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What if your home was quietly shaping your habits… without you even realising?

In this episode, I explore one of the most powerful ideas from Atomic Habits by James Clear, that our environment plays a huge role in the habits we build (or struggle to maintain).

As renovators and homeowners, this is where things get really interesting.

Because your home isn’t just a backdrop to your life, It’s an active participant in it.

I’ll walk you through how small, intentional design choices can make good habits easier, reduce daily friction, and ultimately help you create a home that truly supports the way you want to live.

Whether you want to exercise more, feel calmer, be more productive, or simply make everyday life flow better, this episode will help you start seeing your home in a new way.

Inside This Episode

• Why your home environment has more impact on your habits than motivation
• How design can either support or sabotage your daily routines
• The power of visual cues (and how to use them to your advantage)
• How to reduce friction in your home through better layout and flow
• Simple ways to design for focus, calm, and productivity
• How to shape your home around the person you want to become

What you see every day influences what you do every day and a well-designed home should make the right choices feel easy and natural.
It’s not only about the big renovation, it’s about the small shifts too. Moving something or repurposing a a space. Small changes in your home can lead to big, lasting behaviour shifts. Making one habit at a time just that little bit easier.

Resources & Mentions
You can download chapter 1 of James Clear’s #1 New York Times bestselling book Atomic Habits here: Atomic Habits by James Clear

Loved This Episode?
If you found this helpful, I’d be so grateful if you left a review on Apple, YouTube or Spotify, or even shared it with a friend who’s renovating, or just wants to create a better home.

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Hi, I’m Tash South — interior designer, renovation consultant, and founder of South Place Studio.

In this podcast, I share practical renovation advice, along with deeper insights into home and belonging.

If you’d like more resources and support, head to:
https://www.southplacestudio.com/freebies

If you’re navigating your own renovation, my RenoVersity programme offers a structured, guided and thoughtful approach to renovating with clarity, confidence and intention https://www.southplacestudio.com/renoversity

Or if you want to get social, you can find us here:
Instagram: @southplacestudio
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/south-place-studio
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/southplacestudio

Send us Fan Mail

Layout is more than just where walls go, it’s how your home feels to live in every day.

In this episode, I’m talking about all the the subtle but powerful ways layout shapes our mood, stress levels, and how easily (or not) our lives flow through our homes.

I chat about why bad circulation quietly causes daily frustration. How thresholds and transitions create calm and clarity. Why adding a pause point or two in your home design can encourage those small moments of stillness we all crave for.

And one of my favourites - how to design your layout for better human connection.

Because our homes just simply work better when we consider and plan for human needs, like connection, ease, flow, and how we want to feel when we open that front door after a really long day.

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Hi I'm your host, Tash South I'm an Interior Designer and Renovation Consultant, and I'm here to help you design, renovate and style your home better. Let's create your dream home together.

Each episode of How To Renovate is short, but brimming with practical advice to help you manage your renovation project with confidence and success.

Grab some more renovation advice & free resources and become part of the South Place Studio Renovation Community at
https://www.southplacestudio.com/freebies

Everything I teach about renovation falls within my Five Pillar Process for A Successful Renovation, to learn more about the process, head to
https://www.southplacestudio.com/pillars

Or if you want to get social, you can find us here:

Instagram: @southplacestudio

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/south-place-studio

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/southplacestudio

Send us Fan Mail

Some designers create beautiful things.
Others create work that carries a story.

And today’s guest is someone whose work does both.

In this episode I talk Eva Sonaike, a London-based textile and interior designer whose work is instantly recognisable for its bold palettes, layered patterns, and joyful energy. But what makes Eva’s work so compelling isn’t just the colour — it’s the narrative behind it.

Born in Germany to Nigerian parents, Eva’s work is brimming with colour, confidence, and a real sense of cultural pride.

Her collections celebrate the richness of West African culture while translating it into contemporary interiors in a way that feels modern and elegant. In the conversation, Eva refers to The Yoruba culture she draws from, which is known for its rich visual language — bold colour combinations, rhythmic pattern, and textiles that carry meaning as well as beauty. In many ways, you can see that influence in Eva’s work: confident colour, layered prints, and designs that feel alive with story and symbolism.

Before founding her own design brand, Eva worked as a fashion journalist. But finding a gap in the market for homeware that reflected her heritage when decorating her own home, she began with a small collection of cushions which quickly grew into a brand stocked by some of the most prestigious retailers.

In this conversation, we talk about colour, about how heritage and identity shape the spaces we create, and about why our homes should tell the story of who we are. We also explore something I think is incredibly important; how design can help us create spaces that feel grounding, meaningful, and deeply personal in a world that often feels anything but.

Eva brings such warmth and honesty to this conversation. I think you’re going to feel incredibly inspired by the way she sees the role of home in our lives.

I interviewed Eva in her colourful and creative London studio, so take a peek on over on my YouTube channel to see some of her incredible work and grab some inspo on how to make your own home feel grounding, vibrant and expressive, hit that play button and we’ll see you inside.

This is my conversation with Eva Sonaike.

You can find more on Eva here:
Website: evasonaike.com
Instagram

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Hi I'm your host, Tash South I'm an Interior Designer and Renovation Consultant, and I'm here to help you design, renovate and style your home better. Let's create your dream home together.

Each episode of How To Renovate is short, but brimming with practical advice to help you manage your renovation project with confidence and success.

Grab some more renovation advice & free resources and become part of the South Place Studio Renovation Community at
https://www.southplacestudio.com/freebies

Everything I teach about renovation falls within my Five Pillar Process for A Successful Renovation, to learn more about the process, head to
https://www.southplacestudio.com/pillars

Or if you want to get social, you can find us here:

Instagram: @southplacestudio

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/south-place-studio

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/southplacestudio

Send us Fan Mail

I'm back and in this episode, I’m sharing a personal update on why the podcast returned a little later than planned… and where it’s heading next.

Life, business, a new renovation project, RenoVersity updates, and even a book in the works have all been bubbling away behind the scenes.

But more than that, I wanted to talk about something many of us are quietly carrying right now: the weight of the world.

When global news cycles feel relentless, economic pressures build, when identity and belonging feel fragile, it can all feel very overwhelming.

Inside I look at some small, simple things we can all do at home to gently reset and find a moment of sanctuary from the outside world, and these cold, dark months of the year.
From simple rituals to finding reasons to celebrate, lets explore what can we do inside our homes to feel steady again?

*******************

Hi, I’m Tash South — interior designer, renovation consultant, and founder of South Place Studio.

In this podcast, I share practical renovation advice, along with deeper insights into home and belonging.

If you’d like more resources and support, head to:
https://www.southplacestudio.com/freebies

If you’re navigating your own renovation, my RenoVersity programme offers a structured, guided and thoughtful approach to renovating with clarity, confidence and intention https://www.southplacestudio.com/renoversity

Or if you want to get social, you can find us here:
Instagram: @southplacestudio
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/south-place-studio
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/southplacestudio

Send us Fan Mail

This time of year always brings a certain pressure to our homes; guests, dinners, family staying over.
And suddenly, those little niggles about layout and functionality become glaringly obvious.

In this episode, I talks about how to harness that end-of-year reflection to kick off your renovation plans the right way.
In this episode, I go over the method I’ve developed over many, many years of renovating both for myself, and for my clients.
I want to help you make a confident, stress-free start to your dream home.

If you happen to have a few free days during the holidays, it is the ideal time to start planning, and for this part, you don’t even need an architect, designer or contractor.
Just download my free Renovation Checklist and start 2026 with a strong renovation plan!

*******************

Hi, I’m Tash South — interior designer, renovation consultant, and founder of South Place Studio.

In this podcast, I share practical renovation advice, along with deeper insights into home and belonging.

If you’d like more resources and support, head to:
https://www.southplacestudio.com/freebies

If you’re navigating your own renovation, my RenoVersity programme offers a structured, guided and thoughtful approach to renovating with clarity, confidence and intention https://www.southplacestudio.com/renoversity

Or if you want to get social, you can find us here:
Instagram: @southplacestudio
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/south-place-studio
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/southplacestudio

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, I cover one of the sometimes overlooked elements of your interior: window dressings.

Most people leave curtains and blinds until the very end of a renovation, then panic-choose something “good enough” and wonder why the room still doesn’t feel quite right.

In this episode I walk you through how to think about your windows like a designer: starting with the view outside, privacy, the light you want to invite in (or block out), and the mood you’re trying to create. There really is more than you might think to choosing the right window dressings.

I’ll go through the curtains vs blinds vs shutters debate, to what on earth to do with radiators under windows, to why short curtains really get my goat.

Plus lots more - I didn’t realise just how much I had to say about window dressings! If you’ve ever felt stuck on how to dress your windows, this one’s for you.

So if you have a window that needs some power dressing, I’ll see you inside.

*******************

Hi, I’m Tash South — interior designer, renovation consultant, and founder of South Place Studio.

In this podcast, I share practical renovation advice, along with deeper insights into home and belonging.

If you’d like more resources and support, head to:
https://www.southplacestudio.com/freebies

If you’re navigating your own renovation, my RenoVersity programme offers a structured, guided and thoughtful approach to renovating with clarity, confidence and intention https://www.southplacestudio.com/renoversity

Or if you want to get social, you can find us here:
Instagram: @southplacestudio
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/south-place-studio
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/southplacestudio

Send us Fan Mail

*******************

Hi, I’m Tash South — interior designer, renovation consultant, and founder of South Place Studio.

In this podcast, I share practical renovation advice, along with deeper insights into home and belonging.

If you’d like more resources and support, head to:
https://www.southplacestudio.com/freebies

If you’re navigating your own renovation, my RenoVersity programme offers a structured, guided and thoughtful approach to renovating with clarity, confidence and intention https://www.southplacestudio.com/renoversity

Or if you want to get social, you can find us here:
Instagram: @southplacestudio
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/south-place-studio
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/southplacestudio

Send us Fan Mail

In this week’s episode was unexpectedly inspired by the kids’ TV show—Bluey—watching this episode with my daughter sparked a reflection on the mental load many of us carry, particularly mothers and caregivers,
and how our homes can either add to that load… or ease it.

Inside, I dive into the emotional impact of our home environments and explore how design—both big and small—can actively support relaxation, calm, and our wellbeing. From clutter and storage to sensory cues and micro-zones, this episode offers practical and thoughtful ways to make your home a place where you can actually exhale.

If, like me, you’ve ever felt like you should be relaxing but just can’t switch off… this one’s for you.

What we’ll cover:

• Why your home isn’t a neutral backdrop—and how it can impact your stress levels
• How visual clutter affects your brain and your ability to relax
• Big and small ways to reduce stress through design
• How to create intentional "micro-zones" for calm
• The importance of mini systems, and why they’re not just for productivity
• Simple sensory shifts that make a big impact on wellbeing

Mentioned in this episode:

Bluey – S3 E40 “Relax” (yes, it's brilliant—even for grown-ups)

*******************

Hi, I’m Tash South — interior designer, renovation consultant, and founder of South Place Studio.

In this podcast, I share practical renovation advice, along with deeper insights into home and belonging.

If you’d like more resources and support, head to:
https://www.southplacestudio.com/freebies

If you’re navigating your own renovation, my RenoVersity programme offers a structured, guided and thoughtful approach to renovating with clarity, confidence and intention https://www.southplacestudio.com/renoversity

Or if you want to get social, you can find us here:
Instagram: @southplacestudio
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/south-place-studio
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/southplacestudio