It’s what’s inside that counts; as true for interiors as it is for people. In this episode, we tick both boxes with the lovely and skilled Melbourne interior designer and mentor, Melissa Lunardon. Hers is one of the longer resumes and one better experienced by exploring the trail of purposefully and creatively styled homes left in the wake of hurricane Melissa.

In the age of option anxiety, choice excess, analysis paralysis, whatever you want to call it, interior designers and stylists are here to shepherd you through the myriad of colours, accessories, furnishings, styles, and feelings to an aesthetic solution that suits you, your personality and your home.

Kribashini and Melissa talk about her beginnings as a designer, her entrepreneurial transition, and how she became a mentor in the field. They then move into the design space touching on capturing personality in design, and tactics to approach a job, before finishing up with Melissa’s mentoring program and the perks of business ownership. Oh right, COVID gets a mention too of course - is that mandatory in podcasts these days?

Get your foot in the beautifully designed interior styling door today!

 

LINKS:

Melissa’s Website (https://www.melissalunardon.com/)

Melissa’s Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/melissa_lunardon/)

Melissa’s Williamstown house project

Anyone who has undertaken a building, renovation or styling project will understand the dilemma you can experience when you just don’t know what to do anymore.  Option anxiety is a real thing and sometimes it can be so difficult, and often stressful, to make decisions that will impact the space you’ll be living in for years to come.

Alison Lewis is our guest today and she not only has a keen eye for detail and amazing sense of style, but also understands the roadblocks that designers and DIYers alike can face while undergoing building and renovation projects.  Alison is an interior designer and we are thrilled to have her as part of our BuildHer8 group.  In addition to offering full design packages, she also provides design consultations and coaching calls to help her clients through the decision making process.  Alison is also the owner of a coffee table to die for, but we won’t talk about how jealous we are of that!

In this episode, you’ll hear about Alison’s approach to forming her mood boards and how they can be a helpful resource to refer back to when things start going haywire.  She shares her journey with renovating her own home and how she navigated the budget and site constraints and council regulations to eventually establish a clear plan for a beautiful finished project.

Styling a home is harder than it looks but it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Alison shares some hot tips for designing and styling and how she has adopted the slogan, “a little bit posh and a little bit pov” to help her pair items together without breaking the bank.  Alison also talks about how it’s important to choose items that tell a story and mean something to you.  It’s your home after all so you may as well love it!

So if you’re in the middle of a project and feeling a bit stuck, just know you’re not alone.  It’s a normal part of the process and we are here to help!  Book a free 20 minute consultation with BuildHer Collective or contact Alison for a not-to-disappoint design consultation.

LINKS:

Alison's Website: https://www.alisonlewisinteriors.com.au/

Alison's Instagram: @alisonlewisinteriors

Alison's Pinterest: @alisonlewisinteriors

Book your free BuildHer Collective 20-minute consult here (https://go.oncehub.com/BuildHer)

One of the most common questions we get asked is “can I get a referral or a recommendation?” and in all honesty, it gives us a nervous tick!  Referrals and recommendations are such a large part of the building industry but it’s not always as simple as passing on a phone number.  There are a number of factors to consider when thinking about referring someone and in this episode we’re going to share some key things to think about before handing over the digits.

We are all for referrals and recommendations.  A lot of great tradespeople don’t have an online presence and depend on word of mouth to keep their businesses running, which is why we don’t take the responsibility lightly.  It’s like matchmaking!  You need to make sure that the person you’re setting your friend up with is the right fit.  If not, it could get awkward for all parties involved!

Don’t get us wrong, it’s not all negative. As well as some important considerations, we talk about the many positives of referring businesses and the transfer of trust that occurs when a recommendation is made.  A referral is a huge compliment to the provider and helps strengthen relationships, making future projects with that business all the more fun and rewarding.

Building is fun and networking with people in the building industry is fun too!  So if you’ve had a great experience with someone, take the time to give them a positive review.  It will make their day and help other people make a decision about who to work with on their next project.

There are many ways to build a house. There is no cookie cutter approach but by far, the best outcomes are produced when there is transparent communication and a strong relationship between the builder, architect and owner. The buildings that really sing have had a cohesive team all the way through.  A team of trusted advisers and professionals, all working together to produce something beautiful.

In this episode, Kribashini chats with Sarah and Richard Bryant from Bryant Alsop, a Melbourne based architecture firm who take a highly personalised approach to delivering carefully considered designs to their clients. They share about their approach to the design process and how placing the client’s needs at the core of every project is absolutely vital.

One of our very own BuildHer’s, Suzie, was fortunate to have Bryant Alsop design her forever home. When we popped in to see the site the other day, we were blown away by the level of detailing and the amazing spaces they’ve created.  Sarah and Richard go into more detail about the design concept for Suzie’s home and the key areas of the brief that shaped the way they approached the design. Thinking about a building as a living, breathing 3 dimensional shape, Sarah and Richard talk about how they don’t get fixated on floor plans, but rather think in terms of volume which influences their decisions regarding levels, ceiling heights and room sizes.

Sarah and Richard take a really personal approach to design and talk about the importance of listening to their clients and prioritising the personalised social aspects of a brief, as well as the functional.  It gives an insight into the level of thought and consideration that goes into each detail of their designs, resulting in spaces that flow in harmony with the people who call them home.

We can’t agree more with the way Sarah and Richard tackle the design process.  The lifestyle, values and desires of the client are always in the forefront of their minds, shaping each decision, no matter how minute the detail.  They work to understand their clients and listen really well to come up with a design that they will love for years to come.

At the end of the day, building is a fluid process. Things will go wrong but having the right team around you means that those problems don’t have to result in disaster.

Nothing is more certain than uncertainty (did I just make that up? If so, patent-pending). Never has this quote been more applicable than when it is applied to the building and renovating process. Who knows whether you’ll hit rock, or an undocumented pipe, or an old slab when digging? Who knows if a design on paper translates to a buildable structure in real life? Who knows? The answer is no one. There is no crystal ball that will illuminate these unforeseen mishaps.

‘Variations’ has long been thought of as a dirty word on the building site, often associated with increased costs and drawn-out build times. They also put a strain on the relationship between the client and the builder as arguments ensue as to whether or not it was an unforeseen event versus a foreseeable complication. Why should the builder foot the bill for a variation due to the client’s change of mind for their own benefit? Why should the client have to foot the bill for an oversight by the builder resulting in calamity?

Rebeka and Kribashini talk you through variations, how to think about them, and how to handle them. Account for variations in your build. Don’t just expect the unexpected, plan and budget for it. And remember, this is not just limited to money. Agree on a process with your builder to deal with variations when (not if) they arise with respect to communication and billing.

Builder’s are not out to get you, and quotes are based on the information provided and available at the time of quoting. It is much easier to look back and think “you should’ve thought about that” than it is to look at the plans and think “that looks doable”. Hindsight is 20-20 and foresight is as blurry as Bigfoot in a photo.

Whoever said, “a change is as good as a holiday,” clearly wasn’t talking about a design change on a building site. So prepare yourself and your budget for a lesson in uncertainty from the BuildHer babes.

Old school designers relied heavily on magazine cuttings and fabric samples to make mood boards for their designs.  Sourcing suppliers and obtaining products was a laborious task with a lot of time often spent in the car driving from place to place.

These days, there is so much available online that coming up with a design concept is easily accessible for designers and hobbyists alike.  But even with the world at our fingertips, it can be difficult to collate ideas together to really get a feel for what a room is going to look like once it’s furnished.  If only there was a free platform that allowed you to drag and drop all your favourite products into one simple online mood board.  Good news friends.  It exists!

If you haven’t already joined the 17,000 other people using Style Sourcebook, then you’re going to want to straight after this episode.  Today we chat to Lisa Cousens, the creator of Style Sourcebook, an online mood board platform which enables users to source and style products from different designers to really see their ideas take shape.  The site also facilitates community in such a way that clients can find a designer, designers can share their ideas and users can find inspiration from seeing what other people have come up with.

Working in the business and marketing sector, Lisa always had a love for renovating and the desire to eventually start her own business.  Driven by her own frustration in the renovation design process, Lisa’s idea for a drag and drop mood board site took shape.  With a focus on making the site intuitive and enjoyable for users, Lisa spent a year planning the site and liaising with designers and retailers before launching her unique idea.  Lisa talks about her process in developing the site and how it has now evolved into a mood board community.

With no interior design experience, Lisa created a brilliant platform to create designs, share ideas and connect with likeminded people.  Connection and community always play such a big role in design projects, and Style Sourcebook is not only an excellent (and FREE) design tool, but a way in which people can connect with each other throughout the creative process.  Go sign up today and share your ideas on Instagram.  We’d love to see them!

In this episode we speak to one of our sizzling BuildHer members, Ivy Huang, about her recent renovation project and a particularly, shall we say, unique challenge that she faced throughout the process.

Ivy purchased her classic Edwardian home at auction with the plan to do it up and make it a family home.  Although it wasn’t the perfect time to buy, she got a good deal and the house was a renovator's delight (don’t you just love hearing real estate agents say that) with all the right features in a perfect position.

Ivy didn’t spend much time in the planning stage and got stuck in removing old extensions and unveiling the beauty of the original period home.  Rebeka talks to Ivy about her process in transforming the house and what she did to bring the place to life.  Featuring weatherboards, beautiful fretwork and a stunning cathedral ceiling in the main room, the WOW factor of this house is real.  However, without much of a plan, Ivy got swept along into managing quite a big renovation project!

Having previously spent time working on a mine site and also having experience with engineering and contracting, Ivy felt confident that she would be able to manage the renovations herself.  As the renovations grew, this false sense of confidence soon became clear and she enlisted the help of a foreman to manage the project alongside her.  Ivy talks through some difficulties she faced in managing the relationship with her foreman and how she would like to do things differently next time.

Tension on site is a fairly normal thing. With numerous trades operating at the same time, it can be difficult to manage the schedule and navigate the blame game.  Tension is one thing, but being taken for a ride by a con artist who tries to scam you out of money is another (say what?).  Ivy shares about the bizarre encounter with her con artist plasterer and how she eventually came to discover that he had featured on A Current Affair 10 years ago and had 17 other cases against him!  Thankfully she got her money back and Ivy shares her insights for other homeowners to avoid getting into the same situation.

It wasn’t the most straightforward renovation job, but Ivy is at it again with a new project and, having learned from experience, she is planning, planning, planning.  We are excited to see what the new place is going to look like and the BuildHer community is here to support her all the way through to the end.

Anyone who’s had experience building or renovating would know that delays are a normal part of the process.  Human error happens, weather happens and it’s just something we need to account for at the start of the build to make sure there’s some leeway in the schedule.  Some problems however are way more annoying than others.

Rebeka’s large and beautiful steel windows are the topic of conversation today as she shares the details of a series of unforeseen and frustrating events that led to months of delays on her build.  She’s now in the thick of rectifying the issues to get the house weathertight and secure and we’ve all got our fingers crossed for some sunshine.  These steel windows better be worth it!

So what do you do when spanners are thrown into the works?  How do you deal with the issues when they arise? And trust us, they’ll arise!  Unfortunately, we don’t have a crystal ball to know exactly what will happen on every build but we can learn to deal with things in a calm and methodical manner as they come up.

In this episode we talk about the approach we need to take in dealing with issues on site and Kribashini talks us through her decision matrix and how it helps her in the problem-solving process.  Sometimes just knowing how and why things happened can help you understand the issue and move forward with a solution without biting someone’s head off.

At the end of the day, it’s important to keep things in perspective.  Having issues on a build is normal and every builder or tradesperson will have their own story to tell about a time they made a mistake or didn’t account for something.  Building can be overwhelming and some issues are more expensive or embarrassing than others, so it’s important we learn to have a laugh, take a deep breath and move on.

If you’re in a fix with your build or feeling overwhelmed, the BuildHer team is always available to help.  Drop us a line and don’t forget about our free Facebook group which is full of really helpful resources and a place where you can connect with other women in the same boat.

Big property developers often get a bad wrap for putting profit over people.  We’ve all seen those cookie-cutter subdivisions with houses packed like sardines into tiny parcels of land, no trees, no playgrounds.  As mothers, we talk about the importance of “the village” and how much we need a community of people around us to raise our children.  Unfortunately, this sense of community and connectedness is what’s been missing from our modern lifestyle.  Typically speaking, we all live in our separate homes, fenced in and unaware of what’s happening in the lives of the people next door, even if their wall is only 3 feet away.

Our guest today has been in the property development biz for a number of years and is keeping community front and centre with her exciting new project.  Cheryl Leong, Chief Impact Officer at Big Impact Group, talks with us today about the co-living spaces being built in Sydney and we dive deep into the details of how it all works on a community level and from a financial perspective.

Frustrated by the lack of community considerations whilst working on bigger development projects, Cheryl decided that if she wanted to create things that made a difference in people’s lives that she would need to do it herself.  This is where Big Impact Group came to life, a company with a focus on sustainability for people, their social and financial needs, and nurturing our environment.

Co-living spaces are more common in places like Europe and the USA and, depending on the area and size of the development, often consist of self-contained apartments with additional communal spaces for shared meals, games and good community vibes.  This is what Cheryl and her team are going for and we think it’s a really exciting project.

In addition to the focus on community and connectedness, these co-living spaces also offer an opportunity for individuals to enter into a high cash investment.  Independent part ownership means that people who might not be able to afford to buy on their own can invest a smaller portion into the development and receive a 7% return on their investment.  How awesome is that?

Co-living might not be for everyone, but there is certainly a market for it and we think Big Impact Group are really living up to their name.  Tune in to find out more about this unique project.

When thinking about styling a property, it would be easy to make the assumption that it’s simply a matter of adding throws and cushions, vases of flowers and perhaps a new set of curtains. We’ve all seen those renovation shows and they make it look so easy!  In reality, there is so much more to styling than just making things look pretty.

A good stylist will consider the flow of a room, the type of people living there and how they intend to interact with the space.  Perhaps with a million-dollar budget, a stylist might bring in bespoke furniture, original artwork pieces, soft furnishings and storage solutions to make that Pinterest-perfect home.  But what about the rest of us who want to spruce up our homes for something under a million bucks?   Let’s be real - WELL under a million bucks.  Enter Ali Waight from Ali Waight Stylist to save the day.

Ali is an interior designer and property stylist who’s days (and likely nights) are spent making properties look effortless and beautiful.  Limiting her commercial and residential interior design jobs to a few per year, she spends a lot of her time styling listed properties and has also created a genius styling service called the Hour of Power.  In this hour, Ali’s clients utilise her styling expertise for an area of the home they want to improve.  In this episode, Ali shares 5 tips on simple things anyone can do to give their home a refresh.  She focuses on low budget ideas that will really change a space to help it flow and look amazing.  She even mentions Ikea hacking.

Ali loves working to a low budget because the financial constraint necessitates the need for more creativity and thinking outside the box.  Some people don’t need their entire house overhauled, they might just really benefit from professional insight. Sometimes an extra set of eyes is all we need, although we do discuss the complications when we have too many friends and family members weighing in on styling ideas (no mum, we don’t want curtains made from old doilies).

Tune in to this episode to hear Ali’s fantastic tips and give them a crack!  Your home will be spick and span in no time.