Beautiful Bedrooms

These days I feel like our bedroom is more than a bedroom. I study there, play on my computer there, catch up on TV there. Essentially I do anything but sleep there!  However, in these busy modern times I think it’s more important than ever to have a sanctuary in your home, somewhere where you can relax and unwind. It’s time to convert our bedrooms back into cosy sleepy hollows and I have a plan!

Photo credit: Simon Whitmore for Ideal Home

1. Make friends with plants. Introducing a plant into your bedroom can purify air and reduce stress. A house plant is a perfect bedroom companion.

2. Invest in a beautiful bedspread. Go out and buy that ridiculously expensive bedspread you’ve fallen in love with. There is nothing more satisfying at the end of the day than collapsing into a soft bed you love.

3. Fill the room with wonderful scents. Lavender, vanilla, jasmine and rose all have calming effects which is exactly what you want in your new sanctuary. Try spraying your linen or burning a candle with these oils, you’ll be surprised of how the mood of your room changes.

4. Opt for candles or fairy lights. Not only do these types of lighting look beautiful they are less harsh and more calming than switching on an ordinary light. It will make it so much easier for you to get to sleep.

5. Make it your own. Your bedroom does not have to look like an Ikea catalogue room. The more you make it your own with pictures and holiday mementos, the more safe and calm

ing your room will feel. I know I love coming into my room and seeing the pictures of my best friends and family, it brings a sense of happiness to my room. Just don’t go crazy and clutter your space! Clutter equals stress, the opposite of what we’re going for here.

Photo credit: Katya De Grunwald for House to Home

So together let’s go back to when the bedroom was for sleeping and relaxing. We will all be better rested for it!

Summers nearly here, bring on the barbeques!

With the AFL Grand Final weekend been and gone, Australia can truly say goodbye to winter and hello to summer. With the arrival of summer I’m predicting a lot of cricket, sun-burnt noses and the constant smell of barbeques. On this note I wanted to write this week about creating the perfect, low maintenance outdoor entertaining area.

In Australia the barbeque has become something of a spiritual ritual, where whoever holds the barbeque tongs truly holds the power. Consequently, us Aussies seem to take a lot of pride in the condition of our backyard, however, hardly any of us have the time to maintain our backyard regularly. This is where some of my handy hints come in.

1. Opt for tiles or pavers. Of course we’re going to opt for tiles in any case, we sell them. However, for a low maintenance area tiles and pavers make sense. Typical decking, being wood, requires constant maintaining to retain its condition. Tiles won’t rot and maintain their good looks. If it’s the decking look you’re after there are now tiles that replicate the wood look, so it’s win-win.

 2.  Keep the grass to a minimum. Although grass looks and feels great it requires consent mowing in spring and watering to stay alive in summer. If you’re not sure you have time to maintain a lawn don’t plant one! 

 3.  Choose native plants. Our climate is not a very welcoming one and those water loving foreign plants won’t love it. Australian natives were born and breed here, they are made for our weather, and with such a wide variety of plants to choose from why wouldn't you go native? 

4.  Make it your own. You’re not going to love entertaining out there if it’s not you! So flick through magazines, scroll through the web and find your own style. Don’t conform, be you!

Hopefully this helped you with your outdoor entertaining area or at least got you thinking about it. Now I’m back to counting down the days until summer (and fingers crossed warm weather) kicks in. Only 60 days now I think...