Where do you find inspiration for your home?...and a giveaway! {giveaway closed}

Twelve years ago this month, we began construction on our dream home. Prior to that, we spent months walking through display home after display home, and driving through the new estates trying to find the perfect block of land. Anyone who has gone through the building process would be able to sympathise. While I know we picked a great parcel of land, it's only now that I'm starting to love our home.  It has taken that long to find our design style. Since we moved in, our home has gone through many design styles...mostly driven by my love of home decor television shows, blogs, magazines and books.

The first look we tried..."modern country". Think bright yellow walls, royal blue fabric lounge, red patterned rug, and pine furniture with lead light inserts. I always said to hubby that they were my immature colours...and I wasn't wrong. It looked like a daycare. The yellow didn't last long at all! Our living room windows face east, and it always felt so hot. Next came the cool blues...the rug was ditched for a pale grey shag rug, and the lounge remained. The walls were repainted a pale blue...however I picked the wrong shade. I had envisioned duck egg blue, and ended up with something that would suit a baby boy's nursery.  We lived with that horrible blue for a few years, ending up with the pale grey/blue we have now. I love it. The pine furniture made way for a lowline tv cabinet, and an antique table and sideboard. The blue lounge was replaced by sleek cream leather lounges, and the room now has personality with individual art and accessories.

Along the way to finding our style, I've had a lot of help. I've gathered inspiration from many tv shows (Sarah Richardson and Candice Olson being my favourite tv designers), read many magazines (Ideal Home UK, Real Living), had our space redesigned, and spent many hours devouring beautiful spaces on the web (Houzz, Design Sponge, Apartment Therapy). One book that's stood the design test of time is "Domino: The Book of Decorating", which sits on my coffee table, and is always inspiring.

"Domino: The Book of Decorating" cracks the code to creating a beautiful home, bringing together inspiring rooms, how-to advice and insiders' secrets from today's premier tastemakers in an indispensable style manual. The editors take readers room by room, tapping the best ideas from domino magazine and culling insights from their own experiences. With an eye to making design accessible and exciting, this book demystifies the decorating process and provides the tools for making spaces that are personal, functional and fabulous."

It's chapters are divided into rooms, with each project broken down into simple terms...explaining why each design works. The images are simply beautiful and inspiring...I could pour through it's pages for hours! There's quite a number of things in there I'd like to incorporate into our home...such as hanging curtains and blinds in our home, and stepping up the design factor in the kids bedrooms.

Would you like to have a read of this fabulous book too? Lucky for you...I have two copies of Domino: The Book of Decorating to share with you! To enter, simply leave a comment below answering the following question...

Where do you find inspiration for your home?
***giveaway closed***

This is a sponsored post. Giveaway brought to you by Stockland. Australia’s largest diversified property group, with a range of home, land and retail developments across Australia. From Berwick to Williamstown, there is sure to be a place to build your perfect home. And, as a leading sustainable organisation, Stockland’s developments are designed to enhance the environment – not to spoil it. Stockland gives your family a place to truly call home – a place where your family can live and grow.

Terms and Conditions

1. Entries must be made via Intense Debate commenting system to qualify.
2. Entries close midnight, Friday 12 October 2012.
3. One entry per household.
4. Open to Australian residents only.
5. Total prize pool valued at $60.00, comprising two copies of "Domino: The Book of Decorating" valued at $30.00 (one per winner).
6. This is a game of skill. The judge's decision will be final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
7. Two winners will be chosen. The winners will be contacted by email, then advertised on this post and facebook.
8. Life as we know it...will take no responsibility for any delay, loss or damage to prizes sent to winners.