Get It Right with Undercover Architect

In this episode, I speak with Karen Haller. Karen Haller is the leading international authority in the field of Applied Colour Psychology - how colour affects and influences our behaviour. With over twenty years of experience, she teaches, consults for businesses, interiors, healthcare and wellbeing; and has worked with prestigious global brands such as Marks and Spencer, Dove and AkzoNobel Dulux....

In this episode, Frances Cosway of White Pebble Interiors and I go into more detail about some of the other materials and fixtures you’ll need to choose for your kitchen.  You’ll learn how to assess these choices not only for their aesthetic appeal, but more importantly, for how they’ll handle the punishment they’re about to endure in your family kitchen! Frances and I...

Your Kitchen Interior Design can create a kitchen that works, is durable and looks great. But are you ready for ALL the decisions and considerations you need to make? Kitchens are a big source of cost and angst in a home. They can be the hero of a family home and often the starting point for Interior Design direction for many homeowners.  They’re often a really sizeable investment, and...

Want to know how to choose carpet for your family home and make the right choice? There’s lots to know when it comes to carpet. How do you choose from all the different types, and understand all the terminology? If you are wanting carpet as a flooring type, then it’s essential you know specific things about the different types, the terminology associated with pile and density, and the...

Let me introduce my special guest for this podcast episode, Jess Ausburn. Jess is Owner of Diagrind NSW, as well as green cleaning supplies business, OCS Online Cleaning Supplies. Diagrind as a company has over 20 years’ experience in the diamond and concrete flooring industry. They won the award for Concrete Surfaces Residential New Build Best Floor in 2017. They specialise in providing fin...

Choosing tiles for your family home’s floors can be a fantastic, durable and sustainable choice. There are so many options now, with colours and patterns to suit any home. Yet, many homeowners are put off by tiles, and keep them purely to their bathrooms and laundry.  Thinking them too hard, or too cold, I see homeowners avoid them for their main flooring. However, they’re a brill...

In this episode, Frances Cosway and I share our thoughts on timber flooring. We talk about solid timber and engineered timber flooring, why we’d love to see laminate flooring never be used again, and what you need to know before choosing vinyl flooring. SHOW NOTES: Timber flooring can be a great and sustainable choice for your family home. However, many are making terrible, low-cost choices...

Choosing your flooring is the first decision to make in your interior design selections. And we know, from experience, that many homeowners DON’T start here.  Frances is an interior designer, principal of White Pebble Interiors, and author of “Your Forever Home” . In this episode, Frances and I talk about what she believes is the first decision you need to make in your Inter...

Having worked in this industry for 25 years now, I’ve seen all sorts of things get said and thought about Interior Designers and Interior Design. Interestingly, when I first started my career, it wasn’t that common to work with an Interior Designer.  Working in a small architecture practice in my early 20s, I found we did the Interior Design on all our projects. I learnt that, as...

Frances is an interior designer, principal of White Pebble Interiors, and author of “Your Forever Home”, and she has some great insight to share so you can determine if an Interior Designer would be useful to have on your project, and how and when you can get them involved. Many homeowners are confused about if they need an Interior Designer, or when to bring one on board. I know some...

Hello and welcome to a brand new podcast season! In this episode, I’m going to be giving you an outline of the season to come, plus tell you more about my co-host, and an exciting new online program that’s been created to celebrate this season too. Listen to this episode now. SHOW NOTES: I’m super excited about this upcoming season.  Firstly, because I know how massively hel...

Whether you’re renovating or building new, how can you create a home you love? On any budget? Whether you’re renovating or building new, after all that time, money and effort to plan, design and build your project, you want it to be somewhere you love living don’t you! That’s the whole point isn’t it?  Well, in this episode, I’ve got 7 tips when it comes to...

How do you get the best from your budget, your design, your project team and the home you’re creating? Welcome to Episode 10 of Season 10. This episode is a great lesson in what professionalism looks like in the renovation and building industry. Both guests are experienced and passionate about their projects and clients, and helping them get the best results for their projects. My first gues...

Want a room by room guide to creating your healthy home? If you want to design your home so it supports your health and well-being, start by understanding key tips and strategies for each room. Hello, and welcome to Episode 9 of Season 10. I bring Kate Hamblet back this week, and we go into more detail about creating a healthy home, looking at your home and project room-by-room. If you haven&rsquo...

How can you create a sustainable home that supports your health and well-being? Hello, and welcome to Episode 8 of Season 10. In this episode, I have two American design professionals. Both passionate about sustainability and creating a home that supports your health and well-being … and the planet as well … they have a wealth of knowledge and advice to share with you, wherever you&r...

How can you use Interior Design to create spaces that look and feel great in your home? Interior Designer, Tara Dennis, has some seriously great ideas to help you create spaces that look and feel great, and make your home truly work for you. In this episode, I speak with Tara Dennis, USA Director of Archie Bolden. Long-time readers of the Undercover Architect blog will recognise Tara from her invo...

How do you get the money you need for your renovation or new build project? And what’s involved in understanding town planning rules so you know what you’re allowed to do? Welcome to Episode 6 of Season 10. In this episode, I have two Australian industry professionals generously sharing some incredible insight into their areas of expertise: Mortgages and Finance, and Town Planning and...

What steps are involved in finding a contractor or builder you can trust? As a homeowner, for you to know the steps to finding a contractor or builder you can trust, it can be game-changing for your new build or renovation. And that’s why I’m so excited to be bringing my guest to you: Shawn Van Dyke. Shawn Van Dyke is a Construction Business Coach, Author and Speaker. Based in the USA,...

Is it possible to design a sustainable AND affordable home? Well, most homeowners I speak to say ‘No!’ … it’s always more expensive to build sustainably! Jenny Edwards and Sarah Lebner from Light House Architecture + Science disagree. They believe you can have a sustainable home that is affordable to build as well. And one that uses traditional building methods, done smart...

What do you need to know about renovating and building your family home? And how can Feng Shui be used in the design of your home? Hello, and welcome to Episode 3 of Season 10. In this episode, I have two American designers to introduce you to. Both are doing fantastic work in their own businesses, and have lots of helpful knowledge to share with you.  This is super exciting, because with bot...

How do you choose the right architect to work with? And how can you work well with them to keep your project on budget, and create a beautiful, long-term, family home? Welcome to Episode 2 of Season 10. In this episode, I have two Australian architects who are bringing their industry insider insights to you … and from both sides of the country, with very different careers. My first guest on...

How do you find a great quality architect? One you have a good fit with, delivers beautiful work, and will take care of you as a client? Meet Anthony Laney from Laney LA. Anthony is an architect and designer, a husband and a dad, and one of the owners of Laney LA. In this interview, Anthony shares some fantastic industry insider insights into how Laney LA have built their practice, continue to cre...

What do industry insiders think it’s important for you to know when building or renovating? One of the reasons I created Undercover Architect, and why I continue to make so much knowledge and advice freely available, is because in my 20+ year career in architecture, I felt I was always finding people too late. I'd be at the school gate, or at a BBQ, and someone would find out I was an archit...

Are you chasing the after photo? Styling and staging may be seducing you to make the wrong choices for your home design. As you browse the internet, look at glossy magazines and spend hours on Pinterest, it’s easy to fall in love (and aspire to achieve) the images you see of renovation and building projects. But it’s not all about the ‘after’ photo. SHOW NOTES: The way we v...

Renovating or building your forever family home is entirely different to flipping a home for profit - but not in all the ways you think. Many homeowners seek advice and guidance from reality TV and online renovating or building experts who are flipping homes for profit. It can be a misleading way to seek help for your forever family home. Flipping and forever are very different mindsets. When you&...