The Blog

“It creates so much ease of living without too much maintenance.” Photo: The Guthrie Project   What on earth could be better than lounging around some gorgeous open-air pool or lingering over a dinner under the stars at a beautiful holiday resort? That’s easy: having those lovely outdoor spaces at home. The pandemic crashing into […]

After a record-smashing Australian Open, tennis is enjoying a resurgence of popularity throughout the country, and homes with their own tennis courts are proving the big winners. The first Grand Slam of the year saw well over 800,000 people physically come through the gates and millions more watch on TV, while tennis participation rates have […]

You’ve created or upgraded the outdoor space to extend your home and enjoy the great outdoors. What now? How do you decorate the area outside but adjacent to your home? Here, we look at 18 different scenarios from beautiful alfresco areas around the world to see how people approach their decks, balconies and outdoor rooms. […]

Home buyers have been splashing out: a swimming pool can add hundreds of thousands of dollars in value to a home, agents say. Pools are in hot demand among young families looking to upgrade their homes since the pandemic hit, but they are not for every buyer type or suited to all properties.   Swimming […]

One of the best things about owning property is the equity that is built up over time, creating a valuable resource for future investment, household expenses or your retirement. Here we explain what equity is, and the most common ways people use the equity in their home.   What is equity? Equity is the difference […]

Never before have Australians’ homes worked so hard. In 2020, they became offices, gyms, virtual social meeting places, schools and entertainment hubs. All that time at home highlighted the importance of how we feel when we are home, and just how well those homes meet our evolving needs. In the year to come, more Australians […]

For something that was once dotted around the house by many of us without much thought besides the odd splash of water, plants have certainly gained popularity in recent years. No longer serving as idle greenery, plants are now part of the family, with “babies” just one of the terms of endearment we’ve bestowed upon […]

Each December, the go-to global colour authority Pantone releases its colour (or colours) of the year. For 2021, The Pantone Colour Institute announced that two shades, Ultimate Grey and Illuminating (a bright yellow), will be the hues that shape our design and fashion choices. But take heed – there’s no need to toss that khaki bedspread […]

There’s something about the flip of a calendar page that makes us want to reinvent ourselves – and our homes. And having spent more time indoors this past year, fittingly we’ve turned our attention inwards – to transform where we live. We asked the experts – interior designers, stylists, architects, real estate agents and more […]

A clear lesson from the many conversations across fencelines, waves from porches, teddy bears in windows and chalk art on footpaths is the need for our cities to better embrace edge spaces between private property and the public realm. These edge spaces, such as porches, balconies, front boundaries and footpaths, have been key to maintaining […]

Romantics are often accused of seeing the world through rose-coloured glasses. Though arguably, they may have the best view of all. Let’s look at how to design a garden that satisfies the spirit of the romantic.   Design Focus International   1. Create a private entrance The romantic garden is not open to everyone. Unlike […]

Preventing the spread of Covid-19 forced many of us to isolate in our homes, where private space – indoor and outdoor – became valuable and a privilege. Indeed, as urban areas become more crowded due to population growth and increasing development, private outdoor spaces become more elusive. Urban Oasis: Tranquil Outdoor Spaces at Home, written by […]

Fences are used to provide security, delineate between boundaries and entice you into the garden to see what lies beyond. Depending on the purpose of your fence, there are, however, many more options than the humble timber-paling fence. Fencing plays an integral part in both garden design and architecture, and there are now shapes, sizes, […]

In this practical series, we ask experts to answer your burning design and decorating questions. Here, Steve Warner, award-winning landscape designer at Outhouse Design, shares his top tips for concealing or detracting attention from a less-than-perfect garden wall.   OUTHOUSE design   An ugly fence or retaining wall can really detract from the look of a gorgeous garden. The last […]

Here are 12 ideas to set up your garden to spend less time weeding, mowing and mulching, and more time enjoying the space itself.   Amy Martin Landscape Design 1. Create outdoor living areas Extend your living space and options for entertaining in warm weather with outdoor dining areas, lounges and seating nooks around fire pits. Patios, […]

Are you sitting down? You might want to before you scroll through this collection of 19 indoor-outdoor bedrooms. Better yet, lie back and get comfortable, because after you’ve seen these spaces you’ll enter dreamland.   Griffin Enright Architects 1. Outdoors in. Los Angeles, USA Designer: Griffin Enright Architects   MW|Works Architecture+Design 2. Slumber sanctuary. Seattle, USA Designer: MW Works […]

In our previous 4 videos, we have taught you how to achieve a glorious green lawn this summer. Now it’s time to learn what you need to do to keep it looking top notch. Learn the 6 key rules to ensure you’re adding extra value to your life and extra value to your home.  

Summer is here, the cicadas are out and it is time for the 4th lawn care tip with our lawn guru Nathan from Vanderlands. Top dressing is a fast and easy process that will avoid those ankle breaking undulations and ensure all the water and nutrients get to the root zone, delivering you an even more […]

Watch to learn 3 easy to action tips for mowing your lawn with the lawn legend Nathan from Vanderlands. Get this step right and your lawn will be the envy of your neighbours this summer.  

First impressions are everything and a great lawn and garden can add $15,000 or more to the value of your home. Watch Lawn Tip 2, with the lawn pro Nathan from Vanderlands, on how you the home gardener should be fertilising to achieve the best lawn in your street this summer.