Kate Dunn credits her slick styling skills to lots of practice, Three Birds Styling School… and girl math.

Having followed Three Birds “forever” and being a fan of a coastal cool aesthetic, it was a “no-brainer” for Kate to join Three Birds Styling School when she wanted “extra guidance” to style her home, Mulberry Manor.

“Knowing that less is more in some spaces really made my purchases more considered so I didn’t need to go spending thousands on items so I saved money ;) #girlmath”

Kate kindly shared her home with us and gave us her top tips for styling your home like Mulberry Manor. In her words…

THE MAKINGS OF MULBERRY MANOR

A few years ago, we had just sold our previous home and were driving around the areas we loved looking for land... we discovered a small hand-painted ‘for sale’ sign situated on a beautiful vacant block, and we knew they had found our next home. The vision was to create an Australian coastal style build with a touch of organic accents throughout – think soft whites, light-filled spaces and calming green cabinetry. The home draws inspiration from what the owners know and love, which was brought to life by our builder, AUSMAR.

We didn't want a huge home, we just wanted something that felt homely and inviting to everyone. The home is 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, 2 living and study. We built pre-Covid so the build time was approx 6 months.

HOW TO STYLE YOUR HOME LIKE MULBERRY MANOR

1. Establish your colour palette: Choose a colour palette for your home and stick to it. Use shades and tones of these colours throughout the space to create a harmonious look. At Mulberry Manor, I carried the green from the kitchen into the bedroom but really toned it down with beautiful Sage Euro pillows.

“I would have to say the best thing I’ve learnt is how to use colour correctly to create cohesion in my home. Getting an understanding of tinting, shading and toning really made my selections so much easier, knowing it doesn’t have to be matchy matchy was a game changer.”

2. Use a consistent style: Choose a design style that reflects your personality and preferences, then apply it consistently throughout your home. This can be a traditional, modern, minimalist, or eclectic style, for example. Mixing too many styles can create a chaotic and confusing look. I consider my style to be ‘Australian’ with hints of greens and earthy tones as it really reminds me of our beautiful surroundings.

“The course 1000% helped bring my vision to life, even simple things like creating the vision boards - if anyone asks for my advice these days, my first step is ‘create your vision board’.”

3. Balance textures and patterns: Mix and match different textures and patterns to add visual interest to a space, but be sure to balance them out. For example, I’ve used a bold piece of artwork with lots of beautiful colours, but I balance it out with calming bed linen in complementary colours that are found within the art.

4. Pay attention to lighting: Lighting can make or break the atmosphere of a room, so it's important to get it right. Use a combination of ambient, and accent lighting to create a warm and inviting space. Make sure the light fixtures and bulbs you choose are consistent in style and colour throughout the home. I always choose warm bulbs for my bedside lamps as I’ve used warm tones within the spaces so for me it creates a beautiful warm feeling.

5. Incorporate cohesive decor: Accessories and decor items can tie a room together and add a personal touch. Choose decor that complements your colour palette and design style. For example, my bedside lamps are a beautiful crème colour that works perfectly with my quilt cover.

what did you love most about styling school?

The Facebook Community! Hands down having access to almost 10,000 like-minded people who are going through the same journey helped me so much. Being able to bounce ideas off others helps more than I expected and just seeing what others created kept my creativity going! I love being able to see other people’s visions come to life, and it helps keep up with trends too.

We had planned to live in our home for at least 5 years, but plans changed and we sold sooner than expected but as one door closes another opens and I’m so excited to begin planning our next project.