Interior designer, presenter, and friend of life, James Treble, has recently finished renovating his Umina Beach home as seen in his online series ‘James Bought A House’.
Taking inspiration from Palm Springs styling, James transformed what he referred to as an ‘ugly duckling’ into a beach haven for his family.
We chatted with James about his creative process, styling a bedroom, and his favourite Life piece!
Tell us a bit about your creative process when picking out new pieces to style.
I always start with the large key pieces first, the sofa, the bed, and the dining table, because they take up most of the space of course and will have a strong impact in creating the identity of the room. I look at the shape, material and of course the dimensions. Next are the secondary pieces, like bedside tables, chairs, side tables, and coffee tables, following the same rules. The final layer is the styling, soft furnishings, decor, and art pieces, where I play with colour, patterns, and textures, to enhance the style or theme.
What’s been your favourite Life Interiors piece that you’ve styled?
The Norah Bed! I love the floating style of its base and the beautiful craftsmanship; it was the perfect piece to elevate the feel of our guest room. The curves also contrast beautifully against the vertical lines of the wainscoting. I teamed it up with the matching Norah Bedside Tables, with the same rattan details plus the elegant marble top, perfect to complement the Palm Springs style I was inspired by.
We love how you styled our Norah Bed, what are your top tips for a well-styled bedroom?
My top tip would be to consider the character of the bed first, particularly the bedhead as it is the first thing that's seen upon entering the room. I love creating a luxe feel by adding layers of pillows, throws and cushions, but without making the bed seem impossible to access haha! Depending on the space available, I always try to create an inviting spot to sit and relax with a comfortable chair and side table as well. The bedsides are very important in the overall look but don't always have to be from the same range. I also love adding wall sconces, they look elegant whilst also allowing space on the bedsides to style with personal decor items, books and possibly a cup of tea.
'James Bought a House' was such a huge project, what's next for you in 2024?
Never a dull moment...on top of many clients and development projects, we're in the throes of adding a granny flat at the back of our home, which will be filmed as a follow-up to 'James Bought a House'. I'm also currently filming new seasons for two TV shows for the 9 network which is exciting. I’ll be overseas at least twice this year, for Milano Design Week in April and to Bologna for the International Tiles Fair in September. We're also in talks for a podcast, where I can share my expertise and knowledge as well as interview some exciting people in the design industry, so stay tuned!
Shop James' pieces below!
Love, Life x
