hello weekend, goodbye lamp..

In a bid rid our place of the zillion lamps I have lying around, I've decided to give this ornate black one away. It's going to a good home, recently engaged friends with little bubba on the way.. Not a very romantic gift but very suited to their style and practical. Another Camberwell Market purchase.

interior love

I love the simplicity of this bedroom... I love eiderdown quilts.

via daydream lily

crate style

Image from Houzz found via Hyggelig

modern scandinavian

via Busy Being Fabulous

This is the stunning Scandinavian inspired country home of stylist Deb McLean. Deb styles for Aura bed linen, which I constantly find myself pining over season after season..

factory enamel lights

images via Paul Massey Photography

I've been eying off these grey industrial factory lights on ebay, although let it slip through my fingers because realistically I don't have the right space for it. I already have a green one which I may use in our study. I discovered more vintage lighting on Skinflint Design UK.

101 cookbooks

Ravioli Pasta Salad

Kale and Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes

Moosewood Fudge Brownies

images via 101 Cookbooks found via Paisley St Claire

I just discovered this AMAZING blog 101 Cookbooks. Written by Heidi Swanston - 101 Cookbooks is her collection of recipes beautifully photographed and styled. I am drooling with excitement to try out some of these amazing salads and breakfast and brunch recipes!

more mark tuckey

I posted about Mark Tuckey's home & contents auction back in May.

More lovely pieces from his store in Johnson Street, Fitzroy. I love the simple floral displays in every shot.

Simple floral arrangement in scientific glass beakers

Lovely birch table legs

images via Mark Tuckey

swedish hasbeens

I particularly love the mustard ones

Last summer I was eying off these clogs by Swedish Hasbeens at Gorman. So umm, wouldn't you know it, I'm still thinking about them. Surprisingly, they were incredibly comfy... I wonder if they're still there?

emma mitchell photography

images via Emily Mitchell

In my dream home I would have wood paneled walls.

I'm in love with that geometric yellow and grey rug. As you can see I'm still perturbed by limited rug designs available in Melbourne - Arh, and here's the catch: affordable.

Seriously I need to get over it and move on...

kitchen inspiration

images via Shoot Spaces found via Bliss

Our kitchen progress:

• bought, measured and cut the bench tops
• angle grinded into the solid brick wall for the range hood power point, (and still chipping away to make room for the wiring and conjute tubing.. almost done) DUST all over our new floors. Arrgh!
• finally found the perfect sized white tile - 150mm x 75mm (not as easy as you would think)
• discovered the underground man hole in our flat to add extra power points.

Setback:

• The new stove is electric and to be run directly to the power board. But because the powerboard is so ancient we don't have any spare outlets because the building was built and wired back in the 50's, pre-safety switches we thought it inevitable to have new powerboard installed. Therefore drawing out this process longer and of course more costly.
• The upside is my brother is an electrician, so hopefully even though this is a huge favor for his older sister (who never usually asks for favors) he won't take his sweet old time. In return I've promised to always make time to hem up his work pants, overalls or jeans.

Other notables:

I burnt myself countless times with the hot air gun stripping back the skirting and beading. Why we didn't do this prior the floors being done, you ask? Time poor is our feeble excuse. To anyone who has done their own kitchen renos' you are my idol. I am piss weak. I'm thinking of scribing another blog titled 'idiotic & painfully slow guide to renovating'.

happy weekend

'It's the little things' by Citris Hearts

'I am Sam' is on TV tonight. I love that movie, Sean Penn is brilliant. I remember playing the soundtrack over and over when it first came out.

More work to be done around the house, dinner and drinks for a friends birthday tomorrow. Hope you have a lovely weekend!

black white timber: interior love

via Rachel Brown: Attia Home

image via Emmas DesignBlog

image via Bloesem

road side rubbish..

This is my friend Lucy's retro saucer setting.

Luce has some amazing road side rubbish finds. When the local council has their annual hard rubbish collection, Lucy's hubby, who is a postie gets first dibs on the good stuff in his postal route - I'm jealous.

I've been meaning to pay Lucy a visit and take some photos of her very cool home. Their home is super quirky and decked out in some amazing retro pieces. They are avid collectors and have an some amazing art work and ceramics and she has a wicked Marimekko addiction.

cabbage flowers

So I ended up getting the Jorun rug from Ikea yesterday. Currently having a play around with it in the lounge room.. Still unsure, it may be too matchy matchy with the sofa, but I like the pattern.

On the way home I stopped past the flower wholesaler and bought these awesome cabbage flowers. I probably should have attempted a more artful display but gave up.

Yay! The metal frame for our coffee table has been completed and is being dropped off this week. Remember I was ranting on about it back in April, I'll take a pic on the weekend of its new steel legs.

floor candy

Kelly - image via Angela Adams

Flora - image via Angela Adams

Local offerings - Lollini by Bayliss - Also liking it in blue

our floors

As much as would love to keep a visually attractive blog, and ideally would prefer not to show the hideous state of the floors before.. I've decided to "keep it real" and show the warts and all.

Before: The kitchen with the ever so lovely vinyl glue.

Before: The yellowy orange lounge room:

After: The kitchen

After: The hallway

The floors are actually not as glossy as they appear in the photos. This was taken before the satin finish was completed. Overall happy with the result, although I could have gone a bit darker. But JD really didn't want to and as he happens to live here too, his opinion was permitted :)

I seriously harassed our floor guy throughout every step and process, popping by to reiterate what I wanted and ensuring he understood. "Not red, no orange.. No yellow.. Satin, yes, yes walnut..." Sheesh what a ball breaker I am! Lucky he was very understanding and super patient.

interior love: moomah

via Design Sponge

home..

Holy frick, it's been a long one and a half weeks. I am exhausted.

Work has been crazy busy at trade fairs and whilst it's been absolutely divine staying with our lovely friends, I'm ready to go home.

The floors are finally done and I'm itching to get back and start arranging the furniture. Perhaps go searching for some new rugs.. And maybe a new sofa to make better use of the space in the lounge room, likely to be a simple shaped modular.

With a completely bare apartment, it's my clean slate. With a blank canvas, I'm feeling inspired to do some new things... Not a good idea to distracted - must stay focus on finishing the kitchen!

Maybe a 'before' shot - a snippet of the lounge room...

Old fold out beach stool/ make shift foot rest - another Camberwell Market buy

new floors

Sorry another minimal blog posting week.
Been busy boxing everything up and moving out of the flat. The floor sanders are coming tomorrow! We've asked for our Tassie oak floors to be stained a walnut colour and coated in a satin finish. Hopefully it will look abit like this...

Images via Desire to Inspire

We'll be living out of our suitcases for a week staying at a friends house, so I won't be online until next week. Til then...

which ones?

Been agonizing over tap ware for our kitchen..

Can't decide, modern?

Dorf - Kemi

Or traditional?

Manor - Dorf

We have to get wall mount taps and spout, which is limits our options as there's not a very big range out there. As we are keeping the original kitchen cabinets, will the modern taps look a bit dicky? They will be mounted up against white subway tiles with dark grout.

Stumped and can't decide... But we can't do anything else until we make a decision!

interior love: mart 130

A cute little cafe located at Middle Parks tram stop. Mart, tram spelt backwards.. Always busy however if you don't mind the wait the food is delicious. How cute is the old school styling? Right up my alley!

I considered it as a possible venue for our engagement party back in February, as they offer private function hire. However the old lawn bowls club won over due to its size for our large extended families and handy so little ones could run amuck. Perhaps, an idea for an upcoming 30th?

Images are via Breakfast Out, a fabulous website which lists Melbourne best breakfast haunts. Go have perve if not for the interior photography, but for drool worthy food styling.

Pallet day beds

via Sandbox Studio

via Design Sponge

The last is Ashley Campbell's - Inspired by Pia Jane Bijkerks Parisian bedroom featured on Apartment Therapy, Ashley made a pallet day bed for her baby girl's nursery.

Isn't it lovely? Oh, where to begin... I love the family portraits in vintage frames, the confectionary colored paper lanterns & tissue pom poms, the patterned cushions, patchwork quilt, wall art and the other talented and seriously cute handmade gifts from family members. Have a look at the rest of the room here on her blog, it is absolutely gorgeous!

via loveology

Blog posts have been rather light this week...

Haven't been home much. JD & I have been eating out due to still no operational stove or oven. We're been here & here.. At this rate we'll have no moolah left to finish the kitchen.

I have the day off work tomorrow, perhaps I'll feel inspired and do some catch up back-blogging.... OR I won't go near the computer, be proactive and get stuff done.. Well see, huh?