Displaying posts from December, 2013

Vancouver’s interior design firm Falken Reynolds started ‘Decorate Gastown’ 3 years ago as a way to say thank you to shop owners for their part in making Gastown such a great neighbourhood to live and work. The shops pay only for the cost of materials and a team of volunteers brings each concept to life. The ideas they came up with are FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!

A 24″ birch bark and copper wreath shoppers could win, for the Bulthaup kitchen showroom

Repurposing fluorescent light fixtures left behind by the previous tenant at Complex Geometries, creating a Light Stick Tree

Wreaths of burlap coffee sacks for JJ Bean

The cozy bookworm scarf  for Lynn Steven Boutique

Wreaths made from Sapporo beer cans for Sea Monstr Sushi

Craft paper origami inspired wreath at Litchfield 

Retro multi-light-bulb wreath for Six Acres

It had been a while since we’ve heard from Rodrigo Hirsch of Spanish architecture and interior design firm Planell-Hirsch (post here), so I was excited when he emailed with photos of their latest projects – LOFTS! These are 2 lofts in the Poblenou District, Barcelona – presumably in the same building as they’re pretty much identical. OMG – those windows! What a dream!!! I can’t stop looking at those massive curtains. Interesting that the steel beams have been painted white – not sure I would have done that but they do blend in and keep things light. And I adore the Normann Copenhagen Bell lights over the enormous dining table (I was drooling over them when I paid a visit to my favourite shop a couple of weeks ago). Great job Rodrigo!

If you live in Australia you know these apartments. Tired old brick exteriors with tired old plasterboard interiors. Wall to wall carpet with a collection of interesting stains, swirling, dripping plaster slapped onto the ceiling and aluminium sliding doors with safety stickers. If you were lucky and lived on the top floor (always no more than four floors or the developer would have to spring for a lift) the “architect” may have thrown in a “cathedral ceiling and clerestory window”. No redeeming features except the size of the rooms. Say what you like about those old apartments they at least had a little more room than today’s incarnations. Now take an 80s apartment in a wonderful inner city location (Brisbane readers should be able to tell by the bridge and the tennis courts across the river) and drag it kicking and screaming into the 21st century and you have a hipster’s pad with room for baby and barbie. Very cool. By Alexander Lotersztain and derlot.

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I can smell the salt in the air and hear the crash of relentless waves. Sand whipped up by the stiff onshore breeze stings my shins. I squint into the bright light and wonder if I’ll trek down to the beach and plunge headfirst into the sea or whether I should be sensible, walk back inside and slather cream into my sunburn. A beautiful location, a beautiful house, a beautiful daydream. Big Bay Beach House, 25 minutes drive from Cape Town, South Africa and available for holiday let. Maybe not a dream after all.

I saw this story on the website of magazine Garden & Gun and while on the subject of magazines, thought it was worthy of sharing as I love a good warehouse conversion. This warehouse is in Greensboro, North Carolina and is now the shop and home of antiques dealer Dan Garrett. His shop is the main level, the second level is half shop storage and half main living space (including kitchen, dining area, a sitting room) and the third level is a wide open living area with a bed tucked into a rear niche. Love the rustic industrial feel and the coziness that is created from Dan’s beautiful antiques.