Oct 20

Saturday House of Inspiration

Posted in art walls, classic style, Saturday House of Inspiration

It’s been awhile since I’ve shown a Saturday House of Inspiration, but I’ve seen a few lately that are worth sharing. One of my favourite new blogs - new in that I have only recently discovered it but I think it’s a fairly new blog also - is Bumble at Home, a blog about a Shi Tzu’s life at his stunning Southern Highlands property. But he also visits many stylish homes in Sydney, and one of these belongs to Robyn Holt.

You might remember Robyn from the tv show The Renovators last year, but she is also an ex-Editor of Vogue Living among numerous other achievements in the worlds of publishing, fashion and interiors. So as you can imagine her home is very stylish, and filled with fantastic photography and artefacts from her time working overseas.

I was interested in seeing Robyn’s home because I have clippings in my ‘inspiration files’ of her home - it must have been her previous one - that was featured a few years ago in Vogue Living. It had been decorated by Marco Meneguzzi, and was absolutely stunning, though a lot more pared-back than this current home. I’ll have to dig out those clippings and show you. I do recognise the pair of timber-framed armchairs in her living room from that spread.

 

I love the little desk nook above between the french doors and the bookcase. It just goes to show you that you don’t need a separate room to have a potential work space. Again ( I commented on similar doors in a post a few days ago), I love the arched top to the french doors- imagine how different it would be without it!

The colour scheme is pretty monochromatic and is mainly a sophisticated combination of greys, whites and neutrals, with a hint of aubergine and pink in the ikat pillows.

Look at all the great black and white photography! What a fantastic collection.

Another great shot of this interesting ‘bookshelf corner’. Notice how it’s the natural elements that bring the room to life- here it’s the white orchid and the red coral branch. And is any really stylish home ever without a fiddle-leaf fig tree? They can be a little hard to source here in Australia, and I am told quite a temperamental plant, but they are very elegant and light-looking as an indoor bit of live greenery.

This is one of the my favourite displays in Robyn’s home; I love the opaque glass lantern, the symmetrical pairs of antique chairs, wall sconces and tall green ginger jars. And I love that huge grey abstract painting paired with all the more classic elements.

The dining area is small but stylish, and looks larger because of the mirrored inserts beside the fireplace. Love those autumn leaves!

Robyn’s husband Jim in their library, with it’s floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and lovely leather wing chair.

The courtyard’s water feature and wall of Chinese star jasmine (I’m guessing here?).

The hallway seems to be a few steps up from the entry area, where a lacquered black Chinese console table sits under a stunning big black and white fashion photo. You can see throughout the home little hints of Robyn’s time spend working around the world.

I hope you found this home as inspiring as I did! Have a great weekend.

Naomi xx

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Jan 20

Around the house

Posted in green and blue, Latest Find, libraries and books, my home, Uncategorized, yellow and grey

I am really, really loving having my kids at home these holidays. We’ve had our share of arguments and wrestling matches (during which yesterday a front tooth was lost - a wobbly one though), but it’s lovely not having to rush off to school every morning. I’m still getting some work done during the toddler’s nap times too. Over the past few days I’ve really enjoyed going through some of my design books and magazines that pile up everywhere.

This week I bought the 2011 makeover issue of Coastal Living (please excuse dodgy iphone pics above and to follow)- it’s fantastic though made me feel woefully out of date as I’ve seen several of the pictures before online (and the prices for these ‘special edition’ US mags is outrageous- $19 for a magazine!). It features several makeovers/renovations that I love, though I like especially the ones where they’ve modified the original house a little but basically just used a ton of white paint and then decorated. These seem so much more attainable and therefore more inspiring, and have me thinking about where I want to live next.

(I didn’t realise this pic was so blurry sorry! But had to include it as the house is so amazing)

Just about all the houses in the magazine (remember it’s coastal living, so this explains it a bit) are weatherboard and two -story with decking along the front. Wouldn’t it be great to find something like this overlooking water? So much cheaper to add on to or modify than brick houses, and there’s something so satisfying about painting timber white- ceilings, walls and floor!

We are off on more weekender house-hunting this Saturday. I drove by the last house I mentioned, but was very disappointed to find that the ‘front’ of the house actually faces the side of the block. Does this matter? It made the place so much less attractive to me, that the living room doesn’t face the street, and that the main bedroom does. What do you think? I know it sounds silly but one of the things I imagined was how nice a Christmas tree would look from the street placed in the living room’s bay window. But actually, the bay window faces the fence..

On the topic of having magazines and design books on every available surface, I found a gorgeous antique Flemish chest of drawers the other day when I was out looking for pieces for clients (this happens not irregularly)

On my travels I also saw some lovely geometric black and white decorative boxes at Early Settler. I forgot to take a pic of them but when I saw them I thought of this room:

(the ones in the shop are small for coffee tables etc). I just love the green of the wall, the blues in the painting against it and the simple black and white furniture pieces. It goes to show how a little black and white geometric pattern can bring a pop to a classic room - and I think I’ve just talked myself into picking up a couple of those boxes!

I’m also loving this grey and yellow mixed with warm timber (and great windows). And this library with an antique rug in blues and bookshelves painted black on the insides..

thomas o'brien

Sorry for the slightly random and meandering post! Have a great weekend.

Naomi xx

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Sep 19

My country house

Posted in Architecture, bookshelves, country style, Gardens, Hamptons style, Uncategorized

How was your weekend? Sadly I didn’t get a chance to do any cottage-hunting, though I’ve been thinking about it (a lot). I’m keeping a close eye on the houses coming up for sale on realestate.com, but so far in the areas I’m thinking about there is nothing old for sale- and I can’t get away from the appeal of a little old cottage, hopefully with an old established garden to match. Sadly, there don’t seem be many run-down French stone or Hamptons-style villas in the areas just outside Melbourne! But of course, that doesn’t stop me from dreaming..

A cute little stone cottage like this one (above) would be a dream come true!

How I’d love to happen upon something like this, complete with glowing leafy forest and swimming pool.. and here’s the guest house, or maybe a very fancy potting shed:

I think I’ve posted this photo before (above), but I just love everything about it! Just love the look of climbers growing on the outside of buildings.

The floors would be stone or terracotta and there’d be no shortage of charm and character.

I would spend my weekends cooking, reading, pottering about and gardening, and creating tasteful arrangements of potted herbs in a sunny corner..

Here’s one version of my Dream kitchen- Hamptons-style joinery and polished nickel pendants, but some rustic elements too; old timber ladder, a timber-topped island bench, branches from the garden displayed in old jars..

The kitchen might open onto a little courtyard, where I’d grow espaliered fruit trees, loosely-clipped topiaries and lots of fragrant things in pots.

I just love the rustic brick arches of this outdoor room - too much for a little country cottage?

Inside, I just want one big living room with a pitched barn-like roof, with lots of books and comfortable chairs.

Maybe with an old spiral staircase leading to a mezzanine kids’ area.

But if all of this is too rustic for the rest of the family’s tastes, then I could happily suffer living in a slicker version of a French-country inspired barn conversion:

I just love the double height ceiling over the kitchen, the upstairs balcony ‘bridge’ overlooking, and the timber beams to create a ‘ceiling’ over the kitchen area (above).

Imagine the kitchen being where the bar is (above) - This is perfection! Love the moody feeling and the low lighting in particular.

And I love the colour scheme and mix of textures of this open-plan room…

 

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Jul 8

Another incredible designer’s home

Posted in Designers I Love, libraries and books, Uncategorized

I picked up a stack of old Madison and InStyle magazines at an op shop the other day, which I do from time to time to look at the ‘living’ sections, and came across the amazing home of fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg. It’s a display of such incredible eclectic style, but so liveable, and not fancy and designer-ish at all. In particular, I am absolutely smitten with her library/living room, with the wall-to-wall bookshelves and the library ladders! I want a room just like this one in my next house (my dissatisfaction with my current house grows every time I see something like this and have to confront my home’s unbearable inadequacies. Forget only having one bathroom, what I’m really lacking is a huge library room!) The rug is pretty great, too. I love her use of colour and mixing of styles.

 

 

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