Have you ever walked into an exhibition house at a display village? They are often tastefully decorated but are impersonal. They have a certain bland sameness. The reason is they are decorated by decorating firms without any idea of a personality. When a visitor walked into our home recently she said, ‘what a lovely home.’ The reason I believe, is not because of the floor plan of the house but because our house simply reflects our personalities and interests. Several things are evident from when you first walk in the door. One is that we love books. Two is that … Continue reading →

Whether it is a brand new home or one that has been previously lived in, when you buy or rent a new place, you want to make it feel like your own and put your own stamp on it. You want it to feel like a place you want to be in, where you are comfortable.You want it to feel like home. This will happen as you start to spread out your own bits and pieces you have chosen or been given that you love. But allow for the fact that tastes change. As we looked back at some of … Continue reading →

How things change. When I was growing up my grandmother used to crochet doilies. All the family had them .Back in those days just about every house had them. Most were white or beige crocheted doilies that went under the ornaments or anything placed on a table or shelf. I remember one my mother in law made that had a trim of purple and orange pansies around the edge. Doilies were all the rage back then. Now you hardly every see them and with good reason. To my mind they always made everything look fussy and cluttered. Certainly we do … Continue reading →

Where are your books in your house? Being an avid reader I always find it strange when I walk into a house and there are no books. I guess that’s a result of growing up always surrounded by books and a mother who saw the importance of reading. In our house books seems to spill over into just about every room. The lounge room which is near the entry hall has a huge bookcase stuffed with books: fiction, poetry, Christian books, Australian authors, some of my own published books, biography – a real hodge podge. Favorite authors of which I … Continue reading →

Thinking about a room of your own which is very Virginia Woolf, a room should reflect two things. One is the function or purpose for which it is to be used. The other is your personality, especially if it is a study of office that you spend a lot of time in. So I thought I’d tell you about my study. The walls are Dresden blue. They were that color when we bought the house. Even if they hadn’t been, they would have been painted blue anyway as my last study was since blue is my favorite color. Curtains are … Continue reading →