Ed’s letter Katrina is feeling inspired by our beautiful homes
Spring is a wonderful time for decorating – doors are flung open, colour becomes key and somehow the sunlight seems a little brighter. It’s also a season for new beginnings: while Home
Beautiful’s lovely editor Sarah spends time with her family, including brand new little one, Jean Elizabeth, I have the privilege of sitting in her editor’s chair and bringing you more pages to inspire. For the past seven years or so, as editor of
HB’s homes section, I have had the happy job of finding a selection of gorgeously stylish homes to feature in these pages each month. Every day I get to step into the lives of people who create the most beautiful of spaces for their families, and each day I marvel at their incredible talents in creating a home, filled with love and joy, which is just right for them.
Our homes are about more than just chic finishes and designer cushions. They tell unique stories about the people who live there – we see how our homeowners actually live, the spaces where they celebrate significant events, where their much-loved four-legged family member loves to sun himself and find out why an artwork means so much.
This month, we meet Mohammed and Fatema (from page 72), who decided that their family’s forever home needed to include a home for Mohammed’s parents, too. The solution? Two stand-alone abodes under one roof, linked by a courtyard that is the heart of family get-togethers, giving both families privacy, and connection. How amazing for little sons Yusuf and Esa to see their grandparents every day!
It’s a wonderful trend that we are seeing more and more – teenagers taking over the ground level of Queenslanders (complete with kitchens and private entrances), a roomy garage converted into a chic home for newlyweds and, in Mohammed and Fatema’s case, a whole home built with grandparents in mind. It’s a unique way to keep families together longer: as a parent of two teenagers whose company I quite enjoy, I know that any future renovation my husband and I do (soon, I hope!) will include a design that makes them want to stay that little bit longer.
So while Sarah is on leave, my mission is clear: to continue to bring you stunning pages of inspiration and to introduce you to even more homes with wonderful homeowners who have invited us in for a while.