My Forever Home- The Podcast

Join award winning interior designer, author and Forever Home expert, Frances, as she takes you on the journey to create the Forever Home of your dreams.

Frances will help you navigate all the big ticket items, and all the little details that get lost along with way when renovating or building a new home.

Focusing on sharing key information to ensure you’re planned and prepared for the journey, she’ll share how to ensure your home is functional, sustainable, durable, and aesthetically beautiful.

Guests will also join Frances to share their insight and expertise on various topics, so you’re getting well rounded information from a wide source of specialists.

Frances has helped hundreds of people create Forever Homes that are designed for their lifestyles and reflects who they are, and is super passionate about your getting your Forever Home right. She’s also built her home Forever Home, so she knows first hand what it takes, and what you need to know.

Share the journey, and let Frances guide you along the way.

Frances is joined by her client, Bernadette, in this special case study episode. Bernadette shares her renovation journey, from when she first set eyes on the home 20 years ago, through to creating her project team and the joys and frustrations of her extensive renovation.

This is an honest ‘warts and all’ account of what a renovation project can be like, including pitfalls to avoid and how your team can support you throughout. She alos outlines how having an interior designer on the team helped her create a home she truely loves and helped her mitigate so many mistakes that could have happened throughout the journey.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the thought of clearing out years and years worth of ‘stuff’, then this is the episode for you.

Frances is joined by decluttering expert, Amy Revell, who shares her wisdom on how to prepare to pack up and move for a renovation or new build. How to create a vision and create a home you’ll love.

This is a super fun and jammed packed episode on what to declutter and decide what to keep for your new home.

Frances outlines exactly what thermal wrap is in this episode, and why it’s a great product to consider for cabinetry in your home. With guests from Albedor Industries, she also delves into the myths surrounding thermal wrap, how it is made and the sustainability measures Albedor are undertaking to make a low VOC product.

A great episode if you’re wanting to understand cabinetry materials that could be used for your renovation or new home.

Frances discusses what to consider when designing a mudroom. How it needs to function, and be designed around what you need to store in it. She also discusses other considerations for where items can go in the home if the mudroom is not large enough for everything. Finally, she outlines the ideal location of a mudroom in a home.

A must listen if you’re thinking for having a mudroom in your home.

Frances 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.

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.

Frances is watching The Block this season and viewing it with multiple lenses. In this episode she shares her observations about the 50’s theme, the impact sponsors have on material choices, following a brief for the right outcome, orientation, plus design meeting the target audience, and how different that is to a Forever Home™.

Having 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.

The orientation of your home and the direction each room faces, impacts livability and the comfort levels in your home. The ability to naturally warm your home in winter and keep it cool in summer are achievable by managing the sun and using it to your advantage at design stage.

Frances shares her insights in this podcast episode on things to consider to maximise the potential of creating a home that is comfortable all year round along with design flaws to avoid. Full of tips and ways to get the most out of your home design, before it’s too late.

If 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.  

Frances shares her top tips on bathroom layout considerations and what to keep in mind for optimum functionality.

In this episode Frances is joined by Richard Earp, who is super passionate about the environment and all things sustainability. He has been leading his company, Earp Bros, for years in meeting strict sustainability criteria, so he knows a thing or two. Together they discuss the impact of the Paris Agreement and NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) and the impact this will have on Australians and the materials they choose for their homes, for Australia to meet their NDC commitment by 2030 and beyond.

In this episode of the podcast Frances is joined by Tim Sellars from Faucet Strommen. They chat about what makes a sustainable tap different, and what to look for when choosing a tap made to last, along with the qualities of Australian Made tapwear.  

Frances outlines the changes she’s seeing in what clients and people are wanting for their homes. The shift in mindset and how this is impacting material choices, homes design and what’s important for people when creating their Forever Homes.

This this a summary of her observations with working with clients all over Australia, and how the sustainable and energy efficient movement is changing in a positive way.

In this episode of the podcast Frances welcomes back Jeremy Gates from Gaia Construction to talk all things building and renovating sustainably. Jeremy highlights his top 5 ways that you can make your home more energy efficient, along with how to choose a sustainable builder. He discusses passive house principles that can be used to create a more comfortable home and mistakes to avoid. 

Frances welcomes John Dalla Via from Egger to the podcast this week to talk about sustainable wood based on products. As market leaders in the creation of chipboard with the highest percentage of post-consumer and post-industrial waste, it’s great to understand how leading companies are creating sustainable products across all industries. John outlines what to ask when considering cabinetry and laminate products when sustainability is a core objective. 

John also shares how Egger as a company is part of the UN Global Compact to meet social and ethical milestones too.

In this episode of the podcast Frances outlines what to consider for your interiors from a sustainability perspective. From floorplans, hard materials, soft furnishings, window treatments and lighting, she outlines ways to perhaps think differently about what you can do to make better sustainable choices for your home

Learn the best ways to create or improve the energy load in your home in this practical and informative episode of the podcast with Anna Cumming, Editor of Sanctuary Magazine.  

Frances and Anna discuss how you can design, improve, renovate or build a home to create a low impact, sustainable and low energy home that doesn’t have to break the bank.  

From the 7 star Naters ratings, how to brief your designer and go shopping for an energy efficient home, right through to the reasons for only going electric and eliminating gas. 

A great episode if you’re looking at making small energy efficient changes, right through to designing a new low energy home. 

As part of the Sustainable Homes and Living Season, Frances welcomes Itay Shimony from Cosentino to chat through the environmental credentials of their hard surface materials produced in Spain. In particular, they chat about the Circular economy Cosentino has created in the company, and the production of minimal silica in their reconstituted stone products, along with carbon neutral Dekton. 

As a family business, Cosentino are also strong contributors to their local community in Spain, creating a sense of responsibility to the environment, and their people. 

In this episode of the podcast for the Sustainability Series, Frances chats with guest David Baggs, CEO and Co-Founder of Green Tag – an international creditation for all types of eco products. David explains how products are able to be accreditated using their third party creditation process, that covers a diverse and wide range of products. This assists consumers to select healthier and more environmentally and sustainable products for their home. 

In this episode of the podcast, Frances is joined by her partner, Neil, as they chat about how they went about designing and building their Award Winning, Sustainable Forever Home. They discuss the challenges, the things they didn’t compromise on, and how the whole project came together. 

This is an information rich episode on how to get started and what to keep in mind when considering a sustainable and energy efficient home.

In this episode of the podcast, Frances welcomes back Sally Flower from Home Sanctuary to chat about buying in a more conscious manner. We discuss the changes in consumer buying behaviour in a world full of advertising and messages to consume and want more, when actually it’s not necessary.  

There are plenty of tips and ways that we can buy in a more conscious way, that will not only save our wallet, but also add to our overall happiness. Sally and I talk about how this can be achieved in this super informative and thought-provoking episode.

Frances welcomes Sally Flower from Home Sanctuary as her guest in this episode of the podcast to discuss how to declutter in a mindful and sustainable way, and minimise stress in your life!  

How to choose what to discard from your home, but also how to discard items in a sustainable way. 

Learn the simple process to start decluttering and being mindful of the journey, before you set out. The end result will be a calm home that you can relax in, while being surrounded by things you love that have purpose and meaning. 

Frances runs through what will be coming up in the Sustainability Season, highlighting some of her guests, as well as who the Season has been created for and what topics she’s going to be covering.

In this Facebook Forever Home Live Frances discusses some key functionality points to consider in your home design before the build starts. She outlines small details that are often missed that affect the functionality of your home, and lead to disappointment when not picked up in time to rectify.

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The proven step-by-step formula to create your Dream Home, based on my 15 years of experience as an interior designer.

In this episode of the My Forever Home podcast, Frances discusses how to prevent having under utilised spaces in your home. She outlines the common areas that often appear on floorplans, which are not well utilised and what you need to think about to ensure all space is maximised in your home. This is to save money now, but for the duration of your time in the home.

In this episode of the podcast, Frances outlines how important it is to create a vision for your home, and that a vision is not just about the way you want your home to look. She outlines what a vision is for your home, what you should think about when creating it, and how to go about it to make it about aesthetics as well as functionality.

In this episode of My Forever Home, Frances runs through key considerations when deciding on your flooring type. She outlines 10 buying criteria for choosing the right floor for your home along with key mistakes people can make when deciding on their floor, and how best to avoid those mistakes. The floor in your home makes a big impact and has to work really hard for you, so it’s important to be informed about different flooring available, choose carefully, and buy the best you can afford.

In this episode of My Forever Home, Frances outlines what she terms the ‘Key 4’ specialists you’ll need on your team for your renovation or new build. She outlines the benefits of engaging your key team early on, along with how they can each save you money and lots of time, as well as mitigate expensive mistakes. She outlines what each of them brings to the equation for a successful outcome for your home project.

In 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.

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. 

In 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.

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, it’s not all as glamourous as you may think!

Welcome to a week in the life of Frances Cosway.

In 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 of 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.

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 where it’s not always available. 

In this Facebook Live, Frances discusses the steps to take if your floorplans are not quite what you want. She outlines the steps you should take to have them meet your objectives, and who you could turn to, to help out in getting them right.  Floorplan is king, so you must be happy with your plans before starting any build works for your renovation or new build. 

In this episode of the podcast, Frances outlines a key change to Your Forever Home with a re-name to reflect how she feels about the brand. In the episode she runs through her thinking behind the change, what it means to you and what it means to all the resources available to you.

In this Forever Home Live, Frances answers a question from the Renovating and Building your Forever Home Facebook Community about tile layout. Specifically around laying 300x600mm tiles for floor and walls. She also outlines how to finish splashbacks in power rooms and what to consider to determine the height to finish your tile, the impact of mirrors on tile layout, the height of 300-400mm for functionality purposes and pattern in a tile affecting cuts and overall aesthetic.

A great snapshot of some options surrounding tile layout, and how you should always have a conversation with your tiler BEFORE they lay the tiles.

In this Facebook Live, Frances outlines the key differences between using engineered timber flooring and timber tile flooring.
She walks through the advantages and disadvantages of each and discusses criteria for when you may use one over the other.

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.

In this Facebook Live, Frances discusses the buying criteria for a ceiling fan as not all fans are the same! She outlines why they are worth installing (so many reasons), and the controversial question of fan Vs pendant light in a bedroom. She also runs through why spending a little more on your ceiling fan provides so much more than a standard fan and is worth the investment.

In this final episode of the Bathroom Design Essentials Season, Frances outlines some of the key take-aways from each episode as an easy reference tool for you to know where you need to listen next.

In this episode of the Your Forever Home Podcast, part of the Bathroom Design Essentials Season, Frances outlines some of the major mistakes she sees people make when designing their bathroom. Expensive mistakes that can be avoided, which she outlines in this episode, so you’re not having to live with a less than desirable outcome.

This is a must listen if you’re designing your bathroom.

In this episode of the Your Forever Home podcast Frances covers off the topic of creating a bathroom that is accessible for when you get older, or are less able-bodied. She outlines design elements that can be incorporated now that will make a big difference later on, and some that can simply be provisioned for and installed later. Through her passion for creating ‘Future Proof’ homes, this is another area that adds to the liveability of your home well into the future. 

In this Forever Home podcast episode, Frances outlines how to get the most out of your Powder room -whether it’s the family powder room, or one for guests, she provides design suggestions on how to get the most out of both of these spaces. From injecting personality into your guest powder room, to adding lots of storage so the main powder room can be utilised as an ‘overflow getting ready’ space when kids no longer want to share the family bathroom. This episode will make you revisit powder room design to maximise it’s functionality, and maximise it’s aesthetic appeal.

In this episode of Your Forever Home, Frances outlines several decorating tips on how to create a warm and inviting bathroom. She offers plenty of insight and advice to allow you to make the finishing touches to your bathroom to create a space you can be proud of. There’s nothing worse than a sparse bathroom with no soul, so this episode will give you confidence to try her creative and insightful ideas. From plants, towels and mirrors, to artwork, stools and baskets – there’s plenty to experiment with to make your bathroom a haven!

Frances 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.

Frances welcomes guest James Lambrou from Est Lighting to the podcast for this episode of Your Forever Home. Together they chat about Bathroom Lighting and key considerations to think about to ensure your bathroom not only looks fabulous, but is also functional. 

They also discuss functional and aesthetic lighting, and how to use both to light up a space – including colour, temperature and side lighting.  

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.

In this episode of Your Forever Home, Frances has guests Cathryn Matchett and Trisha Narde from Reece Bathroom Life to discuss different types of basins available and when one may be more suitable over another. They chat through different material types along with what to look for in a quality basin. Lots to learn to make good basin decisions.

In 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 prevent you 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.

Not sure how to choose the right bath? Then this is the episode for you. Cathryn Matchett and Trisha Narde are back from Reece Bathroom Life to chat with Frances about all things baths. They discuss the different bath finishes, along with key considerations for free standing baths, opposed to hob or inset baths. Why choose one bath type over another, buying criteria and how you actually go about choosing the right bath for you. There is plenty to learn from this episode.

In this Forever Home Live, Frances walks through an example of a floorplan she reviewed with a client, and how really examining the clients core objectives for their home to meet their lifestyle questioned some aspects of the home. The discussion lead to a massive improvement on the use of the space, enabled better privacy for everyone, and saved them heaps of money by not renovating unnecessary wet areas. Big win for everyone!

Key learning – really scrutinise your floorplans well before you start building, for the best outcome!

In this episode of the Bathroom Design Essentials Season, Frances welcomes back Cathryn Matchett and Trisha Narde from Reece Bathroom Life. Together they discuss all there is to know about choosing the right toilet. There is a lot more the buying a toilet than you may think, like height, pan type, rimless design and self cleaning. There is plenty to learn in this episode so you can select a toilet that will right for your home.

In this episode of the Bathroom Design Essentials Season, Frances welcomes guests Trisha Narde and Cathryn Matchett from Reece Bathroom Life. Together they discuss basin mixers Vs individual taps and why you may consider one style over the other. They also talk about the different types of bath taps and spouts available. Finally, they cover the ever important discussion on showers and what you will need to know when choosing the right type of shower for you.

Grout is often an afterthought and not even considered when making bathroom selections. Often it’s left to the tiler to decide on type and colour, which is not ideal. I’ve seen some less than desirable outcomes when the grout colour is not carefully chosen with the tile.

The overall look can be compromised by the wrong colour tone of grout and can ruin the whole aesthetic in your bathroom. 

Choosing tiles is a main consideration in your bathrooms. It’s the main material that will be used and impacts functionality as well as aesthetics. Not all tiles are the same, so it’s important to know the buying criteria so you can choose the right tile for the right application. 

In this episode of the podcast, Frances is joined by Tiling expert,  Richard Earp from Earp Bros.  Richard shares his amazing knowledge on tiles to discuss the different types of tiles and differences between poor and good quality tiles.  

In this Forever Home Live, Frances answers a query on having a Mixer Tap Vs conventional taps, and outlines her reasons for specifying mixer taps more frequently than normal taps.

In this episode of the podcast, Frances walks through what is possible when renovating your bathroom at various price points. She covers off options at $1,500 to freshen up a dated bathroom. What can be achieved for about $10,000 and then what you can look at when you’re creating a high end bathroom. She provides plenty of examples of what can be done at each budget level.

In this episode of the podcast Frances walks through the different type of vanity options available, along with custom Vs off-the-shelf designs discussing what may work best for your requirements. She also looks at material types and what to consider when specifying for wet areas. 

In this podcast episode, Frances outlines how to find the style you’re after for your bathroom. She gives tips to help you determine the style and feeling 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.

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 the space not working as you need it to. 

In 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.

In 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.

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. 

In this Forever Home Live, Frances outlines the updates to the Home Builder Scheme for renovations and new builds. The scheme has been extended into 2021, however there are some changes to eligibility and the grant reduced to $15,000. Learn more in this episode.

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.

In this Forever Home Live, Frances runs through different themes for decorating your Christmas tree this year, and linking it to other areas of the home. She talks about using your favourite colours, a ‘nature’ theme, and how you can run that theme through to your table setting too.

In this Forever Home Live Frances has come straight from site! She discusses the impact of having dining and island bench lights too close together and how less can often be more. Coming from site, so also references the impact of not deciding your floor material before the build starts, and shaver cabinets recessed into walls.

In 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.

In 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.

In 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.

In 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.

In 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

In 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.

In 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.

In 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.

In 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.

Following 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.

In 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.

In 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 course) and how that helps with the process for designing your kitchen.

In 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.

In 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.

Frances 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 centred 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.

In 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.

In 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.

Frances 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.

In this Forever Home Live, Frances has just been onsite and runs through the type of things she was checking onsite, 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.

In 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.

Feature 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.

There 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 information on the many options out there.

Finally, Frances chats about kickers and how they can be approached in the design of your kitchen.

In 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.

Splashbacks 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..

In 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.

In 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.

In 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.

In 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.

This 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 compromises 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 the rationale of the design is crucial in the process.

Finally, they cover why elevations are so important to design details and discuss how not having them leads to big issues later on.

In 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.

This 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 meet expectations, if engaged early on in the process. A very insightful discussion for getting your kitchen right.

In 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 create for the clients.

Where 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!

Frances 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!

In 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!

What 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 hub of many family homes, kitchens need to perform many roles, and be many things, so thinking about how you live and what you need out of your kitchen is critical to getting a design that works.

To 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.

In 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.

Kitchen 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.

Storage 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.

In 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!

Confused 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.

There 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.

Frances 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.

Why 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.

In 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.

Not the sexiest topic when it comes to interior design, but a necessity never-the-less! The episode covers the differences between toilet styles and types of toilets so you can decide on the important components and which 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.

In 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.

Don’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.

Choosing 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.

In this Forever Home live, Frances outlines her view on the top 3 trends for 2020 and what will be with us to stay.

There are a number of specialists required to make your Forever Home a reality. In this episode Frances discusses key specialists she believes are required, and that they be engaged early on to maximise on their expertise. Rather than them working in silos, experts are able to add massive value to your overall Forever Home Master Plan.

In 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, and this is discussed in this episode.

The importance of doors is often an overlooked element in home design as people strive for open plan living. In this Forever Home Live, Frances discusses the importance of doors and the many benefits they provide in for Forever Home design, including their purpose in different scenarios.

Frances shares her personal journey of how she became an interior designer, along with sharing her passions, her design philosophy and her influences.

Frances built her own award winning sustainable Forever Home in 2014. Here she runs through what was done with her home to make it sustainable, comfortable and energy saving.

Frances chats about how connecting with your interior designer (and other specialists) on many levels is so critical to your project.

Frances provides an overview of what to consider to Future Proof your home design so it can copy with multi-generational living.

This episode runs through the essential elements required for a well designed family laundry. How functionality needs to combine with storage requirements. Laundry chutes are also discussed in terms of how essential they are!

Frances 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.

As part of the Forever Home Live series, in this broadcast, Frances discusses the importance of floorplans and what aspects can affect how your home adapts over the years.

What makes a Forever Home different, and what is a Forever Home anyway? Frances discusses some of the key things that make a Forever Home different to any other home, and what important elements you need in your Forever Home, more than any other home.

In this introductory episode we reveal what you will learn and benefit from listening in to the Your Forever Home Podcast. You will be planned, prepared and learn all there is to create the Forever Home of your dreams.