Inspired Living

I've been looking at carpets today (for the bedrooms) and thought I could write a post on the ins and outs of choosing carpet. But quite frankly I've decided it would be, well, yawn-inducing. Suffice to say that 100% wool is best (preferably from New Zealand - yay!) and the rest is up to personal choice and the amount of wear and tear the area will get.

So, instead, here are some images of living areas I love and hope you do too ...

From Desire to Inspire; image Magnus Selander.

A hint of purple and a stunning rug.

From Four Walls and a Roof.

Oh, for an outdoor room that doesn't look like an outdoor room!

The Tree House in California by KAA Design Group; image Erhard Pfeiffer.

Courtesy The Contemporist.

From Otthon

These two are homes in Hungary by Catherine Dickens.

Wow - the hot pink chairs really work, primarily because of the neutral colour scheme.

Gorgeous still life like a painting itself.

Light Lust

Everyone who knows me knows I've got a thing for lights. I can't help it! Everywhere I go - whether it's a restaurant or shop or website-surfing - I am drawn to the lighting. And, quite frankly, why wouldn't you be, when there are SO many cool lights around that can not only add a beautiful atmosphere to a room but are like works of art themselves.

Now that we've got four quite different lights in our rather small living area - two standing and two table that range from driftwood beach-style to ostrich feather to industrial metal - I can honestly say that you can never have too many lights! (Or am I just biaised?).

And now I've found even more. So indulge me, here, please ...

So cute - the Lucellino light by Ingo Maurer from Space Furniture designed way back in 1992.

Elegant pendant light - imaged styled by stylist Camilla Julner. Image courtesy Desire to Inspire.

And another by Camilla Julner - love the feathers! Image courtesy Desire to Inspire.

Stunning table lamp offset beautifully by the white walls and furniture and the lime green shelving. Image courtesy Belle Maison.

Quirky and original 'Favourite Things' pendant light by Swedish designer Chen Karlsson as shown at Stockholm design week. Image courtesy Emmas Blogg.

I call this the 'squiggle' light for all writers who like to doodle! From E-Architect, the Biscuit house in Lyon by architect Pierre Minassian.

Ici et La Lamp

Thanks to some of my gorgeous friends I was given a voucher from Ici et La in Sydney's Surry Hills for my birthday at the end of last year and I've only just had a chance to go and visit. For those who don't know Ici et La imports beautiful French fabric, furniture and accessories - or as they say 'objet de charme and bespoke metal'. Oh the choices! But I couldn't go past this Belgian table lamp that would be great in a study, as a side table light in a living room or even on a bedside table.

Their resident bulldog is adorable but, unfortunately, not for sale!

They even have a large range of espadrilles ...

and a range of zinc and metal letters and numbers ...

Study Chic

For anyone who works from home - such as myself - you realise how important it is for your home office or study to be not only well-organised and functional, but a pleasant place in which to spend time - whether for working or surfing the net or even reading a book. I've collected an ecletic mix of images of the home office/study - all of which are inspiring me in my quest to create the perfect space. Which ones do you like?

King Residence in Santa Monica, California by John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects. Courtesy The Contemporist.

From Habitually Chic; designer Richard Mishaan.

The Queens Park Residence, Sydney by CplusC Architects and Builders. Courtesy The Contemporist.

From House and Garden; images Sharyn Cairns, Marcus Clinton.

The Adams Fleming House by Levitt Goodman Architects; images Ben Rahn/A-Frame. Courtesy The Contemporist.

Portobello Road House by Pitman Tozer Architects; images Nick Kane. Courtesy E-Architect.

Dining Tables

I’ve been thinking a lot about dining tables recently – mainly because we will be moving out of our house in about two months and I want to make sure the dark timber floorboards of the original house are kept so they can be reused.

Initially I wanted to have a long, trestle-style table made from the floorboards for our entrance-way but am now wondering whether or not to get a 10-seater dining table made as well. How cool would that look? These are the floorboards - which actually look darker in real life - from which we could get a mirror frame or photo frames made as well.

This Queens Park Residence in Sydney by CplusC Architects and Builders had this Kauri pine table custom-made from floorboards of the original home which looks great against the darker timber throughout the house.

Credit: The Contemporist

In the meantime, I have been looking around at other possible dining tables we could purchase, such as these French rustic tables from Rust up at Avalon on Sydney's Northern beaches ...

I also quite like round dining tables which are cosier and great for ensuring everyone can take part in the one conversation. A beautiful dining nook in the home of Mara Murphy from Dutch Door Press.

From Design*sponge

Or modern ones, like this one from eco-friendly Australian designer furniture Jardan ...

Or this one from Designs in Timber from Tasmania ...

Or this one, called 'Hugo', from Australian designers Norman + Quaine at Living Edge - which actually looks terrible in this picture and much nicer in person!

Oh, the choices!

Valentine's Design

It's Valentine's Day this weekend and while I don't exactly subscribe to it, there's nothing wrong with a little love and a weekend away with one's loved one any time of the year. The Robert Restaurant has recently opened atop the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City and has a distinctly Valentine's day feel to it, don't you think?

The name belies what lies beneath with its funky decor and hot pink colour - I think you could have a fun night here!

Then you could follow it with a night or two at the Luna2 Private Hotel where the decor is interesting and certainly doesn't look like a hotel room.

... which in a way it isn't as it's a private five-bedroom house on a beachfront in Bali, Indonesia designed by American architect David Wahl, with interiors by owner and interior designer Melanie Hall.

But as I can neither whisk away to New York or Bali this weekend, I'll have to put them down on my wish list of overseas destinations I'd love to visit one day with my Valentine!

Warlu Art

Am loving the work by the artists of the Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation in Yuendumu in the Northern Territory (from where we got our beautiful desert dog, Ruby).





On behalf of the artists, workers and volunteers, I'd like to show you a little of what they do that can be purchased via volunteer Sandra from PAWS Rescue who has recently brought some of the canvases and jewellery down to Sydney to sell for the community and is doing so solely for charity.



Here is an example of how some of the smaller canvases can look when hung as one artwork from the owner of "White Home" in Woollahra. They are 30 x 30 cm and come unmounted but can be easily stapled to a canvas and she is selling them for $90 (which is pretty good considering the new ones on via the artists' website are for $120). All the paintings come with Certificates of Authenticity as well.

Plus she has brought back a huge selection of necklaces (which range in price from $35 to $60) and bracelets made by the women. The photos don't do them justice ...

Email Sandra if you'd love to see the wares @ paddopetals@optusnet.com or check out the art gallery on the Warlu website to see more.

Wallpapering Bathrooms

Having been mulling over bathroom tiles, I still fancy having wallpaper in the guest toilets - as a feature wall or a panel behind the vanity with a funky mirror. Here's an idea from Everything Turquoise ...

And from Belle Maison - a bit of a statement but I think for a small washroom it actually works.

While not in a bathroom, this fun frame wallpaper from Le Souk in the Netherlands (they ship internationally) could also work ...

Then I discovered some gorgeous wallpaper from Modern Chic Home (the online shop of Belle Maison's Julie Thigpen). Unfortunately, they don't ship out of the States but I'm sure you can find similar elsewhere (ideas anyone ..?)

And thanks to Lucy at Four Walls and a Roof who commented on my recent tile blog, I have fallen in love with Ferm Living - Danish design that is stylish and available in Australia! Two of my favourites are these (as you can see, I have a thing for the colours teal blues, muted greys and chocolate browns).

If anyone knows of any other fabulous wallpaper designs, I'd love to hear about them!