Sublime, stylish and talented, Simone Bennett-Smith is the in – demand interior and fashion stylist, MC and actress that practices what she gently preaches. Here, she shares just a peek into her pretty boudoir, with more than a few tips thrown in for aesthetic measure.

Q: What is the theme in your personal space/bedroom?

My husband and I built this house and it was the first time I had worked with such high ceilings. I found that I had to decorate to scale with oversized cabinets, large floor rugs, custom bed heads and lounges so that the pieces weren’t swallowed whole by the room dimensions. I went with a gentle colour palette of muted greens, bronzes and beige that work back in with a selection of comforters and cushions I rotate according to the season. Mind, as mature and sensible as the master bedroom looks it really is a welcoming space that begs you to flop on the bed with a good book or a good dog!

 Q: Do you change the décor each season or have perennials that make it comforting and comfortable?

I always advise my clients to get their foundation pieces correct no matter whether they are reworking their wardrobe or styling a room and I practice what I preach! Choose classic foundation pieces that wont date and bring in the personality, colour or theme with soft furnishings (i.e. cushions, throws) and accessories (i.e. lamps and curios) that are relatively inexpensive to change according to your desires. So yes, as mood and time (!!) allow I tend to refresh my home seasonally with velvets and decadent greens in the cooler months followed by fresh linens and oatmeal throws or cushions in summer.

 Q: Tell us about 4 or 5 of the items you’ve collected that mean something special to you. 

In my bedroom I have a mannequin that I have dressed in a beautiful Toni Matičevski gown (that used to fit!) and propped proudly on top is a very worn metal tiara. I remember the day my mum purchased the tiara for me like it was yesterday. In my childhood bedroom I danced a million ballets and sang every glamorous MGM musical with that dear little headpiece pinned proudly to my hair. Thank goodness it cant talk!

In my lounge and at the front door I have a group of rocks, definitely not stones, that I had shipped from London when I moved back to Australia. Everyone thought I was mad bringing them home as the cost of shipping was based on weight but I collected these rocks from a Plymouth beach that my father played on as a child. My father has since passed and I always think of him playing on that beach as a boy when I happen upon the rocks throughout the day. Treasured memories.

Q: Do you have photos or art in your bedroom and of whom/by whom? 

I have several small pieces of art in my bedroom that include a beautiful sculpture on my bedside table to an abstract painting on the opposite wall that we can ponder when lying in bed. My favourite piece of art however would be the triptych above my bed that I had made with the sheet music of Dreamweaver. This classic one hit wonder is my all time favourite song and the music I walked down the aisle to when I married my husband. Befitting to be framed proudly in our bedroom.

 Q: What is your winding down routine – do you read a book, magazine, listen to music, watch TV before bed? What’s your preference? 

I love reading. If I don’t have a book on the go or I am just about through a book without another novel ready to begin I get really anxious as I do use this time to wind down and escape. Slipping in to bed with a good book at the end of a busy day is my absolute favourite ‘me’ time…. that is, after a deep bath and a deeper glass of red!

 Q: Are you a light sleeper, or out like a light? 

I am such a poor sleeper, it is the one thing that truly bothers me particularly as I get older as I know how much I ask of my body throughout the day and I am not giving it time to repair and rest at night. I listen to subliminal meditations on ear phones if I am having a bout of insomnia. I truly envy ‘sleepers’.

 Q: Early riser or late to bed, late to rise? Need a full 8 hours?

If the day could start at 10am with a cup of tea in bed and end at midnight with a great read, I would be a happy chappy. I find when the world is quiet and the family is asleep I can really move mountains with projects I am working on or writing.

 Q: Do you plan your next day’s wardrobe in advance and lay it out or get inspired by the mood of the day and how you feel and pull something together last minute? 

If I have an event I am hosting or an audition then I know what I am going to wear right down to my colour of lipstick. Leaving times like that to last minute is disastrous. When I am working on an ongoing project or just at home kicking about I dress for my mood and the days requirements.

Q: What’s your relationship with clothes? Love or loathe shopping? 

Ha, love! But I am not impulsive with fashion and I am always on the lookout for a good purchase that will stand the test of time (or an eBay bargain that is an absolute steal!). I love savvy purchases and believe you don’t have to spend a million dollars to look a million dollars. This stands for interior styling too!

Q: What are some of your favourite designers and pieces?

I love Givenchy, Isabel Marant, Iro, Elsa Peretti (scour eBay) and you can never go wrong with a well cut piece from the eponymous brand Carla Zampatti.