When my husband and I bought our first house, in a quiet, fairly new suburb, it was plain. Stark white. A big, blank canvas. Even the streets outside the house were made of pristine white concrete and the eucalypt saplings were all but long, almost reed thin strands of a monotonous, dull brown. Everything seemed so plain, almost sterile, and that never sat right with me. I couldn’t imagine spending my life in house so plain and devoid of beauty and style. For me, these things put the joy and colour into life, they make every room, and people’s lives, so much brighter. So I decided to change my house and turn it into a home. I started with the entrance. I added a deep oak hall table and a big, shiny mirror, and then I moved towards the bedrooms, designing and styling as I went, connecting one space to another with themes and palates. I took inspiration from everything and anything around me. The once plain eucalypt saplings had now turned into great looming cascades of silvery green, with shades of chocolate and caramel and deep, glowing red decorating the trunks. Wherever I went I took note of the shades of the cushions and the placement of the décor, and very soon my house stared to look like a home out of a magazine. Effortlessly, every room made me smile. Each space intertwined with others to create the perfect blend of colors and patterns, turning my home into a precious piece of art. Every moment I spend in it is cherished and enjoyed.