Sunday 31 October 2010

Happy Halloween

Google celebrates Halloween with a Scooby Doo Mystery Doodle.
Happy Halloween! For all those trick-or-treating or attending fabulous Halloween costume parties, have fun & enjoy!

Sandy K
[Happy Halloween image via The Academic Link & Google Scooby Doo Doodle images via Google]

Friday 29 October 2010

AIA Architecture Awards for Residential Architecture - Houses

Last night, the 2010 Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) Architecture Awards were held in the national capital of Canberra.
Parliament House, Canberra
In the Residential Awards, HBV (Heffernan Button Voss) Architects of Hobart, Tasmania, received the Robyn Boyd Award for Residential Architecture - Houses. The firm won the award for Trial Bay House which is located at Trial Bay near Ketteridge, south of Hobart. It is the first time in the awards' 30 years, that a Tasmanian firm has won the highly prestigious award.
Tasmania is highlighted on the above map of Australia
Trial Bay House was designed by James Jones. The original house was built in 1975 & the current owners purchased it in 2000 as holiday home. By 2006, the owners decided to inhabit the house as their primary residence mainly due to its stunning location. By 2007, they enlisted the help of architect James Jones & work was completed in 2009. The home was redesigned to fit better into its environment & to take full advantage of the magnificent views across D'Entrecasteaux Channel & Bruny Island.

James Jones himself notes: "The building has a fluidity that makes it very liveable, it kind of slows you down & allows you to take in the surrounds."








Sandy K
[image of Parliament House & map of Australia via Wikipedia, images of Trial Bay House & house plan via HBV Architects & Contemporist]

Saturday 23 October 2010

Real Living Nov 2010 Issue 59

Real Living Nov 2010 Issue 59
The November issue of Real Living is probably one of the best issues of the magazine of late. I found it full of houses that grabbed my interest. The first being the house featured on the cover. This beautiful home belongs to Louise & Graeme Bell & their two children Jasper & Anoushka. As most of you will know, Louise writes the highly successful blog Table Tonic & runs the equally successful online homewares store also by the name of Table Tonic.

Check out the gorgeous Zoom pendant light hanging over the dining table
The book shelf wall in the kitchen is a wonderful way to keep those cook books at the ready. The Phillipe Starck 'Ghost' stools are functional yet inconspicuous.

The last pic I have included of Louise's home is that of her son Jasper's room. It's light, bright & colourful. Perfect for a young man of 6 years of age. Also, being a huge Doctor Who fan, I just had to include this picture.

I've always loved Osborne & Little's Maharani design from the Sariskar collection, but only ever seen pictures of the darker or more neutral colourways. I quite like the colourway shown below for it's punchy brightness.

The beetle wallpaper from Porter's Paints on the wall below is fabulous.

The next home I have chosen to feature, belongs to interior designer Nadia Sakey & her husband Dave & daughters Hope & Molly. It's a 1930s cottage in Auckland, New Zealand.

See the stripe detail at the top of the living room wall? Great way to introduce some colour to a room & to draw the eye up.

The Kartell 'Easy' pendant lights in the kitchen add a bursts of colour that ties the open plan space together. Phillipe Starck 'Ghost' stools also feature in this kitchen.


The following beachside home belongs to photographer Dewey Hicks & his wife Stephanie & their two young children. The magnificent artwork in the living room is 'Stir' by Monique Prieto.

The natural materials used bring a sense of the outdoors inside. The dining room display wall & its' collectibles are envy inducing.

The bright hit of colour found in the kids bathroom makes bathing a happy event.

The next home belongs to actress Jane Hall of the soap Neighbours. This 1880s weatherboard cottage is located in Melbourne's northern suburbs.

Love the rug from Loom in the living room.

The bright yellow bar stools in the kitchen are by Mark Tuckey. They sit nicely alongside a mid-century Parker dining table & chairs that have been reupholstered in hot pink velvet.

Check out the gorgeous blue lamp sitting atop the timber storage boxes from Mark Tuckey. The artwork on the wall is Jane's favourite piece & is entitled 'The Mother & Daughter With Big Bow' by Rebecca Cool.

Another gorgeous lamp can be found in Jane's bedroom. I do like the wall paper also, but unfortunately no reference was made to it in the article.

The final home belongs to Alison & Roger Feletto & their young family. It's a four bedroom home situated in Sydney's eastern suburbs. It is the first solo project of Stacey Kouros of Stacey Kouros Design. Stacey & the clients went with a "mod-Chinoiserie theme". The below pics are from a much larger feature. The living area features a rug from the Greg Natale Range at Designer Rugs.

A close-up of 3 year old Sophia's bedroom wall.

The master bedroom connects to the study. The eye catching emerald green used in both areas creates a lovely flow & harmony.

Real Living November 2010 issue is on sale now.

Sandy K
[all above images scanned & collaged by Sandy K]

Wednesday 20 October 2010

Magazine Sneaky Peek - Vogue Living Nov/Dec 2010

Vogue Living Nov/Dec 2010 - cover
Sandy K
[above image impatiently scanned by Sandy K]

Magazine Sneaky Peek - Real Living Nov 2010 Issue 59

Real  Living Nov 2010 - cover
Sandy K
[above image impatiently scanned by Sandy K]

Home Beautiful Nov 2010 Issue

Home Beautiful (AUS) Nov 2010
Okay, forgive my absence last week, I know not what happened. Well, yes actually I do. Procrastination + exhaustion = no blog posts. Pure & simple.

Anyhow, I hope to remedy that by overloading you with images from the latest issue of Home Beautiful. This issue celebrates 85 years of Home Beautiful (AUS) without an overload of nostalgia. The celebration is quiet & reflective rather than a boring reminiscence that other magazines seem to do. There is look back at '85 years of iconic design' highlighting the best rather than the worst of the past eight decades. It's an issue that is also a celebration of Australia without resorting to stereotypes or kitschness.
All the houses featured are Australian. Whilst they each have their merits, one in particular stood out for me in regard to both its' location & aesthetics. I have featured this house further down in this post.

I included the below pic mainly for the 'Australia Type Map' print in Duck Egg Blue from Bold & Noble, the beautiful 'Hepsi' overdyed rug from Loom Rugs & for the 'Hankie Flower round cushion in Mushroom from Lisa Stickley. I wouldn't mind any of these at all! (a little hint for Christmas if any family members are reading)

The next pic is a collage of three pics from the same home in Melbourne's east. Click on the image for a better look.


I love origami & the beauty of the origami balls below is enhanced by the use of pages from  old school textbooks & children's story books to give an ethereal feel.

The below pic features designs by talented Australian artisans both past & present. The left picture showcases Grant Featherston's 'B230 Contour' chair, Bison ceramics, 'Sas Lena' felt rug by Bholu & 'Block 2' floor light by Henry Pilcher who I also mentioned in this post about Home Beautiful's October issue. The right picture features artworks from Udessi, Yellow Diva 'MSI' daybed, Mark Tuckey 'Jack Pine' side table, 'Campfire' table by Tomek Archer & a fabulous Florence Broadhurst by Signature Prints 'Honeycomb' rug from Cadrys.

This issue also features Home Beautiful's Product of the Year Awards 2010. Below is a collage of the winners & finalists in the following categories: walls & floors, outdoor living, textiles & lighting.
It was fantastic to see Mokum take out the textiles category for their 'Moderne' collection which I featured in this post.  The lighting finalists were all amazing. I found it hard to pick clear winner in my mind as all the designs were exceptional. I found the walls& floors category exciting as the overall winner was a product I was unfamiliar with - Laminex 'Metaline' splashback. The Laminex 'Metaline' splashback is a metal surface finished with resilient high-gloss paint. The overall look is that of toughened glass, but is obviously more cost-effective. The surface is not only heat & water resistant, but is also flame-retardant. It is easily cut to suit  any configuration & simple to install. Looks like a brilliant product for those who wish to achieve a high end look without spending a motza.

Also in the collage is the furniture design firm Zuster. Zuster has been a long time favourite of mine. The firm comprises four sisters & their father. The designs of Zuster are exquisite both in terms of craftsmanship & style.

Please click on the pic to get a better look at all the fabulous products.

Now, we come to the pick of the houses in this issue. This home is located in the Sunshine Coast hinterland of Queensland. After spending 15 years in  Hong Kong, this family of four decided to relocate back to Australia for a more relaxed way of life. Owner Phillipa,  designed the home & her previous work as a spa designer for the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group led to her clear vision for the home. Although a resort type ambience is reflected in the design, this home is still personal in feel as it contains many fabulous pieces from the family's 15 years spent in Hong Kong. Phillipa's experience as a spa designer is nowhere more evident than in the luxuriance of the bathrooms & pool.





I really don't know how the family lives with that view. Hideous isn't it?


The fabulous work of Brisbane- based ceramicist Kim Wallace is also highlighted in this issue. Kim is the founder of Udessi, an online gallery & retailer of independent Australian art, craft & design. Kim also writes the Udessi blog.
 The issue is full of so much more, including kitchen essentials from seven amazing Aussie chefs/cooks one of whom is the sensational Maggie Beer, Australia's top native plants from Jamie Durie, a large story on home makeovers & mouthwatering food ideas. Speaking of which I'll leave you with two quintessential Aussie favourites: A pav & lamingtons!

This issue is on news stands now.

Sandy K
[all above images impatiently scanned & collated by Sandy K, click on a pic for a better look]
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