… hot cross buns

Holiday time is reading guide time on Desire to Inspire. All year round I flit from blog to blog, lurking but loving what I find. As I write this I have a pot of peppermint tea beside me and I’m thinking of warming some hot cross buns. Care to join me for a cuppa and a visit to some wonderful blogs?

These are real homes for real people. Stylish and so practical. The kids run through, the dog jumps on the couch, your friends feel so at home they sometimes stay for lunch and dinner. Jacinta Preston takes the great Aussie dream of a home of your own and adds in the lifestyle. It’s fun and easy maintenance, inside and out, vintage and new, off to the beach and curled up watching TV. Real. And really lovely! If you have the latest Real Living magazine (a must have every month) you’ll see Jacinta’s bedroom on the cover. Butterfly love!

The design firm of New York based John Beckmann, Axis Mundi creates spaces that are contemporary and clean lined. Modern work that is concise and practical but also unique and chic. Think of it as uncluttering to provide focus. Beckmann plays with scale to provide excitement and provides just enough tension to capture your attention. It’s minimalism but with glamour.

It’s the lighting I love in photographer Jeff Herron’s portfolio and particularly his understanding of artificial light. His shots of rooms lit at night are moody, his day time photos crisp and bright. But most of all his shots show how much he understands the interiors, the space, the relationship of the pieces within. He interprets the mood but never loses sight of the simple beauty. Contemporary, clean and packing punch.

A little retro to start your week. Once the height of housing chic these rooms either cause you to cringe or shake your head in disbelief. Everything old is new again. More magic from that fabulous decorating book Golden Homemakers 100 Ideas to Beautify Your Home, Gudenian Rockail & Mayer, Marshall Cavendish, London, 1972. Enjoy!

P.S. We are still experiencing problems with the blog and the weekend boffins are working hard to figure it out. Hopefully when the weekday boffins come in things will move a little faster. Thanks for your patience!