“Please contact me if you would like a consultation or further information about any of the products you see here at Decorum.”Style
Cottage Style
I write an article every two months for a local shopping centre magazine. The latest edition has just been published and this month the topic was Cottage Style.
It’s a style that can be reinvented again and again and works in all types of homes regardless of the architecture. It is also given a unique look by the person creating it and therefore can be very individual.
If you would like assistance in creating a little Cottage Style in your home, contact us for an on-line or in person consultation.
Hunted
Last week I received an email newsletter from one of my shoe shops of choice, Sambag and thought how cute the animal print loafers were.
Autumn Winter Shoes form Sambag
Within an hour, I received an email from another of my favourite shoe shops, Wittner which featured these shoes.
Shoes from Wittner
Then yesterday I was walking past a Sportscraft store and they had this outfit in the window.
Autumn Fashion from Sportscraft
So it looks like Animal Print fabrics are on trend for Autumn Winter here in Australia.
It made me think of this room, which I cut from a Queensland Homes magazine many years ago.
from Queensland Homes Magazine
I have used this image to inspire a client (who had a wood panelled sun room) to go with the architecture and create a room that enhances the panelling (which she hated) rather than covering it over with plasterboard.
Sun room by Inside Out Colour and Design
Vicki Archer of French Essence has also been on the hunt. She spotted these stairs in a shop in Melbourne.
via French Essence
If you would like to introduce a little animal into your home, you could add these scatter cushions and throws.
Masi Cushion and Throw from Rapee
Or contact us for some assistance.
I’m off to the Furniture Fair today, so I’ve packed my pith helmet and stun gun in case the place is swarming with animals. I’ll be back on Friday to show you my catch.
Federation Style on Australia Day
One of the most popular style of houses around my area, is the Federation House. It was an early style of Australian architecture and consists of a sprawling, assymetrical structure. It often will have a verandah that encircles the house and roofs with gables, turrets and dormer windows.
via Domain
There are often unlikely angles, bay windows and towers at corners. It was developed to meet the demands of the prosperous middle classes who wanted to show off their new-found wealth that coincided with Federation itself in 1901. The Federation House borrowed styles from many countries and eras which is fitting for this melting pot of a nation, we call home.
via Domain
Inside the house, colours were muted but decoration was ornate. Australian motifs abound with flora and fauna both displayed in the plaster ceilings or used in fabrics, wallpaper or tiles.
from "The Federation House" by Hugh Fraser and Ray Joyce
Coloured glass or lead-light was used throughout Federation homes and the top panels of the front door often featured panels of colour in soft pastels with Art Nouveau or Australian motifs. Round bulls-eye windows as well as bay windows were popular. The bay window would often house a window seat which is such a versatile design.
Colour choice by Inside Out Colour and Design
Fortunately today, these houses are being remodelled (rather than bulldozed) to include many of the period details but with an emphasis on more contemporary living. The dark, muted tones of the turn of the century are gone and the window coverings are more streamlined and suited to today’s busy lifestyles.
Modern take on a Federation Living room by Inside Out Colour and Design
The verandahs are sought after and have often been extended to create an outdoor living space adjacent to the modern kitchen.
Wide verandah
The bathrooms have been updated but still include that old world charm.
Bathroom Design by Inside Out Colour and Design
I love working with these houses. Not just because they are iconic Australian houses but they lend so well to being enhanced and modified to suit today’s families. If you require assistance with colour or decor for your Federation Home, contact us for an on-line or in-person consultation.
Happy Australia Day
Country to Hamptons
I had the pleasure of visiting a client I have been working with, on the weekend.
Apricot and Green before
Since my last visit, they have had the house painted inside and out in the colours I had chosen. They were wanting something a little softer than the apricot tones they had had previously.
Sand and Blue now
And they have taken possession of the new dining chairs I helped select, which are much more comfortable.
Country style dining chairs
Smart new chairs
And my upholsterer had recovered their old sofas and tub chairs in fabric I had chosen to go with the Hamptons theme they were wanting.
Orange Checks before
Hamptons Style new look sofas
It was so exciting to visit and throw around the scatter cushions. My clients are absolutely thrilled with the way their home is coming together.
Now we’re moving on to coffee and side tables and lamps. I hope you enjoyed your weekend too!
via La Maison
If you would like assistance in creating a home that oozes your personality, contact us to enquire about our colour and design services.
Sixhands
Habitus Magazine was launched about 2 years ago and has steadily been growing in readership. I must admit it is not one that I have subscribed to as yet, as I have a number of other magazines to read and finding the time is getting increasingly difficult. I do, however, subscribe to their e-newsletters and was thrilled when I noticed an invitation to a conversation with Sixhands. The Habitus team have organised a series of conversations with various creative personalities who have been featured in the magazine.
Sixhands Textiles for Peter Alexander
Textile design studio Sixhands, who are Alecia Jensen, Brianna Pike and Anna Harves, started their friendship at University where they were studying fashion and textile design. After working independently, the girls joined forces in 2006 to create Sixhands which has been providing textiles to Australian fashion designers.
Sixhands textiles for Flamingo Sands
When the girls moved into their own studio, they went about decorating it to make it a welcoming space for themselves and their fashion clients. This sparked a passion for interiors and a new arm of the business was created.
Interiors from Sixhands
The team at Sixhands like to apply something new to something old and create something truly unique. On display at the Conversation, was an old lounge chair (think there’s one in our family somewhere) covered in bright floral fabric as well as a 70′s lamp base with a new brightly patterned shade.
Old lamp base with new shade in Sixhands fabric
But fabric is not their only medium. You can also have a Sixhands rug for your floor, or wallpaper for the wall, or maybe a surfboard for your car?
Sixhands designed surfboard for Misfit
The possibilities are endless and the girls admit they think without limitations. If a homeowner is not confident to have that much pattern and colour on the walls with wallpaper, then there’s the option of using the fabric for cushions or a rug that can be moved or changed.
Stepping Stone Rug from The Rug Collection designed by Sixhands
I think big things are ahead for this talented trio. They admitted, almost tongue-in-cheek, that they aspire to be the Australian version of Missoni Home. I have no doubt they will soon be a household name.
The faces behind Sixhands
Oh, and I won a lucky door prize too. A bottle of red and 12 months subscription to Habitus. No excuses now! Thanks Habitus for a great night.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend and if you’re in Sydney, don’t forget the Young Blood Designers Market is on as part of Sydney Design Festival.
If you would like to add some colour and pattern to your home, or are interested in Sixhands products, contact us to discuss our design and sourcing services.
Stylish Interiors
This week has just flown. I’ve been working on a number of interior decorating and colour projects this week and have spent alot of time at my desk sourcing different items, putting them into floor plans, choosing colour schemes, writing up Specification Sheets and preparing quotes.
The projects are all so diversified which makes life very interesting and challenging. We have French Provincial in one home.
via Australian House and Garden
Clean and crisp in another, modern in one,
via Canadian House and Home Photographer Stacey Brandford
soft and dreamy in another
via Krista Ewart
and Hamptons Style in yet another.
via Sherrill Canet Interiors
I also had a visit from Caesarstone who are promoting their latest product Motivo.
Motivo Crocodile
I saw it displayed at Designex but couldn’t get close enough as there was a big crowd gathered around. Motivo is a quartz surface that incorporates a sculpted pattern texture in the surface. Presently it is available in Crocodile in Jet Black or Lace in Snow. It’s very beautiful and slabs on a wall or bar would look stunning. I’d love to use some in a project, so if you’re game, give me a call.
Motivo Lace
What style do you like to come home to each evening? If you would like assistance creating your harmonious environment, contact me.
Have a great weekend and hopefully I’ll see more of you next week.
Give me a home among the gum trees
Here we are, Monday again. Did you have a nice weekend?
The House's Study
I dragged the family along to Burke’s Backyard on Sunday afternoon. I’ve been talking about the 30 days of home and entertainment that is currently happening here in Sydney. Well the organisers have taken over a warehouse at Waterloo and converted it to their headquarters. Inside there are display rooms set up along with a kitchen classroom, market area and lecture room. The carpark has been converted to Burke’s Backyard.
The House's Living Room
For those of you who don’t know, Don Burke was the original lifestyle guru in Australia and for many years the nation would sit down to watch his one hour television show primarily on gardening but also touching on other backyard ideas like entertaining, cooking, pets, children’s play areas, etc. As with many of the television shows, a magazine was born and whilst Don no longer graces our televisions on a regular basis the magazine comes out each month.
Espaliered Kaffir Lime Tree
It’s amazing what they have done with the carpark. The area is a concrete slab yet for this month it has been converted into a relaxing oasis. There’s a chicken coup, pergola, raised platforms, paved areas, fruit trees, lavender bushes, magnolias, vegie patch and grass. (Ok so the grass is synthetic but it’s very realistic looking and feeling.)
Pergola and platforms
We sat and listened to the Lifestyle Editor of the magazine explain some of the trends of today’s garden which is pretty much everything they had in the space there.
Lush green grass on top of concrete
There is a big trend towards growing your own fruit, vegetables and herbs and instead of having a dedicated vegie patch, you can mix them with ornamental plants to create a blended garden. Growing vegies in a raised bed is also a good idea as it’s less back breaking when it comes to tending and harvesting. The display garden had the vegies growing in water tanks sitting on the ground.
Vegies grown in water tanks
If you have a large garden, consider breaking it up into smaller more manageable spaces that can be used for different purposes. Living and entertaining in our gardens has become a way of life. Whatever goes into a home can also go into a garden – day beds, pizza ovens, kitchens, fireplaces.
Outdoor entertaining via The Kitchen Place
There’s no limit when it comes to entertaining outdoors.
Its in the Stars
I think we all read our astrology charts from time to time. Whether we live by the predictions or just read them for a laugh there are often things that ring true.
Many years ago I picked up a sheet on decorating styles for Virgos (which is me). There were many comments that made me wonder if there was something in decorating by the stars.
So when Jonathan Adler released these cushions, it reminded me to read a bit more about astrology decorating.
Needlepoint Cushions from Jonathan Adler
Virgos like an earthly retreat filled with natural materials and colours.They like to bring the outdoors in. We are no nonsense type of people and want simplicity and everything in it’s place.
from Australian House and Garden Photographer Andre Martin
Those born under the sign of Sagittarius (like my husband) like their homes to reflect their interst in travel and other cultures.
via Style Files
And Cancerians (like my daughter) require their home to be a retreat, as they are “stay-at-home” types and want security and then comfort.
via Point Click Home Photographer Keith Scott Morton
Have a look at decorating for your star sign and let me know if your home reflects your star sign.
The White Stuff
As I’ve mentioned before, I LOVE colour. I love it in my home, in my clothing and in my workplace.
Colourful interior by John Croft Design
However, there are times when one needs to rest. Too much colour can sometimes have a negative effect. This is when you need to include some white. White is pure and clean and creates a calm spot to rest the eyes or body.
Enter Whiteport. All your white accessories and small furniture items in the one place…..and online! You don’t even have to leave home.
Kitchen accessories by Whiteport
Jennifer McCabe, founder of Whiteport has sourced beautiful bath, bed and table items and put them all together on her website.
Many, many years ago, my Grandmother helped me buy my first dinner set. We chose an all white set which I still use today. White is timeless and goes with everything. The white plate allows the food to take centre stage.
White dinner set from Whiteport
I love going to hotels and having nice fluffy white towels and there’s something luxurious about slipping between crisp, white sheets.
White bed linen from Whiteport
At the moment, Whiteport is offering up to 40% discount on certain items when you sign up for their email newsletter.
Whether your style is Beach, French Provincial, Hamptons or Traditional, white will work for you.
So pop over and grab yourself some refreshing new items for your home.
Kung Hei Fat Choi!
or in English ….. Wishing you great happiness and prosperity!
Chinese New Year starts on Valentine’s Day this year, when Chinese people throughout the world will be welcoming in the Year of The Tiger.
According to Chinese Horoscopes it will be a period of drama, intensity, change and travel. This year is the year to be active – seizing opportunities and making the most of our personal and very individual talents. Everything happens quickly and dramatically in a Tiger year – blink and you could miss an important chance of a lifetime!
Chinese New Year is a time of much celebration. It is a time to join with families and friends to wish them prosperity and happiness for the coming year.
via Flickr
Symbols are very important in Chinese Culture and are incorporated in many ways throughout the home.
The blessing of Happiness, one which we all need, can be represented through various symbols, one of the most popular being Clouds of Happiness.
Clouds appear on many furniture pieces such as this Old Winged Burl Cabinet with Stone inlay which is over 60 years old.
The carving under the wings is symbolic of clouds
I’ve already mentioned my love of Asian Antiques. I think they blend very well with furniture from other styles and will often create a focal point.
Lamps from Wah Tung, Hong Kong
If you would like to see more beautiful Asian furniture pieces, like the Winged Cabinet above, visit Soul Design and the lovely Linda who helped me with information for this post.
So here’s wishing you great prosperity and happiness for the Year of the Tiger.
Happiness
