In My House

Christmas Decorating - Starts Here!

2011-11-20T12:37:00.001+11:00

What is happening here - I'm starting to feel festive already. Maybe its because I'm a mother of an eight year old.

This is a happy snap of the beginnings of my Christmas styling theme. Red, white and grey. The grey is to match my newly restored and re-upholstered armchairs, just back from the upholsterer.
BTW this is one of a pair of old chairs I found at a second hand store. I just loved the shape and have had them for a few years now.

The fabric is a hard-wearing, heavy duty plush that I will admit I picked up at Spotlight for the bargain price of $12 a metre! (See, you don't have to pay $1000 - $1500 for an armchair if you look around.)

The "owl" bunting, made by one of the mothers at my daughter's school, is perfect and not too kitsch.

That huge star is from Ikea and is the best star I've seen out there - it even lights up!
What has inspired your decor for this Christmas?

My Beach House Makeover Challenge

2011-11-19T08:54:00.009+11:00

Top: living area with new white light fittings; Above: the new bathroom with pop-out bath extension - beats the sauna look! Below: view from the beach; bottom: most surfaces have had the white paint treatment, but this light fitting over the stair has to go!

This is possibly my biggest design challenge yet: get a difficult 80s holiday rental beach house ready to sell in a depressed property market.

We bought this "stuck-in-the-80s" beach house about 9 years ago. As the estate agent said to us at the time, "this is not really your kind of house". She wasn't wrong. We usually go for the cute old beach cottages.

However... this house was in a fabulous position right on the sand dunes with views up and down the coastline and out to the river behind. Its on a big block next to a north facing reserve and is relatively private compared to many in the area.

The other point it had going for it was the double height ceilings in the living area. (You see from the outside it looks a bit like a Swiss chalet!) Despite its chalet-ness, it had a great beach vibe. "Vibe" or atmosphere - whatever you call it - is very important to us when we make property investments.

But boy, was it dated. The bathroom was paneled in diagonal knotty pine boards like a sauna, with a decorative wheat sheath tile over the bath. The benchtops throughout were peachy pink and the kitchen cupboards were mushroom pink.

Being a beachfront, it was a significant financial outlay which meant we had to holiday rent it as much as we could. Most years we tackled one aspect to renovate - one year it was the kitchen, another year the bathroom, a beach shower extension or the deck.

Fortunately the house is quite solidly built of double brick on the ground floor and has shingles on the upper floor - thinking (or wishing) Hamptons here. More recently we rendered the brickwork to get rid of the blonde 80s textured brick and that was a huge improvement.

Over the years we have painted out much of the knotty pine paneling and interior brickwork as well as much of the endless metres of woodwork. Short of letting off a white paint bomb inside the house, I am still wondering how we can get it all painted in time. One plan was to paint the floorboards white.

To cut to the chase, the main renovation tasks are done but I am working on jazzing up the furnishings and fixtures. Much of the interior needs a boost as it has been a hard working rental and I do have a pretty small budget...

Last week I put in new light fittings in the living area which made a big difference. I'm off to the shops to look at some new dining chairs and more light fittings to replace the dated ones still there.
Any suggestions are welcome. Should I paint the floorboards? Should I replace the wooden venetian blinds with white ones or shutters?

Meatballs Anyone?

2011-11-07T13:55:00.005+11:00

Some of my friends have been nagging me to get back onto the blog. Apologies for my absence if you are a regular reader and have missed me!

I still have plenty of ideas and design opinions so here we go...

The New IKEA store in Sydney.

I went along on the opening day of the giant new store near Sydney airport to pick up some kitchen bits and pieces for a beach house we are doing for clients. Any excuse will do to call in to Ikea, really. And yes, the meatballs were on...

I always feel a little envious of Mr Ikea as I wish I had thought of it. Even though it has been around since the forties, it is still as relevant a concept today as ever - even more so now that more and more brands are heading to warehouse style outlets.

Naturally, you can't possibly reach the cash registers without a trolley full of stuff. My haul went way beyond the kitchen cabinet legs I went in for. Some of the Christmas bits are lovely this year, particularly the huge, illuminated cardboard stars which I wish I had got more of.

My Picks at Ikea:

• The Christmas decorations with matching fabric, candles, dishes, cards, gift wrap, paper napkins, santa sacks - you name it

• The slip covered furniture

• New kitchen designs

• Feather cushion inserts

• Lighting - its cheap and looks great

Room For Improvement:

• There are some great products but the room styling is not really inspiring and fairly predictable. It wouldn't be that difficult to add some pizzazz to the rooms - why not ask some guest stylists for a fresh take?

• Love the kids range but it cuts out at about age 5 - what about the older kids?

Modern Farm House at Jaspers Brush

2011-09-06T08:21:00.005+10:00

My latest magazine house story is about the Edwards family who live just up the road from me at Jaspers Brush on the South Coast. The Edwards did the whole sea change thing about a decade ago but when it came to architectural styles did the complete opposite to what most of do.

When they lived in Sydney's trendy eastern suburbs they lived in a country-style weatherboard cottage. When they moved to the country - to Berry - they started off living in another country style cottage while they looked around for the perfect acreage to buy.

When they found their dream property, a small acreage on a hill looking out to the ocean in the distance, they lived in the outdated farmhouse until they were able to build their dream house.
By that time Mira and Glen were well and truly "over" country cottages. Their children were now into their teens so they decided to go for a sleek, contemporary design for the new house they wanted to build themselves.

This story is in the latest issue of Australian Womens Weekly with Ita on the cover.

Design Conscience: Boatshed Chic

2011-07-20T14:16:00.007+10:00

My blog posts are usually inspired by thoughts that occur to me as I am doing everyday things. This week, with all the talk about carbon taxes and people tightening their fiscal belts, my conscience is turning to getting real about design.

People I meet often ask me what it is like to see all the gorgeous houses I do stories on for the magazines. Most of the time the houses really are a labour of love or the culmination of a dream for the owners. Most of the stories are about very real families, some quite well off, some with more dash than cash.

Funnily enough, it is often the latter that excite me the most. Where the owners have had to be really inventive and creative to achieve a great looking house without a limitless budget. And it always amazes me how they pull it all together when they have young children!

Today I have recalled some of my favourites - there are many more of them which I'll save for another post.

Beth's Boatshed: These are photos I took ages ago of Beth from Boatshedchic's home near Jervis Bay, a short drive from where I live. It is a gorgeous little place, decorated with much love and ingenuity. It has changed a bit since these shots were taken but it still inspires.

Beth has great style and an eye for a vintage treasures. She has collected, restored and re-upholstered many of the old pieces in her boatshed.

House in Kangaroo Valley

2011-07-09T09:20:00.007+10:00

This month I have a story in House & Garden Magazine about a property belonging to the Johnson family. The story is a little more special than usual as my husband designed the house.

The property, Binya Hill, is set in the most stunning spot in the northern reaches of Kangaroo Valley - just under 2 hours south of Sydney. There locality is called Barrengarry nestled just below Barrengarry Mountain which is the mountain that leads up to Fitzroy Falls and the Southern Highlands.

Rob designed most of the rooms to face the view and the sunny northern aspect. There is a brick gallery which runs like a spine linking all these rooms with the rooms at rear which is where the Johnsons hang artworks and photos.

The rooms facing south are mostly utility rooms like the laundry and garage.

I have included some more shots I thought were worth seeing as the magazine never has the room to show you every angle!

Paris Shopping

2011-07-07T05:29:00.000+10:00

Blue and white at the Ralph Lauren Paris courtyard restaurant.

Merci's summery courtyard entrance was in need of some rain...

At Merci, a mix of natural and rustic textures, inside and out.

Chandeliers everywhere... with rough hewn wooden tables and antiques alike.

I did not spend all that much time shopping this visit but just enough to get a hit and test my husband's retail endurance.

First stop off the Eurostar was the chic Merci boutique (111 Boulevard Beaumarchais 75003) to see the cutting edge in French retailing.

It was not all that different to Anthropologie in its confident mix of eclectic, bohemian and textural pieces. Some of the merchandise is tempting, but the biggest attraction is the way its all put together - evidence of a keen stylist's eye.

The next must see was the new Ralph Lauren flagship store at 173 Boulevard Saint-Germain. Set over 4 levels in an historic 19th century building it is the perfect mix of American and French elegance.

While I shopped the various Ralph labels, each one on a different floor, the architect husband was kept well distracted looking at the beautifully considered restoration details. When I was starting to want to be thinner, younger and richer it was time to leave - via the courtyard restaurant which is decked out in blue and white banquettes. Heaven.

I would also recommend the loos on the lower ground floor. Must be the poshest in town.

A Glimpse of Life in Paris

2011-07-04T19:02:00.008+10:00

The petit palais in St Germain en Laye I was lucky enough to stay in.
Aren't those shutters to die for?

The Saturday market in St Germain en Laye.

On this recent to Paris I did almost no touristy things, just hung out with my oldest friend Jennifer who lives there with her French husband and three daughters.

They live at St Germain en Laye, a lovely outer suburb with lovely tree-lined streets and stunning houses. They live in one wing of a small palais with shutters painted the most gorgeous shade of blue.

My friend's house is on the edge of the forest from where we walked to the former royal palace where you can look out across the Seine to the centre of Paris.

There is a wonderful, quite traditional market every weekend in the town square where I bought a lovely linen tablecloth and marveled at the fresh frommage and peonies.

From My Renovation Archive: The Bath House

2011-06-29T06:26:00.001+10:00

For some unknown reason, I stumbled upon some long lost shots of a favourite renovation we did of our first beach house overlooking Jervis Bay quite a few years ago. This house is long since sold, but one of my favourite things was the bath house in the back garden. This quaint little sleep-out building, circa 1930, was too cute to demolish so we re-invented it.

If I had to do it again I would probably do much the same thing. The lesson to be learned here is that classic design does not date as quickly as decor that follows fads.

Petersham Nurseries

2011-06-28T05:14:00.007+10:00

After a few days running around in London, my plan is always to spend a day out at Richmond with a visit to the very stylish Petersham Nurseries. This trip coincided with the Petersham House's open garden day, which made it all the more special.

We stayed at the nearby Petersham Hotel from where you can walk across the meadows to the village of Petersham which is like an old country hamlet in the middle of parklands in London suburbia. There's only a handful of houses, one of which is owned by the Nurseries owners, Gael and Francesco Boglione who bought the old run-down nursery almost a decade ago and transformed it into a model of garden style and eco-conscious practices.

Perhaps their best decision was to entice Sydney-born chef Skye Gyngell (sister of Nine Network chief, David) to cook for them in the restaurant and it now has a Michelin Star as well as a star-studded following. When we were there I was almost bowled over by the Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood. An interior designer friend who lives in Richmond also adores the Nurseries and says last time she dined there Madonna was at the next table.

Lunch is served in the greenhouses on delightfully rustic vintage metal tables surrounded by vintage garden artifacts, old armoires, chandeliers and potted plants. This inspirational atmosphere feels more like a Lucianna Arrighi set for a movie than a plant nursery.

It was lovely to take a stroll around the gardens of the house. For me, the highlight was the kitchen garden which supplies fresh produce for the restaurant and the Boglione's conservatory. One of the main features of the garden is the 50 metre long herbaceous border - a very English folly which was flowering madly.

House Love -it's in the blood!

2011-06-27T01:12:00.006+10:00

A spot of Jane Austen, anyone? The thought of listed fountains and bridges is rather daunting.
Gorgeous hand-painted silk wallpapers - this green chinoiserie-style example is to die for.
The lovely coastal setting - but how cold would it get in winter?

The main reason for our trip to the UK was to celebrate a a milestone birthday with my father-in-law. It was also a chance for my husband to spend some time with his father where they were both born in the north of England.

No trip would be normal for us however without some sort of property diversion....

I feel a bit awkward writing about this but a good friend and blog follower has been asking and asking me to post about it so here goes.

Don't know if I have mentioned this, (probably not as I am slightly embarrassed to admit it) but in my spare time I have I have been working on the family history with my aunt and mother, really just putting it all on computer and doing some editing and online research. They have kind of handed it on to me to carry on the tradition. Lucky me.

Well, one day I was checking out some details on this rather adventurous great, great, great grandfather and googled his 'house'. Lo and behold up it popped on a posh UK property site, and it was for sale!

I had heard a few tales about the Scottish side of the family, but you know, you think "yeah, yeah, yeah". Well, this house was an absolute cracker. Designed by the most famous architect of the time, it is a Grade 1 listed estate complete with listed fountains, ramshackle but once manicured gardens, a fabulous listed bridge and rolling green pastures.

It was bought by the current owners from "the Family" about 20 years ago and it was too tempting to go and see it and consider the remote possibility of buying it back. Being married to an architect who is a heritage specialist comes in handy at times like these.

It is a long way from London, but we decided to drive up to the Highlands to check it out. "The Pile" as we call it, sits on a rise over looking the ocean, not far from Inverness. It is at the end of a long drive, hidden like a secret garden behind huge, ancient trees.

The house was the passion of my ancestor, an enterprising young Scot who was forced to leave Scotland because of the uprising against the English in the 18th century. He went to Madeira and founded the wine industry and then, as the eldest son, returned home to resume his family "seat" and built this fab house. He must have been as mad as I am about houses as he commissioned the most famous up-and-coming architect of the day, Robert Adam, to design it. Adam was Scottish, so my guess is that they knew each other.

Because of the cold climate, many of the original hand-painted wallpapers are still in pretty good condition and there are many old "Adam" fireplaces and features. Despite being well lived in over the years, the house is still in quite original condition, though a few of the lesser rooms were re-decorated in the seventies.

It could be an interesting project - what do you think?

Now You see Me..

2011-06-22T09:24:00.006+10:00

I am back in the blogosphere having taken some time to recover and catch up with things since my trip to London, Scotland and Paris.

I have to share in some shopping highlights before I do anything else.

No trip to London feels right without an afternoon or two hitting the high streets. In the busy Oxford Street area I popped in to Liberty, Zara and Anthropologie.

Both Liberty and Anthropologie have fabulous merchandising and really quirky, imaginative products.

Eclectic style reigned at both stores with a big doses of crafty and hand-made accessories. Yes, there was even a bit a macrame spotted at Anthropologie. Bright colours were everywhere and texture was a feature at Anthropologie as you can see here.

Unfortunately I had to limit my purchases to what I could take on an aeroplane, but you will see some quirky knobs and cushions popping up in my beach houses shortly!

Coming up for all you style mavens out there:

Petersham Nurseries Open garden

London's East End Style

No Place Like Home

2011-06-06T07:16:00.008+10:00

The last roses of the season.

A winter view - fruit trees bursting, bare branches on the plum tree, clear winter sky.

My first winter harvest - grapefruit, lemons, tahitian limes, tangerines.

This weekend was spent entirely pottering around the garden. We didn't leave the property once with the exception of my husband dashing out for takeaway dinner and milk on Saturday night!

After a month of long distance plane flights, big cities, fabulous hotels, meeting people, huge drives and many miles covered, there is no relief better than a weekend spent digging in the dirt. Simple pleasures of picking fruit and flowers, flying kites and just hanging out are a welcome change.

I remember as a child my father used to come home from overseas business trips and the thing he loved to do most was gather wood from our bush backyard and cook a barbeque lunch.

Being the start of winter, it is a great time to reassess the garden - what has worked and what hasn't, to pull out weeds and cut back dead growth. Its also the best time of year to make new plans for the garden. We did plenty of that, with lots of chatting over cups of tea.

My famously feral vegetable garden was, not surprisingly, completely unruly after a month left to its own devices. The local rabbits had also moved in and feasted on lettuce leaves and the weeds had a field day. Most of one day was spent pulling out the last of the killer tomatoes, hundreds of tiny weeds and nasty prickly paddock weeds that had jumped the fence.

The most satisfying thing of all is gathering up the produce and cooking up something straight from the garden. Last night I cooked one of the last of the crop of butternut pumpkins and made roast pumpkin and rosemary soup. Yum.

I will share some of the travel inspiration next time...

Best Outdoor Kitchen Ever?

2011-05-17T06:31:00.000+10:00

I get to visit some pretty fabulous houses as a house features writer and stylist, but I don't think I have ever seen such a covetable outdoor kitchen.

Check out the stonework and the number of appliances... and the house itself with its shingled exterior. I love the way the courtyards work together as well. Very nicely done.

Does anyone else have a great outdoor kitchen to share?

Shutter Bug

2011-05-11T05:48:00.001+10:00

This is a place I photographed on Ill de Re in France. The whole island has strict heritage rules about shutters.

These are shutters in my beach houses at Currarong - above with ticking fabric inside and below in traditional "greek" style with white boarding.

I have a thing for shutters. Our heritage-listed farmhouse here at Sky Meadow used to have shutters before the farmers added vinyl siding (I can hear your gasps...) sometime in the 80s. God love them, they thought they were "modernising".

One of the first things we did when we bought the house was strip off the vinyl siding, which had in effect protected the old cedar weatherboards, so it wasn't all that bad.

We have tried to find these old shutters, which graced all the french windows - floor to ceiling in height - but they don't appear to be anywhere unfortunately. We have searched high and low - under the house, in the shed, even tracked down the old farmer. According to him they could still be in one old shed a few paddocks away, which is now not on our land. It looks very rustic and could well be snake infested, so I am not sure exactly how keen I am to venture in there....

Now we are working on the church hall I think we need some shutters made for it as well. The problem is they are very fiddly to make which makes them quite pricey. However, they are worth it, don't you think?

At The Auction

2011-05-07T06:40:00.000+10:00

Last weekend the contents of a lovely old house near us went up for auction. Oh dear you can see where this story is headed...

Yes, hubby and I went along to the event held onsite in the gorgeous old garden. The auctioneer barely drew breath from 9am until 5,30 pm as he went through 400 and something lots.

We were mainly interested in the garden furniture and ornaments and bid on and bought some little beauties. A set of 5 stunning retro garden chairs, a garden fountain and a nicely mossy wall thing for me. A lawnmower and tools galore for him.

Pitch High

2011-05-04T04:58:00.006+10:00

Inspired by Leah from The Inside Story's post on pitched ceilings, I would just like to say I agree wholeheartedly with her statement that a roof needs to be a certain pitch to look "right".

Sometimes I think that I fuss too much about such inconsequential things, but here I go again I'm afraid.

This photo of Ruthie Sommers' porch in the last issue of House Beautiful is a case in point. Great pitch, love the exposed trusses and the pale blue and white colour scheme.

When we moved the church hall to our house, the first thing I said to my husband was "that ceiling has to go". You see, the roof pitch is steep like most churches and it just had to be revealed.

After taking the ceiling down (which was a messy job) we took out some of the old trusses, after consulting an engineer at some expense. Then the boys put in some purpose built metal rods for added reinforcement. The whole ceiling now has to be insulated and re-lined with boards and painted - something my long-suffering Chilean painter Luis is no doubt looking forward to (NOT).

It's a very high ceiling and he could be up there for weeks!

Hopefully, eventually, it will start to look a bit like this: Love those wing back chairs, too.

More From Trelawney Farm

2011-04-30T07:52:00.004+10:00

Here are some more shots of Trelawney Farm for those who can't buy Country Style Magazine.

Some of my favourite ideas are:

The bright pillar box red front door

Vintage bits and pieces like the old milk bottles and HRH portrait

Funky fifties garden setting

Metal hospital cabinet used as a bedside table

In Print: Country Style Mag

2011-04-28T04:53:00.008+10:00

Kathy used a Porters stain on the new pine floorboards to get that dark chocolate look.

This bath is fully plumbed with hot and cold water and is a favourite place for the family to bathe!

This story about a country house belonging to Kathy and John Collins was an inspiring one to to write.

The Collins are a gung-ho couple with two young children who had a dream and went for it.

They are a couple of city types with a property renovation business who wanted to create an idyllic retreat in the country for themselves.

Kathy spent hours trawling online auction sites to collect the vast array of industrial and country antiques and vintage treasures and her passion shows in the interiors. Here I have included some of the shots that were not used in the article.

See the new issue of Country Style for the whole story.

Which White Paint?

2011-04-25T08:46:00.005+10:00

I had an email from a follower in South Australia who wants to paint her house but can't find the right shade of white.

Some are too yellow, some are too grey and cold.

If you have been reading my blog you will know that I have some very strong views on white.

I can't live with creamy whites - to me they look dated. But I once painted a house interior in grey white and it irked me every day.

The best white is a white-white and I recommend shades such as Dulux "White On White" or "Whisper White". This lovely all-white painted house in Brisbane I wrote about in the Australian Womens Weekly (Feb 2011), was painted White On White inside and out. It looks great in the photos and even better in real life. Don't be afraid to paint the woodwork the same shade, just choose a different finish from the flat walls such as satin or semi gloss.

The only other white I have seen recently that I like is on this beach house a few doors up from my beach cottages at Currarong. For an up-to-date look I love this white teamed with a pale grey. Very chic and understated and I wish I had thought of that combination every time I drive by.

For this look I would try Dulux "Lexicon" white - its white but not too cold. If I catch the owners I will ask them what colours they actually used.

What is your favourite white paint?

Cute as a Cupcake

2011-04-20T19:26:00.003+10:00

I just had to share this award winning interior design of a cupcake shop in Melbourne by Mim Design. I just love the whole thing, particularly the stools outside painted in icing colours.

See the Australian Interior Design Awards for more cool interiors.

http://australianinteriordesignawards.com/gallery/2011/9/68

Colour Fashion: Fade to Black

2011-04-19T07:56:00.004+10:00

It is interesting to watch the changing tides of colour fashion.

For so long we have LOVED white on white and I've been watching black and grey creep slowly in to the rooms shown in blogs and magazines.

This room (top) shows pretty much a whole room in black which looks amazing. I don't know that I could go there unless it was a small room like a library.

Do you think you could live in a black room?

Church Hall Update: The SLOW Building Movement

2011-04-18T18:42:00.003+10:00

The old church hall is making slow progress mainly because we have been pretty busy with our other projects. As it does not have a particular deadline, (ie; it's our own house) it takes second place to jobs that have fee-paying clients.

However, the link between the house and the hall has been finished and my husband has been fixing up all the old windows in his spare moments. I think he finds repairing them quite rewarding.

We have also found two sets of gorgeous old french doors which will go either side of the fireplace. There are plenty more waiting for re-use in the shed. I love old windows because of their detailing and patina. Often the glass is so old it is sort of uneven and quite beautiful - a bit like sea glass.

Many of the windows and doors in our collection we picked up for next to nothing off demolition sites or at garage sales. Its also environmentally friendly to reuse them rather than waste new wood and transport.

Our approach to renovating our own house is a bit like the slow food movement I guess. Apart from actually being very slow (haha), we try and use local materials and local craftsmen and trades.

Which reminds me, my slow-food vegie patch needs attention, also!

Berry House In Real Living Mag

2011-04-17T09:05:00.008+10:00

This is the view from the back showing the new extension with the old cottage.

The old slab cottage was relocated from Crookwell and rebuilt, piece by piece, using traditional carpentry techniques.

The new wing features a heated concrete slab floor which Paola just loves. Vintage pieces, like the dining table are modernised with a coat of white paint.

Paola, left, and Natasha Marshall, the architect.

The main living room in the new wing combines the natural textures of wood with vintage and contemporary furniture.

The sitting room in the cottage is a cosy parents' retreat. The doors of the master bedroom open out to encompass this area.

Natasha has done a great job meshing the old house with the new as seen in the plunge pool area which links the two sections.

Paola and daughter Chloe.

Chloe's bedroom is decorated with vintage furniture and touches of pink.

I do get a bit excited when a house I have done a story about from my local area gets published. This gorgeous old cottage in Berry with a modern wing extension, was the inspiration of owner Paola Zullian and her partner Nick Anderson.

They were living in Sydney and bought the Berry cottage as a weekender, but like us, found they were spending more and more time down here so eventually did the tree change thing. Like us they also had a young daughter, and it really is a lovely place to bring up children. Nick likes to surf and the beach is only ten minutes away.

Paola worked with local architect Natasha Marshall, a recent seachanger herself, to make a beautifully detailed design for the new wing. It is not a huge space but has lots of nifty ideas.

You can see the story in Real Living magazine - out this week.

Cast Iron Beds

2011-04-13T08:07:00.005+10:00

It seems where ever I look I'm seeing cast iron beds. It is a great idea if you want country without being too fussy.

I have a story coming out in the next issue of Country Style Magazine featuring a lovely old farmhouse in Mudgee (about 3.5 hrs north west of Sydney). Owner Kathy Collins used cast iron beds throughout to create a vintage but slightly industrial country look. I prefer them painted rather than bare metal.

There is an old brass and cast iron bed in my shed that I have been meaning to paint for my daughter's bedroom, so I guess I'll have to get busy...

Garden Tables

2011-04-09T16:37:00.003+10:00

It's great gardening weather today and apart from dealing with a mower that is playing up I am doing some potting and tidying up the vegetable garden.

I love the look of tables full of pot plants, either on a veranda or in the garden.

Enjoy your weekend!

House and Garden

2011-04-03T19:39:00.005+10:00

I am very excited to say we have the cover story in the latest issue of House and Garden Magazine.

This beautiful Queenslander in the Brisbane suburb of Coorparoo is a classic that has been in the Watson family for many generations. Owner Cathy Watson called in the girls from Lily G, Melinda and Natalee, to work their magic to transform the interiors.

Like many recent empty nesters, Cathy and her husband found themselves finally living in their own space. Cathy saw it as a great opportunity to redecorate and do all those things you just don't get around to when you have a house full of teenagers.

Melinda and Natalee from Lily G chose a green, white and light blue palate and just simply re-worked some of Cathy's old furniture and modernised the house and its large verandas with white and green accessories.

It all works perfectly with the green and white garden.

David Carter and 40 Winks

2011-04-01T06:02:00.006+11:00

London stylist and interior designer David Carter packs a lot of umph into a room.

Looking around at virtual London getting ideas for my trip, he is one of the more interesting entries on the Wallpaper Magazine iphone app guide to London.

His house, called 40 Winks, is first on their list of cool places to stay. Yes, this modest brick terrace in London's east belies its grand interior. He rents out two of the bedrooms for short stays and also conducts "Bedtime Story" book reading events, with the likes of Helena Bonham Carter showing up in her PJs to read aloud.

David's painted finishes are what he is most well known for - this is one decorative device I must admit I have not thought much about since the early 90s. I find his work more like a film set in their attention to detail and theatrical gestures. Magazines like the wonderfully British World of Interiors love his whimsical work which is a pretty good endorsement.

Kit Kemp's London Town House

2011-03-21T01:52:00.009+11:00

Coincidentally, the couple responsible for the Firmdale Hotels in my last post, feature in the latest Elle Decor.

Kit and Tim Kemp own the new Crosby Street Hotel in New York as well as the Haymarket Hotel, Soho Hotel etc in London and this is their own house near Hyde Park. That's them on the scooter in front of their gorgeous front door.

The striped rug in the loft, the wing chairs at the dining table and the bold prints used to upholster sofas are stand-out details. The wing chair upholstered in french tea towels in the kitchen is quirky and I just love it.

They moved the kitchen (which is usually in the basement in these types of houses) up into one of the best rooms in the house which has proved a great success as Kit is a keen cook.

I am also taking note of this comment from the article where she describes an guest bedroom she had papered and upholstered in a black toile: “Everybody sleeps well in there,” Kit says. “They feel secure and tucked up. I think that’s important in a bedroom.”

The exuberance of Kit Kemp's approach to decorating is catching and I am looking forward to staying in one of her hotel bedrooms soon!

Place To Stay

2011-03-08T07:05:00.004+11:00

Firmdale's Number Sixteen in Sth Kensington.

The Soho Hotel & Haymarket Hotel

One Aldwych, above, and the new W Hotel in Leicester Square, below.

Whenever I go on holiday or away for work, I spend ages trying to find the "right" accommodation. As I have blogged before, one of the most important aspects of having a great time is having somewhere to stay that has attitude. It doesn't have to be the most expensive place but it does have to have been well considered and reflect the vibe of the place and culture.

I'm off to London soon and have spent days looking at hotels. It is hard to go past the Firmdale Hotels website. They have six hotels in inner London, all decorated in a modern English way with lots of quirky art, bold fabrics, unexpected colour and an overwhelming amount of upholstery. Then the dilemma is which one to choose?

The Haymarket Hotel is the newest and most hyped, but I am also tempted by one of the smaller hotels, Number Sixteen, which is tucked into the chi-chi neighbourhood of South Kensington.

Yes, there are other new hotels like the W group's latest venture in Leicester Square, which looks like a nightclub and calls its staff "talent" as well as the very stylish One Aldwych which is a glorious Italianate corner building on the outside and sleek and tailored on the inside.

Such choice.

More Of The Dollar House

2011-02-25T21:24:00.003+11:00

In Print in AWW

2011-02-24T06:55:00.010+11:00

The view of the garden inspired the formal living room - all soft blues and greens.

Anna says you can make more of a statement in a formal dining room as it is used less often.

This large outdoor covered space is a great idea for warm climate living.

Sharnel's office is creative and girly, I just love it!

The guest bathroom is very elegant.

Sharnel's daughter Olivia has a room fit for a princess.

I am very excited that another of the houses I photographed in Queensland is in print this month in the Womens Weekly. The talented Sharnel Dollar built her dream house on acreage just outside Brisbane and decorated it with the help of fabulous designer Anna Spiro.

It is such a stunning house it would almost need a book to show all the rooms and decorating ideas. As usual, these are some of the shots that didn't make the story.

Sharnel is one lucky girl...

Colour Clash

2011-02-23T07:25:00.002+11:00

Clashing colour combinations have always been a favourite of mine. Thinking about doing up the second bedroom at one of the beach cottages, I can't get past blue and green (which should never be seen). Pink and orange or red and pink would have t be my most loved combination.

Most interior designers stick to the correct combos in colour theory (more or less)- like red and green, yellow and purple or blue, or orange and blue.

What is your fav combination?

Chair Obsession

2011-02-13T10:49:00.009+11:00

My husband says I have a thing for chairs. My bounty from a day out at garage sales or op shops will usually include at least one chair (or maybe three!).

These things I have photographed are a few of the vintage items I am currently doing up for various projects. The bentwood is for the Sydney house, the orange cane chair is for the beach cottages. It is part of a bedroom set I found last week - that's the bedhead behind.

The gypsy table is a classic. You don't see them much these days but they look great in beach houses and are so practical. I don't know whether to leave it as it is or paint it... What do you think?

Beach Cottage Decor, Revisited!

2011-02-09T02:56:00.000+11:00

Inspiration shot: Bed of Flowers

Inspiration shot: Bed of Flowers
Before shot: Cottage 3
Before shot: Cottage 3
Inspiration shot: Cottage 3
Before shot: Exterior Cottage 3
More Recent shot: Cottage 3

It has been a busy summer season out at the beach cottages. We have had visitors from as far away as Scotland and Singapore! Now I am determined to get back in there and do another layer of decorating as some rooms are still a little spartan.

These photos were taken of Cottage 3 early on. The bedroom with the 4-poster bed has a good backdrop - all-white walls, floors and shutters. The wafty inspiration shot is how I would like it to look.

In the other bedroom I am considering adding some colour with new lamp shades and maybe bright walls. Does anyone have any opinions? As it is a holiday house and no one has to live in it every day, it can be an opportunity to do something a little more daring.... Hmmm. Or should be leave the white on white?

We decided to add a bit of a privacy screen on the front veranda (there is a cafe across the road) so went for this retro coloured glass. Thesedays its very difficult to find old bubble glass and there is only one place that still makes it. I decided to let the picket fence go grey naturally rather than paint it white which is a huge task. You can see here how it has changed.

If you stylish bloggers out there have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

P.S. Picked up some great vintage furniture for these cottages over the weekend and can't wait to show you.

Vintage Outdoor Makeover

2011-02-08T01:58:00.000+11:00

One item I always have waiting in the garage for a makeover is a piece of vintage patio furniture. I pick them up at garage sales or at the recycling centre (a.k.a. the tip) and I can't resist them.

Currently I have about 3 iron stools, an eight seat Italian dining setting and a couple of funky 60s aluminum armchairs with matching cafe table. I love their groovy lines but they are hard work unless you get them sand-blasted which is not a cheap process.

Yesterday I stumbled across Cheryl Maeder in Southern Living Magazine who has a business restoring vintage patio furniture. Now here's a girl who is handy with the sand paper and spray gun! I love the way she uses quite daring colour schemes, too.

California Style

2011-02-07T02:58:00.000+11:00

A typical Kathryn Ireland California-style bedroom.

Meryl Streep's house in the movie "It's Complicated".

British but California-based fabric and interior designer Kathryn Ireland said recently that if you put Southern California and England into a blender, it would spit out Sydney. This could be why as a born and bred Sydneysider, I am drawn to to her colourful designs. I am also a convert to the Spanish Revival architecture often found in that area north of L.A. where she lives and works.

Recently I saw the movie "It's Complicated" starring Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin on DVD again. What I really loved watching it for the second time was being able to take in all the interiors of Meryl's typical Santa Barbara ranch home.

Yes, I am a huge fan of the lightweight timber houses such as the Queenslander and my weatherboard dairy farmhouse in the country, but there is something attractive about the heaviness of the solid brick rendered walls and curves and arches of the Spanish Revival houses, too.

Kathryn Ireland's new book about her house in the South of France is due out on April 1st - can't wait to see it!

Living on the iPad

2011-02-01T00:23:00.000+11:00

I got an iPad for Christmas.

(It is an amazing thing for a girl who is a confirmed mac-aholic.) Just about the best thing I have seen lately for the iPad are the Martha Stewart Living iPad Apps - a special launch issue that came out in November, called Boundless Beauty and the February MSL issue with ice cream and dripping chocolate sauce on the cover!

Coinciding with the 20 year anniversary of the Martha Stewart Living title, the stories on Boundless Beauty combine live action, animation and stills in a way that really engages you.

I loved the "Project Decorate" where two designers decorate identical rooms in different ways.

The story shot in Martha's summer house at Seal Harbour, Maine, made me want to be extra nosey and see lots more.

This could be the way magazines are heading and as a magazine girl, I can't wait to make my own magazine stories into Apps. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes on a house shoot it would be great to capture it. I think some of the best moments on a shoot are when I am interviewing the home owner or designer or just walking around their house with them, chatting.

If you haven't got an iPad find a friend who does and download the Martha apps. If you like shelter magazines this is really something to see!

Industrial Relation

2011-01-25T14:31:00.000+11:00

That stylish library shot in the previous post belongs to designer Jill Brinson. Before she moved she used to live in her photographer husband's studio - a revamped plow factory in Atlanta.

Just LOVE the mix of antiques with industrial stuff. (You can see more at Design Sponge).

The cabinets are a great look for my Hall project. I also have old laboratory sinks for the bathroom and a huge one for the laundry.

Industrial Strength

2011-01-25T00:36:00.000+11:00

I can't stand looking at my 'reality post' any longer - its too untidy and depressing and unfinished!

Lets imagine how the hall will look in about a year from now...

Here are a few kitchens I quite like plus a double height space from one of my favourite houses from last year which was in House Beautiful. Pic 4 is for the gorgeous Sub Zero fridge I have been coveting at Winnings Appliances.

I am leaning towards the stainless steel look - yes, thats Martha herself in the dungarees in her city galley kitchen. It IS the country here but you wont get me in overalls - you will get me in a stainless steel kitchen, however.

Love the dark grey shelving inspiration for my butlers pantry. I feel very grown up to have a Butler's Pantry, which is bigger than my whole kitchen in the city house.

Any more killer shots of industrial/country-ish kitchens will be appreciated.

Catherine

Reno In Progress

2011-01-23T12:40:00.000+11:00

The original Catholic church hall from the South Coast town of Nowra, now in our back yard.

The southern end of the hall shows how high the ceiling will be.

The laundry has a long way to go, but I like the casement windows we put in.

This is the "bridge" from the old house into the hall.

The kitchen area - shelves are where my oven etc will go - remember this for later. The butler's pantry is the door on the left.

This is the layout for the island bench with sink and stools marked.

A building site is never pretty. Apologies for the lack of visual inspiration but this post is all about real life - call it reality blogging.

Our "recycled" church hall is underway at a snail's pace, but making some progress, nevertheless. So we can all appreciate where we have come, say in six months from now, these photos of the kitchen, end wall and laundry show how ugly it can look before it starts to look like you could actually live in it.

Underneath the floor covering are lovely old boards - hopefully all in good condition. We think the building is mid 1800's which is quite old for us antipodeans.

Will keep you posted.

Brisbane House in Print

2011-01-20T21:25:00.000+11:00

The new issue of Aust. Womens Weekly (with Nicole Kidman on the cover) has a story we did about a beautiful Queenslander renovated by the Azzopardi family. It is just near the Brisbane River but hopefully just high enough to have escaped inundation.

The designer girls at Lily G, Melinda and Natalee, did a lovely job helping owner Bernardette decorate the all-white house.

Here are some more photos:

P.S. The pressed metal ceilings are new. Bernardette and Roger liked the raw silver colour they came in so much, they decided to keep them that way. Because of possible corrosion however, they had to paint them silver to protect them. It's a great look.

Here's to Beautiful Brisbane Houses

2011-01-13T17:32:00.000+11:00

These photos from stories I have done recently are typical of the graceful, older-style houses in Brisbane built up on stilts to keep them high and dry.

My husband Rob and I had plans to be up in poor old Brisbane this week but the floods changed all that. Hope all our friends and blog-friends are safe and well. We know that old mates Nigel and Ashley narrowly escaped the deluge - the water came up just under their floorboards!

To all the lovely girls I have done stories on in Brissy - I hope you and your families are safe and that your beautiful houses will get back to normal soon.

Jenny at Auchenflower, Bernardette at West End and a very pregnant Melanie at Corinda - Good Luck and take care!

Glad to hear that Anna and Simone - your gorgeous shops escaped unscathed, too.

Pottering Around The Garden

2011-01-08T11:20:00.000+11:00

The "purple path" leading to the back door from the garage.

The vegie patch has a great view across the meadow to the mountains.

The "shed" where we keep all our reclaimed windows and doors.

Here are some photos of spots around the garden at Sky Meadow...

I should stop mucking around and go and finish a story that is due on Monday!

Blooming Pretty

2011-01-08T03:03:00.000+11:00

Here are some inspirational images from the Bloomingville team. I just love their relaxed, modern vintage vibe.

The cool, muted colour palette is like an updated version of the traditional Swedish Gustavian greys with a dash of lilac. Love the textures of rustic wood mixed with industrial metals as well. Love it all, really...

You can find more here...

In The Vegetable Garden

2011-01-05T09:53:00.000+11:00

Terracotta finials ready to top the tomato stakes in my vegetable garden
Jane Campsie in her decorative vegie patch in England

A garden on the Mornington Penninsula, Victoria by Paul Bangay

What better way to start a new year than in the garden. For me, at this time of year the beaches have less appeal down here due to the influx of summer holiday makers. (Apologies -this must seem far fetched if you are shivering in blizzards somewhere in the northern hemisphere.)

I have mentioned in previous posts that my vegetable garden had turned "feral" in the last few months because of the huge rainfall and warm weather, not to mention my busy schedule... Well I'm pleased to say that it has now been tamed. The giant, matted wild rocket, jurassic weeds and towering silver beets have been yanked out and new seedlings bought at the Berry markets today are about to go in.

Months of compost my husband has been diligently turning has been spread on top and I'm trying to follow organic principles and rotate the sort of crops that will go into each garden bed. Does anyone have a fool-proof guide?

My seven year old daughter helped choose the eclectic range of plants - a strawberry seedling, watermelon, butternut pumpkin, broccoli, sweet basil, yellow egg tomatoes, various types of lettuce and more wild rocket, amongst other things!

I am secretly hoping this will enthuse her to wanting to actually eat all of the above, fingers crossed.

I'll also be putting in some decorative elements in the vegie patch to dress it up. Too often people treat their kitchen gardens as a messy "work area" when they can be quite attractive.

I have an old victorian gate, a set of obelisks and some gorgeous Italian terracotta stake toppers (from Heaven In Earth). Jane Campsie's vegie garden in Hampshire, above, is one of my inspirations and a great example of a decorative garden.

Reading and Relaxing

2011-01-03T03:37:00.000+11:00

It is a bit of a Christmas tradition here at the farmhouse that we give each other books to read over the holidays. This week I have enjoyed lazing around reading about gardens in the Australian countryside and the latest biography on the most famous fashion icon of last century.

I have the movie starring Audrey Tatou and read many books on Chanel before but the new biography, Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life

by former British Voguette Justine Picardie, leads your further inside her life than any other that has come before. You do get the sense that Picardie really immersed herself in the research for the book, even visiting the convent in a remote French village where Chanel grew up and seeking out her closest confidentes. She even wrote some of the book in Chanel’s private quarters on the Rue Cambon. Have a look at Justine Picardie talk about researching the book here and falling under the spell of the legend here.

My daughter usually gives me the latest inspirational garden book. This year I pointed her in the direction of landscape designer Myles Baldwin’s Rural Australian Gardens, a journal of this accomplished gardener's travels from the tropics to the alpine regions of Australia to find the best and most unusual gardens.

It is his enthusiastic, chatty and candid commentary on other designers’ gardens which I find quite refreshing. He visits minimalist David Katon’s Southern Highlands garden but one suspects it’s manicured perfection is not his bag.

The beauty of interior designer Stuart Rattle’s decorative garden in Musk, one of my own favourites, obviously took him by surprise. You really see how non-professional gardeners like Stuart Rattle and his partner become bewitched by their gardens and how they become a real labour of love. (No doubt it helps having a friend like internationally celebrated garden designer, Paul Bangay up the road.)

Baldwin presents gardens owned by real country Australians who are passionate gardeners, exactly as they are - rambling, quirky and honest. I like the fact that some of the gardens he chose are not too perfect as many of them them survive in pretty harsh landscapes.

A Happy New Year

2011-01-01T19:23:00.000+11:00

We had a lovely but relatively quiet night at the beach with friends. The first day of the new year has been a very hot one back here at the farm where it seems to be much warmer even though we are only a few kilometers from the coast, as the crow flies.

The fireworks in Sydney were as spectacular as ever with the Bridge lighting up. Hope you are enjoying bringing in the new year, too.

Real Living -Leah's Inside Story

2010-12-26T03:37:00.000+11:00

Are you enjoying your break? I hope you are. I'm spending some time with family and friends and hoping the phone doesn't ring ...

I love to do stories in my local area to share what I love about it with the rest of the world.

In this month's cracker issue of Real Living there is a story we did on Leah Atkins (check out her wonderful blog Leah-The Inside Story). I met Leah about five years ago when she and her mother started "Home At Last" in Milton, one of the best homewares stores on the South Coast.

Leah is an incurable creative with a well-honed stylist's vision. Every corner of her house is a beautiful still life. I first did a story on Leah and partner Dave about three years ago. Since then they moved away to a new house they were building and moved back in again and it was interesting to see how her style had evolved and what she changed now she had a chance to revisit.

The biggest change was the colour palette. She has taken most of the colour out and gone for a more neutral grey theme mixed with natural textures. The other big difference was that she has painted the floorboards all white to create a lighter backdrop. It has definitely worked a treat and gives the house a fresher, more unified look.

Leah is always working on a new project and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. Luckily for Leah, Dave is a builder and talented cabinet maker so he can make just about anything she dreams up. His current project is Leah's garden "shed" but something tells me its going to be more than a colourbond lock-up!

Check out her blog - her recent posts showing her christmas decorations and "practice" christmas table are fabulous.

Real Living Stories

2010-12-24T02:59:00.000+11:00

One last post before knocking off for Christmas celebrations...

I had almost forgot to post that I have 2 stories in this month's Real Living magazine! I was up in Sydney in a mad frenzy and bumped into it at the newsagent. It's a cracker issue and a great holiday flick, so grab a copy to take to the beach.

First up is the colourful home of Melanie Parker who works with the fabulous Anna Spiro (Absolutely Beautiful Things) at Black & Spiro in Brisbane. Mel is an adorable girl who has done a great job decorating her first home (with hubby Stuart) with lots of vintage finds and confident colours.

I don't know how she finds the time, but Mel also runs homewares business Ivy and Piper with good friend Elizabeth Raptis and they have a great new online magazine.

Here are some shots from the story as well as a few that didn't make the final cut. We narrowly missed out on getting the cover with the top shot - oh well...

I'd also like to thank you for dropping by my blog this year. I have really enjoyed your comments and feedback and getting to know all of you out there in this online world of all things stylish!

Please take care and enjoy the festive season wherever you are in the world.

The Gardenia Hedge

2010-12-21T04:41:00.000+11:00

One of my favourite things about summer is the smell of gardenias. When I was a little girl, I planted a gardenia tree outside my bedroom window so I could smell the perfume when the window was open on warm summer nights.

I now have a gardenia hedge which, despite being neglected this year, has nevertheless produced beautiful blooms. This would be thanks to the weeks of wet weather, most likely.

I keep a bunch on my desk so I have the fragrance with me all day and park my car near the hedge so I can smell the flowers every time I go out!

Funky Christmas D.I.Y.

2010-12-19T02:50:00.000+11:00

A simple silver paper chain - even I can do that!

Baubles hanging from a lamp shade? Dead easy.

Pinecones, spray-painted and wired onto a frame? Tricky but do-able.

Paint an old tree branch and hang the stockings...

Make a more chic stocking for oneself out of a glam fabric like fake fur.

A bit of pink ribbon on a bare wall - too easy.

Little kids (and big kids) like a bit of Christmas craft. I think this is part of the fun and build up to the big day. Problem is I am always looking for ideas that aren't too "twee". Here are some funky - and pretty simple - inspirations from Living Etc magazine. They get my award for the "coolest" christmas ideas for the second year in a row.

Best Xmas Decor ideas

2010-12-18T04:08:00.000+11:00

Tim Rundle's still life with baubles, above and modern Christmas below.

Fabric tree at Black & Spiro, above, and Martha's golden-toned tree at Bedford, New York.

Silver on silver - keeping it monochrome at Martha Stewart's New York State home.

Black & Spiro tree of rainbow colours!

A table decoration at Martha's East Hampton home.

It has been fun getting into the Christmas spirit and here are some of my picks for best festive styling. this year.

1. The team at Martha Stewart (or is it just Martha?) who decorate her houses. Most of us can only dream about having so many gorgeous houses and the time to decorate so many trees! I love the fact she has christmas trees in the hall, in the kitchen as well as the living room.

2. Tim Rundle is a natty stylist who has glammed up his seventies bungalow for Christmas for Living Etc. So many decorations... love the ideas for decorating a modern home for the season.

3. Loved Anna Spiro's colourful Christmas tree made from fabric strips. She posted it a while ago but here it is to enjoy again!

That's The Spirit

2010-12-13T12:27:00.001+11:00

Thanks for all the comments. I am doing a quick post because I am running from one house to the next getting them ready for the Christmas holidays. Needless to say I am writing long "to do" lists, working on those festive wreaths and Chrissy trees for the beach houses and will photograph the results.

As I go I'm also having to do all the mundane stuff like replace wine glasses, soak cushion covers and rush out to buy new dish racks... what fun.

Note to self: remember to take the camera and the hot glue gun!!

Christmas Decoration

2010-12-06T09:16:00.000+11:00

Martha Stewart tree from a few Xmases ago.
Loving the silver birch hand made tree.

Martha's seaside themed tree.
Love red and white decorations this year!

This past weekend has been all about putting up Christmas trees, wrapping presents and getting ready for the silly season.. The best tree I have found this year is the silver birch branch tree I found at Shady Fig, a great south coast florist and gift shop.

I always have a look at Martha Stewart for tree inspiration as well. This year I have 5 more trees to put up in the holiday houses, so I'll need some inspiration! At the beach I usually do something twiggy with shells but this year I might try something different...

Here are some great looking trees and a great wreath made by blogger Belinda Graham at thehappyhomeblog.

Just Paint It!

2010-11-28T06:24:00.000+11:00

Grey on grey from the gorgeous Bed Of Flowers in Holland

A simple blue chair makes this entry hall.

It's hard to go past white painted furniture on white floors and walls.

Love this modern update on shabby chic at Bed Of Flowers in Holland

Even Ralph Lauren is getting into it....

I have to admit I still feel a twinge of guilt when applying a first coat of paint on a perfectly nice piece of wooden furniture. On my recent travels shooting house stories for the glossies, I saw some particularly good examples which I can't show yet as they have not been published!

In the meantime, here are some favourites from my files.

I am making a long list of pieces I need to do myself, both for home and the beach cottages...

First up, I have to paint some old cane furniture for my verandah and I am wondering if I should paint them all white or add some colour?

Beach Vintage in the Weekly

2010-11-24T03:56:00.000+11:00

Simone looked beautiful on the day in her Lazybones dress.

Here is the opening page of the article.

Its a shame Simone's sewing room didn't make it - its interesting to see where she works!

The whole house is so light and open - perfect for such a warm climate.

Love the rustic, shabby chic look at the beach.

Just out today is the Christmas issue of the Australian Womens Weekly with a story we did on Simone at Beach Vintage. What a dynamo and terrific girl is that Simone!

Simone's beautiful waterfront home is in a part of Queensland I had never been before called the Redland Shire between Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

Like many of you I have been a follower of Beach Vintage since I discovered blogging and walking around her house, everything seemed so familiar. Meeting the people who own these inspiring places is always such a pleasure.

As usual, as there is never enough room to publish all the photos we like, so here are some more.

The Weekly have done a lovely job with the story and its a thrill for me too to be contributing to such an Australian icon.

Laid Back Chic at the Beach

2010-11-20T19:20:00.000+11:00

I have been on the road doing stories, meetings and attending the state Tourism Awards. We have photographed some very inspiring people and some glorious houses, full of love and creative ideas. Can't wait to see them myself on the printed page...

Being at the Tourism Awards reminded me that I have written many times about how important I feel it is to have an inspiring surroundings when you are on holiday. It might be a simple bush shack, a modest beach house or a 6-star hotel room - a thoughtful interior adds another dimension to the experience.

The tourism awards threw up some new names (for me, anyway) but there were not many hotels and resorts that had outstanding interiors.

A friend of mine has a small BandB in Jervis Bay. She and her husband have created the perfect beachy escape without spending a fortune and this is what I am talking about. They have restored their old HMAS Creswell cottage themselves and decorated each room with an eclectic mix of antiques and inexpensive vintage finds mixed with new. The colour palette and overall vibe is restful but chic.

http://www.huskissonbnb.com.au/

Inspiration and Perspiration

2010-11-13T20:33:00.000+11:00

My work is a mix of inspiration and perspiration. In the past weeks, perspiration has won out and I have not had much time to be inspired to blog. As a bit of a treat I bought the fall (halloween) issue of Martha Stewart Living ( we get it a month later here in Australia) and I just thought it was great.

There was a fab industrial style house reno in Texas, a spooky but beautiful story on Victoriana style plus a spread on how to decorate with dark colours. It was the best issue of Martha I have seen yet.

I love it when inspiration breaks a week of heavy workload and here are some of my breakthrough images. I hope they speak to you too.

P.S. I couldn't believe the orange industrial shelving. I have had the same thing supporting my bathroom vanity basin for the past 4 years and many visitors, parents especially, have wondered why we haven't got around to replacing it yet. "When are you going to get a 'proper' vanity?" is the usual question. Thanks Martha, if its good enough for you....

Brendan Moar's Garden

2010-11-06T05:23:00.000+11:00

Call me nosey, but I have always found it intriguing to see the homes of the stylists and editors in the media. In fact I have noticed that Martha Stewart now has a special section devoted to editors' houses.

Brendan Moar is an Aussie landscape designer who has been a contributor to Inside Out magazine and the Lifestyle channel.

I really like his unusual, quite eclectic garden decor in a tight urban space. I especially like the retro elements like the butterfly chair, umbrella and 50s iron patio pieces. It is also packed full of ideas, like the striped decking boards and grouped white retro-style pots.

I also wonder where they get the time to do all of this....

Smell The Roses

2010-10-31T07:20:00.000+11:00

The past week has been one of those weeks. My mother had a serious turn and is in hospital but is now recovering well.

Thus the lack of posts. I have to say I have been enjoying being around the house for a change this weekend and am enjoying how spectacular the roses are this season, thanks to the rain.

In between writing a few paragraphs for a magazine story in the early hours (before anyone else stirs) I have been popping out to pick some more blooms to enjoy.

My favourites are my climbing Pierre de Ronsard, which has mint green petals with hot pink tips, Julia's Rose which is the most delicate cafe latte colour, and Stainless Steel, a pale grey mauve rose the size of a side plate.

The orange blooms are "Ian Thorpe" named after the famous swimmer. I love them because they are orange, definitely not peach.

The Height of Style

2010-10-22T16:43:00.000+11:00

This came via my husband's architects' network - an apartment in a pyramid atop the oldest skyscraper in Seattle. Apparently the tenant, Petra Franklin, heard that the space existed (it previously housed a water tank) and lobbied the building owners to let her take a long lease and convert it into a home for her family.

What a space and what amazing views!

Ralph Modern

2010-10-21T07:43:00.000+11:00

Ralph and Ricky Lauren's wonderful NYC apartment is in the latest Elle Decor. It's really quite minimal for them, but so my clients tell me, the older you get the more you want to get rid of "stuff". Lots of gorgeous details and some quite stunning interior architecture.

Berry Garden Festival

2010-10-17T02:18:00.000+11:00

This weekend our local garden festival is on. The usually quiet back streets are full of cars and buses and people meandering from garden to garden. The weather has been unseasonably cold and windy, but all the rain has made the lawns and rolling hills behind the most vibrant shade of emerald green.

If you can imagine, Berry is a small, historic town just a few kilometres from the coast, nestled under a small mountain range. It is surrounded by dairy farms and unlike many parts of Australia, is constantly green.

The soil is mostly pretty good, and there are many stunning gardens - both in small town blocks and on rambling rural acreage. One of the stand-outs this year is the garden of our friends L & D who live in one of the grandest old houses in town, The Manse. D's surgical skills have been applied to creating the most perfect hedges I have ever seen.

Their garden, like the house, is elegant and formal as befits a former Victorian church manse. To me, the best domestic gardens respond to the architecture with a hint of the personalities of the owners as well.

Kate Spade Pops Up

2010-10-16T01:57:00.000+11:00

New York accessories designer, Kate Spade, has opened a pop-up shop in a town house in London's Covent Garden. Apparently this is a temporary thing to test the waters and build brand awareness while they look for a "proper" shop.

What a fab idea. Personally, I think this is much more interesting than seeing yet another slick, high street emporium. These interiors are quirky, inventive and a little bit edgy.

I'm inspired, how about you?

Moving Outdoors

2010-10-14T07:28:00.000+11:00

It's spring here and the annual Berry Garden Festival starts today. Can't wait to get around and see some of the beautiful gardens which have had lots of wet weather lately so should be very lush.

Its also time to start planning spots on the verandah to set up for summer entertaining. Here are a couple of lovely shots from West Elm for inspiration.

One For The Look-Book

2010-10-10T03:49:00.000+11:00

I recently found this story of designer Ginger Barber's guesthouse in Texas again, and realised how similar it is to my place.... or how I want it to be when its finished!

So this post is really just a note to myself to start thinking of how I want the fireplace to look, what finishes I want on the floors and benchtops. I have a pile of huge sandstone blocks waiting for a stonemason and this fireplace is probably close to what I want. I even have cows just like that one just over the fence!

High-rise Makeover

2010-10-09T03:35:00.000+11:00

Many people live in modern high-rise apartment blocks these days and it can be a real challenge to create a welcoming interior in what is basically a space that is more "office" than "home".

New York designers have been tackling this problem for years and this dining nook makeover by Celerie Kemble (from House Beautiful) is a great example of how they use fabric and texture to soften the hard lines and completely ignore the "office" room structure.

The banquette makes the corner particularly cosy and the circular rug defines the dining space.

Tree House

2010-10-08T06:49:00.000+11:00

God love them, my aunt and mother have been gathering information on our family tree for decades. Like many who live in the "new world", our heritage is a fascinating patchwork of stories of adventure and heartbreak and the meeting of many cultures.

I have put myself in as the contributor from the next generation, partly because my curiousity knows no bounds. And also because I have the skills to research the internet and put it all together.

How can I string this back to an interior design post?

In my endless Googles about a certain Scottish ancestor who started the wine trade on the island of Madeira, I found that the ancestral home, near Inverness, is on the market for the first time ....and what a pile it is.

As some followers may remember, I have been contemplating buying an old pile somewhere in Europe for a few years now. Our plans to buy in rural France however, were put on the back burner when the GFC took hold.

Yesterday I found myself grilling a friend who used to work for BBC Scotland just HOW cold it is there. She said that she used to come home from work, have a hot bath and get straight under the duvet in winter. Hmmm.

Anyway, its fun to entertain the thought of living here. I already have the Pringle twin-set (which is hot pink).

The Big SALE!

2010-09-29T12:10:00.000+10:00

In My House, the extended pop-up shop, is sadly coming to the end of its lease in Berry.

The good news is that we have lots of amazing bargains for designers and home decorators. From big decorator statements like this amazing coral mirror, to gorgeous quilts and garden accessories. I have great new season map cushions plus plenty of beachy striped cushions - all at sale prices.

I even have shells and coral as well as french soaps and hand creams - there are lots of gorgeous things.

We can deliver to most parts of Sydney, the Southern Highlands, Illawarra and South Coast. We can also post to other parts of Australia.

There are also some lovely vintage pieces and furniture we have restored. Come and see us in Berry or give us a call or email!

Brands on sale include:

Ruby Star

Cath Kidston

Meizai

Savon de Marseilles

Styletto French stationery

Un Esprit En Plus

Pip Duck gumboots (50% off!)

In My House

Email: inmyhouse@bigpond.com

ph: 02 4464 1855

open 10am -4.30pm (every day except Tuesday)

The Screened Porch

2010-09-28T07:30:00.000+10:00

I had never heard of screened porches until saw Grace Coddington's in a magazine many years ago. I have wanted one ever since. A friend of mine who lives in a mozzie-prone area near the beach has one and she lives out there most of the year.

We are planning such a porch at the end of our school house which will look out across the fields to the mountains. Here are some inspiring examples I thought I'd share.

Before and After

2010-09-27T05:39:00.000+10:00

This is a great contrast between before and after in a renovation in upstate New York (from Country Living). The magazines don't seem to show the before shots much anymore, probably because they look so unattractive!

Anyway, I do love a before shot. I can relate...

Freelancing For Magazines

2010-09-24T01:51:00.000+10:00

My good friend Allison over at Pink Fibro is what I would call a serious wordsmith. She is also a freelancer and did a post on breaking into this business which generated quite a bit of interest this week. Here is my two cents worth on the subject.

I am the first to admit that for the two of us, who have worked in glossies for many years, it is somewhat easier to crack this market as we already have the contacts and a "feel" for different publications.

If you have ambitions to contribute to magazines or newspapers, I would offer the following advice:

- try to write about what you are passionate about and the enthusiasm will shine through.

-what kind of writer do you want to be? are you a stylist as well? Do you write about houses or about general features as well? Have a focus. Know what area you wish to pursue.

- have a good look at the sort of stories the magazine/newspaper publishes and anticipate what THEY might be looking for, not what YOU think they should run.

-just pick the phone up and call the features editor or the homes editor. Who knows, you just might get through.

-always send in clean copy. If your copy is riddled with typos and spelling mistakes they will bin it.

-I usually put a suggested heading and introduction and sometimes breakout boxes if that is their style.

I have always been a writer of sorts although I spent most of my early magazine career on the visual side. Now I do both producing and styling as well as writing. And although I'm not as skilled a wordsmith as dedicated writers like Allison who writes on serious topics like finance and parenting, I do quite well in my niche of design and lifestyle because I am passionate about it and combining the visual with the words works well for me.

Room for A Dressing Room

2010-09-23T00:52:00.000+10:00

Carrie Bradshaw's new old dressing room in SATC2.

Jenna Lyon's dressing room in a Brooklyn townhouse.

Carrie's bachelorette dressing room again.

The matrimonial dressing room in SATC2- fabulous but a bit precious for me.

My husband cannot understand why I have so many pairs of shoes, no matter how many times I have tried to explain it to him. I have stressed the practicality issue of having the right heel and colour for every occasion. How you have to keep a supply of dressy thongs (flipflops) and beach thongs for summer and boots for winter. Then there's high heels, kitten heels and cork platforms and wedges - all important to have on stand-by.

Then there's the archive. I have even kept a few pairs of fabulous designer favourites that don't really fit me since going up a size after becoming a mother. (Isn't that another strange motherhood mystery?).

So I am pondering the possibilites of having a dressing room which may have to share space with my home office. Jenna Lyons (J.Crew style maven) has converted a whole room in her townhouse to hers. Even gals in tight New York apartments find room for them. And then there is Carrie Bradshaw's in SATC.

I would settle for something like the closet in her bachelorette flat. In fact I would prefer it to the one she shares with Mr Big in the new digs. (I am not keen on men who have tie collections.)

What is your dressing room dream?

People in Rue

2010-09-17T05:22:00.000+10:00

I don't know what it is but I love seeing real people in design magazines. Some design magazines avoid people at all cost and in some mags, the people are so "private" they couldn't possibly appear in print. How vulgar!

When I go along to other peoples' houses to shoot a story, meeting the owners is usually the biggest pleasure. Guilt over the frantic cleaning and tidying frenzy that has preceded our arrival aside, seeing the person behind the ideas and style is great fun and including them adds another level of interest to the pictures.

A great example of this is the launch issue of online magazine, RUE, which has a fabulous line up of personalities from all over the USA. Put together by a group of four design bloggers - two from Chicago and two from San Francisco - it embodies the spirit of blogging in a magazine format.

Go girls!

Cath does Watermelon

2010-09-16T09:39:00.000+10:00

Just when I thought I had found the only shots in the world of watermelon rooms, up comes Cath Kidston's house in Lonny mag. I don't even think I have to get my paint brush out - this does it for me!

Back On Board

2010-09-12T06:36:00.000+10:00

Day bed in a garden bure at LikuLiku

The Malolo bures above, have a "plantation" feel to them.

View from the hammock at Malolo.

Infinity pool at Likliku.

The lagoon at Likuliku with over-water bures.

I have just returned from just over a week away photographing houses and holidaying in beautiful Fiji.

The houses belonged to some very talented Brisbane girls and they will hopefully be appearing in some of your favourite lifestyle magazines soon.

I did get to stay at the Malolo Island resort in Fiji which has just been redecorated by Gold Coast designer Vanessa Wood. She has done a great job with the bures and the resort has a lovely restful, tradtional vibe.

We also got to pop over to the couples only resort next door, LikuLiku, which is just stunning. The over water bures are the only ones in Fiji and they even have glass floor panels so you can look down into the water.

I can recommend both these resorts - Malolo if you have kids and Likuliku if its just you and a special someone!

The Right Proportions

2010-08-28T08:26:00.000+10:00

My husband (the architect) and I have been up early looking at the progress of the hall this morning over a cup of tea. Looking at the generous space of the hall has inspired me to write about proportions today.

I'm writing an article for House & Garden at the moment about a house my husband designed. The owner, a reasonably conservative accountant in his 60s, told me how he gets up every morning and walks around thinking, "I just love this house!". When I tried to pin him down about what exactly it was he liked so much, it came down to the fact that the rooms were generous, the ceilings soaring and the windows looking out to the view were huge.

One of the best renovating advice I could give to anyone is before you build something, think carefully about the proportions of each room.

When we walk into a room and think "this is a really nice space" but don't really know why, its usually because the proportions are right. Have a look at the examples above: Ralph Lauren's villa in Round Hill, Jamaica with those gorgeous high ceilings and french windows or minimalist architect John Pawson's bathroom. Both have balanced spaces, windows in the right places and a ceiling height that feels right.

Too often, people start off with a nice design but cut corners with things like ceiling height and positioning of windows, usually on the advice of the builder. Don't do it, even if your budget is strangling your better judgement because you will have to live with it for a very long time.

Who knows, living in a house with the right proportions could even be the secret to a happy life!

Gutsy Grey

2010-08-23T03:33:00.000+10:00

I would call this London interior (from a recent issue of Living Etc) quite gutsy and bold. I love the masculinity of the deep colours and animal skins, softened by the unexpected girlishness of a hot pink velvet headboard and floral plates. Very British.

Glamping

2010-08-21T08:24:00.000+10:00

These are the best fashion catalogue shots I have seen in a while. Ernest Hemingway's great-grand daughter Dree on safari in Africa for Louis Vuitton (via Habitually Chic).

Glamorous camping or "glamping" is really popular thesedays, although I am well known for not being much of a camper. One of my sisters and her husband are very outdoorsey and spend a fair amount of their holidays sleeping outdoors with their young kids. Occasionally we meet up for a picnic lunch at some picturesque camping spot.

Recently we were invited to go camping in the Southern Highlands with some journo friends. Needless to say, It was not a great success. My husband and daughter loved it but I ended up sleeping in my all-wheel drive Volvo to escape the swarm of bees circling my tent and the air mattress from hell.

There were many snickers behind tin mugs the next morning and I have to admit I was almost hyperventilating to get back to Bowral for a coffee. The secret to comfortable camping, so they tell me, is to have all the right kit and you have to be sure you like it before investing.

I do like the safari "look" but prefer to enjoy it at arms length, preferably in the pages of a LV catalogue, thanks very much.

Watermelon Pink

2010-08-20T07:52:00.000+10:00

Both Anna Spiro and I share a crippling addiction to pink (she has just done a post).

I am just itching to paint a room in flamingo pink. I have the sample pot, now all I have to do is find a room!

What is new about pink is the way you mix it. I love it clashing with red, a la Yves St Laurent, or have it as a bold accent in an all-white or grey room. It looks modern with other pinks in bold pop art prints.

Resort Style

2010-08-18T07:09:00.000+10:00

Malolo Island, Fiji - interiors by Vanessa Wood

Tanjung Sari, Bali is a very old resort
Raes On Wategos is where the celebrities stay in Byron.

I have been looking at taking a beach holiday (it's winter here) and have realised how fussy I have become when it comes to the interior decor of hotels and resorts.

Now I am not necessarily into 5-6 star all the way, but I am totally over those glitzy 5 star hotels that all look the same, no matter where in the world you are. It's actually really hard to find something stylish that offers more of a cultural experience. There are some exceptions:

Tanjung Sari in Bali, Malolo Island in Fiji (haven't been there as yet) and Raes on Wategos on the beach at Byron Bay.

Malolo was done by Gold Coast designer, Vanessa Wood.

Does anyone know of any others.... preferably where you can take kids. I should have mentioned that.

Remembering Richard

2010-08-15T05:49:00.000+10:00

At Vogue we used to wonder why all the good fashion photographers were surfers... Was it their connection with nature, understanding of the beauty of early morning light or was it just an a fine-tuned appreciation of girls in bikinis?

Perhaps Australia's most successful contemporary fashion photographer and life long surfer, Richard Bailey, passed away from cancer recently at age 52.

Dickie, with his movie star looks that hid a boyish shyness, had an extraordinary talent and drive, producing some of his hottest images in his last decade.

He had a way of entrancing models and you could almost see it in their eyes when you looked through the shots on the lightbox or computer screen. He launched the careers of many of Australia's most successful models and he will be missed enormously by all who worked with him at Vogue over his 31 year association.

His houses were always amazing. He was never without an inspiring ocean view, a great garden that he tended himself and a way with interiors that was consummate beach style.

What a shame to lose such a man, too early.

Inner City Modern

2010-08-15T05:31:00.000+10:00

This renovated terrace in Sydney's inner west is a great example of how you can update an old house close to the city. Many families, once they have kids, move further out (like to the country, like me) but this family have made the most of the space and created a fun, colourful environment.

The Hall Hits the Low Point

2010-08-08T06:30:00.001+10:00

The church hall is coming along at glacial pace due to a lack of time and finances. Yesterday the carpenter managed to put in the door which links the hall to the main house. Hooray! (My husband is determined to get it up and running so we can organise the rest of the house).

The most work done to the hall so far has been all the boring stuff - drainage, engineering, shoring up the structure once the ceiling came out. The new (old) re-cycled windows are in but it still looks like a building site. I always say it has to get worse before it gets better and there is always a low point in any renovation. It's usually in the middle of winter ...and this is it.

After many years and many renovations, I almost look forward to "the low point" because it means the worst is out of the way. I think many renovators are shocked when they reach the low point and this is when reno-stress sets in. It's also because when things are looking ugly its also when unexpected problems appear, such as termite infestation, dodgy plumbing, wood rot etc.

So today I thought I'd post some nice pics of barns and cricket pavilions that have been renovation success stories, just to egg me on!

Palm Encore

2010-08-06T06:26:00.000+10:00

India Hicks adds Caribbean style to her rooms with palm fronds

Not since I was a teen have indoor plants been cool. Martha Stewart invited hem back in a few years ago (or did they ever go?) but maybe that's because she lives in a colder climate.

Anyway, I have been contemplating the benefits of indoor gardening myself lately. It's not just the benefits of cleaner air, I'm even warming to the idea of a potted palm in the beach house living rooms. At its best the palm is a little bit India Hicks in the Caribbean. At its worst it reminds me of unimaginative office foyers.

So this weekend I might venture into that most stylish of nurseries, the plant section of Kmart, which may be the only place where the fishbone fern, african violet and potted palm still thrive. Think outside the style square...

Berry In House & Garden

2010-08-05T06:06:00.000+10:00

Check out the September issue of House and Garden which kicks off with my story on Freya and Jelle Hilkemeijer's country barn conversion just outside Berry.

For those who have never been to the South Coast of New South Wales, their Berry Woodfired Sourdough Bakery is a local institution and a mecca for good food and coffee lovers.

This barn, at the foot of a rainforest-covered mountain, was originally full of farm machinery and junk when Freya and Jelle decided to turn it into their house. Freya's sister Natasha worked with them on the plans and builder Jamie Strong worked wonders, keeping to a tight budget and re-using things like the existing concrete slab and making screens out of old tomato stakes from Jelle's parents strawberry farm.

I have included some shots which the story couldn't fit in.

On Trend: The Colour Purple

2010-07-31T04:08:00.000+10:00

I'm noticing various shades of violet popping up here and there. It's a tricky colour to decorate with but always looks fresh when mixed with green or metal.

These examples are from the new Bloomingville range and a purple paneled room via Plush Palate.

That Zebra Chair

2010-07-30T01:31:00.000+10:00

‘Iam only good for two things in this world,” Valentino once told me, “designing dresses and the decoration of houses. I am not capable to do anything else.” Valentino in August Vanity Fair.

Just had to show you this photo from Vanity Fair of Valentino's New York apartment. That Zebra chair is fabulous is it not?

Apparently Jacques Grange was called in to spruce up Valentino's fifth Avenue pied-a-terre, transforming it from '1980s ode to czarist-Russian opulence' to an all-white, lacquered wall gallery for his enviable collection of modern art.

God love him.... at 78!

Ideas Between The Covers

2010-07-29T02:11:00.000+10:00

Thanks everyone for such thought provoking comments on blogs vs magazines.To me, this interaction is the most rewarding aspect of blogging. I often wonder about what people think of the stories I do for magazines. You send it off to the editor, it gets published and that's that. It's as if it goes right out into space...

Yesterday Simon and shot a great place down here on the South Coast which I might talk about next week when he processes the photos. We have a really nice story coming out in the next issue of House & Garden magazine, which I will write about shortly. House & Garden is looking really good these days and their website is a handy source for ideas - one of the better magazine sites, I think. The images above are some of my picks from H&G for inspiration for the farmhouse.

These top two rooms are going into my file for how I am going to deal with the huge space of the church hall which will be our kitchen, living and ding combined. Having photographed endless houses with huge open plan living areas, I have to admit I feel more inclined to make the space more cosy. How great is this day bed "box" inside a large space? This will go straight into my scrapbook!

This bedroom and bathroom combo is something I have been thinking about for our attic bedroom. I can see this will probably become my daughter's room when she approaches teen age. It has tented, boarded ceilings which would be a shame to break up with a bathroom wall. Should be the ultimate teen pad.

Blogs Vs Magazines

2010-07-27T06:12:00.000+10:00

Am I really that old? I remember as a young designer in the art department at Vogue LIVING, we were shown this new American magazine that we all supposed copied OUR name. It was called Martha Stewart LIVING. We scoffed politely. These were the early days of the light and bright lifestyle magazines and the Aussies, perhaps because we live like that, nailed the look first. That was 20 years ago!

Martha was very clever. She took that look and made it her own in a market that was, and still is, about 15 times bigger. It's ironic to think that the girl at the helm of MSL magazine nowadays is an Aussie girl who was the creative force behind Donna Hay magazine.

What I am getting at however is what does the future hold for printed magazines in a world where blogging is catching on in a big way? The mags feed the blogs, but the blogs also feed the mags.

Do you still like the feel of paper and having a magazine on your coffee table to pick up and flick through ? Do you blog and read magazines as well?
What do design blogs do for you that magazines don't?

I'd love to know your thoughts.

California Dreaming

2010-07-23T03:24:00.000+10:00

I am getting nervous as the day Simon Kenny comes down to photograph my beach cottages is drawing near...

I submit other people to the terror of having their houses photographed for magazines regularly. And to the torture of being grilled on their decorating decisions... but hate having the cameras turned on me. I'll admit it.

In the meantime I am loving these photos from House Beautiful of a 1938 beach cottage in California. The all white backdrop with hits of green and pink is a nice change. The odd piece of vintage furniture is always fun at the beach.