Room in an Afternoon

Sometimes small changes make a big impact.

Oh, and don't ever hang your clock up near the cornice (swipe to see why not).

We love a good organisational tool like a blackboard or calendar, but the open plan of this home means that this wall is "high value real estate" when it comes to decorating - you can see it from most of the upper level.

Finding a new spot for writing shopping lists means freeing up space for beauty, including these gorgeous original artworks that were purchased in a fundraiser for those affected by recent Brisbane floods 💚.

Our clients were away when we worked in their home this week 😍.

As we're wrapping up our final few projects, I am feeling extra grateful for the clients we have had the privilege of getting to know and work with! What a genuine joy 💚.

Are you a fake plant snob? Turn your nose up at artificial flora?

I get it. For years and years the offerings were atrocious (bright blue plastic zinnias, anyone?).

BUT, much like the increased quality of Mexican food available in Australia 🌮🌯, the faux flora market is leaps and bounds ahead of the old days.

So, maybe it's time to reconsider your stance and let go of those imagined scenarios where you keep real plants alive and thriving for longer than a week?

Here's my caveats though:

1. Ya gotta go good quality, AKA pay a bit more than you might want to. An amazing (and XL) tree we purchased for a recent client was $400! That's an extreme example for sure, but the tree sits in the main living area and will provide loads of decorating bang for those bucks for a long, long, long time.

2. Choose the most realistic looking options. Native Australian types are usually a good bet but keep your eye out for fleshy-leaved options like the one in the pic. How amazingly life-like is that? And at only $40, it really earns its place in our client's entry.

3. Avoid plants that show the plastic veins under the leaves: I'm looking at you fiddle leaf figs! If you can spot the plastic from 6 paces, keep moving. And use the wires in the stems and leaves to position things where you want them - style those plants!!

4. Finally, if you just cannot bring yourself to include artificial flowers or plants in your home, consider real and/or dried branches, pods, gumnuts, etc. as a way to introduce organic shapes and textures.

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

PS if you're still reading, here are my fave retail options for artificial goodies:

1. Freedom. Typically, Rogue is a good quality brand. Watch out for regular sales.

2. Adairs. Be a bit picky because some options are better than others. Also has regular sales.

3. Bed Bath & Table. You may have to dig a little and ignore the less attractive options, but the plant in the pic was found at a BB&T, so worth considering.

4. T K Maxx. Be EXTRA picky here, but watch out for Florabelle branded stuff - FB is a good quality wholesale supplier and some of their overflow ends up here.

Got a dated feature wall you're not sure what to do with? If you still love the paint colour, consider wrapping it around the whole room! ➡️➡️ Swipe to see the result of doing just that at our client's home 💙

By also painting the alcove that leads to the master suite, the eye is drawn around the room making the space feel so. much. bigger.

Extra tip: it's time for the "birds on a wire" stickers to be removed from your window...

More pics from this gorgeous update coming soon - we're waiting for a pair of armchairs to arrive to complete the space.

Still shots for those who don't jive with videos...swipe all the way for a couple of before pics.

Sometimes a room just needs simplifying.

There is no new furniture in this gorgeous Bardon dining room but swipe all the way over to see the Before pic and what a difference some editing and updating can make.

The art was 'stolen' from another room and hung as a pair. The grandfather clock was also claimed from another spot. And all of the items in the display cabinet were grouped and shown off in a brand new way. Now that the sideboard is minimally styled, its amazing architecture can really shine.

Gorgeous new outfits on the dining chairs feature and a beautiful linen-colour trim, all sitting on a custom sisal rug.

This client bid on a Room in an Afternoon package at a fundraiser for the Mater Hospital. It's been such a treat to get to know Jo and her family and I'm delighted that our paths have crossed.

Sometimes you buy a lovely, big table runner for a client's dining room buffet because the size is amazing and you like the overall vibe but it's the wrong colouring, soooooo you bleach the heck out of it and pray to the gods.

What a result! How well does the striped runner work with the gorgeous patterned fabric used to reupholster the dining chairs?? Woot woot!

>>Swipe to see the original colouring 👀

Except you , you're not allowed to look until next week. 🙃

How fun is it to flip back through old photos? Sitting here reminiscing and came across this fun phone nook that still makes me smile 7 years after creating it for a client in Mitchelton.

Anyone else running like crazy to keep up with life at the moment? Social media slips w-a-y down the To Do list when life gets bonkers...

Pull up a chair while I share one of my innumerable pet peeves...

Recently, I met with a local Interior Design student who wanted to pick my brain about the industry. We had a lovely chat and one of the tips I passed along is that decorating is n.o.t.h.i.n.g. like an episode of The Block.

How hard is it to create a beautiful looking space when you start with an empty room, a non-existent client, and a huge budget? Not very, that's how.

Ahem.

Over the years, we have had to come up with ways to incorporate all kinds of things that are not exactly 'design-friendly' (here's looking at you, framed State of Origin posters!!).

Sure, some designers might insist on their preference (i.e. put it in the shed!) but we want every home we touch to be turned into something beautiful that truly reflects the people who live in it.

Our latest challenge?

What to do with this upper class Frog Waiter that is one of our client's husband's prized possessions! 🐸

All suggestions and ideas gratefully accepted 😆.

Stay tuned.

Me: Maybe a bar cart would work well in the "man cave/grown up games room" vibe we're going for?

Client: I have a drinks cart in the garage.

Me: Cool! Can I see it?

Client: Sure. Here it is.

Me: 😳

That, my fine friends, is a fully legit Qantas drinks cart, used on 747s before they were decommissioned a few years ago!! How uh-may-zing is that??! And, it was still stocked with wine... 🍷

I brought it home to mull over how best to use it. Now I just have to stop wheeling it around the house telling my family "Watch your elbows. Elbows. Watch your elbows!"

There's a reason that mudrooms are becoming increasingly popular in Australia (besides the fact that as a nation we seem to consistently look to the USA as the cooler older sibling...).

Every home has a dumping ground whether it's intentional or not. Kitchen counter, anyone?? So providing a practical solution to the "just got home with armfuls of stuff" situation just makes sense.

You know what makes even more sense? Creating a zone that is as beautiful as it is useful! That's what we did today in our clients' Wavell Heights home.

Swipe to see a fun personal touch!

Media Cabinet (used as storage) from West Elm.

Oak shelving and hooks from R J Living.

Ficus Art from Urban Road.

Looks like my new bay window seat set up has the Royal Feline Seal of Approval. 🐈

Phew!

It's a lazy 'lentil soup simmering on the stove' kinda Saturday night.

Sometimes it makes Furniture Arrangement Sense™️ to place a bed in front of a window.

Sometimes it makes Beautiful Decorative Layering Sense™️ to dress that same window with curtains.

But then, of course, you have a challenge on your hands because no-one likes the look of a bedhead leaning against curtains leaning against a wall in front of a window! I mean, I haven't asked every single person, but I'm pretty confident that nobody has time for that.

One solution is a bracket situation that attaches the bedhead to the wall in a way that maintains space behind it, like we did here in a recent tween bedroom.

This well-priced bedhead is from . We used a Queen bedhead with a Double mattress ensemble.

Today's Room in an Afternoon was for one of my very favourite clients. Yeah, yeah, I know I say that all the time, but this special soul has been a huge supporter from the very first time I hung out an Interior Decorating shingle years ago and I couldn't be more grateful for the many referrals she has sent my way and for the special light she sends out into the world.

A little bit of magic happened for us both this afternoon! A small photo has sat in a frame for years in this room but it's such a great image that I decided to enlarge it and hang it like poster art. It just so happened to work best on the hubby's side of the bed and when my client walked in she got all teary and said that the pic was his absolute favourite of her. Serendipity at its best.

This room shows that you don't have to change everything to make a room feel fresh and new. The existing window treatments are in great condition and being custom, had a custom price tag when they were fitted, so we worked our plan around them. Now, they have another 10 years of life!

Mother Nature has to take a ton of credit for this result though...how's that outlook? Ahhhh, the serenity.

We're not saying our newsy emails are written by Lady Whistledown but we aren't saying they're not either. Just sayin.

New here? DM us your email to receive the next RIAA newsletter later this week or prepare to suffer from a severe case of FOMO. You can reach out to [email protected] if you prefer - totes up to you but there's a Special Offer fit for a Viscountess on the way...

*Not a sponsored ad for Bridgerton but I'm open to influencer discussions if it means I get to meet the Viscount in person. Swoon.

My crazy sense of humour gets a kick out of the contrast between the beauty of this rug from and the book title 🚞.

Survey Says...

In what year was this bedroom decorated?

One of the challenges of good design is avoiding strong trends that end up dating a room before you've driven it off the car lot. Wait. That's not right. But you get the idea.

I love this look today as much as I did on the day we installed it in the year of our Lord, # # .

Any guesses?

Three tips (you didn't ask for) from today's Room in an Afternoon:

1. See that quilt cover? Beautifully colourful and full of Australiana, from gumnuts to cockatoos. My client was keen to keep her Aussie bedding, so to avoid creating a themed room, we skipped using any more True Blue decor and instead added clashing prints in complementary colours - check out the faux roman blind and custom cushion. We also played up the eucalyptus greens around the room.

2. Do you have a matching timber bedroom suite that's dated but in really good nick? Try dialling down the warmth by adding a runner (not just for dining tables!)...this classic striped option is from a new range at Pillow Talk. You can also paint timber (don't !! I love it both ways!) like we did with these bedside tables. Update the handles and you're good to go for another decade. No new furniture was purchased for this makeover!

3. This retired couple needs lots of storage, so to try and avoid little piles of stuff everywhere, we added useful but beautiful baskets and included trays on the bedside tables. Ya gotta live and sleep, so make it work for you!

Roman blind and custom cushion fabric from Warwick. Fab sewing skills by 💚❤.

Scatter cushions from Weave (by Warwick).

Our 12-year-old client's older brother saw her Room in an Afternoon Bedroom before she did and told her to hurry up and come and look because it was "totally vibin".

We think that's a good thing?! 😆

This gorgeous soul is one of those kids that make you feel confident about the future - switched on, kind-hearted, and smart as a whip. It was a real pleasure to create a beautiful space today for such a free spirit.

Oh, and just so you know, I got told off yesterday by a frient (that's client turned friend) who said I don't post enough pics and that she sits waiting for them only to get to see 1 or 2...so here's a photo dump to keep her happy 🙃.

If the weather cooperates, this week will include the installation of a tween's bedroom that has some fun upcycled touches.

I love the unexpected colour combo in the existing curtains, so we've customised them and taken inspo for the entire room. has, once again, turned my idea into a magic result!

And our 11-year-old client loves having somewhere to hang polaroid pics and inspirational quotes (she's the best!), so we've turned some slightly-cheesy looking noticeboards we found at TK Maxx into a colourful, inspiring place to display her special treasures.

Now we're praying to the rain gods...this beautiful family had muddy water right up to their 2nd-level front door, so it will be our pleasure to bring a little sunshine into their lives 💚

How are all the Brissy peeps doing? What a week! A client sent me pics of an univited brown lake downstairs at their place 😔. I hope you're all safe.

When the sun showed it's face for the first time in 6 months today, I got inspired to clean, clean, clean. I love my black bookcase but I do not love how much it shows the dust...

Yes, I'm married to an academic. Yes, he's read all of those books. No, that's not all of them. And no, he doesn't like much styling on a bookshelf - this is our compromise sitch and it's no doubt about double what he would prefer 😬.

Now, to vacuuming. Where has my cleaning mojo gone????

Looking for a way to pep up your space without spending a bomb?

One of my fave things to do for a client is to take lots of their existing treasures (typically scattered all over the place just waiting to be discovered for the stars they are!) and creating a gallery full of memories that prompts a dose of dopamine every time they walk past.

Time for a Star Search of your own! Comb through your cupboards and drawers and that space under the stairs and see if you can't create your own wall of specialness.

Disclaimer: this client had SO many gorgeous things...results may vary ;)

Yesterday finished off a huge week with the final touches of a huge project that began in March last year. For confidentiality reasons, I can't give many details, but this special project involved refurbishing temporary accommodation for women and children in crisis.

3 cities
5 properties
7 living rooms
18 bedrooms
38 beds

An eye-opening experience that created a big ball of feelings: sadness, empathy, an urge to help, respect, and gratefulness.

Heartfelt thanks for support from:

Mike and Kaylene
Amanda and Tracey
Jo
Marianne

Indigenous art print from

A fun shot during one of our installations this week, thanks to .

It's tricky to truly catch the feeling of a home in a photo but it's fun to keep trying 🙃.

My biggest thrill during this project was taking a room my clients really didn't enjoy being in and turning it into a much-used space, set up in 4 zones, that functions equally well for daily life with three young girls as it does for frequent parties for family and friends (I'm talkin' LOTS of people! 🙃).

We're booked into April, so make sure you plan ahead if you're thinking of your own Room in an Afternoon experience!

www.roominanafternoon.com

Our client's chaise was delivered today with a new outfit that will see it through the next 100 years in style!

This scene sits at the opposite end of the room to the pool table area that we posted yesterday. Every piece of furniture in this huge room was already owned by our client except for a grouping of armchairs that we added to create a conversation zone (pics to follow!). And most of the styling was created by "shopping their home" - so fun!

Gorgeous checks from .

You know you're on a winner when your client's guest calls you the day after they've been in a room you're working on but haven't yet finished! Referrals are the. absolute. best. kinda business.

A couple of things about this room:

1. It's just 1 of 4 zones in a HUGE open plan space. More pics to come.

2. I don't like decorating using themes but I had a definite 'Old English Pub' vibe going on when planning this room

3. There are glass doors that need to be reinstalled on the cabinet

4. That cabinet is the top half of the biggest hutch I had ever seen! So big, that is was pretty impractical, so I suggested separating the pieces and using the top half as a bar cabinet (we just added legs!) and the bottom half as the TV cabinet in the adjacent zone.

Wallpaper: via
Pendant light

Here's the sneek peek I said I might give you...

This room is uh-may-zing, but it's not quite finished, so you're just gonna have to wait.

Kitschy art for the win 🏆.

Tomorrow's Room in an Afternoon involves a space so big that we're turning it into 4 Rooms in a Very Long Day!

We've moved an existing (very old) pool table into its own space and added some wallpaper and an amazing pendant light to create a vibe that I'm calling "Old English Pub."

One wall will feature a fun and gently kitschy collection of art and memorabilia including these old pics that we put in vintage frames (check out that green velvet!!) and added custom-cut mats). These are actual family photos of my clients' ancestors, so the level of enjoyment in this project has been stratospheric!

I'll post some sneak peeks tomorrow if the mood strikes me 🙃.

Two bookings left in March...don't dilly dally!

www.roominanafternoon.com/services

Every item you can see in this photo was already owned by our client - what an absolute treat to decorate using amazing "stuff" that is already on hand. We selected two bookcases to sit side by side in this space and created a reading nook/sitting room that includes the kind of chair and ottoman that you could nap the afternoon away in! Check out our Stories for more.

Book your own Room in an Afternoon at: https://www.roominanafternoon.com/services

How far into January can I get away with not interacting on the socials? And what happened to a slow, relaxing Christmas/New Year period? Ha!

It’s probably the time of year where I’m supposed to post one of those “for those who are new here” posts and tell you all about myself and how amazeballs I am but instead, I’m going to let my gorgeous client, Amanda, do that for me 😉. And just so you know? This is now the bar for emails to send me when I finish up at your place:

“Jodie, I can’t thank you enough for your fabulous ideas and getting those rooms finished for us. I’d like to think the universe was at play in some way that led me to contacting you. I don’t think anyone else could have made all my crazy collection of things work together the way you have. Plus, you’re a super awesome and fun person to be around.”

I’ll be sharing pics from Amanda’s beautiful collection of things shortly along with the deets of other recent client projects, but if you’re keen to hang out with someone who is super awesome and fun, don’t dilly dally – currently taking bookings from March.

Photo by Fiona Joy Photography

Imagine the stories this beauty could tell! Passed down in my client's family and definitely ready for a new life 💚.

The most gorgeous wedding pic you've ever seen in your life is just out of shot in this sneek peek of a current project.

It has provided inspo for touches of the most delicious shades of mint throughout the home, including the front door!

Framed by Noah .com.au

My fave wallpaper from
via and hung by the talented .

And who wouldn't love a hot pink velvet cushion??

More pics to come (am staggering to the Christmas finishing line without much time for being on the socials 🏃‍♀️).

The day before a Room in an Afternoon installation is full of final prep as it all comes together. It's like Christmas Eve when you've bought a gift for someone that you know they're going to love - isn't that the best feeling?

Tomorrow's RIAA includes some tasteful touches from this couple's gorgeous wedding and we've printed this pic of the most divine bridal bouquet as a surprise touch in the home's entry.

Of course it's only going to be a surprise if our client doesn't see this 😆. Lucy...no peeking!! 😘

Tis the season for a festive GIVEAWAY!!

Brighten up your home for the holidays with these beautiful cushions! Win two of the cushions pictured for you AND two for the friend you tag - share the love :)

To enter:
> follow Room in an Afternoon
> tag a Brisbane-based friend in the comments of this post

One entry per tag, and if your tagged friend then likes Room in an Afternoon, you'll receive a bonus entry!

We'll be drawing a winner at random on the evening of Monday, 22nd November 2021.

This competition:
- is open to Brisbane residents over 18 years of age only (sorry...we'll be delivering the prize in person, so you have to live nearby-ish!)
- is not sponsored or affiliated with Instagram or Facebook in any way
- is running on Instagram and Facebook (you can enter in both!)
- will end at 5pm, 22nd November 2021 AEST
- will announce the winner on the evening of 22 November 2021 AEST via Instagram post, Facebook post, and direct message.

Free Friday Tip (that you didn't ask for 😉).

Do you have a diffuser with sticks? Ok, fair enough - I believe the proper word is reeds, whatevs. Have you got one like I do in my powder room?

Well, turn the sticks every now and again so that you get a stronger whiff of whatever lovely scent you use! The air dries out the top of the sticks - by turning them, you dunk the dry ends back into the scented liquid (oil?) and expose the stronger-smelling part of the reeds.

You're welcome. 😇

When a client loves colour AND wallpaper!

Sometimes paint is just not enough to really make a space special and these before and after pics of two rooms in the same home clearly show the power of beautiful wallpaper.

This lovely, long-term frient - that's my word for clients who turn into friends - introduced me to the term Jungalow. If you're into colourful, light-hearted design with lots of indoor plants, you should definitely Google "Justina Blakeney."

Wallpaper...it's not just for our UK cousins, OK? ;)

Travel posters are a tried and tested way to add a personal touch to your home and this client was keen to include them in a hallway alcove near the entry.

On the way in, you see a framed print that says "G'day mate!"

On the way out, you see a framed print that says "Yalla habibi" which in English translates to "Let's go, my love!"

What a fun way to recall time spent working and living in Dubai!

SUNROOM IN AN AFTERNOON

Check out our Stories to see more of this gorgeous space including a Before pic!

When you work with a client who has an amazing eye and a house full of beautiful things to 'shop from', you end up with a stunning space that is an absolute treat to pull together.

The timber daybed was moved from the back deck and given a lick of paint.

We used a selection of block print fabrics that my client had on hand, and created a fresh palette of blue and green upholstery.

Two sisal rugs help ground the furniture without closing in the room.

And the painted bamboo cabinet greets guests in the entry and provides practical storage for shopping bags and dog leads :)

Now, if I can just work out how to steal my client's ridiculously green thumb, I'll be in business!

4 WEEKS TO GO!

And then Year 11 will be over for my 16-year old. Can't wait.

Oh, and don't forget, that means only 8 weeks until you-know-what! ;)

But don't hate me - I've got you covered.

Pop over to https://www.roominanafternoon.com/shop and book in Santa's Right Hand Person (that would be me) and I'll spend 2 hours decorating your place for Chrissy.