There’s a lot of advice going around at the moment given this topic is so relevant – so this week we want to share some of the more personal lessons and tips we’ve learnt as seasoned ‘work-from-home/digital nomads’ for the past 5 years.

We’ll continue to provide bite-size pieces of information you can action over the next few weeks without feeling too overwhelmed, especially if you’re on a budget to setup.

Working from home: Tips from those in the know

Tips from Kylie:

1. Employ some furry friends

If you have pets, invite them into your workspace at home.   It’s been proven that pets have physiological benefits and can fulfil emotional needs in the workplace, so take full advantage of this when you’re working from home.  Designbx regularly features my 2 fur babies – Humphrey the Chocolate Lab and Sophie the Black Lab.  I often have them in my office with me – they keep my feet warm, they’re great listeners and they don’t talk back.  Humphrey is well behaved, but Sophie is a regular bin-chicken and always going through my rubbish….just as well I love her.

2. Step away from the kitchen table

Speaking from experience, I think this is the biggest mistake I made and a trap lots of people fall into. I worked from the kitchen table for 18 months too long – out of convenience but also because the thought of cleaning out my office (aka – the junk room) was too overwhelming.

The problem with working from my kitchen/dining living space, apart from the fact I annoyed everyone else who wanted to use it, is that I never really felt like I left work.   I couldn’t shut off.  It was always in sight, that computer monitor at the end of the table staring me down.  With my home office setup, I can shut the door and I’m done for the day.  Most importantly, it also meant I could style my office with some great home décor online purchases.

Tips from Kerena:

1. A picture is worth 1000 words

It can be easy to start feeling isolated or lonely as a result of working from home.  A trick I use to keep me in good company all day as well as keeping the creative juices flowing, is an inspiration wall at my desk.  There are no ends to what I put on my wall – photos of friends and family, inspirational quotes, cards and messages, inspiring design images, style and home décor.  Basically, anything that brings light to my day consequently making me feel a lot lighter.

2. Music to my ears

I’m not a fan of the sound of silence – an absolute must for my happy workplace is music.  I have Spotify running all day long.  Depending on what I have my head into will depend on the genre.  Some of my favourite playlists are:

Morning Motivation – A great way to get the brain ticking in the morning. https://open.spotify.com/user/spotify/playlist/37i9dQZF1DXc5e2bJhV6pu?si=L_ZUrn_1SQWWo_JEIdZlYw

Acoustic Chill – I use this when I’m working on design projects and need to be creative. https://open.spotify.com/user/spotify/playlist/37i9dQZF1DWYGZAMYFDM8S?si=e1EygI1PSfulv8x_2h9bYw

Kingswood – a band I recently saw.  It evokes happy memories so I stay positive throughout. https://open.spotify.com/artist/4zOw0E0NA7B4lIYyc3XNt5?si=oXMlYdOWSBeZizeC7dQgqQ

Feel-Good Indie Rock – more towards the end of my day when I need a boost in productivity https://open.spotify.com/user/spotify/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX2sUQwD7tbmL?si=7KW_Y_muRm6Njg6sqFF_XQ

We’ll be back soon with some more of our work hacks. Be kind to yourself and get some sun where you can.

Kylie and Kerena x

The post Avoid feeling lonely when working from home – part one appeared first on Designbx.

– Bright direct light (full sun)

– Bright indirect light (partial shade)

– Medium indirect light

– Low indirect light

Here’s our top picks (and some handy care tips) for indoor plants and where they should be placed.

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1. Living room

The living room is the most lively room in the house (as the name suggests). This is the room that both friends and family are going to see and use the most so it’s a good idea to place some larger plants in this area. Place plants on a side table next to the couch or TV unit or on the coffee table. Rubber tree and bird of paradise plants are perfect for a splash of greenery, but if you’re after something with a little more colour, opt for philodendron, begonias and succulents.

Our top picks

– Bird of Paradise – full sun, water weekly, increase if light increases

– Rubber tree – Low light to full sun, water weekly

– Philodendron – bright to low indirect light, water weekly

– Begonia – Low to full sun

– Succulents – Bright direct light, water monthly

– Fiddle Leaf Fig – Moderate to bright indirect light, regular watering

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2. Kitchen

Plants in the kitchen are not only aesthetically pleasing but can also be functional. Consider potting herbs in small terracotta pots and placing them on the window seal. This makes cooking easy as you can simply grab a few leaves to sprinkle over your meat. The kitchen is often humid due to hot cooking appliances and therefore plants need to be able to withstand high temperatures. Want to create the ideal herb garden? Check out our herb garden tips and tricks.

Our top picks

– Ferns – moderate to low indirect light, water weekly, high humidity

– Air plants – bright to moderate indirect light, daily spraying

– Herbs – full sun, water when dry (every few days)

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3. Bedroom

The bedroom is a place to go to forget the stresses of the day and relax with a cup of tea and book. Don’t go over the top with plants in your master bedroom design, unless of course you can’t get enough of them. Generally one to two plants is plenty. Lower maintenance plants are a good choice as the last thing you want to be doing before bed is running around watering several plants. Opt for plants that are known for purifying air such as Ivy that was listed in NASA’s top air purifying plants.

Our top picks

– Snake plant – bright to low indirect light, water monthly

– Spider plant – moderate indirect light, water weekly

– Ivy – moderate indirect light, high humidity

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4. Bathroom

The bathroom has the most diverse environment out of any room. It goes from cold to hot and humid in just a few minutes. Tropical plants last best in these environments. They don’t need a tonne of light and can withstand humidity and high temperatures. Due to the low light in most bathrooms, use fluorescent lights as they produce the wavelength plants need. If you don’t have much space, consider hanging plants in glass terrariums or pots.

Our top picks

– Aloe vera – no need to water due to humidity, place near a window if possible

– Cast iron plant – low light, high humidity

– Ivy – moderate indirect light, high humidity

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5. Others

Perhaps you want some greenery in the entrance hallway or in the home office. Vertical plants not only save space but they can hold a variety of plants. You can easily create a DIY wall planter out of steel mesh, leather or wood to embrace that industrial interior design style. Hanging plants also save space and are low maintenance. Try glass hanging terrariums with succulents or cacti.

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If you need a hand integrating the best indoor plants into your interior design online, our professional designers can add some green magic into your next home design.   

The post A guide to choosing the best Indoor Plants, by room appeared first on Designbx.

The shade and cool of winter days are passing for another year as we get ready to bask in the warmth. Hooray! Spring brings a feel like no other season, with fresh breezes, vibrant gardens and lighter days. Let’s embrace the change and take advantage of how spring can lift the spirit of your space indoors. These five quick tips are simple and affordable ways to prepare your space for spring and look forward to summer.

1. A colour refresh

Colour is a really direct way to change the mood of any space. Packing away the warm reds, oranges and darker blues / greens will make way for the lightness of spring. Replace these colours with neutrals like blush, baby blue or sage greens. Colour change can be as dramatic as painting an entire room, or as simple as a new piece of wall art or a few scattered cushions. As long as the balance is weighted to the lighter tones, you will feel the lightness of spring in the air.

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Shop the look https://designbx.com/shop-the-look/coastal-office

2. A second set of soft furnishings

Cushions, throws, bedding and window dressings tend to get heavy in not only colour, but also texture, over winter. Having a second set of soft furnishings for the warmer months allows you to rotate with the change of season. Linens, cottons and sheers are all soft in texture and mood. The colours they absorb embrace the elements of spring and summer. Store the heavy weaves and knits into space bags after a good wash and they will be ready to bring out next autumn.

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Shop the look https://designbx.com/shop-the-look/hamptons-hangout-coastal-interior-design/

3. Bring nature into the home

One of the best parts of spring is the rejuvenated garden. Bring the outdoors in with fresh cut foliage and flowers in a collection of simple vessels to showcase on your dining table or sideboard. This is a fresh and stylish way to bring some colour and nature to your interior space.

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Shop the look https://designbx.com/shop-the-look/boho-sanctuary/

4. Pack away the rugs

Depending on your flooring, we tend to cover the floors with rugs during the cooler months. Use these warmer days as an opportunity to release the dust and enjoy the open floor. The aesthetic of a rug-free space visually opens the area, makes it feel lighter and changes the look without having to spend a cent.

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5. A Spring clean and reshuffle

During hibernation, we spend much more time indoors, and who hasn’t pondered a reconfiguration of furniture that you just haven’t been bothered to really explore? Use the spring clean as a chance to move the furniture out of its comfort zone, get to the dust underneath and move it  to a new spot. You will be amazed at how much difference a bit of a mix up can make, just rotating existing pieces of furniture. Swap the sofas to opposite sides of the room, maybe bring in a piece of art from another room or swap around some side tables for a new look. It’s like extreme musical chairs, where trial and error is the name of the game.

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So this season, literally take the indoors out and reconsider how and where everything goes back. It doesn’t have to be permanent, and now is the perfect time of year to freshen things up.

If you have a design related question or quandary, jump onto our Facebook page to ask one of our professional designers or find out more tips on interior design.

The post Top 5 ways to transform your home from winter to spring appeared first on Designbx.

When you want to revamp your home on a tight budget  you may be wondering what to do. We all feel like a fresh start at the beginning of a new year and one sure method is to revamp your environment. It’s a more profound change than a new outfit and certainly lasts much longer than most resolutions! Unfortunately just at the time you’d most like to shake things up, the piggy bank is usually rather roomy after the revelling and generosity that go hand in hand with the silly season. Hopes are high and budgets are low. The good news is you don’t need to spend a fortune to get more out of your home’s interiors.

One effective trick to revamp your home is to create a sense of scale by using the full width and height of your rooms. You can highlight dimensions by leaning prints on high cabinets, building multiple book stacks high or using an oversized pendent.

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Don’t relegate your beautiful pot plants to the floor-level. Elevate them by mounting them on surfaces to add height and make your greenery feel more opulent Use a mantle, buffet, picture rail, or bookshelf to create vignettes. All it takes is a themed collection of complementary items.

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These arrangements of loved objects can be grouped according to colour, style or theme, and will present a striking feature. What may have been disparate objects in assorted locations around the house suddenly build a feature that will create a definite visual impact.

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Gallery walls are another example of bringing together existing items to make a dramatic impact. In most cases, we’ve all accumulated plenty of inspiring visuals although you may want to add a signature piece. It may simply be a matter of framing and arrangement to create a striking effect. Don’t be afraid to combine an eclectic collection and range of sizes. In many cases, even the most diverse images work together. From family photos to illustration, there are no hard and fast rules. The only consideration is your space’s style. Does your room suit more textured, subtle finishes or does your contemporary space need a high gloss print?

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We’ve all done a spring clean and rearranged the existing furniture in a room, but why not break free from your traditional perception of where furniture should be placed? A quick swap can mix things up and give your space a new lease on life. Make your hall table a dresser, bring the spare chairs from the dining room into the bedroom for bedsides, or move the bookcases into the dining room from the study to give an opulent and cosy feel. Completely swap bedrooms, taking the colour palette from one room to another. You’ll be amazed by the difference.

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A little spending on paint can go a long way. From flourishes and finesse, like painting parts of furniture and insides of bookshelves, to highlighting a key architectural feature, don’t feel limited to the classic idea of repainting a room. If you decide to take the plunge, consider changing atmosphere from airy to moody or vice versa. And of course, why focus on the walls? Perhaps a new colour and finish for the floor could reinvent the space.

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Adding greenery not only provides more colour and fresh scents to a room; a space with well selected and arranged plants always provides a greater sense of wellbeing. Scale, colours, shape…there’s so much plants can offer.

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It may not be the time for more significant investments like new furniture, but it doesn’t take much to revamp your soft furnishings. Pillows and cushions can often be the most vibrant items in a room while the addition or removal of rug may change a room’s personality completely.

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Garnish, rearrange, re-colour, reinvent! A new look for a new year may be right in front of you. Time to open your mind to possibilities without opening your wallet. Want your home to have a fresh vibe for the New Year but money and time is thin? Here are some great simple changes you can make to feel a sense of new.

Designbx |  “7 quick ways to revamp your home on a budget”  | designbx.com

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Bar cart? Yes! that bar trolley you see in luxurious restaurants. Those with the wheels or without, which some may call a tableside cocktail or simply a bar cart. This iconic furniture item makes a comeback and the good news is that you can make it work for your own home. You can choose one that compliments your style and your decor and accessorise it as you wish. Here are our tips for styling a bar cart to give you a few ideas.

Divide by Trays

Use trays to divide the areas of your bar cart into sections for bottles, glassware and accessories.

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Act Like a Pro

Buy an ice bucket, bottle opener, cork screw, shaker, jigger, and strainer. Search for designer’s items that have the gadget look or go for the traditional classy style.

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Add Books

Bar carts also make for greatstorage place for extra books you dont have room for. Old books or design books add lots of flair to a bar cart.

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Insist on well Branded Bottles

Bacardi, Smirnoff, Bailys etc.’ these are the brands that make your bar cart worth attention. Expensive whisky bottles always look attractive.

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Choose Elegant Glassware

A night for champagne or whiskey? Elegant glassware will look attractive even if you’re not the “drinker”. When hosting a party make sure you have the right glasses for wine, champagne and cocktails.

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Adding greenery to your trolley creates a more fresh and fun feel. Paired with metallic finishes like these gorgeous copper trimmed glasses is very now!

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Use your top tier as your functional surface. Bottom shelf for a striking sculpture.

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Add a Personal Touch with Flowers

Find an interesting vase to place at the corner for those refreshing flowers.

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25th of October | Team Designbx | How to do the bar cart

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