Displaying posts from December, 2011

The Austin design duo Priscilla Glover and Ivan Spaller (of Spaller Glover Design Build) are at it once again. I have blogged 2 of their projects in the past: “church turned castle” and “extreme gingerbread“. This couple has so much creativity between the two of them it’s astounding. And this works very much in their favour as they specialize in one of a kind, or once in a lifetime, sorts of houses. This latest project, Barcelona Modern, is located in downtown Austin, Texas and is gorgeous and inspiring as always. Our current project has been something we drafted up years ago and then modified to fit the lot. It is a study in Early European modernism with the intrinsic classical touches of that period- some deco influences (lighting and doors), chevron floor pattern, push-button lighting, glass door knobs, factory style doors. And it has all the comforts of a modern energy efficient home. I love it all – from the round and multi-paned windows to the mirrored riser with tree trunk steps.
Stay tuned later for a peek at this couple’s own home. 🙂

Sarah emailed to share her house.

We have just finished (but not completely styled) a renovation of our 1880s workers cottage in Adelaide, South Australia. As a bit of an amateur designer, I drafted a plan and gave it to an architect whose house I’d seen at an open inspection 5 years previously. I tracked her down (Sophie Fielder) and when we met for the first time couldn’t believe our eyes when we discovered we had the same photos in our scrap books! We even had photos from the internet of houses in other states! Due to budget constraints and the love of a challenge, I project managed the job with our builder and we’re thrilled with the result. We wanted to create a home with a slightly industrial/warehouse/barn feel that was practical and didn’t waste space.

The garden is yet to grow but already it is a sanctuary with birds and chooks (over the back fence!) waking us up each morning and we absolutely adore the  50 year old olive tree right outside our bedroom window.

I’ve already informed Sarah to expect me any moment, bags in hand, because I’m moving in. What a wonderful marriage of old and new.

The house before they started and a few demolition shots.

Alexandra emailed Jo and I with an interesting request from her boss Kristopher (who turns out is female, so any reference to “bachelor” should really be “bachelorette”). Seems Kristopher hoped we’d be interested in showcasing her apartment. Here are some details provided: The apartment was intended as the home of the manager of the El Royale, a 1929 Spanish Revival apartment building built by the same architect as the famed Chateau Marmount. I always lived as a total bachelor, and the only “decoration” any of my apartments had were books piled on my floor. I became obsessed with this apartment, though, and I ripped up the greige carpet and painted the concrete floor, painted the window frames iron-brown (they were white), replaced the new lighting fixtures with antiques, and installed a rotary phone (which connects directly to the lobby). I am quite smitten with this apartment I must say. The floors look incredible – hard to believe it used to be greige carpet. BLEH. And the windows are TO DIE FOR. Love all the furnishings and the star light fixture in the stairwell. A couple of things I’d do to spruce it up a bit. I’d love to see some of that art hung on the walls instead of sitting in the fireplace (which is another fab detail btw). I’d throw a couple cowhide rugs on the floor (ya, I went there), and hang a huge, extravagant chandelier over the dining table. Or scrap all that and just enjoy the minimalism. Photos via Scott Dukes.

Before

A lot of us know the problem. A new house, a perfectly serviceable but very tired kitchen, a limited budget and… well.. you know you really can’t justify a complete gut because even though those cabinets aren’t really your taste they are just too good to rip out and throw away. Sydney-sider Sarah from everydaythingsetc had just that problem and being a sensible woman she decided to work around what she had. After all even though she hated those oregon cupboards she knew that whatever she got to replace them, with her budget they would be nowhere near the quality. Paint the cabinets, new tile, a new benchtop (the old one was peeling away), more paint on the walls and done. Done in stages that is 🙂 Thanks for the pics Sarah.

Classically elegant, traditional yet with a fresh modern focus. Energetic colours and patterns. No fuddy duddy fuss just a youthful take on a timeless look. It’s been a while since I focused in on a more traditional look and Gideon Mendelson with his sophisticated sensibility is taking my fancy today.