Turning a house into a home is no simple task. 

The colour palette, furniture, fabric and home furnishings all play a role in making a home. 

For stylist Imogen Naylor, being tasked with styling a beautiful Brisbane family home was a great opportunity to make a real difference in the family's daily life. 

Home to a family of five with three primary school-aged children, and one dog named Wally, the home was also selected as the location for the King Living 2023 Collection photoshoot.  

Watch the video to join in on the journey as Neale Whitaker talks to Imogen about her styling process.

For Imogen, deeply understanding her client’s lifestyle requirements and how they really like to live and be at home is vital.  

"This is their forever home. They really wanted to invest the time to get it right for practical ease of living. And have an inviting home where they could relax and spend a lot of time with family and friends." 

The Quay Ceramic Dining Table and Luna Outdoor Dining Chairs create the perfect place to entertain.

Creating a relaxing home environment

With busy family life and a location that offered skyline views and many features in the home, Imogen sought to create a feeling of calm.  

“You want to be in a relaxing environment that is just calm. Especially with three kids and a dog, and a busy lifestyle. We all know what that's like.”  

For Imogen, creating harmony is about not having too many hero pieces competing for attention, which to Neale’s joy, she refers to as “Batmans” and the secondary pieces, “Robins”.  

“You don’t want too many Batmans. We walked in here and we already had a couple. We needed a few more Robins.” 

A hero won’t only be a piece of furniture, it can also be an architectural feature like a large window, fireplace or feature wall.  

Pictured above is Jasper in Whitely Riverstone, the Issho Coffee Table, Issho Side Table and Bongo.

Selecting hero designs

Beginning with the anchor piece allows for a framework, and the other pieces can be built around this starting point.  

For Imogen, the Jasper in Whitely Riverstone fabric was her choice. Jasper’s modular design would allow the family to expand or decrease the size of their sofa anytime they wanted.  

“I love the Jasper because it is so versatile and timeless. And you can really build on the platforms as your family grows and you live in space.” 

The Quay Marble Dining Table and Quay Dining Chairs perfectly complement the stone feature wall.

Colour palette and finishes

The colour palette, texture, and finishes can affect the look and feel of the home even more than the furniture design itself.   

Creating harmony and balance by working with the existing features is how Imogen created her ideal palette.  

“It is really important we work with existing finishes. We had a beautiful starting point as soon as we walked in here with gorgeous stonework and natural textures which we drew a lot of inspiration from.”  

Colour tones from the stonework is reflected throughout the room, in the pillow fabric choices, the dining chair fabrics, and even the lighting fixtures.  

“The thing that strikes me immediately is the colour palette you have used picks up all the colours in the stone wall. Every shade is represented here in the room.” - Neale Whitaker 

Pictured above is Zaza Outdoor, Lode Ottoman, Monument Coffee Table and Luna Outdoor Chairs.

Designing indoor-outdoor living

Indoor-outdoor living is part of the Australian way of life and in this sunny Brisbane home, creating a space the children, Wally the dog, and the whole family could relax outside in comfort was key.  

Imogen selected the Zaza Outdoor Sofa for the family in a Malibu Blush fabric as the centrepiece of the outdoor space.  

“It’s beautiful in its design. It’s contemporary. It’s versatile. And what I love is the open arms – you can have them more formal, or you can open the arms and really recline.”

Imogen and Neale talk fabric samples and colour palette. Featuring the Cassia Bar Stool.   

Final takeaways and inspiration

Turning a house into a home is all about designing a space you truly love that is comfortable and functional to live in.  

For final inspiration and takeaway, Neale asked Imogen to share her top three tips for turning a house into a home.  

“Furniture selection and making sure the spatial planning is correct. Fabric selection and working with timeless and practical fabrics. And choosing finishes, furniture, and artwork that you truly feel connected to and love and brings you joy.”  

For more interior design inspiration, follow Imogen on Instagram, discover the King Living 2023 Collection, or read about how to make your house a home.