Home & Hosting with Loui Burke

This week, I’m walking through getting your home ready for guests - from lighting, music and scent placement to setting the table for what you’re actually serving. Plus, what to prioritise when you’ve only got twenty minutes before the doorbell rings. Find my product picks on Actually Chic , my Substack, and my Spotify playlists below. Actually Chic: https://louiburke.substack.com Playlists: Rom-c...

A clutter clear-out is more than deciding what to keep. Loui talks about donating perfectly good things he no longer needs, organising the things he does, and choosing between recycling, hard rubbish and a skip bin. Plus, why regular edits matter even when you own your home, how to make the work manageable, and why you don’t need a perfect house before you invite people over.

What’s replacing bouclé, brass, curved furniture and asymmetrical styling? In this episode of Home & Hosting with Loui Burke , Loui breaks down the interior design trends moving in, what’s beginning to move out and five considered updates that can transform your space without a complete makeover. We’re talking tailored lumbar and bolster cushions, contrast piping, fringe and bordered rugs; the...

A beautiful home still has to support a full life. In episode two of my listener Q&A series, I’m answering your questions about designing around children without surrendering your own taste, whether kitchen appliances need to match, making a tiny bedroom feel intentional, living with daily mess, owning a white sofa, where the dog bed should go and, finally, what to do with the permanently wet...

Buying more things will not automatically give you personal style. Sometimes the chicest thing you can do is stop shopping, properly understand your taste and edit what you already own. In this episode of Home & Hosting, Loui answers your questions about developing a personal interior style, working with the architecture of your home, making colourful and eclectic interiors feel considered, cr...

Before you spend another dollar on your home, look at the home you actually have. This week on Home & Hosting with Loui Burke , we’re talking save or splurge, but not just what’s worth the money. We’re looking at how the age, architecture and existing character of your home should influence where you spend it in the first place. From ’70s walk-ups and traditional cottages to contemporary new b...

How can you make your home look better on a budget—without renovating or buying more décor? Loui answers your home styling questions, including how to enjoy a rental or first home before you can renovate, how to mix affordable and high-end furniture, and how to reset a living room or bedroom using what you already own. From lighting and curtains to furniture placement, decluttering and creating at...

Alright, we know how to set a beautiful table by now. And if not, honestly, video is probably the better educational source, so go and find me on Instagram. This episode is about everything beyond the table. The music you put on before you do anything else, the bathroom guests absolutely notice, the porch light, the drinks station, the lighting, the food flow, the water jug, and the little old hos...

Want to achieve that fluffy, cloud-like boutique hotel bed at home? It takes a lot more than just throwing on a duvet set. This week, professional bed stylist Louis Berg shares the ultimate guide to bedroom styling and luxury bedding. Discover how to upscale your duvet for a plush look, the exact way to layer a flat sheet so it actually stays in place, and the truth about long-staple fibres like E...

A few bed-making videos went viral, my Instagram following doubled in a week, and suddenly the internet had a lot to say about pillows, quilts, beige interiors and whether showing people how to make a bed properly counts as “shaming”. In this episode of Home and Hosting with Loui Burke , I’m unpacking the reaction to my fed-up bed-making videos, why the word “shame” gets used so quickly online, an...

In this episode of Home and Hosting with Loui Burke , we’re talking through the 10 autumn and winter homeware trends worth paying attention to this season. From rich, spiced colour and darker timber to proper curtains, heritage patterns, collected metals, artisanal details and texture beyond bouclé, this episode is all about making your home feel warmer, more layered and more inviting as the weath...

Is your home empty, cluttered or considered? In this episode of Home and Hosting with Loui Burke , I’m unpacking why a home can be clean and still feel cold, or styled and still feel busy, and how to find the balance between the two. From lighting, texture and warmth to editing, function and restraint, this episode is a practical guide to identifying what might be holding your space back and makin...

Easter is one of the easiest holidays to get wrong… and most people do. Between pastel overload, bunny heads, and the excuse of “it’s for the kids,” it can all start to feel a bit chaotic, and not in a good way. So if your Easter setup has ever felt a little… off, this episode is for you. I’m breaking down how to approach Easter in a way that actually feels chic, considered, and aligned with your...

In this episode of Home and Hosting , we explore what taste actually means and why people so often confuse taste, class, style and trends. Conversations around taste always spark interesting discussions online, so we unpack how the words taste, class, style, and trends have started to blur together and why that causes so much confusion. Style is talked about constantly, trends move faster than eve...

If you’ve ever moved in with a partner, a housemate or even a sibling, you’ll know this feeling well: you don’t always see the home the same way. One person cares deeply about how the space looks and feels… and the other person is totally fine with one novelty mug, a well-worn pan, or whatever they’ve had since 2014. This episode is all about learning to live together when your approaches don’t ma...

I posted a video about decorating for the wrong season and it clearly stuck! So let’s unpack it. In this episode I’m talking about the lost art of seasonal styling, why materials and colour have “temperature”, how retail launches distort what feels current, and why calling something timeless doesn’t make it immune to the trend cycle. Your home should match the weather you’re living in, not just th...

Feeling out of it? This one’s for you. In this episode, Loui breaks down that very universal, very human moment where life just… doesn’t feel like it’s matching the version of yourself in your head. Whether you’re in your late 20s, your 30s, the middle of a 40s reset, or deep in a 50s reroute. We all hit that point where things feel off-kilter. Loui shares a warm, grounded blueprint for getting yo...

New year, same great taste. In this episode of Home and Hosting with Loui Burke , Loui breaks down the INs and Outs of 2026 through a home and hosting lens blending what leading designers and publications are forecasting with what people are actually searching for and living with right now. Drawing from industry voices like Vogue Living , Studio McGee , Architectural Digest , and ELLE Decor , alon...

If your home looks fine on paper but still feels… off. This episode’s for you. I’m diving into the five biggest mistakes that make your home feel lifeless (and yes, they might sting a little). From fake materials to playing it too safe with beige, I’ll show you how to fix it and how to start owning your taste. Because growing up your space isn’t about being “fancy.” It’s about confidence, adulthoo...

It’s officially that time of year, Christmas has arrived in every major Australian department store, and the themes are loud . From traditional reds and golds to ocean-inspired pastels, Australiana motifs, and candy-coated chaos - I’ve seen it all. In this episode, I’m breaking down the biggest Christmas décor trends in Australia for 2025 What’s showing up at Myer, David Jones, Adairs, Bed Bath N’...

Growing up with a family restaurant and accommodation business, I learnt early that hosting isn’t just about putting food on a table - it’s about creating an experience people want to come back to. In this episode of Home & Hosting with Loui Burke , I’m sharing 6 simple, practical tips to help you host like a natural - whether it’s a casual dinner with friends or a special celebration. You’ll...

Your bedroom should feel like a retreat - but most people are getting the basics wrong. In this episode of Home & Hosting with Loui Burke , I’m sharing the five most common bedroom design mistakes I see all the time - from bad bedframes to pillow overload - and exactly how to fix them. We’ll cover: How to choose the right bedframe and headboard (and why gas-lift storage changes everything) The...

In this episode of Fellow Friends in Home & Hosting , I’m joined by Daniel Matthews — the creative behind the beautifully layered and cleverly named @a.modest.semi. We chat about the value of renting as a way to experiment with different styles, the emotional rollercoaster of a first-time renovation, and what it’s like designing a home through the eyes of a textile professional. Daniel also he...

In this episode, I’m joined by Alex and Mike (@Alexandmike) — design-forward content creators known for transforming their Philadelphia row home into a warm, layered, and deeply personal space that’s captured the hearts of thousands online. We talk about the creative evolution of their home, the little rituals that shape their everyday life, and the design decisions — from tile choices to top shee...

We put so much pressure on holidays to deliver joy — but what are we really running away from? In this solo episode, Loui dives into the idea of building a lifestyle you don’t need to escape from. From the return of in-store services like Mecca HQ and the Henne Styling Atelier, to finding intention in everyday choices, this is about elevating how we live day-to-day. Plus, with Father’s Day just ar...