Tag Archives: Spring

coffee table styling

The coffee table edit

The coffee table – it’s the central hub of our lounging, snacking, and Netflix-binging habits, and yet, it’s often the most neglected when it comes to styling. But no more! We’ve created the ultimate guide to coffee table styling, meaning your living room will never be the same. From the rule of three to making a vignette that’s both stylish and functional, we’re sharing our top tips and tricks to help you take your coffee table game to the next level. The best part? You can create a Pinterest-worthy coffee table with pieces found under just one roof – Homemaker The Valley, of course!

 

Find your table 

Before moving into the nitty-gritty of styling, be sure to begin with the foundation – the table itself. Whether you’re after a sleek glass surface or a rustic wooden slab, your coffee table is the canvas for your styling, so be sure to consider shape, size, and style. Round coffee tables are great for smaller spaces whereas rectangular shapes are best for larger spaces. When deciding on size, it’s recommended that your coffee table should be two-thirds the length of the adjacent sofa. 

 

Rule of threes and placement 

Now that you have your table sorted, let’s move on to the golden rule of styling; the rule of threes. This is a design concept that’s all about grouping objects in odd numbers to appear more visually appealing. When grouping three items together we recommend arranging your object to form a triangle, with the tallest item at the apex. This kind of formation will create an equilibrium and make the coffee table super balanced. 

 

coffee table styling; magazine, vase, candle

Adairs Sorrento Candle $44.99, Domayne Pence Round Tray Set of 2 $169, Freedom Living Outside Decorative Book $69.95, Freedom Slim Aarons Women By Brumby Sunstate $119, James Lane Bon Coffee Table $1,299, OZ Design Staghorn Fern Pot $149, Provincial Home Living Tulum Decorative Urn $119.95.

 

Book stacks are a must

Books are one of the best coffee table accessories – they add height, texture, and a dash of entertainment. But don’t just throw any old book on the table. Consider colour coordination, size variation, and title selection. You’ll want the books selected to reflect your interior style as well as personality, so opt for ones that appeal to your interests whether that be fashion, cooking, or lifestyle. 

 

Think about height 

Take your styling to new heights (literally) by adding various heights to your table arrangement. You can do this by stacking objects like books and boxes, incorporating pedestals and risers to elevate smaller items, and adding greenery like flowers in large vases. 

With these coffee table styling tips and tricks, you’re ready to transform your coffee table into the centrepiece of your living room. So go ahead, get creative and make your space a true showstopper. For all your homeware needs and inspiration, head to Homemaker The Valley – your one-stop destination for making your house a home.  

For more home inspiration, join the Homemaker Collective to stay in the loop.

bar cart styling

Spring into flavour with mocktail recipes

As the last wisps of winter’s chill leave, our palates are yearning for some refreshing and exciting flavours. Luckily, spring is the perfect time to revitalise your drink menu and indulge in the sweet sips and savours of the season. And what better way to do so than with three delightful spring mocktail recipes? Below, we’ll raise a glass (and a few stylish ones at that!) to the new season with drink recipes that are expertly paired alongside the perfect glassware and bar cart accessories from Homemaker The Valley. 

 

Spring fling mocktail 

Meet your new spring obsession: the spring fling mocktail! This refreshing sipper combines the perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavours, with a hint of sweetness that’ll quench your thirst. Whether you’re soaking up the sun on a warm day or need a pick-me-up, this fruity drink will be you new go-to. 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water 
  • 1 cup granulated sugar 
  • 2 cups mixed berry juice (such as raspberry, cranberry, and blueberry)
  • 1 cup sparkling water
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • Handful of ice cubes
  • Fresh berries and lime wedges for garnish

Method 

  1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the water and granulated sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Let cool before using. 
  2. In a large pitcher combine the berry juice, lime juice, and water and sugar mixture. 
  3. Stir in the sparking water. 
  4. Fill 4 glasses with ice and pour the spring fling mocktail over the ice
  5. Garnish with fresh berries and a lime wedge. 

 

Adairs Pansy Multi Vase $39.99, Freedom Ecology Aveline Cocktail Glass Set $59.95, Freedom Pesce Resin Pitcher $79.95, Kitchen Warehouse Piaf Bar Cart $279, Kitchen Warehouse Salisbury & Co Oxford Cocktail Shaker $29.95, OZ Design Staghorn Fern Pot $149, Provincial Home Living Phoenix Tea Towel $12.95. 

 

 

Cucumber lime refresher 

The cucumber lime refresher is a light and lovely mocktail combining the subtle sweetness of cucumber with a burst of citrusy zing. The result? A refreshing, hydrating, and delicious mocktail perfect for a post-workout refreshment or picnic. 

Ingredients 

  • 2 cups cucumber-infused water (slice a cucumber and let it steep in water for at least 30 minutes)
  • ¼ cup water 
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar 
  • 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 cup sparkling water
  • Slice of cucumber and lime wheel for garnish

Method

  1. Slice a cucumber and add it to a large pitcher or jug. Pour in 2 cups of water and let it steep in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. 
  2. In a small saucepan, combine the water and granulated sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Let cool before using. 
  3. Strain the cucumber-infused water into a large pitcher or jug. Add the lime juice and the water and sugar mixture. 
  4. Stir in the sparkling water. 
  5. Fill 4 glasses with ice and pour the cucumber lime refresher over the ice. 
  6. Top with a slice of cucumber and a lime wheel. 

 

Adairs Mimi Tea Towel 2 Pack $22.99, Eureka Furniture Louis Fleur-de-Lis Pitcher Jug $24, Freedom Ecology Rattan Tumbler Set of 4 $49.95, James Lane Jaj Decorative Tray $24.95, OZ Design Trist Bar Trolley $279, Provincial Home Living Lemon Stem $24.95, Provincial Home Living Lime Decoration $3.95 Each. 

 

 

Garden party spritzer 

The garden party spritzer is a vibrant and fun mocktail, boasting tropical flavours with lemon-lime soda, pineapple juice, and a splash of lemon juice. It’s fruity, bubbly, and basically begging to be served at your next alfresco gathering. 

Ingredients 

  • 2 cups lemon-lime soda
  • 1 cup pineapple juice
  • 1/4 cup grenadine syrup
  • Splash of lemon juice (1-2 tbsp)
  • Edible flowers and sprigs of rosemary for garnish

Method 

  1. In a large pitcher, combine the lemon-lime soda, pineapple juice, and grenadine syrup. 
  2. Stir in a splash of fresh lemon juice. 
  3. Fill 4 glasses with ice and pour the garden party spritzer over the ice. 
  4. Garnish with flowers like lavender, violas, or pansies and a spring of rosemary. 

 

Adairs Bardot Cocktail Glass Pack of 2 $29.99, Domayne Salt & Pepper Duet Cake Stand $38, Freedom Orchid Vase Arrangement $49.95, Kitchen Warehouse Guzzini Dolcevita Pitcher $59.95, Kitchen Warehouse Windsor Bar Cart $279, OZ Design Footed Bowl $49.95, Provincial Home Living Ostern Paper Serviette 40 Pack $9.95. 

 

For more home inspiration, join the Homemaker Collective to stay in the loop.

Refresh and Organise Your Home This Spring!

Spring is the season of cleaning, refreshing and organising your home. As the weather gets cooler and the days get longer, we find ourselves opening up the windows, dusting off the cobwebs and removing the winter layers of our humble abodes. With the upcoming season of entertaining upon us, it is time to get our homes in order and renew them accordingly. Below are our top tips for refreshing and organising your home this Spring.

Step 1 – The Spring Clean

In order to make our homes feel fresh and inviting for the holiday season ahead, they need to be spic and span. Spring is the perfect time of year to undertake all the tasks you have been putting off throughout Winter. The weather is warmer, and the days are longer, which means you can spend a day on the weekend outside in the sunshine, cleaning your exterior windows, blasting your alfresco area and ensuring your garden or pot plants are looking amazing.

Spring is also the perfect time of year to tick off the cleaning tasks in your home that you have been avoiding. Write down a list of everything you would like to achieve, then set aside one weekend to tick everything off in one go – time batching! Cleaning tasks we suggest for Spring are to dust skirting boards and architraves, clean light switches and doorknobs, dust ceiling fans and lights, remove marks from walls, clean fly screens, wash windows, remove and shake out rugs, wipe down all furniture and dust artwork and frames. You can also dive into a deep clean of your bathroom, kitchen and laundry including disinfecting all surfaces, cleaning the oven, defrosting the freezer and so on. Your home will feel amazing after and the process will give you renewed energy to see your space with fresh eyes and be thankful for the wonderful home you have!

 

Step 2 – Organising

Now that your home is sparkling and is the cleanest it has been in years, it’s time to get organised! The Marie Kondo movement was huge this time last year, but have you maintained the organisational systems you put in place and still follow the ‘only keep what sparks joy’ mindset? If not, don’t fear, we have a few simple tasks that you can undertake to get your home organised and working efficiently in no time! This step includes the fun part of popping in store and picking up all the beautiful and effective storage solutions!

The main areas of the home we need to focus on when re-organising are the kitchen, wardrobes and storage areas. These are the main sections of the home that tend to build up over time without anyone noticing.  Start with the kitchen and remove everything from the cupboards and assess if you have used it in the last 6 months, is it functional and is it necessary? Try cutting down on any items that tend to turn into collections over time such as mugs, glasses and serving ware – unless it is ridiculously sentimental, brings you joy or belongs to a lovely matching set, it has got to go. Wardrobes are another area of the home that burst at the seams and we ignore for the most part as they’re behind closed doors. The wardrobe has very similar organising principles to the kitchen – remove everything, keep what is essential as specified above, then organise. Sorting by clothing type, then by colour is the most efficient way to categorise and save you time when getting dressed. Pick up some gorgeous matching hangers from Howard’s Storage World to ensure it is visually pleasing.

The last aspect of the organisation transformation is the storage areas of the home such as linen cupboards, under the bed, storage cabinets and garages. This process will take a bit of time to sort through, but if you dedicate a few hours each weekend, it will become more organised in no time at all.

Once you have sorted out all your essentials you can then look for storage solutions to make everything look beautiful and function well. We recommend baskets, labelled boxes or plastic containers in varying sizes. Pop into Howard’s Storage World to see an abundance of storage solutions that will make everything work more effectively in your home! Be sure to check out Freedom, Tk Maxx and Oz Design for some beautiful baskets and furniture storage ideas too.

Step 3 – Preparing For The Upcoming Season

Summer in Australia not only includes summer holidays and outdoor entertaining, but Christmas and family time all rolled into one. Our homes need to be functioning at 100% to ensure we have a stress-free holiday season and get to enjoy the time spent with family and friends.

 

When organising your home in a Spring refresh you will inevitably come across your Christmas decorations and Summer entertaining supplies. We recommend taking everything out and making sure all items or decorations are in good condition, still work properly and they still bring you happiness. You will find that once you have simplified your Christmas decoration pile, you will have more joy when putting them up as December rolls around. This may even open up the opportunity to buy some gorgeous new decorations that bring a refreshed feel to your home this Christmas! Adairs and Freedom have some absolutely gorgeous Christmas decorations to adorn your home with this season!

 

Step 4 – Decorating For Spring

The last, and what we believe to be most enjoyable step, is decorating your home for Spring! As we have said goodbye to Winter, it is time to pack away any heavy blankets, excessively fluffy cushions and the pile of throw rugs from the living room sofa. Try adding a few brighter soft furnishings into your space with some on-trend colours such as a coral, sage green or blush pink. We are loving the lemon cushion pictured below from Freedom! No Spring refresh is complete without adding a beautiful bunch of flowers to your coffee table or kitchen counter. Café 63 have fresh flowers on offer every day and their seasonal bouquets are perfect for Spring!

With new furniture and homewares ranges popping up every few days, it is hard not to get excited about revitalising your home this Spring! Pop into any of the stores at Homemaker The Valley this Spring to see some gorgeous new ranges that will brighten your home and have you looking forward to the holiday season ahead!