I was absolutely blown away when I came across this Melbourne company who make amazing patterned bli
I was absolutely blown away when I came across this Melbourne company who make amazing patterned bli
May 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Living Modern: The Sourcebook of Contemporary Interiors
May 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Interiors porn: there’s no other description for it
Living Modern: The Sourcebook of Contemporary Interiors is one of the most exciting books to grace my coffee table in a long time. It’s page after page of thrilling, light-filled, beautiful, colourful interiors shot by Richard Powers.
I have a pile of interiors coffee table books almost as tall as me, but this has swiftly become my new favourite. I want to fold over the corner of every other page to remind me to come back and steal a particular idea for my home/future home/a friend’s home. But of course I won’t because I don’t want to ruin this beautiful tome.
Is it normal to be this excited about a book of photographs of people’s homes? For me, yes it is! And they really are stunning photographs (as you’ll see from the selection above). Not to say the words (yes, there is some text) aren’t great too. It’s helpfully divided into themes, each with sub sections. It’s not just a picture book, it has more structure than that. There’s an index and a list of stockists (of limited use to Australian readers but still).
Sourcebook is the perfect name. It’s absolutely packed full of inspiration and ideas, a must-have for interior designers, stylists, renovators and interiors enthusiasts alike. And Australia does feature prominently in the collection of photographs from around the globe. What I perhaps love the most is that the ideas you’ll pick up from this book are easily replicated in your own home without having to spend a fortune or do anything too clever. It’s simply good styling at its best.
Right now I can’t think of a better way to part with $65 so if you’re into interiors too, add this to your coffee table collection now. Available in all good book stores.
Living Modern: The Sourcebook of Contemporary Interiors, is published by Thames & Hudson. Photography by Richard Powers, text by Phyllis Richardson. All photographs from the book reproduced here with permission from Thames & Hudson.
Tomorrow, read my review of Living Modern: The Sourcebook of Contemporary Interiors
May 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment
A new way of looking at homewares
May 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment
This new shop is so gorgeous I think I’d like to live in it! I haven’t even been in yet but when I do, my credit card had better be ready for a workout!
Pure and General, in Brougham Street, Potts Point, NSW, offers uniquely curated and specially commissioned objects by artists, artisans, designers and architects, for diverse living and working environments. There’s an ever-changing collection of products from around the globe. Pure and General is directed by award-winning urban design legend and former New Inventors judge Linda Gregoriou with Dale Jones-Evans. It’s managed by Cassie Karinsky.
“It’s all about thoughtfully designed everyday objects,” said Linda. Watch this space for more info on Linda and her latest project in the coming weeks.
Yesterday we promised to share the kitchen and bathroom of Elements of Style’s holiday cottage
May 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment
-
- Kitchen before
-
- Kitchen after
-
- Bathroom before
-
- Bathroom after
Yesterday we promised to share the kitchen and bathroom of Elements of Style’s holiday cottage makeover in Victoria so here you go. What do you think?
Designer Gabrielle Di Stefano says: ” The kitchen is the hub of any home and this one is no exception. We painted the ceiling and woodwork in the white we used in the rest of the house. The wainscot needed to be painted, as bare boards do not flatter this style. The mustard colour paint was replaced with the Silver Sage, linking it back to the guest bedroom. The fireplace was used constantly and everyone liked the well used bricks surrounding the mantle, so we decided to leave them as they were.
“The views from this room are fantastic, so we decided not to put any furnishings on the kitchen windows. The louvre windows serve a real purpose in the summer so covering them would have been a mistake. A simple white hemp roman was made for the dining room window. A new light fitting, leaf table and antique Belgian farmhouse chairs gave the kitchen a new lease of life.”
Budget online furniture store Milan Direct has added outdoor wicker furniture to its range. Check ou
May 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Budget online furniture store Milan Direct has added outdoor wicker furniture to its range. Check out this on trend wicker setting, which stacks into a vase shape when you’re not using it or need the space. It’s weird but cool! I like it! And less than $500.
Gabrielle Di Stefano of Elements of Style in Victoria shared these before and afters from a holiday
May 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment
-
- The Creamery exterior
-
- Sitting room BEFORE
-
- Sitting room AFTER
-
- Guest bedroom BEFORE
-
- Guest bedroom AFTER
Gabrielle Di Stefano of Elements of Style in Victoria shared these before and afters from a holiday cottage makeover in Newham, near Woodend. We love how she freshened up and modernised the space without losing its cottage charm.
Built in the 1890s, the building was originally the local creamery, servicing the main dairy in Woodend.
The original two rooms at the front on the home are now the sitting room and a bedroom. Over the years, a few renovations have been carried out and a new kitchen, bathroom, laundry and third bedroom have been added.
“Starting in 2006, we slowly updated colour schemes and furnishings to cater for a family that used it on weekends and holidays,” says Gabrielle. ”The vision we had for the sitting room was to keep the cottage feel alive without being too cutesy country. As it was a holiday home we wanted the furnishings to be easy to look after. The sitting room was painted a colour that was softer than the original burgandy, but still had a warmth to it. We left the ceiling and woodwork white to contrast the strong wall colour.
“We found the bedside tables for the guest bedroom in hard rubbish. A few coats of paint and glass handles gave them a new lease of life. The owners were given an old floorboard that had been written on by a gentlemen renovator in the early 1900s. He describes the challenges he faced during his guardianship of the cottage, so we hung it above the bed to add interest.”
Tune in tomorrow to see the remaining rooms.
CATC Design School graduate Matthew Grand is turning heads in the design industry having been named
May 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment
CATC Design School graduate Matthew Grand is turning heads in the design industry having been named
I LOVE the images Tara’s collected here at her blog the Beautiful Soup
May 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Nest Designs gives Australians affordable interior design services over the internet
May 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment
“The online decorating service details specific pieces of furniture and decor and provides clients with the direct links to purchase the suggested pieces online which means my clients can quickly make their dreams a reality or can purchase the pieces in their own time and on their own terms. This service is available for a fraction of the cost of a full interior design fit out,” says owner Emma Blomfield.
With a degree in marketing and a diploma in interior design, she noticed a large e-decorating market in the United States and decided to bring it to Australia. She believes good design should be available to everyone, whether or not they have the talent for it themselves or indeed a big budget.
“Interior decorating needn’t be an expensive luxury relegated only to the wealthy,” she says. “A stylish home, for a fraction of the cost, is something everyone can enjoy. That’s the reasoning behind Nest. My service is much more affordable, detailed and accessible to home owners decorating on a budget and definitely offers value for money.”
So how does it work? Emma sends the client a questionnaire to give her an overview of their style and furniture preferences and the room or rooms they wish to have redecorated. Then they complete it and send through measurements and photographs. Emma gets started on creating a digital mood board (like those above) including images of suggested pieces of furniture, hyperlinks to make the purchases, inspirational images and a suggested furniture layout. “It’s all delivered directly to my client’s inboxes and takes approximately two-to-three weeks. Rates are from $120.”
Nest Designs also offers ‘in real life’ services in the Sydney metro area.
