While it’s always a good thing to be up to date with the latest design trends, it’s another thing altogether to be a slave to them. The key to creating a home that reflects your personality and feels liveable is to avoid anything too ‘matchy-matchy’ and explore the amazingly fresh effect mixing materials, colours and textures can have in your home.

More and more we are seeing interior designs that use a mix of contrasting trends. Whether it’s a subtle or striking contrast, this concept delivers a delightfully unexpected look and provides depth and dimension to a space.

This blog was written by guest blogger and Design School founder Jenna Densten.

In all our renovations, including our not-so-huge (think tiny) cottage, I’ve always adopted the theory that lighting, texture and colour are the three most important design elements to consider if you’re looking to create a feeling of space and continuity.

The Naturals trend
I’ve always been a huge fan of the Naturals trend

Who would have thought a home smack bang on Sydney harbour would be unsellable! But that was the case in this week’s episode of Foxtel’s Selling Houses Australia when Shaynna, Charlie and Andrew were faced with transforming a run-down disaster in Balmain East into a home worthy of the multi-million-dollar views.

The challenge
Would you pay $4 million for a 2-bedroom home with one tiny bathroom? Neither would anyone else as Fran and Fred discovered. While the house had magnificent harbour views, the restrictive heritage listing and half-finished renovations turned buyers off.

“Hey Google, turn my house into a buyer’s dream!”
With its heritage listing, Shaynna had to work with the original blueprint of the house. Using a Google Home Mini

While we see a lot of interior design focused on a neutral palette, there’s a lot to be said for stepping out of the box with rich and decadent interiors that embrace your senses with vibrant colours and a feeling of olde-world glamour.

The Art Deco style that came to the fore in the 1920’s was all about luxury and sophistication, and it certainly didn’t hold back when it came to mixing bold colours and exuberant geometric design pieces.

When the bones of a house are good, but it feels soulless and unloved, a cosmetic makeover can work wonders. In this week’s episode of Foxtel’s Selling House Australia, Shaynna, Charlie and Andrew restored an old country homestead in the rural suburb of Lewiston, South Australia to its former glory.

The challenge
For 18 years, Donyal had loved living in her big old home set on 2.1 acres. Although she was determined to stay in the house, the mortgage repayments proved too much, and she was forced to put her beloved home up for sale. With a drab unappealing interior, buyers were instantly put off by the amount of work required to bring the house up to scratch.

How simple styling tricks can turn instantly modernise a space
While this house had good bone structure, 90’s flooring, chunky furniture and big bare spaces made it feel soulless and uninviting.

Shaynna started by replacing all the flooring with both carpet and w

NATURALS
Sustainability is much more than a buzzword; it’s a lifestyle that looks to more natural, handmade pieces and organic shapes.

Woven natural fibres such as wicker and rattan in lighting is gaining more and more momentum, as people strive to a

Cast yourself in a better light with better fixtures in your bathroom and our expert tips for choosing vanity lighting. 

Our lighting specialists have put together the most commonly made – and easily avoided – mistakes to keep in mind before upgrading your LEDs.

We’ll let you in on a little secret. Living in a space that looks luxurious and ‘expensive’ can actually be easy to achieve without breaking your budget.

Choosing the right lighting has a huge impact on how your home looks and feels, and it only takes a few key pieces to up the wow factor. Adding a new pendant to a room can give the appearance of a designer home.

We’ve put together 3 of our favourite budget-friendly tricks interior designers use to create luxurious looking spaces.

1. Cluster pendants togethe