A steady rain is falling outside my window. It has been a dry winter and any rain is a blessing. My mind is turning to the coming spring and it’s a perfect time to look into the portfolio of San Francisco based Arterra Landscape Architects. Their work is contemporary and meaningful, sustainable and spirited. I love that they describe themselves as a “diverse and slightly quirky group of creative and nerdy individuals”. Sounds just like the sort of design firm that I’d love to entrust my gardens to.

Hi everyone and welcome to a new week on Desire to Inspire. I’ve been thinking of imperfection over the weekend. I went to see a house and I’m trying my hardest now to buy it. We should know in a few of days after the banks and building inspectors and valuers and agents have prodded and poked, massaged figures and stared down sellers. The house was built in 1860 and got me wondering about imperfection and the beauty of gently aged things. If we are successful I don’t want to gut renovate but to slowly add my own layers to the old house. To leave a crack or an unevenly plastered walls. To cherish the footsteps worn in the cedar stairs. To gently clean the wood burning stove and live with the warped floorboards. I don’t have photos yet to show you but instead I wanted to share the tattered beauty of another home, this one English, one of the locations from Oak Management. Why do we so often race in and rip out ?

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!