want want want list

Some inspirational styling from Karin Meyn to whet your appetite, and a few things on my want want want list.  

 I am slightly obsessed with these petrified wood sculptures.  Amazingly it is wood that has turned into a mineral but still looks like wood.  So badly want some of these.  The Sourceress has some beauties online.

Arteriors book ends - I don't need book ends but I still want these
And then there is lighting.  I am always on the look out for unusual lighting.  I really like the new Josh and Jenna range from Beacon.  Good prices and lovely materials, I think this copper and cement Gaston uplight would be fab in Miss E's room.  The bottom light is the Spence from the same range.  Sandwiched in between is the fabulous Pileo lamp by Porada.  A real feature piece but a feature price tag to match, but it could be a design classic, I love it.

Sigh... so pretty...

Read More

inspirational styling at home with The Broken Heart Repair Shop

Some spaces are just inspirational!  Today I am sharing the home of my talented cousin Justine, proprietress  of The Broken Heart Repair Shop.  Justine has the gift of spotting a great buy at 100 paces, and the even greater one of styling spaces effortlessly and originally.  "Curating the lost and found" is how she describes her style and her shop.  Watch this space, Justine is going to be working with amazing artists to create a new home wares line soon.

Have a wonderful weekend

Read More

cotton on and mark tuckey's divine homewares collaboration

I fell in love with this new collection the moment I saw this press release!  I already have a few must have pieces picked out.  How gorgeous is the round tassel pillow below (for Miss J) and I must must have the blue velvet with blanket stitch edges and the shaggy white and navy, especially the shaggy white and navy, a bit further down.

I am already a huge fan of everything Cotton On and Mark Tuckey, and while I have many Cotton On items in my home I have never been able to afford anything at Mark Tuckey.  Here is hoping that this collection will combine Cotton On's great quality and price point with Mark Tuckey's fab style and fresh Australian aesthetic.  We will all find out when the collection goes on sale online on 3 July.  It will be in select stores from  9 July, hopefully somewhere near me will be stocking it.
My gorgeous hubby made me a Mark Tuckey inspired day bed just like the one in the shoot below, we couldn't afford to buy it, and it will look sensational with these cushions on it.  May have to get a few.  Absolutely loving these knits in the fresh citrus colours.

My heart totally belongs to the moodier part of the collection, and really I am thinking I might be on the same wave length as the creative team, see my diy blanket stitch detail of velvet pillows here, and I am obsessed by Morrocan wedding blankets which have a very similar vibe to the white and navy shaggy pillow, (see my 2015 trends here).

Can't wait to go online and see what these are going to be sold for, I am really hoping its going to be reasonable and I can get a few things to do a winter update for our home.  Congrats to both Cotton On and Mark Tuckey on what looks like a truly fabulous collaboration.

Read More

Fresh colour by Arent & Pyke

Can't get this pretty colourful image from interior design house Arent & Pyke out my mind.  Could be all the gloomy weather we have been having in Sydney has me longing for the sun again.  

I am in love with the palm tree pillow.  See more of this eclectic apartment here.

Read More

bronze and blush inspiration

We all know bronze and gold are so hot right now, and pink is too, it seems to have been rebranded as blush this year but it's still pretty pink to me.  These lovely bits and pieces caught my eye this week.

I cannot trace the original source of this pretty image and I would love to see more of this room.  If anybody knows where it comes from please let me know.  I love the combination of the golds and pinks, it should be way to much but it's just so pretty.

From top left: amazing diy mirror by the ever innovative A Beautiful Mess, Dorwin bronze chair, George Hoy table, Heidi boot with brass details from Forever New, pink dipped vase by Country Road

Fabulous painting by Pat Passlof - Score for a Bird (1958)
These colours are just...sigh... so lovely

Read More

refreshing spaces for the new year ...one project at a time

Right now I am totally inspired by this home below, beautifully styled by Pamela Makin (photos by Sharyn Cairns).  Oversize groups of plants and decorative elements with lots of different textures,  everything so big and bold, the end result so clean and strong.

It makes me want to give my space a shake up again.  Last year was all about adding texture to our home, moving things around, rethinking furniture we have had for years and adding a few new pieces (very few the budget has been tight).  It's never really going to be finished, and that's ok.  A home should be a progression just as life is.  

This year will be more of the same, refreshing spaces rather than redoing them.  So thought I would share my favourite projects from last year, as well as my top tips on how to give your space a refresh.

Top favourite change at home from 2014- the fireplace
Without a doubt the fireplace, built by my amazing husband takes out top spot.  It has totally changed our living space, finally making good sense of how the space works.  Lots and lots of planning went into this one, you can follow the whole process from here to the finished product below. Worth every penny and used every night from winter into spring.

Second favourite change from 2014 - the new couch
Again an agony of decision making went into this one, many hours visiting showrooms and sitting on sofas, measuring and drawing.  Love the final choice though.

Third favourite refresh from 2014 - adding succulents
Loving succulents around the home, and they seem to be ending up everywhere right now!!  These are a few of my favourite places they were used last year.  See how I updated my coffee table with succulents here, and the second photo is on my dining room table, very inspired by the images at the top of this post.

Top tips for refreshing your space in 2015
Start with one room, the one that will make the biggest difference
Choose the one room which will make the most difference to you if you pretty it up, the room where your efforts will be most rewarded.  The best way to keep motivated is to be able to see your past successes.

Start with a tidy, you need a fresh slate
Once you have decided which room you are going to tackle, pack away everything that has been left lying out, especially those dumping grounds where things accumulate (at the moment its the corner of my desk).  If things are not being put away because they don't have a home you need to plan extra storage and that might be a perfect first project. 

Choose inspiration and study the details
Pinterest is my favourite place to start these days.  Look back at pins you love, and search out new ones.  Look for similarities between the images you like, the details, fabrics and finishes that keep coming up.  Try and use these in your home.

Break down your tasks into achievable projects
Instead of one large daunting task, make a list and divide the project up into smaller decisions and more manageable projects.

Smaller and less costly, you may need a few new bits and pieces but not many

• a few new cushions to add new colour and texture
• a restyle of shelves and display areas, perhaps a few new decorative items
• adding new or different lamps
• a new vase and some flowers

Larger and more costly

• new furniture and rugs
• reframe or add new art work
• refresh paint scheme
• adding structural features or cabinetry

If you have no idea where to begin consider booking time with an interior designer to help you come up with a new scheme, and to help you choose what should stay and what should go.

Check out our lovely contributor Emma from Nest Designs services here.

Don't be put off because you can't do it all at once.
Every addition is a step towards the finished whole, few of us have the luxury of enough budget to change everything up at once.  Don't be daunted, decide where you are going and chip away at is as time and budget allows.

Shop in your own home
Walk around your home, poke around your cupboards, see what you can use to get that look you want without spending a cent.

Don't be afraid to move things around
This is often my biggest stumbling block.  I want to change things up but there is a lot of inertia against changing things, even little things.  Sometimes, I start by taking everything off the area I am trying to restyle, just to force myself to start again.  
  
All right, now its your turn, choose that first project, start pining some inspiration, and get started on making a change.

Read More

living room update...the new couch is finally here

After months of waiting, an the first couch being delivered with the chaise on the wrong side, the new couch is finally here.   Its amazing how different this room feels, so much larger even though the couch is pretty huge.  My new favourite space is the end of the chaise next to the fire, every body in the family has their favourite spot and its plenty big enough for all of us to stretch out on.  Success!  And I was really nervous that it wasn't going to work.

Today the coffee table has white wax flowers on it, in my white makeover vase (see diy here) and copper candlestick (still to do a diy for this one).  Soft and pretty, would prefer tulips really but the tulips were all too far opened for me to buy.

I have moved the cat painting that was on the back wall to behind the dining table, much better, but now this space is crying out for something else.  I may have to try my hand at making something myself.
I still can't believe the transformation, the space finally makes sense (see how it was below).  But I do think it needs some of that green back.  A home is never finished is it, just an ever evolving space.

The best change is that when we had people over recently, everybody sat in the living room.  Before they would sit at the table or the kitchen counter.  And with the fab new couch there was space for everybody!!

Have a lovely weekend everybody

Read More

What’s the difference between a stylist and a designer, & which one do I need for my home?

{by Emma Blomfeld of Nest Designs}

People often refer to me as a designer which isn’t exactly true. I am a stylist or a decorator.  I don’t have much interest in where the walls and floors of a house go, I much prefer coming into a finished home and working with my clients on the furniture, soft furnishings, the finishing touches for their home.

So what’s the difference between the two? The way I see it is we work together to make each other look better. 

• A designer reworks the bones of the house to make the space work
• The stylist waves a magic wand and provides the finishing touches to make a well designed house look like an inviting home.

Stylists do presentation and the finishing touches, such as:

• Sourcing soft furnishings such as fabrics for curtains or cushions, rugs and linen. 
• Refreshing your furniture layout and suggesting new pieces to suit the room
• Accessing trade suppliers and often passing on their trade discounts to you
• Suggesting paint and colour options throughout the home
• Presenting you with fresh ideas for your home that you can execute in your own time.  This is something I’m big on.  I like my clients to have input so the final result is a reflection of the households personalities, it’s not about my ego and portfolio.  You need to be happy with where you live, after all I’m not going to be living there!
• Events styling - bridal and baby showers, dessert tables for a dinner party or birthday celebrations
• Magazine or catalogue shoots 

Designers do design concepts, detailed drawings for trades:

• New kitchen or bathroom designs
• Full renovations
• Custom joinery design and finish specifications
• Detailed CAD drawings for trades to use
• Space planning for each room of the home
• Advice on working within council guidelines so your renovation plans are approved faster

Designers are a bit like the undergarments of an outfit for the house and a stylist is the statement jacket, scarf and accessories - you need both to create a harmonious and balanced look. 

So if you’re about to start major renovations where you’re moving walls, knocking out the kitchen and bathroom or completely demolishing the house a designer is the right person for your job. If you’re happy with the functionality of the rooms in your home but just need to give the home a refresh and some loving then a stylist/decorator is who you need. 

{All images from the magic wand of Emma of Nest Designs}

Read More