Christmas in Flower

This will be my last blog of the year! I'm off to spend it with family in New Zealand where the beautiful red Pohutukawa will be in full flower. It is our unique Christmas tree. You never know I might find some inspirational things there and will post on them in the New Year. In the meantime, I found these two Pohutukawa-inspired New Zealand designs ...

Pohutukawa tea towel from Ingrid Anderson Textile Design. Printed on 100% natural fibre fabrics and made in New Zealand, the complete product range includes contemporary textiles and homewares for kitchen, laundry, living and bedroom spaces.

A Pohutukawa tree decal from Sticky Kids who design a wide variety of wall graphics - all handcrafted in New Zealand.

Enjoy the festive season!

Time to Celebrate!

Image source The Contemporist

We are very excited because we have just received DA approval - yipee! And what better way to celebrate than in a very stylish bar like this one at the Condesa DF Hotel in Mexico City, designed by architect Javier Sánchez and interior designer India Mahdavi.

I love everything about it - the funky bar stools, the shiny white, ultra-large tiles, turquoise walls and spider web-like lights. If it wasn't for the size of the bar and the number of stools and lights, you could easily be forgiven for thinking this was in someone's home.

M.I.L.K Inspiration

This is what Christmas should be about - flying away to be with friends and family and having times filled with love and laughter.

I was given the latest M.I.L.K book for my birthday and it is just beautiful - gorgeous images and inspiring words.

The Family, Friendship, Love & Laughter book includes 150 winning images from the Fresh M.I.LK. competition selected by Elliott Erwitt, and an introduction by M.I.LK. creator Geoff Blackwell.

For more on the M.I.L.K book, check out their website.

Eco-friendly furniture

On the weekend I discovered a fantastic new cottage business recently started by the sister and two friends of a friend of mine and couldn't help but make some purchases with the beach house in mind.

Literally working from their backyards, Sydneysiders Camilla Schroder, Sarah Hargrave and Nicole Elliott, source old, unwanted furniture and house parts, spruce them up and turn them into fabulous 'new' furniture, lights, bed-heads, chairs ... you name it, they'll do it. As their business card says - it's all about 'upcycling' and 'decorating the eco-friendly way by merging vintage with contemporary to create a classic style'.

Like these old door knobs which they have turned into a coat/hat/beach towel hanger - whichever you prefer (and which I have yet to put up on the wall!).

Or these two chairs - with fabric sourced from Cloth - and table (whose top lifts up like an old school desk). The chairs are super-comfy and will be perfect on the deck to watch the world go by. The table can be used, not only for drinks, but to house a secret stash of mozzie repellent, sun-sunscreen and maybe the odd book or two.

The trio, whose company they've called S.H.E (an acronym of their surnames), currently sell at the Manly markets, will make to order and are in the process of setting up a website. Watch this space!

Design & DAs

Well, another week is nearly over and Christmas is looming rapidly and we're still waiting on DA approval! Oh, the joys of trying to build a house.

I just hope that we don't have to wait too long and our current house doesn't end up looking like this one!

This is another photo from UK-based photographer James Merrell. It's a great shot, contrasting the decrepitude of the house with the beautiful bed and linen. Although I think I could hang out on that porch watching the world go by. What about you? You certainly wouldn't have to worry about having, what I call, a 'Martha Stewart moment' trying to spruce the house!

In the meantime, I have been asked by the publishers of Fast Thinking magazine to blog on design on their new Think Tank blog. I've just posted my second one: On the Scent of a Good Book. Come and check it out at www.fastthinking.com.au/thinktank.aspx.