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

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

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

We know how difficult it can be to find somewhere to live, so we wanted to 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 based on 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 the size of your budget. Depending on the criteria you choose, the tool will recommend the suburb that’s most suited to you, as well as properties that are available 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 of creative industry experts to discuss everything from the most noteworthy trends in fashion, art and interiors, to injecting your own style and personality into the home. 

Over an intimate breakfast, the lovely Poppy O’Neil, co-owner of interior and spatial design studio POCO Designs; Deb Bibby, former Editor-in-Chief of Real Living Magazine and JONES Magazine; Tash Sefton, co-founder of artistic duo Sefton Segedin and founder of Where Did Your Style Go?; and Jillian Dinkel of Jillian Dinkel Designs, a Sydney design studio specialising in full terrace home renovations – shared their industry insights, as well as a few interior trend predictions for the future. Here are some highlights from the event…

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.”

Deb Bibby: “I’m inspired constantly by Alessandro Michel from Gucci. I think he changed 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 being confident and having fun.”

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.”

Jillian Dinkel: “Maximalism. We’re definitely seeing a transition from the Scandi minimalism that we’ve had for a while. As well as colour – I’m seeing a lot of bold colours.”

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

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 home is not very precious, I’m more earthy I’d say. But I think your background has a huge influence on personal style. I grew up in South Africa, so I have a lot of leather chairs, art and safari books. It might sound dated, but I still look at it and think it looks fashionable and contemporary. There are pieces in my home that will last forever. I always say don’t buy the interim pieces because you’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 of you – of comfort and price points, and what you’re doing in your day.”

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