Designing the dream

Zoe Pohlmann is the Creative Director of Your Home Designs (YHD), a boutique building design firm based in Nelson Bay, while her partner Tyson McDuff owns Fin Design & Construct. When the pair decided to combine their expertise and embark on their biggest project to date – their own dream home and work studio – it’s no surprise that the result is nothing short of spectacular. We caught up with Zoe to find out more.

A (nordic) true north

It was an ‘adult gap year’ that sparked Libby Helinski’s love of all things Nordic. After spending a year living in Sweden, in a small town right on the Arctic Circle, she returned home to Newcastle brimming with ideas – and Pappa Sven was born.

Even brush strokes

For artist Prudence DeMarchi, life is a beautiful messy blur of paint and parenting. When Prudence isn’t playing mum, she’s creating magic in her studio, whipping up colourful works of art to brightened up the lives of her growing legion of fans.

How to move house (without dying a little inside)

For most of us, moving house at some point or another is kind of inevitable. According to some very official statistics, moving just happens to be one of the most stressful events of your life. This is why, we’ve put together some very official tips to make the whole process a little easier. Words by Laura – daughter of a military family and regular mover of houses (from house to house that is, she’s not that strong).

Our flora home

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever purchased via text message? For Sam and Shelley Johnson, it was their house – a tiny three-bedroom 1960s weatherboard on one of the most picturesque streets in Floraville. Fast forward five years and the little home they bought via text has had a pretty major glow-up, with an architecturally-designed extension transforming it into a spacious family home with a killer view.

Making Mustard

It’s no secret that here at Swell we’re big fans of Mustard lockers. Let’s face it – we’re also big fans of basically everything they do. We first caught up with founders Becca and Jess back in issue 6, so we were well overdue for a catch up on all things lockers, life and running an international business.

A harmony of style

Purpose, practicality and aesthetics are arguably the essential ingredients for timelessness. Complemented by their intrinsic sense of style and décor, Jason and Heather’s Adamstown cottage possesses that trifecta.

Building a life

After spending six months completely renovating a 1908 miner’s cottage in Wallsend,
Michael and Amanda Huggins needed a break
from the dust, the mess and the dilemmas
that come with modernising a housing relic.
Little did they know that their next project
would be the complete opposite – a brand spanking new build in the Lower Hunter Valley.

Slow down and seek joy with Common Circus

Someone who is a firm believer in the effect your own space can have on pretty much every aspect of your life is Lauren Henry – owner of Common Circus, a delightfully colourful, always-inspiring, and very much joy-inducing homeware store and café in Hamilton. We sat down to chat about the importance of finding joy in what you do and how to achieve the balance between spending for the sake of spending vs. creating a home that truly makes you feel good.

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