STYLING 101 | KITCHENS I would love to be the owner of a home with 3.6m high ceilings, great feature windows with even greater architraves and original wooden flooring, but I’m not. We bought a tiny cottage and added (on a budget), added again (thankfully on a higher budget), but it’s still a fairly standard home, there are times when armed with my camera I wish it was bigger (or I was smaller) or that those windows weren’t Sponsored Post
Styling 101 | Kitchens
STYLING 101 | KITCHENS I would love to be the owner of a home with 3.6m high ceilings, great feature windows with even greater architraves and original wooden flooring, but I’m not. We bought a tiny cottage and added (on a budget), added again (thankfully on a higher budget), but it’s still a fairly standard home, there are times when armed with my camera I wish it was bigger (or I was smaller) or that those windows weren’t 
A Perfect Ten
A PERFECT 10 The Real Estate Buyers Agents Association of Australia (REBAA) recently posted a list of ten things that make up a perfect home. These results were obtained via survey and are titled The Top Ten Property Wish List. I was a little nervous about reading any further. What if I got it all wrong? What if the changes made at my little house were not what others would perceive as necessary let alone perfect? 1. Open
The Perfect Day
THE PERFECT DAY Every now and then you have the perfect day, right? Today was one for me. It started with a daily walk… and a little forage for my new vase… Then, a little work… styling up a bedroom space… Then, a little company for afternoon tea. The problem these days is what to serve? Almost everyone is sugar free. But you have to love the internet because a quick search gave me this little gem… Chocolate Outdoors is the new Indoors
OUTDOORS IS THE NEW INDOORS There is no denying the trend of outdoor rooms. I used to wonder why – I mean you are either in or out aren’t you? Well I guess that’s a question for Mother Nature because in Summer its far too hot, Autumn, well its just too windy, Winter, way too cold and Spring, well Spring might just allow a few outdoor festivities, though its way too unpredictable to plan ahead! I remember when an
To own or not to own… that is the question
House prices seem to be skyrocketing and those of us lucky enough to already own our own homes wonder whether our children will experience the same. Will the rental market take a turn and provide long term lease properties that give the dwellers a little sense of peace and ability to make it their own at least in a manner of speaking? I ponder if it matters. Could I live in a house without calling it my own?
Adding value to your home
At my little house renovation is our middle name and it seems with the NZ property market at its peak we are not the only ones; the industry is busier than ever as many families are making improvements to their homes, whether they be small DIY jobs or bigger renovations and extensions. It can be an expensive business and luckily with my background I can keep our projects costs down by cutting out designers, however if you are renovating with a sale
High Tea
HIGH TEA I love to plan a party. Not a big one, just a gathering, to me it beats dining out where trying to talk to everyone is almost impossible. No. Leave the outings for couple-time and plan your gatherings at home. I’m not the most gifted of cooks but I can throw together some Scones with Jam and Cream and Club Sandwiches aren’t exactly difficult. Coffee and Tea or perhaps a Gin and Tonic, either or, its a High Tea to be proud of. Creme and Caramel with a hint of Copper
CREME AND CARAMEL WITH A HINT OF COPPER Inevitably the seasons change and as they do they bring with them new colours and feelings. When Summer leaves, its cool whites and bright primary colours give way to the beige, caramel, russets and coppers of Autumn. Next comes Winter with its cool greys and blacks, darkest of greens and moody blues with rich golds sometimes making a surprise appearance in the mix. Spring then follows with is buttery yellows and pastels; minty The icing on the cake
Lucky for me, my office is located just above a kitchen company which means I am privy to all the insider info, it also meant I was lucky enough to sneak in a quick refresh for my kitchen right at their busiest time – just before Christmas. While most companies will encourage you to replace your whole kitchen others will give you good advice on a revamp or refresh keeping the costs down while still improving value and functionality, so
Bathe in Beauty
We have been looking at real estate lately, its a fairly disappointing affair as our list of wants probably outweighs our bank balance. However there are some things that should not skimped on, and even in the higher end of our property market I’ve noticed that the quality of the bathrooms do not always match the quality and price of the house. I have a couple of bathroom renovations at mylittlehouse under my belt; one went without a hitch and the