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…. get to it! You are coming up with some stellar ideas each week so it’s time to do it all over again. Besides I have some rest to get back to. Can’t disappoint Doctor Gorgeous!

This week’s problem comes from Nat who went through the heart breaking flooding earlier this year in my part of the world.

“We live in West End, Brisbane and our lower level was inundated by the floodwaters. We’ve put in floorboards (yet to be polished etc), new walls, new paint. Very exciting to have this area back again. We weren’t insured for flood so it’s been a cost we weren’t expecting – so we’ve had friends help (they’ve been amazing). So, the TV Room has a little ‘nook’ that used to have a little kitchen in it. I’d LOVE for your followers (Design Crew) to give me some ideas on how to transform it with shelves or storage or display space or any other creative ideas. This nook sits in a room that’s 4.5m long and 3.6m wide.  It’s a TV-play-teenagers hang-out room. At the other end are glass sliding doors. I’d like to have books, wine, nicknacks, toy box in the space but open to other ideas too. The actual nook is 230cm at its highest point, 130cm at the other lower height. Its 140cm wide and 110cm deep. As we are on a budget I guess I’d be looking at Ikea for shelving.” – Nat

I think we can come up with some better ideas than just Ikea shelving… just remember cheap and fabulous! After emailing Nat about what else was going in the room this is what she replied.

“We’ll put back in – TV, this white sideboard and I’m going to investigate getting this Janda lounge recovered because its such a good quality lounge (bought it in 1992). I think it may cost about $3.5K to reupholster…..ouch. But might be worth it??? And in the flood someone bought me a new red cover that will go on this Ikea Klippan couch (legs taken off at the mo.) And this is my Nana’s 60’s smokers table with standard lamp in built.  I’ve looked online for great lampshades and found this site Seven Dandelions which has the look I think I’m after. (I went to Woolloongabba Antique Centre but nothing that really did the job.)”

See what Nat has to work with after the jump as well as the shots from the flood and its filthy, smelly aftermath. Oh Nat what a mess! Time to get to it team. Just remember very limited budget but miles of style. Easy right?

What a week! I never want to go through one like it again! I had quite a health scare this week that included urgent CT scans, enough blood tests to turn me into a pincushion and a nervous wait for results. Good news and not so good news. Good news is it is not the worse case scenario. Not so good news is it is still serious but I have Doctor Gorgeous (how unprofessional of me but hubba hubba) working hard to get me well. Pills, rest, no stress and lifestyle changes… goodie! So please forgive me if this is a quickie stalking post before heading back to bed. I know I could get some much needed rest in this beach house at Avalon, Sydney. Not quite my style but enough gorgeous knick knacks to calmly rearrange. I find rearranging almost zen like. Maybe the good doctor makes house calls. No? I guess I am supposed to rest.

5 bedrooms, three bathrooms, great suburb (Darling Point, Sydney), huge house and most likely massive price tag. Stalking tends to be expensive. What I love most about this particular house though is not the space or its white brightness, its lovely courtyard and pool or the stunning “wilderness” of a garden. No what I drool over in this house is the art collection. Oh to have my own walls covered in such fabulous (and large) works. Perhaps I could just about afford the hall with the tribal pieces… perhaps 😉 Link here until it is sold.

Can a girl go weak at the knees over a caravan? Oh please! This ain’t no caravan. She’s a sleek and shiny 70s era Airstream. This baby was lovingly restored by Santa Barbara architect Matthew Hofmann. She’s small, efficient, renovated with recycled and sustainable materials and is the live + work space for Matthew and his girlfriend. But most importantly she is sexy! Alas she wasn’t always this hot. More like hot mess as you will see after the jump.

Modern interiors placed delicately in historic shells. Colour saturated minimalism and a dialogue between the past and the present. It’s a beautiful balancing act. Welcome to the portfolio of Rome based architect Carola Vannini. It is all about space and colour, positive and negative, blocks and voids, old and new… and respect.