My Forever Home

In this Forever Home Live, Frances has just been onsite and runs through the type of things she was checking on site, and why you need to negotiate with your builder to get access and be on-site at certain stages of the build to check what's going on.

Feature walls do not necessarily mean a bold colour on one wall in a room! In this Forever Home Live, Frances chats about elements you can use to create a feature wall in your Living Room, with a big emphasis on not having the TV as the focal point. She highlights the use of texture through various materials such as wallpaper, textured paint, Unitex and stone to create impact and layers in a room.

In this episode of the Kitchen Design Essentials Season, Frances outlines some core differences to be aware of between flatpack (off the shelf) and custom-designed kitchens. She walks through some of the core differences and what compromises may need to be made with a flat pack kitchen with its sizing constraints. She also discusses material and hardware differences that may impact your decisions....

There are many factors to consider when choosing the right cabinetry material for your kitchen. Budget, aesthetics, cleaning requirements and durability are just a few. In this episode, Frances outlines seven different materials to consider and some of the reasons they would work well in your kitchen, or if you may need to think about something different to meet your needs. Often people resort to...

In this Forever Home Live, Frances shares her story as a Small Business owner during Covid 19 Stage 4 lockdown and what it means for her business White Pebble Interiors. She outlines how as a small business she has been able to adapt, be flexible and still serve her clients, and use the processes and systems that are already in place from serving regional and interstate clients for several years n...

Splashbacks can be a key feature of your kitchen and create a real point of difference. In this episode Frances outlines several splashback materials including glass, stone, windows, mirror and porcelain, that can be used, including her favourite – tiles. Further, she discusses how a splashback is a wonderful opportunity to inject colour, texture or shape into your kitchen. She is a real advocate...

In this episode, Frances continues the benchtop discussion outlining an additional 10 benchtop materials to consider. She also outlines the criteria to assist in deciding what benchtop material is going to be the best for your kitchen. SHOWNOTES In the last episode of the Kitchen Design Essential (episode 36), 3 key materials were discussed with Laura from Cosentino; Dekton Reconstituted Stone Nat...

In this Forever Home Live Frances discusses the reasons for opting for good quality upholstered furniture and the options it provides you over decades of use. She discusses fabric considerations, construction, the sustainability considerations, and outlines what reupholstering can provide and the impact on your choices today. She walks through solutions for families and how to maximise the life of...

In this episode, part 1 of benchtops in the series, Frances welcomes her guest, Laura Neville from Cosentino to discuss three main benchtop applications – reconstituted stone, natural stone (by Cosentino), and Dekton. They outline the differences between the 3 products and why you may choose one over the other, considering functionality, durability, budget, and aesthetics. Fabulous insight is prov...

In this Forever Home Live Frances discusses the option of having a mirrored or window splashback and their advantages and disadvantages. The ability to create extra light, to create a sense of space, yet also the high requirement of frequent cleaning.

This episode brings back our guest Fabieli Fontana, from White Pebble Interiors. She and Frances discuss some of the key design mistakes they have seen (and mitigated). Windows in a location that compromise design and functionality, the consideration of materials, and how they affect design outcomes. Some big-scale issues with pantries, using corners, right down to little details such as lining up...

In this Forever Home Live Frances is on holidays, and chats about holiday homes in general and what they represent to her. She references how holidays during Covid 19 are a different beast, and how people are now diverting their holiday funds to improving their home. She chats about the implications of Covid 19 lockdown 2 for Melbourne and how her business has pivoted to service clients in the 'ne...

This Kitchen Design Essentials episode has special guest, Jeremy Gates from Gaia Construction chat with Frances about some of the key mistakes people make when embarking on creating a new kitchen – and not really understanding the impact of these decisions. Jeremy shares his vast experience as a carpenter and builder on how to avoid mistakes when designing your kitchen, and how a builder can reall...

In this Forever Home Live, Frances discusses the outcome of projects and how they are determined by the brief for the designer. She chats about how the style created in a place is the outcome of the brief, and that as a designer, she may not necessarily like everything personally herself, but as long as it's cohesive, has flow, and colours, tones and materials all relate to each other – this is th...

Where your kitchen is located in the home, and getting the layout right is critical to good kitchen design. In this episode, Frances, and guest Interior Designer, Fabieli Fontana talk about the different locations of a kitchen in the home, along with different layouts and what some of the advantages and disadvantages are of each. An interesting discussion between two interior designers on optimum...

Frances recorded this Forever Home Live during the Covid 19 isolation period, when many people were working from home for long periods of time. She talks about what you can do to create a working from home space that is productive, personal and allow you to work in a happy environment. Lots of tips to allow you to carve out your own space!

In this Forever Home Live, Frances outlines reasons why having a door on your walk in pantry is a good idea. She talks about the ideal door scenarios too!

What do you need to do before you start designing your dream kitchen? In this episode, as part of the Kitchen Design Essentials Season, Frances outlines how you determine what you need in your kitchen (rather than worrying about what everyone else has) and how to determine the what, how and where for your storage requirements, critical to the foundation of your overall kitchen design. Frances also...

To black or not to black – that is the question often asked of interior designers regarding black tapwear and accessories. Will they date, and should you use them? Frances discusses this topic in this Forever Home Live, putting her view forward, along with industry experts she's chatted with too. And if you do decide to use black – how to buy quality.

In this FB Live Frances chats about rugs and how to choose them. She discusses the use of rugs to anchor a space, and creating a soft space to relax on. She outlines their other uses for noise mitigation, creating layers in your room and adding texture and colour.

Kitchen Design Essentials is a podcast series to provide all the information you need for your kitchen renovation, new kitchen or kitchen makeover. Frances provides an overview of what to expect in this specialised Kitchen Design Season and outlines all the areas that will be covered in this multi episode podcast. All you need to know to complete your kitchen will be covered, from layout, design c...

Storage in bathrooms cannot be overlooked. This Forever Home Lives goes through the importance of storage in bathrooms for them to function adequately. Bathrooms should not only look fabulous, but they need to work for us too. Frances runs through storage solutions for all bathrooms. Join the '5 Costly Bathroom Design Mistakes and How to Avoid Them' Webinar If you like this and want to learn more,...

In this Forever Home Live, Frances chats about choosing tapwear, showers and bathroom accessories and how they need marry in with each other for a cohesive scheme. What taps are best for the kitchen and laundry and how they don't need to match all the other taps in your home! Join the '5 Costly Bathroom Design Mistakes and How to Avoid Them' Webinar If you like this and want to learn more, I've go...

Confused about all the different types of carpets available and how to select the right one? In this episode, Frances outlines different carpet types, from twist to plush to loop pile, along with carpet weights and fibres and how to choose one over another. Further, she chats through the important aspect of what colour carpet to choose, and dispels all the misnomers about having a dark carpet to h...

There are so many different options available when it comes to choosing benchtops for kitchens, laundries and bathrooms. With new materials launching all the time. In this Forever Home Live Frances runs through the main considerations when selecting your benchtops.