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News.com.au
7 hours ago
- Business
- News.com.au
The Block stars share game-changing renovations tips to add value to Aussie homes
If your renovation dreams begin with a Pinterest board and end with a budget blowout, you're not alone. Australia's top home experts say too many would-be renovators are skipping the fundamentals, and ending up with houses that look great in photos but fail to deliver where it counts. Whitefox founder and The Block judge Marty Fox said the homes people fall in love with are never the flashiest. Why The Block architect says beige is over 'They're the ones where nothing feels forced, just smart, beautiful spaces that feel effortless to live in,' Mr Fox said. Mr Fox and his wife Charlotte recently transformed a forgotten Toorak house into a breathtaking family sanctuary, complete with slab marble bathrooms, a backyard pickleball court, and designer finishes sourced from Europe. But Mr Fox said it's not about throwing money at a problem, it's about vision, planning and understanding how design choices shape real life. 'You can spend millions and still get it wrong,' he said. 'What makes a home sing is when it reflects your lifestyle, where every detail has purpose. 'Not just what's trending.' That same message is echoed by The Block's resident architect Julian Brenchley, who has spent more than a decade watching contestants battle budgets, briefings and breakdowns under national scrutiny. 'Design isn't decoration,' Mr Brenchley said. 'It's problem-solving.' Mr Brenchley warns that many renovators rush toward open-plan layouts without truly understanding how to zone space for function, acoustics or family life. 'Everyone wants big and open, but with no structure it just becomes an echo chamber,' he said. 'You need flow, you need quiet areas, you need smart storage.' And while bold facades and glossy finishes once dominated display homes, The Block architect believes people are moving away from trying to impress. 'Buyers don't want trophy homes, they want liveable ones,' Mr Brenchley said. 'People are moving away from trying to impress, less facade, more feeling that's the future.' That's the design philosophy embraced by The Block 2023 winners Steph and Gian Ottavio, who said the biggest shift they've noticed post-show is emotional design. 'Great design slows you down,' Ms Ottavio said. 'It makes you breathe deeper when you walk through the door.' The couple recently completed a Japandi-style design for James Hardie, a fusion of Japanese and Scandinavian principles, favouring clean lines, warm timber, earthy tones and layered textures. 'It's not just a trend,' Mr Gian said. 'We design for how a home feels, at 7am when you're rushing out the door, or when you collapse onto the couch after a long day.' And Ms Ottavio said the days of designing for resale are fading fast. 'Buyers can smell inauthenticity,' she added. 'You can walk into a house that's had 200k thrown at it and still feel nothing. 'But give me a home where the spaces are well-planned and thoughtful, and I'll take that every time.' Mr Fox, who's sold some of Melbourne's priciest real estate, agrees that emotional pull is everything. 'You want buyers to walk in and picture their kids playing in the backyard, not wondering how long the floors will last,' he said. 'At the top end, people want turnkey — but more than that, they want soul.' The Block judge said he's also big on quality over quantity. 'Don't waste money on trendy tiles you'll hate in six months,' Mr Fox said. 'Spend where it counts, good stone, beautiful lighting, tapware that feels solid in your hand.' So what's the golden rule when planning your dream reno? For Mr Fox, the answer is simple. 'A home is about memory-making,' he said. 'Get the fundamentals right, and the magic follows.' The Block stars top 5 reno tips 1. Don't follow trends Whitefox founder and The Block judge Marty Fox said fads fade fast. Use natural materials, classic finishes, and design choices that will still look good in 10 years. 2. Prioritise flow and function over fancy facades The Block architect Julian Brenchley warns against 'facade obsession.' Focus on how your home feels and functions day to day, not just how it looks on Instagram. 3. Plan every detail, especially the basics Know your marbles, timbers, lighting, and layouts. According to Mr Fox, great renovations hinge on understanding materiality and making intentional choices early. 4. Design for emotion, not just aesthetics The Block 2023 winners Steph and Gian Ottavio recommend designing for how a home makes you feel, from 7am grogginess to post-work recharge, not just its visual appeal. 5. Think lifestyle, not just location. The right home isn't just where it is, it's how you live in it.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
A therapist told me this home organization hack can 'lower your mental load.' I tried it and here's why you should, too
I grew up with a mom who I would describe as the world's most organized person. My mom, a retired school principal and self-proclaimed neat freak, kept our home meticulously organized. Every gizmo and gadget has its place in my parents' home, a rule that, until recently, I adopted in my own space. Despite my best efforts, my home is more disorganized than I would like to admit. I live in a small apartment and own a lot of stuff (a side effect of the job, you know?), which means it can easily become cluttered. The more disorganized my space, the more stressed out I become. "Clutter is emotional and when our homes feel chaotic, our brains absorb that stress," Anita Yokota, a licensed therapist and interior designer, tells Yahoo Canada. "Research has shown that disorganized spaces can increase cortisol, the body's main stress hormone, and drain our ability to focus or make decisions. That's why labelling your pantry or tidying a drawer can feel like a breath of fresh air... It's actually lowering your mental load." When my space becomes overly cluttered and messy, it can feel overwhelming. Not only is a disorganized space stressful to live and work in, but for some, it can heighten feelings of depression and anxiety. That's why, for me, it's essential to stay on top of my cleaning routine. "There's fascinating research that supports what I call the 'emotional blueprint' of space," Yokota says. "Studies show that having control over your environment (even something as small as deciding where things go or how to label them) can help reduce anxiety and improve emotional regulation. So yes, there's science behind it, but more importantly, there's a deep emotional benefit that people feel almost immediately." Yokota, the author of Home Therapy, says that organizing your space is "one of the fastest ways to shift how you feel in your home." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Anita Yokota (@anitayokota) "It boosts productivity by cutting down on all the tiny decisions that drain your energy," she says. Organizing your space "creates calm," Yokota tells Yahoo Canada. "Our brains are constantly scanning our environment, and when there's visual clutter, it sends a low-level signal that something's off. When your space is organized, it tells your body that you're safe and you can relax." If you're struggling with anxiety or feeling overwhelmed, Yokota recommends organizing and using devices like a label maker to create structure in your space. "For busy parents, clear labels mean fewer questions, less decision-making, and more independence for everyone in the house. And for anyone navigating anxiety, even just knowing where things go can create a sense of control in a world that often feels unpredictable." Whether you're organizing your junk drawer, kitchen pantry or filing cabinet, using a label maker is an easy way to create structure, no matter how small it may made-in-Canada cleaning brands to clean your bathroom, laundry room, kitchen & more This made-in-Canada cleaning brand is eco-friendly, affordable and available on Amazon The best robot vacuums and mops we've tested in 2025 In my home, I use a label maker to organize my large storage bins, so I know exactly where items like Christmas decorations, winter boots, gift wrapping paper, and extra cords are stored. Yokota recommends using a label maker for spaces like your kitchen, where you can use it for best-before dates and labelling freezer leftovers, as well as in your storage room. If you live with a messy partner or small children, a label maker can be particularly handy. To help keep the clutter at bay, I've rounded up five items that reviewers swear by for a clean, mess-free home. I've included Yokota's label maker of choice — the Brother P-touch PT-N10 Personal Handheld Label Maker Machine — plus other gadgets that my fellow clean freaks may find useful. "Labelling and organizing might seem small, but they create structure and our brains crave structure," Yokota tells Yahoo Canada. "For busy parents, clear labels mean fewer questions, less decision-making, and more independence for everyone in the house. And for anyone navigating anxiety, even just knowing where things go can create a sense of control in a world that often feels unpredictable." The Brother P-touch PT-N10 Label Maker is easy to use (even for little ones) and can quickly create custom, colourful labels for anything and everything in your home. The device offers a large selection of fonts and symbols and has a LCD screen so that you can preview labels before pressing print. If your kitchen drawers look like a bomb went off, this 9-in-1 drawer organizer could be your new favourite thing. The set includes three foil, plastic, and wax dispensers with cutters, as well as specific storage spaces designed for different-sized plastic bags. It also comes with an additional storage box for bits and bobs like elastic bands, strings, paper clips and twist ties. If the sight of one more dangling cord is enough to send you over the edge, you might want to pick up a pack of these cord covers. The large cord hiders are designed to conceal cables such as HDMI cables, Ethernet cables, optical cables, and USB cables. Importantly, it has also passed a plastics flammability test, ensuring it's safe for your space. This two-tier organizer is designed for your bathroom, but you can use it anywhere you need a little structure, such as your pantry, laundry room, or makeup corner. Stacked in two layers, the top drawer can support up to 15 lbs and the overall unit measures just 11.8" L x 7.5" W x 10" H, so it can easily fit under your sink or in tight spaces. Piles of shoes are the absolute worst. You can avoid the chaos with these clear, stackable boxes. Each box features a magnetic door and the boxes easily connect, so you don't have to worry about them wobbling and falling over.
Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
The celebrity holiday homes that you can stay in
Who hasn't stayed in a holiday rental and sniffed around looking for clues about the owner? It's even more fun if you can critique the tastes of public figures by staying in their villas. It can pay off even if you aren't a fan. Fashion designers and film-makers — with practice in constructing elaborate fantasy worlds — can make bold, imaginative decisions when it comes to their own holiday homes. And often — thanks to hit albums or top-line billing in films — they don't have the cost considerations that the rest of us face. Or much in the way of self-doubt. Most of these properties are Big Vision stuff, with price tags to match. David Copperfield doesn't just own one private island in the Caribbean, he has an archipelago of 11 and his personality is writ large across them. Sting has 900 acres of prime Tuscan landscape to call his own. But celebrity holiday lets can also provide some surprises. These houses and villas, available to rent, anywhere from California to the English countryside, can also show a gentleness and an affinity with both nature and classic architecture. This article contains affiliate links, which can earn us revenue Best for Britpop fansPearl Lowe and her husband, Danny Goffey of Supergrass, turned a 19th-century gothic-inspired mansion into a boho-accented party pad after buying it in 2017. Now a fashion and textile designer, Lowe has adorned each of the nine bedrooms in her 1920s-inspired image, with brass bedsteads, velvet sofas and exuberant wallpaper mixed in with maximalist beading and tassels. You can walk to funky Frome from the end of the tree-lined drive but also ramble straight into impossibly lush Somerset countryside from a garden that has a hot tub and a gypsy caravan. With its mix of art galleries and very trendy restaurants, Bruton is a 20-minute drive away. This was the couple's family home when their children were growing up, but you may need to make a booking fast. Or think of it as a try before you buy — Pearl's Place is on the market for £ Seven nights' self-catering for 18 from £10,995 a week ( Best for modern-day MedicisSelf-sufficiency, celeb-style. The music legend Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler, bought their estate in Tuscany in 1997. The family tend to take up residence there in the early part of the summer but it's available to mere mortals the rest of the time. There's also a large private swimming pool, tennis court and yoga pavilion amid acres of olive groves and serried rows of vines. Perched on a hilltop, Il Palagio is near the medieval town of Figline Valdarno and a 40-minute drive from Florence. The main house, which dates from the 16th century, has nine bedrooms with a further six bedrooms split between two cottages while cellars have been turned into dining rooms and a meditation room. With guitars and mandolins sprinkled around and its own recording studio, there are plenty of clues to the ownership (although to be fair, Il Palagio's website spells it out pretty clearly too). Details Seven nights' all-inclusive for 29 from £188,003 ( Fly to Florence/Pisa Best for architecture loversThis sprawling compound gives guests the choice of two celebrity owners to boast about. Located in the very smart Old Las Palmas area of Palm Springs, 432 Hermosa was built in 1964 by the architect Donald Wexler for the singer Dinah Shore. In 2014 Leonardo DiCaprio snapped it up. While the actor is said to stay regularly, you won't find much trace of him — instead, this sprawling single-storey building majoring in glass and glamour has been sensitively updated to showcase its mid-century heritage, with carports a built-in bar and more than a sprinkling of shag-pile carpet. This means that all the 1960s Palm Springs essentials are here to get starry-eyed about, including six bedrooms, seven (and a half) bathrooms and a swimming pool with a guest cottage, and views onto the San Jacinto mountain range beyond. Details Two nights' self-catering for 16 from £5,568 ( Fly to Palm Springs • 13 of the most luxurious villas in Europe Best for party tricks Think that owning a private island is pretty aspirational? In 2006 the American illusionist David Copperfield bought a chain of 11 islands in the Exumas, a district of the Bahamas made up of more than 365 islands and cays. Today it's the most high-octane private property in the Caribbean, sleeping up to 24 guests across a main house and a series of smaller properties. The turquoise waters and creamy sand have been augmented with all the ultra-luxury aquatic toys you can want, including jet skis and water trampolines. Copperfield has also added plenty of trademark touches. There's a secret village, a full-scale cinema called Dave's Drive-In and sculptures on the ocean floor to bring a bit of extra fun to snorkelling. Meanwhile the 30 staff have the magical ability to appear with cocktails and gourmet meals at any one of its 40 beaches. Details Five nights' all-inclusive for 12 from £211,590 ( Fly to the Bahamas Best for proper relaxationGentler than most celebrity holiday rentals, this three-bedroom villa is proof that the bad boy of rock has a very mellow side. Set on the beach (obviously), there's a touch of Balinese contemplation in the wooden decking and infinity-style swimming pool. Decorated in soothing creams and whites, the vibe is so serene, Richards has said that he'd like to see out his days here, but if the Rolling Stones tour again in 2026, there should be plenty of time to nip in. And you may get a starry neighbour thrown in. Just along the beach, Lucky House is owned by 1980s supermodel Christie Brinkley. Both villas have access to the hotel facilities of Parrot Cay, a short wander along the white sand beaches of this Caribbean island and come with butler service. Details Seven nights' B&B for six from £84,000, including flights, transfers and butler service ( Best for immersion in natureFrom the masks on the wall to the family photos and Illy espresso machine, this is the surprisingly low-key holiday hangout of one of the world's most famous film directors. Not content with winning five Oscars and starting a series of acclaimed vineyards, Coppola has also opened hotels in Italy, Guatemala and Argentina as well as Georgia, USA. But the director of The Godfather and Apocalypse Now has a special affinity with Belize and recently made a collection of villas on the island available for exclusive hire. Blancaneaux Lodge, which he bought in 1980, was originally a family home, becoming a hotel in 1993. Deep in the rainforest, surrounded by ancient pines and palmetto trees, his own two-bedroom villa overlooks the Privassion River. Nature has primacy here; toucans drop in, a plunge pool and hammock beckons, and you can even rustle up a meal in the kitchenette, although a walkie-talkie means you're in constant touch with Blancaneaux's staff for meals and service. Details One night room-only for four from £817 ( Fly to Belize
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Why You Should Use a Toilet Paper Holder in Your Kitchen (It's So Cute!)
As a lifestyle editor, I'm constantly amazed by the brilliant hacks people discover for ordinary items — especially when they relate to some stylish organization. Whether it's using book bins as bathroom storage, lid organizers to store belts and hats, or lazy Susans to make stunning wall art, if there's a secret use for an item, someone on the internet is going to find it. And the latest trick I'm obsessed with can be used all over the home. This Instagram Reel from couple Crystal and Scott Ransons, shows the most ingenious use for a toilet paper holder: as a cabinet vase! This antique-style gold holder would typically be used in the bathroom to hold toilet paper, but its open nature makes it the perfect vessel for a glass vase to hold flowers or other greenery. Plus, it's a superchic touch that'll match any kitchen style. This design hack is just as easy to implement as it looks. Simply decide where you want it, screw your toilet paper holder into your wall or cabinet, and you've got a sleek storage addition in an instant. Aside from flowers, depending on how much weight it can hold, you might also use it to store a utensil crock, cooking oil, a small plant, or even a decorative faux candle. Amazon $32 Buy Now If you want to get the look in your kitchen, this ornate brass toilet paper holder would make a gorgeous receptacle for the project. At about 4×5 inches, this gem is large enough to fit most narrow glass or ceramic vases, and its slats are close enough together to keep everything in place. While the side of your kitchen cabinets is probably my favorite spot for this storage trick, it can really be used on any flat vertical surface. Put them on your living room wall, in your bedroom for plants or extra storage, or along your staircase to hold motion-sensor lights. Buy: , $32.49This post originally appeared on Apartment Therapy. See it there: Why You Should Use a Toilet Paper Holder in Your Kitchen (It's So Cute!) Why People Are Ditching Their Seltzer After a Disturbing Study The One Cookware Brand That Gordon Ramsay Can't Stop Talking About Le Creuset Launched a Pan That's Perfect for Everything from Stews to Stir-Fry — and It's Already on Sale
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
How Traitors star and interior designer FRANCESCA ROWAN-PLOWDEN renovated her five-bedroom home on a shoestring budget
A mash-up of English countryside meets the 1920s meets Morocco,' is how interior designer Francesca Rowan-Plowden, 46, describes the five-bedroom house near Rye, East Sussex, that she shares with her psychotherapist husband David, her four sons (aged between nine and 19), two dogs, two chickens and a cat. Rowan-Plowden may be more familiar to you as Frankie, a finalist in this year's hit BBC reality TV game The Traitors. She's still recognised from the series. 'A guy showed me pictures of his bathroom renovation on the tube the other day.' A theatre actor before pivoting to a career in interior design, Rowan-Plowden appreciates the parallels between the two: 'Theatre is about taking the audience on a journey and putting on a good show. It's the same with interiors.' Despite the 'lived-in', cottage-core vibe, the house was built at the turn of the millennium: every room was painted white; fixtures and fittings were modern. 'It lacked soul,' says Rowan-Plowden, who 'aged' each room, painting woodwork in heritage colours and adding vintage textiles. Silver lever door handles were replaced with aged brass 'beehive' versions. Rowan-Plowden has an impressive design portfolio that includes Goodnestone Park stately home (which she converted into a wedding venue), Battel Hall on the Leeds Castle estate and Kingshill Farmhouse on the Elmley Nature Reserve, all in Kent. Unlike her prestigious clients, however, she had to keep budgets tight for her own home. All spare cash went towards fundamentals like plumbing and rewiring. The main bathroom, which featured a retro jacuzzi that leaked, is a case in point. 'The pumps didn't work, so it was essentially a tub with holes,' she laughs. 'It was like bathing in an egg timer – a race against the clock to get clean before the space flooded.' With most of the budget sunk into the bathroom restoration, affordable decoration solutions were needed elsewhere. One of Rowan-Plowden's tricks is to buy linen from Ikea and transform it into curtains. ('It worked out at £2 per metre.') Tired chairs are now covered in vintage textiles; an old banister has a new life as a lamp. Desirable odds and ends she has acquired over the years include a velvet kissing chair, an antique side table (which makes the living room look 'posher'), and a green wooden armoire. Bought for £70 at a vintage fair, it has seen several incarnations over the years: as a linen cupboard, a toy cabinet and now a drinks bar. 'It's the Madonna of cabinets,' says Rowan-Plowden. In the main bedroom, the bed has been spruced up with an upholstered headboard. 'I design headboards for all of my clients,' she says. 'You can get a bespoke version for the same price as a mass-produced one, but with personalised trimmings like studs, piping and buttons.' An old chaise longue (once covered in a 'hideous print') was reupholstered in leftover curtain fabric from her mum's house. It stands by the bedroom window, in front of striped curtains from Dunelm. 'I'm all about the high and low,' Rowan-Plowden says. 'Get the balance right and it's impossible to tell the difference.' GET THE LOOK Mix bargain and blowout pieces to create a vintage vibe for less Lynton Wide Sideboard Ensia - tall rattan table lamp £129 Shop Cushion £39 Shop Plant Nicolau £60 Shop GP & J Baker Nympheus Made to Measure Curtains, Stone/Pistachio £159 a metre Shop £75 Shop Chair £749 Shop Habitat Herringbone Khaki Border Jute Rug £35 Shop Stone Fireplace Candlestick £24.99 Shop
