“We endeavour to create spaces that people want to spend time in. Spaces to relax in, rejuvenate in and enjoy, because that’s what gardens are about. They exist to make people happy.”

If I owned the pool in the first few pictures I’d be ecstatic. Bold contrasts, lush foliage and a glass edged pool transform a small inner city space into a tropical retreat. Fabulous urban gardens by Sydney landscape firm Garden Life.

Mimicking the ancient rocks of the Blue Mountains is a house of concrete block, timber and stone left to weather. It rises like a monolith or a rocky outcrop from the sheep paddocks providing shelter from the elements, a place to retreat. The fireplace is central to the idea of hearth and home, protection and warmth. “Mending Wall” (from a line in a Frost poem) is by Australian firm BVN Architecture via World Buildings Directory.

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Cute cute cute cute and squeaky cute! It’s retro and colour and giggles and fun. Melki is a Polish furniture line. Redesigned chairs from the 50s, 60s and 70s. Smaka Design is a graphics firm while Melki and Smaka are Anita, Dorota and Łukasz. Nitka is the sewing cafe where visual identification, production (prints, website and internet store) and, of course, the furniture by Melki and Smaka all came together.

Lilou and her husband have finished renovating their Swedish country house and it’s gorgeous. So what do you do when you finish your house? Put it on the market and share it with Desire to Inspire. What? How could you sell such a lovely home Lilou?

I’ve been reading this blog for a very long time and now that I’m about to sell my house I thought I’d send you the link to the “for sale” site. My husband and I have been renovating the interior since the day we moved in. We found out during our house-owning-period that city life with its restaurants, cinemas, and cafés is much more to our tasting than country living. I also long to sink my teeth into our new apartment 🙂

Now that I can understand. Just wish I was in the market for a lovely Swedish home in the country. I’d be moving right in. Good luck with it all Lilou!

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! This week’s problem is from Leslie and she really needs your help!

I am moving to a new 2-bedroom apartment – with no roommates – and I’m really excited about designing it the way I want. However, I came across a problem that plagued me in my old apartment as well, and which I am unsure how to solve. I have workout equipment – a treadmill, yoga mat, and exercise ball – and I don’t know where to put it. Initially I wanted to sort of ‘merge’ it into the second bedroom, which will be a guest bedroom. But the square footage in there is small enough that I am worried the equipment would crowd and annoy any guest I had staying over in there. Not to mention mar the design. I want the guest room to be inviting. But I just don’t know where else to put the stuff. Is there a solution for placing exercise equipment in an apartment where there is no dedicated exercise room? Could I put it in my main living area (a small double parlor) without ruining that design – which will be seen more often – as well?

Attached are pictures of the living room, dining room and bedroom. The living room and dining room are adjacent. None of the furniture in there is actually mine – it’s the current tenant’s. So we sort of have to imagine there’s nothing in there yet. The items there now do help illustrate scale/size, though.

Many thanks in advance for your help!