Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE a warehouse conversion. I love the space and the industrial remnants, the soaring ceilings and the often inner city location. It’s gritty luxury and oh so hip but… sometimes, just sometimes you need a little green space, an outdoor area to sit and see the sky and smell the smog fresh air. Now this warehouse has the perfect courtyard. I’d like to see this one in person. I have a feeling that its limited colour palette is a lot more serene and elegant than the photos suggest. But maybe, just maybe I’d throw a little dash of colour here or there. Link here while it lasts.

I’m not finished… but this is the strange little space which is part entry hall/part useless area in my new old house. We only ever pass across it or turn to climb the stairs. With no money to spend I pasted up some old book pages and moved in some vintage furniture from other rooms. It definitely needs more finessing but you can hear me whine about it discuss it over on Jo’s Page. Maybe when I go back to work and earn some money in the next few weeks I can make it a bit more presentable. At least that’s an incentive to go back to work 😉

Potter Ayumi Horie lives in a very special place. Well at least for now she does. I’ll let her explain, “Ten years ago, I bought this village church and simultaneously renovated and lived in the space for three years. I’m now selling the church, house and studio located in the Hudson Valley, two hours from NYC. We’ve… had studio sales and annual craft sales in the church, so it’s perfect for artists and musicians.”

“I’m sharing it with you in the hopes that you might share my project with other designers/future DIYers.  I’d love to spread the word about the sale of the church, too, in an effort to find just the right buyer…ideally, someone who will continue to use the space to create art and support the growing arts community.”

Oh Ayumi! How could you tear yourself away from such a beautifully gentle home. If only I lived in your neck of the woods… and lovely woods they seem. If you want to be part of this lovely old church’s history you can find out more here.

Design Bureau Magazine, published in Chicago by ALARM Press, is just a little different from your usual design magazine. They don’t so much focus on one specific niche of design as many other ‘design’ publications tend to do,  but rather they cover design as a whole including a wide range of topics such as architecture, interior design, fashion, product design, graphic design, and more. Their mission statement sums it up best.

“Design Bureau delivers an honest and inspirational global dialogue on design from diverse disciplines and points of view. It gathers people like you—creative professionals, style arbiters and industry leaders—and connects you with a like-minded community of design enthusiasts across the world with one common idea: discovering great design and the people who make it happen.”

The bi-monthly magazine available through subscription here. (I concentrated mainly on interiors while I was selecting images to use. Can you blame me? I’m into room porn!)

Eco-friendly, sustainable design, pop-up restaurant by Joost Bakker for the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival. The building and furniture are made from reclaimed or recycled materials, organic waste is composted and feeds the herbs, no mains electricity (it’s generated and fuelled by pure, unrefined canola oil), wall cladding and structural bracing is all-natural, formaldehyde-free plywood. (You can read more on Joost’s site). Raising grid like around the structure is Joost’s signature reo bar grid gardens. You can read more about Greenhouse by Joost and chef Matt Stone on photographer and story teller Beth Jenning‘s website. Beth generously shared these photos with us after her visit to the restaurant and I guarantee as great as these shots are her food shots will have you salivating.