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Your go-to destination for design inspiration and practical tips to transform your home. Discover the latest interior trends, style hacks, and budget-friendly ideas to create a space you'll love.
Storage Solutions: Choosing the Right Buffet for your Home
If you're on a quest for the perfect piece of furniture that can not only enhance your home's aesthetic but also provide versatile storage solutions, then look no further than the buffet. A buffet, also known as a sideboard, is a functional and stylish addition to your dining room, living room, or even your home office. However, with a myriad of choices available, finding the right buffet for your home can become a daunting task. In this guide, we'll explore various aspects of choosing the perfect buffet to meet your storage needs and match your home's decor. Understanding Your Storage Needs Before you start shopping for a buffet, it's crucial to determine your storage requirements. Are you looking to store fine china, glassware, or table linen? Or do you need a place for toys, office supplies, and miscellaneous items? Consider the specific items you plan to store in your buffet, as this will influence the size, type, and features of the buffet you should choose. Moreover, consider where you plan to place the buffet. It's typically situated in a dining room or a living room, but you might also consider placing one in your home office to store documents or in your entryway for a convenient spot to drop keys and mail. The location plays a significant role in determining the style and size of the buffet. In a dining room, for example, you'lllikely want a buffet that complements your dining table. In an entryway, you'll want one that's more focused on convenience and possibly providing a decorative surface for decor items. Understanding your storage and placement needs will help guide you in selecting the perfect buffet for your home. Buffet Styles for Your Décor Once you've assessed your storage needs and where you'll place your buffet, it's time to think about the style that best suits your decor. Your choice of style can significantly impact the overall ambiance and aesthetics of the room. Here are some popular styles to consider: Mid-Century Modern Buffets: If your home features sleek lines, organic forms, and a timeless retro appeal, then a mid-century modern buffet might be the perfect choice. These buffets often incorporate rich, dark woods, tapered legs, and minimalistic designs, bringing an air of vintage charm to your space. Coastal Buffets (Classic & Modern): Whether you prefer the classic, timeless appeal of coastal decor or a more modern interpretation, coastal buffets can help bring the beachside ambiance into your home. Classic coastal styles often incorporate light and painted timbers, creating a fresh and tranquil atmosphere. Modern coastal designs include materials like rattan and linen, offering a contemporary twist on seaside aesthetics. Urban Industrial Buffets: For those who appreciate the raw, industrial look and the aesthetics of contemporary city living, an urban industrial buffet might be the ideal choice. These buffets often feature materials like metal and raw timbers. The design is characterised by clean, angular lines and modular functionality, perfect for those who want to make a bold style statement. Minimal Scandi Buffets: Minimal Scandi buffets draw inspiration from Scandinavian design principles, known for their clean lines, functionality, and an appreciation of natural materials. This style is ideal for those seeking a timeless, cosy charm in their decor. You'll often find buffets in light woods or painted finishes, seamlessly blending comfort, and style. Choosing the right buffet style is essential to ensure your new furniture piece harmonises with your existing decor and enhances the overall look of your home. Whether you're going for the timeless appeal of mid-century modern, the tranquil ambiance of coastal designs, the sleek urban industrial look, or the cosy charm of minimal Scandi, there's a buffet style to suit your preferences. Size and Placement Once you understand your storage needs and the style that matches your decor, consider the size of the buffet. Measure the available space in your dining or living room to ensure the buffet will fit comfortably. Buffets are typically larger than standard side tables, so it's essential to choose the right dimensions. Storage Features Buffets come with a variety of storage options. Look for features such as shelves, drawers, cabinets, and wine racks. The ideal storage features will depend on your storage needs. If you're storing fine crockery, glassware, or linens, cabinets with shelves may be ideal. For office supplies or toys, drawers can help keep items organised. Buffet as Decor Don't forget that a buffet can also serve as a stylish focal point in your room. Think about how your buffet complements your other furniture and decor items. Consider adding decorative elements like table lamps, artwork, or decorative vases to enhance the buffet's visual appeal. Finishing Touches Consider Look at details like hardware and finishes. The handles or knobs can be swapped out to match your decor, and the finish of the buffet should harmonise with your room's colour palette. Choosing the right buffet for your home involves assessing your storage needs, matching your decor style, considering size and placement, exploring storage features, evaluating material and quality, and adding those finishing touches that make your buffet a functional yet stylish part of your home. By considering these factors, you can select the perfect buffet that enhances your home's aesthetic and offers valuable storage solutions. Buffets aren't just functional; they're the finishing touch that brings your space together.
Staycation Styling: Say Hello to the Charismatic Retro Charm of Palm Springs
Welcome to Palm Springs, California. The home of laid-back luxury and old school Hollywood design. The iconic Palm Springs persona is becoming increasingly popular within Australian design due to our similarity in climate and lifestyle. It is notoriously known for being the apex of modern mid-century architecture and interior design with a clean, minimalistic approach accompanied by a cheerful character with vibrant pops of colour and flamboyant décor. Let's dive a little deeper into how you can easily create the infamous Palm Springs look in your home. The Foundation & Key Features: Simplicity at its finest Iconic elements of design are what makes Palm Springs' interior and architecture so distinguishable and creates the illusion of effortless resort style living. Focus on using sleek, clean lines throughout your space to provoke a sense of tranquil luxury. These elegant lines are used consistently throughout the architecture with flat or butterfly rooves, breeze blocks and large overhangs that provide that iconic retro flare. Simplicity is even seen in Palm Springs' landscaping with the main flora being cacti, succulents, and palms. Adding these fun plants into your landscape but also exploring ways to include them as features within the home will add that touch of green without compromising the style. Keeping your design choices simple allows you to sprinkle in those infamous bursts of vibrant colour that Palm Springs is so well-known for whilst keeping your home mature and sophisticated. The Iconic Colour Palette: Minimalism with a twist Palm Springs is recognised by its stark, white-on-white exteriors contrasted with its unexpected but extravagant coloured front doors, heavenly crystal blue pools and exuberant décor and furniture. It's this colour palette that instantly transports us to the iconic retro Hollywood era and is the most recognisable attribute to this design style. To ensure the bursts of colour aren't too overwhelming, the rest of the house is usually kept quite minimal and plain with the use of clean lines and simple patterns. The small glimpses of colour are used throughout the home to keep the style consistent and harmonious, so start gradually collecting décor that you can incorporate not only in the main living areas but also outdoors and in bathrooms. The Floor Plan: A home designed for entertaining Palm Springs architecture has perfected the art of bringing the outdoors in by keeping the inside cool whilst taking advantage of the heat for hosting unforgettable pool parties. This has been achieved by creating open floor plans in single story homes that allow elements of outdoor living to trickle its way indoors, creating a sense of easy living while also ensuring the home stays cool in desert heat. Materials and textures such as stone and wood; along with plenty of natural sunlight shining through floor-to-ceiling windows create a seamless flow between the indoor and outdoor. Our Pick: The Georgia Range The Georgia Range is our top pick for recreating the iconic Palm Springs resort lifestyle in your home. With the desert-like touch of rattan and luxurious brushed gold accents, contrasted with the eye-catching white frame. This is the perfect range to bring the outdoors in with its nods to coastal living. The neutral colours allow you to style up the range in true Palm Springs style, incorporating those iconic vibrant colours. Embark on your Palm Springs transformation with confidence and remember to have fun whilst planning your renovation or decorative refresh. Following the rule of simplicity and minimalism, adding in pops of colour whilst keeping the space neutral, and bringing elements of the desert will create your new hosting haven that is reminiscent of the infamous Palm Springs design. Start your journey home with the new Georgia range, inspired by the home of laid-back luxury and old school Hollywood design, Palm Springs.
How to Choose Your First Baby Cot
Knowing what things to look for when investing in your first baby cot can be difficult. So to help out, Mocka have put together a no-fuss guide on choosing the best cot for any new parent. Why You Need a Good Baby Cot Your baby's first cot is an important piece of furniture to purchase, as it will most likely be your baby's bed for 2 to 3 years. It is THE essential piece of nursery furniture that will be used day in and day out. Therefore, you are going to want a cot that is sturdy, safe, practical, stylish and which is sure to last for years to come. Things To Look For In a Baby Cot Safety Cots sold in Australia should meet all requirements of the safety standard AS/NZS 2172. This means that: The cot is deep enough to be safe for a baby The spacing between bars is not greater than 9.5cm (to ensure a baby's head cannot get stuck) The cot does not have any footholds that would enable a baby to climb out The cot is free of protruding parts and/or sharp edges. Most cots will state if they comply with the Australian standard. If in doubt, always ask. Recommended Cot Mattress Size Most cots will come with an option to buy a mattress that suits the cot or a recommended cot mattress size. Always comply with the recommended cot mattress size for your chosen cot, as this will have been tested to meet the Australian Standards to ensure gaps are not a suffocation risk. There should NOT be: More than a 2cm gap from any cot side when the mattress is centred on the mattress base More than a 4cm gap when the mattress is pushed to one side or end. Base Height Settings To ensure a cot is safe and practical, it should have two adjustable base height settings (a higher setting for newborns and a lower setting as a baby learns to sit up). Obvious Hazards It is best to get a cot where all components of the cot are permanently fixed or require the use of a tool to take apart. There shouldn't be any footholds in the cot that a baby could use for climbing out nor any sharp edges or protruding parts that could hit a child's head or snag clothing. Other Possible Features There are many different cots on the market which have a range of features and a lot come down to personal preference. Here are a list of some of the most common and their uses: Toddler Conversion Many cots have the option to take a side off, attach another panel and convert into a small, toddler bed. This conversion enables you to use your cot for even longer and is a great in-between bed before upgrading a child to a -big' kids bed. Tots are generally ready to move onto a bed when they can stand confidently in a cot, shake the sides or start attempting to climb out. Drop-sides To drop-side or not to drop-side? That is the question. Drop-sides on cots are traditional, however are becoming much less favourable nowadays having been recognised as a potential safety hazard (the US and UK have banned the use of drop side cots). Many people also state that without the need for fiddly latches a fixed cot is easier to use (especially with a sleeping baby in your arms) and noticeably more solid and sturdy than cots with drop-sides. Teething Rails Teething rails are a great additional extra to purchase along with your cot because chances are edges are going to be chewed! To avoid any damage to babies teeth or the cot edges, these thin, plastic rails can be slotted on top of the side rails for chew-worthy durability. Mocka's Quality and Affordable Cots Mocka offers two quality and affordable cots - our Mocka Aspiring Cot and the Mocka Amalfi Cot. Both of our cots comply with the mandatory safety standard AS/NZS 2172, so you can ensure our cots have been tested to the highest safety standards in Australia and New Zealand. In our cots, we have chosen to eliminate the drop-side and instead have fixed sides for a more sturdy and solid design. Use our cots from the moment you bring your baby home, with our newborn base height setting. Fully adjustable, you can lower the base down to the second lower setting as your baby grows. Our Aspiring and Amalfi Cots also offer toddler conversion. So when your tot outgrows the cot but isn't quite ready for a big bed, you can transform your cot into a junior bed for added years of use. With options to purchase with a cot mattress and teething rails, we have everything you need for a long-lasting and stylish cot - and all at a price your guaranteed to love. Check out our Aspiring and Amalfi Cots today.
How to Master the Art of Coffee Table Styling: Elevate Your Living Room Decor
Your coffee table, often the centrepiece of your living room, is a canvas waiting to be adorned with style and personality. Mastering the art of coffee table styling not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of your living space but also provides an opportunity to showcase your creativity. Here, we'll explore key principles and expert tips to help you transform your coffee table into a curated masterpiece. Principles of Coffee Table Styling Balance and Symmetry: Achieving a sense of balance and symmetry is visually appealing for any coffee table display. Arrange items in a way that distributes visual weight evenly. For example, if you have a stack of books on one side, balance it with a decorative object or a floral arrangement on the other. Layers and Heights: Create visual interest by incorporating layers and varying heights. Stack books or magazines, add a decorative tray for structure, and introduce taller elements like vases or candle holders. This layering technique adds depth and dimension to your arrangement. Personal Touches: Infuse your personality into the styling by including items that hold sentimental value. Personal touches, such as family photos in stylish frames or travel souvenirs, not only tell a story but also make your coffee table uniquely yours. Rules to Live by When Styling your Coffee Table The Rule of Threes: Embrace the simplicity and effectiveness of the rule of threes. Group items in sets of three for a balanced and visually appealing arrangement. This could be three candles, a stack of three books, or a trio of decorative objects. Greenery and Florals: Bring life to your coffee table with the freshness of greenery or florals. A small vase of flowers or a potted plant adds a natural element, creating a vibrant and inviting atmosphere. Mixing Textures and Materials: Diversify the visual and tactile experience by incorporating a variety of textures and materials. Combine smooth surfaces with textured elements, such as a woven basket or a metallic tray. This adds depth and sophistication to your styling. Seasonal Transitions: Celebrate the changing seasons by updating your coffee table decor accordingly. In warmer months, opt for bright and fresh elements like seashells or colourful blooms. During the colder seasons, introduce warm and cosy touches like candles or rustic textures. Step-by-Step Guide to Coffee Table Styling Step 1: Clear the Canvas: Start with a clean slate by clearing your coffee table of any clutter. This provides a fresh beginning for your styling project. Step 2: Anchor with a Tray: Place a decorative tray as the foundation for your arrangement. This not only adds structure but also makes it easy to rearrange items. Step 3: Create Height with Books: Use a stack of books or a set of stylish bookends to add height. This serves as a foundation for other elements. Step 4: Add Decorative Objects: Introduce decorative objects like sculptures, figurines, or ceramics. These items contribute to the aesthetic appeal of your arrangement. Step 5: Include Personal Touches: Incorporate personal touches, such as framed photos or small mementos, to make the styling uniquely yours. Step 6: Greenery or Florals: Enhance the freshness of your arrangement with a vase of flowers or a small potted plant. This adds a touch of nature. Step 7: Adjust and Rearrange: Step back and assess your arrangement. Don't be afraid to adjust and rearrange until you achieve a balanced and visually pleasing display. By finding the right balance between aesthetics and functionality, you'll master the art of styling your coffee table. With these principles and tips, you can transform your coffee table into a piece that reflects your style and personality. Experiment, have fun, and let your coffee table become a conversation piece in your living room decor.
Designing Tips for Kids Bedrooms
Your child is finally ready to graduate from their nursery to a big kid's bedroom but you find yourself stuck. You're unsure how best to design a bedroom that reflects their personality while remaining functional not just now, but into the future as well. And we haven't even started talking about the budget yet. Sound familiar? You're not alone. Decorating a child's bedroom is often a difficult task for many parents, no matter how easy it seems at first. However, when you know where to start and the best things to consider, a child's bedroom is so much fun to design. Kids bedrooms serve multiple purposes - playroom, study and sanctuary. However, the most important role is as a place for your child to lay in comfort and safety at the end of the day. Below you'll find tips and tricks to help you save money, space and time, while designing a bedroom that your child will love and one that will serve them into the future. Rethink the intense theme So your child is mad about Paw Patrol and wants nothing more than Chase himself plastered on the walls? Or perhaps the obsession is with a certain colour or animal or movie franchise (we're looking at you, Disney)? The thing is, kids interests change frequently. Just because your child says they want a certain theme in their room today, doesn't mean they'll want it in two years' time. Theme, if taken to the max, can pigeon hole your design choices and drain your bank account as your child outgrows that theme and wants a change. Instead, opt for a subtle, neutral theme that will create a foundation - one more adaptable to the ebbs and flows of your child's interests. This foundation can then be added to and subtracted from to reflect your child's personality. The best way to do this, is via accessories and accents. Which brings us to our next tip... Add personality and interests using accessories Accessories are the best way to incorporate personality and whimsy into a kid's bedroom. And they have the benefit of being generally inexpensive and more adaptable then your big-ticket items like wall colours and furniture. Bring your child's current interest into the room via bedspreads, sheets and cushions. Artworks, buntings and wall decals are also a great way to instil personality into a room but give you the flexibility to remove later if they no longer work. Use them to accent colour choices which can be mirrored in bed linen and soft furnishings, helping to unify and harmonise the space. And what would a kid's room be without toys! But don't just store all of them away in toy boxes and baskets. Choose a few choice toys and use them to decorate the room as well. They are great for both play and décor and will add loads of whimsy and personality into your child's bedroom, allowing them to feel right at home. Invest in lasting furniture As mentioned above, big ticket, fundamental pieces like kids beds, bedside tables and dressers aren't items you want to keep replacing every other year. When designing a kid's bedroom, it's easy to get taken in by whimsical kids' items. However, their cute-factor greatly exceeds their longevity or practicality, and once your child ages, you'll once again find yourself reaching into your wallet for something less juvenile and more practical. So, save yourself the time and money. When buying these items for your kid's bedroom, ensure they will last into the future - even to adolescence. This means opting for classic styles with loads of versatile storage that you could see in your home for years to come. For example, instead of buying a child-sized dresser, choose one they will grow into. Units with more modern colour palettes like white or woods more easily adapt to any style changes that happen within the room and will also suit your child at any age, giving them staying power. Save space with multi-purpose furniture Space is often a big issue in kids' bedrooms. Even if you do have it, it's a great idea to think about and plan how to best utilise the space. One of the best ways to ensure you get the most out of a room is choosing furniture with is able to provide more than one purpose. This could simply mean choosing a desk with inbuilt storage and shelving or a bed with under bed storage. This way you have a space for your child to do their homework or sleep, but they also provide you extra storage to display books or tuck away the never-ending supply of toys. Speaking of kids' beds, a bunk bed is always fashionable and are a major space-saver in any bedroom. Allowing you to use the same space twice, a bunk bed is perfect for siblings sharing a room or to prepare for the inevitable sleepovers and visitors in the future. Not to mention, nothing says a kid's bedroom quite like a bunk bed! With multi-purpose storage and furniture, you'll save space for more important things - like expansive playing area, and every kid needs that. Summary Designing a kid's bedroom can be daunting with so many aspects to consider. Your child's bedroom is their refuge - a place to play, learn and sleep. So we understand it's important to get it right. It's a delicate balance between representing their personality now, with the inevitable changes to their interests as they grow into the future. When it comes to themes, it's always best to go for neutral so you can adapt and change to suit your child at any age. Use accessories and accents to instil whimsy into the room and highlight your child's interests - while giving yourself the freedom to change without a huge financial investment. For big ticket items like beds and dressers, forget the cutesy kids' furniture. Save yourself the time and money and buy an item they'll grow into - both in style and storage. And to get the most out of your space, multi-purpose storage and furniture (like bunk beds) give you more versatility, and more room for your child to play. Following our top tips for designing a kid's bedroom will save you money, space and time, while gifting your child a bedroom they'll not only love but thrive in and one that will serve them into the future. Do you have any tips for designing a kid's bedrooms? We always love to hear from you, so be sure to let us know over on our Facebook page or Instagram account.
