I’m off to Sydney this week for a couple of days. (Thanks Freedom! I can’t believe it’s time for the new season’s furniture launch already!) I plan to (window) shop till I drop. Last time I was in Sydney I blitzkrieged Surry Hills and Redfern. Vampt and Seasonal Concepts were stand outs but honestly you can’t walk a block in these suburbs without finding a retail gem. Now I need suggestions for my next design hunt and gather. The Society Inc is on the books but number one is a visit to Sydney’s hottest new shop Pure and General. Owned by Linda Gregoriou (her home sent the blogoshere into fits of jealousy) and managed by Cassandra Karinsky. Definitely can’t wait to meet Cassandra at last! But I’m greedy. I need more suggestions. Shops, cafes, hole in the wall coffee, spill the beans so to speak!.

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!

Peach from the Philippines (check out her blog Grace in Full Measure) emailed…

I read your recent blog entry about seeking help for design dilemmas thru your blog. I hope you can help me out with my living room. My living room space is cavernous and the ceiling is high. My very limited furnitures look way too tiny in the space and there’s so much unused areas. I don’t want to fill it up with too much stuff but I do want to make it look homey and cozy, Pottery Barn style 🙂 Suggestions are very much appreciated.

Here is the sort of look that Peach is hoping for.

I think the pictures are a good place to start Peach. Move the furniture away from the walls and….. OK now it’s your turn DTI readers to come up with more suggestions.

Back for my second stalking post today. This time a one bedroom apartment in Potts Point, Sydney. White and bright with lots of timber and a red Venetian glass light to die for. talk about a statement piece in a small space. A perfect city pad. The little outdoor balcony is a definite asset. I feel the need for more artwork especially in the bedroom but the exposed brick wall adds that funky industrial vibe when teamed with the metal and glass walls. The apartment is in the Yellow House, a well known bohemian artist haunt that has now been gentrified (as is the want with all valuable inner city property these days). Thankfully they kept the famous wall art by 60s artist Martin Sharp. You can just see one peering down the hallway.  apartment. Link here while it lasts.

I know! I know! Two days in a row with the real estate stalking. bear with me. It’s my mindless recreational activity. I wanted to finish the week with two properties and drum roll please… here is the first. Modern warehouse space, 2 levels. Living on the ground floor then up the stairs to 2 bedrooms (one used as an extra living space) and the bathroom. I like the simple industrial feel. Lights, concrete, signs and exposed plumbing. Opinions please on the tire bed. I know that the pallet bed divided the blogosphere. Do we have our next bedding controversy? Glen Iris, Melbourne. Link here while it lasts.

Stalking out in the countryside today. Wouldn’t it be lovely to have a little cottage to escape to on the weekends? I have never really been a beach girl (too much sand…perhaps they could concrete little paths down to the waves?) but the country, that’s another matter. Lazy summer breezes and afternoons spent dozing over a good book. Winter weekends by a fire drinking the bounty of cellar door forays. Friends visiting and roast dinners after an afternoon of antiquing. Love the pretty garden. Love the quirky bits and pieces filling the shelves. Love the bath sunken in the wooden floors. Nothing too precious and everything just right for a cosy getaway. Link here while it lasts.