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Create a home with this new illustrated interiors book!

By Amy Collins-Walker •

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Having enjoyed at least eight homes in her lifetime and spent a childhood globetrotting (she lived in Japan, Hong Kong and Sydney), interior stylist Emma Blomfield is perhaps better placed than many to define just what makes a home. And it’s something she explores in her new book ‘Keeping House’ – an instructional tome, brimming with gorgeous illustrations, that promises to help you create the life you want regardless of the space you inhabit.

'Keeping House' book cover

“Creating a home gives us a sense of belonging, connection and inclusion. It’s natural to want to have a place in the world and a physical and psychological connection to a space,” says Emma who created the book out of a desire to help people, whether renting or otherwise, make the most out of their home situation immediately.

There's tips on how to combine a dining table and home office
There’s tips on how to combine a dining space and home office

“For me, home has always been a safe, secure, beautiful and loving environment. It was when I was a child and now I try to create the same feelings for my clients and in my own homes. My house might be beautiful to me but someone else might hate it so it’s very subjective but ultimately, it’s the feeling the house evokes when you enter it and the items we place in our homes that help add to those nice feelings,” says Emma.

The book contains plenty of practical advice on setting up a home, styling and entertaining and is divided into two parts. Part one, ‘Sanctuary,’ covers all the essentials for setting up and decorating a home while part two, ‘Celebration,’ looks at how to create a home to share with the people you love.

The book contains plenty of practical entertaining advice too
The book contains plenty of practical entertaining advice too

“There are a lot of practical elements involved in setting up a home but I think it’s equally important to have a number of pieces in the house that reflect the homeowner’s personality, add character to the room and tell a story when guests visit and ask where you acquired your knick knacks. Some of the most important elements are, colour, texture and pattern. These can be in items like candles, throw rugs on the sofa, cushions on the bed and furniture pieces as well as books, trinkets and artwork. I’m a firm believer that no house is complete until there are artworks hung on the walls. It looks a bit bare without artwork!” says Emma.

'Keeping House' by Emma Blomfield

“Play around with smaller items like side tables, cushions and throw rugs and make vignettes on your coffee table or kitchen bench to build your styling confidence. A hot tip is to photograph a vignette you’re styling on your phone to see if it’s working or not. Looking at something in 2D format helps point out what might be missing from the vignette you’ve created,” says Emma.

And it’s impossible to discuss the book without special focus on its gorgeous illustrations that were hand drawn by Juliet Sulejmani. “My desire for both of my books is for them to be timeless resource books to help guide homeowners through the decorating and entertaining process as stress free as possible. In order for them to be timeless I needed the imagery to reflect this as much as possible and I knew photos of rooms would date much faster than hand drawn illustrations. We wanted the reader to go on a bit of a journey and to add a bit of a playful nature to the book.”

Emma is illustrated throughout
Emma is illustrated throughout

Illustrations: Juliet Sulejmani

Keeping House by Emma Blomfield, RRP $29.99, is published today (March 1) by Hardie Grant Books and is available in all good book shops and online.

IKEA says memories make a house a home

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March 1, 2019

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A Melbourne husband and wife duo have launched the A Melbourne husband and wife duo have launched the world's first fully customisable cot, offering countless options to personalise your baby's space and change it as the mood takes you!

@bold_baby_co cots are made from sustainably sourced European beechwood, and are finally available after four years of meticulous design and safety testing.

Tag a pregnant friend who'd love these!

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Size is NOT everything!

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Swipe for the rear of this gorgeous Woollahra home Swipe for the rear of this gorgeous Woollahra home. Heaven!

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Project by @tobiaspartners 📸 @justinalexanderphoto

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I'm getting that floor lamp at a minimum.

Karin Gustavsson, creative leader for STOCKHOLM, IKEA Sweden, said: “The purpose of the STOCKHOLM collections has always been to prove that high quality doesn’t need to come at an intimidating cost. We have worked to create a no-compromise kind of collection where every piece tells a story."

Check it out on the blog now via link in bio and stories.

Don't hang around as these pieces always sell out fast.

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Building new isn't the only way to get a climate f Building new isn't the only way to get a climate friendly home. CSIRO research indicates that over half of the houses Australians will live in by 2050 already exist today. And those homes — from our 1950s weatherboards to mid-century gems — offer one of the most exciting opportunities to slash emissions, cut energy bills, and reimagine home design for a low-carbon future.

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We're having this discussion on the blog today and sharing examples of two older homes given new, more sustainable, leases on life.

Head over via link in bio and stories.

Love to know your view on knockdown rebuild vs. Renovating older homes and what you have done and why in the comments!

@reneworgau

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Head to the blog via link in bio/stories for all the details and links to buy. My favourite is the wallpaper mural from @oliveetoriel 

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Comment 'joy' to get the recipe and the competition entry form.

Happy #iafoodiefriday🥳🍰

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Amy Collins-Walker

About Amy Collins-Walker

Amy is our regular feature writer, an experienced journalist and interior stylist living in Perth, Western Australia. Find out more about her styling work at http://www.amycollinswalker.com/

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