I recently posted on felt designer Barbera Keal and her fantastical headwear… the envy of every child’s dressing up box. Barbara has kindly agreed to an interview to tell us a little about herself and her influences.  So sit back have a cuppa (and a slice of the chocolate cake below!)…Have a great weekend How would you describe your work and style? My work as a feltmaker mainly consists of tranformative animal headwear – hats. The hats feel very genuinely animal because they

Sometimes we become a little bit obsessed with decorating our walls and dressing windows and kind of forget about the floor.  Maybe we will throw down a rug, but rarely is there as much excitement about the flooring as the walls or a piece of furniture. A few years ago I stumbled upon an article about a store which has evolved from the passion of Byron Bay based designer Sonya Marish. Sonya has the most amazing range of antique and reproduction tiles which have been sourced f

Every now and again (well probably more often than not) my mind sets in to daydream mode….. and today is just one of those many days.  So I thought I would honour the occasion with the best dreamy hanging beds to put my daydreaming into its full state of usefulness. Which one is your favourite? I am loving the added inspiration wall, boxes and books……creativity heaven! I am half expecting a cloaked prince to come out of the mist…. but I am not quite sure how you would turn th

I am feeling a little bit like a stalker at the moment of the British designers Young and Battaglia.  I recently posted on their faux cowhide rugs which I love, they have now taken this to a new dimension, working together with American conceptual artist and designer Chad Wys, to create their classics revisited collection. The collection includes the Pastoral cow hide rug (Below), which is taken from Chad’s “American Tapestry” collection, and a series of cushions which take i

Have you noticed that whenever you watch a talent show on TV, the acts that grab the most attention generally have a story to tell, a history and reason as to how they were inspired to push forward with their talents and ideas.  Well this is not exactly a post on “The Voice”, but I tend to find that I get drawn to designs or objects which have a little bit of a story, or history attached – giving it a little bit more soul and heart. Eileen Flockart and George Kennethson One s

It’s Friday and time for another interview with one of the fab creatives that I have featured on my little blog.  Mark Coulson and Hannah Macleod, AKA Coulson Macleod kindly agreed to have a little chat, so grab a cuppa and enjoy. Oh, and if you are stuck for what to cook for dinner then they have some fab recipes which are perfect for us Aussies just starting to come into Autumn! How would you describe your work and style? Simple design that reflects our own taste. We’re not

It is fair to say that my husband has to be one of the hardest people to buy presents for..although I think that has to be men in general… the months preceding the event I try to drop hints, get just a smidgeon of inspiration and well the only thing I can get out of his is that he would love an Aston Martin… to which I cannot print how I responded!!! One to face a challenge ,I thought I would have a go at giving him the next best thing…and Aston Martin car cake……..so apologie

Anthropologie Overdyed Terai Folding Chair A few times a year we are allowed to put all of our junk on the curb for the council clean up, and this weekend was just one of those clean up days.  That said not much usually makes it to council clean up day because, as fast as you put it on the curb, a little white van is parked up to pick it up… the modern day rag and bone man.  I have no issue with this as I would rather it end up being recycled than in land fill…. but my curios

Source missimmyslondon I am a little bit fantastical at heart, I am easily board and need visual stimulation to spark my interest.  I love it when you can be in a place for hours, even days and can spot something new or intriguing each time you go. So on a hunt of this I wanted to show you somewhere that I found….. In an unassuming townhouse in London’s East stands a little secret…..well probably not such a well kept secret is a little hotel of fantastical proportions.  So go

Some fun for a Monday…. how cool is this?  A headmaster in the country of Georgia wanted to find a way of making kindy a place where kids want to stay… not go home as soon as they get there.  So thinking firmly outside the block (or should I say outside the classroom) he purchased a disused plane and converted it into a class room (as you do!).  The idea being that the classroom with its knobs and dials and underwing access might create a little more stimulation than a concre

Based in Amsterdam, with roots from Germany and the Middle East, Siba Sahabi’s draws upon her inspirational heritage and to create ceramics of a different form.  No clay in sight, these are made from felt and paper.  Some are made from wallpaper, which Sahabi believes is stronger and has a greater resistance to the damaging effects of light. I just love the creativity, and the hours of care that goes into making something like this. Even down to the detail of the grooves, whi

There are a couple of themes which are running through the world of interiors (and fashion come to think of it!) for 2013, one being the colour of emerald green which was crowned Pantone colour of the year for 2013.  Another being pastels with a modern geometric twist …oh …and a little bit of floral!!  We could be forgiven for thinking it has all gone back to the eighties…fortunately not!! One of the other trends for the year has to be the perfect compliment to these, being t

With a very wet day in Sydney I decided to do a little indoor surfing.  Occasionally there is a little something that takes my eye, and today it was the work of a Sydney design / illustrator student called Luschia Porter, and her little resin flower pots… which together with the whimsical name of her website “fairy floss for brains” – (Don’t ask me how I landed on this through the power of google!) meant I had to stop and investigate. The Inspiration Inspired by the  work of

If there is such a thing as a paperholic, I would have to say I am one, but  I am not looking to be cured any time soon.  I have all sorts of journals and note pads, wrapping paper, ribbons, stamps, cardboard… the list is endless…. stashed away.  Partly because I love to write journals of my travels and collect things that I see that may one day eventually help when I am lacking a little inspiration….and as much as the trusty iPhone can do most of this for you, I still need t

Photographer Max Jamieson I recently posted on the amazing faux cow hide rugs created by design duo Young and Battaglia. As I delved in to a little bit more about the duo’s background I found out that they are based about 10 minutes from where I grew up as a child in a small town called St Neots, Cambridgeshire… Unfortunately being in Sydney they are no longer just round the corner, but I was fortunate enough to have Brendan agree to an interview (through the marvels of techn

Struck by the lack of colour in Australia and the western world, Sydney friends Lauren Bennett and Genevieve Fennel started Walter G in 2011.  Supplying a range of high end, handmade textiles and soft furnishings which are designed and made in India and Australia. “Upon returning from one of their many adventures, they looked down at their bags, overflowing with sumptuous textiles, and looked at each other and agreed that it was a little greedy of them to keep such treasures

You would be right in thinking that there is a little bit of a theme this week, with Lace being the dominating topic.  As I was searching for inspiration for Wednesdays post I stumbled upon the amazing work of hairdresser turned sculptress Cal Lane. Source Phil Mansfield New York Times Lane’s mother owned a hairdressing Salon, and as a result of one of the staff saying she did not have what it takes to become a hairdresser, she took this as a challenge and set to prove them w

I have posted on the use of lace in interior design previously, but far from the doily or net curtain style, I am loving the fusion of lace with an industrial look, using materials such as concrete, metal and more textural materials which take it away from it’s more delicate stereotype…. Here are a few of my favourites… Jo Gibbs – etching onto slate and wood Lace Lighting – which casts a beautiful shadow around your room… Source – Rockett St George Source – Rockett St George

What do you get if you cross a cow hide with a persian rug, or maybe a renaissance style painting…. well Anglo-Italian design duo Brendan Young and Vanessa Battaglia have done just that and here are the results.  The rugs are digitally printed on a “mock” cowhide – so suitable for vegetarians.  Even better the fabric used is washable. The duo, who are the founding directors of the company Mineheart, began working together in 2003 under the name Studiomold with their first col

Israel based product designer Hilla Shamia has created this stunning furniture by combining cast aluminum and burnt wood. Bringing in the traditional of the wood and the industrial feel of the metal….. it would be really interesting to see these with the aluminum being traded for concrete (although probably a very heavy option!), or other metals. Let me know what you think, meanwhile on with the colourful adventure………………….. #design #architecture #HillaShamia #furniture #Inter