Hear from Katie

12th November 2019

Katie’s dream home proves picture perfect

Gaining inspiration during a house build does not getting any better than reading and viewing another person’s journey first-hand. Gold Coast local, Katie Dixon, has shared her insights and style tips with Plantation Homes and revealed how she went about creating her forever home with purpose and joy. Her motto throughout the journey has been quite simply, ‘go for it!’

Katie alongside one of her ‘splurge’ items a stunning wooden sideboard, hand-crafted in Indonesia.

Deciding on your dream home

“The Retreat just worked for us and our block of land. When looking through all the amazing display homes it stood out and ticked all the boxes. My husband and I loved the big open plan spaces, the option to have two alfresco areas, the massive bedrooms and we wanted the master bedroom at the back to take advantage of the views.”

“The master bedroom is a standout with double vanity basins, large shower with rainfall head, double spa bath, walk-in-robe, and two large stacker doors that open out to our alfresco. What’s not to love!

“Nothing says luxury more than a grand alfresco with corner-less stacker doors that open up to form one big open space. I love how the whole house wraps around the alfresco with glass doors on every side. Another thing that sold us on the Retreat design was the guest or kids retreat. The two front bedrooms both open up to a private living area, and this is great when guests want their own space or for when we eventually have children - it can be their own space away from the main living areas.”

Getting into the mood

Katie loved to go to Pinterest for home inspiration. “Before we started building our home, I created my own Pinterest account and had an album for every room. Creating mood boards of colours and styles really helped to imagine what my house would look like even before it was built. It came in handy at colour selections too as my Cosham Interior Colour Stylist took inspiration from my pictures to create the theme for our home.”

Moodboards and Pinterest really helped Katie to create her ideal colour palette for her home.

Going natural

Katie describes her interior style as a mix between boho and coastal, with a hint of scandi. “I went with a light and bright colour scheme. I wanted to keep everything very white and natural giving me a neutral palette to then inject some colour through artwork and styling.

Katie loves finding inexpensive ways to create wares for her home, and says anyone can achieve a designer look on a budget.

Sharing the love

“I first started my Instagram page just before we commenced construction. I wanted to document our journey without clogging up my own personal account. I was overwhelmed with the amount of support from other people who were also building. I’ve had a lot of people reach out to me asking for my experience and advice on building for the first time. It's a great way to meet like-minded people all sharing their beautiful homes too.”

Heart of the home

“They say the heart of your home is your kitchen and ours really is! It’s in the centre of our home and an area we spend a lot of time in. Whether it be cooking dinner, reading magazines or eating a meal it’s one of my favourite places to be. My favourite features would have to be our 3 metre long Caesarstone® benchtop, butler’s pantry with double translucent doors, timber-look Laminex cupboards and I invested in a beautiful marble tile splashback!”

A professional cakemaker, Katie’s favourite things in her home are her 3 metre long bench top, marble tile splashback and butler’s pantry.

Must have décor piece

“Plants are my must have decorator item. There is not a room in my home that doesn't have either a living or faux plant in it (or two)! I think they bring life to any room and also double as air purifiers for the home so it is a win/win.

Katie says adding greenery and florals to your home can make the world of difference.

Match made in design heaven

“We loved the entire building process with Plantation Homes! Being able to have the ability to choose everything from home design and facade to which taps, sinks and shower heads you want was amazing. I know some people find all that overwhelming, but at the same time, Plantation have professional expert stylists on hand to help with every decision. We worked with such a great team at Plantation Homes to personalise our dream home.