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!

… especially when you’re house hunting?

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?

• Yum! The colours, the pattern, the feel under foot of wool. Just loving this rug from the Tufted collection by the Piodao Group. So lush and rich. Sure to be a hit at Milan Design Week.

• And Kim thought she had the market cornered on cute animals on furniture! Jeff Friesen, an award winning photographer found his work changing since the arrival of his daughter. “Over the winter I started photographing little dioramas made from my daughter’s toy animals and leftover bits of various home renovation projects. We used the resulting prints to decorate our apartment.” Now you can too because Jeff’s prints are available through his Etsy store Wild Life Prints. Too cute! Zebras or pigs? Meerkats! Yes meerkats!

• Peled Lighting by Antoni Arola for Via Bizzuno. This modular lighting system can either be recessed or fixed to the ceiling. Polished or gloss black painted steel plates support a series of ball jointed aluminium rods allowing them to rotate off axis. Seriously sexy!

• How about this for a fun funky clothes tree? A statement piece and functional too. By Carolyn Clegg. Check out the rest of her portfolio while you’re there.

• Prints, colors and texture. Contemporary cushions fro PARK by Matt & Carlos. Working in cotton, canvas and linen the duo create gorgeous, fun and sophisticated pillows for the modern home.

What a week! As I publish this it’s the end of the working day in Australia. Thank goodness the week is over. My day job is frantic at the moment but incredibly satisfying (that’s for my boss if she’s reading!). I’m taking the easy way out today and posting a house from my stalking files. (That sounds quite weird as I re-read it… stalking files, the girl needs help.) Another Woollahra, Sydney house. Darkly gothic from the outside, super bright white and modern on the inside. Just sold for $1.5 million. Ah Australian house prices! What GFC?