how and why I was on the cover of a magazine!!!!!!

Yesterday I got to appear on the cover of the Herald Sun Home Magazine, how did this happen????, I hear you asking!!!!! Well I was lucky enough to work with the very talented Julia Green from Greenhouse Interiors as her assistant for the day.  How did I land the assistant role??? well, I kept knocking on her door, I didnt give up and I was prepared to do whatever it took. Assistant roles are never paid roles, but the experience gained is invaluable, and if you are lucky enough to get a gig with a fabulous mentor who is not afraid to share her knowledge, the benefits are two fold!

This was a Porter Davis display home that we injected some colour into (prior to Julia arriving, this home was fully Black and Silver!!) and the result was amazing! 

I learnt so much from her on the day, got to see how things really work behind the scenes and most importantly, I now really understand how different property styling is to magazine styling - both are extremely tough gigs -  your car is always filled with props and stock on loan from shops, suppliers and even your own home - you pack, un pack and then pack it all up again - and although the end result can look very glamorous, it's bloody hard work - you have to love it, you have to have a keen eye for detail, the hours are long and often grubby, but when you see the end result and your name in print, the hard work all seems so worth it!!!

style me happy

style me happy - some of my favorite colours, oooh I do wish I had a better camera - love this shot of my place

preparing your house for sale - no, we do not all live in a magazine shoot!

does your house look like any of these pictures? my certainly does not, and certainly not any of the clients that I have worked for. In a tough market, home styling/staging is more important than ever, its what sets our homes apart from the rest of the market - it helps show potential buyers how the house can look and will look. My business is all about Real People living in Real Homes, I not only make suggestions but I can help you achieve the transformation - I bring along props, suggest flowers and linen, even buy those for you if need be. Think of it as a facelift for the home - not major surgery!!! Doing those things that provide a return on the dollars invested and help potential buyers think ‘this is it, I could live here’. Think of it like a Trinny and Susannah ‘what not to wear’ show. They don’t ask you to lose 10 kg or get a nose job. They give you a good hair cut, well applied make-up and the right clothes and colours. Most importantly they give you the right advice and the confidence to help you achieve it.

Change is not always easy. In the same way it’s difficult to see yourself objectively, it is also difficult to see your property objectively. I can help you see beyond how you currently live to what a potential buyer wants to see. I know what to take out and what to leave in, I move your pieces around so that your rooms work and the furniture flows. I know where the artwork needs to sit and when to use a rug, how to use lighting and where to put accessories for the best effect. I can help you with paint colours and trades people. I can hire furniture if you need a few pieces and can buy new bedlinen/towels for you. I can advise on what and what not to spend money on. This can usually all be done using what you’ve got but maybe just in new ways. Importantly, it doesn’t need to cost a lot of money to get results.

this week

lots of exciting things going on with Gold Chalk at the moment - some re branding, postcards and business cards being designed then sent off to the printers, will share more of that with you later.....

Last week I styled a house for sale - It took 5 hours to do the whole house (it's a largish one at that) and it was so exhilarating, I enjoyed every minute of it, and although it was hard work, it didn't really feel like work. The outcome was amazing, we didn't have to hire anything, just some new linen etc, I bought some "stylists own" props!!! and the greenery was sourced from my place, I wish the owners luck with the sale - fingers crossed, it is a beautiful home. You can check it out here.