• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Interiors Addict

Heart Your Home

@interiorsaddict on Instagram   @interiorsaddict on Facebook   @interiorsaddict on Pinterest  
Subscribe
  • Job Board
  • About
  • Before & Afters
  • RENO ADDICT
  • Kitchens
  • Bathrooms
  • Kids Rooms
  • Bedrooms
  • Living Room
  • Shopping
  • Expert Tips
  • Recipes
  • Parenting
  • Travel
Interiors Addict
  • Job Board
  • About
    • Our Story

      Australiaโ€™s largest interior design, styling and renovation blog for the everyday Aussie. By former journalist and magazine editor Jen Bishop, the original interiors addict!
      READ MORE

      Weโ€™re big on Instagram!
      @interiorsaddict

      • About
      • Contact Interiors Addict
      • Work with Interiors Addict
      • Advertise / Find a job in Interiors
      • Press
      • Get Your Free Ebook

        This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
    • bookcover-jens-reno
  • By Room
    • Browse by Room

      Where you can search for all our posts about a specific room. Only interested in kitchens and bathrooms? We got you!

      • Kitchens
      • Bathrooms
      • Kids Rooms
      • Bedrooms
      • Living Room
      • Home Office
      • Dining
      • Laundry
      • Outdoor & Exteriors
      • Renting
    • bookcover-jens-reno
  • Before & Afters
    • Before & Afters

      Who doesnโ€™t LOVE a good before & after? If you want to be inspired by the whole reno process, and not just the shiny photos at the end, this is the place for you!

      View Articles

      • Before & Afters
      • Jen’s reno
      • Real Renos
      • RENO ADDICT
    • AFTER lounge80’s beach shack now an eclectic, retro-inspired holiday home
    • Tv-Removal-2_a-1Before and after: how to make the most of compact living
  • Reno Addict
    • RENO ADDICT

      Looking for reno inspo? Find it all here, from other peopleโ€™s projects to the latest trends, tools and products, whether youโ€™re DIY-ing or employing trades.

      View articles

      • Reno Products
      • The Block
      • DIY
      • Reno Trends
      • Before & Afters
      • Real Renos
    • AFTER lounge80’s beach shack now an eclectic, retro-inspired holiday home
    • AFTER kitchenKitchen reno proves space planning just as important as finishes
  • Shopping
    • Shopping

      Want to know where to buy the latest furniture, homewares, rugs, art and more? Weโ€™re always sharing our latest finds and telling you where you can buy them.

      View Articles

      • Furniture
      • Homewares
      • Art
      • Smart Home
      • Appliances
      • Reno Products
    • Greg Natale accessoriesGreg Natale debuts new lifestyle collection at Maison&Objet Paris
    • Joan BlondNew Aussie original art collection inspired by our endless summer
  • Inspiration
    • Inspiration

      While Jenโ€™s a legitimate interiors addict, sheโ€™s no design professional, so she calls on an army of the countryโ€™s best to share their expertise with you. Be inspired by their stories too!

      View Articles

      • Decorating 101
      • Interviews
      • Expert Tips
      • Before & Afters
      • House Tours
      • Designers
      • Styling
      • Renovating
      • Real Renos
      • Covet my coffee table
    • Screen Shot 2023-01-23 at 4.05.25 pmTerrazzo and character are in and grey is out, says designer
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle

      Weโ€™re mostly about the home but Jen also likes to share other things she thinks youโ€™ll love, like food and travel.

      • Recipes
      • Travel
      • Parenting
    • 0Q7A5539Foodie Friday: Confit salmon with preserved lemon & pomegranate
    • Burrawang HouseNew Hamptons style luxury retreat in the NSW Southern Highlands
  • Jobs
    • Advertise on our job board
    • Job Board FAQs for advertisers

Interview: Neale Whitaker, editor of belle and judge on The Block and homeMADE

November 8, 2011

FacebookPinEmailTweet

Neale Whitaker is much lovelier and less intimidating than I imagined and I think I may have offended him when I accused him of being โ€œa bit Simon Cowellโ€ during his time as a judge on The Block and homeMADE!

โ€œI am a pretty honest person but I hope that if Iโ€™m critical then itโ€™s constructive. I donโ€™t believe in criticism for its own sake. As a judge you need to have an opinion and that opinion is always going to upset someone. Iโ€™m sure there was a backlash on social media sites โ€“ but I didnโ€™t see it. Best not to look!โ€

Heโ€™s already working with Nine on The Block 2012 and is enjoying his new TV career. โ€œI would happily do more if it came along and was the right project, but itโ€™s a fine balancing act with my very full-time day job editing Belle.โ€

Neale agrees that the plethora of new renovating shows and their associated celebrities can only be good for the interior design industry. โ€œI believe itโ€™s actually renovation that people get excited about (design shows โ€“ even reality ones โ€“ attract very small audiences), but I guess the renovation process brings with it elements of interior design and decoration, even if people donโ€™t realise thatโ€™s what theyโ€™re watching!โ€

Nealeโ€™s impressive publishing career in the UK and Australia (for the past 12 years) spans food and interiors magazines and both subjects are great passions of his. โ€œI basically enjoy all the elements that constitute lifestyle โ€“ food, homes, design, fashion, travel. To me, everything is linked. Iโ€™ve had great fun editing food magazines in the past, in the UK and Australia, but at this stage in my career Iโ€™m very happy in the world of interior design.โ€

Heโ€™s even been a stylist himself in the past, but these days he prefers to leave that to the many talented stylists Australia has to offer (like Belleโ€™s Steve Cordony). โ€œMy own home is genuinely eclectic. Itโ€™s honest, eccentric and full of things we love which are significant to us. Itโ€™s simply home. We live with two large and boisterous Weimaraners so there is nothing precious about our house.โ€

He wonโ€™t be drawn on his favourite stylists (suffice to say, there are many) but of course (as any good editor should) he believes his is the best interiors magazine on the Australian market. โ€œI think Belle has a sense of humour, which is incredibly important. I also believe itโ€™s hard to define our aesthetic โ€“ which is deliberate. We like to showcase many different styles across many genres, from total kitsch to absolute minimalism. If itโ€™s a great example of its type, it goes in!โ€

What are the things people do in their homes which make him cringe? โ€œEveryoneโ€™s home is their castle. Who am I to judge? Unless itโ€™s a TV show! I donโ€™t particularly like overhead lighting, carpets in bathrooms, curtains anywhere or handles on kitchen cupboards. But thatโ€™s my personal stuff and I donโ€™t expect everyone else to comply! And I love orange, which is a colour that makes most people wince.โ€

Neale, who has written a couple of foodie books, also let slip that heโ€™s considering adding an interiors book to his authoring credits. โ€œWatch this space!โ€

NEALE’S FAVOURITES

Piece of furniture at home? โ€œCane-backed planters chairs by Australian designers Norman & Quaine.โ€

Aussie design blog? โ€œOther than Interiors Addict?โ€ (flattery will get you everywhere!)

Aussie furniture brand? โ€œJardan is doing some exciting stuff at the moment.โ€

Current interiors trend? โ€œIโ€™m not sure itโ€™s a trend but I like the spirit of experimentation that exists now. Itโ€™s a very different landscape to when I arrived in Australia 12 years ago.โ€

FacebookPinEmailTweet

Primary Sidebar

Popular This Week

  • Australian kitchen dimensions: standard sizes for every last detail
  • Palette Cam 15 apps to help you build your dream home
  • IKEA hacks Australia: DIY built-in HEMNES cabinetry how-to
  • The best places to buy Australian bed linen online
  • AFTER kitchen Kitchen reno proves space planning just as important as finishes

Follow us on Instagram

Not many friends in life fall into the unofficial Not many friends in life fall into the unofficial family category and they're a special gift. So ends three weeks with @danisteve81 who left her husband and son in the UK (I'm forever grateful they lent her to me!) to come and cheer me up and help me in the most practical ways after I spent Christmas and New Year in hospital. There were tears and I miss her so much already but how amazing to have had all that time together as adults. Such a rare treat and would never have happened without having been through something so challenging. Silver linings and all that. So many other friends have also been incredibly thoughtful and kind. There aren't many times I'd say this without cringing but I am 100% blessed!

I still cannot believe we have been friends since we were 12! 12! Are you still close with your childhood besties?
The renovation of this 80s beach shack @camillo_ho The renovation of this 80s beach shack @camillo_house is a work of art and while almost every surface was updated, the decision to keep the original slate floor was genius if you ask us. 

Owner @clarehillier__ says: "With its purple, pink, red and brown tones, the slate was the starting point for our interior palette."

Come and check out the before and afters via link in bio now and read the reno story. It's a real beauty.

And you can book it for your next holiday too!

Blair Smith Architecture @kateshanasy

#slatefloor #slatefloors #80shouse #80sbeauty #camillohouse #interiorsblog #interiorsblogger #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #realreno #holidayhousesofinstagram #morningtonpeninsulahomes #morningtonpeninsula #morningtonpeninsulasmallbusiness #blairgowrie #blairgowriebeach #airbnbstyle
Me and my boys ๐Ÿ’— Me and my boys ๐Ÿ’—
Just a couple of dorks who've been friends for thr Just a couple of dorks who've been friends for three decades going out for a child-free dinner ๐Ÿ’“๐Ÿ˜
Excuse me while I die of a cute attack ๐Ÿฅฐ @damia Excuse me while I die of a cute attack ๐Ÿฅฐ @damianfrancis 

This doesn't happen often these days!
Hello friends! Just thought I'd say hi. Two weeks Hello friends! Just thought I'd say hi. Two weeks since leaving hospital and I'm doing much better than I expected to be at this early stage. A long recovery road ahead but making progress in how much I can move my arm and although I drag myself through some days non-stop yawning, others I can go for a little walk or out for lunch before collapsing on the couch! I can now tie my own hair back and put on a real bra which is very exciting ๐Ÿคฃ Having my bestie here to help us with the boys, drive me places and just be brilliant positive company is the best thing I could have asked for not to mention the many Dinner Ladies vouchers from friends! Thanks for all your kind messages, cards, flowers, gifts and offers of help โค๏ธ
I definitely feel like a statistic now but hoping I definitely feel like a statistic now but hoping to raise some awareness off the back of my misfortune (and also very lucky escape).

@newsouthwaleshealth have just put out this warning about a rise in serious bacterial infections. iGAS (invasive group A streptococcus) is what caused my necrotising fasciitis and sepsis.

Apparently there's similar happening in VIC too.

It's extremely rare but very serious nonetheless so please have a read and be aware of symptoms. I've linked to the article from a button via my link in bio.

#interiorsaddict #jenbishop #necrotisingfasciitis #groupastrep #groupastreptococcus #sepsis
While new technologies continue to shape the inter While new technologies continue to shape the interior design scene, one that has been getting a fair bit of traction of late isย marble-look porcelain. A cheaper alternative to natural stone, the latest printed porcelain tile technology makes it difficult to distinguish from the real thing.

Founded by husband and wife duo Anton and Rita Bourtsev, Sydneyโ€™s @kaolintiles has a unique offering in this space with over 100 different marble-look tile designs in small and large formats.

More via link in bio now.

#porcelain #porcelaintile #porcelaintiles #largeformattiles #largeformattile #marblelooktiles #bathroomtrends2023 #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #heartyourhome #realrenovations #goldsink #brasssink #jenbishop #kaolin #kaolintiles #interiorsblog #interiorsblogger
Promise this is the last wretched hospital photo I Promise this is the last wretched hospital photo I'll post and I hope to be home and with my lippie back on by Monday. You know it's serious when I'm lipstick free, right?!

This was about a week ago in intensive care. And although my arm is still bloody sore I'm now on a normal ward and no longer attached to any drips, drains or a catheter. I've come a long way.

This has been the most physical and mental challenge of my life but I'm through the worst. I kept my arm. The doctors saved my life.

I cannot say it enough times. If you're worried about your health, don't hang around. Things can change so quickly. 

A huge thanks to my amazing husband @damianfrancis We've had the hardest year yet and our marriage has never been stronger, even if my rings did get cut off my finger in hospital ๐Ÿ˜œ

As great of a job as he is doing at home with the kids, I cannot wait to get home now. Countdown is on to a new year and a fresh start.

And I can't say enough just how overwhelmingly grateful I am to all the medical professionals involved in my care, from the @healthdirectaus nurse who sent me to Emergency to the exceptional surgeons, doctors, nurses and support staff.

Happy New Year, everyone. Remember you never know what's around the corner and this is not a dress rehearsal!

And huge thank you for all your kindness here. Has been amazing while stuck in bed.

Xxx

For those who missed it, I was unlucky enough to get necrotising fasciitis. You'll have to Google it.
Follow on Instagram
Visit Jen's profile on Pinterest.

Get Your Free Ebook

Ebook cover

Never miss the latest renovating and interiors products, news and inspo again! Sign up for our newsletter and we'll send you the best bits from the blog, direct to your inbox. Plus you'll get our latest eBook: What Made The Biggest Impact in Jen's Own Reno.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Avatar

About Jen Bishop

Jen Bishop is our owner and publisher and an experienced journalist and editor. Interiors Addict has been her full-time job for more than 8 years. She is married to Damian and mum to Sebastian and Charlie.

More from Interviews

AFTER lounge

80’s beach shack now an eclectic, retro-inspired holiday home

The Old Vicarage project

Designer profile: From expat childhood to high end interiors

AFTER kitchen

Kitchen reno proves space planning just as important as finishes

Affordable flat-pack furniture brand focusses on Millennials

Kitchen

Tired apartment becomes luxe home with improved floorplan

Multi-residential interiors designed by the popular Bec Judd

Bedroom

Art and colour star in cottage reno inspired by Kit Kemp

The story behind Amigos de Hoy’s closure & what’s next!

Master bedroom

Sophisticated Melbourne home an ode to its owners’ Italian roots

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Avatardavid novak - piper says

    April 14, 2012 at 3:02 pm

    Wow …. What a talented man ….
    So many fingers in so many Pies ???????????
    You gotta love a Bald man ………..

    Love your work & writings Jen …..

    Love …..Taylor …… ( thats my nome d’ plume )

    • Avatarinteriorsaddict says

      April 14, 2012 at 4:29 pm

      Isn’t he just?! Thank yOu for your kind words ๐Ÿ™‚

      • AvatarNatillee says

        June 11, 2012 at 11:00 am

        He is definitely an accomplished man. Thanks for sharing his interview with us Jen ๐Ÿ™‚
        Any chance you will be interviewing Shaynna Blaze??

  2. Avatarannie says

    June 21, 2012 at 12:58 pm

    It’s great to see Australians embracing their interiors and venturing ‘outside the square’

Footer

Interiors Addict

Interiors Addict

  • About
  • Contact
  • Work with Jen
  • Press
  • Jobs
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure Policy

Browse

  • RENO ADDICT
  • Jen’s Reno
  • House Tours
  • Real Renos
  • Interviews
  • Styling
  • Designers
  • Bedrooms
  • Covet My Coffee Table
  • Expert Tips
  • The Block
  • Art
  • Furniture
  • Recipes

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RENO ADDICT

Copyright © 2011–2023 Addicted Media Pty Ltd
Website care by ClickWP ยท Log in

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!