At home with Heidi from The Lifestyle Edit
This month we’re taking a trip down to the South Coast of NSW to explore the new home of Heidi Albertiri, Editor of The Life Style Edit.
Stay.Casita was recently renovated by Heidi and her husband Douk, to reflect a laid back coastal home. They have poured their heart and soul into the renovation process, working with brands to give the home a facelift, unveiling a space for people to enjoy.
Casita was created to be enjoyed for photoshoots and weekends away with everything you love - good design, good food, friends and good times.
Step inside Stay.Casita with us as we chat to Heidi about her labour of love, inspiration and what’s coming up on her radar.
A true labour of love, you have created Stay. Casita from the ground up with your husband Douk - tell us a bit about the process.
We always dreamt of having a house in Jervis Bay and when we stumbled across this one, it just seemed to fit and we could see exactly what we wanted to create. Working in collaboration with the brands to bring the project to life seemed natural. We already work with so many amazing brands at The Life Style Edit, so it was just a matter of finetuning what we wanted to create, and then excite and enrol others to join us on the journey.
How would you describe your personal style? How much of your personal style did you incorporate in this project?
The house is definitely how we love to live and incorporates all the things we love. I love mixing the old with the new and finding a balance between the products. It has to be homely and feel inviting. The kitchen like most places is the hub of the space and the centre that everything else revolves around. It was the first home we had put together, so it was nice to tap into what we loved and how we like to live. Textures and furnishings were important to lay the foundation of a calm interior and we worked there to fill in the gaps with finishes and furniture. The final outcome has a beautiful Mediterranean feel and is light and breezy.
You’ve created a one-of-a-kind property, both in its aesthetic and function - where do you look for inspiration to create a project/space like this?
The first thing I did was to feel out what the space was like, where the light came from, the flow of the space, and what we needed when we were staying there. I literally mapped out what we liked to do when we were there and worked out all the practical things we needed then found beautiful things to complete it. For inspiration, I wanted to draw on spaces we loved. Living for a stint in Bali, I loved the openness and built in furniture and with Douk being Greek, I looked for inspiration from hotels and houses from there. I was a freak with my moodboards and mapped out room by room how I wanted it to look. I then printed them out, and had them on the wall while we stayed there over summer to see if it worked or not. Then I just added and changed things as we went so I could see the flow of the space start to take shape.
How do you manage to run a full time business and redevelop an entire property?
Hard work, determination and a husband who has an amazing work ethic and great painting skills. Douk and I are a pretty good team, we focused on what we were good at and got it done. We didn't argue or disagree on things so it makes it easier when you are on the same page. Between Douk, myself and my son Zali, we were at the house every weekend working for about a year. To be honest we just loved it, and between the work there were swims at the beach and fun dinners with our neighbours. To be honest, we're exhausted, but you just keep going because at the end you get the reward. You fall in love with the space and then discover everything you have done and test it out to see if it works. I am ready to go again.
What’s next? - Do you have another Stay. Casita project planned for the future or is it a once in a lifetime experience?
I am ready, but with prices skyrocketing at the moment I think we will just wait and see what happens first. I am excited to see what else could be possible.
What is your favourite Palm Beach fragrance and why?
So many to choose from. Because I have been working from home I have been burning the Clove and Sandalwood, it feels grounding and earthy and matches the feel of the space perfectly. Although to be honest, I change them up depending on what the weather is like and how I want to feel. This fragrance seems to finish the space off perfectly, but I might go from Clove and Sandalwood to Jasmine and Cedar for a spring day feel and then Sea Salt for more sunny beach days. I am spoiled for choice really. But there is definitely a fragrance for my every mood.
