Customer Spotlight: Emma Blomfield
Emma Blomfield Studio is a full service Interior Decorating & Design studio in Mosman where our aim is for you to create memories in your home that will last generations.
Based on Sydney’s lower north shore, we specialise in creating stylish residential and commercial spaces across Sydney. From finding the perfect sofa to styling & arranging everything in your home, our team aim is to eliminate any hassles for you. You have the ability to be fully engaged in the process or sit back and let us take care of all the details.
We pride ourselves on creating the canvas that becomes a place where memories are made.
1. Emma, what initially drew you to Florabelle as your go-to supplier for lighting, decor, florals, furniture, and trees, and how has this partnership enhanced your design projects?
I worked with Florabelle many many years ago when I was a Buyer for an online homewares store. When I started my business, Florabelle became one of my go-to suppliers for trees, plants and florals for our projects. As my business evolved, so did Florabelle and now we love sourcing homewares, furniture & decor from Florabelle as well.
We do a lot of turnkey decorating projects where we get access to the client's home and transform the entire space for them from painting, flooring, lighting & full furniture fit outs right down to making the beds & styling the whole home. We love that Florabelle can act like a one stop shop for so much of what we need for these types of projects.
3. Your design approach emphasises creating unique spaces tailored to each client. How do Florabelle's diverse product offerings support your vision for personalised interiors?
Invariably there's always something for a project from Florabelle's huge catalogue of furniture, decor, art & plants etc. Florabelle offers a huge variety of items and not just in one particular look so we can tailor our decorating packages to each client with ease.
4. Tips for Selecting Dining Chairs and Stools
Comfort is key when it comes to choosing your dining chairs and stools. There's nothing worse than sitting in a restaurant or a friend's home and wanting to spring out of the dining chairs the minute your meal is over. Upholstered dining chairs are much more comfortable for sitting at for hours at a time (and also if you tend to work from the dining table too). The other word of warning when choosing your dining chairs is to make sure your dining table legs aren't going to get in the way of the chairs you've chosen. No one wants to be the person straddling a dining table leg while enjoying a long lunch!
5. 3 Small Bedroom Design Tips
- Firstly if you can get your proportions right you'll be ten steps ahead! So measuring up the room in advance to determine how large you can go with your bed and bedside tables.
- Be realistic about how much you will and won't be able to fit into the space. Can you be smart with storage instead like making your bedside tables overflow clothing storage or having a gaslift bed where you store linens, winter coats or even the vacuum cleaner when not in use.
- And lastly, make sure the room is comfy! I am a big fan of adding a mattress topper for additional warmth and comfort then invest in quality cotton or linen sheetings, a nice warm doona insert and some pretty scatter cushions to make the bed look fab.
6. 3 tips for styling a cabinet
My favourite thing to do when styling a shelf or cabinet is to pull out as many trinkets and things I've collected as possible, lay them out on the floor and dart across the shelves with the bigger items first in a zig zag pattern so I'm alternating from left to right with taller, more solid objects and then filling in the gaps with the smaller homewares items from there. If I get stuck, I'll take a photo of the cabinet. Seeing things in 2D allows me to spot what the problems with the shelf are between than standing in front staring at it.
7. Emma, for homeowners who love a neutral palette but want to introduce some colour, what are your top tips for incorporating colourful accents without overwhelming the space?
We like to start with a neutral base for things like sofas, dining tables and other large casegoods and then adding colourful accents in the form of rugs, art, cushions, lamps & soft furnishings. By having the big ticket items in a neutral palette, you're then able to change things up further down the track without being restricted to one colour palette.
8. What factors should be considered when choosing a statement piece, such as a unique piece of furniture or artwork, to anchor a room’s design?
Aim for one statement per room. Whether that's the bedhead, a mirror above a fireplace, an artwork above the sofa or an incredible floor lamp that grabs your attention the minute you walk into a room. When you walk into a room, you want to have an "anchor" piece that your eye looks at first, this then means you can take in the remaining surrounds with more ease because there's one large piece grounding the entire room.
9. Florabelle offers a wide range of decor items. How do you select the right pieces to complement your interior design and decoration projects, ensuring each space feels cohesive and stylish?
We work to a colour palette rule of 3 to 5. Typically you'll find 3-5 colours used per room in our projects. The big ticket items are generally always a neutral colour and then we layer and repeat 3-5 different colours in the room. We do this with things like vases, trays, candles, plants, flowers, cushions & rugs.
10. What are your tips for mixing different styles and eras of furniture to create a unique and personalised look without it feeling disjointed?
Have a hero piece in the room that is perfectly proportioned to the room. If you can get the shapes and sizes of your furniture right for the room it will all feel so much more cohesive. For your lounge room this will be your sofa, for the dining room it's the dining table and for the bedroom it's your bedhead. Mark the room out with masking tape or work on computer generated floor plans to help you map out proportions so you know the maximum size piece of furniture you can add to the room when you're out shopping.
11. Working closely with clients is a hallmark of your service. Can you share an example of how Florabelle's products helped facilitate a collaborative design process, bringing your client's vision to life?
Pretty much every single project we work on features some of Florabelle's potted plants or flowers. We use them in every project because it's a wonderful way to add a feeling of life and colour to a space but without the responsibility of keeping the plant alive!
12.What are some of your favourite Florabelle pieces that you find yourself repeatedly using in your projects, and why do they stand out to you?
I can't tell you how many times we have used a fiddle lef fig in a project. They are the best styling piece that doesn't scream for attention in a room but adds a lovely feeling of warmth to the space.
12. For other designers looking to elevate their projects, what advice would you give on selecting and utilising products to achieve a unique and stunning design outcome?
Focusing on timeless looks with a touch of a trend is a great way to offer your clients a space that is less likely to date but still gives a little nod to on trend pieces giving character and colour. We try not to follow trends too closely but small decorative items that are a specific trend are the best way to incorporate "trends" without blowing the bank or meaning you're up for replacing an entire room from scratch in a few years when you tire of it.
