black, grey and a touch of mid-century

On Friday night, I missed out on a 1960s FLER chair on e-bay by $1 dollar in the last 4 minutes of bidding. I was gutted! I would have put in a higher bid but I was in a yoga class and well, not cool to check your i-phone mid yoga pose! I had visions of reupholstering the (very similiar looking) chair like the one in the above photo (with the grey sheepskin rug).  Incidentally, I would also have this as my lounge room any day! Oh well - I will have to keep searching and waiting..

p.s this is my 50th post - yay to me :)

Image - via Desire to Inspire

if you surround yourself with things you love, your home will make you happy

says Michele Adams from Lonny. I couldn't agree more.

A daybed on a new deck in the backyard could make me very happy! On my interweb search for the perfect daybed I came across Ashley Ann's daybed (via Apartment Therapy and ohdeedoh) which happens to be in her daughter's nursery (total coincedence!). The daybed is dubbed the 'reading pallet bed', made from wooden shipping pallets. The bedhead is an old door.

I can see my dream of owning a daybed not being so unattainable after all! We have a lolly factory down the road always getting rid of wooden pallets - we'd just need some castors, a big single or twin bed and some lovely bedding and cushions.



What I love most of all was that she filled the room with handmade objects, keepsakes such as family photos and gifts given by family such as quilts, art prints, antique handkerchiefs and a mirror which was a wedding gift. It doesn't all match but it works.



And as another coincidence, like the first image in my last post, Ashley hung lanterns to great effect. I love this look and the more I see it the more I want to do it! I don't like the idea of hanging lanterns above a cot, but above a chair (or daybed as Ashley has done) could work..



Find out here how Ashley hung her lanterns.

Images via: 1 - Apartment Therapy, 2 & 3 - Ohdeedoh. All images copyright Ashley Ann Photography.

decking out the nursery part II

An excuse to think of more lovely things that I'd love - here is my part II installment of what I covet for the nursery.

we have a hand-me-down cot coming our way but i'd love this one. it's great to see well designed nursery furniture, even if it costs a bomb! ($1,759.95)

i have recently come across this - a rocking moose (cute take on the traditional rocking horse). do i love it because it's red, functional or just plain fun? All of the above I'd say! ($59)

we're not painting the room but i think a wall decal/sticker would be an easy way to add some spice to the walls...here is a selection of my faves

birdcages - available in red too ($110)              a giraffe height chart/wall sticker ($84.95)               

another birdcage - i couldn't resist ($50)

giraffe obsession continues... ($70)

storage - there is never enough. i don't love this but it got me thinking about a sturdy storage box to store toys, nappies etc. if we don't make something ourselves, i thought some paint or gift or wall paper covering would do the trick ($24.95)

images: (1) - Leander Design, (2) IKEA, (3) Baby Indulgences, (5, 6) 41 Orchard, (4) The Wall Sticker Company via Bebe Online, (7) IKEA

 

decking out the nursery part I

Turning our second bedroom/study into a quasi nursery has got me thinking about how I want to deck it out. We're not going to paint, it's already painted Dulux 'Antique White USA' so it's a blank canvas for us to add finishes and textures - a rug, Eames hang-it-all, shelving...

ikea egeby sisal rug ($99)

eames hang-it-all (replica - $69)                       eames rocker (replica in white or red - $125)

 

i have wanted this for ages and now i have a great excuse! i heart NYC.

muji new york in a bag (USD $15)

prints from printspace which I already have (bought at Bowerbird Bazaar).
i have a thing for giraffes.

Not sure about the eames rocker, in red or white? Fibreglass or plastic? Plastic (replica) is much cheaper. What do you think?

images: (1) ikea, (2, 3) matt blatt, (4) moma online store, (5, 6, 7) printspace

yellow in the kitchen

I have a slight obsession with yellow at the moment. I love how it's been used in this kitchen. I'm not sure I could pull off the use of yellow like they have done here but I think it works great mixed with white and the tan/yellow tones of the floorboards. I admire how some people use colour in such a bold way. Then again, it's only paint so you can always paint over it, right?!

Image - Beckers via Desire to Inspire

kitchens on my mind

I have decided I need to get my butt into gear and start thinking about our home renovation. We're hoping to get it off the ground in December - pending council approval! (argh). We are basically opening up the back of our (north facing) house with an open plan kitchen/lounge area. We are also planning a new bathroom and laundry. (Asking for trouble I know!). One thing on my mind is that I have no idea of the finishes or look I want! On a budget, that is.

It will be an L shape kitchen with an island. We need a look that doesn't make the space look smaller. The kitchen and lounge area need to be seamless in order to make the space appear larger than it is. This is what we have to work with - Baltic pine floorboards, relatively high ceilings, galvanised steel Tolix stools and one very handy handy-man!

This photo has done the rounds already but I love it - the use of white, steel and timber. The opening shelving, the contrast of timber accessories against the stainless steel. The display of treasured objects on open shelves. What I'd like for my own kitchen: open shelving, stainless steel splashback (if $$ was no object), timber accessories, ivory/grey paint.

What I'd like for my own kitchen: industrial style lights (above an island), hanging utensils (we have a small alcove like this where we will hide the kettle, toaster etc and I think some hanging utensils or at least a small shelf could be placed in here for coffee, tea, sugar...)

I like the white on white-wall kitchen with black benchtop and use of stainless steel shelving. What I'd like for my own kitchen: the mix of overhead cupboards and open shelving to maximise space and light (our kitchen is north facing), handles with clean lines.

I have posted about our Tolix stools before - the same as in this picture but ours are 65cm high to suit the height of future kitchen island. This picture highlighted to me how great stainless steel finishes look against timber. Very rustic. I like this look and as I have the stools already I think any timber finish would look great with them. An idea: perhaps a (reclaimed) timber benchtop for our island with a white benchtop for the rest of the kitchen? I'll need to find some images where this has been done successfully...

Decisions, decisions. Once we start work on our renovation I will post before, during and after shots but for now, I'll continue to catalog and dream...

Images - via Style Files (2 - by Living etc, 3 - by Mikkel Adsbøl)

irving baby!

I have always wanted to cover a wall with magazine clippings - it's such a great look, and an affordable one too. A great way to use all those magazines that we seem to accumulate. I have only had the guts to create this look using a framed chipboard (I think I'm worried about chipping off paint and damaging walls). I think Irving Baby! have executed this look really well. Irving Baby! sell original, retro and vintage clothes and accessories and in line with their brand they have used old 1950s/60s vintage newspaper clippings.

If done really well I think this look has the ability to transform a space, or a wall - like in Julie from Olive & Joy's dressing room. I think Julie has nailed it here.

Have you done this or is it something you'd like to try? Real Living have tried it, see here.

I know it's only Thursday but I have an extra long weekend planned. We are taking a road trip to the Grampians in Victoria, we'll be camping and soaking up the fresh air. I have a picnic rug, snacks and the new Real Living so I'm all set! I'll be back Tuesday, till then have a lovely weekend.

tolix tonic

I have been sick the past week and feeling a bit sorry for myself (that's why I haven't been around much). So sick I forgot to share my excitement about our new Thonet Tolix stools that arrived last week! With wedding money we decided to buy some Tolix stools (we wouldn't have been able to afford them otherwise) which we had been coveting for a while. L.O.V.E is an understatement when it comes to these French stools. This isn't the best photo, and this is our ugly kitchen...you can see why we want to get rid of it soon!

Here are some better photos of the Tolix stool .. also check them out at Viv from ish and chi's kitchen...

Image 2 - Kelly Green Interiors via My Villa Life, Image 3 - Caffe Paparazzi

reading chair dreaming

On my 'must have' list for a long long time has been a reading chair. I love to read and figure I need a dedicated reading chair to do it in, instead of reading on the couch (being distracted by the TV) or on the bed (where I'm likely to fall asleep!). I love the idea of having a little reading nook complete with side table, cup of tea and nibbles to devour while reading a good book! So I was inspired to rediscover a book I bought years ago at Aptos Cruz Gallery here in Adelaide. 'Fusion Interiors' explores design and interiors from different cultures around the world. I discovered the book has some pretty cool chairs...in the right setting any one of them would make a good reading chair. For now, I'll keep dreaming of one day finding a perfect reading chair to plonk myself in..

It also showed a gorgeous picture of the late President Kennedy and (then) Jackie Kennedy on the cover of Life magazine - with the title 'Senator Kennedy Goes A-Courting'. So old fashioned! And such a gorgeous photo..

All Images - original photos taken from Fusion Interiors authored by Martin Waller and Dominic Bradbury, published by Andrew Martin.

i'm loving...

..everything about Michelle from M.A.Belle's home - the stripes, the yellow, the gorgeous red chair and especially the NY print. I.want.that!

Images - Real Living via M.A.Belle

credenza credentials

The Jam Factory in Adelaide showcases contemporary craft and design by leading and emerging artists and 'makers' and they are without a doubt a local and national institution. I visited them today and discovered an exhibition called 'credenza credentials'. Here is some of the amazing design on show... I love Edward Garcia's piece, it reminds me of mid-century Parker style furniture (and it would sit nicely on the set of Mad Men, don't you think?).

Edward Garcia

Petra de Mooy

Andrew Bartlett

Gareth Brown

Tom Mirams

Michael Penck

All images - Copyright Jam Factory Contemporary Craft and Design and the exhibiting artists