Inspiration

This season of House Rules has kicked off with a surprise win from first-time renovators (and surfer sisters!) Mikaela & Eliza, who impressed the judges with their amazing bedroom.

Tasked with turning a run-down warehouse house into a colourful, contemporary space in just 3 days, all the new couples got off to flying start.

On-trend black featured in all the rooms, with our Panorama pendant and Nevada

As Charles and Dale discovered in this week’s episode of Selling Houses Australia, sometimes location isn’t everything, with their multimillion-dollar home in the prestige Sydney suburb of Pymble sitting on the market for over a year.

The challenge
Everything about this 100-year old home was a huge problem, with a rabbit warren of small rooms, jungle garden and outdated interior. Shaynna, Charlie and Andrew had to pull out all the stops to bring this Pymble palace up to scratch.

Goodbye walls, hello harmonious living
Shaynna went to work knocking down walls in the kitchen, living room, bathroom and master suite to create a stunning open plan living space.

Both the timber kitchen and dated living room were transformed into one amazing space with new timber flooring, fresh white cabinetry and statement lighting. Using our Esther pen

From simple 70’s shack to grand contemporary homestead, Beacon Lighting has been super proud to play our part in this incredible transformation from one of The Block’s most popular couples, Dea & Darren.

Renowned for their work in period homes, this reno gave them the chance to explore a more industrial barn look.

Dining room
Taking a cue from the beach location, a cluster of our coastal-inspired Herman pendants at different heights provided a stunning centrepiece over the dining table.

We’re not even half way through the new smash hit series of Foxtel’s Selling Houses Australia, but we’ve been so inspired by the transformations, we just had to share our favourites so far.

Episode 1: Normanhurst, NSW
Presented with a dark and depressing dwelling dedicated to cats, the team’s only option was to take a sledgehammer to the walls to open the house up.

What Shaynna did
Completely removing all the existing cabinetry and starting with a blank canvas helped Shaynna create a bright open plan family space overlooking the rear garden. Our Marcel pendant in smoked glass used over the large island bench zoned added drama to the neutral palette. The adjoining living room fe

Quirky styling and off-beat art may be cool, but unfortunately, it’s not a great idea when you’re trying to sell your home. In this week’s episode of Foxtel’s Selling Houses Australia, Shaynna, Charlie and Andrew had to convince a real estate agent in Inverloch Victoria that her unique style might not be a match for buyers.

The challenge
Yes, you can have too much timber! This house was filled with timber beams and high wooden ceilings which made it feel dark and dated. Coupled with leaky skylights, mad mosaic flooring and chunky architecture, even Fleur’s real estate credentials didn’t help find a buyer.

Before:

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