Design Crew

Posted on Sat, 2 Jul 2011 by midcenturyjo

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!

Andrea from Australia emailed. “I’m hoping your lovely design crew can help me out with something. I’m in a bit of a quandary about some renovation decisions for a downstairs studio which is currently being built.”

The demo begins

“Our house is built into the hill, so the back wall of the downstairs room is below ground level, and the front wall at ground level. This means there are only windows on two sides, and it has the potential to be a bit dark. The space will be used primarily as a Studio space so it is important to bounce light around. It will also be occasionally used as a guest room so needs to be a little bit swish.”

A little further on and the builders have started

“I can’t decide on flooring and lighting. We don’t have a lot of room for either, due to low ceiling height constraints. So timber floors and recessed lighting are not an option. I’m hoping your design crew has some ideas. Terrazzo, or a concrete finish? Tiles or Vinyl? It needs to be serviceable and yet light and reflective. Something that looks smart enough for a guest room, and serviceable enough for spilt paint, oils, thinners, hammers or anything else I can drop on it. The lighting is also a problem. We don’t have enough space to do down lights, and at this point I am thinking of hiding some LED lighting behind one of the beams, and some wall lights of some description combined with some good floor lights. What to do? Apologies for the photos but the renovation is in progress and far from finished!”

You can see more of Andrea’s renovations on her blog Strong Southerly.

Stalking beauty

Posted on Tue, 28 Jun 2011 by midcenturyjo

Beautiful, hermoso, smukke, bell, mooi, belle, schön, όμορφη, bello, vakker, piękny, frumos, красивый, vackra, güzel, belo, 美しい. I think I really need to own this house. I have a love hate relationship with my stalking addiction. I find beauty on a Melbourne street corner and I am smitten but could never buy it. Perhaps I can afford just the outside. Yes just the outside, maybe. Link here while it lasts.


New old kitchen progress

Posted on Sun, 26 Jun 2011 by midcenturyjo

… not much. OK I’m a little further on. I thought I’d show where we are at the moment. My cheap and cheerful counter top solution is hopefully coming together this week. Plywood will be glued to the existing tops and stained then sealed. Japan black? I’m leaning that way. You can see more of my temporary and dirt cheap kitchen re-do over on my page.

Design crew

Posted on Sat, 25 Jun 2011 by midcenturyjo

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!

Jesse emailed “I’m a big fan of the blog, and wanted to reach out & ask for a bit of advice. I’ve recently moved into a new apartment & am trying to make it a home. I’m a rustic minimalist but an eclectic at heart.” Jesse wanted feedback. Then Jesse sent photos. After I picked myself up off the floor I thought Jesse wants advice? Jesse wants to take it to the next level? OMG the bones are fabulous. There is so much that is wonderful about her new space.

I guess I was just looking for some general feedback than specific what-to-dos. I would love to hear back from readers in a Design Crew post, I’m just looking for others opinions.” This is were all of you come in. Your feedback? The next step? She has motivated me to walk away from the computer and head back to my still unfinished “quick” kitchen redo. Can’t wait to see what you guys have to say.

Sammy is a regular reader and commentator on the blog. Sammy is a Kiwi. Sammy shares my real estate addiction and Sammy goes stalking when she is bored.

Gloomy winter day here in Auckland and it’s my day off so I decided to do some real estate stalking and found one of my favourite homes is up for sale. It was featured in a magazine a few years back and I must have ripped out the entire article for my folder once I stopped drooling! I probably couldn’t afford the garage but hey we’re all dreamers at heart. It certainly made me think of summer…..love the slick tropical feel with ethnic touches and worn timbers. Yum.

I want to see more pictures! I want to see bigger pictures! Hey I want to see better pictures! Sammy I want to see those torn out magazine pages! Dreaming of a beachside bolt-hole. Actually, like you, I’m dreaming of summer down here in the southern winter. Link to this North Shore, Auckland home here while it lasts.