The Cost of cutting corners

When I was asked to visit a client and offer advice on styling a family home for sale, I knew it would be more than just another project. Preparing to sell a parents’ home is never easy — it comes with emotion, memories, and a lifetime of treasured belongings. On top of that, the real estate agent had rightly suggested professional property styling to give the home the best possible chance on the market. After reviewing several options, the family narrowed it down to three stylists — and I was one of them. I provided guidance on decluttering and shared a clear vision for styling the home to appeal to the widest audience, carefully considering the local demographic and comparable sales. However, with four families involved in the decision, they ultimately chose the lowest quote, believing that “anything would be an improvement.” After the home went to market, I received a call from the agent. Things hadn’t gone as expected. The styling had fallen short, and the clients were understandably upset. There had been a clear disconnect between what was promised and what was delivered. They asked if I could step in — quickly. With the photographer booked and the listing scheduled to go live within days, I had less than 24 hours to respond. When I arrived, I was genuinely surprised. The installation lacked the level of care, cohesion, and professionalism needed to present the home at its best. Once the previous items were removed, we stepped in and transformed the property to reflect the original vision — clean, inviting, and thoughtfully styled to connect with buyers. The result spoke for itself. The home sold quickly and achieved a strong price, and most importantly, the family could clearly see the difference. It’s a reminder that price isn’t always the answer. Property styling can be a difficult investment for vendors, especially during an already costly and emotional time. But when done well, it has the power to elevate a property and significantly impact the final outcome. In a competitive market, stylists have an important role to play — and with that comes a responsibility to deliver quality and service, every time. I don’t compete on being the cheapest. My pricing reflects the work, experience, and care that goes into each project. Because at the end of the day, passion and professionalism aren’t optional — they’re essential.

Cottage Charm, Modern Comfort: Breathing New Life into a 1960’s Home

There’s something quietly magical about a 1960’s cottage especially one that hasn’t been touched since the 80’s. Beneath the well-worn finishes and very memorable carpets, this home had beautiful bones, and an incredibly strong hardwood frame that caused a few injuries along the way. Its now soft light, and a story worth keeping. This project was for a young couple starting out, with a clear goal: bring the home into the present without losing its cottage soul (and without blowing the budget). My kind of brief. We kept the layout largely intact to save costs and focused on the spaces that matter most - kitchen, bathroom, laundry, and bedrooms; making each one feel lighter, more functional, and timeless without overdoing it. Paint became one of the biggest game changers. Inside, we chose Natural White paired with soft pale oak tones to keep things warm and airy. Outside, the cottage was refreshed in Pebble Bay Quarter by Taubman’s, with Monument on the gutters for contrast and Vivid White on the front door and windows. The result is bright, fresh, and ready for its next chapter. The bathroom is a great example of smart budgeting - we fully tiled the floors and walls but kept the original layout. It still feels spacious and modern, just without the cost of moving plumbing (which is always a win). In the laundry, we added a farmhouse sink along with a second toilet and shower - simple additions that make a huge difference for a growing household and add real long-term value. The kitchen and interiors were finished with clean lines and subtle black and brass accents for a bit of charm, while outside, the new cladding, bullnose veranda, and decking brought back that classic cottage feel. My favourite detail? The reeded glass front door - letting in light while keeping privacy, and quietly tying the whole story together. This home now feels like itself again - just brighter, calmer, and a little more practical. Proof that you don’t need a massive overhaul to create something beautiful… just thoughtful choices, a clear vision, and a bit of patience when the unexpected pops up (because it always does). Before... After PS

Designing for aged care

In recent years there has been a major shift away from traditional aged care models and an increase in the demand for a more personalised one-on-one care approach. We are also seeing aged care living spaces being marketed like the traditional home, driven by design and elements of luxury to create a point of difference, no more sterile hospital like spaces! This has largely stemmed from older Australians playing a more active and planned approach to their aged living arrangements, and are looking for both luxury and affordability. Therefore our role as interior designers is becoming more important and valued within aged care. Portico Services has extensive experience in designing comfortable and luxurious commercial living spaces. We have access to a large range of Australian suppliers for all furniture to create an inviting, comfortable and long term solution for your aged care facility. With a focus on colour, comfort and welcoming elements that will create an overall feeling of ‘home’. With Portico Services you have One Contact, One coordinated delivery and One invoice – making styling your commercial space professionally even easier.

Colour Psychology by Portico

When you came into the office today did you feel like you were Walking on Sunshine’ sitting in a ‘Parisian Cafe’ or watching the ‘Kalahari Sunset?’ It’s quite possible the colour of your office walls have been coated in an emotional provoking colour to affect the way you feel.Colour psychology plays a very important part in the marketing appeal of products, services, businesses and personal branding. It is the study of hues as a determinant of human behaviour and influences perceptions on the taste of food, a change in mood and the evocation of emotion. Factors such as gender, age, and culture are still relevant, but colour is the principal cue to composition. A scientific fact that it is the first thing humanity instinctively looks to for the information we need in so we can response to what is in front of us. The colour on your wall is part of a $30 Billion industry that is competitive and strategic when it comes to naming a colour. The process is rigorous with colour specialists, marketing professionals and lawyers coming together to connect consumers to colours that trigger feelings of calmness, comfort or adventure. So when you are painting, furnishing or accessorising your environment there are a few things to consider about the colours you are using. Colours have descriptive categories. Visual, Geographical, Emotional and Experimental. RED: A physically evoking colour, communicating positive attributes of strength, warmth, energy or stimulating fight, flight and excitement. In the negative it associates defiance, aggression, visual impact or strain. Red is an attention grabber, it raises pulse rates and alerts us to danger. It is perfect for drawing the eye to a particular place or setting the romantic mood in a specific space. BLUE: Affects mental reaction and known as an intellectual hue that communicates trust, efficiency, duty, logic. It is positively associated with calmness, coolness, serenity and reflection and often seen in our emergency services like hospitals and police stations, banking and psychology services. Blue is the colour of the mind. Strong blues will stimulate clear thought and lighter, soft blues will calm the mind and aid concentration. Blue is the worlds favourite colour but can be perceived as cold, unemotional and unfriendly. YELLOW: A highly emotional colour that screams optimism, confidence, extraversion, friendliness and creativity. The right yellow lifts our spirits and is the strongest colours psychologically. Too much or the wrong tone can cause us to give rise to fear and anxiety with our ‘yellow streak’ surfacing. These negative affects are represented with irrationality, fragility, depression and suicide. Yellow is a spectrum of extremes and forms part of the universal non verbal language and a primary colour in natures own powerful signalling system. For example, a black fly is a nuisance, a bee raises the alarm and causes us to react differently. It is the talents of manufacturers that amuse and entertain us by connecting the name of a colour to an emotional response. Just imagine walking into a kitchen painted in Coconut Cream or sitting on a lounge covered in a ‘Field of Daisies’. Pillow cases that reflect a ‘Summer Spash’ or a dinning chair is ‘LOL Yellow’ are abstract methods of creating trends and inspiring environments to reflect mood and feelings associated with service, brand or product giving you an opportunity to communicate your business values.

Non for profit story

We don’t just create beautiful spaces for fancy residential properties, or commercial areas, we work with non-for profit organisations and create spaces for people in need. We use our skills to create warm, comfortable and engaging spaces on smaller budgets and utilise our extensive knowledge of furniture to select just the right pieces that are functional, long lasting and compliment the space. Here is an example of a common story for someone moving into one of the single room spaces we have created. She walked shyly through the front door, grasping a plush teddy and a plastic bag that contains everything she owns. Her mind races to her displaced siblings and tears well in her eyes. Her slumped shoulders protect her broken heart and the fear of an unknown future has put a furrow on her brow. Georgia is 12 and because of circumstances beyond her control she finds herself in a five bedroom house with strangers that are to become her new home for now. She is taken to a room, a place just for her, carefully and thoughtfully decorated to make her feel safe and warm. As she peers in she sees a brightly coloured bed cover with an extra blanket trimmed in babbles like a Mexican shawl, placed neatly on the end. There is an owl shaped pillow who’s eyes sparkle from the soft pink lamp on the bedside table. A bundle of books are stacked on the shelf below. On the wall hang two prints, watercolours of Forrest pine trees and the other a nest containing 3 unhatched eggs. Near the chest of drawers is a small heater that has warmed the air inside the room but it is the smell of jasmine from a defuser that she can taste as she breathes in a sigh of relief. Inside the drawers there are t-shirts, jeans and a jumper. In another drawer is deodorant, hair brush and ties, shampoo, conditioner and a bottle of perfume. She bends down and runs her fingers through a shag pile rug on the floor and then reaches out and touches the broad leaves of an indoor palm in the corner. A jar of Minties, a pencil case and notebook have been neatly placed on the desk that looks out the window. A silver frame takes pride of place. It contains a photo of her sister and brother who she will see once a week over the coming months. Georgia opens the cupboard door to find a warm dressing gown hanging up next to a school uniform. Below is a pair of slippers and black leather school shoes. She slowly turns back towards the door and sees a school bag hanging on the hook – it contains the new opportunities she has been given to learn all she can to become who she is meant to be. She whispers ‘thank you’. Stock image used as we can not show all interiors of non-for profit spaces.