STYLING YOUR HOME IN THE AGE OF INSTAGRAM

Technology is affecting almost every aspect of life, and your interiors are no exception. Our aesthetic is becoming increasingly design-oriented, and the days where a clean floor, a nice bunch of flowers and a feature wall cut it in terms of your open house are long gone. With Instagram and TV lifestyle programs showcasing designer furniture, homewares and renovations, we are exposed to so much interior beautification that we need to apply at least some of this to our own property if we are to make it seem attractive and get our best price. The good news is you do not need to hire a stylist and have a fortune. With all the resources at your fingertips, and even budget brands producing designer-looking products, you can create your own Changing Room.

Ideally the best way to go is to have quite a blank or at least neutral canvas. You just can’t go past white walls. Rooms look larger, lighter and airier when they’re white. And this universal tone is universally liked. Then rather than going out and buying things, unless you have a mind like an interior designer and can see the way everything will integrate, start up a Pinterest page and experiment with different products. Accessories can change the vibe in your home, especially when set off by a white background. Trending at the moment are green botanicals, in greenhouse prints, indoor plants and exotically boxed candles and soaps. But always remember to go with your own tastes. You have to live there, and no matter how fashionable green botanicals may be, if you don’t like the colour green, you won’t feel at home in your trendily styled house.

So you have your mood board ready and brimming with great design ideas, now you need to source the products. Firstly, always let your fingers do the walking and shop on-line. Don’t be restricted by budget either and don’t turn your nose up at Kmart, Target and Ikea. If you look through their on-line catalogues, they actually have a lot of great homewares. For those with healthier and perhaps heftier budgets, check out Matt Blatt, Shack, Country Road, Orson and Blake, Totem,  Coco Republic, Papaya, Chee Soon & Fitzgerald, West Elm, Great Dane and Macleay on Manning. For Vintage items try David Met Nicole, Dust, Elements I Love and Mitchell Road Emporium. On second thoughts, you really need to go into the Vintage shops to get the vibe of the homewares as the on-line presence is generally a bit austere.

Whichever way you choose to shop and style your home, make sure you take on this task with an open mind but keep to your own general style and make sure you have lots of fun whilst doing it!

GET COZY FOR WINTER

With winter upon us, now is the time to prepare your home (and mind) for the chilly months ahead. Many of us are not great fans of this cold season and just want it to pass as quickly as it comes upon us. But getting winter-ready allows you to make the most of the shorter days and actually start to look forward to them.

Firstly, think cosy. Look at your stock of blankets and throws and if they just don’t seem up to another stint, then out with the old, in with the new, I say! Check out the gorgeously sumptuous new ranges of snuggly blankies at your local homeware stores and chose your favourite colour. Now is not the time to hold back in the colour department. Winter is dull in itself, so brighten your world. If some of your old blankets are salvageable, then wash them according to instructions with Eucalyptus oil and they will be dust-mite free and literally ready to roll. A word to the allergy-prone, though… avoid wool like the plague as this is one of the rare occasions where synthetic is better, for your breathing anyway.

If you’re feeling particularly decadent, go for fur. Personally I only go for fake, but I won’t preach, it’s up to you. Having said that, check out the faux fur rugs at Temple & Webster. Then building on the decadent theme, imagine cosy nights to come, cuddled up in your throw, curled on the rug with beautiful scented candles and the odd ambient lamp light glowing tranquilly. Then add to this a partner, or a book, or a glass of glühwein (or all three if you are greedy) and Bob will most certainly be your uncle. (By the way, that is honestly how you spell gluevine – the German spiced wine that was made for winter nights.)

On a more practical note, (sorry to drag you away from the previous mental picture) check your windows and doorways for draughts. So much of the heat in a home is lost through tiny cracks and crevices. In the case of windows, rolling self-adhesive weather-stripping (felt, vinyl, rubber or silicone) down the side of a window works wonders. Where gaps are around non-moveable places, window and door frames for example, use some gap filler (caulk) and a caulking gun. And for under draughty doorways, you can’t go past a good door snake. Again venture into colourful territory here. Please note, if renting, you’ll need permission to put on the weather stripping and gap filler, so be safe, not sorry, and ask first.

Back to beautification, make sure you have a few indoor plants that will add colour and oxygen. Cyclamens, African violets, polyanthus and orchids are gorgeous things and bloom beautifully throughout winter. If you prefer to stick to green, Madonna lilies love the indoors and bless you with the occasional white flower, then Devil’s ivy, Philodendrum and rubber plant grow fantastically well indoors. Also many herbs will grow on a sunny window sill and can be added to your hearty winter dishes. For walls, search on-line for an uplifting print (try The Print Emporium for heavenly pieces.) All you need now is some great food and wine – non-alcoholic cocktails even better – and you’ll be wishing winter would never end.

Images sourced on Pinterest

HOME, SWEET HOME? NOT FOR EVERYONE

With our home environment being never so important as now, many of us are realising that the confines of those four walls make home feel far from sweet. The drastic increase in social distancing and isolation can mean that the proverbial cracks are really starting to show and what had just been a niggling voice telling us we need to move somewhere larger is fast becoming a shout. But don’t be discouraged, there are still excellent properties available in the current market, and as a buyer you are now in the enviable position of having the upper hand.

Whether you are considering moving up from a studio to a one bed, a one bed to a two bed or an apartment to a terrace house, you still have a startling number of options, especially if you are looking at new developments. With many outstanding properties complete and ripe for the taking, in this buyer’s market you will be able to pick and choose without the fear of missing out or stressful competition of the real estate market in recent times.

No matter if you're looking to upgrade to a one or two bedroom apartment or an expansive three bedroom terrace house, Cramer has a great selection of affordable new properties in fantastic locations. By highly respected developer, Toga, Surry Hills Village and Wick’s Place offer impeccably designed apartments with generous proportions, good-sized balconies and a very high level of finish. Their on-site development facilities are second-to-none, so staying at home will be a joy, not a trial, so come and check them out in a one-on-one appointment.

Terraces are often rare and as such are highly desirable due to their larger proportions, courtyards and balconies. Cramer currently have three benchmark developments with beautifully finished brand new terraces on offer. Silkwood in Pagewood, Trinity in Rosebery and The Gentry in Alexandria offer an outstanding selection of terraces that will make you want to be at home, no matter what the social distancing requirements. So please feel free to contact us on 8302 1500 if any of these properties are of interest and we can arrange a one-on-one appointment at a time that suits you.

Silkwood, Pagewood

Trinity, Rosebery

The Gentry, Alexandria