THE EDIT

The renovation may be finished, but the work of creating a beautiful home never really ends.
In Part 2 of this episode of The Edit, Matty J is back with Home Beautiful Editor Elle Lovelock to talk about what life looks like now that Chante Mer is open to guests - the letting go, the worrying, and the welcome basket decisions he probably overthought.
He also gets into parenting, sharing the mental load, raising three daughters, and the lessons he hopes the next generation will inherit. And he shares the item discovered during the renovation that deepened his connection to the home's original owner, Val.
Plus the one thing that keeps him up at night as a holiday-home owner. Hint: It involves lemon juice and marble.
This episode covers:
Running Chante Mer as a holiday stay
Opening a family home to guests
The realities of short-term rentals
Holiday home hosting tips
Sharing the mental load at home
Modern fatherhood and parenting
Raising daughters
Family life with Laura Byrne
The mystery photo album discovered during renovation
The legacy of Chante Mer
What makes a home beautiful
Photo Credits: @chante.mer.house and Home Beautiful.
🎧 Listen to The Edit and follow on Apple Podcasts
Listen and follow on Spotify
👀 Watch and subscribe to The Edit on Home Beautiful's YouTube
Watch full episodes
Credits:
Host: Elle Lovelock
Guest: Matty Johnson
Videographer: Charlie Potter
Edited by: Leah Porges
Head of Vodcasting: Rachel Fountain
With thanks to our wonderful Home Beautiful team.
Learn More
The Edit is a production of Home Beautiful and Are Media.
https://www.homebeautiful.com.au/home-beautiful-the-edit-podcast/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thousands of people followed Matty J and Laura Byrne's NSW South Coast renovation online. We all chimed in with suggestions on tile colours, furnishings and design ideas, and the end product is like a dream house by the sea. And as anyone who’s taken on a renovation project knows, beneath hose happy snaps and gorgeous exteriors lies a whole lot of grit, stress and family logistics.
In this episode of The Edit, Matty joins Home Beautiful Editor-in-Chief Elle Lovelock to talk about transforming Chante Mer (or Song of the Sea) from a run-down coastal property into a much-loved family retreat and holiday stay.
He shares what it was like renovating while raising two young children and preparing for a third baby, how he and Laura navigated design decisions together, and why opening the home to guests changed the way they think about living spaces.
This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation with Matty J. Make sure you follow The Edit wherever you're listening now, so you can be among the first to hear Part 2.
This episode covers:
Matty J and Laura Byrne's Chante Mer renovation
Renovating a holiday home with young children
The first walk-through of Chante Mer
Mould and unexpected renovation challenges
Designing a family-friendly coastal retreat
Renovating under public scrutiny
Opening a holiday home to Airbnb guests
The reality of running a short-term rental
🎧 Listen to The Edit and follow on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-edit/id1852946910
Listen and follow on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/1y7phZb4CeMhYzFssKZVcq
👀 Watch and subscribe to The Edit on Home Beautiful's YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@HomeBeautifulMag
Watch full episodes:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1c73iMScLqZ357jQ_0A3eDGTysM1SUxO
Credits
Host: Elle Lovelock
Guest: Matty Johnson
Producer: Rachel Fountain
Videographer: Charlie Potter
Edited by: Leah Porges
Head of Vodcasting: Rachel Fountain
With thanks to our wonderful Home Beautiful team.
The Edit is a production of Home Beautiful and Are Media.
https://www.homebeautiful.com.au/home-beautiful-the-edit-podcast/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When interior designer Shona McElroy first walked into her Edgecliff apartment, most people would have walked straight back out. The layout was awkward, the kitchen was hidden away, the bathroom opened into the living room, and a closed-in balcony came with terracotta floors, popcorn walls and a popcorn ceiling.
But Shona, founder and principal of Smac Studio, saw what it could become.
In this episode of The Edit, Shona joins Home Beautiful Editor-in-Chief Elle Lovelock to talk about turning an old 1920s apartment into a beautiful, functional home, why north-facing light matters, how to avoid the dreaded “Pinterest house”, and what interior designers really think through before a room comes together.
She also shares how she helps clients edit their belongings when downsizing, why a coffee table book can be the beginning of an entire room, how virtual reality is changing interior design, and the deeply nostalgic item she brought from her mystery drawer.
This episode covers:
Shona McElroy’s 1920s Edgecliff apartment renovation
How to fix an awkward apartment layout
Why natural light can make a smaller home feel better
What to know about popcorn walls and ceilings
How to design cupboards, shelves and drawers around real life
Downsizing, decluttering and editing sentimental pieces
How to avoid creating a “Pinterest house”
Styling travel mementos and meaningful objects
Coffee table styling tips from an interior designer
How virtual reality is being used in interior design
What makes a home feel beautiful, personal and lived-in
🎧 Listen to The Edit and follow on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-edit/id1852946910
Listen and follow on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/1y7phZb4CeMhYzFssKZVcq
👀 Watch and subscribe to The Edit on Home Beautiful’s YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@HomeBeautifulMag
Watch full episodes:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1c73iMScLqZ357jQ_0A3eDGTysM1SUxO
Credits:
Host: Elle Lovelock
Guest: Shona McElroy
Producer: Charlie Potter
Consulting Producer: Jessie-Lee Klass
Edited by: Pro Podcasts
Executive Producer: Jessie-Lee Klass
Head of Vodcasting: Rachel Fountain
With thanks to our fantastic Home Beautiful team

Learn More:
The Edit is a production of Home Beautiful and Are Media.
https://www.homebeautiful.com.au/home-beautiful-the-edit-podcast/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should you decorate a rental like it’s your forever home? According to interior designer, Studio Brie founder and Australia’s Best House host Briellyn Turton, the answer is yes. Known for her personality-driven interiors, love of vintage pieces and playful approach to home, Briellyn joins The Edit to talk renter-friendly styling, whimsical interiors, hosting, lighting, TVs, resale myths and why the most beautiful homes are the ones that make everyday life easier.
In this episode of The Edit, host and Home Beautiful Editor-in-Chief Elle Lovelock sits down with Briellyn Turton to unpack how she creates homes with character, comfort and function. Briellyn shares how she uses fashion as a starting point for interiors, why she believes in decorating slowly, how to personalise a rental without waiting for the “forever home”, and the one hosting habit every busy homemaker should steal.
Together they explore why home should feel personal, playful and deeply useful, from where you drop your bag to how you make your coffee in the morning.
Moments You'll Hear:
Briellyn’s take on dressing your home the way you dress yourself
How to personalise a rental with art, vintage finds and moveable pieces
A tour of Briellyn’s much-loved loft-style rental
Why she moved for a courtyard, hosting space, and a bedroom with beautiful light
The empty dishwasher and empty bin hosting rule
What “whimsy” really means in interiors
How Briellyn gets clients to trust their own taste
Why your home should support your rituals, from skincare to coffee
The renter’s dilemma: do you buy for now or forever?
How to de-beige a rental without panic-buying generic furniture
Why downlights should not be the default
What to do when the TV has to be in the living room
The design mistake Briellyn wishes Australians would stop making
Why timeless homes are built slowly, not bought in one Saturday
Thank you for listening ❤️
before you leave...
🗣️ Get in touch
What did you think? We are a brand new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Home Beautiful community and DM us on Instagram
🎧 Listen to The Edit and follow on Apple Podcasts
Listen and follow on Spotify
👀 Watch and subscribe to The Edit This on Home Beautiful’s YouTube 📺 for full episodes and clips – and don’t miss our home tours!
Credits:
Our friend: Briellyn Turton
Host Elle Lovelock
Edited by Pro Pods
Producer: Charlie Potter
Consulting Producer Jessie-Lee Klass
Head of Vodcasting Rachel Fountain
Learn More: The Edit is a production of Home Beautiful and Are Media: https://www.homebeautiful.com.au/home-beautiful-the-edit-podcast/
👀 See more
Follow Briellyn Turton on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briellynturton/
Explore Studio Brie: https://www.studiobrie.com.au/
Read Briellyn’s Home Beautiful piece on the whimsical era in interiors: https://www.homebeautiful.com.au/home-ideas/2026-interior-trend-whimsical-studio-brie-briellyn-turton/
Follow Home Beautiful on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homebeautiful/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens after you win The Block, sell the house, have a baby, launch a business and start again?
In this episode of The Edit, host and Home Beautiful Editor-in-Chief Elle Lovelock sits down with Steph Ottavio, architect, designer, founder of Japandi Estate and one half of beloved The Block duo Steph and Gian.
Steph opens up about the pressure of renovating on national television, what she and Gian carried from The Block into real life, and how she renovated her own home while pregnant, with a five-month deadline and her mum living across the road.
But this is also a more personal conversation about the strange quiet that can come after a huge, formative chapter. Steph talks honestly about experiencing “post blues” after The Block, feeling disconnected from purpose, going to therapy, and learning to strip life back to the basics: community, connection, conversation, morning rituals and the little moments that make you feel like yourself again.
Together, Elle and Steph explore what really makes a home beautiful, from decluttered spaces, layered rugs and 12 skylights to the feeling of walking into a home that has been designed for real family life.
Moments You'll Hear:
Why Steph says her home has to be organised so life can be chaotic
What The Block taught her about pressure, outsourcing and working with Gian
How Steph renovated while pregnant and moved in before her baby arrived
The truth about her “post Block blues” and rebuilding a sense of purpose
Why community became the brief for her next home
Steph’s take on Japandi style, character within minimalism and why she does not love cold modern homes
The clever design ideas inside Steph and Gian’s home, including the Jack and Jill bathroom, 12 skylights and a pool craned in through the neighbours
Her rules for shoes, scent, clutter and the design trend she would happily leave behind
Thank you for listening ❤️
Before you leave...
🗣️ Get in touch
What did you think? We are a brand new podcast and would love to hear from you as we build this together. Join our friendly Home Beautiful community and DM us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/homebeautiful/
🎧 Listen to The Edit and follow on Apple Podcasts
Listen and follow on Spotify
👀 Watch and subscribe to The Edit on Home Beautiful’s YouTube 📺 for full episodes and clips https://www.youtube.com/@HomeBeautifulMag
Credits:
Our friend Steph Ottavio
Host Elle Lovelock
Edited by Pro Pods
Producer: Charlie Potter and Thomas Crnkovic
Consulting Producer: Jessie-Lee Klass
Head of Vodcasting Rachel Fountain
Learn More: The Edit is a production of Home Beautiful and Are Media:
Inside Steph and Gian Ottavio’s stunning home transformation
Steph and Gian Ottavio’s Home Beautiful Tour on YouTube
Steph's Instagram
Steph and Gian's Japandi Estate Instagram

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.