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Crap Shack to top blog
Maya Anderson christened her house ‘The Crap Shack’ in 2012 when she introduced it to the online world in her blog House Nerd. Thinking no one would be interested in the old fixer-upper in Perth, which she bought with her hubby, she was surprised to discover it was the exact opposite.
“A lot of people want to see the average 1970s brick home turned around into something individual and special. They find that more inspiring than people who have endless budgets and can carry out million-dollar renovations. So that became my niche!” says Maya who now has over 15K followers on Instagram @housenerd.
Do what you love
Hailing from a background in journalism with a focus on writing about all things house, real estate and architecture related, it was a no-brainer for Maya to start House Nerd when she commenced renovating her own home. Offering a fresh slant on interior blogging, her posts read like short stories of other people’s (and her own) renovation journeys. Highly relatable to everyone in the exhausting process of updating their home, she finds she both gives and gets motivation through the online community.
“I’ve definitely made my share of design mistakes, but I love nothing more than when people message me to say I gave them confidence to paint something or try something. Life is too short to be paralysed by decorating decisions — and I can speak from experience because I have been in that boat too.”
It’s your home, no one else’s — do what you love!
From drab…
… to decked out!
It’s party time.
Real & relatable
Now ranked as one of the most popular interior-design blogs in Australia, House Nerd wows the world of home renovators and stylists with resource-rich articles, tips, trends, interviews and before-and-after inspiration.
“I’ve been blogging for eight years and am known for sharing relatable, achievable content, with a lot of DIY. I have a focus on buying things you’ll really love and keep for years.”
I try to inspire people to take the plunge and decorate their home the way they really want to.
An eye for inspiration
Drawing inspiration from other people’s blogs, including Style by Emily Henderson and Daniel Kanter from Manhattan Nest, as well as designers @jennykomenda and @sarahshermansamuel, Maya describes her style as very real-life, practical but pretty, a little bit eclectic with lots of vintage and art thrown in.
Maya describes her style as very real-life, practical but pretty.
“I constantly re-use things that I’ve owned for years.”
Lots of vintage and art thrown in.
I love vintage and secondhand, and when I buy new things, I try to buy carefully and thoughtfully.
All decked out
Juggling the blog, her job as a contributor with Home Edit for STM Perth, her own home renovating and raising two adorable kids, Maya says one of her favourite projects has been building their deck and outdoor-entertaining area.
Ready for alfresco dining with the Marson table and tub chair setting. Nala will clean up the scraps.
The perfect way to entertain friends.
Looking out over the trees, hearing the parrots fly past, it’s where we love to relax around our Early Settler Marson table set and have dinner and drinks with friends.
Little Nerd & Miss Nerd
Currently giving a ‘big-boy makeover’ to the bedroom of her son ‘Little Nerd’, Maya’s still hard at work. “Over the past few days, we’ve both been working hastily on it while the baby naps! It’s game over when she’s awake, she’s into everything! For a four-year-old, my son is a pretty good painter and he’s very into decorating and expressing himself through his interior choices already, it’s so cute.”
We can’t wait to see the result!
QUICK QUIZ
When I was young I wanted to be… an author (actually, still want to be).
Every home should have… a bit of vintage, a bit of black, art and texture.
I would describe my style as… a little eclectic, because I love so many different styles.
Number one tip for DIY renovators? Always remember that it will be worth the pain in the end. Always! 😊
If in doubt… go with your gut — the more you learn to trust your instinct when it comes to styling your home, the easier (and more fun) it gets.
My favourite room in the house is… our deck.
WATCH THIS SPACE!
Follow Maya on @housenerd to watch her latest transformations. And browse our range online or in-store to get inspiration for your own renovation or refresh. Did you know House Nerd styled our Christmas table? We can’t wait to see what she shares with us next!
