How To Renovate

Hello! 
And welcome to 2025! 

I’m not usually one for New Years’ resolutions, but I do love the feeling of a fresh start that January brings (although I don’t so much love the London weather!) 
Maybe this year your goal or resolution is to finally sort your home that may be driving you crazy! But perhaps you feel a bit overwhelmed about where or how to start? 
Don’t worry - you’re in the right place! Join me inside this episode for 6 ways you can get started and get motivated to finally take that step towards that home renovation you’ve been dreaming of. 

So hit play and let’s get going on making 2025 the year your dream home makes it into reality!

Masterclasses mentioned in this episode
How To Create Strategic & Intentional Style Boards
How To Draw Easy Scaled Floor Plans

Also Mentioned:
RenoVersity

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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

Is your compact bathroom in need of a makeover? Discover the secrets to transforming even the tiniest spaces into stylish sanctuaries that prioritize both form and function. This episode sheds light on innovative design strategies perfect for space-constrained environments like London's bustling metropolis. From clever storage solutions such as recessed niches and flush medicine cabinets to the illusionary magic of floating fixtures, we unpack the essentials for a sleek and spacious feel. Get ready to revolutionize your bathroom with vertical storage tips and over-the-door options that keep your sanctuary clutter-free and organized.

We also guide you through our comprehensive five-pillar renovation process, tailored to ensure a seamless transformation of your space. By the end of this episode, you'll be armed with practical insights and a treasure trove of free resources available at southplacestudiocom. Whether it's planning permission, kitchen design, or lighting expertise you seek, our curated guides are here to support every step of your renovation journey. Let us empower you with the knowledge to craft a bathroom that is not only functional but also a reflection of your, sophisticated style.

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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

This week on the podcast, I’m doing something a little different, usually I’m talking about renovating your home to make it the best, most functional sanctuary for you and your family, but this week’s episode is all about renovating to sell. 

If you’re renovating a property, but you know it’s not your forever home, then this is a good one to listen to. It’s filled with tips and advice for when you’re renovating, but selling up is on on the horizon. 

I cover the 8 things that have helped me achieve the highest sale price on the street for all the properties I’ve bought, renovated and sold so far.

From knowing your target demographic to renovating intentionally and cleverly spending the budget in the correct areas, its all inside!  

Hit play to discover how a well-thought-out renovation can boost your home's market appeal and value.

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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

It’s officially the first week of the silly season 😬
An exciting and busy time of year where you’re just trying to create a little magic (right?!) on top of all the extra socialising and chores at home 
(mammas, I hear ya!)

If your home’s not quite yet ready to welcome guests amidst the December chaos, I’ve compiled my 7 Top Tips to help you be the host with the most, whilst still having time to spend relaxing moments with your guests.

If you want to actually enjoy time with your guests – not rushing about hosting 24/7, then check out this episode. 

It’s packed with time-saving advice to help you glide through this this festive season with ease 💅

Hit play, and 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

Are you ready for a masterclass in colour? 
This week, I was lucky enough to interview Francesca Wezel, the founder of Francesca’s Paints. Francesca’s Paints was started in November 1996 and is one of the first eco-friendly paint companies in the UK. Francesca swapped her musical ambitions for a passion for colors after a serendipitous encounter in Australia, transforming her life and career. Her story is a testament to following your passion and embracing unexpected opportunities, as she shares how her love for yoga and travels through India have inspired many of her unique color collections.

Francesca has a true talent for making and combining colours and textures, and colour matching. Since discovering her passion  for paint, she’s travelled the world looking for colours, their origins and their uses.

For this interview I visited Francesca in her London workshop, a wonderfully creative space. An artisan, an expert in her field, and a story teller, I just love just how Francesca talks about her work. Her passion is infectious and her stories captivating and she’s always championing women in her unique way – through colour.

In this episode we explore the emotional connections people form with color, and how these hues can transform the ambiance of a home. Francesca offers a tonne of valuable insights on selecting colours for your home that resonate personally, emphasising the importance of trusting instincts over trends. 

This episode holds a wealth of inspiration and guidance for anyone looking to bring color into their home!

Learn more about Francesca’s Paints:
Instagram: @francescaspaintsltd 
Website: francescaspaint.com

Other episodes mentioned: EP30 Should You Ask Other People’s Opinions On Your Reno?

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

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

It’s quite a special day for me today - I have been working on creating this online renovation course for over a year. And finally in this episode, I get to tell you ALL about it because RenoVersity is launching for the first time in January, and the waitlist is now OPEN! 


GET ON THE WAITLIST HERE: https://www.southplacestudio.com/renoversity
 
If you’re a busy home owner who’s frustrated and fed-up with your current home, and you’ve been dying to renovate to make it a more functional and beautiful place, then imagine having the tools to create a place that supports the busy lives of you and your family, where you can all thrive and enjoy time together. 

Imagine if you could have the advice, support, skills (and trade discounts!) of a Renovation Consultant and an Interior Designer to guide you through your renovation? Imagine a home renovation course that gives you the confidence and knowledge to manage your renovation like a pro -  saving you frustration, money and time. That’s what I’ve created RenoVersity to be. Having good knowledge of the renovation process is one of the first, and most important steps to starting your exciting home renovation. 

With the wisdom and hard-earned knowledge from my many years of interior design and renovation consultancy experience, I developed my Five-Pillar Process to a Successful Renovation that's been the bedrock of my many successful property makeovers, for both myself, and for my clients. And this course is taught within that exact 5 Pillar Framework: Planning, Preparation, People and Perfecting. RenoVersity is jam-packed with content and resources like video lessons, calculators, cheat sheets and templates, that will help you make your home renovation a successful one. Over my many years in this world, I’ve seen people really struggle with renovating, in so many ways, and that’s why I’ve created this course, it will help because your entire project with be less stressful, your budget and your time line will be more realistic, your relationships with your team will be better, you will make fewer expensive mistakes, but most importantly, your home will be just as you want it, and I’ll be there to hold your hand throughout! 

I can’t wait to get started on your dream home with you!

You can find out ALL about RenoVersity in this episode, and if you have any questions, would like to tell me about your own renovation struggles, or even if you have any lesson suggestions for the course, please get in touch!

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

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

 The addiction they don’t talk about - Interior Doom Scrolling!

I know, I know, it’s all very nice and ‘inspirational’ to spend hours drooling over other people’s homes on Pinterest and Instagram, trying to imagine what your home renovation could one day become.
I’ve been there… you look up your from your phone and an hour and a half has passed…  I mean, who knew drug dealer Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad would grow up to have SUCH good taste!? 

But here's the truth: too many options, and too much inspiration can stall your renovation progress. In this episode I’ll chat about how overwhelm and design fatigue can creep in when faced with a sea of endless Pinterest images. The dreaded paralysis by analysis, where overthinking every choice can grind your project to a halt. 
And too many options can cause overwhelm, resulting in inconsistency and making it  difficult to communicate your design vision with your team.

Tune in and stay to the end for The Fix;  practical advice on narrowing your focus to a few key inspirations and empowering you to make confident decisions and move forward seamlessly with your home reno project

Other episodes mentioned:
EP28 How To Avoid Decision Fatigue

Masterclass mentioned:
MASTERCLASS How To Create Strategic and Intentional Style Boards

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

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

Cowboy. Builders. 🤠

Two words I hear every time when talking to future renovators about their top worries about starting a project. 

So this weeks’ episode is here to help with that, it promises to arm you with the knowledge to identify those sneaky red flags that could save you from costly and frustrating renovation disasters. 

Inside I’ll cover 7 Red Flags you should have your eyes wide open to before hiring a contractor or builder. Including: 

1. Lack of Proper Licensing and Insurance
2. Lack of Detail On Quote Or Project Spec
3. Reluctant To Provide A Contract
4. Unable To Provide Any References
5. Unusually Low Bid
6. Poor Communication and Unresponsiveness
7. Insists On A Large Upfront Payment

From the importance of detailed quotes to trusting your gut, I cover it all. I’ve heard some sad and very upsetting stories over the years on this topic so this episode has always been in the making – please listen or revisit it before you start any reno project.

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

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

Hello and Happy Halloween!

This week, as it’s my 31st episode and we are in Halloween week, I’m taking you back to some of my own Renovation Horror Stories! 

Join me inside as I recount some of the scariest, hairiest times during my 16 years of renovating. From collapsing foundations to nosy neighbours and surprise pregnancies, it’s all in there - and as always, I treat you to some tips on how to deal with all the tricky situations.

I’ll see you inside to share my reno horrors and to help you avoid your own! 

Other Episodes mentioned:
Episode 1 common renovation regrets and concerns
Episode 4, 5 important things to do before you start your renovation
Episode 19, 7 things you can do to prep for your build
Episode 21, 6 things you can do to reduce stress during the construction phase
Episode 27, How to avoid delays onsite
Episode 6, 5 questions to ask to find the right builder

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

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

Have you ever asked someone’s opinion on something and then regretted it? Me too. It can get awkward.

When it comes to something as big (and as expensive) as a home renovation, you’ll want to make sure that you’re asking the right people for their input. Mayyyybeeee NOT Mary* in accounts whose home you’ve never laid an eye on before. I find that when people discover you’re renovating, SO many are willing to add their advice and opinions, all usually well-meaning and with good intentions, but you’ll need to know who to listen to, and who to just smile and nod along to.  

In this weeks’ episode of How To Renovate I’m helping you filter through advice and decide whose input to take on board. 
And this is the controversial bit, sometimes it’s not the architect. 😬
 
 Come and listen in, I talk through why the above is true, and I also share some key questions to ponder rather than opening the floodgates to outside opinions. 

Whether you're feeling overwhelmed by choices or just seeking some reassurance in your decisions, I hope this episode will give you insight and confidence to keep your project grounded in your vision for your dream home.

*Names have been changed 😂

🖤 Tash

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

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