With summer and the silly season drawing nearer we ask local Belrose home experts what tips they have for busy working families to spruce up their spaces for a staycation in style!
Local dynamic duo, Catherine Hyde and Chris Harrison launched RICC at the beginning of this year. RICC provides a one-stop-shop offering for clients looking to renovate, build or revamp their homes. As busy working parents we asked the inseparable pair Catherine and Chris how they balance their work and their families as they share a few top tips and tricks for around the home.
Cat has 8 year old twins – a boy and a girl. Yet when she did her own renovation when her twins were just 3 she quickly recognised that she needed to explore this arena and help other families so they wouldn’t have to go through the stress she did during her renovation and build. Having worked with her best mate Chris previously, they decided to join forces and haven’t looked back since. Cat was very hands on with her twins when they were young but her and husband Adrian ‘has the baton’ at home. Cat saying “It’s great. He now does the lunches, homework, drop offs – he does a lot. I do a lot at night and on the weekends and we are very even, but we are definitely not the typical gender stereotypes. It never has been. So I’ve got the baton now in business to go forth and conquer!”. Chris – a master builder, has a 2 year old daughter and a 6 month old son. His wife Bec is a nurse so had time to take off work with the great public health system aiding her in time off to take care of the kids. “I try to be home as much as possible. I have found since we are through the initial kick-off stage for the business and now we have more structure it’s easier for me to work around my family / work life balance. There’s a lot more opportunity to be flexible too as I now wear 2 or 3 hats rather than 50 when I did it on my own. With the support of a great business partner in Cat, it’s just been awesome.”
So what tips do they have for getting the family home ready for summer with the kids? Whilst people are home more than ever in 2020 RICC are helping clients like young homeowners and busy families refresh, revamp and maximise their WFH and summer space. Chris and Cat say that people are definitely drawing focus to creating smart spaces and lovely ‘staycation’ vibes. Whilst everyone is still relatively homebound but taking on the ‘spring/summer clean’ refresh (change is almost as good as a holiday!) they do say it doesn’t always have to be a total overhaul and to try not to get overwhelmed. “A refresh could be as simple as some new lamps, a new plant or a new fresh lick of paint.” Another easy tip from RICC was swapping out old tapware to new (try new rose gold or copper fixtures that stand out and lift the whole look) or even as simple as a textured throw or set of bright new cushions. They do say however to leave the big jobs to the experts. Chris and Cat saying that DIY projects are great and they encourage people to take on projects around the house but when it comes to “Plumbing, structurals and electrical projects – definitely leave those to the professionals. Building and renovation work is a highly skilled profession that takes years of training and years of hands-on experience. DIY is great and can be so rewarding – just make sure you are aware of the time certain projects will take.” Says Chris. “Our tagline is ‘builds don’t have to end in divorce’ for this exact reason. We once had a client come to us and say ‘we can’t thank you enough. My husband and I didn’t have one single argument during our renovation as soon as we hired you’ ….and that’s the thing – we want the entire process to be fun, exciting and stress free.” Says Cat.
When asked what tips the RICC team have for the festive season the team say a few quick and easy design ideas around the family home for Christmas can make all the difference. RICC states that to get your home ready for entertaining they suggest taking the time to think about what makes dining at a venue special – dining setting, lighting, music & decor. For your table they suggest gorgeous candles or florals “A dried native centre piece will last through the season – team this with festive colourful place settings.” The team also suggests not to forget the ever important mood lighting “There are great battery operated and solar fairy and string lights that look great across the garden, on balconies and even your interiors. Team these with floor lamps for an intimate setting.” You can also set up your own drinks trays for an at home bar and add that touch of christmas party cheer. Last but not least RICC reminds us to not to forget the ambience created by good music! If possible, it’s a great idea to continue the party throughout your entire entertaining space. “Venues have continuous music, so if your budget allows having multiple portable speakers linked will create a consistent atmosphere throughout the home”.
So if you too want to turn your hand to a little summer and festive season prep these tips from RICC are sure to have us celebrating in style in no time!
If you want to chat to the RICC team about more for your home drop them a line HERE.