Friday, April 30, 2010

Back in the Day...

...is a phrase I have a love/hate relationship with. Back in the day. It makes one sound so old. But then again, so does referring to one's self as "one". That observation aside, how else do you refer to a previous chapter in your life? Having only just entered the second year of my working life, anything before that seems like a long past memory... like college for example.




Well, anyway, back in the day when my lady friends and I were diligently studying the inter workings of design and interiors we did a grueling project about chairs. All about chairs. Not just any chairs thought. Chairs that we considered the pillars in design society. Our opinion didn't have much to do with the outcome. Apparently these 'pillars' had been previously decided upon time and time again. At that stage though, how were we to know? We were young, naive. Alas, out innocence is gone.




So enough with the melodramatic. Innocence or no. The chairs we looked at were awesome pillars indeed. And chairwhore.blogspot.com/ is ALL about the chairs. As you read on the majorly image orientated page it is described as "a blog about chairs
and nothing else". Which, is the pillar of truth. Check it out. I love it.




Love is...

...this chair. I LOVE it.

Loft Chair at Bernhardt Design
Found on chairwhore.blogspot.com

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Decorex 2010

I was at the Decorex Exhibition this year, as an exhibitor. No, i was not showcasing anything I have accomplished personally, I was representing my companies brand and being a generally pleasant human being in public.

I must say, in the last few years my former college friends and myself have attended everyone of these exhibitions for educational purposes and I find that when you are not involved in the build up of the event (which this year, I was) it is far more fascinating. I was not particularly taken with anything this year. After seeing excellent stand designs for many years running, it stands to reason that it takes a bit more to WOW.

As always I am amazed at people's oblivion to hideous design. Generally toward their own. And I can say this in good conscience because I too have been victim to this oblivion. That is why we have good friends that are honest enough to say "good grief, that's the fugliest thing I've ever had to lay my eyes upon, what in the Lord's beautiful world WERE you thinking?!"

Anyway, enough of being nasty. Something I saw that I loved, and think would greatly complete my so far only imaginary tile splash back in the kitchen are Stoor Ceramic Tiles. They are just lovely. And all hand crafted right here behind the boerewors curtain (meaning the Northern Suburbs in Cape Town). Don't you love the angry cat?







Also, I saw a lovely alternative to wall paper. In a way at least. Its about as expensive and requires possible they same amount of precision, however, you can design your own patten. Wall vinyl's aren't really a new idea I suppose, but now I have a contact, which is new. mywalltattos.com have some lovely designs... I loved the sparrows. Then again, I would. I love sparrows.






Sunday, April 18, 2010

Miss Watson...

Once she was nothing more than Miss Hermione Granger from Harry Potters film adaption, now she's a beautiful and grown up starlet. These shoots of hers are fantastic, especially Teen Vogue 2009...


UK Elle 2009






Teen Vogue 2009


Teen Vogue 2009


Teen Vogue 2009


Teen Vogue 2009

Monday, April 12, 2010

Friday, April 9, 2010

Beautiful Bathrooms...

...bathrooms are just as important as bedrooms. Personally, I spend a lot of time in my bathroom, I have an en-suite (with no door - soon to be changed hopefully)and I'm in and out of it when I'm getting ready in the morning. I love to have a good lie in the bath with my book, I can spend at least an hour doing that.

So here is a selection of bath rooms, something to aspire to...





Monday, April 5, 2010

In Short...


...The last 8 posts have been selections of kitchens, the images I have sourced and collected from all over and over many months, so I don't remember who deserves the credit. If you see an image that is yours, thanks a million! Credit where credit is due. That being said, bloggers are incestuous when it comes to images.

Anyway, the point of the collection is simply that I love kitchens and I am meant to be redoing my parents kitchen -which has been in the throws of "redoing" ever since my father and his cabinet maker friend decided spontaneously, unbeknown to mom and myself, to remove the grocery cupboard a few years back (7 or 8 perhaps). There is still a gap in the floor tiles and cornicing around the ceiling.

I have already 'redesigned' it, on paper, and will, no doubt change it before actually starting. Its going to be a long process. Sometimes I wonder, if I just started chipping the wall tiles off the wall, it wouldn't get the ball rolling. Then I look at the corner with the missing finishes and remind myself that that would totally not work, and we'd probably be stuck with missing wall tiles for a few more years before anything constructive happens.

So the plan is:
1. Priorities - what are the most important renovations to start with?

I would say - the counter tops. Which means having the counter table removed and making an island unit in its place before putting on new counter tops.

Then - Flooring. The ugly tiles the house unfortunately came with must go. There are many options, none of us can agree on the same one except that the tiles must go!

Finally (although in a practise this would come before the floor) the wall tiles must be removed. Some will be replaced, other area, re-plastered and then painted.

So those are the priorities for which quotes must be gathered. Perhaps not for the removal of the wall tiles - I have a suspicion that can be done by the sweat of our own brows.

When this project progresses further than this page, I will keep you posted.