Nesting Down Under

A little flashback to one of my very first clients after arriving in Perth 🕊️

This beautiful master bedroom was created for Lauren and her family, and it still holds a special place in my Nesting Down Under journey.

We layered soft whites and creams with tactile fabrics to give the room that cosy, snuggled-up feeling. The upholstered headboard was such a beautiful find and became the focal point that brought everything together.

Looking back at these early projects always reminds me just how much has happened since those first few months in Perth 🤍

Created for Lauren and her family 🏡

There’s a moment in every project where I catch myself doing this 👇

Standing in a room, looking at a chair or a desk or a cot, and realising I’m not actually thinking about right now at all.

I’m thinking about the child who’ll learn to read in that chair in a few year’s time, the teenager who might push it into a corner with fairy lights above it, the young adult who’ll maybe still remember sitting in that exact spot when they’re grown.

Every piece I choose carries that same question underneath it: who is going to live inside this choice, and for how long?

That’s what I think separates a house from a home. A house can be styled. It can look beautiful in a photo and still feel like it belongs to no one in particular.

A home is something you grow into, something that holds you as you change, something that feels different the longer you live in it - always in a good way.

I’ve come to realise that my work at Nesting Down Under was never really about decorating at all. It’s about being another human on the other end of it, someone who understands you, who genuinely cares about the journey you’re on, and who has their own family and their own home to draw from when imagining what yours needs to be.

That’s where every single design decision starts, long before a single piece of furniture is chosen.

Wall-stickers: Kids Wall Decals, Stickers and More
Pictured here, the lovely home of Dan Renowden and Freya Renowden 💙

There's a moment in every project where I catch myself doing this 👇

Standing in a room, looking at a chair or a desk or a cot, and realising I'm not actually thinking about right now at all.

I'm thinking about the child who'll learn to read in that chair in a few year's time, the teenager who might push it into a corner with fairy lights above it, the young adult who'll maybe still remember sitting in that exact spot when they're grown.

Every piece I choose carries that same question underneath it: who is going to live inside this choice, and for how long?

That's what I think separates a house from a home. A house can be styled. It can look beautiful in a photo and still feel like it belongs to no one in particular.

A home is something you grow into, something that holds you as you change, something that feels different the longer you live in it - always in a good way.

I've come to realise that my work at Nesting Down Under was never really about decorating at all. It's about being another human on the other end of it, someone who understands you, who genuinely cares about the journey you're on, and who has their own family and their own home to draw from when imagining what yours needs to be.

That's where every single design decision starts, long before a single piece of furniture is chosen.

Wall-stickers: JackHarryandOllie
Pictured here, the lovely home of Dan and Freya 💙

There’s a beautiful sense of calm in this bedroom 🌊

We leaned into natural tones and soft denim blues, taking cues from the colours and textures of the coastline.

The four-poster bed gives the room a strong focal point, while the artwork above it pulls the entire palette together, bringing those blues, warm neutrals and natural tones into one piece.

A bedroom designed for switching off at the end of the day.

Created for Chloe & Oliver 🤍

A bedroom designed around what he loves most - balls! 🏈🏀⚽️

I love bringing in a young person's personality and interests into the room without turning it into a themed bedroom. As he grows, those details can easily evolve with him, while the foundations of the room continue to work.

There’s space to play, relax and be surrounded by the things he loves, while the colours, furniture and styling sit effortlessly within the aesthetic of the wider home.

I think this room is such a lovely example of how a child’s bedroom can have plenty of personality, feel completely their own, and still feel considered as part of the home.

And the basketball hoop? A very fun finishing touch. Although I accept no responsibility for any missed shots 🏀😂

Created for Chloe & Oliver 🤍

A nest for sweet Paisley 🩷💛

I love how the combo of pink and butter yellow just injects a lot of joy into a new space.

📍Having fun with textures, shapes and colours can be your best friend when moving to a new home. Kids' rooms are some of my favourite spaces to design. There's a freedom in them to mix bold colour with real style, without ever choosing between the two 🤍

Let's talk about the bit nobody photographs.

This isn't a styled shelf. It's a cupboard - frying pans stacked how you'd actually reach for them, plates and crockery chosen for how your family actually eats breakfast, tupperware sorted into the right drawer, not arranged for a flat-lay.

Nobody's saving this to a mood board. And that's kind of the point.

The reveal - the styled table, the perfect cushion - that's everyone's favourite part, mine included. But it's not what makes a house feel like a home. This is.

I've seen what happens when someone orders a "starter kit" online from the other side of the world and just hopes for the best. It arrives, and none of it is you. Wrong size, wrong feel, wrong everything - and now you're living inside someone else's idea of home, in a country you've never lived in.

I've also seen what happens when whoever sets up the house doesn't really understand what home means to a family who just left everything behind. The kettle's there. The bed's made. It still doesn't feel like anything.

That's the difference. From the very first conversation, every decision - right down to how a cupboard gets packed - is made with your family in mind, aimed at one thing: the moment you open that door and it's already yours.

The glamorous room comes later. This is where it actually starts 🪺

The heart of the home 👩🏻‍🍳

As a mom, I always view the kitchen as the place my kids should feel welcome. A space where they have breakfast before school, where they do their homework and tell me about their day.

When decorating a space, the feeling is important. A beautifully thought out kitchen that suits your families needs can transform your house into a warm, lived in home.

What’s your favourite part of this decor?

🏡: For the lovely family, Daniel and Freya