Best Cooktops

I've been silently debating with myself about our cooktop options. Gas versus induction? Stainless steel or glass backed? Some of my debating has involved the bench top too. If it's stainless steel as in our last house (which I LOVED) then a stainless cooktop will help it to look more integrated. Black granite - black glass. White corian..... Aaah!!!!I just don't know!!!
What I do know is this:  1. I would like it to fuse as seamlessly as possible with the bench top in terms of design, 'flushness' and material. I do NOT want to make a feature of a cooktop! 2. I would like it to be easy to use and clean and stay that way for as long as possible. 3. It needs to be manufactured by a reputable brand and be a quality product. So, here is my, as usual, eclectic short - list! All guidance and recommendations gladly accepted!!!

Smeg Induction

 (included because I LOVE this saucepan!!!)

Fisher & Paykel Izona The pan supports retract when not in use!

Gaggenau Induction All over induction - cool!

Barazza Lab

Barazza Select

Barazza Lab 1200

The last one is my favourite at the moment! The Barazza Lab 1200 (shown twice). It's been there in first place on 'the list' for a whole 2 months now. Maybe it's time to make a commitment?
KL

OCD decorating and clocks

I seem to have OCD (Obsessive - Compulsive - Disorder) when decorating. In a previous home, we didn't have any mirrors for years other than those practically placed above bathroom vanities. When I realised that I lacked decorative varieties, I became obsessed, and ended up with twelve (and still counting) !!! Cushions, throws, bed linen, bowls, lamps and candlesticks have all had their share of my compulsion too.
Now it's clocks. Although running persistently late for everything, I am garnering quite a collection. Below are some of my purchases and wish - listed favourites. An eclectic mix all with great aesthetics!

Time - Talks - Flip Clock Geeky Gadgets

Butterfly Clock by Diamantini & Domeniconiy

Karlsson New Gear Wall Clock - White

Gifted Store

POP Quiz Clock: Raw Space

Contemporary Cuckoo clock; Hard To Find

Cuckoo clock; Top 3 by Design

Tivoli Model 3 Clock Radio

Starck Visual Projection Clock; Oregon Scientific

Progetti Random Wall Clock; Top 3 by Design

Mantle clock; Top 3 by Design

 x KL

Designer kettles

Have you ever noticed that appliances all seem to kick the bucket at about the same time? Or is there a mysterious electrical plague infecting my house? First went the hair-dryer then the clothes dryer. Next were the washing machine, microwave and toaster. Now my kettle's on his last legs! At least I know I'll have lovely new things for the house when it's complete. Here are my picks - design wise, for the new kettle.

















I don't think you can ever go wrong with an Alessi Kettle! This one topped my 'wish list' until recently. The one on the left is the original but in black, so was perfect - until I stopped and thought. Do I really want to go back to boiling water on the stove top? Then I found the electric version. Yee ha! But I can't get a definitive answer about the plug. It's designed for the euro market and I think I'd spoil the look having a bulky travel power adapter nearby!Does anyone have the electric version ?

This is the Sunbeam Glass Kettle. It ticks all the right boxes for me design wise but is it practical? I'm yet to see it in reality but I would suspect that the gorgeous handle might not make pouring boiling water easy. I wonder if it gets hot too? My choice though for the downstairs kitchenette.

And then there's this one. The Bugatti 'Vera' electric kettle. Why do I always pick the most expensive?! I will justify this though saving on the Sunbeam. Let's face it, good visual design must be practical too to get my money. And I know I'll admire this on a daily basis in my main kitchen. Divine. Now I just have to choose the colour!

x KL

Domestic stuff and good design - dinnerware

I had a wee read of my own posts today and realised that I have no idea what I'm doing. Technically, I think I'm getting better. I know how to put credits under photos, shift their position, adjust their size and have added labels to my blog! Content wise? Well, it looks as mad as an old woman's breakfast. (All over the place!) So I thought I'd try sticking with a 'theme' for a week and thought I'd start with the items that have good design and are boringly practical.
There are lots of great stores, online and / or retail that specialise in this sort of thing. 'Top 3' by design is one of my faves and I love receiving their catalogues.

Above are some pictures of my everyday crockery. They are housed temporarily, (as is the case for most stuff about here) in an Ikea Expedit bookcase. (I have 6 of these bookcases. They're so versatile!) For awhile now I've noticed how worn they're looking and so an update will be soon required. They're a mish mash of brands; Maxwell Williams (porcelain), Vue (fine bone china) and Freedom. The bottom picture shows how they have worn. The porcelain gets marked indelibly by cutlery, far more than the bone china which is also whiter and finer looking. I bought the lipped dinner plates from Freedom because I liked their shape. And that lip is practical too! Below are my current 'TOP OF THE LIST' favourites for purchase. They're from Noritake and are designed by Marc Newson. High quality fine bone china. Tick. White. Tick. Lipped plates. Tick. Divine, don't you think?

Photos courtesy of Noritake

They are not available until August here, but can be pre-ordered - at a discounted price!!! Yee Ha!!!

x KL

A Confession - 7 deadly sins

I've never lied about my decorating tastes. I have openly shared my somewhat robust acceptance and appreciation of most 'styles'. I think that is why I term myself 'ectectic'. It saves me from committing to one design preference for any length of time. And, what I create is more interesting than mish mash - I hope.

My confession here revolves around the seven deadly sins; 

Wrath, Greed, Sloth, Pride, Lust, Envy and Gluttony that were first listed in AD 590 and made widely feared by Pope Gregory. Theologically, sin creates the threat of eternal damnation and Reconciliation is the way to forgiveness ...and polishing your halo. 

Soooo... here  is my confessional!

WRATH: (Anger) Mmmm. I'll preface this with excuses. Monthly cycle, pre- menopause, pre-diabetic, no thyroid, living in the build, eating dust constantly. But this makes me cranky....

   Give me a break!!!!

Acceptable

GREED: Not satisfied with one Bromely, I bought two. No excuses. Very guilty! (And, Shhhh, I'd like another one!!!)  

 

 SLOTH: (Avoidance of labour) Well. This goes without saying or pictures! If I didn't play on my new laptop so much the house might be closer to completion. And the apple wouldn't have fallen so close to the tree. (I don't want my darling daughter of said slothful bedroom interned to a fiery existence!)

Our last project

PRIDE: (Vanity) Oh yes, guilty again. I am proud of the tiny bits that are finished. I LOVE my marble flooring in the bathrooms and now I know the house plan 'works' - I'll tell anyone who'll listen I was the architect! Oh, and our last house wasn't too shabby either!

LUST: (Passion)Yes, guilty again. Oh dear. I am passionate about interiors. I get so excited by a new challenge that when friends move, build or renovate I am there with my creative hat on, wanted or not and reveling in the creation of new ideas!

ENVY: Now, style stalking, magazine worship and blog loving is not true envy is it? It's research, inspirational gathering, recon!  OK. My guilty confession is that this vice is one I succumb to the most frequently. My 'wish list' only contracts if i can cross something off. Please understand.  

My temporary entry arrangement!

Entry Envy? You bet!!!

GLUTTONY: Damn.Yes. I want it all! And, I want it now!!!!! The hilarious part is that if you look at my current entry proposition, that beautiful packing grate was heaven senta few months ago!

It was a ginormous improvement to the plank entry that we had to get in and out of the house. Am I never satisfied? Where will it end?

(Well.... between you and me and this sacrosanct confessional; the pic above right looks like one damn fine destination!)

x KL

Thank you for stopping by my blog. You are very welcome and encouraged to comment; I love receiving feedback! It helps me get to know you too!

Annual migration

We are very fortunate here to have great views of the ocean. The front of our house faces North to North - East and we have designed the house to capture those views with deck areas off the family room, formal lounge / dining and main bedroom. One of the nicest parts of our design (I think!), is the multi - purpose laundry area. It overlooks the largest deck area on the middle level and is very generous in size. We have incorporated concertina windows to one wall of the laundry so that it can be used additionally as a kitchenette or bar area servicing this entertainment level.  The pool will be on this level too. One day!!!!
I was ironing today and saw my first whale of the season. They do an annual migration north to warmer waters to have their calves. We then get a birdseye's view again on their return in September, bubs in tow, often playing together in groups for a few hours! Magic!!!

Don't you just hate power lines!!!? The whale was breaching. It made my day! And I found this picture of the HMAS Adelaide being scuttled to form an artificially reef off Avoca Beach. My eldest daughter snapped this one from our top deck a few months ago whilst we has a lovely brunch and glass of champers to watch with lots of friends!

IT dilemmas

Can anyone point me in the correct direction for some simple Blog tutorials? I have seen people post pictures into comments forms but was unable to work out how to do this when I wanted to reply to a dilemma of B from B is Building a House.

I need assistance with referencing pictures too. How do you put it under each picture in tiny print?

I'll just have to slightly modify my mantra till I get it all worked out! (The pic above is perfect but that 'or' should read 'and'!)
x KL

'The Block'

Photo Courtesy of Channel Nine

Are you watching the new series of The Block on Channel Nine? The time slot doesn't suit me so I watch the downloaded version the next morning whilst I'm on the treadmill. It definitely keeps me entertained whilst I do this new brain - numbingly boring activity!.

I liked the bedroom above that was designed by Shannon and Aaron in the first elimination episode. It would slot quite easily into my house! (I might moderate the black with another 'blackish' colour though) I particularly LOVE that round rug from RC&D (Rugs, Carpet & Design) and have already checked out their website. This rug isn't featured so I'll have to give them a call. It is stunning, don't you think? Does anyone know any more information, such as cost?

Have you ever noticed that when your looking to buy a new (insert desired object) that you seem to see them everywhere? What came first? Your idea or the trend? Am I subconsciously following an emerging trend or do I have a great idea and then am conscious of something similar when I see it? Anyhow, dark walls; charcoal, black, grey - they all seem to be very popular at the moment and that means more inspirational images for me. Yippee!!!

Ceiling Fans and Boy's Bedrooms

When we were at the design stage for this build, I tried to incorporate as many natural and eco-friendly options for both ventilation and cooling as I could. Ceiling fans were planned for seven rooms; all bedrooms, the playroom and study.

I've chosen the 'Airspace' model by Omega in white.

It is simple, whisper quiet and has the option of remotes which we have purchased for the bedroom installations. There are no lights on the model chosen; I dislike any movement from a lighting source! Downlights provide ample illumination. Now, I just need to get them installed in the completed rooms!

This is a picture of my son's bedroom - to - be. He's camping in what will be the study at the moment! Because the roof is pitched above this room we decided to have a sloped ceiling that allowed space for a secret, tiny loft play area. Underneath will be his robe and a small built - in desk. We still have a long way to go but below are some of my motivating inspirations! It's been hard to think of appropriate decorating as my son in nine. Not a little boy, but not a teenager yet and I don't want the decor to be outgrown too soon nor be too old for him now! Major Dilemma! Has anyone else got ideas or have experience with this same problem?

The picture above is of his current bed linen. It looks crisp and I've red cushions on the bed too. We have purchased him a queen bed which he loves and is excellent for before bed story telling! He has SOOOO many books! I like the idea of floor to ceiling book / display areas and although the picture below is very dodgy in quality, I love the concept.

I adore the quilt above and will purchase it soon I think. I worry about the zillions of things I have in storage but am also consumed with fear about a product I've chosen being discontinued. This quilt is from Pony Rider. I just LOVE their products and have bought a few cushions already!

KL

Guest Bed

My darling eldest daughter and BF decided to cancel their trip to Japan and now have lots of moolah to play with in terms of other ideas for travel. I'm fairly limited in this area. I was born in and revisited Papua New Guinea, traveled with work to Thailand and otherwise have stayed within Australia.
Any suggestions for a couple of inexperienced travelers? (Don't quote me, as I'll be shot down in flames; he's been to France & she's been to Japan - but as chaperoned school students)

I also need ideas with bedheads / beds. We will have a guest bedroom with ensuite and until our bedroom is ready upstairs, we are using this. My problem is that it looks so... dull.(See pic above.) I think it needs a bed head. Our king ensemble will stay in this room if finances allow us to buy a new one. It's a super comfy bed for me but hubby needs something firmer- we'll upgrade as we move upstairs! I was thinking upholstered linen. Any thoughts? I'd prefer to get rid of the ensemble bottom and have a matching upholstered bed base. Any ideas or recommendations? Below are some pictures that are far more interesting!

Exciting New Arrival!

Well my new laptop has come sooner than expected.  AAAAnd it has working 'AAAAA's!!!!!
Yee Ha!!!!
My eldest daughter's BF is so very computer-clever and set it up for me and my ever patient hubby has transferred my beloved photographs and downloaded pics to the new machine. I can't believe how much quicker it is!

This is the playroom. So far it has only the one coat of paint and since this picture was taken the skirting boards have been added. I had to wait until the decision was made between carpet or floorboards. The former has won.  I'm worried that the wall colour may be too light in tone but will wait till it's finished before I decide.The colour is Dulux 'Silver Illusion'. The contrast of white skirting and dark charcoal carpet should help.What do you think?

The hall to be lower bedrooms is painted too. It is Dulux 'Domino' and I love it. The skirting can't be installed till the marble tiles are laid, but I can still hang my artwork! I painted this for the last house and it looks good against the dark backdrop. "Warrior" is (like most of our stuff), temporarily residing inside until landscaping is done and a home is found for him!

The main bathroom is complete with the exception of the vanity / mirror and some fancy wall lights. For the life of me I cannot source dedicated fluro or LED contemporary / minimal wall lights! The marble is 'Crema Perla' and it is stunning! Ivory with taupe and grey veining. This same marble in a larger 600 mm square format will be laid throughout the downstairs areas. Eventually! LOL!
x KL