Displaying posts from March, 2011

Got a problem? Need some help? Just standing there shaking your head? Don’t know what to do? You’re not alone. Send us a link to photos of your design quandary and let the Desire to Inspire design crew help you …. that’s you lot… the readers! You are coming up with some stellar ideas each week so it’s time to do it all over again.

“I moved into my first house about 6 months ago. I have 2 design dilemmas. The first issue is the huge blank wall in the dining room & kitchen. (There is an air conditioner in the wall that we will be replacing with a window and central air this summer) but the wall spans the entire house. I have no clue what to do there. The second issue is the den (family room). There is a ledge that spans the whole room. I have no idea what to do  for it. I’m stuck. Help!” – Mindy

I have included some of Mindy’s “before” photos after the jump just to show you how far she has come! I’ve been in my new old house for almost as long and we haven’t achieved anywhere near as much as you Mindy. OK crew hop to it. Mindy needs your help.

Los Angeles-based visual merchandiser Chele Mckee shared with us an inspiring cottage she designed and I had to then share with you guys because many of you, like me, are dying for spring to arrive and these photos really help with the end-of-winter gloom. The colours are so beautiful and energizing. Lovely!! Thanks Chele!

Loved yesterday’s Carriageworks? Want more? You must visit Hare + Klein’s website but in the meantime here are more shortlisted entries for the Australian Interior Design Awards created by this long established design team. The first house in Northbridge, Sydney plays light against dark, relaxed against tailored texture against smooth and sleek. It has a sophisticated resort vibe and a dark moody bathroom to kill for. Love the courtyard as well. More of this stylish home and the second house also listed in the Residential Decoration category in this year’s awards.

And the second house, Federation Revival, while echoing the dark versus light motif is a more formal interpretation. Elegant, restrained, luxe. Tailored and masculine.

I swear, this is my last post on the Hacienda San Angel. There were so many gorgeous bedrooms in the villas that I had to share them with you too. Plus, one of my favourite and somewhat unusual perks of the hacienda is after the jump.

I had read on the website that the owner Janice was an animal lover and rescued strays (she is treasurer and one of the founders of the SPCA Puerto Vallarta), and that there were several dogs hanging around the Hacienda. My husband and I really missed our 7 cats so it made me feel so at home to have animals nearby. Janice has I think 9 dogs – mostly small white poodle/bichon type dogs because during a brief convo I had with her she explained that she’s allergic. She brings them to the Hacienda every day and the roam the premises and most are really friendly. The day I spoke with her one little black dog that was wandering around was adopted (photo #3 below – not a good photo but the only one I took). 🙂 Poncho was my favourite (photo #2) and I always went looking for him when we happened to be in the main section of the hacienda where they spend their time. I was really stoked to meet someone like Janice in Mexico who really cares about stray animals because there were SO MANY homeless dogs and cats and not many people there seems to care – we even saw a dog get kicked in the head by some arsehole. So in honour of Janice’s devotion to helping strays, I wanted to mention this and share some photos of the dogs I got to spend time with.

(The candelabra above located at the front entrance to the hotel and restaurant was lit every night, and holds a donation box for the SPCA)

Hope you don’t mind I’ve got some more photos to share with you from my stay at the Hacienda San Angel. These are from random spaces around the hotel, including the chapel which would be such an unbelieveable venue for a wedding. (Oh – for the record, these posts are not some sort of paid advertisement – the owner doesn’t know I am blogging about it. I just loved this place THAT MUCH and am overjoyed that I was able to experience it.)