And Now For the Stuff I Really Like ..

The things I do like, the colours that come up time and again, the textures and finishes.

I feel like i'm in an ep of "Who Do You Think You Are" and getting closer to discovering my
true self ( ha! ).  Too bad my family is just a long line of nutjobs...
( and I can say that because i'm not without my ishews too ;)


L-R on the Clockwise...


Round Sisal Rug

It's funny, because i'm sure a lot of dislikes come from my childhood, but then so does my likes. 
I love sisal.  In the home where I first lived ( as a baby ) we had seagrass matting. 
Oh how it *cut* into my soft baby soles .. I was scared of it.  But I also loved it. 
Our first rug as a couple was sisal.  I was sad when it was finally time to say goodbye -
rugs in general are just awesome.  I also grew up with a cowskin rug and love them too
( my dad chose a cow with a nice pattern, then we had it slaughtered, tanned, and we ate
the cow .. barbaric, huh?  ).  It wasn't very warm or soft to sit on, but it felt and smelled nice.


'Ribbon Stool'

I love a touch of red in the living area.  We've had red couches in the past which I loved,
and I think red will make a nice counter-foil to all the grey-blue in the room. 
These are from West Elm, but I can't find them on the newly-opened Australian site.  Boo. 
Lucky there's lots of industrial styled stools around the place I love. 
None with red metal i've found yet, but that's ok.  That's why paint was invented..


IBride Tray/Art

When I first saw IBride's art a few years back, my eyes popped.  I immediately tracked them
down to a stockist in Prahran and stood for a long time in that store admiring a $$$ platter
with an empty purse.  It was beautiful.  I took my husband with the understanding it might be
more than I could afford, and i'm sure if i'd wheedled I could have nabbed it .. but ultimately
it was my nail-nibbling financial calculations that bravely made me turn away.  Regret. 
But maybe one day..


Floor Lamps!

Well, any lamp really.  When it comes to ambient light, i'm like more, more MORE! 
I love this one, but if you showed me another i'd probably love that too.


Bench Seats

This picture reminds me of a lovely home I lived in for a little while once in Califormia
as a student.  In the seats were all manner of fluffy throws and cushions. 
There is nothing better than a seat that uses a window as backing. 
To curl up and watch trees and birds and raindrops on the glass.  Heaven.


'Pallet Style' Coffee Table.

I was saying on facebook the other day that i've never owned a coffee table as i've never
found one that i've liked enough to buy ( although we did have one once, as part of an IKEA
starter set when we first moved in together, but hello .. that was 2 decades ago!? ). 
Anyhoo, these.. are.me. 

This is my favourite by far around the traps, but it's from Birmingham, England. 
I've toyed with making my own too .. hmm ..


Industrial Art

I don't know why I like metal typography and reclaimed pieces as much as I do. 
Is it the aesthetic you pick up as a starving Uni student, where art and furnishing is seen
in every empty milk crate?  Is it a yearning for the past?  I think a lot of the time I like things
because they are used, not perfect, a bit dinged.  Perfection makes me nervous.


Mustard Lounge Suite with Chaise

I've always wanted a chaise.  'Nuff said.  This chaise isn't GOLD, btw .. it's mustard. 
There's a difference :)


Egg Chair

Again, always wanted.  This would be for me as I rarely get a spot on the couch. 
It would cup me while I read and the yahoos watch tele.  I quite like this emerald green too. 
The arched back would add some curvature to the square-ish room..

I love chairs the way I love lamps..


Split-Level Living

Our house is on a bit of a slope, and it makes me sad we couldn't split-level it. 
I love sunken lounges, mezzanines, split levels.  Another house maybe ..


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Anyhoo, no spending for me in my immediate future i've been told by the boss :/


We move back in at the end of next month.  The painters are making everything look all
fresh & breezy right now and the tiler starts on Monday.  Then they're oiling my floorboards.


Yes, oiling.  Something else I went backwards & forwards on and gathered much opinion
( resulting in a pretty even 50/50 split of opinion ).. but I just took a call from the builder
and he's all in favour of it.  I could tell from his voice he just saw the same awesome awesome sample I did and he was pretty excited.

I also assume it's something new he can sell to other people if it works for me,
so that decision is happily made.


So what do you think of my style?  I guess it's sort of natural/rustic?  But not overly so? 
If I had to describe myself i'd say i'm kinda autumnal? ( my fave fave fave season! ) ..
happiest always in my boots and a jacket .. my garden is practically all deciduous,
and the colours here are the colours of the leaves as they fall on my bluestone tiles ( t-Ziing! ). 
It definitely has a cooler weather vibe to it I think.

A friend of mine is contemplating a move to Beechworth.  From Sydney. 
I told her I never felt like I belonged until I moved to Melbourne ( from NSW ).


Home.



( BTW - feel free to show me the things you love and hate too - i'd love to come take a peek at what you come up with ! x )

Every NO brings you closer to a YES

So i'm sorta getting there on the kitchen .. it's getting darker earlier now, so by the time
the builders leave I am playing with stuff in minimal light and the kids are whining for food.

Happy Space.






Pic 1.

Love the uneven tiling, and the colour is perfect.  Unfortunately, the finish I want doesn't come
in the colour I want, and the colour I want has a weird finish.  Working on it.






Pic 2.

Whever I see silver travertine in store, I drool over it.  Can also get my random lines of
thick/thin and differing lengths .. but when I get it home I think it's too wishy-washy and I
really need the darker contrast of above. 

Trying to source something similar in bluestone .. in a semi-polished finish. 
Have a sample of a ceramic that works to LOOK like bluestone, but the fakeness annoys me....






This is a perfect colour.  It's Graphite from Southern Splashbacks, in their Matrix range.
BUT, i've discovered I don't like the uber-reflectability of glass, and the tile patterns
are all uniform.


So .. where i'm at now:


- looking for an afforable stepped stone with a uniform profile
( not that jutty-out stacked stone you see in landscaping .. the ones above are flat-fronted )
and a polished front ( shiny, but not too shiny )

- the brushed steel under-island kicker is gone .. apparently you can do painted kraftboard
under the kicker, which means I can paint it whatever I like, and when I want to change it,
I simply do that. 
I freaking heart paint  ♥

- the pendants.  Which I love, but, depending on the splashie, may be wrongtown in tone. 
However, I figured I could make up a watery dye solution to darker/lighten/colour them
if needed.. which appeals because that also means I could colour them yellow or teal or red
if I freaking wanted, and it wouldn't matter, because hello .. paint! ..

Paint has always been my saviour..

The husbo would be horrified probably .. but hey, i'm not in love with many pendants
out there atm, and if I got ( for eg ) non-offensive, safe neutral white glass .. then that's it
for 10years or so, because changing kitchen pendants = at least $300 for new lights
+ a sparkie to change them.  That aint going to happen. 

I do like the simple 'nude' glass pendants out there atm, but know a few people that wished
they didn't due to kitchen steam/dust and they get incredibly grotty. 
Plus, you can't paint glass, can you.  No. 
So I think my concrete is more enduring.  For me. 

Even if you're horrified I might paint them..





Finally, it's a big splasie - vast .. needs breaking up.  I've *always* installed a rail or two
in every kitchen i've ever had, and this one will be no different.  I bought a couple of these
cute pots from IKEA yesterday to hang off them, like you can see in the pics above. 
I love fresh herbs and I love the pop of green.  I'll take them down when cooking,
but I like the thought of natural stone with natural living herbs.

Oh - and Tolix stools .. yeah .. dunno .. i'm unsure what all the hype is about?  
I don't mind the one I used above, and i'm not anti-Tolix .. I just think they're a little bit
overtrending atm?  A lot of people are suggesting them to me :)

I quite like these though:






I found them on Houzz. 
Love.