Graffitti Chic

We have the Design & Decoration trade fair coming up in Sydney this week and it's got me to thinking about what we'll be loving next.

I found this interesting story on Jimmie Karlson from interior design duo Jimme Martin in Living Etc. They rework classic and often ornate furniture and give it a very British, punk edge.

I think its a bit much for a whole house but fabulous in small doses.

Eclectic Style

It seems eclectic style is everywhere but I hope it doesn't get so trendy that we'll all be 'over it' in six months. I just love this quirky pink kitchen with ridiculously glamorous dining area in the recent issue of Living Etc.

Yes, it's busy, but what atmosphere and personality! I could just imagine sitting there with a cup of tea and having a good old chat.

What I love about eclectic style is that its not too self conscious. You can feel the spirit of the owner - not just the vibe of the store the furniture came from or the too careful placement of objects and matchy-matchy signature of a hired decorator.

Can't say too much, but there's an interesting feature in the next issue which goes into it some more....

Love An Aqua Kitchen

Quite a few people wrote some very kind comments about my aqua kitchen so I thought I'd share another one Robbie and I did at our very first beach house reno at a house overlooking Jervis Bay, which inspired the colour.

The colour is actually the colour of seaglass or the colour of a breaking wave.

We attempted to integrate all the practical features - the gas cooktop is almost seamless in the s/s bench; the fridge and pantry are tucked in behind the s/s wall which houses the microwave and oven, and of course the sink - where we use to bath our new born baby - is integrated.

That makes this kitchen over 7 years old!

I Wish...

I wish we had Anthropologie here in Australia. These are a couple of out-takes from their latest catalogue, and if I'm not wrong, featuring quilts from our very own Lazybones of Byron Bay.

Tracey Hocking is the brains behind the Lazybones label which she set up a decade (or more) ago in Sydney. I did some art direction for Tracey and designed the original Lazybones logo and have sold her clothes and bedding until recently in my shop.

Tracey now works from her farm in the Byron hinterland and exports to the US!

Industrial By Design

I have long been a fan of industrial antiques and fittings so was amused that someone noticed that the benches in my kitchen in the Seafarers Cottage #1 were a bit industrial.

One person who has done a nice job decorating a country house, avoiding the twee by using some well placed industrial pieces is Lyn Gardener, with her White House in Daylesford.

Industrial-inspired homewares are popping up everywhere, I only hope they don't become too cliche!

I have started stocking some industrial pieces at the shop. It began when I put an old pair of iron  gates and some ornate bath feet by the counter. Not long after an artistic lady from the Blue Mountains lay-byed the gates and about 6 other people have wanted them since.

Some of the great things coming to the shop I will put up on the blog soon:

An American claw-foot bath

a Victorian garden gate in red and cream

Blue iron driveway gates with hearts

A giant lab sink (that is a struggle for 2 men to carry!)

The Seafarers Cottages- first look

Happy New Year! As you might have guessed we had a quiet one last night as we were pretty exhausted. The last of the three Seafarers Cottages was rented out to holiday makers yesterday afternoon and it was still a building site a few days ago.

The interiors are done to stage one, that is, furnished and fitted out with the first layer of decoration. I am now looking at the photos like you are thinking, "What else can I add to make that room special?".

I am really happy with the small aqua kitchen in cottage #1 with the marine-style stainless steel bench and old porthole ship's clock. Adding pieces like that old clock give a room some soul. The raffia mirror is one I have had for years. It was in my fisherman's cottage up the road (Country Style Dec 2007) and I have been looking for raffia things to go with it ever since, without much luck.

The fridge and dishwasher are neatly concealed behind cupboard doors and the pantry is built into the old meat safe cupboard. We took the ceiling out to expose the roof line and it does make the space seem bigger. The exposed rafters give it a more boatshed feel and I painted it all Dulux "White On White", including the shutters and woodwork to also add to the illusion of spaciousness!

The tiny bedroom in cottage #1 was a real challenge. I went with this Ikea four-poster bed as I love the fun of putting a box within a box. We had to nail it to the floor so the shutters and doors wouldn't hit it, that's how tight a fit it is. 

The shutters as window treatments were a great solution as there is quite a bit of ambient street light at night. Also I love that greek island vibe.

The bedsides were a dilemma as I wanted something a bit different. At the last minute I drove into town to my favourite 2nd-hand store and found this slightly kitsch side table which sort of matched one given to me by a friend recently. They are crying out to be painted in bold colours and I will get to that...

The floors... had to be whitewashed. I have come up with a new recipe for whitewashed floors and this one seems to be working well. (The cleaner has yet to comment, however.)