Blog
Your go-to destination for design inspiration and practical tips to transform your home. Discover the latest interior trends, style hacks, and budget-friendly ideas to create a space you'll love.
Side Table Style Tips
From coffee tables to bookcases, dressers and shelves, our homes are full of surfaces in need of styling. As if we didn't need another surface to style, side tables are all the buzz. They are often also the most overlooked piece of furniture in a home. Whether it is for the bedroom, living room or home office, here are four simple and inspiring tips to style this essential piece of furniture. Let there be light To add ambient, honeyed light, delicious scents and glinting trinkets and bowls, lighting on a side table is a must. Try a shapely statement lamp, clusters of scented candles or a mixture of both to instil design flair and functionality to any side table. All the Shapes and Sizes Create balance and interest by mixing and layering objects in varying heights, shapes and sizes. Groupings of three work best and stacked books or magazines are ideal for adding height. Place a bowl on top of a stack of magazines, a small item in front of a larger one or a lamp partly covering an artwork. This will provide contrast and character to what can otherwise be a bland furniture piece. Green & Good And we don't just mean the colour. Fresh flowers and houseplants are perfect accents for a side table. With this single element you can add colour, texture and scent. Flowers can also be changed regularly for variety. If you don't have a green thumb, an interesting succulent is a good choice. These organic elements are sure to refresh even the most tired side table. Make it personal Design should start from yourself and the things you love. So don't forget to incorporate objects that mean something to you. Be it a favourite book, a family heirloom or family photographs, these elements will ensure your personality gets to shine through in your design. Shop Side Tables Now
A Guide to Nursing Chairs in Australia
A nursing chair is designed to provide a comfortable place to breastfeed your child. Ideally, a breastfeeding chair will help support your back and aid in soothing your baby. What to Look for in a Nursing Chair Comfort As you will be spending hours each night and day in the chair, a nursing chair needs to be comfortable. Be sure to check for cushioning and whether the shape helps to support your back. The nirvana of all nursing chairs is one that is both stylish and comfortable. Ease of Use Many nursing chairs on the market look gloriously cushy and deep. The perfect chair to sink right into and never get up from. However, this might just be the issue - you can't get out of it (especially with a sleeping baby in arms)! So while it may seem simple, make sure you can easily stand up out of a potential nursing chair before deciding it's 'the one'. Practically is important. Supportive armrests are also worth mentioning to help with holding your baby while breastfeeding if, you know, you actually like feeling in your arms. Versatility Nursing Chairs can be an expensive endeavour for an activity that, in the grand scheme of things, is a short-term activity. So opt for a nursing chair that has a simple design and staying power. So once you are no longer breastfeeding, the chair can be repurposed in another room of your home or even populate your child's room from newborn through to young adult. Rocker or Not? When it comes to nursing chairs, the other big question any expectant parent needs to answer is whether you want a rocking nursing chair or not. Keep reading to discover some of the pros and cons of a Rocking Nursing Chair. The Pros and Cons of a Rocking Nursing Chair Pros Gently rocking motion helps soothe babies Easily repurposed in another room Helps establish a routine for young ones Not as many parts for little ones fingers to catch compared to a glider nursing chair Often comes with armrests to support arms while breastfeeding Helps minimise disturbing partners while breastfeeding throughout the night Generally more affordable than other nursing chairs on the market. Cons Does not have a swivel function or footrest Often seen as a luxury item Will take up some floor space in a nursery Padded, upholstered rocking chairs can be harder to clean any mess.
How to Choose the Best Highchair for your Child
Watching your child experiment with different tastes and textures is a whole lot of fun (and lets face it, mess!). Highchairs give your child a safe place to explore their food, while also making it easy for you to supervise meals (and again, lets face it, clean them, the chair, the floor, the dog and probably you, up afterwards). With this is mind, here's the ins and outs of how to choose the best highchair for your child. Why You Need A Good Highchair Highchairs are a long-term investment as children often use them up to 2-3 years of age, and some designs can be used up to the age of 4-6 years old. So with an item that is going to be so vital to your everyday routine for years to come, it is essential you find the right highchair for your child. Things To Look For In A Highchair Easy to Clean Remember that mess we spoke about? Well, this means you are going to need a highchair that is easy to clean. This not only includes the frame and tray, but also any cushions used with the chair. Look to see if the highchair has lots of crevices that food could get stuck in and if surfaces are easy to wipe. Grows with your Child As previously stated, children can use a highchair anywhere from a few months old up to 6 years of age. Children grow quickly, so ideally a highchair that is design to suit this growth is best. Look for a chair that has seat and foot height adjustability so you can lower as needed to keep your child comfortable. A highchair that can transform into a height-appropriate seat to use against the dining table is also a good option and will ensure a long-term return on your highchair investment. Safe and Sturdy Obviously, we want to keep our children safe and a highchair with a sturdy, solid frame is always the best option. Highchairs with wide bases are harder to tip over (also check the accessories as some designs will come with attachments to add to the base to minimise tipping). When children learn to stand up, they are going to want to do it everywhere - even in their highchair. So for added security, ensure a safety harness is used to help keep children secure in their seat. Comfort Your child will sit in their highchair for a longer period of time as they have their meal (and later as they join you at the dining table), so the chair should be comfortable enough for extended use. Seat cushions and inserts are effective to bolster padding. Our Award-winning Highchairs Mocka offers two award-winning wooden highchairs that are not only super safe and sturdy, but wonderfully stylish as well. Mocka Original Highchair Our Mocka Original Highchair sets the standard in highchair safety, functionality and quality. The feeding tray has two adjustable settings, while the seat board and footboard have multiple height options. All of this means the Original Highchair grows safely and comfortably right along side your child. No more slippery cushions or unsafe booster stools as your baby becomes a toddler, the Mocka Original Wooden Highchair easily transforms into a height-suitable seat at the dining table. Simple remove the tray and raise the seat as needed. Made from sustainable solid beech-wood, the Mocka Original Wooden Highchair cannot tear, buckle, or warp. Holding up to 60kg, its solid design ensures sturdy support and can be easily and hygienically wiped clean. Not to mention the stylish wooden design is wonderfully chic and won't look out of place with the rest of the furniture in your home. Mocka Soho Highchair Our Mocka Soho Wooden Highchair is a highchair with a difference that makes it easy to include your little one in family meal times. The contemporary styling features a no-tray design so that your toddler can sit at the table with the rest of the family. Just like the Original Highchair, the Soho Wooden Highchair is fully adjustable with five seat heights and nine foot rest heights. With this adjustability, most children can use the Soho Highchair from 6 months to 6 years old! A bar at stomach height and a between-the-legs strap can be used while they are younger to help keep them safe, but can be easily removed once no longer needed. The simple design also makes the Soho Highchair super easy to clean. A quick wipe over is all that is needed after a meal. For the environmentally conscious, you will also be pleased to know that Mocka's Soho Wooden Highchairs are made from sustainable beech wood that is PEFC certified. The Soho Wooden Highchair is available in four colour options - Natural, White, Black and White Natural Combo - which makes matching your highchair to the rest of your dining furniture a treat. Free Extras Both our Original Highchair and Soho Highchair also come included with a free set of highchair cushions, a Safety Harness and a between-the-legs safety strap. We also provide a free set of leg extenders that can be attached to the bottom of the legs to help minimise the chair from tipping over if rocked. Now who doesn't love freebies?
Highchairs for Cafes and Restaurants
If you wish to cater to a variety of clientele, you should consider the importance of highchairs as seating options in your restaurant or café. Providing highchairs in your café and restaurant allows you to serve your youngest customers comfortably and safely. While each option comes with its own features and benefits, different models of highchairs are more suitable for infants and toddlers. Let's dive in to what you should know when choosing the right highchair for a food establishment. Why You Need A Good Highchair in Your Restaurant There is currently no regulation or law requiring you to have highchairs in your café. However, if you want to increase your customer base, be able to serve as many varieties of clientele as possible or if you promote your establishment as family friendly, it is a good idea to have a few highchairs on hand. If you don't, you'll certainly be losing out on business when families choose to dine elsewhere. Different Kinds of Highchairs With so many options, it can be hard to know which is the best kind for your restaurant. Let's break down the different varieties of highchairs available. Wooden Highchairs Wooden Highchairs are very safe, strong and sturdy all while remaining super trendy and stylish. This makes them a great option for a restaurant as you can match them to your current décor. Plastic Highchairs Plastic Highchairs are simple, no fuss highchairs. Often made from non-porous moulded plastic, they are incredibly easy to wipe clean between uses which is a definite bonus in a busy café. With Trays Highchairs with trays are usually best suited for infants and allow parents the convenience to feed their child using the feeding tray. Some highchairs will have adjustable trays and ones that can be easily removed. Without Trays Highchairs without a tray are normally best suited for toddlers and are designed to be used up against a table. These highchairs are great in a busy restaurant as they won't stick out as far from a table. Things to Look for in a Highchair Safety As a business it is obviously important the highchairs you provide are safe, not only for your own peace of mind but for the parents as well. A highchair with a sturdy, solid frame is always the best option. Look for highchairs with wide bases as they are harder to tip over and should come with accessories to attach to the base to further minimise tipping. For added security, always provide a safety harness and ensure your patrons are using it to keep their children safe and secure in their seat. Easy to Clean As a busy establishment, it is imperative any highchair you provide is super easy to clean. Many different children will be using it daily, so you need to ensure you can keep it hygienic. Always check to see if a highchair has lots of crevices that food could get stuck in and if surfaces are easy to wipe - this will save a lot of stress and hassle later on. Versatility As a business, it is not practical to have multiple different kinds of highchairs to suit different needs or ages. Therefore, you need a versatile highchair. Look for a chair with seat, foot, tray and harness adjustability so parents can adapt as needed to keep their child comfortable. Our Award-winning Highchairs Mocka's award-winning wooden highchairs are extremely safe, sturdy and stylish making them ideal for use in cafes and restaurants. Original Highchair The Original Highchair sets the standard in highchair safety, functionality and quality. The feeding tray has two adjustable settings, while the seat board and footboard have multiple height options making this a versatile highchair for establishments. The Original Highchair can be used from infancy to 6 years old so will suit all of your youngest customers. Made from sustainable solid beech-wood, this highchair cannot tear, buckle, or warp and holds up to 60kg. The solid design ensures sturdy support and can be easily and hygienically wiped clean. A free set of highchair cushions, a Safety Harness and a between-the-legs safety strap ensure young patrons are safe and secure. The stylish wooden design is also wonderfully chic and will add to any top-rated café interior. Overall, the ideal highchair to use in any food establishment. Soho Highchair Our Soho Wooden Highchair is a highchair with a difference for any establishment. You'll notice this highchair excludes a tray and instead is used right up against a table like a dining chair. Fully adjustable with five seat heights and nine footrest heights, most children can use the Soho Highchair from 6 months to 6 years old! A bar at stomach height and a between-the-legs strap keeps younger ones safe but can be easily removed when no longer needed. The simple design ensures a super easy clean. A quick wipe over is all that is needed after a meal - just want you need for commercial use to ensure good hygiene. Four colour options - Natural, White, Black and White/Natural Combo - will allow you to match the highchair to your restaurants current interior as well. Overall, a great option for use in cafes and restaurants. Summary Providing highchairs in your café and restaurant allows you to serve all customers comfortably and will help attract more family business to your establishment. When purchasing highchairs ensure they are safe, adjustable and easy to clean so both you and your customers have peace of mind. Mocka's award-winning highchairs are ideal for use in commercial establishments. You check out our Original Highchair and Soho Highchair here.
Stylist of the Month - Belinda Nihill
When it comes to designing a room for your child, it is hard to know where to start. The amount of products available for children's bedrooms can be overwhelming and this often creates a challenge in designing a space that befits both you and your child's personality. Our Stylist of the Month, Belinda from Nest Design Studio, is a leading influencer in Children's Interior Design in Australia - helping parents bridge the gap between baby store bedrooms and stunning, individual creations. Belinda has styled our Toy Box, Post Box 3, Jimmy Stand, Kids Acapulco Chair and Felt Basket, and they certainly look amazing! Here are Belinda's five golden eggs fresh from her design nest on how to create a unique and personalised room for your child. 1. Make it personal Create a special space that allows you and your child's personality to shine through. Don't fill your space with the latest and trendiest items "just because†- fill the space with treasures full of meaning. That doesn't mean if your child loves tractors, you should hang a giant tractor print up. Think outside the box. Search for a cool blueprint poster of a tractor or a tractor cushion. Touches like this will add true individuality to a space. 2. Plan Rather than buying items just to wonder where to put them, plan and create a well thought out space. Gather your ideas on Pinterest and make sure you think about how you will use the products and where they will go. Planning is essential in good design. 3. Think small Small business, that is. Trawl Instagram for five minutes and you will find loads of amazing small businesses creating magical products. These products are unique and add interesting elements to a room. If you find it isn't exactly what you are after, see if you can get something custom made. Never be afraid to ask! 4. Pare it back Tempting as it is to have all the pretty things out and on display at once, this quickly overwhelms a space. Less, really is more. If you have lots of products you love - rotate and change out shelves and prints on a regular basis. Not only will this help to pare back a room, it will make sure you always have variety. 5. Texture Texture is one of the most under-used elements in kids bedrooms and nurseries. Think about ways to incorporate blankets, rugs, handles and storage. Try different materials such as felt, leather, timber and sheepskins. You will find it gives the room another layer. Photos by Nest Design Studio
How to Create a Gender-Neutral Master Bedroom
Gender-neutral doesn't just apply to children and nurseries. Couples who have recently moved in together can have the same conundrum when trying to suit a bedroom to appease both people. In a master bedroom, often one person's style can overshadow the other (especially if either you have moved into your partner's house or vice versa). Some couples are fortunate and have tastes that are similar, however they don't say opposites attract for no reason! Achieving the right blend between masculine and feminine elements and accommodating contrasting tastes is hard. So to create a master bedroom you BOTH can enjoy, check out these helpful tips on designing a gender-neutral master bedroom! A Base to Build On When it comes to the foundation, simplicity in the best place to begin. Choose furniture with clean lines and a neutral, colour palate. You can never go wrong with white - it is the Switzerland of colours. Grey, browns and woods also lend themselves really well to both masculine and feminine styling. Try finding a wood you both like. If one person prefers dark wood, while the another prefers light, compromise and meet somewhere in the middle. Metals, silver or gold are also a great neutral option - just make sure any design isn't too much for either person. Add Masculine and Feminine Accents Once your neutral base foundation is laid, you can have fun building on top of it. Together select accent colours to complement or contrast each other. Blue, green, yellow or red are beautiful and can give you either a cool or warm palate. A dash of pink and black or whatever your favourite colours might be will really add some pop. Everyone can enjoy flowers and they add a nice feminine touch. Try to bring in texture and patterns in your choice of rugs, throws, cushions and curtains. This will really balance a space out. Adding items that are a blend of masculine and feminine is perfect - a quilt or rug in a more masculine colour, but with a more feminine pattern will really harmonise a master bedroom. Personalise Your room should reflect who you are, so make sure to add items that showcase each of your personalities. Photos and keepsakes, travel tokens, books, magazines and little knick-knacks (like a cool vintage toy or machine part) will help to personalise the space. Also try to avoid having the side tables look like mirror images. Give each other the freedom to personalise your own side of the bed with the items you need on hand and that mean something to you individually.
