Something I really love is walking in to a room where a smells grabs your attention, invites you in and and leaves you feeling refreshed. It’s no coincidence that this is the case as scent taps into our bodies and can make us feel at ease within a space. Scent is one of the most important senses and can help us become more creative, inspired, relaxed and even joyful. Adding scent to a space is a further layer to the decorating process, and I love the way it can quickly transform the atmosphere and mood of a whole room in just minutes.

It’s often the little details that add the most impact to a room. When I am decorating my own home or the home of a client, I always include a scented item. Even when I’m creating a mood board. Be it a candle, reed diffuser, scented soap, room/linen spray or electric diffuser. I feel that in order for a room to truly be complete, it needs to not only look beautiful, but smell beautiful as well. When decorating, it is a good idea to remember to please the human senses as it assists in creating an inviting, harmonious space. Include beautiful furnishings and home decor pieces for the eyes to view and textures for the fingers to touch. Even incorporating sound is something to consider when interior decorating as it creates a certain vibe to a space. Pleasing the nose and using scent is also very important. Consider using scents that accompany the room and lift it and to give it a finished feel.

Choosing the right scent for a room is very important. If you dont know what scent to go with, a tip is to choose a scent that relates to the room it is going in. Coffee scent for the kitchen. Fresh linen or cotton for the laundry. And in the bedroom, something soothing like a blend of lavender, geranium and chamomile. It is also important to choose how your scent is delivered. Candles are usually a favourite but unfortunately for someone like me with small children, it’s not always the most practical or safe option. My go to for scents in the home these days is an electric diffuser. Switch it on for an hour or two and you’ll have your home smelling devine. We have a large one in our living area which is used most days. As well as smaller ones in the bedrooms which I use with lavender based scents to help us sleep. And occasionally with eucalyptus if anyone is feeling a bit under the weather. A few drops of essential oil is enough to fill the air with your favourite scent which both smells great and is beneficial health wise as well.

Currently in my own home, I use a diffuser and oils from Tri Nature. An Australian owned and operated company which has been leading the way in responsible home alternatives since 1989. Their products harness the power of plant based ingredients, pure essential oils and herbal extracts with unique, sophisticated formulas. With over 25 years of environmental manufacturing expertise, as well as winning countless awards time and again for product excellence and innovation, they continue to demonstrate that they are the very best in all aspects of performance, safety and sustainability. The Tri Nature range includes everything from cleaning products, personal care and pet products, through to aroma products including 100% essential oil, oil blends, massage oils and room spray.

I personally love the Tri Nature pure essential oils and blends and have the Ultrasonic Aroma Diffuser on my bedside table. I like to pop a few drops of the Sweet Dreams blend in to the diffuser and turn on half an hour before going to bed. The scent fills the room and I find that it helps me to relax and fall asleep. Occasionally during the days I like to use the Wellbeing blend to help me relax or to help me get motivated when doing some product styling around the house. Some days, just because I feel like having some soothing scents to help me through the day, I’ll pop in something like the Lemon Myrtle or Geranium in to the diffuser. Diffusers create a gentle scent which wafts throughout a room and because the oils are natural, it’s a family friendly, safe way to add a gorgeous smell to an interior.

Another scented item I like to use around the house is a scented room spray. Don’t let the name make you think that they are just for spraying around in the air to give off a short lived scent. They are also perfect for spraying over bed linen, cushions, couches etc. The smell is absorbed into the fabric, giving off a longer lasting smell. Great for masking odors or to simply keep a room smelling fresh. Currently I am using the Tri Nature  Japanese Quince room spray. It is a beautiful, clean smelling scent which is perfect for using when decorating, when you are expecting company or after a good house clean. I personally like to mist mine over the cushions around my house to leave a fresh scent after I’ve cleaned the house.

Playing around with scents in the home is fun! And to me, it’s a must when decorating a home. So do your research. See what scents you are attracted too and which ones are suited to your home, and have your guest’s ooh-ing and aah-ing when they come to visit.

Zoe – The DIY Decorator

One of the most common questions I’m asked via my social media pages is “how do I make my bed look magazine worthy”? Now, I am no bed making expert, but over the years as a visual merchandiser and property stylist, I have literally made hundreds if not thousands of beds! These days, I’m only making my own and the kids beds, but I do still like changing things up and playing with different bedding styles and pieces to create a different look when I feel like a change. So today I am going to share with you some tips to help you make your own bed look amazing!

Now, lets be honest. Most beds we see in magazines are styled to the max and consist of copious amounts of layered blankets, throws and cushions. Don’t get me wrong, they look great but it isn’t really practical for every day people living busy lives. Spending 15 minutes every morning making the bed and another 5 or so minutes taking everything off at night can become very tiring and make the love of a heavily styled bed fade fast. Husband’s everywhere are nodding their heads right now in agreement. If there’s one thing they hate, it’s having to remove more than one scatter cushion before they can rest their poor heads down at the end of the day. Bless them. For me, a nice covered quilt, throw rug and 3 cushions is perfect to dress my queen size bed. I like to change things up simply by changing the arrangement of the cushions or where the throw sits on the bed. It’s amazing how many different looks you can create from just a few bedding pieces.

Here’s a few of my tips to consider using to jazz up your bed.

• My biggest tip to remember when styling a bed is that if you are using a plain quilt cover, add some interest via texture, pattern and colour with cushions, blankets and throws. However, if your quilt cover is quite busy, keep those elements simple by instead using complimenting textured, block colour items so that the cover is the star and the other items are backing it up. Your bed should be inviting and calming. Too much colour, pattern or layered items can create a jumbled mess.
• Using harmonious colour will instantly give your bed a magazine look. If you like natural tones, use white, beige and browns together and maybe pop in a touch of sage green. If you prefer a more Scandi look, mix together grey and white items with a touch of pink. Or, if luxe is your style, try black and greys with touches of metallic elements to add some shine.
• Play around with cushions, using different shaped and sized ones. A great combination for scatter cushions is to use a large square cushion, a smaller rectangle one and a round one together placed centred over the pillows. When choosing cushions to use, a great tip is to have a cushion with colour, a cushion with texture and a cushion with pattern. This is a great way to create interest oj the bed whilst creating a cohesive look. Also consider using European cushions against the bed head to add in another layer and instantly give your bed a hotel luxe vibe.
• To create layers to the bed, try using a sheet pulled back over the quilt cover to create a block of colour and give a formal look. You could also use a second quilt with cover to drape over the end of the bed to give a more luxe and fuller style. Also play around with throw rug position. Drape over the end of the bed or throw randomly on to the bed to create a more casual look. Or to mix things up, try positioning one up near the pillows, under your cushions. For a really layered look, incorporate a blanket draped over the end of the bed, layered with a smaller throw rug on top.
• Have fun! My biggest tip is to create what you love and you will always be happy with it. Sure, follow the rules but also remember to add a bit of you to your interior. Creating something that is a reflection of you will bring a smile to your face when you look at it and that’s what matters most.

Another question I am often asked is where to get quality bedding from? Nobody wants one of those annoying slippery quilt covers that constantly need to be re-adjusted. All though I am all about bargain buys and saving money when decorating, I do believe in spending a good amount of money on your bedding as it’s something you are constantly using so you want it to not only to be comfortable, but to look good and last as well. Just Bedding is Australia’s leading retailer of online bedding. Since 2005, they have been offering a huge range of designer quilt covers, matching European pillowcases, sheet sets, doonas, throw blankets and cushions to suit many interior styles. Offering all sized bedding from single up to super king, Just Bedding stock major bedding brands, such as Sheridan, KAS, Logan & Mason, Ultima, and more. They offer free Australia-wide shipping from Sydney to Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane (International shipping also available). 30 day returns, and AfterPay and ZipPay are also available. Keep an eye out on their website as they do have great sales and often offer discount codes which are also great!

I am lucky enough to have in my possession the Silverton quilt cover set quilt cover set by Private Collection which is via Just Bedding. A quality quilt cover and matching pillow slip set which although lends itself to a more traditional style of interior (as styled in the above image), however I feel it can also be suited to a more natural, Boho style as well. By simply breaking up the bold pattern with some softer decorative cushions and a linen valance, the cover works perfectly in my naturally decorated master bedroom as you can see to the left and below. Even though this design is very neutral in colour, it is highly patterned so I wanted to break up the boldness with the help of similar neutral tones. Paired with some complementing decorative accessories, the Silverton is still the feature of the room whilst looking right at home. To layer it over winter, I would add in a heavy, textured throw rug draped over the end of the bed which is both functional and a decorative statement piece.

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It’s amazing how you can change the look of a whole room just by playing around with a few key bedding items. Invest in some quality pieces for your bedroom and play around with how they are arranged on your bed. Keep in mind the above tips and you’ll be able to create a space that gets you excited for bed time while also having your friends commenting on how magazine worthy it looks at the same time.

Zoe – The DIY Decorator