Displaying posts from February, 2016

It’s all in black and white

Posted on Fri, 5 Feb 2016 by midcenturyjo

The transformation of the rear of this Victorian-era terrace house in Sydney by Smart Design Studio is small but perfectly formed. A new kitchen and family area flow out to the courtyard, the crisp black and white interior bathed in light.

Why am I not surprised? Where else would one of the world’s leading design couples Ludovica Serafini and Roberto Palomba of Palomba Serafini Associati retreat to but a 17th century ex oil mill brimming with their own iconic pieces. Rustic sophistication at it’s finest.

Chalet Rivière Verbier

Posted on Thu, 4 Feb 2016 by KiM

I had to share another refined rustic chalet in the mountains by the incredibly talented Marianne Tiegen. Where wood walls meet Tom Dixon Beat lights and a Mies van der Rohe Barcelona stool. And YES to the wrinkled linen duvet covers. (On that note, I am desperate to find one for my king-sized bed. If anyone knows of a reasonably priced preferably Canadian source let me know in the comments!)

Design Crew

Posted on Thu, 4 Feb 2016 by KiM

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! Hop to it. I know you have just the right solution. Today’s design dilemma comes from Paula.

Desperately seeking kim & jo’s interior ideas for a super/super long (24 feet long) by a super narrow (6 feet wide) living/dining/kitchen empty blank space that all connected open. I mean, I haven’t any clue how to explain this cold empty apartment and I am lost without a clue where to begin. Paula is looking to create a warm, calm, inviting home with the rather awkward space she has to work with as seen below.

I would like to share my thoughts and I hope many of you will too! First though – why oh why do people think dividing up a floor in an open concept space like this with 2 different materials is a good idea?! This space would be easier to work with and flow better if all the floor was hardwood. Paula I don’t know if you own or rent but either way, if you can swing getting that doing-nothing-for-the-space tile pulled up and replaced with the same hardwood that would be an awesome start. So I would basically pick a lovely calm, neutral colour and slap that all over all the walls. I usually say grey but you can really go with anything you like. Then pick 1 or 2 accent colours. I would then delineate your dining and living room zones using area rugs (neutral with a bit of your accent colour). I would get a round dining table and some not too weighty chairs like Eames or Philippe Starck’s Victoria Ghost chairs. I would try and find a very slim loveseat/sofa just under 6′ long and cram it in that nook under the 2 windows along the back wall. Or check if Ikea or small-space furniture companies makes a sectional that isn’t too bulky that might fit with the lounge part along the back wall. Then you can have a couple of occasional chairs in the more open area facing the loveseat with maybe a tiny table between them and they won’t be so crammed in. I would mount the TV on the wall behind that door in the photo above so it’s out of the way. That’s it – just keep a flow of colours throughout the entire space and keep every piece of furniture light, airy and ideally armless because I guarantee you’ll bring home furniture and wonder why it looked like a good size in the store but so big in your space. 

Stalking two houses in one

Posted on Thu, 4 Feb 2016 by midcenturyjo

Two houses, one title, modern yet old with it’s foundations carved into the ancient Sydney sandstone. I’m stalking “Villa Moderna” in Darlinghurst. The main house furnished. The other empty. Think of it as the ultimate annex. Altogether one hell of a house. The plans are key to understanding this one. Link here while it lasts.