THE EDIT – Details, episodes & analysis

In the very first episode of The Edit, we had to start with one of Australia’s most loved interior designers and long-time judge on The Block — Darren Palmer. Hosted by Home Beautiful editor Elle Lovelock, Darren breaks down exactly how to kick-start a decorating or renovation project with confidence, from clarifying your vision to avoiding the budget blowouts and design pitfalls he sees all too often.

Darren also takes us behind the scenes of Jennifer Hawkins’ incredible home, sharing juicy details from the design process, the big hero moments, and what it really takes to pull off a celebrity-level dream house. Along the way, he talks about creating “easy luxury” at home, why every space should be beautiful and liveable, and how to make design decisions you’ll still love in 10 years’ time.

If you love refining your home sanctuary, interior design, home makeovers and real-life renovation advice, this episode of The Edit is your ultimate starting point. Hit play to get inspired, get practical tips you can use this weekend, and see your home with fresh eyes.

Thank you for listening ❤️

before you leave...

🗣️ Get in touch

What did you think? We are a brand new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Home Beautiful community and DM us on Instagram

👀 See more

Darren Palmer's Festive Hyams Beach cabin

Darren's beautiful Bondi home

🙏 Our special thanks for making 'The Edit' our new home:

Luxaflex - our beautiful 'studio home' curtains

Oz Design - furniture Australians love 

Darren Palmer Products

Credits:

Edited by Joseph Corr

Production by Thomas Crnkovic 

Our wonderful Home Beautiful team 

Learn More: HOME BEAUTIFUL

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is a home maker these days? With so many decisions to make when it comes to your home, an energizing show focused on your style, your sanctuary. The Edit is a fresh new podcast from your friends at Home Beautiful with Editor Elle Lovelock, that opens the door to unique homes and the stories behind them. To inspire and delight decisions.  With well known guests and the ultimate experts. It’s for everyone shaping their sanctuary—whether you’re a seasoned homeowner, a renter, on a budget, or anyone quietly curating your special space. The Edit makes those decisions simple and celebrates the everyday creativity, choices, and personal touches that turn your house into a home.

Learn More: HOME BEAUTIFUL

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With a new year around the corner, Block alum and Holiday Home Makeover star Rachel Carr joins The Edit to talk about turning a tired coastal property into Cinque House, a luxury Mediterranean-inspired Airbnb that’s “booked up constantly”. She shares the smartest ways to get the most out of your Airbnb – from layout and storage to luxe hotel touches using the Cinque home on the NSW South Coast as the ultimate case study.

If you’re a Block fan, an aspiring host, or just obsessed with beautifully designed holiday rentals, this inspiring conversation dives into how Rachel and Ryan Carr blend luxury hotel vibes with real family practicality to create an Airbnb guests rebook again and again. Expect insider renovation tips, styling tricks, and plenty of Cinque House details you’ll want to steal for your own short stay

Moments

• Design it like a hotel, live in it like a home​

• The Block tricks that boost your nightly rate​

• Layout hacks that make groups actually book​

• Cinque’s Holiday Home “add to wishlist” hero features to be inspired by​

• Non‑negotiables for 5‑star Airbnb reviews...and how to get them​

• Life after The Block, from TV renos to a booked-out Cinque House holiday homes 

Thank you for listening ❤️

before you leave...

🗣️ Get in touch

What did you think? We are a brand new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Home Beautiful community and DM us on Instagram

👀 See more

Inside Rachel and Ryan’s South Coast holiday home, Cinque House

Rachel & Ryan’s magnificent holiday home makeover (Cinque House on Airbnb) ​

10 amazing Airbnb cabin getaways (includes their holiday house)​

🙏 Our special thanks for making 'The Edit' our new home:

Luxaflex - our beautiful 'studio home' curtains

Oz Design - furniture Australians love 

Rachel Carr

Credits:

Edited by Phil Calloway 

Production by Thomas Crnkovic 

Our wonderful Home Beautiful team 

Learn More: HOME BEAUTIFUL

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Krissy Marsh, Real Housewives of Sydney OG and domestic goddess of Double Bay, joins The Edit and Editor Elle Lovelock from Home Beautiful to talk hosting that’s big on heart, not hard work. This episode is packed with Krissy Marsh's entertaining tips, from Tuesday night special 'family style' dinners to Christmas feasts, plus a peek inside her chic Home Beautiful house tour. 

Real Housewives of Sydney fans will love her real and special stories about fellow cast members Victoria Montano and Nicole O’Neil, including Nicole’s “ridiculous amounts of dessert” and Victoria’s infamous party “out times”. If you’ve ever wanted to know how to host like Krissy Marsh without the stress, this is an episode where you'll want to "come over". 

Moments you'll hear 🔊

• “Don’t say hosting” Why Krissy bans the word hosting and just calls it “having people over” to make entertaining feel easier and more real.

• Real Housewives at home Krissy chats about life on Real Housewives of Sydney and how she, Victoria Montano and Nicole O’Neil really entertain when the cameras aren't rolling.

• Freezer full of spag bol  The genius of gravy made in October, bulk spag bol and doing “a couple of chickens and a few bread rolls” instead of going over the top.

• Club 33 vibes Inside Krissy's tiled home entry, cream couches, a crystal vase and Asia-inspired art that make her home feel like a glamorous club.

• Kindness over perfection From the Ronald McDonald House Foundation Cook Book to Tuesday night teen dinners, Krissy shares how food, table manners and small rituals teach her and her kids generosity.

Thank you for listening ❤️

before you leave...

🗣️ Get in touch

What did you think? We are a brand new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Home Beautiful community and DM us on Instagram

👀 See more

Krissy Marsh home tour

Real Housewives of Sydney homes (including Krissy, Nicole O’Neil and more!)

The cleaning secrets of Real Housewife Krissy Marsh

A very merry Home Beautiful Christmas

Christmas Declutter Plans

🙏 Our special thanks for making 'The Edit' our new home:

Luxaflex - our beautiful 'studio home' curtains

Oz Design - furniture Australians love 

Krissy Marsh, cook book here! 

Credits:

Edited by Phil Calloway 

Production by Thomas Crnkovic 

Our wonderful Home Beautiful team 

Learn More: HOME BEAUTIFUL

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this festive Christmas special episode of The Edit, host Elle Lovelock is joined by home and styling expert Tara Dennis to ask a brave question: what if Christmas at home didn’t feel like a performance, but like an exhale? From her idyllic riverside house, usually sparkling with champagne-toned baubles, brass bells and warm white fairy lights, Tara shares how she creates “a warm welcome Christmas home” without losing her mind in the process. Together, Elle and Tara unpack calm‑in‑the‑chaos strategies for real families: how to decorate with laid‑back luxury on any budget, where to cut corners, and why “it’s not the season, it’s the day” that really matters.​

Tara and Elle dive into the emotional load of holiday hosting—the pressure not to “let anyone down,” the invisible to‑do lists, and the way social media can make everyone feel like they’re failing at Christmas style. Tara gently reframes the whole season, reminding listeners that “my house is always calm when we’re down,” and that the most memorable moments rarely involve perfect tablescapes. Instead, she shares grounded rituals: putting your phone in a drawer, watching silly movies, lighting candles, and choosing one or two meaningful traditions (not twenty) to anchor the day for kids and adults alike.​

There’s plenty of nostalgia and humour too. Tara recalls “all of the husbands that forgot” the Christmas present and childhood memories of sewing tiny dresses for her Baby Alive doll because “back in the day, they knew how to thrift,” stories that quietly reveal how resourcefulness and creativity shaped her career. She and Elle explore the idea that “maybe I’m not just doing it for myself,” how decorating, cooking and setting a beautiful table can become an act of care for others, inspired by the teachers and mentors who once encouraged her.​

If you’re searching for Christmas calm ideas, stress‑free Christmas decorating, relaxed Christmas table styling or how to make Christmas cosy, not crazy, this episode is your gentle guide. Hit play to hear Tara’s practical tips on wreaths and garlands, small changes that make your home feel instantly more welcoming, and simple ways to give yourself time and space in the middle of the madness—because, as she puts it, “it’s not about it being perfect". 

Thank you for listening ❤️

before you leave...

🗣️ Get in touch

What did you think? We are a brand new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Home Beautiful community and DM us on Instagram

👀 See more

The Ultimate Christmas Tree decorating ideas

A very merry Home Beautiful Christmas

Christmas Declutter Plans

🙏 Our special thanks for making 'The Edit' our new home:

Luxaflex - our beautiful 'studio home' curtains

Oz Design - furniture Australians love 

Tara Dennis - See more at Pepperwhites

Credits:

Edited by Phil Calloway 

Production by Thomas Crnkovic 

Our wonderful Home Beautiful team 

Learn More: HOME BEAUTIFUL

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why are more Australians than ever turning to granny flats, tiny rentals and secondary dwellings to survive the housing crisis?

This week on The Edit, host Elle Lovelock sits down with award-winning designer and our TV fave James Treble (The Block, Open Homes Australia, Renovate or Rebuild) to unpack why the most contested real estate in the country might just be… your backyard.

With more Australians squeezed by affordability pressures, one major property portal reported a 50% spike in searches for “granny flats” and related terms in just one year — a dramatic indication of how sharply the market has turned toward secondary dwellings, backyard rentals, and multigenerational living.

James brings three decades of experience, a suitcase of stories, and a refreshingly honest take on what happens when families try to solve emotional problems with architectural ones.

 The Practical Reality

“There’s nothing idyllic about sitting on a toilet while looking at a washing machine.”
James digs into the design traps, regulatory blind spots and build-site chaos that catch even experienced renovators off guard.

Topics include:

• The Dutch Method of floor-planning

• Why a “simple” backyard build is never simple

• The blueprint tweaks you can make — and the ones that will blow your budget

• The unexpected “Venice of Ettalong” building-site moment

• Why tradies can be “full on,” but often right

 The Emotional Weight of Small Spaces

James opens the door to the real reasons people build these micro-homes:

• Housing ageing parents with dignity

• Boomerang kids who need independence (and parents who need privacy)

• Creating flexible spaces for WFH, guests or Airbnbs

• How a well-designed granny flat can transform family dynamics

• The rise of women over 55 as the fastest-growing cohort facing housing insecurity in Australia

• Why secondary dwellings can become “the most valuable square metres on your property — or the most expensive mistake”

Thank you for listening ❤️

before you leave...

🗣️ Get in touch

What did you think? We are a brand new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Home Beautiful community and DM us on Instagram

👀 See more

Small Space Design Ideas

James Treble 

Outdoor Ideas

Ways to keep your renovation on track

🙏 Our special thanks for making 'The Edit' our new home:

Luxaflex - our beautiful 'studio home' curtains

Oz Design - furniture Australians love 

James Treble

Credits:

Edited by Phil Calloway 

Production by Thomas Crnkovic 

Our wonderful Home Beautiful team 

Learn More: HOME BEAUTIFUL

🧭 Final Takeaway

If you’re dreaming of building “out the back,” James suggests you start by answering one deceptively simple question:

“Who is this really for in five years?”

Because the best backyard builds aren’t just designed —
they’re planned, felt, argued over, compromised on, and finally lived in.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Edit, Home Beautiful editor Elle Lovelock sits down with Lauren Mahoney, creative director of luxury interior design studio Studio Trio, to turn the spotlight where it really belongs: on the client. Drawing on more than two decades of experience, Lauren gently unpacks what it actually feels like to work with an interior designer, from that first nerve-wracking meeting to the moment you finally exhale in a finished room that feels like you.​

Lauren debunks the biggest myths about designers being “judgy” or only interested in perfect homes, explaining why she believes “the best interiors start with listening, not imposing a look.” She shares how to ask the awkward money questions, what a realistic budget looks like, and why clarity around scope and expectations is the real secret to a happy project—for both client and designer. If you’ve ever hesitated to contact a designer because you were scared of being criticised, this is the episode that holds your hand.​

Packed with practical, friendly advice on how to find an interior designer, how to brief an interior designer, and how to navigate interior design costs, Lauren walks through each step of a collaborative design process that feels empowering instead of intimidating. She talks about reading a client’s home like a story, explains why “every detail should reflect the people who live there,” and shares moving personal anecdotes about transforming heritage homes and family spaces through Studio Trio’s work.​

A listener dilemma, 'Room For Improvement' brings into focus: how do you blend two completely different styles in one shared home without it turning into a battleground? Lauren offers smart, down-to-earth strategies for mixing tastes, negotiating non‑negotiables, and creating a space that feels like “ours” instead of “yours versus mine.” Along the way, Elle and Lauren explore the deeper side of design—identity, relationships, and why the most successful interiors are never about trends, but about the people who wake up there every day.​

If you’re curious about interior design for real people, working with an interior designer for the first time, or creating a home that feels emotionally and visually right, this conversation is your essential guide. Hit play to hear Lauren’s philosophy in action, explore more of her work at Studio Trio, and start seeing your own home—with all its quirks, compromises, and potentials—as a beautifully evolving story.​

Thank you for listening ❤️

before you leave...

🗣️ Get in touch

What did you think? We are a brand new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Home Beautiful community and DM us on Instagram

👀 See more

'That' Green Kitchen In Home Beautiful

A perfect colour palette for a Federation Home

🙏 Our special thanks for making 'The Edit' our new home:

Luxaflex - our beautiful 'studio home' curtains

Oz Design - furniture Australians love 

Studio Trio Lauren Mahoney

Credits:

Edited by Phil Calloway 

Production by Thomas Crnkovic 

Our wonderful Home Beautiful team 

Learn More: HOME BEAUTIFUL

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How does a Real Housewife keep five dogs, three kids, white sofas and cream carpets looking spotless without harsh chemicals or losing her mind? In this episode of The Edit, Elle Lovelock from Home Beautiful sits down with cookbook author and Real Housewives of Sydney star Krissy Marsh to unpack her no‑nonsense home cleaning tips, smart hosting rituals and the heart-first philosophy behind her Double Bay family home.

Krissy reveals why “a home is only a home with the people in it and the connections you have,” and why she’ll always choose a welcoming table over a ‘trophy’ interior. From fridge audits and Tuesday night dinners for 20, to chemical-free cleaning hacks using bicarb soda, vinegar and essential oils, this is a masterclass in creating a calm, beautiful, low-tox home that still feels luxe.

You’ll hear how Krissy keeps white sofas guest-ready with clever fabric choices and throws, why she swears by top loader washing machines, and the surprisingly emotional story behind the custom artwork that captures her family’s life in one frame. Along the way, Krissy shares candid stories from her idyllic but imperfect Queensland childhood, raising teens, and hosting epic dinners where “there’s always a meal on that shelf” and everyone pitches in.

If you’ve ever searched for natural cleaning products, eco cleaning hacks, or stress-free entertaining at home, this episode is for you. Expect practical cleaning tips, mindset shifts and laugh-out-loud moments from one of Home Beautiful’s most loved home tour stars...

...plus inspiration for living room styling, where do you start? Our trend expert, Paula Cincotta from Oz Design, gives unique insights into quality furniture, care and interiors that are genuinely family-friendly and easy to create in your home. 

Moments you'll hear 🔊

Krissy’s three-ingredient cleaning hack
“There’s probably three ingredients you need to clean the entire house: bicarb soda, vinegar and a bit of lavender.”

Why she dresses kids in white
“I pride myself on having white whites… It’s so much easier to clean.”

The fridge audit you’ll want to copy
“Fridge audit is just the best… There should always be a meal on that level.”

What really makes a home
“A home is only a home with the people in it and the connections you have.”

Thank you for listening ❤️

before you leave...

🗣️ Get in touch

What did you think? We are a brand new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Home Beautiful community and DM us on Instagram

👀 See more

Krissy Marsh home tour

Real Housewives of Sydney homes (including Krissy, Nicole O'Neil and more!)

The cleaning secrets of Real Housewife Krissy Marsh

Cleaning hacks galore

Oz Design Furniture Care

🙏 Our special thanks for making 'The Edit' our new home:

Luxaflex - our beautiful 'studio home' curtains

Oz Design - furniture Australians love 

Krissy Marsh, cook book here! 

Credits:

Edited by Phil Calloway 

Production by Thomas Crnkovic 

Our wonderful Home Beautiful team 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of The Edit, Home Beautiful editor Elle Lovelock invites you to join in on an important chat about what we actually want to do in the new year. Alongside one of Australia’s most trusted home experts, Tara Dennis, familiar to many of you from years on Better Homes and Gardens and other much-loved home and DIY shows, to talk about something more realistic than resolutions: new rituals for the new year that actually work.

From her calm, riverside home, Tara shares how she resets her space and her head when the year has left everything feeling a bit too full, drawers, diary, and brain included. Instead of colour-coded chore charts and impossible routines, she walks Elle through small, repeatable habits: gentle decluttering, re‑styling a few key zones, lighting a favourite candle at the same time each evening, and creating tiny daily moments that signal “you can exhale now.”

Together, Elle and Tara unpack the emotional clutter as much as the physical: the pressure to reinvent yourself every January, the guilt over unfinished projects, and the way our homes can quietly reflect that mental noise. Tara, in the same calm, practical tone you know from TV, offers low-stress ways to let things go, rearrange what you already own, and build home rituals that support how you really live, not how you think you’re supposed to live.

There are unique stories from early on in her career, memories of making do and making things by hand, and the realisation that styling and organising aren’t just about aesthetics, they’re a way of caring for yourself and the people you love. If you’re looking for new year home reset ideas, simple decluttering rituals, or just a kinder way to start the year, this conversation with Tara is a trustworthy guide from someone you’ve had in your living room for years

In this episode, we also meet expert buyer and marketer Paula Cincotta from OZ Design Furniture, who has a razor-sharp merchant brain and a designer’s eye for how we really live. From scouting international showrooms to curating the latest sofa trends and hero coffee tables for local homes, Paula talks through colour, curves and clever styling ideas she's learned on her travels that make big trends feel surprisingly achievable with no renovation required.

Thank you for listening ❤️

before you leave...

🗣️ Get in touch

What did you think? We are a brand new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Home Beautiful community and DM us on Instagram

👀 See more

Inside Tara's Gorgeous Riverside Home

Tara's Tips For The Best Night's Sleep Ever

🙏 Our special thanks for making 'The Edit' our new home:

Luxaflex - our beautiful 'studio home' curtains

Oz Design - furniture Australians love 

Tara Dennis - See more at Pepperwhites

Credits:

Edited by Phil Calloway 

Production by Thomas Crnkovic 

Our wonderful Home Beautiful team 

Learn More: HOME BEAUTIFUL

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does “home” really mean when you strip away the marble benchtops and Instagram angles?

In this episode of The Edit, we sit down with one of Australia’s most loved interior designers and long-time judge on The Block,  Darren Palmer.  Alongside Home Beautiful editor Elle Lovelock, for a conversation that’s less about cushions and more about courage. It’s reflective, funny, occasionally filthy, and unexpectedly tender.

Darren opens up about growing up in an industrial Queensland town where he didn’t quite fit, learning his craft without formal training, and why curiosity, not confidence, has shaped his career. We talk about why great design should never look the same twice, how formative homes stay with us (whether we like them or not), and what happens when you finally stop editing yourself for public consumption.

Along the way, Darren shares the story of being outed by the media and how choosing honesty changed everything, plus why Almost Home isn’t really about houses at all, but about memory, identity and the spaces that make us feel safe enough to be ourselves.

There’s also a joyful deep dive into his current home: colour, texture, scent, sound and the artwork that follows him everywhere because it still makes his heart beat faster.

We also catch up with Mel Nottage from Luxaflex on the quiet shift happening in Australian homes away from hard finishes and toward softer, more cocooning window treatments outdoors that prioritise how a space feels, not just how it looks, with more people looking to entertain at home. 

It’s an episode about ambition, vulnerability, and the quiet power of showing up as you are, Zara outfits, filthy jokes and all.

You’ll hear:

• Why Darren believes you can teach skills, but never attitude

• The real story behind Almost Home and why it’s a double entendre

• How childhood homes quietly shape adult design choices

• What it was like growing up queer in regional Queensland in the ’80s

• The moment Darren decided to stop hiding parts of himself publicly

• Why the most powerful art isn’t décor, it’s emotional

• How design can be used to genuinely change lives through charity work

• An audio home tour that hits all five senses (yes, including scent)

Get comfortable, this one stays with you! 

Thank you for listening ❤️

before you leave...

🗣️ Get in touch

What did you think? We are a brand new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Home Beautiful community and DM us on Instagram

👀 See more

Inside Darren Palmer's Kitchen

Darren's beautiful Bondi home

Hamptons Style Easily Done

🙏 Our special thanks for making 'The Edit' our new home:

Luxaflex - our beautiful 'studio home' curtains

Oz Design - furniture Australians love 

Darren Palmer Products

Credits:

Edited by Phil Calloway 

Production by Thomas Crnkovic 

Our wonderful Home Beautiful team 

Learn More: HOME BEAUTIFUL

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.