Archive for October 2012

Home » Archive for October 2012

Pinterest | Picks & Peeks

I can't believe I have a total of 13,500 pins on Pinterest! That's a lot of pinning. Makes me wonder what I ever did before Pinterest. I've also nearly reached 2,500 followers. How crazy is that?!

Here are my Pinterest moodboards for the week.

I thought it was about time I did a moodboard for the men. For more fashion inspiration and also a board I really enjoy pinning to, take a look here.

I curated this moodboard for the recent long weekend in NZ. A breather before the silly season (aka Christmas) sets in, I was hoping to send out some dreamy, relaxed vibes.

A thank you to all of you, for stopping by and reading not only my blog, but my daily updates on Facebook and following me on Pinterest! You really do make me super happy.

Dark and edgy, yesterday's moodboard was for Halloween. I love that we're starting to embrace this celebration more and more in NZ. My two little batboys experienced their first trick or treating, along with some neighbourhood friends and family, and they had a blast!

This week's Pinterest spotlight is on Konfetti | By Lena. Lena is from Norway and has a gorgeous collection of boards that she refers to as her 'design-harvest'. I've been an avid follower of Lena for some time, and when you check out what she pins, you'll see why. Predominantly interior boards, curated with drool-worthy Scandinavian flair, she has many other boards such as photography, Christmas and shops. True to my pin-addictive tendencies, writing this post has has been continuously interrupted by my need to pin more of Lena's lovely images. For further inspiring finds, check out Lena's gorgeous blog, also called Konfetti.

1 Pin | 2 Pin | 3 Pin | 4 Pin | 5 Pin | 6 Pin | 7 Pin | 8 Pin

Right, well I'm off to pin some more of Lena's gorgeous pins. Hopefully you'll be joining me!

Windows That Wow

By bringing in light, windows can really transform your living space, and if your home is small, windows will make the space appear larger. Aesthetically, the design of your windows can add character and style to your home.

Windows are one of the first things I notice in older homes, especially those designed and built during the villa and bungalow architectural period here in NZ. I love the elegance of leadlight windows which were often made with brightly coloured glass. The childhood home I grew up in was an old bungalow and although it was extensively renovated, the beautiful lead light windows in the living area were retained. One of things that sold me on the first house we purchased was the pink stained glass windows. My husband wasn't quite so enamoured by these! Having mostly lived in older, character homes, I'm still getting used to the idea of newer style windows that we'll have in the house we're about to start building. In saying that, I am very much looking forward to the double glazing!

I hope these beautiful windows have inspired you. I'll be back tomorrow with Pinterest Picks & Peeks.

All images via i n t e r i o r s

Stylist Laura Fulmine

I discovered interior stylist, set designer and design consultant Laura Fulmine when I spotted this stunning pastel themed interior photo shoot for You Magazine. Posted on the lovely interiors blog 79 Ideas, and photographed by David Cleveland, the styling and colour palette is quite captivating, and I keep wanting to look at the images again and again. Soft and pretty, the colours are sweet but not sugar coated. To me, they are more creamy and buttery mixed with shades of mint, lavender and dusky pink. Touches of black make for a striking contrast, especially in the last image.

This next photo shoot styled by Laura was for the June, 2012 issue of Elle Decoration. A relaxed mix of indoor plants, grey tones and wood details, I love the simplicity of this styling.

There's so much more of Laura's work that I'd love to show you, but we'd be here all day! I'm really looking forward to seeing Laura's website which is coming soon. In the meantime, you can check out her portfolio at Sarah Kaye Representation, a London based photographic and styling agency.

All Images via www.79ideas.org and www.sarahkaye.com

Templeton

Templeton, an architectural firm in Melbourne was a recent Pinterest find. An image of the kitchen in the South Yarra Residence below, featuring burnished glass tile splashbacks and a huge copper pendant light piqued my interest. Talk about wow-factors! Clicking through to their site, my excitement levels continued to rise while looking through their incredible portfolio of homes. Beautiful and functional, I'm lusting over the simple, modern designs and edgy details.

With degrees in both architecture and interior design, Emma Templeton heads the team working on projects for both residential and retail clients. If any of the houses look familiar, you've probably seen them featured in magazines such as Vogue Living and Inside Out.

South Yarra Residence

St Kilda Residence

Fitzroy Residence

Elsternwick Residence

If like me, you love what you see here, take a look at the Templeton website. You'll find more photos from the residences above, as well as other amazing design projects to swoon over.

All images via www.templeton.com.au

Homes to Inspire | Cottage in Canada

Part Two - The Main Cottage

Last week I introduced you to the first of two cottages owned by John and Juli Baker of Mjölk store in Toronto, Canada. If you missed the guest cottage, take a look here. Today's post features the main cottage. Located near the beach on Georgian Bay, both belonged to Juli's parents who purchased them in the 70's. They carried out some initial improvements such as building a deck and installing California style windows and a new kitchen. When Juli inherited the cottages several years ago, she and John set to work on completing the renovation. Sharing the same taste when it comes to design, the couple have successfully created the summer escape that they'd always dreamt about.

John and Juli stripped the cottage back to its original state, painting the walls and floor white. They are still undecided on whether to paint the old stone fireplace white as well. Happy to leave it for now, they like that it retains some history. The sofa, by Børge Mogensen, is available through Mjölk.

A close up one of the original sconces which they found in the boat house and painted black. The candle holders are by Finnish glass designer Timo Sarpaneva.

Like the guest cottage, the main one is furnished with some amazing bargain finds. The Moooi Two Tops Table, designed by Marcel Wanders, was found at a consignment shop. Damaged in a movie shoot, they picked it up for a steal. The vintage dining chairs are by Folke Palsson and the PH 5 pendant lights are by Louis Poulsen.

The kitsch shell framed painting was a vintage find by Juli's father. My favourite piece of furniture in the house would have to be the 901 Tea Trolley by Alvar Aalto which is available from Mjölk.

Due to lack of storage space in the kitchen the couple wanted appliances worthy of display. Thanks to budget friendly choices like Ikea cabinets which they assembled themselves, fir ply boards for the wall and ceiling and birch plywood for the benchtop, they could afford to splurge on the Rowenta coffee maker and toaster designed by Jasper Morrison.

I love the master bedroom's minimalist style and vintage touches. The motor yacht photo was picked up at a vintage shop in Toronto, while the blanket is a vintage emergency one from Ontario Hydro, which they found in the cottage's loft.

The framed Dala horse watercolour by Melinda Josie is so cute!

Juli's old bedroom has been revamped with a Cowboys and Indians theme. The task lights from Luxo are both practical and stylish and the vintage Hudson's Bay blankets add colour. The guitar is used for impromptu singalongs around the campfire!

Another great example of John and Juli working their magic, I can't get enough of the Japanese-Scandi style, vintage touches and homely, fun vibe of their cottages. An ideal weekend retreat, I feel very inspired. How about you?

To see more pictures, both before and after the renovation, take a look at The BIG Reveal! post on the Mjölk blog.

All images via kitkadesigntoronto.com

Green Living Life Better

Archive