How To Renovate

In this episode I talk about art adds personality, depth, and soul to your home, and how it can be a powerful guiding force when planning your interiors too. 

I unpack how to plan for art early on in your renovation—from considering sight lines and lighting, to using art to influence colour palettes, textures and floor plans.

We’ll also cover how to add sentimental pieces, and how to find something unique that doesn’t break the bank. And at the end there are some quick tips on how to place and hang art confidently in your home. 

I hope this episode will inspire you to bring more joy, story, and soul into your space—through art that truly reflects you.

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PLEASE CAST YOUR KIND VOTES HERE!
This podcast has been shortlisted for a UFurnish Home Award in the Best Interior Content Creator Category.
https://homeawards.ufurnish.com/2026/en/page/vote?nomination=9fce-tash-south 

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Hi, I’m Tash South — interior designer, renovation consultant, and founder of South Place Studio.

In this podcast, I share practical renovation advice, along with deeper insights into home and belonging.

If you’d like more resources and support, head to:
https://www.southplacestudio.com/freebies

If you’re navigating your own renovation, my RenoVersity programme offers a structured, guided and thoughtful approach to renovating with clarity, confidence and intention https://www.southplacestudio.com/renoversity

Or if you want to get social, you can find us here:
Instagram: @southplacestudio
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/south-place-studio
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/southplacestudio

Today I share the renovation mistakes you don’t know you’re making – until it’s too late.

I'm going to help you avoid those mistakes that I find people find out just a little bit too late. They've spent years thinking about their renovation, they've spent months and months carrying out their renovation, only to move into their finished home and find that a few things are just not quite right. 

So, today's episode is dedicated to helping you spot and think about those small decisions, that end up having a big impact on how your home functions, feels and flows.

Listen now and save yourself the heartbreak later 💔

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PLEASE CAST YOUR KIND VOTES HERE!
This podcast has been shortlisted for a UFurnish Home Award in the Best Interior Content Creator Category.
https://homeawards.ufurnish.com/2026/en/page/vote?nomination=9fce-tash-south 

*******************

Hi, I’m Tash South — interior designer, renovation consultant, and founder of South Place Studio.

In this podcast, I share practical renovation advice, along with deeper insights into home and belonging.

If you’d like more resources and support, head to:
https://www.southplacestudio.com/freebies

If you’re navigating your own renovation, my RenoVersity programme offers a structured, guided and thoughtful approach to renovating with clarity, confidence and intention https://www.southplacestudio.com/renoversity

Or if you want to get social, you can find us here:
Instagram: @southplacestudio
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/south-place-studio
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/southplacestudio

Sometimes in renovation, you hit a wall—literally. Whether it's a support column smack in the middle of your open-plan dream, or a chimney stack that you just can’t remove… every home has its quirks. But here's the thing: some of those stubborn features can be opportunities in disguise.

In this episode I’m walking you through how to reframe those unchangeable features—the ones that can’t be moved or removed—and turn them into standout elements of your design. Stick with me here - with some clever tricks like tricking the eye and custom joinery you can turn those problems into stunning solutions.

Inside I chat about some creative design solutions for columns, bulkheads, low ceilings, and awkward windows and how colour, light and texture can help hide or highlight the right features

So if you’re  feeling stuck, hit play, this episode is your permission slip to get creative. Sometimes the flaw is the feature!

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PLEASE CAST YOUR KIND VOTES HERE!
This podcast has been shortlisted for a UFurnish Home Award in the Best Interior Content Creator Category.
https://homeawards.ufurnish.com/2026/en/page/vote?nomination=9fce-tash-south 

*******************

Hi, I’m Tash South — interior designer, renovation consultant, and founder of South Place Studio.

In this podcast, I share practical renovation advice, along with deeper insights into home and belonging.

If you’d like more resources and support, head to:
https://www.southplacestudio.com/freebies

If you’re navigating your own renovation, my RenoVersity programme offers a structured, guided and thoughtful approach to renovating with clarity, confidence and intention https://www.southplacestudio.com/renoversity

Or if you want to get social, you can find us here:
Instagram: @southplacestudio
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/south-place-studio
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/southplacestudio

In this episode of How To Renovate, I’m helping you see around corners when it comes to your renovation budget. It's so easy to focus on the big, shiny items like kitchens and bathrooms — but what about the hidden costs that quietly creep up on you? Today, we dive into the often-overlooked expenses that can derail your project if you're not prepared, from the real costs of late-stage changes to sneaky permit fees and unexpected accommodation costs. Grab a pen and paper, because this is one episode you'll want to 
take notes on! 

In this episode, amonst many other things! I cover an example of the cost of making changes once work is underway — and why it's so expensive, and how creeping costs like taxes, permits, insurance, and even parking can blow your budget.

Resources Mentioned:

• Episode 17: How to Get More Accurate Builder Quotes
• My Free Renovation Resources
• The Five Pillar Process for Successful Renovations

Loved this episode? Please share it with anyone you know who's planning a renovation — it might just save them thousands! And don't forget to leave a rating or review if you found it helpful. Your support helps more renovators find us. 

I’ll see you inside!

*******************

PLEASE CAST YOUR KIND VOTES HERE!
This podcast has been shortlisted for a UFurnish Home Award in the Best Interior Content Creator Category.
https://homeawards.ufurnish.com/2026/en/page/vote?nomination=9fce-tash-south 

*******************

Hi, I’m Tash South — interior designer, renovation consultant, and founder of South Place Studio.

In this podcast, I share practical renovation advice, along with deeper insights into home and belonging.

If you’d like more resources and support, head to:
https://www.southplacestudio.com/freebies

If you’re navigating your own renovation, my RenoVersity programme offers a structured, guided and thoughtful approach to renovating with clarity, confidence and intention https://www.southplacestudio.com/renoversity

Or if you want to get social, you can find us here:
Instagram: @southplacestudio
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/south-place-studio
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/southplacestudio

Light isn't just about brightening a space, it fundamentally transforms how we feel in our homes. When you walk into a light-filled room, there's an immediate sense of warmth and energy that simply can't be replicated with artificial lighting.

In this episode I share a personal experience of how dramatically different educational environments—one dark and oppressive, one flooded with natural light—shaped my understanding of how buildings affect our emotional state. When I think back to it, this early awareness really formed the foundation of my approach to using light as a tool in renovation. Light shouldn't be a luxury or an afterthought, it should be prioritised in every project.

Whether you're planning a complete renovation or looking for simpler improvements, this episode explores practical solutions to bring more light into your home. 

So join me inside where I chat through some tips like adding strategic roof lights, stealing borrowed light, and more.
Your home should support your well-being and form the framework for your busy life, and by understanding the power of light and implementing some of these strategies, you can create a home that energises and restores.

I’ll see you there!

*******************

PLEASE CAST YOUR KIND VOTES HERE!
This podcast has been shortlisted for a UFurnish Home Award in the Best Interior Content Creator Category.
https://homeawards.ufurnish.com/2026/en/page/vote?nomination=9fce-tash-south 

*******************

Hi, I’m Tash South — interior designer, renovation consultant, and founder of South Place Studio.

In this podcast, I share practical renovation advice, along with deeper insights into home and belonging.

If you’d like more resources and support, head to:
https://www.southplacestudio.com/freebies

If you’re navigating your own renovation, my RenoVersity programme offers a structured, guided and thoughtful approach to renovating with clarity, confidence and intention https://www.southplacestudio.com/renoversity

Or if you want to get social, you can find us here:
Instagram: @southplacestudio
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/south-place-studio
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/southplacestudio

Do you ever open your wardrobe and feel instantly… annoyed?

Overflowing drawers, crammed rails, mystery piles of socks — we’ve all been there. But here’s the thing: wardrobe storage doesn’t have to be a daily frustration. In this week’s episode of How To Renovate, I’m sharing my go-to strategies for designing wardrobe storage that actually works.

This episode is full of practical tips I use with clients all the time.

Inside I share how to work out exactly how much space you need, clever layout tips, and how to make it beautiful, not just functional.

Whether you’re planning a full renovation or just rethinking your current setup, this one’s for you. Because starting your day with a wardrobe that works? Total game-changer!

I’ll see you there!

*******************

PLEASE CAST YOUR KIND VOTES HERE!
This podcast has been shortlisted for a UFurnish Home Award in the Best Interior Content Creator Category.
https://homeawards.ufurnish.com/2026/en/page/vote?nomination=9fce-tash-south 

*******************

Hi, I’m Tash South — interior designer, renovation consultant, and founder of South Place Studio.

In this podcast, I share practical renovation advice, along with deeper insights into home and belonging.

If you’d like more resources and support, head to:
https://www.southplacestudio.com/freebies

If you’re navigating your own renovation, my RenoVersity programme offers a structured, guided and thoughtful approach to renovating with clarity, confidence and intention https://www.southplacestudio.com/renoversity

Or if you want to get social, you can find us here:
Instagram: @southplacestudio
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/south-place-studio
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/southplacestudio

What makes a house truly feel like home? Beyond beautiful furniture and perfect paint colors lies something more profound – the personal stories woven into your living space. 

Taking inspiration from a recent client project where we've moved beyond renovation to thoughtfully selecting meaningful objects, this episode explores why surrounding yourself with items that tell your story creates a deeper connection to your space. Your identity is essentially a collection of stories, and bringing elements from your past, travels, and meaningful experiences into your home reflects who you truly are.

These story-rich items serve multiple purposes. They're natural conversation starters, as I discovered when my husband displayed Andreas Gursky's swimming pool photographs that captivate every visitor. They trigger positive emotions daily, with research suggesting people who display family photos live happier lives. And in today's uncertain world, they remind us to treasure our safe havens and the memories they protect.

The beauty of this approach? Creating a story-filled home doesn't require significant expense. From travel souvenirs to simple photo prints in nice frames, what matters is the meaning behind each piece. Your home becomes a visual autobiography, filled with reminders of special moments, cherished relationships, and personal values.

Ready to transform your space with meaningful touches? Listen for practical ideas to create a home that truly tells your unique story. And don't forget to check out our free renovation resources at southplacestudio.com/freebies to support your journey toward creating a deeply personal home.

*******************

PLEASE CAST YOUR KIND VOTES HERE!
This podcast has been shortlisted for a UFurnish Home Award in the Best Interior Content Creator Category.
https://homeawards.ufurnish.com/2026/en/page/vote?nomination=9fce-tash-south 

*******************

Hi, I’m Tash South — interior designer, renovation consultant, and founder of South Place Studio.

In this podcast, I share practical renovation advice, along with deeper insights into home and belonging.

If you’d like more resources and support, head to:
https://www.southplacestudio.com/freebies

If you’re navigating your own renovation, my RenoVersity programme offers a structured, guided and thoughtful approach to renovating with clarity, confidence and intention https://www.southplacestudio.com/renoversity

Or if you want to get social, you can find us here:
Instagram: @southplacestudio
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/south-place-studio
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/southplacestudio

This is the 50th episode of How To Renovate. When I started the podcast, back in February 2024, the idea was to  focus on short informative episodes about the renovation process. And although I’ve mainly stuck to that, I’ve also found so much joy in interviewing some incredible people and exploring just how much our homes mean to us.

Our homes are powerful, they can either support our needs, daily lives and our well-being, or they do not. 
Home is more than just four walls, it’s what happens inside. This episode was quite a difficult one for me. I decided to turn off the video and just reflect and talk freely as if I was having a coffee with a close friend, about what home means to me.  As many of our lovely listeners know by now, I grew up in Cape Town, South Africa during the apartheid era and this means that I have many complicated feelings of what home means, especially home as a country.  What our feelings of home are, how those feelings are formed during childhood, and the related shame that often comes with that, is a subject that has always fascinated me, and in this episode I explore my own. 

This week’s episode is deeply personal. I’ve opened up about something I’ve never fully shared before—the shame I carried growing up under apartheid in South Africa, and how that experience shaped my relationship with home.

But, as adults, when we finally get to create our own spaces, we often don’t realise how much of our childhood we’re still carrying with us—and how making our own homes can help to heal that shame. For me, it’s been taking the feeling of not belonging that has roots that stretch far back, across continents and decades, and with quiet rebellion and intentional creation, turning that into what people who looked like me weren’t allowed to have, into the home I’ve built today.

So join me inside to explore how home can be a space for reclaiming worth, safety, and identity. I speak about  ways we can begin to heal childhood shame through the way we design and care for our homes—by prioritising self-expression, comfort, security, and making space for connection and joy.

Whether or not you’ve experienced trauma or displacement, I truly believe we all carry pieces of our past into the homes we create. 

If this resonates with you in any way, grab that coffee and hit play. 

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PLEASE CAST YOUR KIND VOTES HERE!
This podcast has been shortlisted for a UFurnish Home Award in the Best Interior Content Creator Category.
https://homeawards.ufurnish.com/2026/en/page/vote?nomination=9fce-tash-south 

*******************

Hi, I’m Tash South — interior designer, renovation consultant, and founder of South Place Studio.

In this podcast, I share practical renovation advice, along with deeper insights into home and belonging.

If you’d like more resources and support, head to:
https://www.southplacestudio.com/freebies

If you’re navigating your own renovation, my RenoVersity programme offers a structured, guided and thoughtful approach to renovating with clarity, confidence and intention https://www.southplacestudio.com/renoversity

Or if you want to get social, you can find us here:
Instagram: @southplacestudio
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/south-place-studio
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/southplacestudio

Renovation inspiration doesn’t always have to come from a screen. It doesn't have to come from Pinterest and Instagram and TV, useful as they may be sometimes!

In this episode, I want to help you explore other places and ways to get that inspiration for your home.

Seeing something on a screen and trying to copy it can look, well, copied. I find that best design ideas come from unexpected places, and sometimes the smallest things can spark the best ideas.

So let’s get into it and look more closely at the things we experience, the tiny details we overlook, and the moments that make us feel something. Let’s look beyond the usual sources.

Finding your unique design and personality for your home amid the endless scroll of perfectly curated Instagram feeds and Pinterest boards can feel impossible. But hit play to find out where to look to find those little details that may just spark the big idea to bring your personality in your home design.
 
 Join me inside for tips on creating a rich, layered home that suits you!
 
 Ready to discover what inspires you? I’ll see you inside!

*******************

PLEASE CAST YOUR KIND VOTES HERE!
This podcast has been shortlisted for a UFurnish Home Award in the Best Interior Content Creator Category.
https://homeawards.ufurnish.com/2026/en/page/vote?nomination=9fce-tash-south 

*******************

Hi, I’m Tash South — interior designer, renovation consultant, and founder of South Place Studio.

In this podcast, I share practical renovation advice, along with deeper insights into home and belonging.

If you’d like more resources and support, head to:
https://www.southplacestudio.com/freebies

If you’re navigating your own renovation, my RenoVersity programme offers a structured, guided and thoughtful approach to renovating with clarity, confidence and intention https://www.southplacestudio.com/renoversity

Or if you want to get social, you can find us here:
Instagram: @southplacestudio
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/south-place-studio
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/southplacestudio

What makes a home truly special? It's not the magnolia walls or the  generic fixtures that developers often choose to please everyone—and ends  up inspiring no one!

Whether you're renovating to stay or planning to  sell later, the "vanilla renovation" approach robs your space of the very thing that makes a house feel like a home: personality.

Join  me inside as I make the case against soulless renovations and share ways for creating spaces with character, that will still appeal to future buyers. 

We explore the balance between timeless  foundations and bold accents, examining how thoughtful material  selections can elevate  your home, but without risking resale value. 
Contrary to what seems to be the common developer mindset, homes with personality often command higher prices and attract more interested buyers. 

I chat about how you can add your own DNA into the design with confidence, but still maintain that balance, and how neutral doesn't have to mean magnolia or white. 
I also share my own adventures in painting an entire living room (ceiling included)  black!

Hit play to break free from the developer mindset that results in forgettable  spaces.
I’ll see you inside!

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PLEASE CAST YOUR KIND VOTES HERE!
This podcast has been shortlisted for a UFurnish Home Award in the Best Interior Content Creator Category.
https://homeawards.ufurnish.com/2026/en/page/vote?nomination=9fce-tash-south 

*******************

Hi, I’m Tash South — interior designer, renovation consultant, and founder of South Place Studio.

In this podcast, I share practical renovation advice, along with deeper insights into home and belonging.

If you’d like more resources and support, head to:
https://www.southplacestudio.com/freebies

If you’re navigating your own renovation, my RenoVersity programme offers a structured, guided and thoughtful approach to renovating with clarity, confidence and intention https://www.southplacestudio.com/renoversity

Or if you want to get social, you can find us here:
Instagram: @southplacestudio
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/south-place-studio
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/southplacestudio