Ed’s letter HB acting editor Katrina reflects on her dream home

It’s nearly 17 years since we bought our semi near the sea, so I’ve had quite a bit of time to think about the home of our dreams. Back then, we had two little munchkins and after moving from our first home - an apartment - were thrilled with all that space. And there was more to love: the pool under the palm trees I knew the kids would never leave, the light pouring into every room, and that gum tree out front that had me at hello. It was the perfect home for our little family.

Working for HB for nearly a decade, I’ve been incredibly lucky to see so many home dreams come to life. I’ve seen beautiful schemes created with soul, fabulous ideas and super-clever floorplans. My favourite ideas have gone straight into an orange manila folder, which I’ve kept for years, as I’ve always known that as our family grew, so would that dream of ours. And after a year that has seen so many changes for so many people - I now have a husband who works from home full-time and two uni students who watch lectures from their bedrooms - we’ve gotten to know our little home very well indeed. We’ve discovered what truly works (the outdoor space, our sun-drenched living room) and where there’s room for improvement (put simply, we need a separate study and another bathroom).

So, this month’s ‘Dream Home’ special really could not have come at a better time. On page 142, we’ve spoken to the experts to weigh up the pros and cons of creating your dream where you live now or shopping around to find a new one.

For the moment, we’ve decided our forever home could be right here in this sunny spot we love, so we’re scribbling up plans and getting excited. And what’s going straight into my trusty folder? That stunner of a dining room that stars on our cover (see page 58 for the full home tour); the curvaceous kitchen from designer and homeowner Alison’s gorgeous home (page 173) and that divine space from our ‘Beach Pad’ home, because there’s just something about that blue (page 148.)

I hope you find as much inspiration in this issue as I have, and I look forward to bringing you so much more in the coming months while our editor-in-chief

Elle takes some time to spend with her beautiful new baby boy. Until next month,