Sisters With Style
Sisters with Style
The rich electronica soul of singer, Chet Faker gently hums in the background while creative duo, Meagan and Sally Anderson finish each others sentences as sisters naturally do. “It all started 15 years ago. I was 25 and I was talking to my friend at the gym. We toyed up a few literal interior names but then Niche just suited the shop. The studio isn’t in the main shopping strip so then the word seemed applicable. It’s more of a destination shop more than anything and we’re not on the high street so the name as expected works,” said Sally.
Here are their thoughts:
Strengths?
Meagan: Sally has an intuitive instinct and she’s a true natural when it comes to interior design.
Sally: Meagan’s only been involved with the business for 18 months now but she is a true asset and we have such different skillsets which complement each other. Meagan’s from a corporate background so is great at running the back office responsibilities. Her trademark is always remembering to stand back and look at the whole picture. It’s now a phrase which we both have adopted.
Property styling/design advice?
Sally: Generally we’re working with Victorian homes that have been renovated where we aim to retain the original character of the house and complement it with styling choices to suit. We make sure it’s not too generic but it’s nice to include items that could be the personal artwork of the people who live there.
Advice for Winter?
Sally: Houses which have timber floors are always warmly complemented by rugs and soft furnishings. I think throws, nice soft furnishings which don’t look too summery with their print or colour and nice ambient lighting such as table lamps also work well. When a person is selling, it’s important to think logically so setting up an outdoor setting in the Winter season can look like you’re trying too hard. You have to think about the time of the year.
Starting Point for Styling?
Sally: We take a cue from the existing house by looking at a few of their key pieces. We also get a hint from lifestyle and make sure it’s tailored specifically to that.
5 Tips?
Sally:
1. Have a plan because one choice can start dictating every other choice.
2. Seek advice.
3. Have a budget which you work to.
4. Have a resource file of things you’ve seen in magazines.
5. Don’t get bogged down on trends right now but look at the longevity. Will you like the wall colour in a few years time?
Inspiration?
Sally: We travel a fair bit. Last year, we went to Europe so we combined work and a holiday. We went to Paris and sourced a whole new range of wallpapers from there so we try and go on trips to get a cue about what’s going on wherever we are. We get inspiration from trade expos as well which keeps you up-to-date about what’s coming.
The Block?
Sally: So many clients watch it and there’s so many ideas crammed into the TV shows. It’s a great idea for people to just pick a couple of ideas from the show rather than a multitude of different ones which may not always work. One good factor is that people are getting more confident in their own taste but it’s important that they funnel it in the right direction.
Favourite Room?
Sally: My favourite room is my bathroom because we recently renovated it and I think it’s pretty amazing with the really high ceilings and mosaic pool tile. While when it comes to decorating, I love dressing up bedrooms because there’s so many beautiful rugs and lighting options. At the end of the day, I think the living area is the most significant part of a home though.
Visit Niche interiors
6 Murray St, Yarraville or nicheinteriors.com.au
