Step Up Your Home with Georgia Ezra

On this episode of Step Up Your Home we speak with Dani Reilly, ex-contestant on well renowned Australian TV show The Block. Dani and her husband Dan own and direct their end to end design and construction company Manna Made, Dani also co hosts a home and lifestyle series on Channel Ten called Healthy Homes Australia, and while building dream homes for all their clients they are also in the tail end of their own major home build. On this episode we talk about Dani Wales pre the block, the journey to where Dani is today, her goals and dreams and so much more… 

On this episode of Step Up Your Home Georgia speaks with Ben Robertson, the founder of Melbourne architecture firm Tecture. Ben studied at Deakin university before going on to gain experience at some of Melbourne's most highly regarded architecture firms over the span of a decade. Unfortunately for Ben, he found these workplaces damaging his health and it was then that he decided that he wanted to be a kind, thoughtful architect, human and boss. Tecture was built on creating refined, simplistic and minimal spaces. Each project is tackled with a functionally considered and environmentally thoughtful material approach, that blends luxury with cost efficiency. Ben challenges his team to explore the psychology of the built form, keeping a keen eye on proportion and geometry.

On this episode Georgia talks about the desired home and how taking a good hard look at what you have will really change the way you look at your space. In this episode we work through simple steps to find solutions to the things that really bother you and how to appreciate the things that you do love. We cover moving your way through your house to shrink the things that cause visual noise and how that will ultimately turn your current space into an abode that you enjoy waking up in and love to come home to at night.

On this episode of Step Up Your Home Georgia is interviewing one of her dear friends, local Melbourne Mum of two and founder of the ever-growing online platform Engold, Steffanie Ball. Steff has been in the creative industry for 14 years. She had studied an undergrad in Interior Design at RMIT and what started as an internship position at Georgia's Interior Architecture practice then, blossomed into a long term and very good friendship. Since then Steff has launched her very own platform, Engold alongside her husband Matt Ball. Through Engold Steff aims to adorn homes with timeless pieces that will be cherished for life and provide a space for other creators to do so as well.

On this episode of Step Up Your Home we are bringing you a bite sized episode of questions that Georgia is frequently asked; from how to get your first design projects, to how you might charge your clients. 

On today's episode of Step Up Your Home we are speaking with none other than one of my good friends Melissa Port. Melissa has over 20 year's experience in the food and tourism industry and has worked with alongside some highly influential people such as President Bill Clinton, Bob Hawke and John Symonds. In the past she has worked in roles that include lecturer, CEO, Program director and Event manager. Her work as a freelance food stylist and recipe developer has seen her service company's such as Australian Gourmet Magazine, and Edgell Birds Eye. Melissa now runs private bespoke food tours Australia wide through her company Mia Cucina. Mia Cucina provides unique experiential dining tours that support a diverse range of cultures and communities. Melissa's food tours are ranked in the Top 6 Food tours in Sydney. As a woman and a mum to 4 beautiful children Melissa believes ‘you have to be open to new ideas and explore new boundaries' which is why she has led such a diverse career thus far.

On this episode of Step Up Your Home Georgia speaks with Karen Pereira, co owner of Allure Drapes Design & Decor. Karen has been working in the soft furnishing and decorating industry for 16 years. Previously an interior designer and decorator, Karen's knack for material selections and eye for detail has served both her and her clients over many years. Since 2004 Allure Drapes Design and Decor have prided themselves on exemplary customer service, quality and reliability. Here we touch on the biggest misconception in the window furnishings industry, the difference between all the window covering types, pricing points on all the options, how to choose your fabric, the absolute must knows when it comes to your window coverings and SO much more. 

On this episode of Step Up Your Home we have a guest from Brodware which is an Australian based tapware, fittings and accessories company. Lauren Serisier is here to go in depth and give us a run down of all the must know's about tapware and plumbing when it comes to your home renovation. Lauren is a qualified interior designer who found her passion for bathroom and kitchen design during her studies. From here she worked as a showroom consultant assisting with design and fit out of bathrooms and kitchens, while making great industry connections resulting in her landing at Brodware. 

On this episode of Step Up Your Home, Georgia speaks with Bronwyn Riedel Bauwerk is an Australian born and bred lime paint supplier whose vision is underpinned by the idea that the spaces where we work and live should consider the materials in which they are constructed. Bronwyn has an innate ability to see colour in a different way than most of us. She uses her skills to help her clients create incredible emotive spaces. Bauwerk is now sold internationally and is a fitting solution for both modern and traditional spaces. Perhaps most importantly, Bronwyn has created her business on the foundations that her products should not cause harm to the natural environment or the end user and their health. The result is a stunning product that is low VOC and safe to use around family, pets and coworkers due to its natural mineral and pigment formulation. 

On this episode of Step Up Your Home we get up close and personal with Georgia, through the lense of one of her best friends Tami Sussman. Throughout this episode Tami makes Georgia feel very uncomfortable and opens up a side of her that you probably don't know or haven't seen before. Tami asks Georgia questions about her youth, tying a few dots together about why she is inspired by certain areas of the world and what led her to having certain aesthetics.Pop on some headphones and enjoy the grill.

On this episode of Step Up Your Home, I have a very special guest who I believe you are all going to be inspired by – Jess Sepel. Jess is a Clinical Nutritionist, Founder of the JS Health brand and best selling author. Her JS Health Brand includes an app, an 8 week program and a range of highly recommended, and tried and tested vitamins. Jess believes a healthy lifestyle should be ‘gentle, balanced and enjoyable’ and encourages us to face our food driven demons. Having had personal dealings with food, weight and body image issues from a young age, Jess is here to show us how we can leave those burdens behind us and get back on track to a healthy, self-loving, balanced lifestyle.

On this episode of Step Up Your Home we are bringing you a bite sized episode of questions that Georgia is frequently asked, from building to shopping, kids and so much more!  

On this episode of Step Up Your Home I have Kelly Thompson here to chat about how we can all create our own organic home grown gardens. Kelly is an incredible Melbourne based illustrator with a keen interest in living a sustainable lifestyle. She has transformed the backyard of her rental home from a giant patch of unsightly grass to a humble organic garden with only a few easy steps. She has inspired many to create their own backyard gardens and when she can't grow what she needs, she simply makes a visit to her local farmers market. Kelly is constantly striving to do better to lessen her impact on our environment and is an advocate for vintage wares. She also runs Makers Market, which is where she has created an online store for local makers, freelancers and craftspeople who share the same passion for high quality and sustainably produced items that are made with care. But as I said, today we are going to be chatting with Kelly about how you can grow your own food.

On this episode of Step Up Your Home Georgia has a very special guest who she has known for over 10 years and who she has watched evolve into an inspiring coach for so many people. Hayley Carr is a ‘superfreak’ by her own description. Hayley and I met at university where they were both studying interior architecture. In the past she has been a world champion martial artist, a tv and film actress, singer, chronic fatigue fighter, and of course interior architect. Now she spends her days coaching the elite, the people who are at the top of their personal game and hosts her own podcast – Superfreak.

On today's episode of Step Up Your Home we are speaking with mum of two, Australian based entrepreneur and co-founder of Koala Eco Jessica Bragdon. Jessica’s frustrations about the lack of availability of quality natural cleaning products then led her and her husband to start Koala Eco. With the passion of protecting her children from toxic cleaners behind her, Jess and her husband Paul set out to create an affordable, plant based, non toxic, planet friendly range of cleaning products for the home. The Koala Eco range uses an abundance of 100% pure native Australian essential oils, and other natural locally sourced ingredients to safely and effectively do what it says on the bottle.

Today we are speaking with stylist, Lisa Burden. Lisa has worked as a visual merchandiser and stylist for over 7 years and has made her way from Editorial Coordinator to her current role as a Stylist at Real Living Magazine. Earlier in her career as a visual merchandiser and stylist, she worked for many large scale Australian brands and thanks to her landing an internship at Real Living Mag she now finds herself styling for shoots destined to make magazine covers. She has a natural knack for setting the most effortlessly stunning scenes using any given item.

On this episode I was lucky enough to have the company of the Director of Agreena, Melanie Scott. Melanie created an incredible reusable product that will replace your cling wrap, baking paper and foil all in one fell swoop. With the knowledge that Australia’s recycling program is in no way shape or form adequate she has also worked insanely hard to ensure that her product has an end of life cycle. After years of prototyping and testing to ensure that her product is safe and actually exceeds FDA standards she finally found a solution to so many problems. After only a few short years Agreena now has over 200 retailers in Australia and have just launched in the UK and EU. Mel is also looking forward to collaborating with some of the country's most well known chefs and introducing Agreena wraps to commercial kitchens.

On this episode we are speaking about all things interiors with Stylist, Designer, Founder of Imprint house and two time author the amazing Natalie Walton. Natalie studied Arts at the UNSW. She has a long list of accomplishments having worked as a journalist, workshop host, radio speaker, contributor to several magazines, Deputy Editor at Real Living Magazine and of course her work as a Stylist and Designer which has been published across the globe. She currently runs editorial content agency Warnes and Walton alongside her online shop Imprint House and somehow manages to squeeze in even more work. She also has her own podcast Imprint with Natalie Walton. He has written two very inspiring books. This is home: The art of simple living and Still: The slow home. She has mastered how to help people enhance their every day and live their best lives through their interiors.

In Australia we have long been warned about the importance of sun safety, but what do we actually know about the chemicals we smear all over our bodies and in turn, allow to trickle into our waterways? I sat down with Marine Biologist Sacha Guggenheimer, one of the founders of SunButter Skincare to chat about this topic which she is naturally so passionate about, to bring you all the information you need to know now.Learn all about what sunscreen can do to our health and the health of our reefs in this episode of Step Up Your Home.

In this episode of Step Up Your Home I chat with lighting designer Danielle Mastro, one of the three co-founders of Melbourne based lighting retailer and consultancy LightsLightsLights. Danielle and her team have over 40 years of experience in the industry. They provide lighting consultations all around Australia in both the domestic and commercial market and have even been featured on The Block. Danielle initially studied a Bachelor of Arts before completing a postgraduate degree in organisational psychology. From here she worked in fashion management for 5 years, a skill that she didn't know would propel her to the pinnacle of her career. Shortly after entering the lighting industry Danielle knew she had found her passion and LightsLightsLights was born. Danielle uses this passion to help clients all over Australia find the absolute best solutions for their lighting requirements. She has played a part in many award winning projects and she now has an Illuminating Engineering Society Technician qualification. Danielle uses her technical skills to back up her human-centred approach. Listen in to learn more about what a difference good lighting can make to your immediate surroundings.

Welcome to this episode of Set Up Your Home where I was joined by Richard Morris. For those of you who don't know, Richie is my husband. Richie is the Director of the newly established Morris & Co. With over 15 years of experience in building and construction Morris & Co specialise in design, construction and project management of commercial fitouts, refurbishments and state of the art retail and hospitality projects. Richie has led teams on many high profile projects including Melbourne Airport, Southern Cross Station, Melbourne Central, Crown Casino, Essendon Fields and the Westfield centres some of which are valued between $500,000 and $150 million dollars.

If you are about to embark on a home renovation journey, this podcast is for you. Tune in to this episode of Step Up Your Home to hear my 6 steps for anyone considering a renovation. Having done two of my own home renovations and having led and project managed countless home renovations over the past 11 years, I have simplified the top must knows into a 30 minute easy listen.

Today Georgia talks outdoor spaces, optimum health and so much more with very special guest, Mon Palmer. Mon is an Australian designer who specializes in outdoor spaces. She has a knack for creating the most STUNNING outdoor areas (and is self-proclaimed 'garden obsessed'). So much so that she named one of her many arms of business 'Slightly Garden Obsessed' or 'SGO Outdoor Shower'. She has recently launched her new website clubmon.co, a place where designers can meet - and - where she shares all her latest news, events and workshops. Mon has recently finished renovating her home, which is available for location hire (yippee!). If that weren't enough, she and her husband are designing and building a 30 foot boat that will also be available for hire (double yippee!). With over a decade of experience in the design field, Mon has worked on some incredible projects for both residential and commercial spaces.

Today on #StepUpYourHome Georgia meets with the beautiful Lauren Scruggs Kennedy. Lauren and Georgia met over a year ago, on Instagram. Lauren reached out to Georgia wanting to use @tilesofezra in her home. Since then, Georgia has been following Lauren closely and is always overwhelmed by her authenticity, genuinity, positivity and just down right kindness. Lauren overcame her own trauma, and has become a well-known advocate for wellbeing. She is the founder of @thelskfoundation which helps provide women around the world with cosmetic coverings for prosthetic limbs. Lauren launched her chemical free dry shampoo brand @thestrandedshop three years ago, and is currently embarking on creating non-toxic surface wipes. Through her own passion and extensive research, Lauren shows us how to lead a truly conscious lifestyle with wellbeing at the forefront. Lauren has written several books, most recently #TheCleanSweep which is a three month program that leads you on a journey to discover the beauty of clean living, as she is a passionate advocate for a toxic free home.

On today’s episode of Step Up Your Home we are speaking to Justine Flynn who is one of the Founders of the Thankyou brand. In 2008 Justine, together with Jarrod and her now husband, Daniel, had an idea. Selling water to help end the world water crisis. Three individuals had a vision to empower the everyday Australian to change the world by funding clean water projects in third world countries, through the simple process of purchasing a bottle of water. The team worked tirelessly, pushed boundaries and harnessed the power of social media in a way that landed their products in stores across Australia, thanks to the voices of their followers pledging to buy Thankyou products if they were stocked. Since then, Thankyou has grown into one of Australia’s largest social enterprises that has raised millions of dollars, is stocked in hundreds of stores across Australia and NZ and is seen in most family homes. They now have a range of 55 products which allows each and every one of us to make a major change through a simple choice in our local supermarket.On todays episode we talk about persistence and fear, why we should all be choosing Thank you, practicing gratitude in the home, what home is to Justine, and SO much more. To see the show notes head on over to https://ahwgeorgiaezra.com/blogs/podcast/justineflynn

On this episode of Step Up Your Home, I sit down with Lucy Feagins, the founder of Melbourne based design blog, The Design Files. The Design Files is Australia’s most popular one stop shop for all things Australian design. Lucy and her team cover everything from Architecture, Interior Design, gardens, art, crafts, furniture, textiles, homewares, food and everything else design related. Lucy studied Creative Arts at the University of Melbourne before becoming a set designer, and working as a stylist. She has featured in The Age, The Saturday Paper, and Inside Out, just to name a few. Since starting in 2008 TDF has grown to a team of 8 staff and hosts several events throughout the year including TDF Talks, pop ups, exhibitions and even their own awards ceremony in collaboration with Laminex. On todays episode we talk about real homes, designing freely for yourself, the shift in the way we look at our homes, bespoke interiors, the way Lucy looks at her home, and SO MUCH more. Lucy, thank you for taking the time to chat with me today.To see the show notes head on over to https://ahwgeorgiaezra.com/blogs/podcast/lucyfeagins

Welcome to Step Up your home, I’m your host Georgia Ezra , and I am here to remind you that you can create positive changes in your life through your immediate surroundings. Together with renovation experts and thought leaders in the toxic free and healthy home space, I am excited to share our knowledge and to show you how you can step up your home, and your life….In this short prologue I go through what you can expect from Step Up Your Home. xxx