So fa, so good....

 Do your appliances and furniture collude together and go, en-masse into retirement? Mine here do. Without any forewarning or courteous discussion regarding timing. Damn.

Whilst I've been happily planning colour schemes and mentally decorating the last of the upstairs rooms to be finished, our trusty old family room lounge suite put her toes in the air. Double damn.

Daydreaming Interior designing and timber flooring decisions have again taken a back seat, (LOL) with this new, pressing issue.

 With a budget of, um, in the negative realm, and with my husband's "don't buy a thing" words ringing in my ears, I started a tentative reconnaissance (online of course).

It wasn't that I didn't know what I wanted. It was just trying to get it for, well, nothing. Or nothing much. These were the dream lounges *sigh*:

Not very practical for a family room are they? Nor would they be wet-tog-bum friendly, this room being adjacent to the proposed pool. Oh dear. Lucky for me then this wasn't to be. Leather, although hot in summer / cold in winter, is far more robust.

My girlfriend J has the lounge I need. She bought it from another friend who couldn't accommodate it's size after moving. I tried to talk her into giving it to me but she flatly refused.
The cheek! I'd even said please.....*humph*

As it's no longer being made, I tried to track down something similar....

All the lounges I found were either too expensive or waaay too expensive. Damn!

And this is where this tale gets much more interesting because my dear friends, fate and luck came into play. Oh, and a bit of compromise too.

 I recently entered Freedom Kitchens 'Tell us about your dream kitchen' competition via The Interiors Addict. I described what I have planned for here (one day...) And I Won! 

Online I went to start dreaming of what I might purchase and I discovered Freedom Furniture were in the final days of a buy one-get one free sofa promotion!

Serendipity!

All sofas above from Freedom Furniture

There were a few restrictions and limitations with the offer. I had discounted fabric, but still on my 'wish list' was comfort, contemporary styling and generous sizing. Charcoal colouring was on that list too but I was open to what was available.

After popping into my local store, (where the service was abysmal!) I whittled the choice down to one modular. The Signature 3 seater with chaise as pictured below. Other configuration I liked were not available and other styles I found aesthetically pleasing (off floor with legs) didn't offer the comfort level I was after. I was also restricted to white. Eeek! 

Now, only because the sales persons were so dismissive, I didn't place my order on the spot. Plus, I needed to get hubby to agree to the outlay which still exceeded budget, even with my winnings deducted. But I had a plan. I didn't need TWO of these lounges and could sell the other one on eBay or Gumtree. The maths was looking good. I would also get a further 5% discount because of  my NRMA membership! Hooray!

Stay with me....the end of the tale is in sight!!!!!

So, home I went to scour eBay / Gumtree for like-minded genius's and Lo and Behold there was the exact lounge I was considering, offered at less than half the price. Locally. Brand new in packaging. It only had an hour left on the auction so I cheekily made a lower offer which was accepted!
* Major Happy Dancing*

To conclude, my SIL has bought a piece of artwork from me that I no longer wanted and my darling friend J has bought the gift cards making my total outlay for our new leather lounge $400!
 It might be very different to what I would have chosen if I had no fiscal restrictions, might even be called a bit pedestrian, however it fills the unexpected void far better than a packing crate!

Here's another pic:

Where there's a will, there's a way! 

x KL

Thank you for stopping by my blog. 
You are very welcome and encouraged to comment, I love receiving feedback!
 If you enjoy my ramblings, perhaps consider following by Email, Bloglovin' or Google+. 
Join this site via Google Friend's Connect so I can follow you too!

Cute

Now that my two daughters have flown the nest, our predominately female home has become principally male. Having been raised with two sisters, this is a first-time experience for me. And, boy is it taking some getting used to!

My decorating style is quite masculine in many ways but I'm currently being drawn to pastel pink. 

I wonder if it's a subconscious reaction? 

Like-wise, my lack of ankle biters have me pondering all the cute stuff that pops into my inbox. 

Go figure.

Here's the best stuff I've found for those still with pink little cherubs...

 1. Rose gold finish Ellie Cot and pink child's egg chair. Both Incy Interiors. 

a. Cheeky Little Soles soft soled leather cowgirl boots and

b. 'Tip Toey' Joey pre-walker Gold 100% leather booties. Both from Hard to Find.

c. Pink and white spliced Hosk cushion (wonder if my boys could tolerate these?) Country Road.

d. Sheridan's new baby range. All of it. Gorgeous.

2. Boys welcome with this one! Little Green Room. Cubby house / caravan. I want!!!

a.  Hanneke cushion and single blanket, Mikki bedcover. All Country Road.

b. Lucy change table also from Incy Interiors

c. Sequin coat hangers. Etsy

d.  Pink velvet lumbar cushion. Adairs.

And in case you're wondering, yes, of course all items can be bought online!

x KL

Thank you for stopping by my blog. 

You are very welcome and encouraged to comment, I love receiving feedback!

 If you enjoy my ramblings, perhaps consider following by Email, Bloglovin' or Google+.

 Join this site via Google Friend's Connect so I can follow you too!

Fabric as art

I spotted this gorgeous home, situated in Finland, over on STYLIZMO today.

It jogged my memory regarding my intention to frame some Marimekko fabric as cost-effective art.

The panel seen above is Moments - Hetkia. 

I purchased mine online a few years ago from Nordic Fusion.
 Below are a few more examples of how this substantial fabric panel has been used as art:

I've also bought a panel of Focus - Black which I think I'll use as cushions. Possibly. Maybe.

I've always loved Marimekko designs. Above, bottom left, is an artwork I painted using left-over paint based on their Unikko design for my daughter's bedroom in our last house.

Here are some more examples of using their fabric panels as art...

Of course these are just examples from Marimeeko. Any beautiful fabric, framed simply can look stunning. And be cost-effective to boot! Clever.

x KL

Thank you for stopping by my blog. You are very welcome and encouraged to comment, I love receiving feedback! If you enjoy my ramblings, perhaps consider following by Email, Bloglovin' or Google+. Join this site via Google Friend's Connect so I can follow you too!

happenings

The blog world and pinterest seem full of images of both red velvet and rainbow cakes. I attempted my first rainbow concoction for Mum's birthday on Sunday. The outside was a bit ordinary but inside....Yay!!!! Happy Birthday Mum!

This is how we spent our Saturday....

...completing an eight hour marathon, painting sealer on all walls and ceilings in the final area to be finished upstairs; the lounge and hallway. It looks very 'white' and bland now. I'm reassured that my intended charcoal feature walls are going to break all that space up a bit!

The weather here has been so odd. As you can see from the pictures above, Saturday was gorgeously sunny, dark and stormy and back again. Sunday was the same. We headed to Sydney for Mum's birthday with the sun shining and temperatures of 30 degrees.

When the storm above hit, the temperature plummeted to 17 degrees and we were stuck, stationary in a traffic pile-up on the M1 for two hours! By the time we got to Mum's, the weather was pleasant enough to eat outside again. It felt very Melbournian!

Ordered my final P.C's for the main bedroom ensuite yesterday. A Caroma Cube wall hung pan and three individual, heated towel rails by Kado. Bought the kitchen sink too, this under mounted Franke double bowl one pictured above. The luck of the Irish was with me as I got the sink for a tenth of it's retail price as it was an ex-display model.

There are only a few very big-ticket items still on the list now.

Carpet. Timber flooring. Rendering and the pool. Oh, and landscaping, driveway and two kitchen's worth of joinery.... and handrails! Eeeeek!

At least were making some forward progress!

 HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY 

for yesterday too!

x KL

Thank you for stopping by my blog. You are very welcome and encouraged to comment, I love receiving feedback! If you enjoy my ramblings, perhaps consider following by Email, Bloglovin' or Google+. Join this site via Google Friend's Connect so I can follow you too!

Hallelujah!

 Today, my baby boy attended a 'Day in the Life of a St Edward's College Student' orientation programme for his proposed high school next year. (The application process is still in front of us!) The school invited all the current Year Six boys from local schools to experience their facilities first hand. Some woodwork, dark-room photographic development, use of Photoshop, electric guitars, real experimental science and lots of sport were some of the activities on the programme.

 For a child (my child) who has despised school with a vengeance, to show so much excitement and praise for the activities was heart warmingly positive! From the minute he hopped into the car, he has not stopped talking about the minutiae of the day! The school's approach was clever; J now wants to attend this school. He was not only impressed by the sheer size of the grounds, (which are really nice!) but the greater variety of educational options that he glimpsed has enticed him. 

Hallelujah!

St. Edward's College is a boys only school (a 'sister' school for girls; which my daughters attended, is located next door) and I can only say that they know boys. And I can't thank them enough.

Image: St. Edward's College Facebook page

2015 through to 2020 just became years to look towards positively! 

x KL

Thank you for stopping by my blog. 

 You are very welcome and encouraged to comment, I love receiving feedback! 

 If you enjoy my ramblings, perhaps consider following by Email, Bloglovin' or Google+. 

Join this site via Google Friend's Connect so I can follow you too!

A Spectacular Storm!

 Yesterday, Sydney experienced the most spectacular storm. It was brief, intense and hit right at peak commuting time. The images splashed across the net were amazing.

It truly looked like Armageddon!

With the storm about Qantas's future a hot topic, I thought the image above was priceless!
 And there's always those that can take advantage of what is to others, a calamity!

Hope your day is sunny & bright, no matter what the weather!

All photos from the SMH or Telegraph Newspapers

x KL

Thank you for stopping by my blog. 

You are very welcome and encouraged to comment, I love receiving feedback! 

 If you enjoy my ramblings, perhaps consider following by Email, Bloglovin' or Google+. 

 Join this site via Google Friend's Connect so I can follow you too!

Details....

Meticulous attention to detail can elevate a house from ordinary to extraordinary. They are often the little things which aren't necessarily immediately obvious but overall make a huge impact on the aesthetics, feel and function of a home. 

And this is true no matter what style the house is.

I am of the personal belief that engaging an architect or professional interior designer should ensure that important detailing does not become overlooked in a project.  There's definitely a reason why the majority of 'pinned' images are from professional portfolios!

 Unfortunately, we went it alone with this build, mostly due to budget constraints. But all those evenings studying my favourite images gathered from magazines, blogs, books and pinterest must have been effective as I had a wee 'Eureeka moment' last week.

I've posted about the niche pictured above before. HERE & HERE. After experiencing difficulty cleaning the lower ledge which is just painted plaster, I decided to get a Caesarstone top put on it.

Duh!

It looks superb. Detailed. Finished.

Now if I can just get the electrician to complete the niche lighting...

x KL

Thank you for stopping by my blog. You are very welcome and encouraged to comment, I love receiving feedback! If you enjoy my ramblings, perhaps consider following by Email, Bloglovin' or Google+. Join this site via Google Friend's Connect so I can follow you too!

currently coveting

 1. / 2. / 3. / 4. / 5. / 6.

Image: The Design Chaser

 1. Hay Tray Table from Designcraft.
I've been spying these little occasional tables featured in a multitude of homes on many favourite blogs. I think they'd be perfect for the family room here. Luckily these Danish design pieces are available in Australia from several retailers. Hay has many covetable pieces; I'm also drooling over their strap mirror and marble trays!

Image: West Elm USA

2. Eduardo Garza Crystal Box from West Elm.
 While West Elm may now have a retail outlet here, the best stuff remains frustratingly confined to the US stores. This handmade box was created in collaboration with New York sculptor Eduardo Garza. and is made from soapstone, brass and crystal.

Image: Moth Design

  

3. Kate Spade Rose Scented Candle from Nordstrom.

One of my favourite blogs is Erica Cook's Moth Design. I spied this little Kate Spade black and white candle in an image of her recently revamped bedroom, as seen above. Love. I haven't been able to track a stockist here but Nordstrom sell and ship internationally. The candle comes in a few different colourways / designs including a gold spot one. *Drool*!

Image: HOFP

 4. Chunk Candlestick by Menu.

Another all-time-favourite blog is The House of Philia or HOFP. Every area of her home is beautifully curated and I'm always spying beautiful, classic homewares to covet! The Menu Chunk Candlesticks (marble / copper) are one such example. Unfortunately I haven't been able to locate a local stockist nor an international site for these so they may stay an unattainable dream. A bit like the Georg Jensen Thermos. Again spied on HOFP's blog, in an image of her swish bar cart. Readily available worldwide, this is a real luxury priced item though, and may stay on the wish list for some time to come!

Image: HOFP

 5. Georg Jensen Bernadotte Thermo from Georg Jensen.
 

6. Ceramic Jewelry Tray from J. Crew.

A recent post on The Zhush, alerted me to this cute little jewelery tray in my favourite combination of black and white. Available through J.Crew with international shipping, this baby is winging her way to me now! Yippee!

x KL

Thank you for stopping by my blog. You are very welcome and encouraged to comment, I love receiving feedback! If you enjoy my ramblings, perhaps consider following by Email, Bloglovin' or Google+. Join this site via Google Friend's Connect so I can follow you too!

balustrades and handrails

We are extremely fortunate here to have some outstanding views from both the front and rear of our property. The ocean views from the street facade are visible from two of the three levels, whist the rear aspect provides views of Copacabana's beach and valley from the top level.

When designing the house, the external balustrade composition was integral to how the house looked and how we looked out, from it! Consideration was needed on many levels; our and neighbour's privacy, maximising the view and abiding by council regulations for safety. Oh, and budget. LOL.

Ground floor                                                                   Upper floor

 With neighbours to the left and right, we wanted to ensure their and our privacy. Without a viewto the left, we had no deck areas there. To the right however, was an existing large two storey home with lots of windows so we decided on a combination of full (orange lines above) and half height (noted in red) solid, rendered balustrades. To the front ocean view, we have selected frameless glass. Frameless glass will also be used for the pool fence.

 The above image illustrates what we have chosen. The frameless glass panels sit into a channel that is hidden into the travertine tiled deck. Neat. Minimal. Safety regulations dictate that a top handrail is mandatory so we'll be having a slim stainless steel top, an example of which is below.

The pool fence will be the same set up but sans top rail. Something similar in look to the image above. The mix of solid and glass styles has also balanced out the expenditure for the extensive railing. Yay!

Inside, we're going with a similar mix. The stairs between levels are contained within walls and only the stair entry point from the top level requires a barrier. I switched from solid to frameless glass for this to keep the feel open in this area and so that hallway art can be viewed uninterrupted from the lounge room. (rough rendering below)

The final decision is hand rails for the two sets of internal stairs. I want minimal clean lines and am drawn to these inspirational pictures:

Unfortunately the built within-the-wall hand rails are no longer possible here. Should've incorporated them at framing stage! Damn! But the sleek steel ones are next on my wish - list. I'll get them custom made and beg Davey to hide the wall fixings within the plaster like this:

Here's more of what I'm thinking:

I can't wait to see these last selections in place. 

All the years of planning, choosing and toiling are finally coming together.

x KL

Thank you for stopping by my blog. You are very welcome and encouraged to comment, I love receiving feedback! If you enjoy my ramblings, perhaps consider following by Email, Bloglovin' or Google+. Join this site via Google Friend's Connect so I can follow you too!