These are for you

I just wanted to say thanks for dropping by each day. This blog has taken me on such a wonderful journey and given me my creative moxy back. So much so I have done something very exciting and a little scary. I have opened a new bricks and mortar store in my home town of Ipswich, Queensland with my good friend Kerrie. Faded Empire, Shop 2, 17 Ellenborough St, Ipswich in fact. A contemporary shop with an old soul. Fashion, furnishings, flowers and of course interiors. I promise there will be pictures to come but we are still tweaking a few things. (What am I saying! The doors are open but the new lighting isn't in. We are still awaiting some stock and the cabinets for the jewellery are in pieces but we are close, very close.) Here are just a few of the flowers I put together for Mother's Day last week. They may be a few days old but I hope you don't mind ;)

Nik Epifanidis

An eye for it. That's what we say. He has an eye for it. And photographer Nik Epifanidis does. A graphic eye, an eye for colour. Beautiful shots of beautiful spaces but with a natural eye. No fuss just substance but what substance! An understanding of the architecture, the interior design. An eye for it you'd have to say!

Click to read more ...

Dutch Design Year

Marleen wrote us about a shop in the Netherlands called Dutch Design Year and while we try to stay away from blogging products, these shots are fantastic so I thought I'd break our rule this time because I love me a great photo! (P.S. I want this pendant lamp!)

Margarida's weekend home in Portugal

I am in awe of this weekend home submitted by a reader named Margarida. Here is a bit of info she included: Its located 13 kms from the little village monsaraz & alqueva big lake in the region of alentejo (Portugal). Its our new weekend and holiday family house but its concept was done to be rentable by other families so we are building the new site for it. The Architecture project was done by João favila Menezes. He is very talented and conceptual artist. The interior decoration was done by myself and there is still a lot to do :) it accommodates 12 people and it took us 3 years to finish this project and the idea was to have a piece of modern land that would allow us to go free on modernity but respecting the landscape and the traditions of alentejo architecture. the next step on this family investment is the building of a garden, its a project made by an amazing award winning architecture Teresa Barão. It is absolutely beautiful in its surroundings, and perfection in its simplicity. WOW!

Click to read more ...

Pearl Valley 276

Barefoot luxury. That's what the owners, a young family, wanted when they asked South African based ANTONI ASSOCIATES to design the interiors of their recently purchased home. Stone and marble play off beautiful timber floors to provide texture and soften the clean lines of the contemporary architecture. Rough formed concrete is balanced by smooth white bulkheads and soft recessed lighting. Warm, tactile, inviting and definitely a home for entertaining. Open bar anyone?

Click to read more ...