Displaying posts from July, 2015

The August issue of Inside Out magazine hits the newsstands tomorrow and alright it’s all white! (Oh bad pun.) Managing Editor Lee Tran Lam explains a little more in her latest email.

I know that white can seem a little intimidating – and too much white can conjure an image of those clinical science labs in the movies, you know the kinds where some horrible virus is unleashed? So we wanted to show how you can have white interiors that still have warmth and personality (and still are practical, because we all know how much of a stain-magnet white can be)!

This featured home belongs to textile and wallpaper designer Karina Pires, who runs House of Six. Even though the home is near Bondi Beach and she has two young kids, the strong use of white throughout has not been a nightmare to clean. And that’s despite (boldly) painting the floors a good shade of white! “It doesn’t chip, it’s not shiny. It’s been two years and we haven’t repainted,” she says. “The floors are also easy to maintain and, surprisingly, they don’t ever look very dirty.” She did spend a long time experimenting with the right paint to coat the floors with, so it seems like her constant juggling of many test pots paid off! She’s also added vivid rainbow hints throughout, so it’s not an overly bare home – these well-deployed bursts of brightness definitely add a mood-lift to each room. A small dose of colour goes a long way. Megan Morton styled the home beautifully and Françoise Baudet did a great job photographing it.

Wow! It’s like dropping Skittles into a milk bottle. What fun! Can’t wait to see more in the latest issue out tomorrow. Don’t fret if you aren’t in Australia though. You can read along on  ZinioGoogle Play,  the Apple Newsstand and Nook.

Foyers with painted wainscoting/wood paneling

Posted on Tue, 21 Jul 2015 by KiM

Some of you may not believe this, but after reviewing everything I thought I had decided on for the flooring on my main floor, I made another decision. Brace yourselves…..I AM GOING TO PAINT OUT MY MAHOGANY WAINSCOTING! (You can revisit that awfulness in this post) I realized that if I am going to redo all of this flooring that I am totally unhappy with, how can I keep this mahogany that I really REALLY don’t like? It will be a big job that I can hopefully hire someone to take care of so I do not end up in the mental hospital down the road, and I have not yet come up with a plan for the colour. I figure I will deal with re-staining the floor, see what the result of that is, and then find something that works with it and the Farrow & Ball lotus wallpaper I am dying to use for the upper parts of the wall. So on this note, I thought I would share some photos of foyers with painted out wainscoting and wood paneling that I came across while doing a little research. (Dear gawd, what have I gotten myself into!)

Philip Gorrivan

Better Homes and Gardens

One King’s Lane

FusionD

Style At Home

ML Interior Design

Lonny

Kinfolk

Benjamin Moore

The Socialite Family

 MilK Magazine

sköna hem

Style Me Pretty

HGTV

Nest Design Studio

New England Home

Elle Decoration Sweden

Elle Decor

I found THE tile!

Posted on Tue, 21 Jul 2015 by KiM

On Saturday the husband and I went tile shopping YET AGAIN, to a store called Saltillo Tile that sells the most beautiful selection of tile I have ever seen. I was particularly interested in their cement encaustic tiles (thanks Jo for the reminder).

Now, I thought I was pretty much sold on the black and white tile in this post, until I spotted this. 

BEAUUUUUUUUTIFUL!!! It is an 8″ cement encaustic tile with a matte finish, and this will go in the kitchen and vestibule. I do have one concern – these tiles are VERY thick. I don’t know if removing the subfloor is an option….anyway, we will figure something out because I HAVE to use these. 

After reading and re-reading the comments in my last post on this subject, I have decided to keep my oak flooring in the foyer, dining and living rooms and have it sanded and re-stained. 🙂 While we were looking around at Saltillo I spotted a section of long wood-grain-patterned tiles

I really love that grey tile on the left. If I can find a stain like that (maybe a bit lighter) I think that would be perfect. 

I spotted this vestibule on Design*Sponge – they are cement tiles and look phenomenal. OMG I am so excited!!!

P.S. I probably would have gone with the tumbling block pattern tile because that has always been my favourite but my wimpy husband says looking at the pattern would make him pukey. Yeah, I know. JERK! 😉

A glamorous kitchen

Posted on Tue, 21 Jul 2015 by midcenturyjo

A kitchen can just be a kitchen. A place to cook. A place to eat. A place clean up after cooking. A kitchen can be serviceable, practical, sensible and, with a little passion for design, a kitchen can be glamorous. By Williams Burton Lepardi.

Elegant frugality

Posted on Tue, 21 Jul 2015 by midcenturyjo

Doing things economically and beautifully. South Australian design firm Williams Burton Leopardi calls it “elegant frugality”. Their design for these terrace houses, Loft on Seventh in Adelaide, sees them exploring the idea of practical luxury using industrial materials and clever space planning.

“For those who believe small details can make life memorable and inspiring, our work builds connection through celebrating life’s daily rituals, creating environments distinctive to people and place.”