More than bricks and mortar

“It’s not houses I love, it’s the life I live in them.”

~ Coco Chanel

I think this quote is perfect for explaining how we chose our soon-to-be home. As we’ve been planning this change for so long (two plus years) I’ve had time to daydream about the lifestyle I want for our family and how the home we eventually chose would support that lifestyle. When I walked into this house I knew it was the perfect setting for my fantasy family life. :o)

1) Large, open plan informal living area. Allowing us to create zones for play, media, conversation and meals while still feeling we are all part of the same family space.

via Elements of Style

2) A separate formal living room for those times when we want some separation from the chaos that is Little People!

via Greige

3) An integrated indoor/outdoor entertaining area, because we love having our family and friends around especially in the summer months.

via Spaced

4) Kitchen overlooking the backyard so our Little Person can play either indoors or out and still be supervised while I’m preparing dinner.

via Driftwood Interiors

5) A dedicated guest bedroom so that my parents (who live a couple of hours away) can come and stay whenever they want.

via Apartment Therapy

6) A quiet study nook off the formal living area for working from home when possible/necessary.

via Porchlight Interiors

What would your ideal family home include?

BTW - don't be fooled none of these images is of our soon-to-be house.

We bought a house!

I probably should have started this blog six months ago. I’ve had so many things I wanted to share and ideas for posts. Problem was, I felt a bit of a fraud blogging about creating a brilliant family home when I was less than enthusiastic about my own home. We have been planning to upgrade since before our Little Person arrived on the scene, but unpaid maternity leave, family health issues and an unstable job market kept pushing things back. Then, when we were in a position to buy there was just nothing on the market to suit us. We were frustrated and unmotivated to invest time or money in our current house.


Well, that has changed TODAY! We’ve had an offer accepted on a property we really love. The contract revisions have been verbally agreed and once these are in writing tomorrow we will be signing and putting down our deposit. After such a long wait it has all happened so quickly I can barely believe it’s real.

Images via realestate.com.au

I think it will be the ideal family home for our Little People to grow in. I can’t wait to share more of it with you.

Affordable Alternatives

Well, I couldn't find a child-sized swivel chair that wasn't in a lurid colour and/or the shape of sporting equipment. But, trust Ikea to have a budget-friendly and fun alternative!

Roffyld Rocking Chair from Ikea

For just $AU69 your Little Person can have their own rocking chair. Personally, I'd also spend a little more on paint to spruce it up a bit. I'm loving Tiffany blue and red at the moment...

I also found a great store that will make personalised armchairs for your Little People. How special would your Little Person feel to own one of these?

Bimbee Kids

They have a classic shape and come in nine colours to fit in with most decors. They're quite a bit more than the ikea find, but at $AU239 they're a quarter of the price of a mini-e!

Cash To Splash

I wish I had the cash to splash on these child-sized replicas of two 20th century classics.

yolk and mini-e from Little Nest

These chairs represent what I am all about - integrating children’s belongings/needs into communal areas without it overwhelming or detracting from the overall style of the home.

Plus, how much fun would a little person have spinning in their very own swivel chair? I can just see the look of glee on My Little Person’s face! …if I can find a budget version I’ll definitely let you know.

One photo for you, a giant leap for me

I've seen a lot of posts popping up on my regular blog haunts taking up Ally's design challenge - your style in one picture. As I've been meaning to start this blog for some time now I decided this was the ideal opportunity to bite the bullet.

So, here is the one room that defines my decorating style and lets you know what this blog will be about. (Quite a lot of responsibility for one little picture, but I'm sure it's up to it!)

What makes this room the one I long for, all I worship and adore?

Since becoming a Mummy what I'm all about is a home that embraces it's youngest occupants without looking like a day care centre. It's important that My Little Person feels a sense of belonging and ownership in our home, but I don't want to feel like I'm being swallowed up by toys or "cute." This room achieves that balance.

• Clean white background and built in storage means the room feels clutter free, while keeping toys and books easily accessible.
• Pops of red are great for tying in other brightly coloured items and giving a sense of unity to the space.
• Embraces this Little Person's love of planes, without hitting you over the head with a theme.

Thanks for stopping by. If you share my desire to create a family home that is both chic and child-friendly I hope you'll come back soon!

BTW - I'd love to be a responsible blogger and tell you exactly where the image came from, but I've had it a while and I can't remember. I'll get better at giving credit where it's due as we go on.