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Home Build Update | Diamond Lights

In the big scheme of things, today's Home Build update features a small step in the journey. But to me, it's a really exciting one! Long before we even moved into our new home, I decided I wanted some Swedish Eric Therner Diamond Lights. I'd only ever seen them on the web, but they looked so pretty. I've always loved the look of simple hanging pendants, and although I wanted something a little bit different for our living room, I didn't want them to compete with the Muuto Unfold Pendants hanging over the dining table.

Having tracked them down from a shop in Australia, Fat Shack Vintage, I had to arrange my own shipping and hope that the very delicate glass bulbs would arrive safely. Luckily they did, and when I opened the boxes I knew I'd made the right choice.

At some point along the way, I had the idea of leaving the cords long, and hooking them up to the ceiling. I'm not sure if I'd seen it somewhere, but since then I have seen some cool examples. Here's a moodboard to demonstrate the sort of ideas that were swimming around in my head!

Images via my Pinterest

Fortunately Dean was right on board with my vision! Because we couldn't find the right screw-in lampholders for the Diamond Lights, we just left the cords tied up, with normal bulbs in. We finally tracked down the lampholders just last week (more on that later) so finally let down the cords. I was a little disappointed with the length, as I thought we had a bit more to play with, but when we sorted out the position of each, and put the hooks up, the results were amazing!

I absolutely love the clean lines that this creates, especially in our open, high-ceiling space. Minimalist, yet interesting, it suits my design aesthetic perfectly!

I had my heart set on gold metal lamp fittings, but I wanted just a touch of gold, nothing too heavy or overly industrial. Dean (bless him) found the right E27 lampholders at Kiwi Living, and at just $15 each, with free shipping, we couldn't believe how easy it was after waiting for so long to put them up! They also come in a silver finish.

Before I go, I just want to share with you an amazing project by Inadesignerhome (IDH), one of my favourite Australian online stores that I first introduced you to here. IDH are incredibly supportive of the blogging community, and to celebrate their online relationships with bloggers, they have dedicated the month of November to 30 Days of Bloggers. Everyday they have been showcasing a different 'social media guru' with a questionnaire, including their top picks from the IDH store. With a focus on my favourite season Summer, I was thrilled to participate. Pop over here to read my answers and see my Summer edit from the store, for which you'll receive a 15% discount, all day today!

NZ House & Garden | Interior of the Year

I had the pleasure of attending the NZ House & Garden Interior of the Year Awards on Wednesday evening. Held at the beautiful Auckland venue James, and hosted by Carol Hirschfeld, the inaugural event payed tribute to some of the best rooms in New Zealand. Judged by NZ House & Garden editor Sally Duggan, and art director Richard Brunton, as well as designer Rebecca Snelling of Douglas and Bec, and renowned interior designer Penny Vernon, the large volume of entries were of an impressively high standard. Sent in from both professional designers and talented homeowners, the rooms wowed the judges, with Sally admitting that despite looking at beautiful homes all day and every day, she was completely blown away by the calibre and creativity of the rooms.

I've picked out a few of the winning rooms to share with you, starting with this beautiful kitchen belonging to homeowners Tim and Jo Cameron. Original limestone walls, combined with stainless steel and marble help achieve a lovely mix of old and new, while three service areas provide a functional space for the whole family.

Beautiful, as well as practical, the colour, lighting and texture of this winning bathroom impressed the judges. Designed by Natalie Du Bois, the sculptural free-standing bath, and gorgeous round double counter-top basins immediately caught my eye, as did the stunning marble vanity tops.

Winner of the creative space category, this would have to be one of the sweetest nurseries I've ever seen. With the help of her husband and family, Tania Clarke transformed the tiny room into a calm and restful space, perfect for their little baby. I love the soft colour palette and cosy textures.

In the same category, designer Melissa Greenough was awarded highly commended for her striking living room. Wanting to create a fun space for an Auckland client who loves colour, Melissa certainly hit the mark with her vibrant choice of upholstery fabric and soft furnishings. Sophisticated yet playful, this room is a knockout.

The living room winner had me captivated with its sheer elegance, so it was wonderful to see it take out the 2013 supreme award. Designed by Hilary Skinner, the judges described it as "an extraordinary room. Calm, relaxing and super, super stylish". Parquet flooring, and a brave mix of beautiful antiques and amazing contemporary furniture have created an incredibly serene, yet relaxed space of international quality.

The poured concrete fireplace, adorned with an antique guilt mirror is magnificent.

A pair of stylisth Philippe Starck Pratfall chairs in mahogany look beautiful with the French oak timber flooring.

For full details of each of the winning rooms see the November issue of NZ House & Garden, on sale 21st of October.

Interior Styling | Clamp Lamps

When it comes to lighting, the clamp lamp is a simple yet functional piece that can work in any room of the home. Like most of the ideas I write about in my interior styling posts, this one is beautifully suited to Scandi-style interiors, and even adds a cool industrial edge.

Being adjustable, you can easily aim the light where you need it such as on the book you are reading, or on a specific area of your room. I've seen them on shelves, ladders, desks, tables, bedheads and even ceiling beams. Here are some great examples.

Ladder shelves and clamp lamps go hand in hand. Perfect for the living area or bedroom, one of my favourite stylists Pella Hedeby nails this look, shown above, for a recent styling project she carried out in Stockholm.

A rustic ladder paired with an industrial clamp lamp looks amazing in this all-white interior...

As does this minimalist black ladder and clamp lamp shown here in the bedroom...

When it comes to the workspace, shelves placed above the desk are calling out for clamp lamps....

I love this next idea for illuminating a favourite photo or artwork....

Clamp lights provide great task lighting in the kitchen. Attaching them to the ceiling beams is a clever idea...

Images: 1 | 2 | 3-4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11

I'll know you'll be wanting to know where to buy a clamp lamp from, so I've done some research, and here's what I've found.

Images below links

1 Cyclone Clamp Lamp by Nordlux

2 Gunnery Cage Lamp from Artilleriet

3 Telegram Clip Lamp from LET LIV

4 Hektar Wall/Clamp Spotlight from Ikea

5 Eichholtz Clamp Lamp Zinc Pendant from ECC

6 Clip On Cornet Lamp by Tse Tse

7 Tolomeo Clip Spot from Design Within Reach

8 Fas Clamp Spotlight from Ikea

I think they're all pretty cool, but I can't go past anything Tolomeo, so number seven would have to be my top pick! Which one do you like?

Norwegian Blogs | Living Room Inspiration

I follow several beautiful Norwegian interior blogs, one of which is Norske Interior Blogger (NIB). During August, NIB ran a challenge calling on other Norwegian bloggers to show photos of their living rooms. The resulting 174 entries provided loads of drool-worthy Scandi-style inspiration. If you follow me on Pinterest and/or Facebook, you will recognise some of these, as I've been pinning and posting several of them over the last few weeks!

From the entries, guest judge Linda Elmin, a stylist and owner of the gorgeous lifestyle online store HVITT.NO selected ten finalists, and readers got to vote for their favourite. I'm sure you'll agree that the winning living room from the blog Penelope Home is a stunner.

The best part about these living rooms is that they are real! Rather than being over-styled, they are comfortable and lived-in. While you can spot plenty of covetable design pieces - this one has the Playtype 'Grey G' Poster, Hay Lup Candleholder and Tablo Table by Normann Copenhagen - they are mixed in with Ikea basics, vintage finds and personal treasures. See how the old sofa has been given new life with a simple throw cover and lots of graphic cushions, while a cluster of simple pendants provides a unique light feature. These really are rooms with sou!

Another favourite of mine, which was also a finalist, belongs to a blog that I've followed for quite some time, Trettien. I love the colour scheme and sense of balance in this room. The framed prints are a little bit edgy, providing a contrast to the soft greys and wood details. The Hay Tray Table, Lup Candleholder and Vedel Birds are all on my wishlist, and the tree stump side table and plant add natural elements and warmth.

Although this next one from Krossmyr wasn't a finalist, it must have been a close call! Monochrome dotted with turquoise, lots of framed pictures, textural elements and a bold pendant light make this a fun yet cosy living area.

More fun vibes with the next colourful living space from Fjeldborg. I've long been a fan of this blog so I was happy to see it as a finalist. The gorgeous colour of the table gets me every time.

Here are some more of my picks.

Home By Linn

Spirello

Antons Home

Kasparas Rainbow

An-Magritt

Frufly

Designlykke

SignePling

Which one takes your fancy?

Interior Styling | Natural Love

I'm all for a neutral palette, but having lived in older homes that had previously been given the beige wall and carpet treatment, I couldn't wait for a fresh change to white walls and grey carpet. We couldn't be happier with the Resene Black White paint, however the carpet was a bit more challenging. Like the bathroom tiles (more on those later) I chose the carpet early on, and when it came time to order it in, it was no longer available. After choosing an alternative one, which was very similar, the shipment was delayed, giving me no choice but to choose again. Ahh... the joys of building.

The third and final choice caused me a few headaches, because although grey, it had a bit of taupe in it, which being similar to beige, was what I wanted to avoid. Luckily, it all turned out for the best. The downstairs area which is carpeted is darker than upstairs, with lower ceilings, so the lighter colour we ended up with is the better option and looks fantastic. Phew!

What I've also noticed is it works well with my natural bedding and ensuite towels, which means I don't have to rush out and replace them just yet. And when I do, they can be kept as a back up! Which brings me to today's post, about interiors that have a predominantly natural colour scheme. Done right, a bit of beige, taupe or whatever you'd like to call it works beautifully mixed with whites, off-whites and greys. Add some rustic textural elements like wood and rattan, throw in a bit of industrial style and you have a winning combination.

An Instagram pic of our bedroom showing the white, grey and natural bedding

These gorgeous windows let in loads of natural light. The exposed bricks and industrial wall lamp work well with the neutral palette, and I love the log coffee table and long floor cushion.

The height of this space, together with white painted bricks provide a great backdrop for layering in texture. The oversized elements like the mirrors and pot plant give it its wow factor.

This living room has a serene feel. Calm and simple, I love the rustic table and black and white photograph.

This wall colour provides a subtle contrast to the white ceiling. I want those stools!

There's nothing like a chunky throw to add warmth and texture.

Natural cushions in blush and off-white make this teepee an inviting, cosy hideout.

There are so many gorgeous natural elements in the home above including the Armadillo rug, furniture, sheepskin, billowy curtains and even an outdoor hammock!

White-washed floors and beige bedlinen never looked so good.

Lastly, I just had to include this incredible architecturally designed home. The huge natural floor cushions are perfect dotted around the expansive living area.

Images: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7-8 | 9 |10