Category Archives: Inspiration

5 Home Decorating Myths Debunked

We believe that decorating your home should be a fun and enjoyable experience. There can be some conflicting information out there in the interiors and home renovating world as we are bombarded with new material every day. To make your home decorating experience more pleasant we have compiled a list of the most common myths we see when it comes to styling your home. We hope this gives you the confidence to head in-store and start your home decorating journey today!

1. You must stick to one design style

This is probably the biggest myth of them all and is often why people hesitate in starting to redecorate their home or taking a risk in designing a room. Your home should be a reflection of you, the people who reside there, your lifestyle and your personal style. Sometimes this means blending interior design styles with your partner. Specific interior design styles such as Hamptons, Provincial, Bohemian, Mid-Century Modern and Farmhouse are there to take inspiration from and incorporate in a way that works for you and your home. We recommend blending a couple of different design styles to create a unique look. The key to a cohesive design is to choose design styles that have similar elements, shapes, textures, and colour palettes. For example, you can easily blend a mixture of Hamptons and Country whilst incorporating a modern twist as they both incorporate a predominately light colour palette and classic shapes. If you would like advice on how to include multiple design styles into your home then you can book in with our Resident Stylist for your complimentary styling session, simply click the ‘Stylist’ tab on our website, or click here now to book.

2. Small rooms need small furniture

A common misconception when decorating and furnishing a small home is that you need to choose small pieces – this is simply not true. When you walk into a room where all the furniture is compact and tiny, you are automatically triggered into thinking the space is small. The trick is to mix ‘normal-size’ pieces and small pieces in a clever way that gives the illusion of space. For example, choosing a regular-sized two-seater sofa, but opting for a smaller round coffee table to balance out the space. In a bedroom, we always recommend choosing a double or queen bed and going for a slightly narrower bedside table option if you are tight on space. Our beautiful retailers have so many great options for furniture that suits both large and small spaces and you can ask them for advice on styling them together in your home too!

3. You shouldn’t mix timbers

Having the same timber throughout an entire space can actually create the look of the dreaded ‘matchy-matchy’ interior. To create a balanced and flowing space that has points of interest, it is essential to incorporate at least two different timber tones. For example, you could opt for a large dining table in a darker walnut timber paired with the legs of the dining chairs and nearby bar stools in a lighter oak timber. The trick is to ensure you have a balance of either 50/50 or 70/30 in terms of percentages of timber throughout the room. Incorporating two different types of timbers is easy and shouldn’t be overthought. Simply make sure you have an even balance and not a small amount of one and a large amount of another. Head into Homemaker The Valley to retailers such as Freedom, Oz Design Furniture and James Lane where you will see some great examples of this displayed.

4. Beautiful homes must have expensive furniture

Designing with expensive furniture in order for a space to look beautiful, is a huge myth in the interior design and decorating world. There are so many wonderful stores offering a variety of affordable price points here at Homemaker The Valley – we have an abundance to choose from! We always recommend investing in quality pieces and ensuring that items such as your sofa, bed, linen, and rugs are considered in terms of the price. Pair these higher ticket items with more affordable soft furnishings and furniture pieces that don’t get a lot of wear and tear such as a console table, entertainment unit or buffet. A beautiful home is created by pairing pieces that complement each other well and are of a high quality, not what the price tag says.

5. You must always include some ‘trend’ pieces

Trends come and go with every season and the trick is to identify which ones resonate with you and your home. We love seeing the gorgeous new homewares and furniture pieces that our retailers bring out here at Homemaker The Valley, but it is about choosing which ones will work with our current interior. We recommend choosing classic styles and avoiding trends when it comes to larger furniture items such as your sofa, bed, dining table and chairs. Where you can experiment with trends and trend colours is in your soft furnishings such as cushions and blankets or artwork for your walls. When purchasing a new item for your home, think about if the colour, shape, and style will match or complement your current interior, if the answer is yes, then go for it!

Last updated: May 2025

The Next Big Trends In Interior Design

Over the past few years, people have spent more and more time in their homes. There has been a focus on creating homes that feel good and create a calming oasis to escape from our busy lives. With more emphasis on time spent at home, we are seeing more bravery in experimental interiors and exploring new ideas and trends. Today we are discussing the timeless trends that are forecast to be popular in 2022 and how you can incorporate them into your home. We love exploring new trends and finding ways of merging them with our current colours, textures, and personal interior style. Head in-store to see our beautiful retailers showcasing the next big trends for 2022.

Rich Timbers

For the past decade, we have seen light blonde timbers at the forefront of the interior design world, but there is a shift happening in 2022. In 2022 we will be seeing the rise of richer timbers used in homes such as walnut or spotted gum. Darker timbers pair perfectly with soft fabrics such as linens and cottons and create a beautiful contrast in a predominantly light interior design scheme. We love seeing dark timbers used in design styles such as Modern Farmhouse or Mediterranean that are both rapidly growing in popularity for new builds and renovations. The key to using rich-toned timbers in your home is to ensure you do not go overboard with the dark elements. Choose key pieces that pair well with softer tones and textures such as a dining table, coffee table or bedside tables. We love the range of rich timbers on display at stores such as James Lane, Oz Design Furniture and Nick Scali. We recommend taking a browse through the stores this weekend to see their display setups and gather inspiration for your own home.

Natural Stone

Natural stone is set to be a huge trend in 2022 and will be used in new and exciting ways. Not only will we be seeing the rise of natural stone used in traditional areas such as tiled bathrooms, outdoor areas, and benchtops, but home décor and furniture pieces too. Stone coffee tables in varieties of travertine and coloured marble will be huge in 2022 and will become the statement of the living room. Keep an eye out on stores like Oz Design Furniture and Freedom for pieces that will compliment this trend. We are also seeing natural stone coming through in decorative pieces such as bookends, trays, sculptures, vases and more. Be sure to soften the natural stone by styling your furniture and home decor pieces with lighter textures, curves, and soft toned linen. Head into Adairs and Oz Design Furniture to see how they are already embracing the natural stone home décor trend today!

Feature Walls

That’s right, feature walls are back! This trend was hugely popular in the 2000’s and we saw most homes embrace this trend in just about every room of the house. In 2022 we will be seeing a more modern twist on the feature wall and people experimenting with different textures and elements. Feature walls will be most popular in cladding such as VJ groove or wainscoting and in contrasting colours that offsets the remaining walls. Rendered walls have been growing in popularity in 2021 and we will be seeing this continue as it blends well with the natural and organic interiors trend that is huge at the moment. Removable wallpaper is a great way to create a feature wall without committing to a structural or hard to remove element, which is a great option if you are renting. Feature walls are great behind beds, at the rear of a dining room or in children’s rooms to create wow factor in a space.

Colours Of The Earth

Gone are the days of stark white and grey interiors that feel cold, sterile, and uninviting. The future of interior design focuses on creating homes that feel warm, cosy, and welcoming. When designing your home and selecting a colour palette that embraces earthy tones, we recommend using shades of warm white, beige, soft browns, muddy greens, and ochre. These colours work well together to create a harmonious and calming interior that allows you, your family, and guests to feel comfortable in the home. You can dip your toes into the earthy colours trend by starting with soft furnishings. We love the look of a variety of cushions and throw rugs in warm earthy tones paired with a textural rug and some natural stone décor pieces. Head into stores such as Eureka St, Oz Design Furniture and Adairs who are already embracing this trend.

We would love to hear what trends you are looking forward to seeing in our retailers in 2022. Be sure to head into Homemaker The Valley regularly to see new season drops and inspiring mall displays to help you along on your home decorating journey. We look forward to assisting you with all your home design needs in 2022. Don’t forget CLICK HERE to book in with our resident stylist, Eliza for your complimentary styling session to help you along on your shopping expedition and provide you with professional interior design advice.

A Quick Tip Guide To Decluttering Each Room Of Your House

With the new year approaching we find ourselves looking for ways to refresh and start anew in various aspects of our lives. We feel this sudden urge to organise, streamline and declutter after the fun and frivolity of the festive season. Throughout December our homes can build up with clutter from Christmas, school holidays and the year that has been, so it is a great time to start thinking about a house organise for January. Below we are sharing with you some quick tips for decluttering and organising specific rooms of your home. We hope this gives you the inspiration you need coming into the new year to start off on the right foot and feel inspired about your spaces once more!

Kitchen

The kitchen is not only the heart of the home, but it is also one of the most utilised rooms in the house. Over time, not only our pantries, but our kitchen cupboards can build up with clutter and become very disorganised. Our favourite tip for decluttering this space is to get everything out onto the bench and sort into piles of keep, donate, and bin. Then you can sort into like-minded piles and return to their cupboards in a neat and orderly way. In regards to storage solutions, we recommend purchasing stackable clear containers for pantry items that allow you to make use of vertical space and see the contents of your goods clearly. Try adding lazy susan turntables to corner cupboards and the pantry to allow for easy accessibility. Stacking racks are great for items such as chopping boards, saucepans, baking pans and Tupperware lids to be able to see each item and neatly remove and place back during uses. All of the above items and more can be purchased from Howard’s Storage World in the north centre of Homemaker The Valley. Check them out this weekend!

Bathroom

The bathroom is a space that we use morning and night, but rarely think to declutter and organise. Vanities are not always built in a functional way, so it essential to utilise storage solutions to ensure you create a system that works for you. When decluttering your bathroom, check for expiry dates on old products, remove items you no longer use and wipe down each product to ensure they are fresh and clean. Clear storage containers are perfect for bathroom vanity cupboards as they allow you to group items together such as dental, hair, makeup, toiletry bags and grooming. For vanity drawers we love using drawer dividers to keep things organised and to avoid the inevitable mess that comes with a bathroom drawer. Howard’s Storage World has some beautiful bamboo drawer dividers that we love using in our bathroom vanities.

Laundry

The laundry is a functional room in the home that requires systems in place to allow for as little time as possible spent in this utilitarian room. Organise your linen cupboard by grouping linen in either bed size of family member and then store in baskets for easy access. You can purchase some beautiful rectangular baskets that are perfect for a linen cupboard from stores such as Freedom and Provincial Home Living. If you have some bench space in your laundry, we recommend adding a washing station that includes some clear plastic or glass jars on a bamboo tray labelled with ‘washing powder’, ‘fabric softener’ and ‘stain remover’. Invest in three washing baskets that are clearly labelled with ‘whites’, ‘darks’ and ‘colours’ so that each member of the family can drop their clothes in allowing you to save time sorting in the long run. By creating systems in the laundry, you create efficiency and as a result bring more time and mental space back into your day.

Bedrooms

The main areas of a bedroom that build up with clutter include wardrobes, chests of drawers, bedside tables and under bed storage. When it comes to decluttering your wardrobe and chest of drawers, much like the kitchen, it is essential to take everything out and review from there. Sort into piles of keep, donate, and bin and organise into piles of like-minded items. For an organised look we love using flocked or velvet hangers in a matching colourway to save space and create a seamless look in your wardrobe. For drawer storage we recommend the ‘rolling’ technique instead of stacking as this allows you to see each item of clothing in one glance. Howard’s Storage World have some beautiful fabric compartment trays to add to your drawers if you want to take your organisation to the next level! For under bed storage we recommend using shallow, clear containers on wheels that allow for easy access and storage for items such as seasonal blankets and clothes. To organise your bedside table, we love using dividers for drawers and stackable containers for cupboards to ensure your items are within easy reach and grouped together for convenience.

When decluttering other areas of the home such as children’s bedrooms, living rooms the home office and garages, they all follow a similar system as mentioned above. It is essential to first and foremost, always remove all items from cupboards and asses what you would like to keep and get rid of. From here you can sort items by group and analyse what storage solutions will work best for the space. Then comes the fun part, shopping! Head into Homemaker The Valley to see our amazing range of storage solutions that our retailers have on offer. You can have a chat to the friendly staff, and they can share their knowledge on the best system that will work for you. Or book in with our Resident Stylist for a complimentary styling session where you can discuss all things home organisation! We look forward to seeing you soon at Homemaker The Valley.

2021 Christmas Trends

The Christmas decorations are officially on display at some of our amazing retailers here at Homemaker The Valley! We are feeling particularly festive this year and are looking forward to having a Christmas that is memorable, filled with joy and spent with family and friends. Each year, we love rounding up our favourite Christmas trends we are seeing come through from our beautiful retailers in store and online. Today we are sharing with you our three favourite trends and providing you with inspiration on how to decorate not only your home, but your tree, gifts and dining table too! We can’t wait to see you shopping in the centre for gifts and decorative pieces throughout the festive season and look forward to seeing you soon!

Merry And Bright

One of our favourite trends we are seeing growing in popularity this festive season is the ‘merry and bright’ trend. The colour palette is the main star of this trend and features bright hues of blues, reds, greens, and pinks. When decorating your tree, ensure you have a variety of brightly coloured baubles to pop against the forest green of the tree. We love the range of baubles Provincial Home Living have brought out this year that work perfectly with this trend. When decorating your table for the big day, we recommend opting for placemats and napkins in a bright colour such as pink, orange, or blue. Pair these with a colourful bouquet of flowers and some festive foliage lining the table to complete the look. Gift wrapping is so much fun when sticking to the ‘merry and bright’ theme as you can mix and match a range of colourful wrapping, bows, gift tags and ribbon that look amazing, perched underneath the tree. This trend is perfect for families or if you want to bring a fun and festive vibe to the silly season this year. We love this trend as it is a little bit retro and reminiscent of childhood, our best advice is to just have fun with it!

Traditional And Elegant

We can’t go passed a traditional theme when it comes to decorating your home, tree, table and gifts each year. In 2021 we are seeing the return of an elegant, sophisticated, and traditional Christmas with a colour palette of green, gold, silver, black, white and a pop of cherry red. Metallics suit this trend well and we love decorating the tree using a combination of silver and gold and choosing baubles in a variety of glass and mixed metals. When decorating your home for the festive season in a traditional and elegant way we suggest adding foliage to any rails or mantles, hanging beautiful stockings, adding a festive wreath to your front door, and adding small, traditional decorative ornaments throughout the home. Decorating your dining table or outdoor table for Christmas lunch is simple when sticking to the traditional and elegant trend. Use a minimal colour palette and include items such as classic glassware, metallic serving platters, linen napkins with gold rings and finish the look with some pine foliage down the centre of the table. We love Provincial Home Living’s gorgeous range of traditional bonbons to spoil each guest with. Or place a beautiful glass bauble from Adairs in the centre of each guest’s plate with a customised name tag.

Natural And Neutral

Neutral and natural textures and colours have been a huge trend in interiors in 2021 and we are seeing it translate to the festive season too! If your home has a calm colour palette of warm whites, soft beiges, oak timbers, and linen textures, then this trend is for you! Adairs have a beautiful range of ornaments and decorations to suit this theme with wooden, decorative baubles and white ceramic stars that look perfect on a minimal and Scandinavian style Christmas tree. When decorating your Christmas table use items such as textured linen napkins, native flowers, handcrafted plates, and wooden name tags. Gift wrapping can be a nostalgic affair when sticking to the natural and neutral trend as it is best to go for a handcrafted and rustic vibe. We love the look of brown butchers’ paper with a beautiful thick green ribbon, finished off with a small pinecone of sprig of rosemary. This trend lends itself to a simple and minimal style, so avoid any bright colours, shiny textures and avoid any over the top embellishments when decorating not only your presents, but your home, tree, and table too.

We would love to hear which trend is your favourite and if you will be incorporating any of these in your decorating this year. Be sure to tag us on Instagram @homemaker_the_valley when you are shopping in the centre and picking up the perfect home décor piece or gift for a loved one. If you feel you need a little extra help with decorating your home for the festive season, don’t forget you can book in for your free styling session with our resident stylist. Just head to the ‘Stylist’ tab of our website and book it in for a time that suits you. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Christmas with Provincial Home Living

The countdown to Christmas is officially underway and our inspiring Christmas collections are now in-store and online. Our three fabulous stories make decorating a breeze – if you’re a traditional red & green fan, you’re going to love the Classic collection. If you’re after something fresh and colourful our joyful Fiesta range is for you, and for something contemporary, our Night Sky story in shades of navy, metallic, and white is surely going to tempt you.

Fiesta Christmas

Our Fiesta range is casual, young, bright and oh-so festive! Children of all ages are going to love the bright, cheerful colours of orange, pink, blue, and green. It’s guaranteed to put a smile on everyone’s face and set a party atmosphere.

Night Sky Christmas

Create an unforgettable Christmas! From the perfect dining accessories to the ultimate tree decorations, let us help you create your most wonderful Christmas yet. The combination of navy, metallic, and white is sophisticated but not too serious, with prints of stars and dots to add a touch of playfulness.

Classic Christmas

We’ve all grown up with a traditional red and green Christmas and we love it! But why are red and green the traditional colours for Christmas? It started centuries ago, when the Celtic people revered red and green coloured holly plants, and believed holly was meant to keep Earth beautiful during the dead of winter. Our Classic story this year with traditional colours of red and green will certainly help make your home beautiful this Christmas.

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Our latest and notable products you just have to see!

Our new Cayman Table is crafted from reclaimed Teak and features detailed legs. Teak only becomes more beautiful over time – weathering to a gorgeous soft grey colour.

Our new Clancy Mirror is Big, bold and beautiful … it is a real statement piece. The rusted iron of the frame adds extra interest to the paned mirror. A standout choice for an entrance space or it will look great in a dining room or living room.

Our new Jonas Armchair is a low, contemporary armchair upholstered in high quality, beautiful textured fabric. The neutral allspice colour will mix successfully with a lot of other hues and contrasts with the black iron legs.

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And last but definitely not the least, here’s some inspiration for your Spring/Summer styling!

Balancing Function & Style In Your Home

One of the trickiest things to get right in a home is balancing both function and style. We all crave a beautifully styled home that looks gorgeous at all times, but we have to remember that form should follow function 90% of the time. Interior design is about balancing beautiful furniture, décor and accessories with the functionality of a home. When designing spaces, we need to take into consideration who will be using the space, the size of the room and how the space is intended for use. Below we are sharing our top tips and tricks for balancing function and style in your home and making it as simple as possible!

Ensure Your Large Pieces Have Storage

When purchasing new furniture items, we need to take into consideration not only their appearance, but if they are fit for purpose as well. We love choosing items that can be dual purpose and include storage in hidden or useful places. When selecting items such as the bedside table, coffee table, console table or entertainment unit we recommend choosing an option that includes at least one drawer or cupboard. This ensures your items can stay tucked away and avoids any build-up of clutter on top. There are also some amazing options for beds and sofas with built in storage as well! We recommend checking out Sleepy’s, Domayne and Forty Winks for some great options.

Choosing The Correct Size

A common misconception when it comes to designing small spaces is that you must choose smaller size furniture. This is simply not true. When designing and decorating a small space we recommend choosing regular sized items and carefully measuring to ensure they fit well within the room. When you enter a room that has tiny furniture, your brain immediately associates the space with being small. Whereas if you enter a space that has regular sized furniture that is carefully thought out to maximise the useable space, you feel like you have entered a standard size space. If you need assistance with selecting the perfect size furniture items for your home, book in for your free styling session with our Resident Stylist Eliza Grace via our website. When selecting rugs, it is essential to choose a rug that fits your space well. We recommend as a rule of thumb, going for a slightly larger size to ensure all your furniture pieces can sit comfortably on top. Head into Decorug or Carpet Call where you can chat with one of the friendly staff about the perfect rug for you!

Utilise Baskets

Baskets are a great way to add extra storage to your home in a beautifully styled and decorative way. We love using storage baskets in rooms such as the kid’s rooms or playrooms to sort toys and clothes or in the living room to store extra blankets and cushions. Our retailers offer a wide range of baskets to suit any design style and come in a beautiful range of options from rustic to monochrome to coastal. We love checking out Freedom, Provincial, Adairs and TK Maxx for their gorgeous range of beautifully woven baskets. Head in store this weekend to check them out!

Reduce Clutter

The most important thing to do when evaluating your space and choosing new furniture pieces and decorative accessories, is to first reduce the clutter. Our homes function at their best when they are organised, clutter free and have productive systems in place. By reducing the amount of clutter and organising your spaces you can clearly see what furniture items are functioning well and what could be replaced or improved upon. This exercise also allows you to see what storage solutions you can put into place to have your home functioning well. We love Howard’s Storage World’s great range of products that are both functional and stylish. Check them out at Homemaker North next time you are visiting our centre!

Accessorise & Style

There are certain spaces in our homes or furniture pieces that are predominately functional, but with a few tricks can be beautifully styled as well. The desk in a home office is a purely practical space, but try adding some gorgeous linen paper storage boxes, matching stationery, a bunch of flowers and some inspiring artwork to elevate the space. The kitchen bench is often thought of as a working zone and can be forgotten when decorating our homes. We love creating styled vignettes in the corners of our kitchen bench or on the island to flow with the rest of the home. This could be as simple as a wooden chopping board with some beautiful salt and pepper grinders leant against the kitchen splashback or an overflowing fruit bowl with a bunch of faux flowers or potted herbs on the island bench.

We love assisting in creating beautiful and functional homes here at Homemaker The Valley. Whether you are building, renovating, decorating, or restyling, our amazing retailers are here to help you every step of the way. We look forward to seeing you next time here at Homemaker The Valley!

Creating The Perfect Dining Tablescape

Creating the perfect dining tablescape is a fine art and there are a few key elements that go into creating a beautiful and memorable design. From different themes that are trending, ideas to set the mood and which retailers to head to for the best finds, we’ve got you covered! We’ve also added a step-by-step guide for how to lay your dining table to ensure you have everything ticked off.

Types Of Styles

Creating the perfect tablescape starts with nailing the perfect theme. We recommend having a browse through our retailers here or jumping on to Pinterest to get inspired! There are a few keys styles currently trending to create the most beautiful and enchanting dining table themes that will have your family, friends and guests blown away.

We love the natural and neutral tablescape theme including elements such as dried flowers, linen napkins and woven placemats. Stick to a colour palette of white, beige, oatmeal and linen tones and create interest through texture.

We also love a classic tropical theme using a variety of bright colours such as blues, greens, and oranges to give an ‘Amalfi Coast’ vibe. Think about using glossy green foliage and bowls of lemons or oranges to create a fun and bright atmosphere.

The last tablescape style we are gravitating towards is the ever-popular ‘minimalist’ theme. This table is super simple to create as the beauty is in the simplicity. Set the table using classic white dinnerware, clear glasses and embellish with a few simple candlesticks and some natural linen napkins.

Setting The Mood

When hosting a dinner party, we believe the mood is the most important thing following the food and drink! Setting the mood is easy with a few simple steps that will have your guests relaxed and at ease as soon as they step through your door. Always start with a playlist of soft music that creates an ambience and sets the mood for the night – we love jazz or acoustic guitar for a dinner party!

Next, add a few candles to your tablescape such as long, thin candlesticks on beautiful holders or pillar candles in glass hurricane jars. Ensure the candles on your table are scent free to avoid overpowering the food. No tablescape is complete without some greenery or foliage, so ensure you have some greenery lining the centre of the table or a few vases with small bunches of flowers. If you are lucky enough to have dimmer switches in your dining room, try dimming the lights to create a more relaxed mood that encourages guests to unwind.

Which Retailers Can Help

Here at Homemaker The Valley we have an array of amazing retailers that stock beautiful pieces to make your next dinner party one to remember. Kitchen Warehouse has a huge range of dinner sets, glassware, cutlery, and napery to ensure you have every item to set your dining table with. They also have a great range of platters, serving ware and wooden cheese boards to present your delicious food on. Provincial Home Living and Freedom have some beautiful items to elevate your tablescapes such as table runners, napkins, candle holders, placemats and more! Head in to browse all our beautiful retailers to gather inspiration and pick up a few items to decorate your table with today!

A Step By Step Guide

Step 1 – Place or lay any decorations you are adding to the centre of the table down the middle. These can include items such as candles, vases, flowers or foliage.

Step 2 – Lay out the placemats for your guests and evenly space them with enough breathing room on each side.

Step 3 – Place the dinner plate in the centre of the placemat, followed by the side plate in centre of dinner plate and lastly the bowl in centre of side plate.

Step 4 – Add any decorative item to the centre of your dinner set such as a name tag, a sprig of rosemary or a beautifully folded napkin.

Step 5 – Place the fork to the left of the plate, followed by the knife closest to the right of the plate and spoon on the outside of the knife. Hint: All cutlery should be level with the bottom of the plate

Step 6 – Place the water glass at 1pm (top right) followed by the wine glass off to the right of the water glass.

Now that you have your theme and style down pat, your mood set and the formula for setting the table sorted, you can get shopping and planning your menu! We look forward to seeing you at Homemaker The Valley soon!

How To Update Your Home For Spring

Spring is officially here in Brisbane! The flowers are blooming, the days are warming up and there is a certain freshness to the air. We love Spring here at Homemaker The Valley and often think of it as the perfect time to refresh our home and breathe new life into our spaces. Spring brings upon it the start of the entertaining season and the eagerness to spend more time relaxing and dining alfresco. In today’s post we are sharing our favourite ways you can update your home this season to ensure it feels fresh and new for Spring!

It’s Time To Head Outside

Spring is the time of year where we start to venture outside throughout the day and find ourselves spending more and more time relaxing in our outdoor spaces. Whether that is enjoying your morning coffee whilst sitting at a bistro table or having your friends and family around for drinks as the evenings get warmer and lighter. We recommend taking a closer look out your outdoor spaces, giving them a clean and spruce up by sweeping, wiping down all surfaces and tidying up your furniture. Spring is the perfect time to invest in some new outdoor furniture pieces to ensure you are ready for the entertaining season ahead! We have some amazing retailers offering a wide variety of gorgeous outdoor living furniture such as lounges, coffee tables, bar tables, sun lounges, dining tables and more! Head into Remarkable Furniture, Freedom or Early Settler this weekend to check out their new ranges.

Update Your Vase Collection

Springtime provides us the perfect excuse to buy some beautiful blooms to add to our homes! The gorgeous colours of lilies, snapdragons, gardenias and roses and a pop of colour to your home and breathe life into any room of the house. Make sure you are doing these flowers justice by presenting them in a statement vase! Vases are not often something we buy ourselves and we usually end up with a collection of hand-me-downs or gifted vases that don’t necessarily reflect our home’s design style. Spring is the perfect time to treat yourself to a new vase and our stores here at Homemaker The Valley offer a huge range to suit any style. Head into Provincial Home Living, Freedom or Oz Design Furniture to find your perfect vase today!

De-clutter And Spring Clean

Our homes can become quite cramped and stuffy after the winter months of being closed off and cosied up inside. We recommend setting some time aside to have a Spring clean or declutter to allow you to see your home in a new light and ensure it is feeling fresh for the months ahead. Start by opening all your windows and letting the breeze flow through your home. If you are struggling to know where to begin when it comes to decluttering, we recommend heading over to our previous post which details ’10 ways to inspire a declutter in your home’. Start small and go through room by room to ensure your spaces are looking and feeling fresh. If you need a little helping hand with organisation and storage solutions, head into Howard’s Storage World at Homemaker North to be inspired and find everything you could ever need when it comes to home organisation!

Swap Your Soft Furnishings

During Winter we usually find ourselves reaching for a faux fur throw blanket and a big fluffy cushion to snuggle up to of an evening. As the days and nights get warmer, we find ourselves avoiding the heavy blankets and wanting something lighter for Spring. We love Adairs beautiful range of linen cushions and throw rugs that are perfect for layering on your bed or sofa during the warmer months. Their lightweight material allows you to snuggle up and get cosy without feeling too hot and bothered. Opt for fabrics that have minimal embellishments in a range of bright or neutral colours to give your home a relaxed and fresh look. We also love adding some bright weatherproof cushions to our outdoor furniture to give a welcoming and fun vibe to our alfresco spaces. Head into stores such as Remarkable Living and Freedom for a great range of outdoor soft furnishings like cushions and rugs.

Refresh Your Colour Palette

Spring is the time of year we can add bright colours and soft pastels to our homes to make them feel renewed and vibrant! Pack away your mustard, orange and deep green tones and make way for sage greens, blush pinks, baby blue and sunshine yellow. We love pairing these tones with an array of neutrals such as a fresh white, linen, or warm grey to make the colours pop! These bright hues bring joy to your spaces and can be added through items such as vases, artworks, decorative accents, cushions and throw blankets. Take inspiration from nature and the blooming trees and mix and match colours until you find the perfect palette for you. If you need help picking the perfect colour palette, why not book in for a styling session with our resident stylist, Eliza Grace? Did we mention they’re free! All you need to do is head to the ‘stylist’ tab on our website and book in a timeslot that works for you! We look forward to seeing you soon at Homemaker The Valley!

Our Resident Stylist’s Top Home Styling Tips

Hi, I’m Eliza Grace, the Resident Stylist here at Homemaker The Valley. I offer one on one styling sessions with clients from Thursday through to Sunday, to help you with all your interior design needs. Oh, and did I mention, these are completely free! Through meeting with clients, just like yourself, I have come up with some questions and queries that I get asked time and time again. You are not alone in wondering ‘What size rug fits my living space’, ‘How many cushions should I have on my sofa’ or ‘how do I store all my children’s toys in a stylish way’? Below I am sharing some of my most frequently asked questions during my styling sessions and some insider tips and tricks for styling your home. If you’d like to book in for your free styling session at Homemaker The Valley simply click the ‘Stylist’ tab on our website and choose a timeslot that works for you! I look forward to seeing you soon!

Tip 1 – Choosing Cushions For Your Space

Some of the most frequently asked questions or concerns I have with my styling session clients are ‘How many cushions should I have’, ‘What colours should I choose’ or ‘what size cushions work best’? Cushions are often used to not only add comfort to a sofa or bed, but to inject personality and style into a space. I recommend keeping a neutral palette and adding in a pop of your chosen colour. My golden rule is 2/3 neutral to 1/3 colour! For example, I love working in the rule of thirds, so for each corner of your sofa add two neutral cushions and one coloured cushion. I’m loving combinations such as a warm grey with a sage green or a light beige with pink or mustard. For the bedroom, you could either have a bit more fun or opt for a more subdued colour scheme. I love the look of an all-neutral cushion combo on the bed, creating interest through different textures such as linen, tassels and woven wool. The size of the cushions should balance nicely with the furniture item you are placing them on. My biggest piece of advice is to never choose a cushion that is too small and when in doubt, always layer.

Tip 2 – Decorating Your Coffee Table

Another common concern I discuss with my styling session clients is how to decorate and design a coffee table that is both stylish and functional. It is hard to know where to begin with coffee table styling and I find that most people opt for a blank space, rather than giving it a go. Coffee table styling can be so much fun as it is all about adding personality to the living room and creating points of intrigue. My favourite and non-negotiable items to use for coffee table styling are a beautiful tray, a stack of books, coasters, candles and either a plant or vase of flowers. Depending on the shape of your coffee table you can arrange these in thirds, halves or group them all in the centre for a styled look. Ensure you have some breathing room between items to avoid a cluttered look and always make sure there is some space to place your coffee or drink of choice.

Tip 3 – Choosing The Right Size Rug

On almost every styling session shopping journey we make a stop at Deco Rug or Carpet Call to view their gorgeous ranges. When decorating a room, a rug is an essential aspect of the design in order to bring all items together and ground the space. When adding a rug to the living room I always recommend going slightly larger than you originally intended – the bigger the better! Choose a rug that can be placed approximately 1/3 of the way under your sofa and occasional chairs, with enough space for the coffee table to be placed in the centre. For the dining room, it is essential the rug is large enough so that when a chair is pushed out, it remains on the rug. In the bedroom, I recommend opting for a medium sized rug and placing it either halfway or one third of the way under the end of your bed.

Tip 4 – Stylish Storage Solutions

Choosing storage solutions can be daunting for your home at the best of times. Making sure you have the right size, and the right amount is one thing, but making sure they are stylish and fit in with the interior aesthetic of your home is another. I often take my clients to stores such as Freedom and Adairs to view their range of beautiful baskets and Howard’s Storage World for all their organisational needs. Choose storage items in colourways that complement the palette of your home and stick to neutrals when in doubt. I love using baskets for stylish storage solutions in areas such as the linen cupboard, bathroom vanities, children’s playrooms and the living room. They are the perfect option to store a variety of items in as they offer a quick and easy way to tidy things up in a hurry. Freedom has a gorgeous range of baskets in a variety of colours, patterns and textures to suit any interior design style.

Tip 5 – Adding Stylish Touches To The Bedroom

The bedroom is another area of the home that I often find my styling session clients needing advice on. It can sometimes be a forgotten area of the home as you spend most of your time entertaining, socialising and connecting in the living areas. To make your bedroom feel more inviting and a place you can’t wait to get to at the end of a busy day, use these simple tips and tricks. Make sure your bedding is on point by choosing soft sheets, a fluffy quilt with a beautiful quilt cover and matching cushions to compliment the look. Add some large bedside table lamps to create a design feature, entice you to read before bed and provide a soft lighting option. Add artwork above your bed to create a focal point in the room and bring personality or colour to the space. I recommend finishing the space with a few styled items on your bedside table such as a stack of beautiful books, a trinket tray, candle and a decorative vase with faux or real blooms. Bring the look together and add warmth through a cosy floor rug and your bedroom will be transformed in no time!

If you are wanting more tips and tricks for decorating your home or need help with a particular space, then book in now for your free styling session at Homemaker The Valley. I look forward to seeing you soon and helping you create the home of your dreams!

The Ultimate Guide To Soft Furnishings

The days are getting cooler here in Brisbane and we are finding ourselves snuggling up on our sofas and comfy beds more and more. Now is the perfect time to think about soft furnishings in your home and how you can create a warm and cosy vibe in your space. Soft Furnishings are often thought of as a winter essential, but we are here to tell you that they are a year-round necessity and can be simply switched up with the changing of the seasons. Soft Furnishings can be described as anything from blankets and cushions to floor rugs and bath towels. Below we go into detail for everything you need know about choosing the right textures, colours and finishes to create the perfect, cosy abode.

Textures For Summer

When choosing soft furnishings for summer it is important to think about what they will be used for and what kind of climate you live in. Here in Brisbane, we have unbearably hot summers, but that doesn’t stop us from wanting to snuggle up on the sofa. To ensure you stay cool, but still cosy, we recommend opting for fabrics and textures such as linen or cotton in items like cushions or throw rugs. Keep soft furnishings as simple as possible and avoid any items that have embellishments, thick textures or cushions in faux fur. Opt for fabrics and textures that are breathable and allow you to relax and unwind without having to worry about becoming hot and bothered.

Textures For Winter

Winter is the perfect time to embrace all your favourite soft furnishings and make every room in the house as cosy and comfortable as possible. We have so many amazing stores here at Homemaker The Valley that offer a wide array of soft furnishings in snuggly fabrics such as Adairs, The Sheridan Outlet, Freedom and more! Head in store today for inspiration! In the cooler months we recommend opting for soft furnishing items including cushions and throw rugs in fabrics such as wool, faux fur and cotton blends to ensure they are super warm and cosy. We love layering cushions and throw rugs together on sofas, occasional chairs and beds to give a warm and inviting feel.

Cushions

Cushions are one of our favourite ways to add colour, texture and cosiness to a space. They are an affordable way to completely change the feel of a room by switching up colours from season to season. When decorating a sofa, we recommend grouping cushions in sets of three to create a pleasing and balanced look. Opt for a variety of sizes for a relaxed feel or use the same size throughout to create a uniform and sophisticated style. When selecting cushions for a sofa or occasional chair that your family or guests will be lounging on it is important to select soft and simple fabrics that are free from embellishments. We love a neutral colour scheme using a variety of tones from the same colour family such as white, flax and greige with a pop of a seasonal colour like mustard or sage. The bedroom is the zone where you can be more experimental with decorative cushions as they can be removed easily when sleeping and added back in when making the bed for a styled look. To create interest, we love adding textured and patterned cushions to the bed in a variety of colours or a completely neutral scheme. Next time you are at Homemaker The Valley you have to check out the Adairs cushion wall to be hit with all the inspiration necessary!

Throw Rugs & Blankets

Just like cushions, throw rugs are an essential styling tool for the bedroom and living room. Not only do they look great, create interest and inject colour and texture, but they are a functional aspect as well. There is nothing better than snuggling up after a long day under a comfortable throw rug with a warm tea or hot chocolate. We recommend using neutral toned throw rugs and blankets if you have opted for coloured cushions to create a subtle backdrop. If you have used tonal or subdued colours in your cushions, we recommend using your throw rugs to create a pop of colour. For a casual and relaxed vibe simply drape the throw rugs over the sofa or bed in an ‘undone’ fashion or neatly fold them for a sophisticated and luxe look. Some of our favourite retailers to find amazing throw rugs and blankets in at Homemaker The Valley are Adairs, The Sheridan Outlet and Freedom.

Bed Linen & Bath Towels

Bed linen and bath towels can also fall into the category of soft furnishings and should not be forgotten when creating the perfect colour and style in your cosy home. For bedding inspiration pop into The Sheridan Outlet or Adairs as they have some beautiful beds made up with every detail considered down to the sheets, pillowcases, quilt cover, throw rugs and varying cushion sizes. We recommend including all of the above to create the dreamiest bed that gives you a ‘hotel’ vibe at home all year round. Colour is huge in bed linen and bath towels at the moment so go for bold tones and patterns that flow from the bedroom to the bathroom. Our favourite combinations include mustard, burnt orange and blush or forest green and wine-red.

Floor Rugs

Floor rugs are an essential part of designing a room as they bring everything together, create a boundary and add warmth to a space. Always choose a rug that is slightly larger than you initially thought as there is nothing that looks more off balance than a small rug floating in the middle of a room. Opt for a rug that allows you to sit the majority of your furniture pieces on top. For example, in a living room the sofa and occasional chairs should always be sitting approximately one third or halfway onto the rug with the coffee table in the centre. This allows for the space to feel grounded and cohesive. We love using neutral toned rugs as it allows you to switch up the colour palette of your furniture, homewares and accessories with ease. Here at Homemaker The Valley we have some amazing stores with beautiful rugs such as Deco Rug, Carpet Cal l, James Lane, Freedom and more! We look forward to seeing you soon!

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