Whitewash

I'm sitting here, writing this post in what should be a hot, steamy Queensland summer, and instead it's been cold and raining for days. And to make matters worse, there have been next to no fabulous white beach houses to ogle - totally depressing. So I was very excited to find this gem. It would make the perfect beach getaway, and although it's a little sparsely furnished for my taste, the bones are very nice indeed.

 Sandstone...my favourite

Love the exposed beams and vj boards

Simply elegant

I'd love to get my hands on this and really zhush it up - I think some accessories and artwork (no surprises there) would take this from good to great. What do you think - maybe you like it clean and completely clutter free, or do you think it could benefit from a few well-placed pretties?



images courtesy realestate.com.au

One house, three ways, two magazines and a painting

Confused by the blog title? Of course you are....let me explain.

Ever since I started writing this blog, I've loved to post about beautiful homes. There is a gorgeous old Queenslander here in Brisbane that was listed for sale after a complete overhaul. A short time later, it was on the market again, with a completely different look (you can check out the full post here). Well, as luck would have it, it's now the home of our very own Melinda Boundy, of Lily G. Of course, it's looking better than ever now - so much so that it's just been featured in not one, but two magazines.

 The above images are from the new Queensland Homes Gold Annual 2012, and were snapped by photographer John Downs (a really nice guy who was kind enough to send me these pics - thanks so much John).

I'm thrilled to say that the lovely Melinda (who has been one of my biggest supporters, and was the very first to stock my original artwork) commissioned an original Butterfly painting to hang in her living room. It's similar to 'The Monarchist', with some aqua accents to compliment her scheme. Here's a close-up...

How lovely is this frame Melinda chose? And by floating the paper on the mount, those lovely deckled edges were highlighted perfectly. 

Want to see more (and let's face it, who wouldn't?). Well, grab yourself a copy of this month's Australian Women's Weekly:

photography by Simon Kenny, words by Catherine Shields

Looks great, doesn't it? No wonder the glossies are knocking her door down for a chance to feature it. And how great it is to see the same home, decorated so differently? I know which is my favourite, of course :)

Hope you all had a great day yesterday - the sunshine was short-lived and we're back to rainy and miserable today. Oh, and for those who've asked - I've finished the book and it's a cracker. I'll be back next week with a little review, so pop back in for the full rundown.

Have a great weekend, 

Happy days

The sun is shining (finally!), the prawns are chilling, the barbie is ready to go, and I'm taking five minutes to just sit. And relax. Nice. I've got a latte in my favourite Pantone mug, a slice of carrot cake, and a lovely new book to read:

Doesn't get much better than this. And the book? 'Conversations with Creative Women' by Tess McCabe;

I'll let you know all about it once I've finished, but so far it's fabulous. It's an insight into the world of the creative blogger/designer/crafter/artist - and the interviewees are all Australian. You can find out more by visiting the website here.

Happy Australia Day to all my Aussie friends - I'm off to make the most of the sunshine while it lasts!

Kate + Flo

Great design really does stand the test of time, and Australia's very own Florence Broadhurst is a perfect example. Flo is recognised for her use of bold, vibrant colour and graphic prints, and local company Signature Prints has been instrumental in bringing her work to the forefront. Now, thanks to a collaboration with Kate Spade, the rest of the world will soon know what a talent she was:

 I particularly love the jewellery - my lovely sister bought me some Kate Spade goodies on a recent trip to New York, and I'd love to add these babies to my new collection :)

 Brad Goreski is on the Kate Spade team too - love him

One of my dearest friends has just ordered a Florence Broadhurst rug from Cardry's. She chose 'Japanese Floral' (as seen below) in a custom colour combination of red and tangerine - a striking combination and definite statement piece.

I love the 'Cranes' design, and how beautiful is it in pink? Drop-dead gorgeous.

And don't think it's all bright and bold - pale and pretty is equally gorgeous:

Two of my all-time favourite designers, working together. What's not to love about that?

Rested, refreshed, and ready to go

Hi everyone, how are we all? Hope you had a wonderful holiday season - I've had a lovely break and now it's back into work mode and time to tackle all the projects I've been planning. Throughout the holidays, it's been busy as usual around here - a whirlwind of exam results, graduations, university applications, job interviews, birthdays....and that's just the kids. Exhausting! I'm looking forward to getting back to work - I really need the break.

My first job is to completely redesign my studio space. As I've mentioned before, I'm very messy when I'm creating. Try as I might, I just can't seem to keep everything tidy and organized. So I'm kicking off the year with a plan - storage, storage, and more storage! Of course, that involves research, and I've been collecting ideas, images, and inspiration wherever I can.

Look at that light! And I must find one of those trolleys - perfect.

all images via Pinterest

You can find these pics and more on my 'Studio Spaces' Pinterest board. And if you find some fabulous examples of stylish (and organised) offices and studios, please send them my way! I'll be back soon with an update of my own studio, as soon as it's a little more photo-worthy.

See you then,