My Forever Home

In this insightful episode, fellow interior designer James Treble joins Frances to discuss the art of creating timeless and functional homes.  

Covering topics such as budgeting, future-proofing design principles, and how to get ideas, Treble shares valuable insights for both renovation and new home projects. Whether you're embarking on a home improvement journey or planning your dream home, this conversation offers practical tips to help you maximise value and enhance your quality of living. 

Frances delves into the engineered stone ban in Australia and explores alternative options for homeowners. From porcelain to laminate, Frances discusses factors such as durability, aesthetics, and budget, advising listeners on many alternatives available and why you may choose one material over another for your benchtops.  

Frances outlines why it's so important to create a furniture layout at floorplan stage in this episode. This is essential listening to avoid big mistakes! She outlines the implications that can occur when a furniture layout is not done before building starts, using a real life example and the compromises made because there was no plan.

Frances reflects on 2023 on a personal and design perspective and shares highlights of the year including finished homes, awards, media coverage and what's in store for 2024.

Frances is joined by her client, Bernadette, in this special case study episode. Bernadette shares her renovation journey, from when she first set eyes on the home 20 years ago, through to creating her project team and the joys and frustrations of her extensive renovation.

This is an honest 'warts and all' account of what a renovation project can be like, including pitfalls to avoid and how your team can support you throughout. She alos outlines how having an interior designer on the team helped her create a home she truely loves and helped her mitigate so many mistakes that could have happened throughout the journey.

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the thought of clearing out years and years worth of 'stuff', then this is the episode for you.

Frances is joined by decluttering expert, Amy Revell, who shares her wisdom on how to prepare to pack up and move for a renovation or new build. How to create a vision and create a home you'll love.

This is a super fun and jammed packed episode on what to declutter and decide what to keep for your new home.

Frances outlines exactly what thermal wrap is in this episode, and why it's a great product to consider for cabinetry in your home. With guests from Albedor Industries, she also delves into the myths surrounding thermal wrap, how it is made and the sustainability measures Albedor are undertaking to make a low VOC product.

A great episode if you're wanting to understand cabinetry materials that could be used for your renovation or new home.

Frances discusses what to consider when designing a mudroom. How it needs to function, and be designed around what you need to store in it. She also discusses other considerations for where items can go in the home if the mudroom is not large enough for everything. Finally, she outlines the ideal location of a mudroom in a home.

A must listen if you're thinking for having a mudroom in your home.

Frances is joined by Peter Karaolganis from Presenting Homes Australia to discuss the different decisions made when renovating your Forever Home compared to renovating to flip and make a profit.

Peter and Frances discuss materials, build quality, flexible floorplans and multigenerational living for both types of renovations and how they differ.

Frances shares her experience doing something creative. Just because. And the creative has nothing to do with interior design, renovating or building. She got inspiried after reading 'Big Magic', which explores the notion of doing something for no other reason than for your own enjoyment. Frances shares her experience on this principle in this episode of the podcast.

Frances is watching The Block this season and viewing it with multiple lenses. In this episode she shares her observations about the 50's theme, the impact sponsors have on material choices, following a brief for the right outcome, orientation, plus design meeting the target audience, and how different that is to a Forever Home.

Having just come back from a 5 week European holiday, Frances discusses how travel can provide inspiration and influence on your interiors back home. Frances shares her key takeaways from each city she went to (London, Paris, Amsterdam and Baku) and what to notice and look for when you're on holiday that can personalise your space at home.

The orientation of your home and the direction each room faces, impacts livability and the comfort levels in your home. The ability to naturally warm your home in winter and keep it cool in summer are achievable by managing the sun and using it to your advantage at design stage.

Frances shares her insights in this podcast episode on things to consider to maximise the potential of creating a home that is comfortable all year round along with design flaws to avoid. Full of tips and ways to get the most out of your home design, befor

If you are renovating, and not sure what to do with the original timber floors, Frances outlines what some floor options are, in this episode. They may not need to replaced, and Frances discusses some choices and considerations you can explore to understand the best outcome for your home.

Frances shares her top tips on bathroom layout considerations and what to keep in mind for optimum functionality.

In this episode Frances is joined by Richard Earp, who is super passionate about the environment and all things sustainability. He has been leading his company, Earp Bros, for years in meeting strict sustainability criteria, so he knows a thing or two. Together they discuss the impact of the Paris Agreement and NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) and the impact this will have on Australians and the materials they choose for their homes, for Australia to meet their NDC commitment by 2030 and beyond.

In this episode of the podcast Frances is joined by Tim Sellars from Faucet Strommen. They chat about what makes a sustainable tap different, and what to look for when choosing a tap made to last, along with the qualities of Australian Made tapwear.  

Frances outlines the changes she's seeing in what clients and people are wanting for their homes. The shift in mindset and how this is impacting material choices, homes design and what's important for people when creating their Forever Homes.

This this a summary of her observations with working with clients all over Australia, and how the sustainable and energy efficient movement is changing in a positive way.

In this episode of the podcast Frances welcomes back Jeremy Gates from Gaia Construction to talk all things building and renovating sustainably. Jeremy highlights his top 5 ways that you can make your home more energy efficient, along with how to choose a sustainable builder. He discusses passive house principles that can be used to create a more comfortable home and mistakes to avoid.