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Get ahead of the curve by dipping your brush into 2020’s most coveted colours Photo: Annie Sloan

Vibrant yellow and mustard

Why: “Yellow is so uplifting,” says Brown. “I love dirty mustard tones with pale timbers and concrete.”

Where: Yellow works anywhere and suits all furniture, artwork, and decor. It even works in kids’ bedrooms for a space they won’t outgrow. “It’s fabulous with tarnished brass bathroom fittings,” says Brown. “Or layer with blues, pinks and whites in the bedroom.”

We love: Dulux Dandelion Yellow, British Paints Yellow Mania, Porters Paints Amber.

Expert tip:  “Mustard takes neutrals one step further in terms of depth,” says Brown. “It’s the perfect addition if your palette is looking bland.”

When the correct tones are applied, this is a palette that can be applied inside and out with ease. Photo: Felix Forest

Greige

Why:  With grey on the wane, the combination of grey and beige provides fresh sophistication. “Greige evokes calm and stillness,” says designer Madeleine Blanchfield. “It’s subtle but gives the impression a space has been thoughtfully decorated. It’s warm without being overwhelming.”

Where: Greige looks beautiful with classic white trims or applied from top-to-bottom for real luxury. “It’s the perfect neutral and foil to add colour to,” says Sloan. “It works in most rooms and looks brilliant with reds, pinks and greens. It sits elegantly in the background, allowing colours to pop out from it.”

We love: Porters Paint in Grey Pepper, Chalk Paint in Country Grey

Expert Tip: “Taking photos of the beach and gardens allows us to pick colours within the greige spectrum,” says Blanchfield. “We use these natural tones to find a closer match in different paint ranges.”

A wash of mauve, rose, blush or mint adds colour and whimsy. Photo: Robert Walsh

Earthy tones

Why: Rich and moody, this palette provide an effortless connection between interiors and outdoors.

“Orange, red, tan and brown feel grounding,” says designer Nickolas Gurtler. “They feel good to live with because they are characteristic of nature which is always constant in our lives,”

Where: When the correct tones are applied, this is a palette that can be applied inside and out with ease.

“For opulence, choose dark unsaturated tones,” Gurtler says. “You can manipulate these colours to do almost anything.”

Expert Tip: Choose different shades and fine-tune the mood of your room. “Select one hue and use its multiple tones in different textures,” says Gurtler. “Be sparing or go bold. Both work.”

We love: Taubmans Barrel O Rum, Delta Clay 

From grassy shades to desert hues, green delivers impact whilst feeling soothing to live with. Photo: Felix Forest

Back to nature green

From grassy shades to desert hues, green delivers impact while feeling soothing to live with.

Why: “Green is soothing and honest, or opulent and luxurious,” says Gurtler. “It depends on how it is used.”

Where: Apply everywhere, from walls and doors to pots and cabinetry. “I like green in the bedroom, bathroom and living spaces,” he says.

Expert Tip: High-gloss finishes provide luxury and impart a soft glow by bouncing light around a space.

“Combine deep hues with black, white and brass for opulence,” suggests Gurtler. “Unsaturated greens, like eucalyptus, pair well with greys, whites and blonde timbers.”

We love: Porters Paints Cosmos and Nori, Dulux Dinosaur

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The summer break is a perfect time to tackle those neglected DIY tasks. Photo: iStock

 

Re-tiling kitchen splashback

Make sure to weigh up your experience here. Nobody wants to end up with an uneven, less than perfect splashback in their kitchen.

Another thing to pay attention to is the type of tiles you are going to use before you dive straight in. Some tiles are harder to both lay and align.

If you’re unsure but keen to give it a go yourself, YouTube is a great place to gather info, get tips and watch how the professionals do it.

Before you start, make sure you consider the knock-on effect, so it doesn’t turn into a mountain of a job. For example, if your tiles sit behind your benchtops, it will become a much more complicated task. If the colour is quite polarising, will it mean eventually replacing all the tiles throughout the home?

Curtains are an easy way to transform a room. Photo: Stocksy

Updating the blinds

Blinds have the power to transform the whole room, adding colour, light or texture with minimal effort or costs involved.  If you’ve already got tracks in place, then it’s just a case of replacing the curtains, which can be done in half a day.

When it comes to choosing your curtains and the hooks, make sure to seek advice from staff in-store. The different styles of hooks can be confusing, but with the right advice, you’ll be set for an easy DIY task.

Lighting changes

Just like curtains, lighting also has the power to change a room entirely. Lighting can be a statement piece, add ambience and is an economical way of sprucing up the home. Be sure to call on a licensed electrician for any installation that needs to be done.

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In this practical series, we ask experts to answer your burning home and design questions. Here, Luke Menzel, chief executive officer at the Energy Efficiency Council, shares some practical tips for keeping a lid on your winter heating consumption and costs.

Stop heat escaping
For most homes in colder parts of Australia, heating is by far the biggest slice of the energy bill pie. Insufficient insulation and draughty homes mean that heaters have to work much harder to keep you warm, which adds to power costs.

Draught-proofing your home to prevent heat escaping is one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to save energy, allowing you to stay warm and toasty without cranking up the thermostat.

Turn the thermostat down
Turning the thermostat too high can be a huge drain on energy and your finances, with each degree adding around 10 per cent to your heating bill. For maximum efficiency, aim to set it between 18 and 20°C. If this feels too chilly (most of us prefer a more comfortable 25 or 26°C in winter), try moving away from uncovered windows, sealing draughts and popping on a jumper.

Rug up
Having too many cold surfaces in your home can add to the chill factor too – in fact, it can have just as much of an effect as air temperature.

To make your home feel warmer, consider installing secondary glazing and adding heavy curtains to windows, laying rugs on cold, hard floors, and moving your favourite armchair so it’s not right beside a cold window.

Open curtains during the day to allow the winter sun to warm the surfaces in your home. Draw curtains at night to keep the heat in.

Only heat the rooms you’re using
Rather than heating your entire home, zone your heating so it only warms up those rooms you spend time in. Do this by closing doors to keep the heat where you need it. If you’re installing a new heating system, consider a ducted system that can be zoned for individual rooms.

Tip: Check ducting before the start of winter to check that it’s leak-free, well-insulated and in proper working condition. This can sometimes be done with thermal imaging cameras, to save crawling around in dark spaces.

Reconsider halogens
Halogen downlights can be a huge energy waster in winter. Aside from their high energy consumption, these lights need to be kept far away from insulation as a fire-safety precaution. This means there is an uninsulated patch of ceiling surrounding halogen downlights that provides an easy escape route for heat.

The heat that rises from each downlight can also create a chimney effect and suck warm air out of your house, which leads to chilly draughts.

Replace old appliances
That old, second fridge in the garage or dated reverse-cycle air conditioner in the living room could be costing you more than you realise. Consider the numbers; a new, energy-efficient fridge can cost half as much to run as one that’s 15 to 20 years old – this equates to a saving of about $150 per year. Meanwhile, most reverse-cycle heating/cooling systems are between 30 and 40 per cent more efficient than those of 15 years ago.

Splashing out on new energy-efficient appliances can cut your energy costs considerably.

Be star savvy
Most major appliances, such as fridges and reverse-cycle heating/cooling systems, come labelled with an energy-star rating, which tells you how efficient they are and how much energy they’ll consume. It ranges from one to six stars (although in recent years, four additional high-performance stars have been added to many products). The more stars, the more efficient the product. Appliances with more stars may cost a little more, but you’ll save the money back in running costs.

Be aware that if you have an older appliance at home with a three-star label, it might only rate as two stars by today’s standards – and may not even be allowed to be sold under current minimum standard rules.

The number below the stars on the label is a calculation of how much electricity the appliance will typically consume in a year. Multiply this number by your electricity tariff to get annual running costs.

Tip: Tariffs can differ significantly at different times of day, so choosing when to use your appliance can help save you money. You might find it more cost efficient to run your washer, dryer or dishwasher at night or early in the morning.

Reduce pump time
If you have a swimming pool, halving the pump-timer duration in winter can result in substantial savings. However, do check with your local pool or spa specialist to ensure you maximise energy efficiency while still meeting all the health requirements required with a pool.

Tell us
What’s your winter energy-saving tip? Tell us in the Comments section below. And don’t forget to like this story, share it and save the photos. Join the conversation.

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Passionate about technology? A home-automation system is likely to be on your wish list – here’s what you need to know

In this practical series, we ask experts to answer your burning home and design questions. A premium home-automation system – also known as a smart-home system – allows you to control multiple functions in the home, such as lighting, heating and cooling, audio, security, door locks and even kitchen appliances – from a single device, be it a touch-screen remote control or an app on your phone or tablet, from wherever you are in the world.

Tempted? Here, Trevor Rooney, director of residential markets at Crestron, reveals everything you need to know about setting up a home-automation system in your own abode.

Home automation is all about convenience. Having the ability to control core elements in your home remotely, such as lighting, heating, entertainment and front-door access, can save time and make life run more smoothly.

Image: Crestron

What sort of things can a home-automation system do? 

• Give you remote access to door locks so you can control who has access to your home when you’re not there.
• Switch lights on and off remotely or connect them to a timer or sensors, so they go on automatically (also great for security when you’re not home).
• Control heating or cooling so you can come home to a warm interior in winter or a cool one in summer.
• Give you remote access to alarms and surveillance systems; you will be notified if anyone approaches your home and can see who is at your front door. You can also switch surveillance on and off remotely.
• Change the television channel or switch the set on or off via voice command.
• Set your coffee machine to turn on automatically in the morning (it will even brew you a cup before you get out of bed).
• Automate your pool and pond cleaning, with the ability to adjust settings from your smart device while you’re not at home.

 

For even greater convenience, you can pre-determine the settings on your automated system for lighting, heating and entertainment to suit different situations. For example, you could set the system to control various elements simultaneously, so that when you go to bed it turns off all the inside lights, switches on the security camera at the front door, adjusts the kids’ night lights, and switches off the heater – all with one swipe of your smart-screen remote or an app on your phone.

Can automation cut my energy bills? 
Absolutely. Here’s how:

• Accidentally left your lights on when you left the house? With home automation, you can switch lights off from wherever you are.
• Connecting blinds to a sensor-controlled system means they’ll close automatically when the temperature reaches a certain point, keeping your home cooler and reducing air-conditioning costs. You can also keep your home naturally cooler by setting up an automated shading system for overhead or exterior window shades.
• No more overheating your home unnecessarily; by installing a smart thermostat, your heating will switch off automatically when the temperature reaches a certain level.

How is a home-automation system different to a smart-home assistant?
Devices such as Google Home and Amazon Echo are great for convenience. They can perform simple tasks by using voice recognition, such as checking the weather, reading out the day’s headlines or performing Google searches.

A premium home-automation system is far more sophisticated. It allows you to automate several different devices through one simple-to-use interface or an app on your phone. So, instead of having five different remote controls to manage your various devices, you just have the one platform, which can be controlled by voice or touch.

Image: Crestron

How does voice control work? 
Systems such as those at Crestron can be connected to Amazon Echo’s Alexa Voice Service to enable voice control. This allows you to give voice commands, such as ‘Alexa, turn off the kitchen lights’ or ‘Alexa, raise the temperature in the family room by five degrees.’

You can also control multiple systems simultaneously through a number of preset scenes. For example, in the morning you could say ‘Alexa, tell Crestron to activate Morning Theme,’ and the blinds will slowly open, the lights will switch on and a warm shower will start running in the bathroom. Or, if you want to set the mood for an intimate dinner party, simply say, ‘Alexa, tell Crestron to activate Intimate Dinner.’ The dining room lights will dim, the window coverings will adjust and soothing music will play from your speakers.

What should I expect to pay?
This depends on the level of automation you want. Crestron’s new PYNG 2.0 platform (available later this year), which controls audio/visual functions, such as the television, Foxtel, Apple TV and Sonos, starts from around $3,500. This would include the processor and a touch-screen remote control. Incorporating lighting and shading solutions into a home-automation system would see this cost rise to around $10,000, depending on the size of the space.

A fully connected smart-home system starts from around $25,000, depending on the size of the property.

Can I retrofit an automated system? 
It’s best incorporated during the building phase. However, it’s certainly possible to install after the build.

 

 

 

 

 

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Image Source: A House in the Hills

If there are rules that you as a renter must follow, make it these 10 commandments. Because, while paying your rent on time is important, so too is making sure your place is personalised and stylish. Working within the boundaries of your landlord, it’s little things like a new light fixture that will make an impact without costing a lot of time or money. And, the best part about this entire list is that you’ll leave with your security deposit intact once it’s time to move up and on.

1. Thou Shalt Add Storage

   Image Source: Love Grows Wild

    

   Let’s get real, custom cabinetry is not an option if you don’t own the place. Since rentals usually lack storage, add your own with affordable Ikea bookcases, simple shelves, or these organising solutions.

2. Thou Shalt Change the Hardware
   Image Source: A Beautiful Mess
   

   Rental hardware is basic . . . your style, not so much. Switching out cabinet pulls and bathroom hardware will make a huge difference. Just remember to keep the original pieces to swap back in before moving out.

3. Thou Shalt Ditch Vertical Blinds

   Image Source: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

   They are the ultimate decorating sin! To prevent your space from looking like a hospital room, take them down or hide them under curtains. Again, don’t toss — they’re essential if you want your security deposit back.

4. Thou Shalt Line Cabinets

   Image Source: Sarah Hearts

    

   This might seem trivial and a bit annoying, but lining your cabinets is a must. Not only will it make your kitchen look clean, but also it will mask worn and grungy cabinets without having to paint. Adhesive liner works, but a softer grip liner is better because it’s easy to install; it will also prevent glassware from chipping.

5. Thou Shalt Accessorise Like Crazy

   Image Source: A Beautiful Mess

    

   It’s true, and that’s the only way you’re going to get a truly personal space. Go to town with throws, pillows, and accents that reflect your style.

6. Thou Shalt Avoid Wallpaper

   Image Source: Hello Lidy

    

   Well, in most cases. Sure it’s stylish, but in all honestly, wallpaper is really inconvenient to remove, especially if you won’t be in your place for long. If you love the patterned look, consider the removable wallpaper seen in this studio or these alternative wallpaper ideas.

7. Thou Shalt Hang Art

   Image Source: Love Grows Wild

   No excuses — get your art on the walls! Patching up a tiny hole come move-out day is nothing compared to the impact it will make on your space. No need to create a full-blown gallery wall either. Try hanging one statement piece and resting photos on a mantel or shelf, similar to this home.

8. Thou Shalt Invest in Rugs

   Image Source: Love Grows Wild

    

   Especially if your place has carpet! Rugs are an easy way to cover up that not-so-cute carpet and can be packed up with you come your next move. Rugs are also a necessity to keep noise down, especially in older apartments with wood floors.

9. Thou Shalt Emphasise Lighting

   Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography

   This is another trick that many renters often overlook. Take it from HGTV stars Anthony Carrino and John Colaneri who suggest you use lighting to set the tone and make an impact in a rental. Get creative with floor and table lamps that can easily be moved from place to place.

10. Thou Shalt Make the Most of Plants

    Image Source: The Makerista

     

    No yard? No problem. Pots are a great way to achieve the bohemian jungalow look or even have your own urban garden. The best part is you won’t have to fret about leaving any of them behind.

 

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If searching for your keys is a part of your morning ritual, it’s time to break the cycle. Being organised is more than just a personality trait, it’s a lifestyle decision that’s easier to achieve if you stock your home with the right tools. These 15 clutter-busting essentials will make your days feel longer and less stressful. Cheers to that!

• Key CatchallImage Source: A Beautiful Mess

Idea: If you don’t want to hang a key hook, do yourself a favour and get a key catchall. Having a designated place to place your keys when you walk through the door will save you from the “running late” syndrome. Don’t be that person.

Get it: Making your own leather catchall is easier than you’d think. Follow this tutorial on A Beautiful Mess to DIY your own

• Shelf Dividers

Image Source: Bahar Yurukoglu for Domino

 

• Glass Jars

  Image Source: A Beautiful Mess

• Pegboards

  Image Source: Sugar & Cloth

 

• Drawer Organisers

Image Source: Paul Costello for Domino

 

• A Magnetic Knife Strip

  Image Source: Lesley Unruh via One Kings Lane

 

• Well-Stocked Trays

  Image Source: Lucas Allen for Domino

 

• Labelled Boxes

Image Source: Cahan Eric For Domino

 

• Tension Rod Dividers

  Image Source: Courtesy of Martha Stewart Living. Copyright © 2015

 

• Wall-Mounted Drawers

Image Source: Lesley A. Unruh for Domino

 

• Makeup Brush Cups

  

 

• Spices at the Ready

  Image Source: A Beautiful Mess

 

• Clever Toilet Paper Storage

Idea: Running out of it when you need it is the worst, but stacking it in plain sight can cramp your bathroom’s style. Kill two birds with one stone by turning a basket into a toilet paper organiser and dispenser.

• Stainless Steel Shelving

Image Source: Monica Wang for The Everygirl

 

• Ceramic Egg Racks

  Idea: While they’re intended for eggs, that doesn’t mean they can’t work for another use. Use the shallow cups to organize rings and earrings.

  Get it: This ceramic egg crate is a solid buy.

  Source: Kelsey Foster via Style Me Pretty Living

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You’ve worked hard to make your bedroom a welcoming sanctuary, but beneath its pretty facade, there could be serious health hazards lurking. Read on to uncover the bedroom dangers that could be harming you while you sleep and learn what you can do about them.

Air Quality

• Open Windows

Let your bedroom air out by opening the windows as weather permits each day. It will refresh the space and void it of noxious gasses that can build up indoors over time.

• House Plants

Not only will a potted plant or two beautify your bedroom, but they will also release oxygen and help filter out harmful compounds emitted by everyday cleaners, detergents, and fragrances. Studies show that these 10 houseplants can even improve your health.

• Purify

A quiet air filterer is an efficient way to purify your bedroom of dangerous pollutants and agitating allergens like dust mites, pollen, and pet dander.

Cleanliness

• Clean and Dust

Even with an air filter, it’s important to keep dirt and dust mites at bay by cleaning regularly. Pay special attention to areas that tend to accumulate them the most, including the floor, baseboards, windowsills, and upholstery. Even “clean” people often forget to wash these eight things.

• Wash Bedding

The amount of dead skin, grime, and dust mites that collect on your bedding is rather horrifying and can cause problems from asthma to acne. The good news is it’s easy to get rid of by cleaning your sheets, duvet, and pillowcases every 1-2 weeks. Case in point? This horrific study reveals the horrific result of not washing your pillows for just two years.

• Air Out Bed

Keep moisture from getting stuck in your bedding and mattress and causing problems by airing it out briefly before you make the bed in the morning. Pull back the sheets, fluff out the pillows, and give everything a few minutes to dry before they’re closed back up for the day.

Hidden Toxins

• Chemical-Free Pillow

Bad news for memory foam pillow-lovers. These ergonomic head rests often outgas dangerous Volotile Organic Compounds or VOC’s that can cause headaches, nausea, and eye irritation. You don’t want your face, mouth, or nose anywhere near them. Swap them for pillows filled with organic materials, like wool or feathers, or at least a safer foam like a natural latex foam.

• Flame Retardant-Free Mattress

Considering how much time you spend in close proximity with your mattress each day, it’s a no-brainer to make it a safe one. While many products, including mattresses, were once doused in flame-retardant chemicals, it’s come to light that these chemicals are doing much more harm than good. They’ve been linked to types of cancer, birth defects, and fertility issues. Scary stuff, and reason to seek out an organic, chemical-free mattress.

• Move Office Equipment

In small apartment or studio, space is at a premium and spaces may have to do double duty – but do your best to keep office equipment away from your bed, especially if it’s running all the time. Research has shown that laser printers emit tiny particles into the air that may be dangerous.

 

 

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Image Source: A Beautiful Mess

 

Have you ever come home from a long day of work, stepped through your door, and noticed that your home smells a little musty? Between lingering food smells from the kitchen, damp towels in the bathroom, and other day-to-day activities, there are lots of things that contribute to your home smelling a little less than fresh. It happens to the best of us, but luckily it’s an easy fix! DIY air fresheners, houseplants aplenty, and some essential cleaning tips are some of our favourite ways to get a fresh home that smells amazing.

Burn a Candle

Image Source: Francois et Moi

 

DIY an Essential Oil Diffuser

Image Source: A Beautiful Mess

 

Deep-Clean Your Bathroom

Image Source: Studio McGee

 

Get an Air Purifier

Image Source: Love Grows Wild

 

Make a DIY Air Freshener

Image Source: A Beautiful Mess

 

Bake Some Bread

Image Source: Damn Delicious

 

Rid Your Kitchen of Grease

Image Source: A Beautiful Mess

 

Create Lavender Sachets

Image Source: House*Tweaking

 

Simmer Your Favourite Scents

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Anna Monette Roberts

 

Use Houseplants

Image Source: Sarah Hearts

 

Make Dryer Balls

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography

 

 

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When was the last time you ventured to the very back of your bathroom cupboards? Here are some tips to declutter and organise this area to save you time (and money).

Photo by Dulux Paint

Whether you’ve been living in your home for 15 years or 15 weeks, a bathroom declutter will save you time getting ready in the morning. Plus, you’ll be surprised by how much accumulated clutter you can easily let go of, giving you much more open space.

1. Empty out

First, grab a rubbish bag for anything that needs to go directly into the bin. Ensure some wipes are nearby to clean the cupboards and drawers down once everything is out. Then create space on the floor or benchtop where you can sort things. I usually use the floor, as you can empty every single item out of the bathroom cupboards, drawers, shelves and off the vanity top and lay them out so you can see what you have.

While the cupboards are empty, take the opportunity to give them a wipe out, as bathroom cupboards often end up covered in product, dust and hair. No doubt you’ll find some lonely hair clips living at the back of the bathroom cupboard too.

Photo by Zeitgeist Photography

2. Dump expired products

Once you have everything on the floor, the next step is to throw out any expired products. In almost every bathroom there are products that have expired (sometimes ones that are decades old) that need to be thrown away. Grab your rubbish bag and you’ll be surprised how many items end up in it.

Remember that you put these products on your skin, hair and nails, and you don’t want to absorb out-of-date chemicals into your body. If you can’t remember when you purchased it, the chances are it’s time to discard.

This is also a good time to dispose of products that you keep thinking you’re going to use, but probably never will. Orange nail polish? Out. Purple eye shadow? Out. Self-waxing kits? Unless you’ve used them in the last six months, say bye bye.

Photo by Capital Closets

3. Categories and containers

My key organisational advice for bathroom cupboards is to use storage baskets inside the cupboards or drawers, so that you both contain categories and are able to access items quickly and easily. The following categories are common to almost every bathroom I’ve ever helped declutter and organise:

• Make-up
• Hair products
• Sunscreen
• Tanning sprays and lotions
• Moisturiser
• Basic first aid
• Sanitary products
• Shaving
• Nail polish
• Eye care
• Medications
• Perfumes

I suggest using baskets with handles to make accessing things at the back of the cupboard easier. This way you don’t have dead space at the back where products fall out of sight and out of mind. Use either a black marker or label maker to label the containers, so you can quickly and easily see what is there. You can then put things away quickly, without having to pull each basket out first.

One added advantage of having products stored like-with-like is that when you want to paint your nails, for example, instead of rummaging through a drawer trying to find the polish, file and top coat you can quickly and easily grab the basket where everything is kept.

Photo by MasterBrand Cabinets, Inc.

If you have a large make-up collection, it’s even more helpful to further categorise the contents into different types of products. You might like to have smaller containers, keeping lip colours, eye products, foundations and blushes separate. This will also help you know what products you have, and will save you money. When you run out of one eye liner, you can quickly and easily find another one that you already own instead of buying a replacement.

Photo by Dettling-Architekten

4. Use it

Now that you know what you have, a useful tip is to use the products you already own rather than buying new products. Use the sunscreen you have before you buy any extra. Finish the hand cream you have before you trying a new product. Rediscover lipstick colours you forgot you owned. Your wallet will thank you for it.

You may also rediscover forgotten products that inspire you; think massage oil, a pedicure set, bubble bath or hair treatments. Take some time out one night to pamper yourself a little bit… it can be your reward for doing a great job of decluttering your bathroom cupboards.

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Image Source: Woods & Warner

Sleep is important. Like, really important. It contributes to your physical and mental health, happiness and all-round well-being. Step one of getting it right, is creating a space that relaxes and lulls you to sleep, rather than triggering or reminding you of all your to-dos and stresses.

Before you figure out what should be in your snooze palace (yep, that’s what we’re calling it now), it’s good to know what should definitely not be making an appearance behind the palace doors. So we asked interior designers, a lighting scientist and a sleep brand founder (who knows a thing of two about getting a good night’s sleep) to lend their expertise. Heed their advice and nights of perfect rest are all yours. And yes, you will totally feel like a princess. Princess Snooze.

1. Pets

Research shows that 30 percent of pet owners who share their beds report waking up at least once a night because of their furry loved ones. If you want a night of wondrous, uninterrupted sleep, the pooch has to sleep in his own room.

2. Food

“Avoid eating in your bedroom as it sends the wrong signals to your brain,” says Shea Morrison, co-founder of The Goodnight Co.

3. Any work

“Leave your work out of the bedroom, lying in bed processing your work will more likely make you nervous or agitated, or fill your mind with things you’ll need to do in the morning rather than letting you wind down,” says Shea, and interior designer Melita Mayvn of Mayvn Interiors agrees. “Don’t have your office in your bedroom,” she says, “Your bedroom is your sanctuary, not a working space.”

4. Phones and all other electronic devices

After significant research, we now know that staring at the blue and white light emitted from digital screens prevents your brain from releasing the melatonin, which is exactly what you need to for your body to feel sleepy. Without it it’s hard to fall, and stay, asleep. Plus, receiving notifications can be disruptive (especially if you don’t keep your phone on silent).

5. Blue and white light

Other than the sleep-zapping blue and white light that comes from our screens, eliminate all cool white and blue light. “Shades of white light have different impacts on our circadian rhythms,” says Dr Luc Schlangen, scientist and Philips lighting research expert. “Exposure to cool, blue white light suppresses melatonin, and hence makes us feel more alert and awake. That’s why offices, gyms and operating theatres use this shade of white light, whereas exposure to warm yellowish white light increases melatonin levels, and is used in places of relaxation like our living rooms and bedrooms, and also bars, restaurants, and hotels.” Ensure the light bulbs in your bedroom are warm, soft and ideally, adjustable. Try out a Smart Bulb like Philips Hue, $29.88.

6. Bold feature walls

Interior designers Sonia Warner and Jacinta Woods of Woods & Warner say the single painted feature wall is a thing of the past (that they hope never comes back). “Be brave and paint or wallpaper the whole room . . . it will feel more connected and sophisticated.” Not to mention more relaxing, which is exactly why Melita says to steer clear of red, orange or hot pink in the bedroom, “Your bedroom should be soothing and relaxing rather than vibrant and busy.”

7. Oversized furniture

Over crowding your sleep space is a sure way to make yourself restless. Melita warns against furniture that’s too big for your space, “This will make your bedroom feel smaller and cramped.” While Sarah Cichy, director of Piccolo PR says over accessorising or mixing too many patterns will also make things feel cramped. “It’s hard to relax with too much clutter, so keep things open. Select a signature piece and then use a mix of quieter neutrals for the remaining furniture so that the space feels light and open.”

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via popsugar.com.au

If lavish roof gardens and expansive backyards are only a reality on your Pinterest boards, that doesn’t mean your chance at outdoor living is crushed. If you have a balcony, a front porch, or a little patch of grass to call your own (if only on a “renting” basis), then you’ve got potential.

We’ve rounded up outdoor decor ideas for tiny spaces. From the dual purpose, to the fold-up, to the mini, there’s even something for those balconies that have a one-person-at-a-time limit.

Wheel it out, and wheel it back in.

VINDALSÖ Trolley

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