Shows
My Forever HomeE153 - Reviving Christmas Traditions: A Personal ReflectionIn this heartwarming episode, Frances reflects on the Christmas traditions that shaped her childhood and how those rituals have evolved within her own family. She shares the joys of giving, the personal meaning behind handmade holiday gifts, and how simple traditions can bring a deeper connection to the festive season. Join Frances as she invites you to revisit your own traditions and find inspiration for creating new ones this Christmas.2024-12-1817 min
Your Forever HomeE153 - Reviving Christmas Traditions: A Personal ReflectionIn this heartwarming episode, Frances reflects on the Christmas traditions that shaped her childhood and how those rituals have evolved within her own family. She shares the joys of giving, the personal meaning behind handmade holiday gifts, and how simple traditions can bring a deeper connection to the festive season. Join Frances as she invites you to revisit your own traditions and find inspiration for creating new ones this Christmas.2024-12-1817 min
My Forever HomeE141 - Choosing External Colours Understand what to consider when selecting external colours for your home. Frances outlines the significance of lighter-coloured roofs as well. You will uncover the essential principle of "less is more" in colour and material selection, alongside practical guidance to achieve a home with ‘street appeal’. Frances emphasises the substantial energy-saving potential of ‘cool roofs’ and offers expert advice on colour and material coordination. 2024-04-1724 min
Your Forever HomeE141 - Choosing External ColoursUnderstand what to consider when selecting external colours for your home. Frances outlines the significance of lighter-coloured roofs as well. You will uncover the essential principle of "less is more" in colour and material selection, alongside practical guidance to achieve a home with ‘street appeal’. Frances emphasises the substantial energy-saving potential of ‘cool roofs’ and offers expert advice on colour and material coordination.2024-04-1724 min
My Forever HomeE140 - Creating an Emotional Return (ROI) on your Forever Home™ In this insightful episode of the My Forever Home podcast, Frances delves into the concept of “Emotional ROI”. She explores the significance of emotional investment when creating a Forever Home™, emphasising its distinction from financial ROI typically associated with property development. Through personal anecdotes and client interactions, Frances outlines the importance of forging a deep emotional connection with design choices, materials, and the overall feeling the home you're creating. With passion and expertise, she encourages everyone to prioritise the emotional return on their home, based on the time, money and effort involved to create it, making their home-bu...2024-03-2714 minYour Forever HomeE140 - Creating an Emotional Return (ROI) on your Forever Home™In this insightful episode of the My Forever Home podcast, Frances delves into the concept of “Emotional ROI”. She explores the significance of emotional investment when creating a Forever Home™, emphasising its distinction from financial ROI typically associated with property development. Through personal anecdotes and client interactions, Frances outlines the importance of forging a deep emotional connection with design choices, materials, and the overall feeling the home you're creating. With passion and expertise, she encourages everyone to prioritise the emotional return on their home, based on the time, money and effort involved to create it, making their home-building journey a deeply...2024-03-2714 min
My Forever HomeE138 - Alternatives to Engineered StoneFrances delves into the engineered stone ban in Australia and explores alternative options for homeowners. From porcelain to laminate, Frances discusses factors such as durability, aesthetics, and budget, advising listeners on many alternatives available and why you may choose one material over another for your benchtops. 2024-02-1430 minYour Forever HomeE138 - Alternatives to Engineered StoneFrances delves into the engineered stone ban in Australia and explores alternative options for homeowners. From porcelain to laminate, Frances discusses factors such as durability, aesthetics, and budget, advising listeners on many alternatives available and why you may choose one material over another for your benchtops.2024-02-1430 min
My Forever HomeE130 - Renovating your Forever Home Vs Renovating for ProfitFrances is joined by Peter Karaolganis from Presenting Homes Australia to discuss the different decisions made when renovating your Forever Home compared to renovating to flip and make a profit. Peter and Frances discuss materials, build quality, flexible floorplans and multigenerational living for both types of renovations and how they differ.2023-09-271h 20Your Forever HomeE130 - Renovating your Forever Home Vs Renovating for ProfitFrances is joined by Peter Karaolganis from Presenting Homes Australia to discuss the different decisions made when renovating your Forever Home compared to renovating to flip and make a profit. Peter and Frances discuss materials, build quality, flexible floorplans and multigenerational living for both types of renovations and how they differ.2023-09-271h 20
My Forever HomeE129 - Doing Something Creative. Just for You.Frances shares her experience doing something creative. Just because. And the creative has nothing to do with interior design, renovating or building. She got inspiried after reading 'Big Magic', which explores the notion of doing something for no other reason than for your own enjoyment. Frances shares her experience on this principle in this episode of the podcast.2023-09-1415 min
My Forever HomeE127: The Influence of Travel on InteriorsHaving just come back from a 5 week European holiday, Frances discusses how travel can provide inspiration and influence on your interiors back home. Frances shares her key takeaways from each city she went to (London, Paris, Amsterdam and Baku) and what to notice and look for when you're on holiday that can personalise your space at home. 2023-07-2640 min
Your Forever HomeE127: The Influence of Travel on InteriorsHaving just come back from a 5 week European holiday, Frances discusses how travel can provide inspiration and influence on your interiors back home. Frances shares her key takeaways from each city she went to (London, Paris, Amsterdam and Baku) and what to notice and look for when you're on holiday that can personalise your space at home.2023-07-2640 min
My Forever HomeE125 - Renovating: Solid timber floor considerationsIf you are renovating, and not sure what to do with the original timber floors, Frances outlines what some floor options are, in this episode. They may not need to replaced, and Frances discusses some choices and considerations you can explore to understand the best outcome for your home.2023-05-1719 minYour Forever HomeE125 - Renovating: Solid timber floor considerationsIf you are renovating, and not sure what to do with the original timber floors, Frances outlines what some floor options are, in this episode. They may not need to replaced, and Frances discusses some choices and considerations you can explore to understand the best outcome for your home.2023-05-1719 min
Your Forever HomeE104 - How I Managed the Build - Designing and Building My Forever Home Part 3In this episode of the podcast, part 3 of this three-part series on how Frances designed and built her Forever Home, this episode explores how Frances managed the build of her home. She outlines how she did it, what she’d do differently, and the opportunity cost of project managing your own build. Shownotes : Tender process Usually, building designers will manage the tendering process. This means that they are responsible for engaging with the builders, sending out all the tender documentation and specifications, reviewing the quotes, and liaising with the builders throughout the process with queries and follow-up. Frances managed the wh...2022-01-2146 min
My Forever HomeE104 - How I Managed the Build - Designing and Building My Forever Home Part 3In this episode of the podcast, part 3 of this three-part series on how Frances designed and built her Forever Home, this episode explores how Frances managed the build of her home. She outlines how she did it, what she’d do differently, and the opportunity cost of project managing your own build. Shownotes : Tender process Usually, building designers will manage the tendering process. This means that they are responsible for engaging with the builders, sending out all the tender documentation and specifications, reviewing the quotes, and liaising with the builders throughout the process wi...2022-01-2146 minYour Forever HomeE103 - Interiors - Designing and Building my Forever Home Part 2In this episode of this 3 part series on how Frances created her Forever Home, Frances outlines how she specified the interior materials and finishes for her own home. She walks through her vision for the home, her decision making criteria, things she would do differently now, and how she stayed true to herself when selecting items for her home. Shownotes The interiors are often regarded as the exciting part of building a home, but with so many options available, it can also be the overwhelming part. This is where having your vision is important. Frances renovated many homes for herself in th...2022-01-1437 min
My Forever HomeE103 - Interiors - Designing and Building my Forever Home Part 2 In this episode of this 3 part series on how Frances created her Forever Home, Frances outlines how she specified the interior materials and finishes for her own home. She walks through her vision for the home, her decision making criteria, things she would do differently now, and how she stayed true to herself when selecting items for her home. Shownotes The interiors are often regarded as the exciting part of building a home, but with so many options available, it can also be the overwhelming part. This is where having your visi...2022-01-1437 minYour Forever HomeE102 - The Vision and Finding an Architect - Designing and Building my Forever Home Part 1In this special 3 part series 'Designing and Building my Own Forever Home', Frances will take you on her own Forever Home Journey. In this episode, Part 1 of the series, Frances outlines how she created the vision for her home along with how she researched and found her architect to design the home. This series is a wonderful insight, and personal story, warts and all, of how Frances designed and built her own Forever Home.2022-01-0645 min
My Forever HomeE102 - The Vision and Finding an Architect - Designing and Building my Forever Home Part 1In this special 3 part series 'Designing and Building my Own Forever Home', Frances will take you on her own Forever Home Journey. In this episode, Part 1 of the series, Frances outlines how she created the vision for her home along with how she researched and found her architect to design the home. This series is a wonderful insight, and personal story, warts and all, of how Frances designed and built her own Forever Home.2022-01-0644 minYour Forever HomeE101: A week in a life of an Interior DesignerIn this podcast episode, Frances lets you into a week of her life of being an interior designer and running her own business. She outlines each day, what typically goes on and what curve balls she has to tackle when it doesn’t all go according to plan. It’s a great insight into the world of an open and upfront interior designer, who tells it like it is, and is raw and real in this episode. You’ll get to see, it’s not all as glamourous as you may think! Welcome to a week in the life of Frances C2021-12-0847 min
My Forever HomeE101: A week in a life of an Interior Designer In this podcast episode, Frances lets you into a week of her life of being an interior designer and running her own business. She outlines each day, what typically goes on and what curve balls she has to tackle when it doesn’t all go according to plan. It’s a great insight into the world of an open and upfront interior designer, who tells it like it is, and is raw and real in this episode. You’ll get to see, it’s not all as glamourous as you may think! Welcome...2021-12-0847 min
My Forever HomeE100: Coordinating Bathroom Floors and Colour ToneIn this short and sharp episode, Frances discusses the coordination of bathroom floor tiles with the main flooring throughout the home, and how tiles cannot be looked at in isolation from other materials in the home. She chats about the overall colour tone being used in the home, either warm or cool, and how that also needs to be reflected in bathroom material choices. SHOWNOTES A key bathroom mistake Frances often sees is NOT looking at the entire flow of material selections from one part of the home into another. 2021-11-1811 minYour Forever HomeE100: Coordinating Bathroom Floors and Colour ToneIn this short and sharp episode, Frances discusses the coordination of bathroom floor tiles with the main flooring throughout the home, and how tiles cannot be looked at in isolation from other materials in the home. She chats about the overall colour tone being used in the home, either warm or cool, and how that also needs to be reflected in bathroom material choices. SHOWNOTES A key bathroom mistake Frances often sees is NOT looking at the entire flow of material selections from one part of the home into another. Creating continuity The floor is one of the key areas t...2021-11-1811 minYour Forever HomeE99: B1G1 Partnership AnnouncementIn this episode, Frances makes an exciting announcement about the partnership with B1G1 and White Pebble Interiors. She outlines her goal to use her business as a vehicle to help others around the globe (not just through creating amazing homes for her clients). She explains how working with B1G1 aligns with the values of the business, the team and her own personal values, by contributing to the livelihood of others and providing an impact around the world. The particular focus where she wants the business to make an impact is through providing education to those where it’s not...2021-11-0412 min
My Forever HomeE99: B1G1 Partnership Announcement In this episode, Frances makes an exciting announcement about the partnership with B1G1 and White Pebble Interiors. She outlines her goal to use her business as a vehicle to help others around the globe (not just through creating amazing homes for her clients). She explains how working with B1G1 aligns with the values of the business, the team and her own personal values, by contributing to the livelihood of others and providing an impact around the world. The particular focus where she wants the business to make an impact is through providing education to those w...2021-11-0412 min
Your Forever HomeEpisode 93: Your Forever Home LIVE- Creating Wellbeing In Your HomeHealth and wellbeing are important now more than ever, as we all navigate through the Covid 19 pandemic. In this episode of the Your Forever Home podcast, Frances outlines different ways that we can incorporate wellness into our homes – through connection to the outdoors, bringing the outside in, use of colour and materials on our homes, and more permanently – designing for wellbeing. Sit back, relax, and delve into all the options to make you feel better in your home. SHOWNOTES In light of lockdowns that have occurred numerous times to many of us, Frances decided it was time to talk about creating wellness fo...2021-07-2732 min
My Forever HomeE93 - My Forever Home LIVE: Creating Wellbeing In Your Home Health and wellbeing are important now more than ever, as we all navigate through the Covid 19 pandemic. In this episode of the Your Forever Home podcast, Frances outlines different ways that we can incorporate wellness into our homes – through connection to the outdoors, bringing the outside in, use of colour and materials on our homes, and more permanently – designing for wellbeing. Sit back, relax, and delve into all the options to make you feel better in your home. SHOWNOTES In light of lockdowns that have occurred numerous times to many of us, Frances deci...2021-07-2732 min
My Forever HomeE86 – The Importance of Internal Elevations - Bathroom Design EssentialsFrances is super passionate about this topic, and it clearly shows in this episode of Bathroom Design Essentials. Frances outlines the importance of internal elevations so you can create a well designed bathroom that allows you to be involved in the design process, make informed decisions, and mitigate expensive mistakes. Internal elevations also provide the builder with details of exactly what they are building, along with providing the opportunity for a more accurate quote. SHOWNOTES What is an Internal Elevation? Unlike a floorplan which gives you an aerial view of your design, an internal eleva...2021-05-0725 min
My Forever HomeEpisode 83: Bathroom Design Essentials – Showroom Vanities Frances is joined again by Cathryn Matchett and Trisha Narde from Reece Bathroom Life, to discuss the options available for showroom vanities. They also outline some of the comparisons with customised vanities, and why one would be better suited over another. SHOWNOTES Showroom Vanity Vs Customised Vanities Showroom vanities are the vanities that are on display at stores. It allows you to see and know exactly what vanity you are buying. Custom vanities are bespoke and designed based on your needs, and preference for materials, finishes and sizes. Considerations: Price ...2021-04-1531 minYour Forever HomeEpisode 82: Your Forever Home LIVE- Timber Floors – to replace or notIn this Forever Home Live, Frances discusses the options available to you if your solid timber floors are looking tired and yellow. Frances provides sound advice on what CAN be done that prevents you from laying down a brand new floor and outlines limitations with going over the top of a current floor.This is a great episode if you’re looking to save money and want to achieve the best aesthetic and superior outcome, plus kick some sustainability goals at the same time.2021-04-1414 min
My Forever HomeE82 - My Forever Home LIVE- Timber Floors – to replace or notIn this Forever Home Live, Frances discusses the options available to you if your solid timber floors are looking tired and yellow. Frances provides sound advice on what CAN be done that prevents you from laying down a brand new floor and outlines limitations with going over the top of a current floor. This is a great episode if you’re looking to save money and want to achieve the best aesthetic and superior outcome, plus kick some sustainability goals at the same time.2021-04-1414 min
My Forever HomeEpisode 73: Bathroom Design Essentials- Choosing your bathroom style and colours Description: In this podcast episode, Frances outlines how to find your style for your bathroom. She gives tips to help you determine the feeling and aesthetic you’d like to create in your bathroom. Further, she outlines how to start pulling your design scheme together, and how to incorporate colour into your bathroom (if that’s what you want). This episode gets into the nitty gritty of pulling your materials and colours together. SHOWNOTES: Choosing your bathroom style and colours can be the trickiest part of bathroom design. Where to start with the look and feel...2021-02-2529 minYour Forever HomeEpisode 71: Bathroom Design Essentials – Bathroom StorageIn this episode of the Bathroom Design Essentials Season, Frances outlines why starting with your storage requirements is critical to getting your bathroom designed properly. She outlines the main storage solutions available and what solutions are better for storing certain items. Frances outlines how functionality is critical in a bathroom, as the space can be tight, and without adequate storage through good design, will lead to frustration and the space not working as you need it to. 2021-02-1127 min
My Forever HomeE71 – Bathroom Storage - Bathroom Design Essentials In this episode of the Bathroom Design Essentials Season, Frances outlines why starting with your storage requirements is critical to getting your bathroom designed properly. She outlines the main storage solutions available and what solutions are better for storing certain items. Frances outlines how functionality is critical in a bathroom, as the space can be tight, and without adequate storage through good design, will lead to frustration and space not working as you need it to. SHOWNOTES: Storage is critical for bathrooms particularly with family bathrooms and en suites. Your bathroom needs to be fun...2021-02-1128 min
My Forever HomeE70 - Bathroom Layouts - Bathroom Design EssentialsIn this episode of the podcast, Frances is joined by guest Fabieli Fontana, Senior Interior Designer at White Pebble Interiors. They discuss some key considerations to think about, such as privacy and windows, when designing your bathroom, along with thinking about flow and space planning. They cover some key mistakes they have seen people make, and how to not make the same mistakes yourself. SHOWNOTES: Not assessing what you need in a bathroom before the building stage is one of the biggest bathroom layout mistake that people make. As a result, there won’t be enough sp...2021-02-0437 min
My Forever HomeE69 – Season Overview - Bathroom Design EssentialsIn this episode of the brand new season, Bathroom Design Essentials, Frances outlines core considerations to think about when renovating or creating a brand new bathroom as part of a new build. She runs through the topics that will be covered in the season along with who will benefit from tuning in to each episode. Shownotes: Renovating or creating a new bathroom can become quite overwhelming, time-consuming and costly. In this Podcast Season- Bathroom Design Essentials, Frances will discuss key considerations to think about when renovating or creating a new bathroom. The Bathroom De...2021-01-2816 min
My Forever HomeE68 - 2020, Covid and 2021 Frances reveals many personal aspects in this podcast episode. She outlines the silver linings that occurred for her during hard lockdown in Melbourne due to Covid 19, and the effect it’s had on her life and her studio. A very personal story. For those renovating or building on 2021, she outlines a myriad of free resources available to boost your knowledge over the holiday season, in preparation for 2021. Finally, she also outlines plans for 2021, to assist her community (you) even more. SHOWNOTES: Silver Lining to Covid-19 When Melbourne went to a hard lock...2020-12-1721 min
My Forever HomeE66 - A Guest Room – Do you need one?In this episode of the podcast, Frances runs through criteria for assessing if a spare.guest room is something you really need, or whether it’s a nice to have. She provides examples of how rooms can be multi-functional – using her own home as an example. She highlights ways to incorporate having guests stay, without giving up on regularly used valuable space in the home. A very down to earth look at rooms that are rarely used. SHOWNOTES Spare room mentality Sometimes homeowners add an additional room that essentially becomes a spare rooms, but i...2020-12-0323 min
My Forever HomeE63 – Season Summary and Overview - Kitchen Design EssentialsIn this episode, Frances provides a summary of each episode of the Kitchen Design Essentials Season and how each episode adds another dimension to your overall kitchen design and outcome. From budgets to materials, from flatpacks to splashbacks, she outlines all episodes, providing a handy reference on what will be the episode to listen to next as part of the season. SHOWNOTES: 1 – Episode 24: Kitchen Design Essentials - Season Overview Frances provided an overview of what’s in store for the season- giving you a good insight into what was covered in the ser...2020-11-1232 min
My Forever HomeE62 – Outdoor Kitchens - Kitchen Design EssentialsIn this episode of the podcast, as part of the Kitchen Design Essentials Season, Frances outlines considerations for an outdoor kitchen. She emphasises the need to plan it upfront as it may impact internal kitchen decisions. She runs through suitable materials, and those that are not suitable for outdoors, and options with regards to necessities for the outdoor kitchen space. SHOWNOTES: Our warm climate in Australia, and the tradition of entertaining friends and family at home are two major reasons why Outdoor Kitchens are becoming increasingly popular. When completing a renovation or new build, we should c...2020-11-0527 min
My Forever HomeE61 – Budgeting - Kitchen Design EssentialsIn this episode of Your Forever Home, as part of the Kitchen Design Essentials Season, Frances walks through what needs to be considered when planning the budget for your kitchen, including items that are often forgotten. She also runs through what you can expect to be able to do at certain budget levels. SHOWNOTES: Determine your goals and objectives when creating your kitchen. Are you doing a makeover, some basic cosmetic changes to freshen it up? Is it going to be a renovation? Basic Renovation- replacing what’s already there and n...2020-10-2933 minYour Forever HomeEpisode 60: Forever Home LIVE- Carpet or timber stairsIn this Forever Home Live Frances highlights the need to understand the various aspects of stairs before making a decision to have carpet, timber or concrete. The aesthetic is often the leading reason for people to choose their stair type without taking into consideration noise, budget, slip resistance and storage requirements, which are the areas Frances chats through in this episode.2020-10-2713 min
My Forever HomeE60 - My Forever Home LIVE- Carpet or timber stairsIn this Forever Home Live Frances highlights the need to understand the various aspects of stairs before making a decision to have carpet, timber or concrete. The aesthetic is often the leading reason for people to choose their stair type without taking into consideration noise, budget, slip resistance and storage requirements, which are the areas Frances chats through in this episode.2020-10-2713 min
My Forever HomeE59 – Kitchen Lighting - Kitchen Design EssentialsIn this Kitchen Design Essentials episode Frances runs through the critical element of lighting in your kitchen. She discusses the need for task, ambient and decorative lighting for different scenarios, particularly for kitchens in an open plan space. She also discusses the many different alternatives available to using downlights, and why it’s important to use a combination of light sources. SHOWNOTES: Lighting affects your mood and your ability to work in a space. It is a key component to the overall functionality of your kitchen. Task Lighting Provides specific and increased light to...2020-10-2224 min
My Forever HomeE58 - My Forever Home LIVE – White KitchensIn this Forever Home Live, Frances chats about things you can do to ensure an all-white kitchen is not clinical and soulless, with a few ideas about material selections and also decorating tips to add pops of colour.2020-10-2208 min
My Forever HomeE57 – How to Choose Kitchen Colours - Kitchen Design EssentialsIn this episode of the Kitchen Design Essentials Season, Frances chats through how to choose your colours for your kitchen – and she’s certainly encouraging you to use colour – if you love it! She walks you through how to determine ‘what comes first’ when creating your design scheme and runs through popular combinations. Finally, she gives some great advice and tips on decorating your kitchen, and how to make it your own and give it some personality. SHOWNOTES: Your kitchen does not have to match everything else in the home. For instance, i...2020-10-1549 min
My Forever HomeE56 - My Forever Home LIVE - OrientationIn this Forever Home Live, Frances chats through the importance of the orientation of your home and why a north-facing rear garden is premium. She walks through how it’s the first thing she reviews when conducting a Floor Plan Sanity Check, along with the use of doors to improve flexibility, privacy, zoning, and heat retention. These are the first two key areas she reviews as part of the Sanity Check process.2020-10-1310 min
My Forever HomeE55 - Handles and Hardware - Kitchen Design EssentialsIn this episode of the Kitchen Design Essentials Season, Frances discusses handles, and the options available (including having no handles), along with cabinetry hardware and internals, and what options are available to improve design and functionality in your kitchen. SHOWNOTES: Handles and hardware add the perfect finishing touch to your kitchen. They can absolutely make your kitchen, or they can let it down. Good news is, they are easy to replace to create a whole new look. Handles They add to overall finish of kitchen and to the overall design. They complete the...2020-10-0937 min
My Forever HomeE54 - Appliances Part 2 - Kitchen Design EssentialsFollowing on from last week’s episode on Appliances Part 1, Rob Sinclair, of E&S Trading and Frances continue their discussion on key kitchen appliances. This episode focuses on Stove Tops and Rangehoods, plus other appliances to consider. As ever, Rob shares his incredible knowledge and practical advice about buying criteria for these appliances. SHOWNOTES: Stove tops Buying Criteria Control- Any hot plate that gives you more temperature control Whether it is gas or electric, do I have a real visible range or step of temperature Space- Creation of space and being able to fit How mu...2020-10-011h 04
My Forever HomeE53 – Appliances - Part 1 - Kitchen Design EssentialsIn this episode of the Kitchen Design Essentials Season, Frances has guest Rob Sinclair, Managing Director of E&S Trading on the show to discuss buying criteria and performance for kitchen appliances. This episode focuses on Fridges, Dishwashers and Ovens and Rob’s passion for appliances and buying with performance in mind, is wonderful to listen to. Join Frances as she chats with Rob and hears his amazing advice and knowledge on these key appliances for your kitchen. Key Buying Criteria When Choosing your Kitchen Appliances Understand your requirements - Understand your needs and requirements at home...2020-09-231h 17
My Forever HomeE52 - My Forever Home LIVE – Kitchen Needs AssessmentIn this Forever Home Live, Frances chats about how to determine the functionality required in your kitchen and determine what you actually need. She outlines how this will enable you to assess your kitchen design with your requirements in mind, rather than just aesthetics. She walks through the Clear Clarity Design Worksheet (a resource provided in the Beautiful Kitchen Design Course) and how these prompts you to think about your needs and how you will store items, and cook in your kitchen. Finally, she touches on The Top 12 Must Do’s resource (as part of the co...2020-09-1814 min
My Forever HomeE51 - Kitchen Taps and Sinks - Kitchen Design EssentialsThere’s so much more to Kitchen Taps and Sinks than you may think. In this episode, Frances and her podcast guest Trisha Narde from Reece discuss kitchen taps and sinks and what to look for in each. What makes a good quality tap and sink? What material composition should you look for in standard sinks and taps, but also in black? Not all black is the same! They also chat about Billi and Zip taps and how to allow for them in your design. SHOWNOTES In this episode, Frances, and guest Trishla Narde, Branch Manager at Reece Bathroom Lif...2020-09-1650 min
My Forever HomeE50 - My Forever Home LIVE - Beautiful Kitchen Design Made Easy Top TipIn this Forever Home Live Frances provides a Top Tip when designing your kitchen, relating to the selection of appliances. She also provides an overview of the brand new Beautiful Kitchen Design Made Easy course, outlining some of the key resources available in it to provide confidence, knowledge, and empowerment to design a kitchen, for those who complete the course.2020-09-1116 min
My Forever HomeE49 – Butler’s Pantries and Pantries - Kitchen Design EssentialsIn this Episode of the podcast, Frances discusses the key differences between Butler’s Pantries, Walk in Pantries, Pull-out Pantries, Appliance Cupboards, Cupboard Pantries and Step in Pantries. She also walks through the key components of a well-designed walk in pantry, and discusses some key questions relating to pantries – doors, cabinetry fronts, sinks and windows. SHOWNOTES: A walk-in pantry has become one of the must-have features within a home. However, if you are trying to create a home that doesn’t have a large footprint, perhaps a walk in pantry or butler’s pantry is not nece...2020-09-0927 min
My Forever HomeE48 - My Forever Home Live – Ideal TV placementFrances is not a fan of TVs being the focal point in a room. In this Forever Home Live, she walks through different options for TV placement, and how they do not necessarily have to be wall-mounted and centered on the wall. She discusses how to balance the TV with other items in the room so it’s not all about the TV! Finally, she talks about TVs above a fire and why this is not ideal.2020-09-0421 min
My Forever HomeE47 – Key Kitchen Measurements - Kitchen Design EssentialsIn this episode Frances outlines the essential measurements to ensure your kitchen is functional and workable. She discusses the kitchen triangle and the theory behind how this works in your kitchen, cabinetry size standards, appliances, splashbacks and also some of the regulations to check. SHOWNOTES Kitchen Triangle You need to be able to access things easily and move between key areas for food preparation such as your sink, fridge,stove top and ovens. Ideally, it you need to have a maximum of 7 metres between all these areas. Th...2020-09-0221 min
My Forever HomeE46 - My Forever Home LIVE – Ceiling HeightsIn this Forever Home Live Frances discusses ceiling heights and why you would opt for an optimal ceiling height of 2.7m at a minimum and why the investment is worth it. As you Forever Home, Frances is a strong believer in getting your building structure right, and ceiling height is one of those core foundations.2020-08-2816 min
My Forever HomeE45 - Internal Elevations & Joinery Design - Kitchen Design EssentialsFrances is pretty passionate about internal elevations making or breaking the outcome of your home, which is definitely apparent in this episode of the podcast. She outlines what internal elevations are, what advantages they provide, and further, what can go wrong if you don’t have proper internal elevations for your kitchen. Without them, it’s like asking your builder to navigate without a map! In this episode, you’ll get to understand why they are so important and how critical they are to you getting your kitchen design right. SHOWNOTES ...2020-08-2638 min
My Forever HomeE44 - My Forever Home LIVE – Onsite VisitsIn this Forever Home Live, Frances has just been onsite and runs through the type of things she was checking on site, and why you need to negotiate with your builder to get access and be on-site at certain stages of the build to check what’s going on.2020-08-2117 min
My Forever HomeE42 - My Forever Home Live – Feature WallsFeature walls do not necessarily mean a bold colour on one wall in a room! In this Forever Home Live, Frances chats about elements you can use to create a feature wall in your Living Room, with a big emphasis on not having the TV as the focal point. She highlights the use of texture through various materials such as wallpaper, textured paint, Unitex and stone to create impact and layers in a room.2020-08-1919 min
My Forever HomeE43 – Flatpack Vs Custom Designed Kitchens - Kitchen Design EssentialsIn this episode of the Kitchen Design Essentials Season, Frances outlines some core differences to be aware of between flatpack (off the shelf) and custom-designed kitchens. She walks through some of the core differences and what compromises may need to be made with a flat pack kitchen with its sizing constraints. She also discusses material and hardware differences that may impact your decisions. As always, the focus is on Forever Homes, and she chats through compromises that may impact you later on, and cost a lot to rectify. SHOWNOTES When it...2020-08-1927 min
My Forever HomeE41 – Cabinetry Materials - Kitchen Design EssentialsThere are many factors to consider when choosing the right cabinetry material for your kitchen. Budget, aesthetics, cleaning requirements and durability are just a few. In this episode, Frances outlines seven different materials to consider and some of the reasons they would work well in your kitchen, or if you may need to think about something different to meet your needs. Often people resort to the products they know, rather than being aware of all that’s available and selecting a product that will really work for them and their lifestyle. This episode will arm you with in...2020-08-1228 min
My Forever HomeE40 - My Forever Home LIVE-We are Open – Stage 4 LockdownIn this Forever Home Live, Frances shares her story as a Small Business owner during Covid 19 Stage 4 lockdown and what it means for her business White Pebble Interiors. She outlines how as a small business she has been able to adapt, be flexible and still serve her clients, and use the processes and systems that are already in place from serving regional and interstate clients for several years now. She is super grateful and proud, that she can has not laid off any staff, and is proud to employ a team during this time.2020-08-0717 min
My Forever HomeE39 – Splashbacks - Kitchen Design EssentialsSplashbacks can be a key feature of your kitchen and create a real point of difference. In this episode Frances outlines several splashback materials including glass, stone, windows, mirror and porcelain, that can be used, including her favourite – tiles. Further, she discusses how a splashback is a wonderful opportunity to inject colour, texture or shape into your kitchen. She is a real advocate in the splashback being a chance to reflect your personality and create a point a difference. SHOWNOTES: Adding a splashback is a great way to make a statement and inject some of wh...2020-08-0524 min
My Forever HomeE38 - Benchtop Criteria and Materials – Part 2 - Kitchen Design EssentialsIn this episode, Frances continues the benchtop discussion outlining an additional 10 benchtop materials to consider. She also outlines the criteria to assist in deciding what benchtop material is going to be the best for your kitchen. SHOWNOTES In the last episode of the Kitchen Design Essential (episode 36), 3 key materials were discussed with Laura from Cosentino; Dekton Reconstituted Stone Natural Stone In this episode, Frances cover other benchtop materials including Recycled glass, porcelain, Paperock, Timber, Solid acrylic surface (Corian), Concrete, stainless steel, laminate. Key criteria for choosing your benchtop;- Budget Product2020-07-2925 min
My Forever HomeE37 - My Forever Home LIVE- Upholstered Furniture: Quality Vs Cheap and CheerfulIn this Forever Home Live Frances discusses the reasons for opting for good quality upholstered furniture and the options it provides you over decades of use. She discusses fabric considerations, construction, the sustainability considerations, and outlines what reupholstering can provide and the impact on your choices today. She walks through solutions for families and how to maximise the life of your good quality furniture, If you’re in the market to buy new or replace your upholstered furniture, this gives you some great advice and insight about your purchase.2020-07-2422 min
My Forever HomeE36 – Benchtops Part 1 - Kitchen Design EssentialsIn this episode, part 1 of benchtops in the series, Frances welcomes her guest, Laura Neville from Cosentino to discuss three main benchtop applications – reconstituted stone, natural stone (by Cosentino), and Dekton. They outline the differences between the 3 products and why you may choose one over the other, considering functionality, durability, budget, and aesthetics. Fabulous insight is provided on manufacturing differences, cost differences, and application. SHOW NOTES Things to consider when choosing for benchtops • Think about how you are going to use the kitchen 5-10 years’ time Are there cooks in the fa...2020-07-2242 min
My Forever HomeE35 - Mirror and Window Splashbacks - My Forever Home LIVEIn this Forever Home Live Frances discusses the option of having a mirrored or window splashback and their advantages and disadvantages. The ability to create extra light, to create a sense of space, yet also the high requirement of frequent cleaning.2020-07-1714 min
My Forever HomeE34 – Key Kitchen Design Mistakes - Kitchen Design EssentialsThis episode brings back our guest Fabieli Fontana, from White Pebble Interiors. She and Frances discuss some of the key design mistakes they have seen (and mitigated). Windows in a location that compromise design and functionality, the consideration of materials, and how they affect design outcomes. Some big-scale issues with pantries, using corners, right down to little details such as lining up cabinetry, power point locations, picture windows, and visual bulk mitigation. They discuss how the rationale of the kitchen design is critical to understanding how it works. That your desires may not be a functional choice, so understanding...2020-07-1544 min
My Forever HomeE33 - Holiday homes and Covid 19 Lockdown 2 implications - My Forever Home LIVEIn this Forever Home Live Frances is on holidays, and chats about holiday homes in general and what they represent to her. She references how holidays during Covid 19 are a different beast, and how people are now diverting their holiday funds to improving their home. She chats about the implications of Covid 19 lockdown 2 for Melbourne and how her business has pivoted to service clients in the ‘new normal’. She also references the great desire by many to paint original timber accents and features in a home and her view on this.2020-07-1323 min
My Forever HomeE32 - The Builder’s Insight - Kitchen Design EssentialsThis Kitchen Design Essentials episode has special guest, Jeremy Gates from Gaia Construction chat with Frances about some of the key mistakes people make when embarking on creating a new kitchen – and not really understanding the impact of these decisions. Jeremy shares his vast experience as a carpenter and builder on how to avoid mistakes when designing your kitchen, and how a builder can really assist you to meet expectations if engaged early on in the process. A very insightful discussion for getting your kitchen right. SHOW NOTES Jeremy Gates Managing Director of Gai...2020-07-0840 min
My Forever HomeE31 - Styles - and how a brief determines the outcome - My Forever Home LIVEIn this Forever Home Live, Frances discusses the outcome of projects and how they are determined by the brief for the designer. She chats about how the style created in a place is the outcome of the brief, and that as a designer, she may not necessarily like everything personally herself, but as long as it’s cohesive, has flow, and colours, tones and materials all relate to each other – this is the important part. And most importantly, the client loves it. She gives some examples of recent clients, and their briefs and how that will determine the outcome they...2020-07-0317 min
My Forever HomeE30 - Kitchen Design Layouts and Location - Kitchen Design EssentialsWhere your kitchen is located in the home, and getting the layout right is critical to good kitchen design. In this episode, Frances, and guest Interior Designer, Fabieli Fontana talk about the different locations of a kitchen in the home, along with different layouts and what some of the advantages and disadvantages are of each. An interesting discussion between two interior designers on optimum kitchen design! SHOW NOTES When it comes to kitchen design, there really is more to it than meets the eye. It is important to know how to determine the best location...2020-07-0141 min
My Forever HomeE29 - Working from Home – how to create an ideal space - My Forever Home LIVEFrances recorded this Forever Home Live during the Covid 19 isolation period, when many people were working from home for long periods of time. She talks about what you can do to create a working from home space that is productive, personal and allow you to work in a happy environment. Lots of tips to allow you to carve out your own space!2020-06-2913 min
My Forever HomeE28 - Walk in Pantries – With or Without a Door - My Forever Home LIVEIn this Forever Home Live, Frances outlines reasons why having a door on your walk in pantry is a good idea. She talks about the ideal door scenarios too!2020-06-2615 min
My Forever HomeE27 - How to Determine What You Need in Your Kitchen - Kitchen Design EssentialsWhat do you need to do before you start designing your dream kitchen? In this episode, as part of the Kitchen Design Essentials Season, Frances outlines how you determine what you need in your kitchen (rather than worrying about what everyone else has) and how to determine the what, how and where for your storage requirements, critical to the foundation of your overall kitchen design. Frances also discusses the importance of your lifestyle, and your cooking requirements to really determine what you need in your kitchen and how you need it to work for you. Being the...2020-06-2424 min
My Forever HomeE26 - Tapwear colours – to use black or not - My Forever Home LIVETo black or not to black – that is the question often asked of interior designers regarding black tapwear and accessories. Will they date, and should you use them? Frances discusses this topic in this Forever Home Live, putting her view forward, along with industry experts she’s chatted with too. And if you do decide to use black – how to buy quality.2020-06-2214 min
My Forever HomeE25 - Rugs and How to Choose Them - My Forever Home LIVEIn this FB Live Frances chats about rugs and how to choose them. She discusses the use of rugs to anchor a space, and creating a soft space to relax on. She outlines their other uses for noise mitigation, creating layers in your room and adding texture and colour.2020-06-1921 min
My Forever HomeE24 - Season Overview - Kitchen Design EssentialsKitchen Design Essentials is a podcast series to provide all the information you need for your kitchen renovation, new kitchen or kitchen makeover. Frances provides an overview of what to expect in this specialised Kitchen Design Season and outlines all the areas that will be covered in this multi episode podcast. All you need to know to complete your kitchen will be covered, from layout, design considerations, materials, lighting, storage, pantries, taps, sinks and appliances. SHOW NOTES Kitchen Designs need to work hard for all families. They are your entertaining space, a family...2020-06-1720 min
My Forever HomeE23 - Storage in bathrooms - My Forever Home LIVEStorage in bathrooms cannot be overlooked. This Forever Home Lives goes through the importance of storage in bathrooms for them to function adequately. Bathrooms should not only look fabulous, but they need to work for us too. Frances runs through storage solutions for all bathrooms. Join the '5 Costly Bathroom Design Mistakes and How to Avoid Them' Webinar If you like this and want to learn more, I've got a webinar coming up on 24th November from 7PM-8PM AEDT. Click here to find out more and register.2020-06-1512 min
My Forever HomeE22 – Choosing Taps and Bathroom Accessories - My Forever Home LIVEIn this Forever Home Live, Frances chats about choosing tapwear, showers and bathroom accessories and how they need marry in with each other for a cohesive scheme. What taps are best for the kitchen and laundry and how they don’t need to match all the other taps in your home! Join the '5 Costly Bathroom Design Mistakes and How to Avoid Them' Webinar If you like this and want to learn more, I've got a webinar coming up on 24th November from 7PM-8PM AEDT. Click here to find out more and register. ...2020-06-1217 min
My Forever HomeE21 - Choosing Carpets for your HomeConfused about all the different types of carpets available and how to select the right one? In this episode, Frances outlines different carpet types, from twist to plush to loop pile, along with carpet weights and fibres and how to choose one over another. Further, she chats through the important aspect of what colour carpet to choose, and dispels all the misnomers about having a dark carpet to hide stains.2020-06-1020 min
My Forever HomeE20 - Benchtops and the options - My Forever Home LIVEThere are so many different options available when it comes to choosing benchtops for kitchens, laundries and bathrooms. With new materials launching all the time. In this Forever Home Live Frances runs through the main considerations when selecting your benchtops.2020-06-0814 min
My Forever HomeE19 - Homebuilder Stimulus Package - My Forever Home LIVEFrances runs through the criteria and parameters around the Australian Government’s Home Builder Scheme, and who is eligible for the $25K grant. She also discusses window splashbacks for above a stove. The likes and dislikes about this scenario.2020-06-0518 min
My Forever HomeE18 - Flooring and why it's so important - My Forever Home LIVEWhy is flooring so important? In this Forever Home Live Frances discusses why choosing your floor first is critical to getting all your material choices right. Floors take up a lot of budget, cover a large area and need to work super hard, so get the low down on floors in this episode.2020-06-0109 min
My Forever HomeE17 - Sink in the Island Bench - to do or not to do - My Forever Home LIVEIn this Forever Home Live Frances discusses the topic of a sink in your kitchen island bench and outlines the advantages and disadvantages of a sink in the bench. This episode will allow you to make an informed choice on which is the best option for you. SHOW NOTES In this Forever Home Live Frances discusses the topic of a sink in your kitchen island bench and outlines the advantages and disadvantages of this as an option in your kitchen design. Things to consider with a sink in an Island Bench; W...2020-05-2916 min
My Forever HomeE16 - Toilets and what are the differencesToilets may not be the sexiest subject to discuss, however they are still an essential element when renovating or creating your Forever Home. This episode covers the differences between toilet styles and types of toilets so you can decide on type of toilet is the best for you. Not all toilets are the same, and Frances covers rimless, back to wall, hidden cistern and floating pan options. Back to Wall toilets Back to Wall toilets have a visible cistern. It's entire toilet system that goes back against the wall, hence why it's called back...2020-05-2716 min
My Forever HomeE15 - Internal Spatial Planning - My Forever Home LIVEIn This Forever Home Live Frances discusses the importance of spatial planning and how it affects other choices and selections in your home. She discussed the importance of conducting this at floorplan stage and the reason why. #foreverhome #newhome #newbuild #renovation #homeplanning #ownerbuilder2020-05-2508 min
My Forever HomeE14 - Joinery Drawings and Why Do Them Early On - My Forever Home LIVEDon’t leave your joinery drawings until you’re part way through the build. Frances outlines why this is not ideal, and what you can achieve in completing internal elevations and joinery drawings before building. She outlines how you can save money, compromises you can avoid, and why you’ll get a much better result with them. #foreverhome #newhome #newbuild #renovation #homeplanning #ownerbuilder2020-05-2217 min
My Forever HomeE13 - Choosing Colours for Your HomeChoosing internal and external paint colours for your home is not as easy as it seems. There are many factors to consider to ensure you get it right and asking an online forum is not the ideal method to getting the right colours for your home. Frances chats through what to consider to get it right and how not all colours are the same.2020-05-2018 min
My Forever HomeE12 - Trends for 2020 - My Forever Home LIVEIn this Forever Home live, Frances outlines her view on the top 3 trends for 2020 and what will be with us to stay. #foreverhome #newhome #newbuild #renovation #homeplanning #ownerbuilder #trendsin2020 #style2020-05-1533 min
My Forever HomeE11 - Specialists for My Forever HomeThere are a number of specialists required to make your Forever Home a reality. In this episode Frances outlines key specialists she believes make a big difference to the overall outcome for your home. Engaged early on, each one is able to add their expertise to the project, and work together, rather than in silos. Ultimately, they add massive value to your overall Forever Home Master Plan. SHOW NOTES Architect and/or Draftsman An architect designs the concept for the home, including the building envelope and floorplans. All structural requirements are part...2020-05-1323 min
My Forever HomeE10 - Preliminaries and Timelines - My Forever Home LIVEIn this Forever Home Live, Frances outlines some of the preliminaries to consider when planning your Forever Home, and the timelines to allow for them. There is a lot to plan for in advance of getting your home designed, which is outlined in this episode. SHOW NOTES Lifestyle The design of your home should incorporate all aspects of home life that are important to you and your family. Think carefully about current family lifestyle, and how that may change over time. Ensure your interior designer has a good understanding of how you would to...2020-05-1119 min
My Forever HomeE8 - Who Is Frances Cosway?Learn all about Forever Home Podcast host, Frances Cosway as she shares her journey from Corporate Marketing Executive to Interior Designer to Forever Home Expert. She openly and honestly reveals how she left the corporate world and how she started in interior design to follow her passion. SHOW NOTES Frances' unique style and influences developed from working on interior design projects in Europe, where she lived for over a decade in Amsterdam. Ljubjlana, Antwerp and London. She purchased her first apartment in Amsterdam which she renovated and infused her own cultural aspects from Australia...2020-05-0626 min
My Forever HomeE6 - Interior Designer- The Right Fit - My Forever Home LIVEFrances chats about how connecting with your interior designer (and other specialists) on many levels is so critical to your project. SHOW NOTES: Your home is the place that should reflect your personal style as it’s where you spend a lot of time, and where you should feel comfortable, without necessarily paying an arm and a leg. Like anything that matters, finding the right interior designer and the right service requires some research. In this podcast, Frances shares this helpful guide on finding an Interior Designer that's right for you. 2020-05-0113 min
My Forever HomeE5 - Future Proof your Home - My Forever Home LIVEFrances provides an overview of what to consider to Future Proof your home design so it can copy with multi-generational living. SHOW NOTES: Future Proofing is essential in building your Forever Home as your needs will change as your family grows. To ensure your home can adapt to your changing needs over time, it means you need to think about how you ‘future proof’ the design so it meets your ever-changing needs. We want to make sure that the home that we are building is adaptable and flexible and that spaces and rooms can be more...2020-04-3014 min
My Forever HomeE3 - Decorating While at Home - My Forever Home LIVEFrances chats about decorating quick fixes in this Facebook Live, discussing elements to incorporate into your home to give it a new lease of life. Things you already have at home, or won’t cost a fortune. SHOW NOTES: During times of isolation and staying at home, it’s a perfect time to sort out all those little things that have been annoying you at home. along with some of the bigger bugbears. In this podcast, Frances chats about decorating quick fixes and elements to incorporate into your home. Move things arou...2020-04-2819 min
My Forever HomeE1 - What is a Forever HomeA Forever Home is a home that Frances describes as a home you plan to be in for 10 plus years. You anticipate staying in the home long term. It’s different from a house that you think of living in for 5 years under or a house that to renovate because you want to make money out of it. The emotional buy in and the way you make your decisions and, selections and choices is totally different when you are embarking on creating a Forever Home, than one you consider leaving in 5 years or so. A Forever Home is...2020-04-2016 min