourite gift for friends?

Good oil pastels or a beautiful sketchbook, a novel or an invitation tea ceremony to transport you for an hour from your day. I also save offcuts of canvas from custom paintings to paint small canvases to give in place of cards.

7. What is on your wish list?

A long stretch of uninterrupted studio time. And more walls to paint on.

8. What is a recent favourite book you read?

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I read it for the first time when I was seventeen and it changed my life. I returned to it every couple of years, and have just finished again. It’s the only book I’ve ever read more than once, and it finds me differently each time.

9. What is a recent film or program you enjoyed?

I don’t watch much, but I’m a devoted listener of The Italian Renaissance Podcast, hosted by Lawrence Gianangeli, which covers the culture and art of 15th and 16th century Italy. It’s become essential listening in the studio.

10. What are you listening to right now?

The Summer Portraits by Ludovico Einaudi. He wrote the album after staying in a villa filled with oil paintings left behind by a woman who painted there every single summer of her life.

Finally, who would you like me to interview next?

Poppy Walker. She’s a dear friend and one of the most eternally creative people I know. A documentary filmmaker based right here in the Northern Rivers, her work has screened at film festivals around the world, and she brings that same depth of curiosity and humanity to everything she does. I think your readers would find her fascinating.

~

You can buy Rachel’s designs and art at Frank & Dollys. Follow her and Frank & Dollys on Instagram.

Leave a comment

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When you’re ready, here are three ways I can help:

THE ADVISORY

Design Consults: Expert guidance for interior projects — from floor plans and renovations to layouts, lighting, and refining the overall direction. Book a session

The Mentorship Experience: A personalised, tailored approach to help you start or grow your creative business with greater clarity, confidence, and direction — through industry insights, practical feedback, and experienced guidance . Apply here

The Creative Business Group Program: Strategy, systems, coaching and community for established creative business owners who want to build a more profitable and aligned business. Join here

THE BOOKS

Discover my bestselling books: This is Home, Still, Style and Home By The Sea. ​

Welcome to CURATED — an edit of recent finds & curiosities.

Discover the details below…

01 | GALERIE TERMINUS

I’ve had something of an existential crisis with Instagram this year, but was glad to return and discover Galerie Terminus — a company that specialises in furniture sourcing, custom production and restoration. Based in Sydney, and servicing clients internationally.
Discover here

02 | NUMBER THIRTY THREE

A local discovery — Number Thirty Three is a Byron Bay brand focussed on simple every day classics. My mum bought me these beautiful wool cashmere socks. Available online and (for locals) at the Bangalow Post Office!
Shop here

03 | ‘MACADAMIA’ RANGE, MUCKWARE

Recently I visited the pottery studio of Muckware Ceramics, the brand of Grace Chaplin, looking for an olive oil pourer. She showed me her new Pecan colour way range and I couldn’t resist. Now the collection is live on her website.
Shop here

04 | FIRE PIT, MILKCAN

A few weekends ago we bought a fire pit for our garden. It was mainly for our youngest, who loves to spend hours upon hours collecting kindling, chopping firewood, building the fire, tending it, roasting apples and toasting marshmallows.
Shop here

05 | ‘SHITAKE’ ZELLIGE, TILES OF EZRA

A parcel of tile samples arrived recently — partly for a design client, and partly for my own home. I’m considering the ‘Shitake’ Zellige for our bathroom. It has a beautiful richness of tone, while feeling in harmony with the 1960s palette of the original interiors.
Discover here

Also…

06 | THE INVITE

Have you seen The Invite yet? I haven’t laughed so much watching a film in a long time. Definitely recommended watching.
Watch here

07 | THE CURIOSITY SHOP

I’ve been quietly obsessed with a new podcast by renowned researcher Brené Brown and organisational psychologist Adam Grant. It feels refreshing to listen to people who don’t claim to know all the answers, but are curious to have conversations and explore where it takes them. It’s equally refreshing that they haven chosen not to edit out natural pauses in conversation.
Listen here

08 | GELATO & CO

On (another) recent rainy day we went for a drive to Murwillumbah and treated ourselves at the award-winning Gelato & Co. They make the most delicious mango flavour. Biscoff was another favourite.
Visit here

09 | TENNIS SKIRT

My daughter and I have been playing tennis together most weeks this year, and I couldn’t resist buying her a cute skirt recently.
Shop here

10 | THE DAWN DRESS

At the end of last year I treated myself to this beautiful dress. I wore it all summer long. They now have a few more fabrics added to the range. I’m considering this one.
Shop here

Dear Reader: What is one of your recent favourite discoveries? Please share!

Leave a comment

Editions explores design & ideas that shape how we live.

If this resonated, pass it on.

Share

GO DEEPER

When you’re ready, here are three ways I can help:

THE ADVISORY

Design Consults: Expert guidance for interior projects — from floor plans and renovations to layouts, lighting, and refining the overall direction. Book a session

The Mentorship Experience: A personalised, tailored approach to help you start or grow your creative business with greater clarity, confidence, and direction — through industry insights, practical feedback, and experienced guidance . Apply here

The Creative Business Group Program: Strategy, systems, coaching and community for established creative business owners who want to build a more profitable and aligned business. Join here

THE BOOKS

Discover my bestselling books: This is Home, Still, Style and Home By The Sea. ​

Celebrating 4 years of my book STYLE: The Art of Creating A Beautiful Home. Here is an excerpt for you to enjoy.

What is style? And is it important? Do you need a clear understanding of your own personal style to create a beautiful and authentic home? What if you are drawn to many different aesthetic styles? Can your personal style evolve over time and adapt to different homes, especially if they’re rooted in different architectural periods or aesthetics? And how do you avoid leaving a trail of regretted decisions and wasteful mistakes?

Our relationship with style is complicated. At times it might appear vacuous, a little too surface focussed. Certainly, when it comes to creating a home, it can feel as if there are many more important decisions to make. But if you don’t have a clear understanding of who you are, and how to express that in your home, it’s easy to become distracted and create what you think is appropriate rather than what is meaningful. This can lead not only to costly mistakes but also to a home that doesn’t feel like you.

And, whether you’re working by yourself or engaging the services of a design professional, getting a clear idea of your style is the first and important step in any project. It should be a priority before you start making any decisions, sourcing or spending. Taking the time to understand your style and become intimate with your own visual vocabulary creates a foundation that will be your anchor in the most intense times and be your guide through unexpected turns on the journey to creating a home.

Style can seem complex because it is multifaceted, relating to people, places and periods in time. But, at its heart, it’s a form of expression. It’s who you are—your journey, your story, your feelings, your priorities and even your sense of self-worth. And if you don’t make what’s important to you a priority, what type of home are you really creating? Who is at the heart of your home? Are you living with integrity? Indifference and indecision can be choices too.

Everyone’s style is different because we have all taken different journeys in life. Creating in your own truth is at the heart of knowing and expressing your style. Your style doesn’t need to conform to any prevailing opinion or general consensus.

The most beautiful spaces are not only grounded in authenticity but also actively engage in the process of styling. Styling is how you arrange a space or scene to make it the best it can be. While the craft is still in its infancy in the grand scheme of the visual arts, it’s a powerful way to curate your space and display what you love. It is understanding ‘what to place where’ to create a beautiful interior, and what to edit for clarity and impact.

Styling is a process you can engage with no matter where you are on the home-making journey. If you’re just starting out, or in a rental and unable to make structural changes, it allows you to work with what you’ve already got and what you love. Alternatively, if you have designed and decorated your home, or completed a major renovation, styling is how you bring together all the elements to enhance your spaces. And if you’re ready to sell, it’s a process that can add significant value to your home.

Styling is elevating the spaces in your home to bring more beauty and joy into your life every day.

_

However, styling is still a little misunderstood and undervalued.

Any great interior designer or architect knows its true worth. A stylist can take a well-designed interior and turn it into a work of art. While a stylist might not be credited, they are often integral to install days, arranging objects and adding the finishing touches before an interior designer reveals the space to a client. Stylists also help to craft images for all-important portfolios and marketing material. It is not a skill to dismiss or diminish.

Stylists can add value to homes as any real estate agent will tell you. Not only can they make a home the best it can be, but they can create visual stories that allow potential buyers to envisage themselves within the space. A carefully curated scene can convey a lifestyle in an instant. Styling is a way to paint a picture and sell a story, too.

Styling will benefit your creative ventures, as well as your home. It helps to create captivating imagery for brands or businesses that want to cultivate engaged clients or customers. Styling is the essential ingredient in any beautiful product or homewares image you’ve seen. If you’ve connected with an image, most likely styling is at play.

Styling can not only transform spaces but also enhance our relationships and experiences within them. I have styled countless homes over the years and had homeowners remark in wonder that editing their collections, moving objects around and making seemingly minor adjustments has given their space a whole new look and feel. Styling your home doesn’t mean you have to go out and buy more ‘stuff’. Often the opposite is true—you can reconnect with what you already own, move objects from one room to another, or rediscover a long-forgotten treasure that was tucked away in a cupboard. These are the layers—the textures, colours, materials, forms, stories, and more—that help bring a home to life.

When travelling the world to style homes for my books, This is Home: The Art of Simple Living and Still: The Slow Home, I had only a small carry-on suitcase and no time or room to take props to any of the photo shoots. And yet each space was carefully curated for photography. That is not to diminish the beautiful homes that photographer Chris Warnes and I visited, but styling helped create a visual story that related to each homeowner, showcasing their journey, values and personal style. And, as every image and home was part of a larger story or concept, the styling of each photograph needed to be consistent with the philosophy of the book. Styling works on many levels, helping to tell the story of not just each room, but also the home, the homeowner and the bigger picture.

You are here, most likely, because you’re interested in the idea of creating beauty at home. Maybe you already have it—you create instinctively but want to reconnect with the process and re-engage with your home. When we have been living in our spaces for a while, it’s easy to stop ‘seeing’ them. We stop noticing what we’ve created, including the objects and elements that we added as temporary measures but aren’t quite right, or half-resolved solutions to complete later. It’s easy to fall into a rut, too. Let this be a chance to reconnect with what you love.

Perhaps you want to make your home more beautiful, but you’re not sure where to start, what is missing and how to bring it all together in a way that brings you pleasure. The steps you need to take feel just beyond your grasp, but your hopeful you can engage with the creative process.

Either way, your home is important to you. You see and appreciate beauty when it’s within sight. And you know the impact it can have on your emotional life. Just like a great work of art, poetry or music, your home can create an experience that transcends the physical and tangible.

How we choose to create our homes from what we have and love has a significant impact on how we experience them every day. Styling is a simple way to establish order, remove what is unnecessary, and make the most of what remains. It is an art and science that can be learnt, and a practice that can bring you daily joy.

Engaging with creativity is both a gift and an essential part of what it means to be human. And one of the easiest ways to engage with this process is at home. It is where we can experiment with ideas, explore the heart of who we are, and mirror our inner desires in our outer world.

Dear Reader, Let’s start a conversation: Do you have a clear sense of your style? How is it expressed in your home? Where do you struggle? Where do you find joy?

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When you’re ready, here are three ways I can help:

THE ADVISORY

Design Consults: Expert guidance for interior projects — from floor plans and renovations to layouts, lighting, and refining the overall direction. Book a session

The Mentorship Experience: A personalised, tailored approach to help you start or grow your creative business with greater clarity, confidence, and direction — through industry insights, practical feedback, and experienced guidance . Apply here

The Creative Business Group Program: Strategy, systems, coaching and community for established creative business owners who want to build a more profitable and aligned business. Join here

THE BOOKS

Discover my bestselling books: This is Home, Still, Style and Home By The Sea. ​

Is it time to have an honest conversation about what’s happening in the world of interiors right now?

A pattern is starting to emerge.

Recently I’ve been working with a range of clients who have complete architectural plans for their home, but something is “missing”.

They have come to me because they should be ready to start building works, but their instinct is telling them that the design is not quite right.

More often than not, it doesn’t reflect them.

They are right to pause. Building and renovating is a huge investment.

As homeowners and designers alike, we face a new challenge when creating our homes.

Let me explain…

A New Design Challenge

I have spent twenty years working in the interiors industry — from writing about homes to styling them for magazines and my books, and designing spaces for my own projects and clients.

It’s been interesting to see how social media — and the sheer volume of interiors we’re exposed to every day — has both lifted the standard of design and, paradoxically, made it more generic in some ways.

It seems everyone wants a space that’s photograph-worthy.

Designers want images they can share on social media, and across their websites.

They want to create spaces that help them get featured in publications, make Top Designer lists, and build their reputation (and client base).

What cut through five years ago, doesn’t today.

Interiors have to work harder. They need to be more unexpected. More memorable. They need to breakthrough.

It reminds me of the optimisation movement in self-improvement, which is increasingly coming into question and seems to be reaching a tipping point of fatigue.

Today it seems that our homes need to be optimised. Every room needs a moment. Every detail needs to surprise. Every corner needs to photograph beautifully.

And I wonder if we’re starting to feel the fatigue.

The Pinterest Problem

Pinterest remains one of the primary sources of inspiration for most designers and homeowners. This is both a gift, and a problem. It’s free, easy, and a never-ending source of inspiration at your fingertips. But it also means that everyone is drawing from the same pool of ideas. That’s why we now see a proliferation of checkerboard tiles, arched doorways, rounded niches and ceramic wall lights… None of these features are inherently “bad”. I’ve used some of them myself. But when everyone uses the same ideas at the same time, we quickly tire of them as a collective. For the homeowner who has incorporated multiple ideas with the same time stamp into their spaces, they can be left with an expensive kitchen or bathroom that looks very 2026. Then what? It’s ripped out a few years later, and all that money spent has gone. And landfill piles around the world groan a little more.

The Counter Movement

In what seems to be a reaction to ‘The Pinterest Problem’, another movement has emerged. These are designers who seem to run counter to what everyone else is doing. Rather than drawing from Pinterest, they create designs from increasingly niche references. This is the home of rare Austrian dining chairs and esoteric mid-century Brazilian ceramics. Design becomes a form of cultural currency. The more obscure the references, the more they signal expertise. Design magazines love it. But what do these designed homes tell us of the homeowner who lives within?

The Desire To Be Different

There was a time when many homes looked the same because of a lack of suppliers, especially in Australia. This was before online shopping opened up the world. As a magazine stylist, I could almost recite the Ikea catalogue — from the Expedit shelving unit to the Billy bookcase, Malm bed and Lack side table. I remember countless homes with the same rolled-arm navy blue Freedom sofa, and later the same faux suede modular. Today we have more choice than ever before. Ironically, many of our homes still end up looking surprisingly alike. The difference is that instead of everyone following one look, many are following different trends. Playful patterns, bold colours, ‘granny core’… Is this all borne from The Desire To Be Different? I can understand. We want our homes to feel special, and look different. But once someone catches onto an idea, it seems to spread quickly. Before long, what felt daring and different now feels familiar and common place. And again we’re looking for that next hit — an idea or chance to create something new.

A Radical Idea

Here’s a radical idea. What if we created homes to reflect who we are, rather than what everyone else is doing?

What if we gathered inspiration, but filtered it through the lens of what matters most to us?

What if we chose carefully and for the long game — ideas and spaces that speak less about what we ‘see’ and more about what we value?

It’s not always easy. I get as excited about someone pushing creative boundaries as the next designer. And I enjoy the challenge too. But somewhere along the way, I wonder if we’re missing the point.

Is design currently too focussed on the image, over the experience?

Our homes are not created for the gaze of others. They are spaces that need to support our lives.

And this is the ultimate test. The real measure of what makes a home beautiful is not whether it photographs beautifully. It’s how you feel when you step through the front door. This is what I strive for in my home, and how I try to help my clients too.

Dear Reader: Is this the conversation we need to be having? Have we tipped too far towards creating interiors for the gaze of others?

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When you’re ready, here are three ways I can help:

THE ADVISORY

Design Consults: Expert guidance for interior projects — from floor plans and renovations to layouts, lighting, and refining the overall direction. Book a session

The Mentorship Experience: A personalised, tailored approach to help you start or grow your creative business with greater clarity, confidence, and direction — through industry insights, practical feedback, and experienced guidance . Apply here

The Creative Business Group Program: Strategy, systems, coaching and community for established creative business owners who want to build a more profitable and aligned business. Join here

THE BOOKS

Discover my bestselling books: This is Home, Still, Style and Home By The Sea. ​

Deciding on a North Star is one of the most helpful ideas I’ve come across when designing interiors. It helps keep me on track, and something I always recommend to clients.

When you’re choosing between materials, colours, layouts or furniture, you can come back to one simple question:

Does this move me closer to the home I’m trying to create?

But sometimes we don’t know what we want.

Or we become overwhelmed by too many possibilities.

That’s when a South Star can be useful…

How To Know & Use Your South Star

Can you describe your style?

What about how you want your home to look and feel?

Do you know what you want to do with your career… and life?

If you’re struggling to answer these questions, it can be challenging to have a North Star — a destination that guides your decisions.

When this happens, perhaps it’s time to try something different.

Start with the opposite. Get clear on what you don’t want.

Here are some questions to help you discover your South Star:

• What don’t I like?

• What feels “off” or out of alignment?

• What have I promised myself I wouldn’t do again?

• What consistently leaves me feeling disappointed, drained or frustrated?

• What decisions have I regretted in the past?

Clarity doesn’t often come from adding more options. It comes from eliminating what you don’t need.

Whether you’re designing a home, building a business or making a big life decision, your South Star can be just as valuable as your North Star.

It won’t tell you where to go, but it will help you avoid heading in the wrong direction.

Dear Reader: Do you think clarity comes from choosing, or eliminating? What helps you?

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BOOKMARKS

Some recent favourites:

New Styling! — It was fun to style Tigmi Trading’s rugs in my home. Watch here.

Read — I read Fox 8 by George Saunders, a story that was as clever and quick as a fox. It’s been popular with the whole family.

Watched — Recently we watched Cricket Dreams, a heart-warming documentary about a group of Indian children preparing and participating in the Street Child Cricket World Cup.

GO DEEPER

When you’re ready, here are three ways I can help:

THE ADVISORY

Design Consults: Expert guidance for interior projects — from floor plans and renovations to layouts, lighting, and refining the overall direction. Book a session

The Mentorship Experience: A personalised, tailored approach to help you start or grow your creative business with greater clarity, confidence, and direction — through industry insights, practical feedback, and experienced guidance . Apply here

The Creative Business Group Program: Strategy, systems, coaching and community for established creative business owners who want to build a more profitable and aligned business. Join here

THE BOOKS

Discover my bestselling books: This is Home, Still, Style and Home By The Sea. ​

I’ve always admired how French women dress. Often it’s not so much about what they’re wearing, but how they have layered their outfit. From the subtle tuck of their shirt to the sleeves rolled ‘just so’, and jewellery stacked on their wrists…

Layering interiors is a way to add a similar je ne sais quoi.

The most obvious way is to layer with decorative pieces… but layering is at its best when added much earlier…

Layering Your Canvas

A subtle yet effective way to add personality to your spaces is to layer the canvas of your home. If you’re building from the ground-up or renovating your home, consider your surfaces carefully. The materials you choose — from your walls to floors, and everything in-between — add nuance and depth to your interiors. One way to avoid the “new build” look is to introduce a mix of materials at different eye levels. In the Still Studio, pictured above, I used tongue & groove paneling on the ceiling and end walls, tadelakt on the other long walls, microcement on the floor. All of these elements worked together to make the studio look as if it had always been there.

Layering Your Palette

A colour and material palette establishes the mood of your home. Again, this is an opportunity to add subtle layers that enhance the feeling in your spaces. You can choose complementary colours to create a cocoon-like feel. Otherwise, you can contrast to enliven and delight. There is no right or wrong, but instead it’s up to you as to how far you want to pull the lever. I tend to keep the foundations timeless, and introduce colour through paint or accessories, which are easier to update over time.

Layering Your Fixtures

Avoid downlights, if possible. They are a missed opportunity to add volume, form, texture and visual interest. Lighting is one of my favourite ways to add layers to any space: from oversized linen pendants to considered ceramic wall lights. When there are so many options at your fingertips, try to avoid the all too ubiquitous downlight.

Layering Your Surfaces

Objects can make (and sometimes break) a room. When carefully chosen, and placed, they can speak volumes about your intentions. Choose carefully, though. It’s easy to get carried away in the name of layering. Instead, take a book from the French women who make dressing look effortless. Add layers with insouciance. And just as with the French tuck, it’s often more about technique than volume.

Dear Reader: Where have you seen layering done well? Whose style inspires you?

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BOOKMARKS

This week I went to Sydney and here are a few of my favourite experiences:

Staying at Ace Hotel — which is starting to feel like my home away from home. Still in awe of what Flack Studio created in this space. Book here

Visiting Studio Gardner — it was such a treat to finally visit the studio of Vogue Living’s Joseph Gardner, and meet the lovely Imogene who is a colleague from my magazine styling days. Visit here

Discovering Moebel — the home of an incredible collection of European design pieces that are beyond the usual suspects. Discover here

GO DEEPER

When you’re ready, here are three ways I can help:

THE ADVISORY

Design Consults: Expert guidance for interior projects — from floor plans and renovations to layouts, lighting, and refining the overall direction. Book a session

The Mentorship Experience: A personalised, tailored approach to help you start or grow your creative business with greater clarity, confidence, and direction — through industry insights, practical feedback, and experienced guidance . Apply here

The Creative Business Group Program: Strategy, systems, coaching and community for established creative business owners who want to build a more profitable and aligned business. Join here

THE BOOKS

Discover my bestselling books: This is Home, Still, Style and Home By The Sea. ​

In a time when there is so much noise online, I want to create a space that is a reprieve. A place to feel inspired, encouraged, and connected.

For that reason, I want to bring back one of my favourite ways to do this — reaching out to people I admire to learn more about their lives.

Welcome to The Edit…

Courtney Adamo is someone whose opinion I value in all things life and style. Many of you will know her from her days writing as a co-founder of the popular parenting site Babyccino, sharing her great finds, as well as her experience as a parent. This is when we first met. I was invited to be an international contributor. That was about fifteen years ago when she was living in London, and I was based in Sydney. Since then our families have grown, and serendipitously we have ended up living in the same town, sending our children to the same school, and we even now live on the same street. We could never have planned it this way, but it is a happy blessing.

Most Friday mornings we walk along the streets of our local small town, catching up on life. Whenever I need a book recommendation, Courtney is the first person I ask. Or if I’m seeking any type of advice, I can always trust her opinion. I value Courtney’s honesty and generosity, and am grateful that she is kickstarting this new series, The Edit.

Enjoy…

The Edit with Courtney Adamo

1. What are you working on right now?

I will soon get to start promoting our book, At Home in Every Season, which includes lots of sweet ideas for seasonal rituals, activities, crafts and recipes. I am so excited about it and can’t wait for the book to start reaching families.

I’ve also just started jotting down ideas for my third book and I’m excited about this too. I’ve been writing it in my head while I vacuum the house or while driving in the car. The other day, I had to hop out of the shower dripping wet to quickly type ideas at my laptop. It feels good when the ideas are flowing like this!

2. What is a recent life lesson you learned?

I’d say I am currently learning a big lesson about change. I’m learning that change is a constant thing in our lives; it’s the only guarantee. Instead of worrying about it or being afraid of the unknowns, I need to trust the process and ride the rollercoaster as it goes up and down.

3. What was the last fun or unexpected thing you did?

I recently participated in my first pickleball tournament. After years of playing casually at our local recreation centre, I have finally started registering for tournaments and playing a bit more competitively. I have a few tournaments coming up, and I’m hoping the nerves settle over time.

4. Where are your favourite places to eat, visit or stay locally?

We’ve been on a strict food budget lately, so we haven’t been eating out at all. But some of my favourite cafes in Byron are Happy Days in the industrial estate (delicious sandwiches!) or High Life in Byron. (I’ve shared heaps of other favourite spots in Byron here.)

5. Where are your favourite places to eat, visit or stay further afield?

We love heading down to Yamba for a weekend trip. It’s only an hour from Byron, but it feels miles away with all the different beaches, cafes and swimming holes. I’d recommend staying at our friends’ hotel, Il Delfino (you’ll feel like you’re in Italy!), and eating at Beachwood Cafe.

6. A favourite gift for friends?

I love gifting books. There’s always a fitting book for every occasion whether you’re grieving someone (this book) or if you’ve just had a new baby (this book of poems) or if it’s your birthday (I just gifted this book to a friend last week). I’ve even starting bringing books to dinner parties instead of a bottle of wine (this book makes a good hostess gift).

7. What is on your wish list?

These leather shoes. My friend, Mim, recently bought a pair and she says they are super comfy and go with everything.

8. What is a recent favourite book you read?

I’ve read so many good books this year. I’m on a real streak! I also recently discovered the world of short stories, particularly the Irish author, Claire Keegan. Her book, Small Things Like These is so beautiful and tender. I read it curled up under a blanket on a stormy Sunday afternoon recently. Bliss!

9. What is a recent film or program you enjoyed?

Because of all my reading, I have not been watching very much lately. However, my husband and I recently watched the Listers documentary about bird watching and I laughed out loud throughout the whole film. It’s an eye-opening glimpse into the world of bird watching, and you learn a thing or two about birds too.

10. What are you listening to right now?

I really love the Wiser Than Me podcast. The host, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, interviews older women who share their wisdom and lived experiences. At the end of every episode, Julia calls her mum (who is also a wise old woman), and for some reason, it always makes me cry to hear their conversations. I also love Bill Nighy’s podcast, which is hilarious!

Finally, who would you like me to interview next?

In a dream scenario, I’d love to see the answers from Anne Lamott. Or the writer, Catherine Newman. Or Kate Winslet! Haha. If we are talking realistically, I’d say... Jodi Wilson.

~

You can follow Courtney on Substack and Instagram. Her first book The Family Home is available now.

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GO DEEPER

When you’re ready, here are four ways I can help:

THE ADVISORY

Design Consults: Expert guidance for interior projects — from floor plans and renovations to layouts, lighting, and refining the overall direction. Book a session

Book Consults: A focused consultation to help you shape, refine, and position your book idea — from concept through to proposal and publishing direction. Email me

The Mentorship Experience: A personalised, tailored approach to help you start or grow your creative business with greater clarity, confidence, and direction — through industry insights, practical feedback, and experienced guidance . Apply here

The Creative Business Group Program: Strategy, systems, coaching and community for established creative business owners who want to build a more profitable and aligned business. Join here

THE BOOKS

Discover my bestselling books: This is Home, Still, Style and Home By The Sea. ​

Every day we make decisions where we can’t be certain of the outcome. From buying or renovating a house, entering a new relationship, having children, launching a business, creating a product or service, sharing our art with the world, and many more.

Throughout my career I’ve always taken the time at the end of a project (launching a course, promoting a book, going over my quarterly and year-end finances) when I take the time to review how everything went. I always ask three simple but important questions:

1. What worked?

2. What didn’t?

3. What can I do better next time?

This review process is often called a “post-mortem”. But perhaps even more important is to do a “pre-mortem”. Instead of waiting until the end to understand what went wrong, you ask the question before you begin. It looks like this…

A Simple Tool to Manage Risk & Avoid Failure

When I work with mentor clients I ask a simple but important question in the business diagnostic stage. “What could go wrong?”

When we embark on any project we often have stars in our eyes. We are excited about all the possibilities. The reticular activating system in our brain is often seeking all the ways this will succeed, which is great. It makes us feel excited and fuels our energy to work through the long to-do list of getting anything done.

But an important step that can be often overlooked is taking the time to anticipate how things could go wrong.

We need to anticipate the risks.

After all, there is always something that goes wrong — from our timeline, to expectations or pricing, location… And the assumptions we make too quickly.

Sometimes we can be reluctant to take the time to do a pre-mortem. We can feel that it’s going to slow us down, or undermine the plan. But it’s an opportunity to be really honest with ourselves, about our ideas and blind spots.

If you’re working with a partner or team, it’s important that people can feel safe sharing their concerns, fears or observations.

Gary Klein popularised the idea of a pre-mortem in a Harvard Business Review article, and provided this prompt:

“Imagine it is [X months/years] from now, and this project has completely failed. What did go wrong?”

Essentially, we want to anticipate failure. Look at the most likely culprits. And come up with ideas to avoid them now (rather looking back and wishing you’d taken the necessary steps). In other words, you’re harnessing your 20/20 hindsight now.

Brené Brown says in this episode of The Curiosity Shop that if you want to win or grow in any area of your business or life… you need to want to win more than protect your ego. You need to have hard conversations. Ask yourself: What do you have to do to reach your goal? And, just as importantly: What do you have to NOT do to reach it? We often overlook that part.

Personally, I find my roadblocks are often patterns of behaviour or mindset shifts I need to make.

Here are some more questions you can ask yourself to save yourself a lot of tears, heartache, and headaches (financially or otherwise) down the track.

Remember, you can apply these ideas to relationships and parenting just as much as running a business.

Try These Pre-Mortem Questions

How can this fail?

Where are my blind spots?

In one year from now, what I be talking about?

What am I assuming that may not be true?

What am I avoiding because it feels uncomfortable?

What needs more of my attention?

Where am I overcomplicating?

Where am I locked into a particular idea? How can I be open to other possibilities?

What would make this simpler, better or more sustainable?

While we can’t remove all risks. We can take responsibility for what we can influence, and what we can change.

It’s easy to blame the economy, the market, the algorithm, the government, the timing, or other people. But when we take the time to look at what we can control, we become more empowered, and the captain of our destiny.

Asking this one important question — what can go wrong? — can save us a lot of unnecessary regret.

Anticipating obstacles is a form of radical ownership over whatever situation we face.

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GO DEEPER

When you’re ready, here are four ways I can help:

THE ADVISORY

Design Consults: Expert guidance for interior projects — from floor plans and renovations to layouts, lighting, and refining the overall direction. Book a session

Book Consults: A focused consultation to help you shape, refine, and position your book idea — from concept through to proposal and publishing direction. Email me

The Mentorship Experience: A personalised, tailored approach to help you start or grow your creative business with greater clarity, confidence, and direction — through industry insights, practical feedback, and experienced guidance . Apply here

The Creative Business Group Program: Strategy, systems, coaching and community for established creative business owners who want to build a more profitable and aligned business. Join here

THE BOOKS

Discover my bestselling books: This is Home, Still, Style and Home By The Sea. ​

Most of the time, when I ask clients what type of home they want to create, they use the word “timeless”. Or they say, “I don’t want it to date.”

Me too. Given the time and financial investment that’s involved in creating our homes that’s a reasonable request. (And much better for the environment too, as we all know.)

And then I look at their inspirational images.

This is when I pause.

Often, there’s a disconnect.

And it’s an easy trap to fall into.

We have a never-ending source of inspiration at our fingertips. (And I do sometimes wonder if spaces are increasingly created for portfolios, rather than people. The envelope of what is possible is being pushed to its outer limits.)

“Oooh. I love that tile.”

“That light is so beautiful.”

“Oh, I wonder where they sourced that marble.”

And before we know it, we have a folder of images that reflect what’s happening in the design world right now.

But that’s not always the best place to start… or finish.

Where To Start

When it comes to designing a home, it’s worth taking the time to get clear on your needs before looking at any imagery.

What is this project for you? Is it a home you hope to live in forever? Or is it a stepping stone to a bigger place? Do you want to make some updates and sell in the not-too-distant future? There is no right or wrong answer. Just what’s right for you.

How do you live? Really think about this. Map out your day, and how you use your home. Consider the points of friction you currently face. Be honest with yourself. If you love to entertain, create enough space to host your family and guests. If you are disorganised, open shelving might not be the best option for you.

How do you want to feel? The answer to this question will guide many of the aesthetic choices in your space — everything from your colour palette to material selections. The more you lean into the feeling you want to create, the more you will create a home that is uniquely you, and subverts trends.

Now, it’s time to find and filter inspirational images.

The Timeless Test

Once you’re clear on what this project is for you — how you want to live, function, and feel within the space — you can now start gathering inspirational images. Use these questions to filter references with discernment.

Does the design honour the architecture of the home? Homes feel more grounded when there is alignment between what already exists and what is being added. Even modest homes often have features worth preserving. What appealed to you about your home? What it the proportions? The flow of the spaces? The original details? Embrace what’s inherently good, and enhance what remains.

Does the design connect to the surrounding landscape? Our homes feel good when there is a connection to our local landscape. Can you use windows to frame the view onto a tree? Can you plant a privacy hedge for a more appealing outlook? Can the colour palette of the surrounding landscape guide what you choose inside the home?

Does the choice support your design intent? When looking at specific references, and objects, keep returning to your design intent. Does this decision support the way you want to live and feel in the home? Or are you being pulled towards it because you’ve been exposed to it repeatedly online?

Where To Finish

As you approach the finish line, decision fatigue can set in. Save some energy for the important finishing touches. The more you include elements that reflect your eye, and your story, the more you’ll create a home that feels harmonious and complete (even if it’s still a work in progress).

A Few Thoughts on Timeless Design

Timeless homes rarely reflect what is happening in a specific moment in time. Instead, they are layered with old and new. Refined and imperfect. Structured and relaxed.

This is what I advise clients who want a timeless home, but start to veer towards a look that’s filling up their social feeds.

• Mix up your materials, especially your metals for hardware to create a more irreverent look, a je ne sais quoi.

• Create visual friction. If you’re using clean lines in your spaces, introduce elements (lighting, art, hardware) that are seemingly contradictory.

• Steer clear of design elements that you’re seeing everywhere. If it’s reaching saturation, it’s likely to date.

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What I’m currently saving:

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When you’re ready, here are four ways I can help:

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Design Consults: Expert guidance for interior projects — from floor plans and renovations to layouts, lighting, and refining the overall direction. Book a session

Book Consults: A focused consultation to help you shape, refine, and position your book idea — from concept through to proposal and publishing direction. Email me

The Mentorship Experience: A personalised, tailored approach to help you start or grow your creative business with greater clarity, confidence, and direction — through industry insights, practical feedback, and experienced guidance . Apply here

The Creative Business Group Program: Strategy, systems, coaching and community for established creative business owners who want to build a more profitable and aligned business. Join here

THE BOOKS

Discover my bestselling books: This is Home, Still, Style and Home By The Sea. ​

I take my birthday wishes very seriously. When it comes time to blow the candles out, I have to pause and think carefully. I don’t want to waste my wish. It needs to be something that I really want.

For many, many years that wish was to publish a book, or rather become a published author. I don’t worry about semantics when I’m wishing, though.

Recently, I delayed the lighting of the candles on my birthday cake (even though I had about 30 friends waiting to sing Happy Birthday) because I wanted to come up with a new wish.

Sometimes I wish for the same thing year after year. Other times, the wish changes because I have changed too.

Standing there with everyone waiting, I realised it was time for a new wish. I can’t reveal it to you, but it’s something that’s important to me. Something I really want to happen.

Our wishes reveal a lot about our deepest desires, don’t you think?

And so I wonder not only what your birthday wish is, but if it might have something to do with writing a book (as it did for me for so many years)?

This topic keeps coming up lately. I was mentoring a client yesterday who has just started to write a fiction book, and is already up to 10,000 words. Last week, I received a DM from someone who is feeling the pull to write her own book. And recently I mentored someone specifically on this topic. She had an idea tapping on her shoulder for years and wanted advice on how to bring it to life, getting feedback on everything from the concept to pitching a proposal.

If writing and publishing a book is something you’d love to do, this is what I’ve learned…

What I’ve Learned About Writing & Publishing (Bestselling) Books

Did you know that a book that sells 10,000 copies is considered a bestseller? I didn’t know this until my first book This is Home had surpassed that mark. It has now gone on to sell about 150,000 copies, which is quite rarefied air as fewer than 1% of books sell more than 100,000 copies.

The irony is that publishing a book was such a huge dream of mine, I almost would have paid the publisher for the opportunity. I certainly wasn’t doing it for the money… and yet it has gone on to become a foundational part of my business, and life.

Not only has becoming an author fulfilled one of the biggest dreams, but it has also helped support my family, paid for holidays, and more. When I work with clients across the globe, many of them have discovered me through my books. As they say in the business world, it has become a powerful top-of-funnel strategy (although, I didn’t do it for that reason.)

Interestingly, the first time I tried to get published I was rejected by a publisher because I wasn’t a known name. “We’re only taking on authors who have TV shows,” the publisher said. All these years later, this “no-name” author still has a bestseller eight years after publication, while the books of those TV authors are (dare I say?) long forgotten.

Before I became an author, I spent years learning all I could about the process. I read books (including Stephen King’s On Writing, Margaret Atwood’s Negotiating with the Dead and Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird). I also attended every event that I could at the Sydney Writer’s Festival (on this week!).

But nothing quite prepares you for the process like going through it yourself.

Here’s what to consider:

Why Does This Book Need To Be Published?
It’s one thing to have an idea, but it’s another to have an idea that the world wants or needs. Why is this book important? Why now? Also, why are you the one to bring it to life? What perspective can you bring? And how is it different to other titles that are already in the marketplace?

Will This Book Stand The Test of Time?
Given the amount of time, energy, and cost it takes to bring a book to life, it’s worthwhile making it timeless. Before I created This is Home, I went through all the books on my shelves and studied the ones that I still loved. I recommend you do the same. Take note of what makes them special.

Are You Sharing A Unique Perspective?
The role of books has changed. Anyone can now access facts and information at the tip of their fingers. What they can’t get is the lived experience, nuance, a point of view, and your eye. When you bring these ingredients together, something magical happens.

And so if you have an idea that’s been whispering to you, pay attention. It might just be the start of something beautiful, and life-changing.

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LISTEN TO THE PROCESS …

If you’d like to hear how I created my books, listen to this episode from the Imprint Podcast:

Edition No. 08

Editions explores design & ideas that shape how we live.

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Things I’ve recently saved, shared, or specified:

Pre-ordered Excited to order Issue 1 of Olive The Magazine — A print magazine for girls who want to live offline for my daughters by the 15yo daughter of Emily from Bohemian Traders who I was lucky enough to meet during my time living on the Central Coast of NSW.

Replaced my second morning coffee with Adapt tea laced with the adaptogen Schisandra to help increase clarity and focus while I work after hearing it recommended by Dr Stacy Sims to clear brain fog.

Tempted to embrace colour in my decade of fun, starting with the Paloma blouse.

Saved built-in bath references for a client.

˘ For when space allows nothing else

˘ For when you don’t want to clean crevices

˘ For a streamlined look

˘ For space-saving

˘ For something different

GO DEEPER

When you’re ready, here are four ways I can help:

THE ADVISORY

Design Consults: Expert guidance for interior projects — from floor plans and renovations to layouts, lighting, and refining the overall direction. Book a session

Book Consults: A focused consultation to help you shape, refine, and position your book idea — from concept through to proposal and publishing direction. Email me

The Mentorship Experience: A personalised, tailored approach to help you start or grow your creative business with greater clarity, confidence, and direction — through industry insights, practical feedback, and experienced guidance . Apply here

The Creative Business Group Program: Strategy, systems, coaching and community for established creative business owners who want to build a more profitable and aligned business. Join here

THE BOOKS

Discover my bestselling books: This is Home, Still, Style and Home By The Sea. ​

Last week I made a bold declaration to myself, friends and family. This is going to be my decade of FUN.

Life has just become a little too serious, too heavy, and maybe even a little dull.

Yes, it’s a privilege to grow older — and I don’t take that for granted. I have my health, my children are thriving, and life is generally good.

But I want life to be a little more fun again.

After all, I was the girl who was always the first — and last — on the dance floor.

I was the girl who loved socialising and having a good time.

I would do daring and silly things, and throw caution to the wind.

And then I became practical. An adult. I now batch cook. I wear a daily uniform. I even go to bed most nights before 9pm. All of these choices are to simplify decision-making and to make life flow a little easier.

But what happened to the fun? Here are some ideas I’m going to try to add a little more fun into my life…

Fun Looks Like…

At the risk of making fun a chore, first of all I’m getting clear on what fun looks like in this decade of my life.

No, I’m not going to jump fully clothed into Darling Harbour at 3am on a Saturday night. That was probably more foolish than fun, anyway.

But I do want to loosen up a little.

Here are some ideas that feel like fun to me right now:

Feeling Alive Physically

• Dancing

• Roller skating

• Playing tennis

• Surfing

• Running to music

• Sunrise/sunset walks

Being Playful

• Singing in the car

• Taking spontaneous day trips

• Saying yes more often

• Trying something new

• Saving Fridays for something fun

Embracing Creativity

• Styling homes (again)

• Listening to live music

• Going to a comedy show

• Watching live theatre

• Writing every day

• Learning a new language

Feeling Connected

• Hosting social gatherings

• Taking a pottery class

• Starting/joining a book club

• Dinner dates with friends

• Joining a good cause

What about you? Share your fun ideas. I’d love to hear them!

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Edition No. 07

Editions explores design & ideas that shape how we live.

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Things I’ve recently saved, shared, or specified:

Reading The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo — I’m slowly going through books that I’ve owned for years but yet to read.

Listened to this interview with James Clear. It’s a good refresher on the concepts behind Atomic Habits.

Saved

GO DEEPER

Introducing a new way to work with me.

The Advisory is a way to refine your vision, resolve key decisions, and move forward with clarity.

Design Direction — Book a session
Mentorship Program — Apply here
Coaching For Creative Entrepreneurs — Join the group

THE BOOKS

Discover my bestselling books: This is Home, Still, Style and Home By The Sea. ​

The idea of living in a small home is often considered a compromise.

Often, someone is doing it to save money, be more sustainable, or simply because they don’t have other options.

Since moving into a home that’s one-third of the size of my previous home, I’ve come to see it in a different way.

It’s better than I ever imagined.

It’s a home with benefits.

Let me explain…

Small Home Benefits

Earlier this year we moved into a a 108 square metre home (about 1160 sq feet) as a family of six. It’s a modest 1960s weatherboard home with three bedrooms, one bathroom, one toilet, and no dishwasher. It is very much a work-in-progress.

But already it has taught me so much about myself, and helped create deeper bonds within our family.

Time To Take Inventory

The first lesson — one that I’m still benefiting from — is that it has forced us to take an honest look at all that we own and make deliberate decisions about how we want to live.

My previous home wasn’t cluttered. Everything had a home. Everything was organised. It always felt spacious and calm. But that was also because we had the space to store many more things — from books to craft supplies to an interior design sample library.

Our current home has next-to-no storage. And currently most of our previous collections are in clusters in the living room while we slowly renovate. In some ways it’s not ideal. But I am more patient than I once was because I have a bigger goal. I don’t want to build storage for things we no longer need. I want to go through every box and make a conscious choice about what we keep.

I have to admit, this takes time.

Do we need the large kitchen food processor? No — but I need to photograph it and list it for sale online.

Do we need boxes of paints, felt, ribbons and craft supplies? Not anymore (our children have mostly outgrown these types of activities) — but I don't want to throw these items in the bin. I want to donate them to a local child care centre or our local op shop.

Do we need recipe books? Not really — but I want to take photos of a few of my favourite recipes from each book and save it to a Recipe Folder on my phone.

I could hire a skip bin and clear everything in one weekend. But I could never do that. I don’t want anything to go to landfill that can find a home somewhere else.

It’s an important reminder to be careful about what we bring into our homes. For us, it’s making us even more mindful about what we consume.

Unexpected Connections

What I didn’t expect was how much closer we would become as a family. It was easier for children to retreat to their rooms and for us to never see each other for hours on end at our last place. This is now impossible.

I remember a friend telling me how much more connected her family was when they were renting a smaller home while renovating their million-dollar Sydney mansion. She was starting to wonder if they had made the right decision to go so big.

Just last night my daughter was reciting Edward Leer poems from her room while I was sitting at the dining table in the adjacent room, and we were all laughing about how much the poems sounded like the books of Julia Donaldson (especially The Highway Rat, which we all started to recite, years after we last read these family favourites).

In a time when loneliness is becoming an epidemic, it feels good to be so connected to each other in this smaller space.

Reclaiming Time

A nice surprise has been how much easier life feels on a smaller scale. The less stuff we own, the less there is to manage, and the more time there is to live life.

Since moving into our small home, I’ve had time to play tennis regularly with my eldest daughter and youngest son. I have more time in the evenings to read books, and am finally catching up on all the health appointments I’ve neglected for too long.

Even silly daily tasks seem so much easier. There’s less fighting over who will take the rubbish, recycling and compost bins out when they are only a few steps away from the front door. Previously, we had to walk about 50m down our driveway, and it felt like an achievement to get someone to do the task.

We store everything we don’t need at the store, as my friend Shira Gill often says. We don’t need to buy bulk supplies of toilet paper, cleaning products or pantry staples. It really has been interesting to challenge our previous habits and behaviours, which are so intricately linked to a sense of scarcity.

My challenge now is getting through all of those supplies, without wanting to waste them and throw them out. Previously, we had three toilets and two bathrooms — and so I’ve got a lot of cleaning supplies. But I know that once I reach our enough number, I won't surpass it. It’s a fun challenge.

There are many other ways we are enjoying living in our small home, and the lessons keep on coming.

While small living is often framed as a sacrifice, our experience has been quite the opposite. It has helped us simplify in ways that has benefited many areas of our lives. It’s been one of the best decisions we’ve made.

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Edition No. 06

Editions explores design & ideas that shape how we live.

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Things I’ve recently saved, shared, or specified:

Dined at the delicious Salty Mangrove in New Brighton as a treat from some dear friends for my birthday. Highly recommended.

Listened to the music I grew up on while compiling a playlist for my birthday Roller Disco Party! Norman Jay’s Good Times classics well and truly stand the test of time. Listen here.

Read a young adult book by local author Sara Armstrong, Run. Enjoyed the story, and loved connecting with my daughter over the content.

GO DEEPER

Introducing a new way to work with me.

The Advisory is a way to refine your vision, resolve key decisions, and move forward with clarity.

Design Direction — Book a session
Mentorship Program — Apply here
Coaching For Creative Entrepreneurs — Join the group

THE BOOKS

Discover my bestselling books: This is Home, Still, Style and Home By The Sea. ​

There are moments when I wonder, “Is it just me?”

Or maybe everyone else is feeling this too?

This past month or so, I have taken an unexpected pause.

For some, this is part of their natural rhythm — in creativity, in business, in life.

But it has never been mine.

I have always prided myself on consistency. I have written a weekly newsletter for the best part of a decade, I have posted regularly on social media since I joined 14 years ago, and had a daily blog before that. I’ve been showing up online, regularly since 2007 — almost 20 years ago!

But this year, something has shifted…

A Life of Less

This past year has been a significant year of change. I sold my home of eight years, closed my bestselling online courses, including The Styling Masterclass (it felt like the end of an era), and sold my homewares business, Imprint House. A lot of these decisions were made after I read the book Quit — truly life-changing.

Since then, I have downsized homes — from a 317 sq m (3412 sq feet) home on two acres to a 108 sq m (1162 sq feet) home on a smaller block in the hills behind Byron Bay. As part of this process, I sold off most of my furniture. And I am still editing my collections. (Stay tuned for an online sale of special pieces here.)

I have also simplified my business, now focussing on design consults, a mentorship program and coaching for creative entrepreneurs.

What’s interesting is that the more I have simplified, and created space within my life, the less I have wanted to fill it with external noise.

Partly because there is just so much noise online now. Not just content, but opinions, advice, urgency, performance.

And I feel myself increasingly reluctant to add to that noise.

I also don’t want to be part of the problem, but instead find a way to offer something of a solution.

The idea is in a nebulous stage but it feels related to enjoying life offline.

Taking a break from technology, I have found a way to reconnect with myself. Be more present in my life. And savour sacred white space.

Perhaps it’s also because I feel a desire to make meaningful change in my life as I’m about to turn 50 next week…

I truly feel that I am entering not just a new chapter of my life, but a new era.

And I’ve come to realise that the less I have, the less I need.

As I’ve peeled back the layers, I am experiencing myself anew: calm, content and more connected than ever before to what matters most in my life.

That said, I understand that we are all on our own journeys. And I have hesitated in writing because I don’t want to add more noise to the world. I don’t want to suggest my choices will solve your challenges. And I don’t want to make you doubt your decisions if you choose a different path.

Because ultimately we have to choose what feels inherently right and good for each of us.

But I am curious to know if you’ve felt that you’re at a tipping point too? Does it feel as if we are collectively at a cross-roads? Do we need to tip the scales away from the constant consumption of noise online and pour more into our lives offline?

Perhaps this chapter (or era) looks different for you, either way I’d love to hear how you’re feeling. Is there something in the metaphysical water… or is it just me?

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Edition No. 04

Editions explores design & ideas that shape how we live.

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Things I’ve recently saved, shared, or specified:

Listened to Emma Grede’s new book, Start With Yourself. I don’t agree with everything she says. But admire her honesty and openness.

Specified this tile to a client friend who wants to create an outdoor barbecue area.

Recommended The Psychology of Money to a friend when we were talking about finances recently. A great book I plan to re-read soon.

GO DEEPER

Introducing a new way to work with me.

The Advisory is a way to refine your vision, resolve key decisions, and move forward with clarity.

Design Direction — Book a session
Mentorship Program — Apply here
Coaching For Creative Entrepreneurs — Join the group

THE BOOKS

Discover my bestselling books: This is Home, Still, Style and Home By The Sea. ​

“Always be learning” has been a lifelong motto of mine. In a world that can feel increasingly insular, I want to challenge myself to look beyond my bubble to what is happening in the broader world of design, and the arts at large. These disciplines often provide act as a reflection of what we’re experiencing culturally, revealing what we value, what we question, and what we need. And for these reasons, I’m less interested in what’s trending on social media, or what’s being served up on Pinterest. I want to follow my curiosity instead. This is what “The Deep Dive” is about. An open door into a wider design world. I hope it piques your curiosity too.

There are architects who design buildings.

And then there are architects who design experiences.

Japanese architect Tadao Ando belongs firmly in the second category.

His buildings are often made from the simplest materials — concrete, glass, water, light. Yet they create spaces that feel deeply emotional. Quiet. Sacred.

At first glance, his work can appear austere.

But pause long enough to witness something else happening.

He is not designing spaces.

He is designing atmosphere.

And in doing so, he reminds us that the most powerful design decisions are often the most restrained.

Simplicity Requires Discipline

Ando’s spaces often appear effortless.

A concrete wall.
A single opening.
Light entering from one direction.

But this simplicity is never accidental.

It is the result of removing everything that isn’t essential.

In design — and in life — restraint is rarely the easy option. It requires editing. It asks us to resist the instinct to add more.

Ando once said:

“If you give people nothingness, they can ponder what can be achieved from that nothingness.”

— Tadao Ando

What he calls nothingness is not emptiness.

It is possibility.

Embracing An Unexpected Material

People often describe Ando as an architect of concrete.

But the real material in his buildings is light.

Concrete simply becomes the canvas.

Walls frame it. Openings guide it. Shadows give it depth.

As the day unfolds, the architecture shifts. Morning light enters differently from afternoon light. Winter light feels softer than summer light.

Time itself becomes part of the design.

As Ando has said:

“Architecture should remain silent and let nature — sunlight and wind — speak.”

— Tadao Ando

The building becomes less about what it contains, and more about what it reveals.

Emptiness Is Not A Flaw

In many homes, an empty wall can feel like a problem waiting to be solved.

A place to hang art.
A surface to decorate.

But Ando approaches emptiness differently.

Space is allowed to breathe.

Walls remain bare. Objects are few. The eye has somewhere to rest.

His architecture is often described as having a haiku-like quality — pared back, precise, and deeply intentional. Just as a haiku expresses meaning with very few words, Ando’s buildings rely on very few elements.

There is also a quiet influence of Zen philosophy in this approach. Zen places emphasis on simplicity and inner experience rather than outward display.

This way of thinking is closely related to the Japanese concept of ma — the space between things.

Architecture Is a Gateway To Nature

Even though Ando often works with heavy materials like concrete, his buildings rarely feel disconnected from the natural world.

Courtyards open to the sky.
Water reflects light into interior spaces.
Wind and rain become part of the experience of the building.

Rather than dominating the landscape, the architecture frames it.

As Ando has said:

“I believe that architecture should reveal something that already exists in nature.”
— Tadao Ando

This philosophy is visible across many of his projects — from the contemplative Church of the Light in Osaka to the serene buildings of Naoshima Island, where architecture, art, and landscape exist in quiet dialogue.

A Home Should Feel

Perhaps the most powerful lesson from Ando’s work is this:

Architecture is not only about structure or function.

It is about feeling.

As he has said:

“Architecture must have something that appeals to the human heart.”
— Tadao Ando

When design is approached this way, a home becomes more than a container for life.

It becomes a space that shapes how we experience it.

He has reflected this idea succinctly:

“I try to use simple materials in a simple way. The result is not simple.”
— Tadao Ando

Mini Edition

A few things you might not know about Tadao Ando

He is self-taught
Unlike most celebrated architects, Ando never attended architecture school. He took a correspondence course and studied drawing at night. He also read extensively and travelled the world to study buildings firsthand.

He lived in a row house
Born in Osaka, Tadao was raised by his great grandmother and as a child explored construction sites featuring buildings designed to last “for 100 years”. He said living in a nagaya row house taught him how limited light impacts interior spaces.

He donated his Pritzker Prize money
When Ando won the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1995, he donated the $100,000 prize money to the orphans of the 1995 Kobe earthquake.

He designed Tom Ford’s ranch
Fashion designer Tom Ford commissioned Ando to design his ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico — a series of minimalist concrete structures set within the desert landscape.

He designed one of the most expensive homes ever sold in the United States
A monumental concrete residence Ando designed in Malibu — originally commissioned by soap opera producer William Bell Jr. — sold to Beyoncé and Jay-Z in 2023 for $200 million, making it the most expensive residential sale in the United States that year.

Selected projects to explore

Church of the Light — Osaka
Azuma House (Row House) — Osaka
Chichu Art Museum — Naoshima
Buddha Temple — Sapporo
Bourse de Commerce — Paris
Cerro Pelon Ranch — New Mexico
Malibu Residence — California

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Edition No. 04

Editions explores design that shapes how we live.
Published weekly.

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Things I’ve saved, shared, or specified this week:

Listened to a Rick Rubin interview with Kelly Wearstler where she shares her approach to designing spaces here.

Bought a new phone case with carry strap. Yes, I’ve joined the club.

Switched from a phone to an alarm clock in my bedroom. It’s simple, quiet, and has no LED display.

GO DEEPER

Introducing a new way to work with me.

The Advisory is a way to refine your vision, resolve key decisions, and move forward with clarity.

Design Direction — Book a session.
Styling Sessions — Coming soon.

THE BOOKS

Discover my bestselling books: This is Home, Still, Style and Home By The Sea. ​

What if one of the constant challenges of my life is also my greatest gift?

Recently, I’ve been trying to understand and reframe what it means to be a multi-hyphenate creative.

Some days I think that life would be so much easier if I was just one thing — an interior designer, a stylist, a writer, a business coach, a mentor.

But right now I’m exploring how those different threads can come together in a way that feels clearer and more meaningful. Instead of doing a little bit of everything, and perhaps not reaching my full potential in any one area… is there a way to blend my skills into a singular, purposeful idea?

Because I don’t believe we can find our true purpose or passion when we’re juggling multiple balls.

At some point, we need to choose one path.

After much deep reflection, this is what I’ve discovered (and a simple exercise that helped me make my way through the fog)…

The Myth of the Multi-Hyphenate

I didn’t intend to become a multi-hyphenate.

It happened gradually as my interests, skills, and opportunities expanded.

Before I knew it, I had become a writer, stylist, designer, author, mentor…

It might sound expansive. Creative. Interesting.

But the reality is that it can also be confusing — for you, and for everyone else.

When you are known for many things, it becomes harder for people to understand what you actually do.

And when you are trying to build something meaningful in the world, that lack of clarity matters.

People need a simple way to place you.

A single idea.

A clear association.

One Thing at the Centre

The breakthrough for me came when I stopped trying to define myself by roles.

First of all, I decided to align myself to an industry.

It’s a bit like pitching a film — it can contain many elements, but it still belongs to a genre. Drama, comedy, thriller.

The same applies to books. My publisher always asks, “Which section of the bookshop will this live in?”

So the first question I asked myself was:

Which industry feels like home?

Then, I asked another question.

What is the one thing that sits underneath all of my roles?

Because while my career has taken many forms — journalism, styling, design, writing, mentoring — the core of the work has remained the same.

Helping people make clearer, more confident decisions about their homes and their lives.

Helping them simplify.

Helping them create a life that feels truly beautiful, from the inside out.

The roles change.

But the central idea stays consistent.

The Category of One Exercise

If you’re someone who has been considering a career pivot or has been struggling to define what you do, and your next move… this is the exercise that helped me.

Ask yourself these six questions:

1. What do people consistently ask you for help with?
Not once or twice — but notice the patterns over the years. Write 3-5 things.

2. When someone leaves a conversation with you, what tends to happen?
How do they feel? What action do they take? What impact have you made?

3. What problems frustrate you because the answer seems obvious?
This might relate to stepping inside someone’s home, or conversations you have with friends about their career, health, children, life. Write 3 frustrations.

4. What do you naturally notice that others overlook?
What do you notice when you step inside a room? Look at someone’s website? Have a conversation? Listen to someone talk about their health, wellness, children. Write 3 observations that resonate the most.

5. If you could spend your days doing one activity, what feels most natural?
What would your dream day look like if money was no object? What would do you if you couldn’t fail?

6. What do you believe about homes, creativity, or life that most people get wrong?
This often becomes your signature idea. Write one belief. It doesn’t need to be perfect, but it does need to feel true to you.

The answers will reveal something important.

Not your job title.

But the consistent thread.

And perhaps this is the gift.

The confusion I was experiencing forced me to stop and ask better questions.

Instead of continuing down a path that no longer felt quite right — collecting more roles, more titles, more hyphens — I paused.

That discomfort made something clear: it wasn’t the work I needed to abandon, but the way I was thinking about it.

The job title wasn’t the destination. And it wasn’t what defined me.

The clues were pointing to something deeper.

A singular idea beneath them.

The problem isn’t have many interests. The problem is not choosing the one idea beneath them all.

(Interestingly, I’ve been teaching a version of this idea for years when it comes to developing your signature style. Perhaps that’s a story for another day.)

Start With One Thing

Here’s the realisation that came out of this exercise for me:

The idea of the multi-hyphenate is often a myth.

You can absolutely have many interests.

You can express those interests through different mediums — writing, design, teaching, creating.

But if you want clarity in your work, there needs to be one central idea.

One thing people associate with you.

Everything else becomes an extension of that.

Not a distraction from it.

And give yourself some grace. This idea doesn’t have to sustain you for the rest of your life. Just this next chapter.

You also don’t have to have everything figured out before you begin.

Clarity comes from action, not from waiting to feel clear.

The Practice

If you’re feeling pulled in too many directions right now, try the exercise above.

Look for the pattern in your answers.

You might discover that the path forward isn’t about doing more things.

It’s about choosing the one idea beneath them all.

And building from there.

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Edition No. 03

Editions explores design that shapes how we live.
Published weekly.

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BOOKMARKS

Things I’ve saved, shared, or specified for a client this week:

An earthenware vase, a sculptural candle sconce, a textural flush-mount ceiling light.

THE BOOKS

Discover my bestselling books: This is Home, Still, Style and Home By The Sea. ​

Yesterday I helped someone source art for their home.

They wanted to fill a space, and create a sense of calm in their bedroom, but there is an alternative.

The instinct can be to fill spaces. And reaching for art is a natural reflex.

An empty wall can feel like a problem waiting to be solved.

But the eye isn’t always looking for art.

It’s looking for somewhere to land…

Beyond The Frame

In my last home I would often get questions along the lines of:
“Where is the art?”
”Why are your walls so bare?”

Photos can be deceptive.

They don’t reveal the lived experience of a space.

I lived in a home where windows framed a living landscape outside that was constantly shifting with light and movement.

The walls were lined with timber panelling.

There was plenty to engage the eye. Adding too much art would have tipped the balance. (It was there, but in subtle spaces.)

And there was something else at play.

There were many alternatives to art in the spaces.

Floating shelves displaying favourite ceramics.

Wall lights acting as sculptural objects.

Architectural details that framed a view.

In the studio, the undulating texture of tadelakt provided a soft place for the eye to land. And the dance of light through the mango tree on the walls was all the space needed.

When designing, the consideration is always on where the eye lands.

What do we want to see?

What feels good?

What enhances our experience of the space?

When those elements are present, a wall doesn’t always need to be filled.

It becomes part of the composition of the room.

And sometimes the wall itself becomes the artwork.

Alternatives To Art

• A sculptural wall light.

• A niche

• An architectural detail

• Shelving

• A curtain/drape

• A textural rug

Edition No. 02

Editions explores design that shapes how we live.
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THE BOOKS

Discover my bestselling books: This is Home, Still, Style and Home By The Sea. ​