The Curated Nest Podcast

Episode 12: Feeling at home away from home with Ashleigh Donald from Halo Business Consulting

In this episode: * The variety of ways that hotels make us feel at home * Celebrating experiences through decor * How homes and people adapt to life’s changes * The contentedness of loving where you live 04:42 Tell us a little more about yourself 13:59 What is your favourite thing about your home? What turned it from a house into a home? 20:46 What's your favourite room? 24:48 Do you have a favourite piece of art/fav accessory in your home? 38:33 Where is your happy place? 49:09 What would your dream home be like? Setting, rooms, garden… 51:35 Quick Fire Ashleigh Donald is Co-Founder of Halo Business Consulting, the award-winning hospitality marketing and customer experience consultancy that helps hotel owners, operators and teams bring their brand promise to life, strengthen loyalty, and drive sustained growth. She is also co-host of The Halo Effect: Hospitality Stories with Ashleigh & Michael Donald, a weekly podcast sharing real stories and practical insight from hospitality and travel leaders. With more than two decades in senior Marketing and Communications leadership, Ashleigh has supported international hotel and real estate businesses across strategy, digital marketing, launches, repositioning and rebrands, working with brands including Shangri-La, The Luxury Collection, Hilton, Four Seasons, Montcalm Collection, Resident Hotels, Kew Green Hotels and Hudson Yards. Ashleigh was recognised as a winner at the 2025 Great British Businesswoman Awards. She also contributes to the sector as a Entrepreneur in Residence with Sheffield Hallam University Business School and mentoring through The Girls’ Network Connect with your host, Heather Moore Website: www.heathermoorefineart.co.uk [http://www.heathermoorefineart.co.uk/] Instagram: @heather_moore_fine_art [https://www.instagram.com/heather_moore_fine_art]Pinterest Heather Moore Fine Art [https://pin.it/1OXfG3aRm] YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@heathermoorefineart [https://www.youtube.com/@heathermoorefineart] Plus get more inspiration for your interiors in my FREE downloadable quarterly magazine - The Curated Nest. Get it here: https://heather-moore-fine-art.kit.com [https://heather-moore-fine-art.kit.com/]  Connect with Ashleigh Instagram https://www.instagram.com/haloitsashleigh/ [https://www.instagram.com/haloitsashleigh/] Linkedin https://uk.linkedin.com/in/ashleighdonald [https://uk.linkedin.com/in/ashleighdonald] Website GoHalo.co.uk [https://www.gohalo.co.uk/about-us]

Episode 11: Mood Boards and Multipurpose Rooms with Leann Reason

In this episode: * The importance of pieces that are durable * Screen free dining room time * Zoning for personal space for each family member * Some of the mistakes people make with Pinterest * How mock ups and mood boards help clients understand the vision * Why Leann doesn’t follow trends 01:00 Tell us a little more about yourself 07:26 What is your favourite thing about your home? 10:00 What turned it from a house into a home? 25:36 Do you have a favourite piece of art/fav accessory in your home? 27:32 What's your favourite room? 30:41 Where is your happy place? 34:49 What would your dream home be like? Setting, rooms, garden… 38:19 Quick Fire Leann is an interior designer who believes that great design isn’t just about how a space looks, it’s about how it supports the way you live every day. She works with clients to create homes that feel intentional, functional, and deeply personal, whether that means rethinking a layout, refining finishes, or bringing clarity to a renovation that feels overwhelming. Her approach is collaborative, thoughtful, and grounded in the idea that our environments shape our habits, our energy, and ultimately our quality of life. Connect with your host, Heather Moore Website: www.heathermoorefineart.co.uk [http://www.heathermoorefineart.co.uk/] Instagram: @heather_moore_fine_art [https://www.instagram.com/heather_moore_fine_art]Pinterest Heather Moore Fine Art [https://pin.it/1OXfG3aRm] YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@heathermoorefineart [https://www.youtube.com/@heathermoorefineart] Plus get more inspiration for your interiors in my FREE downloadable quarterly magazine - The Curated Nest. Get it here: https://heather-moore-fine-art.kit.com [https://heather-moore-fine-art.kit.com/]  Connect with Leann Website: www.Brooklyninteriors.co.uk [http://www.brooklyninteriors.co.uk/] Email: Leann@brooklyninteriors.co.uk [Leann@brooklyninteriors.co.uk] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Brooklyn-Interiors/100063532178267/?locale=en_GB [https://www.facebook.com/people/Brooklyn-Interiors/100063532178267/?locale=en_GB]

Episode 10: The importance of home while recovering from illness

In this episode: Living with prostate cancer How home changes with the growing up of family Little touches Living with pets - they make a cameo on YouTube and Spotify How illness and recovery change you Treatment Update: The nephrostomy drain and leg bag are gone, Richard only has only 2 more chemo sessions to go and most of all he has a van! (This makes sense when you’ve listened 😊) 02:04 Tell us a little more about yourself 06:24 What is your favourite thing about your home? 09:35 What turned it from a house into a home? 17:30 Do you have a favourite piece of art/fav accessory in your home? 20:04 What's your favourite room? 23:25 Where is your happy place? 47:40 What would your dream home be like? 48:20 Quick Fire The Curated Nest is very happy to participate in this 4th edition of Podcasthon! For one week, thousands of podcasts will highlight a charity of their choice. And today, I have the pleasure of supporting Prostate Cancer UK. This episode is a personal one as I welcome along a man who has played a big role in my life. He’s been in my life for around 25 years and has inspired and motivated me and occasionally told me off. He’s picked daffodils for a class project at 10pm, run a farm for his whole adult life and created a YouTube channel for his passion project, Military Mad - sharing his extensive collection of militaria with the online world. This week I welcome my step dad Richard as we talk about home in the context of the challenges of battling prostate cancer and the highs and lows that come with that. And that wraps up this special episode, as part of Podcasthon. If you enjoyed it, feel free to visit www.podcasthon.org [http://www.podcasthon.org/] to discover many other charities through the voices and talents of amazing podcasters! Connect with your host, Heather Moore Website: www.heathermoorefineart.co.uk [http://www.heathermoorefineart.co.uk/] Instagram: @heather_moore_fine_art [https://www.instagram.com/heather_moore_fine_art]Pinterest Heather Moore Fine Art [https://pin.it/1OXfG3aRm] YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@heathermoorefineart [https://www.youtube.com/@heathermoorefineart] Plus get more inspiration for your interiors in my FREE downloadable quarterly magazine - The Curated Nest. Get it here: https://heather-moore-fine-art.kit.com [https://heather-moore-fine-art.kit.com/]  Connect with Richard Richard on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@militarymad2840 [http://www.youtube.com/@militarymad2840] Song, Wonderful Grace: https://youtu.be/kdugliaCXUk?si=VgE8nMxfVA1ptPJY [https://youtu.be/kdugliaCXUk?si=VgE8nMxfVA1ptPJY]  Signs Unlimited: https://www.signsunlimitedwarrington.co.uk/ [https://www.signsunlimitedwarrington.co.uk/] Connect with Prostate Cancer UK  Prostate Cancer UK: https://prostatecanceruk.org [https://prostatecanceruk.org/welcome?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=mi---ppc---google---brand-campaign-2025&utm_content=paid-link&utm_term=brand-campaign&https://prostatecanceruk.org/welcome?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=mi---ppc---google---brand-campaign-2025&utm_content=paid-link&utm_term=brand-campaign&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22918156753&gbraid=0AAAAAqxnKB41VCfAfOlYi98SZtMGiw6mE&gclid=Cj0KCQiAp-zLBhDkARIsABcYc6tMOc_NTeH5_iAa6QaFbjX0NZ8txWGF5pP5iJvGYr3pCNEK1z6XFN4aAuzuEALw_wcB]

Episode 9: Creating a home that’s a family space first and Instagramable after.

01:50 Tell us a little more about yourself 04:26 What is your favourite thing about your home? 11:19 What turned it from a house into a home? 19:35 Do you have a favourite piece of art/fav accessory in your home? 24:53 What's your favourite room? 27:44 Where is your happy place? 35:59 What would your dream home be like? Setting, rooms, garden… 38:31 Quick Fire In this episode: * How making mistakes helps you finetune your instincts * Mixing bought, found and heirloom pieces * Being bold with wallpaper * The importance of shared spaces to bring family together Dee is a stay-at-home mum to three boys and lives in North Wales in a 1950s art deco-inspired home with stunning coastal views.  She has a degree in Business Management and spent 22 years working in administration, office management and finance in the private sector and in social services and education and latterly in an online battery business owned by herself and her husband. Interior design and decorating have always been her passion. She’s spent many enjoyable years personalising every home she’s lived in.  Her current home, which they moved into in 2016, has been a work in progress ever since.  The previous owner remodelled and extended it in 2009, leaving a quirky mix of old and new.  It was the perfect blank canvas for her to create my own style. After selling her business in 2025, she completely gave up her office job and now has more time for her hobbies and passions.  Interior design remains a favourite, and she’s recently taken up gardening, particularly growing my own vegetables.  Walking is another joy, especially in the beautiful North Wales. Connect with your host, Heather Moore Website: www.heathermoorefineart.co.uk [http://www.heathermoorefineart.co.uk/] Instagram: @heather_moore_fine_art [https://www.instagram.com/heather_moore_fine_art]Pinterest Heather Moore Fine Art [https://pin.it/1OXfG3aRm] YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@heathermoorefineart [https://www.youtube.com/@heathermoorefineart] Plus get more inspiration for your interiors in my FREE downloadable quarterly magazine - The Curated Nest. Get it here: https://heather-moore-fine-art.kit.com [https://heather-moore-fine-art.kit.com/]  Connect with Dee Instagram: www.instagram.com/maric_living [http://www.instagram.com/maric_living]

Episode 8: Kim Heslip on homes that nurture our health and help us celebrate memories

00:51 Tell us a little more about yourself (Please keep this to around 2 minutes) 05:24 What is your favourite thing about your home? 12:00 What turned it from a house into a home? 15:26 Do you have a favourite piece of art/fav accessory in your home? 18:02 What's your favourite room? 25:21 Where is your happy place? 30:02 What would your dream home be like? Setting, rooms, garden… 38:26 Quick Fire In this episode: * Wanting to see the problems with a home before working with you * The difference between creating a home and staging to sell. * Feeling called back to where you grew up. * Starting from the features and collected items that you have - bringing out the story and fitting the function around that. * The importance of switching off from tech and the noise of the world. * How music and memories connect. Kim is the founder of Nest and Flourish Interiors, a Yorkshire-based design studio specialising in inclusive, accessible environments that enhance wellbeing, dignity, and independence. After a 20-year career in nursing, 15 of those as a community nurse, she saw first-hand how thoughtfully designed spaces can transform physical and mental health. This insight led her to retrain at the National Design Academy and bring a clinically informed perspective to interior design. Today, Kim works with clients across Yorkshire and Greater Manchester to create homes, workplaces, and community settings that support people of all ages, abilities, and neurodiverse needs. Blending healthcare expertise with creative design, she crafts spaces that are not only beautiful but deeply functional, personalised, and empowering. Through Nest and Flourish Interiors, Kim is redefining what inclusive design can look and feel like - proving that purposeful spaces can be stylish, supportive, and truly for everyone. You can also check out Kim’s article in issue 5 of The Curated Nest Magazine. Scroll down for the link. Connect with your host, Heather Moore Website: www.heathermoorefineart.co.uk [http://www.heathermoorefineart.co.uk/] Instagram: @heather_moore_fine_art [https://www.instagram.com/heather_moore_fine_art]Pinterest Heather Moore Fine Art [https://pin.it/1OXfG3aRm] YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@heathermoorefineart [https://www.youtube.com/@heathermoorefineart] Plus get more inspiration for your interiors in my FREE downloadable quarterly magazine - The Curated Nest. Get it here: https://heather-moore-fine-art.kit.com [https://heather-moore-fine-art.kit.com/]  Connect with Kim Heslip Website: www.nestandflourish.co.uk [http://www.nestandflourish.co.uk/]  Instagram: www.instagram.com/nest_and_flourish [http://www.instagram.com/nest_and_flourish]