Q & A With Interior Stylist Nat Winter

Interior stylist and director of Chasing Winter, Nat Winter is a creative with a flair for moving with world trends and pulling on a variety of fashionable and classic styles when working on residential and small commercial projects. Nat also teams up with her husband Gerry Heffernan to renovate homes together across Brisbane (@himherandadog). When she’s not soaking up the Brisbane sun, Nat can be found in Bali guiding elite interior design and homeware shopping tours as the co-owner of Found Bali Safari.

How did you get started as an interior stylist?

I have a fashion degree and have been a fashion buyer and designer most of my life. I’ve always loved architecture and interiors, and fell into styling naturally after renovating a few of my own homes. I started getting jobs from referrals and social media exposure.

Are you recognised for a certain style?

Yes, but not one particular style of décor. I mix styles together so they don’t look so generic. I mix styles like French Provincial with Hamptons and Kinfolk. The result is warm, natural and inviting.

Do you have any fave projects?

I recently fitted out an office for a client. It was a big challenge because the brief was masculine, modern, industrial, tribal! I loved the challenge and the client was beyond happy. It was definitely a highlight in my personal achievements. I also recently completed one of my own renovation projects where I designed the interior architecture of every detail on the build to the soft furnishing and landscaping. My personal brief was to push the boundaries of expectation, and deliver a home that would be talked about. It’s for sure my fave so far.

Tell us about Chasing Winter and Found Bali Safari?

Chasing Winter is my interior styling business and I’m in the process of setting up an online store. I’m hoping in 2019, to have my own range of custom lighting.

I’m also the co-founder of Found Bali Safari. My business partner Kara Way and I take small groups of ladies to Bali on interior design tours. It’s a week-long experience styling in 5-star villas and includes amazing resort and restaurant experiences. We are with the group the entire time, and give free interior styling advice along the way. It’s been so popular, that we have recently launched day tours and trade tours.

What do you wish clients knew before they came to you?

That’s a hard one, because I wish clients could see what I visualise when I’m putting a room together. But if they could see that, then they wouldn’t need me! LOL.

What are your hot tips for styling a home?

An inviting home, that flows well can be created by keeping a similar theme running through the house from inside to out, downstairs to upstairs, bathroom to living room. A trick of the trade is to use books to stack items on top, or trays to cluster items together on a coffee table, dining table, sideboard, side table or bedside. An easy styling tip is to display three objects at different heights.

How can people create a beautiful look on a budget?

If I’m working on a budget, I find a hero item that may (or may not) be more expensive and I mix with inexpensive items. To do this, try using my tips above with small items like vases, candles and trays.

A few quick tricks I use are…

Recover an old sofa or outdoor set using Ikea linen curtains
Wait for the mid and end of year sales at your favourite stores
Join sites like Temple & Webster for great deals on furniture and homewares
Shop at Kmart, Target and Adair’s on sale
Have a big clean out of the old and sell it on Gumtree, before buying something second-hand to replace it.

Final thoughts…

The most common thing people say to me is, ‘I would never have thought to do that, but it looks so good now that I can see it’. Having the vision can be hard for many people – that’s why I have a job! But the most simple thing anyone can do is to move things around, pull things out of cupboards and see if it they work clustering them on a coffee table.  Or buy some paint samples and trial whatever colours are running through your head. If it’s a bigger scale you are working with, start a mood board using Pinterest. You’ll soon create the look you have been wanting to achieve.

Chasing Winter director Nat Winter – Interior stylist (store coming soon).

Visit:  Chasingwinter.com.au