Joh Lyle from Siesta Home - Industry Insights

Former Olympian turned interior designer - Johanna Lyle has been busy since her retirement from her career as a professional snowboarder. Nowadays she's busy being a mum of 2 and the creative mastermind behind her homewares store - Siesta Home, also offering her expertise through design consultations to create beautiful spaces for her clients. Her love for colour, pattern and print makes her designs bold and unique and it's no shock she went all out for her own bathroom. Peek at our  Newport Duck Egg Mini paired with our Elwood Matt Carrara look Hexagon mosaic.

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do?
I am a mother of 2, I have pursued my passion for interior styling and creating beautifully luxe, heart-warming spaces after retiring from my Olympic career as a professional snowboarder. My artful eye and love for design and colour resulted in a 9 month long passion project renovating my Melbourne home. While renovating, my natural gravitation towards colours, patterns and prints led me to start designing my own unique bedding collections, with a plan to inspire people to have fun and experiment with their interior styles too. Today, Siesta Home has branched out beyond just our in-house created namesake label. I have invited a myriad of beautiful brands into Siesta Home, creating a bright, colourful and fun family! With many years of experience within the building industry including renovations and new builds, I am now assisting with a wide range of design, decoration and styling projects.

The Newport Mini in Duck Egg paired with the Elwood Matt Carrara look Hexagon mosaic. Our Elwood tile is currently unavailable but check out our Coledale Matt Carrara look tile as an alternative.

What inspired you to pursue a design carer?
As a child I loved art and colour and when I was competing on the world cup circuit, I spent my down time drawing. This was my form of relaxation. After starting Siesta Home, I have completed many short courses as well as styling and interior workshops. I feel it’s important to keep learning and upskilling yourself.

What did you renovate?
We recently moved and bought a house in Regional Victoria. We are currently updating each room at a time and first up was the main bathroom.

What motivated you to renovate?
We decided to renovate the bathroom first as it was just not functional and very out-dated.

The Newport Mini in Duck Egg 

How would you describe your style?
Mmmm, that’s a good question. I feel like I don’t really have a style. I can appreciate all styles and love them all. I do adore working with colour and texture. I try and work with the character and period of the house I’m working on.

Talk us through the process you took in the planning stages of your bathroom renovation!
First I gather images from Pinterest and magazines. Then I’ll put together a mood board with the overall look and feel and start selecting the finishes. But the most import part of any renovation is the layout and design. Getting it right at the start can save you money and time in the future.

Did you and your partner or family butt heads over the design at all?
Not at all, my husband totally trusts my designs. Thank goodness because I don’t know what we would do if he didn’t, we can both be very stubborn.

What was the most challenging part of the renovation? Were there any delays?
The most challenging part of the renovation was relying on trades to turn up when they said they would. Because if one trade doesn’t show up when scheduled it holds up the whole bathroom. Overall, there were a few hold ups but it wasn’t too bad.

Does working with clients have its challenges?
I love working with clients and creating something special just for them. I haven’t found any challenges yet, fingers crossed. Most clients trust my vision in the end, I show concept boards, drawings and explain why I have created what I have so they can really capture my ideas.

Did you come into the TileCloud showroom to look around at tiles? Did you order samples?
I haven’t been in the TileCloud showroom as I live in Victoria. I always order samples for my own projects and for my clients online.

Why did you choose TileCloud / What did you enjoy best about the TileCloud experience?
An interior designer friend referred me to TileCloud and I’m so glad she did. Getting samples are easy and there is so much inspiration on TileClouds Instagram page to give you that peace of mind that you have made the right choice of tile selection. I really did enjoy my TileCloud experience ordering online was simple and I received the tiles on my front doorstep within days.

Any advice for first time renovators?
Plan, plan, plan research and make a budget before you start. Once you know your budget and what your needs are. Don’t be afraid to ask an expert for help with the design process they will save you time and money in the long run and it will make the experience much more enjoyable!

All photography by: Cindy Power

Visit the Siesta Home Website: www.siestahome.com.au and Instagram: @siesta.home