1875 brick and sandstone cottage we may or may not buy because there is another, a beautiful, beautiful other……

WINKS – weekend links. Here we list what has come in during the week, things we’ve found and things we think you’ll want to see. If you’d like to see your blog or website featured email us and if we think it fits with our readers we’ll link you. So what’s in this week?

• What’s the old warning in showbiz? Never work with children or animals? I’m not going to heed the advice. First up we have Modern Playhouse… giving kids a space of their own to dream and play. Fun and stylish!

• Ok so here comes the animal part. Not quite decor in the strictest meaning but Kim and I couldn’t resist these gorgeous pet portraits by Alexa Hanna of Doodlie Bop Pet Photography. I just want to rub all their bellies and crinkle up their ears. If you can hang your kids’ portraits on the wall why not your fur babies?

• Grant Sonnex is a contemporary furniture maker but just saying that is doing him an injustice. He’s a master craftsman and his beautiful, sustainable furniture pieces are almost sculpture. My favourite? The Yup’ik chair, his interpretation of the classic Windsor chair.

• Be still my beating heart. The Hepsi range of rugs by Loom. I will own you one day. I will. I will. Swoooooooon!!

I had every intention of featuring a fabulous interior designer or a cool photographer today but I’ve been a bad girl and lingered too long over lattés and coffee cake with two blogger friends today. I’ve just rushed in the door and all I want to do is put my feet up and relax. It’s exhausting chatting for hours and hours. So a stalking post it is today! No need to write wonderful prose about this and that. Just wack up the pictures and say “wow”. Talk about not what you expected from the facade! The link to this Woollahra is here while it lasts.

How about a power house of photography today? How about a guy that consistently snaps fabulous hard core room porn pics that are guaranteed to feed our addiction? I can’t believe we haven’t featured Mel Yates before. You’ll know his work. Think Abigail Ahern, Kelly Hoppen and Graham & Brown, editorial work for House & Garden, Living Etc and Elle Decoration. It’s a passion and it shows!

Such beautiful soft light. I feel like I could dive in and swim through it. The light in Australia is so harsh and bright that photos like this are like a glass of cool water. So calm and revitalising. (OK the bright pink wall can hardly be called calm but you know what I mean.) New Orleans based photographer Sara Essex Bradley is like the eye of a cyclone. She stands in a room with her camera and all around her is calm. The kids may be running through, the cats are clawing at the rug, life goes on and the telephone is ringing but where Sara stands and aims her camera life stands still and beauty is what results.

One moment it’s OTT, the next it’s cool, calm and minimal. It’s mix and match combining to make a stylish whole. Interior designer Brett Mickan uses colour passionately and his monochromatic spaces are just as strong as his bold colour combinations. Sydney based, he has worked in Florida and this influence shows in his work. There is an Australian sensibility but a Miami bite to the execution. Whether it’s audacious or refined Mickan has it covered. Think serious fun more than just serious.

\