Behind Design...

I'm looking forward to attending a seminar, 'Behind Design', at ISCD [International School of Colour & Design] this week...I think it's so important to consistently & constantly educate yourself through courses, seminars, talks or professional network evenings - there's always something to learn from others, especially those who you admire, or have excelled in something that you hope to too!

Amongst a great line up of designers, I am looking forward to meeting 'the' Mr Jason Grant of Real Living magazine styling fame [and so much more], and I really like his stylish on-trend blog it's a great read -  visit 'mrjasongrant'.



Jason Grant - Freelance Stylist



I am most excited about is the opportunity to meet a designer whose work I have admired for some time - Shannon Fricke. You may be familiar with her work for uber-stylish & on-trend Australian design mag 'Inside-Out'; or her fabulous TV shows on Australian cable channel 'The Lifestyle Channel', or her publishing prowess with several great design, colour & style books out; or a fan of her blog? And yet I have probably only touched the surfaced of her multi-faceted talented design life! I also love that she is an entrepreneur, a wife, a mother & a pet owner - amongst other things. Well here's hoping I get a chance to meet her, and maybe my copy of her book signed! For more of Shannon's work visit her blog & website.

If you're in Sydney this week  & you're interested in design and would like to hear some industry people chat about their work - 'Behind Design' - head to  ISCD (International School Of Colour and Design in Sydney) webiste HERE. The dates are 22nd & 23rd September. The session for Thursday 23rd September is Sold Out. Hurry!

images via real living magazine and the design alphabet blog

Just Boards...

image via house beautiful

I have been consumed with coming up with the right size, colour, maybe fabric covered & maybe not pinboard that will be my new mood- inspiration board area above my desk in our [shared - with my husband] home office. It has so much to deliver - ughhh the pressure to get it right - it needs to be stylish, and therefor coordinate with the colour scheme - accent any highlight colours, and of course functional - fulfilling the job of being my source of conglomerated inspiration & creativity! That's a hefty job description! So here are some images I have collected for ideas along the way, as well as a great set of instructions on the 'how to make one' from 'Real Living' magazine if you'd like to make your own inspiration board/s Enjoy.S x 

image via martha stewart living

image via martha stewart living

image via martha stewart living

image via martha stewart living

image via martha stewart living

image via real living magazine sept '10 issue

How to make a funky pinboard - from Real Living

The snazzy fabric pinboard in Shawn and Natalie Godwin's Brisbane home office (September real living issue - out now, page 97) has inspired our design guru Sarah de Lancelle. Here's how to make one.

1. The easy way - Cover an existing cork pinboard — you can pick one up for around $5-10 at Kmart, bargain stores and stationers. Make sure it has a stable backing you can staple the fabric onto. If it has a frame, see whether you can remove the cork section — you can wrap the fabric over the cork and slip it back into the frame.

When wrapping the fabric over the board, use a staple gun and secure it tightly at the back with lots of staples, as the fabric will be pulled whenever you "pin". If the pinboard does not have a stable backing, use a strong fabric glue to prevent movement. You can paint or stain the frame to suit your dé cor — but do this before you put the fabric on!

2. Do it from scratch!Cut a piece of MDF to size as backing (from hardware stores). Use a layer of either cork or rubber for the front. Cork tiles (from hardware stores, Kmart, Big W) come in packs and are easy to mount. If you opt for rubber, test it with pins before you buy to find one that suits. Polystyrene is another option, but it doesn't "spring back" the way cork or rubber does. If you are pinning a lot, it may lose its hold. Glue your chosen surface to the backing. Test first — some glue will eat away at rubber or polystyrene. Wrap your fabric as above.

Fabric choices

You may have a fabric in mind that's perfect for your colour scheme. But remember, a loose-weave fabric copes best with board pins. If you've fallen in love with a tight-weave fabric, buy some extra so you can re-cover the board when it starts to look shabby.

One final tip!Spray a fabric protector (eg. Scotchgard) on your pinboard before you use it — who wants dirty hands on their "work of art"?

 

Images via Martha Stewart Living, Real Living Magazine, & House Beautiful

Getting Festive - Christmas Wrapping...

I love nothing better than wrapping up and giving presents - especially themed style & colour en-mass! And there's no better time than Christmas to make a great 'wrapping' statement!!

Handmade wrapping - above - Australian Home Beautiful Dec 09 issue

Cheerful Gift Boxes - To give a cardboard box a cheery makeover, place the lid on top of a card. Using a ruler, draw an outline that's about 1/4 inch outside the lid. Cut just inside the line with a pair of pinking shears. Use a glue stick to attach the cutout to the lid; the card will extend over the box's edges (be sure it's centered over the lid before pressing down). Repeat to cover the bottom of the box. From Martha Stewart.com



Handmade Vintage Inspired wrapping - above - Australian Home Beautiful Dec 09 issue


I'm getting into the festive season & have just 'designed' & ordered our 2009 Family Christmas cards which are an explosion of Cherry Red & White, that should arrive in a couple of weeks - enough time to write, lick, stamp & post out! Whilst getting into my Christmas cards it got me thinking of what will me gift wrap colour theme be this year?
I love mixing non-traditional colours & ideas with Christmas - although this year I am leaning towards a slightly more 'handmade' look but am thinking about colour combinations such as Craft Brown Paper, Cherry Red, White & Pale Blue - as in the Real Living Dec 09 issue, and Home Beautiful Dec 09 issue - for the boys. And for the Girls - very similar so there's a strong theme - Craft Brown Paper, Cherry Red, White & Fuchsia Pink - as shown in some the pages of the Inside Out Christmas 09 issue!
So what colour, theme & style will you go for this year? Whichever way you go - have fun with it!!


BTW - Good news - This week the new issue for [Australian] Home Beautiful Dec 2009 is out in newsagents & supermarkets.





Images from [Australian] Home Beautiful Dec 2009 & Martha Stewart

Just Keeps Getting Better... Anna, Wow!

Wow... now two Mondays in a row and I have been treated to not only getting my interior magazines in the post but also another 'absolutely' favourite stylist & designer - Anna Spiro - in a rather fabulous editorial spread with none other than the style bible 'Australian Vogue Living'!! I was so surprised when I tore open the plastic sachet and the pages opened to a room with a black & white striped awning with a lolly pink cane lounge coupled with the eclectic patterned cushions... my first thought was - gosh I know that awning it's so familiar! And yes it was familiar - because it belongs to the house I seem to know so well by following all the blog posts by Anna Spiro on her blog 'absolutely beautiful things', both of whom are very close to my inspirational heart...

Some of you may not know this but after reading a brief write up in Real Living magazine some 2 years ago about Anna and her blog - she inspired me to find out more about blogging, how to get into it and naturally was hooked on her blog and her daily work as an interior designer & her chronicled inspirations in her world, in Brisbane. From this - like so many - I have continued to check in to Anna's blog to see what's new in her store or home, or family and am always inspired or more learned for it.
I adore Anna's sense of colour & style and most of all her appreciation of art, and for the pieces from a past era that can so readily be adopted into modern life with a deft stylish hand! So from me [and I'm sure everyone who's a fan] it's a HUGE congratulations to Anna {her family & team} for how wonderful her beautifully renovated home looks in the shiny new pages of this months Vogue Living issue September / October 2009.

"Having grown up with mass-produced decor like everyone else my age," she says, "I am pushing for people to challenge themselves and embrace something bold". Here, Here - well spoken Anna there would be so many who would second you on that, I move the motion....

Hope you enjoy these images from Vogue Living, many will recognise Anna's study with it's pink & white Kelly Wearstler wallpaper from Anna's profile pic, tres belle....

Images from Australian - Vogue Living issue September / October 2009.

Sunday Snooze & the Pooches Who Know How to...

Trying to strike a pose for a 'Real Living Magazine' cover - 'Real Living' mag has had awesome pooch covers!

The real 'boss' of the house, our 3.5 year old Cavalier King Charles, Lucy - she's Vogue ready at all times!

Our gorgeous (nearly) 3 year old Cavoodle, Zach... loves to sneak up to our room for snoozing &posing on the Sheridan!

See P-oodles love to sneak up onto the bed...

Lounging around... a dog's life - all dogs seem to find several fabulous snoozey spots in the home.

And often it's all about seeing who's watching to pick the right spot!

Most of us are fortunate enough to have pets, and know the love of 'your best friend'... I have two dogs of whom are my '1st borns', I don't have children (as yet) and these two dogs , my husband and I treat as our 'fur babies' also known as Lucy, a 3.5 year old pure bred Blenheim Cavalier King Charles (think Elizabeth Taylor - the Cavalier - not the actress as 'Charlotte's dog from SATC - although we got Lucy before Elizabeth Taylor was popular'); and Zach, a 3 year old Honey coloured Cavoodle (Cavalier Kind Charles x Toy Poodle) - who we think is a little Pinocchio, just like the puppet there was a little boy inside just waiting to get out!

Often my some of my favourite photo shoots from great interior magazines incorporate the owners pets in the shot... such as these above from Domino magazine. There are a couple of my favourite Australian interior & lifestyle magazines that do this more often than not - Real Living magazine, Australian Country Style, Australian House & Garden and Australian Home Beautiful - each with covers & editorial shoots with great pets! Next time your flicking through your favourite mag you might find your favourite breed!

Images from Verandah Home & Garden Living Solutions & Domino magazine

[Recent] Article: How To Decorate on a Budget...

Australian magazine Real Living - [cover March 2009] Fabulous style & creative ideas without compromising your purse strings!

Thrifty ... designer Sara Silm with her revamped bookshelf that cost less than $200.Photo: Quentin Jones

I am sure that we are all getting very well acquainted with our household budgets this year [and potentially for many more] whilst our economy is taking a downward turn and our discretionary spending becomes scrutinised more than ever... but it doesn't mean the end to great style or re-decorating! There are some great ideas to be had on a thrifty budget - one of my favourite Australian mags 'Real Living' gives just that great ideas & fabulous style on a [shoe string] budget. So just use that noggin' and get creative with your ideas and your dollar!

'How To Decorate on a Budget... '
'...With money tight, a modern style makeover is all about using your ingenuity rather than maxing out your credit card. So we told our experts we wanted great results for less than $500. Read on, they've got your place sorted! ...'

Think outside the square
A recession leads people to focus more on their homes, rather than less, says Chrissie Jeffery, owner of No Chintz soft furnishings. "People aren't going out as much. So they're not going to allow their houses to get too shabby - it's the one place they can entertain." But on our meagre budget, she warns: "Don't fall into the trap of going into a shop and buying something! You're not going to get furniture that's decent and will last a long time for that money." So resist fast-filling a room with budget items. Like slow food, slow decorating pays dividends. As long as you've got a chair to sit on, take time to select pieces you really love.It's not only financially smart to choose things of quality you know you will love for a very long time, it's also the greenest choice because you won't be repeat buying and creating landfill.So, when looking for inexpensive solutions, the time is ripe to extend our decorating gaze beyond those seductive designer showrooms.
"Often what we think we need is sitting right in front of us, or in a charity store," says Sara Silm who co-owns decorating consultancy, Making Beautiful. In fact by buying second-hand, you will often score better-made pieces than something shiny and new in a budget furniture store. "Auction houses and garage sales are a great place to shop for original and interesting pieces at a great price," Silm says.

Get involved
Often the most rewarding projects are the ones where you put in a bit of physical effort. Jeffery says you can make your dollar go a lot further if you're prepared to put in a bit of effort by either painting or sewing. "In Australia, it's the labour cost that really makes things expensive," she says.
"You can change a whole room really cheaply just by giving it a coat of paint," says designer Mia Asker of White Design. Consider this: a four-litre tin of paint - enough to paint an average room - costs about $65 (depending on the brand)."If the wall is in good condition, as long as it's clean you don't need to prepare it, you can just go over the existing paint," says Dulux marketing manager Ken Virtue.
Consider paint as a way of updating a piece of furniture, says Silm. "Just recently I painted a bookshelf (destined for the tip) in a beautiful French grey and covered the back board in a printed dark grey wallpaper," she says. "My husband returned home from a business trip and thought I'd been shopping!" The price? Less than $200.
So when looking at a tired piece of furniture, be creative and imagine it anew. "Paint or limewash an existing piece in a neutral tone. Or why not go all out and paint it raspberry red, pea green or silver?" Silm says.
Another great big-impact option is wallpaper. Some of these are extremely pricey if you're doing a whole wall but Asker recommends looking for end-of-line wallpapers at paint and decorating stores (see Source Book) for the cheapest options. For another budget-smart option, you can get the impact of doing a whole wall by using one large piece of wallpaper and framing it. "It looks great above a bed head," Asker says.

Go for the soft option
New cushions are a great instant style fix. And if your decor tends to neutral shades, then it's time to bring in a colour punch. "Pick a colour scheme; whether red and yellow or something like pink, burgundy and plum," Asker says. "If you buy some cushions, then purchase some toning vases - you'll give your room a whole new flavour."
You can buy cushions off the shelf for as little as $5 at factory-seconds stores. But once again, to make your investment something that lasts, it is worth spending a bit extra. You can buy reasonable-quality cushions with plush feather inserts for about $100 each.Another good option, if you have some great, useable fabric offcuts, is to get an upholsterer to make cushions for you. As a price guide, an good upholsterer will generally charge about $40 a cushion.

Get crafty
If you can sew, then you can create everything from cushions to curtains to upholstery. You can brush up those high school sewing skills with an evening course and you can even buy a basic sewing machine online for as little as $30.Another smart investment for the crafty decorator, if you're keen to do-it-yourself, is a staple gun. With this simple tool, all manner of projects suddenly become possible.
"Small upholstery jobs are not an unreasonable DIY venture," says Silm. "Teamed with some great fabric and some shiny nickel studs, you'll have a transformation that's incredibly impressive and also very rewarding.
"Start with the seat pad of an old dining chair. A 50-centimetre square piece of fabric, some wadding, a staple gun and upholstery tacs will get you going." If you haven't tried anything like this before, then you'll find the web is a great source of instructions for how-to projects.

Personalise your walls
Yes, the DIY shows are full of make-your-own wall art. The key here is scale and proportion. One large-sized canvas, wrapped in fabric, can create an impressive room feature. Silm is a fan of the graphic fabrics at IKEA.
"At $9 a metre, they're great value, not just for curtains." She suggests creating a series of smaller frames and covering them with the same fabric.
"Use a staple gun and wrap them around a canvas from a $2 shop for instant art. Repeated on a wall in two rows of three or five - they look great," says Silm. If anyone in your family is handy on a computer, then digital art is another great way to give a room real punch. (Try black and white images for maximum chic)."Or take any abstract images that you have on file," says Silm. "Then all you need to do is email the file to one of the many shops that can print off the image as a canvas. A 24-inch (61-centimetre) by 36-inch (91 centimetres) canvas is as little as $260." So what is stopping you? Now, no matter what the size your budget is, there is no reason why your home shouldn't look well turned out.

BEFORE and AFTER
Artist Olga Kaydanov reinvented an outdated piece of furniture through the simplest of means.
"I tore all of the fabric and stuffing off and was left with a box made from very cheap wood," she explains on her blog gingerandgold.typepad.com, about the ottoman overhaul.
"The box was full of imperfections and pencil marks. I liked that very much and wanted to add something extra to make it look even more like a shipping crate. I cut stencils from printer paper and stencilled the numbers, letters and symbols onto the box with regular black acrylic paint."
To finish, she added leftover MDF inserts to make a new lid, varnished the entire piece, added upholstery nails and screwed in the new legs to create a funky talking piece.

Article from SMH [Sydney Morning Herald] 29 January 2009