Build House Home on Houzz Australia

Very excited to be featured on Houzz Australia today!  Did you know Houzz has now got an Australian branch?  They are planning to feature Australian and New Zealand designers, architects, and other creatives including bloggers.  All of us who like making the world prettier. 
 It was a good excuse to take some updated photographs of my home to share.  Pop by and see the full interview, and lots more photos!   Plus leave a comment on the Houzz post by Sunday 23 November to be in line to win a $50 voucher from Adairs.  Can you tell that I am a little bit excited?

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over a cuppa with...Emma Blomfield of Nest Designs, our new contributor!

Today I am very excited to introduce you to Emma Blomfield of Nest Designs.  Emma is a talented Interior Stylist with a flourishing business doing styling, e-decorating packages, decorating workshops, furniture sourcing, personalised mood boards, and from now (drum roll...) contributor to Build House Home.

When I sat down over a coffee with Emma a few weeks ago I just knew she would be fabulous for Build House Home.  We both want the same things from a blog, pretty pictures, useful information, and clear diy instructions.  We like things to be pretty, and practical, and where possible affordable.  Now I know what I like, but I am always looking for fresh inspiration, and Emma is an expert.  She brings a wealth of styling and sourcing knowledge which she plans to share with us right here, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with either.

Lets get to know Emma a little better

Favourite time of day...
When I jump into bed at night and scroll through my iPad to read my favourite blogs and catch up on social media for the day.

I have an hour to myself, the first thing I do is...
Probably refresh Instagram over and over, I’m almost obsessed with it.. Otherwise you’ll find me with a magazine on my lap, nail polish in one hand and the TV remote in the other flicking through rubbish reality tv…

A simple style secret I use myself is...
Look through the lens of a camera or your phone to see how what you’ve styled really looks. It’s ALWAYS different to how you see it in real life.

My favourite flowers are...
Freesias for their smell and ranunculus for colour and their happy faces.

Champagne or lemonade
Ha, easy, champagne. always.

Cheese or chocolate
Chocolate! If you knew how much chocolate I consume in a day you’d be shocked…..

What will be happening at Nest Designs this year
Good question! Each week brings new clients and new projects, in the next few months it’ll be a few retail re-design projects, including the re-design of a day spa (I’d be happy if they paid me in facials & massages to be honest!) plus decorating workshops in rural areas too. I love travelling to see rural towns and meet my e-decorating clients in real life!

No wonder we get on so well: blog obession (tick), reality tv watcher (don't tell anyone - tick), freesias and ranunculus (tick), champagne (tick), facials and massages (tick).

I can't wait to see what Emma gets up to this year and I am so excited that Emma is going to be adding a new voice to these pages! 

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over a cuppa with...emma of my bespoke chair

Have you ever wanted to design a bespoke piece of furniture?  Something just right, that nobody else has, the finishing touch for your home?  Hop onto My Bespoke Chair, I think I have found just what you need.  

My Bespoke Chair was created by the charming Emma Viega-Malta who we will be getting to know over a cuppa today.  Emma is an artist and designer who has a successful business creating unique commissioned paintings for both business and homes.  When Emma moved to Sydney in 2011 this business expanded to include designing co-ordinating fabrics to upholster bespoke pieces of furniture.  Wanting to offer her unique fabrics and service to a wider market, like many media savvy designers, Emma took her ideas online.  My Bespoke Chair was created, a fun interactive design tool which allows you to style a chair of your choice in endless combinations, until you get it just right, then order it online.  Choose your chair, select the fabric and trim combinations, create an unique piece just perfect and just for you.  See some of my faves below the Q&A.
Like Emma herself the collection is stylish and classic, but always unexpected, and lots of fun.  
Lets get to know Emma a bit better!

The Barcelona and Swan chairs are my favourites, but making the fabric choices is hard.  To make it easier My Bespoke Chair is offering a free fabric sample service, choose three fabrics and swatches will be posted out to you to try out in your rooms at home.

Go on, have some fun, play designer for a bit and see what you can create.

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best of...over a cuppa with...

I thought I would share a few of my favourite posts with you while I am travelling to Alt SLC.
I thoroughly enjoyed doing mini Q&A's with the ladies at both Sirens Swimwear and Ivy & Piper.  They are fresh and funny, creative and talented women who have started wonderful brands.  I hope you enjoy getting to know them over a cuppa just as much as I did.   To read the mini Q&A's click on the pictures below.

I have been wearing my siren costume all season and loving how I feel in it.  Its not to late for you to go online and become a Siren too.  Pictured above are the: New Classic in Black, Miranda in red stripe, Buttercup in yellow

There is not much the talented design duo from Ivy & Piper can't do.  I have been enjoying their fabulous free online magazine this year, I always look forward to it arriving in my inbox.  And featured above are a few of their fabric and wallpaper designs: Looking Glass, About Town, Chinoise Soiree Black

I look forward to introducing you to some other lovely people in 2013.  If there is anybody you would like to meet, or you think I should, please let me know.

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Over a cuppa with.....Ivy & Piper

Let me introduce you to two wonderful ladies and an online treat.  The talented Elizabeth Raptis and Melanie Parker from Ivy & Piper seem to be able to design anything: interiors, colourful fabrics, homewares, pajama's, an online magazine (this is the treat), is there nothing these two can't do?

via Ivy & Piper: I&P head quarters with I&P designed chandelier, Elizabeth and Melanie, extract from the mag

Their designs and magazine are super stylish, classic with irrepressible freshness.  This is how I imagine they are in person too - like champagne with a twist of lemon zest, full of life, full of fun.   

Their pages brim with energy, a mix of interiors, fashion, homewares, jewellery and art, all the lovely things that catch their fancy.  And I love the online format, it reads better than other ereaders I use, and its very interactive.  So you like that necklace?  Click - and you are through to where its from, effortless.  Its meant to be an inspiration and it is, and did I mention that its free?

So what's next?  September sees the launch of a new online store featuring one of a kind finds as well as their own designs.  I can't wait to see it, and where do they find the time?  With all this creative whirlwind going on Elizabeth took time out to answer a mini Q&A.  Her answers made me laugh, yes - full of life and full of fun.  Thank you Elizabeth. Enjoy.

  

Our new website rocks my world. You can shop our beautiful homewares and read our latest magazine for delicious interior inspiration from around the world. We are constantly adding new products and designs to the store, from our in house Ivy & Piper line to vintage one-of-a-kind pieces, so it’s very exciting to see our range grow. 

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