Sitchu Living has officially landed! Here’s all you need to know…

A room full of pastel pinks and scatterings of draped foliage – youreally couldn’t ask for a more “Sitchu-esque” setting than the beautifulbackdrop of Hacienda. But for once, it wasn’t just the pastel-heavy palette andiconic harbourside vistas that were catching our eye. Yesterday, we hosted our very firstSitchu event to celebrate the exclusive launch of our exciting new ‘Living’ pillar. 

Showcasing our revolutionary new search tool, ‘Sitchu Living’ is allabout finding the perfect place to live, based on your lifestyle. Whether youwant to live in the heart of the city, next to the ocean or surrounded by leafygreen parks, our slick new search tool allows you to pick your ideal suburbbased on your individual search criteria.

We know how difficult it can be to find somewhere to live, so we wantedto design a clever device that does the hard work for you. Intrigued much?

In just a few simple clicks, you can search for your dream location basedon what’s important to your lifestyle – e.g. things to do in the area,proximity to shops, bars, restaurants, cafés and transport etc. – and also thesize of your budget. Depending on the criteria you choose, the tool willrecommend the suburb that’s most suited to you, as well as properties that areavailable to buy and rent in that area. 

But of course, when you’re looking to move it’s not just about the location or even the property you find – it’s all about making your new home your own. So to help, Sitchu Living will be on hand with all the inspiration and advice you need to help settle into your new pad with ease. From the latest home trends and stylish tableware settings to genius money-saving and mortgage tips, our new Living section has you covered – whether you’re looking to buy, sell, rent or renovate, or even get the gang together for Saturday night dinner. 

To talk through the new launch, we were lucky to host a panel ofcreative industry experts to discuss everything from the most noteworthy trends infashion, art and interiors, to injecting your own style and personality into thehome. 

Over an intimate breakfast, the lovely Poppy O’Neil, co-owner ofinterior and spatial design studio POCO Designs

Fashion-inspired interior trends

Tash Sefton: “Coming from the fashion world I’m more inspired by interiors. My fashion comes from the beautiful aesthetics and colours of my surroundings. I’m more inspired in fashion by a wall in Puglia, Italy or a beautiful ceramic.”

DebBibby: “I’m inspired constantly by Alessandro Michel from Gucci. I think hechanged the aesthetic for all of us with all that layering, boldness and joy.So, in the home for me I see that trend translated, and it’s all about beingconfident and having fun.”

Trends to look out for this year

Deb: “Sustainability is a huge topic. When you think sustainability, you think minimalist. I think we’ll all become a lot more considered with what we put in our homes – we’ll see a lot of timeless ‘forever’ pieces, that we’ll keep for years on end.”

JillianDinkel: “Maximalism. We’re definitely seeing a transition from the Scandiminimalism that we’ve had for a while. As well as colour – I’m seeing a lot ofbold colours.”

Tash: “Mixing old with new. I hope that people reuse, share and pass thingsdown. It creates a lovely aesthetic in your house that’s soulful.”

How to add personal style to your home

Poppy: “Buy what you love. It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t match. Don’t get caught up in having to match everything in the same colour scheme – buy what you love on your journeys and create memories along the way.”

Deb: “My personal style is quite classic. I’m a bit of a tomboy, so my homeis not very precious, I’m more earthy I’d say. But I think your background hasa huge influence on personal style. I grew up in South Africa, so I have a lotof leather chairs, art and safari books. It might sound dated, but I still lookat it and think it looks fashionable and contemporary. There are pieces in myhome that will last forever. I always say don’t buy the interim pieces becauseyou’ll end up stuck with it.”

Tash: “I am very much about mixing high street with high end. Like my home,like the way I dress, and the way I teach my clients, it’s about a journey ofyou – of comfort and price points, and what you’re doing in your day.”

How to add value to your home

Jillian: “We all know now that kitchens and bathrooms sell houses, so quite oftenit could be as simple as updating those spaces. Potential buyers reallyresonate with their kitchen and bathroom space. Also, obviously if you’ve gotthe space, extending to add – bedrooms and bathrooms is always a great idea. Doyour market research on the suburb you’re in, what’s selling, and make smartchoices.”

The guest list