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?

• Congratulations to Jeanine from AphroChic. She’s just launched her online store (AphroChic of course!) – modern. soulful. style. God that woman has style by the bucket load AND she’s committed to sustainable design! I seriously need this.



• A stylish mix of contemporary design and vintage finds. How can a girl resist a tag like that? Sophie Morris emailed to tempt us with Century Finds. “At Century Finds we offer a mix of vintage, found and contemporary items for the home, with the emphasis on quality and affordability. We always try to keep a wide range of unique vintage and found pieces in stock, from the traditional to the outright quirky. We also carry some amazing contemporary independent designers, including Xenia Taler, Chakra Pennywhistle, Bold and Noble and Pigeon Toe Ceramics.”
• I tip my hat! Made from actual bowlers and top hats the Wooster pendant lights are quirky and perfect for the eclectic masculine room. I can see these in a fab wood lined english gentemen’s club style dressing room. Pip pip cherio!

  

• Drawing from Danish and Shaker influences Meridian is the newest collection designed by David Moser. The grain and texture of the ash used in the collection gives it a clean, modernist feel. I just want to run my hands over its smooth smooth finish.



• Jennie Schmid may be California born but she’s Casablanca based. She loves to shop, to explore the Moroccan markets to find treasures for you. Her online store provides an opportunity to “almost” be there. Better still if you’re in Casablanca she’ll arrange a shopping tour for you.

Jessica Klewicki is Big Blue Photography. Her shots are crisp and bright, clean and minimalist. She distills the essence and presents us the real jewel, the real room. Close up details are almost touchable, textures beckon to you from their 2 dimensional realm. Enjoy!

Straight from my email inbox to you. Brian Park (definitely one of my photographer crushes… see how I gush here) emailed with a link to his latest interior work, photos of the Hamilton Design Associates’ Hampton Showhouse master bedroom sitting room. Wow! Talk about brave colour and pattern mix. It’s edgy and fun and Brian captures the room so well. I was also taken by his shots of this house in Bellport, NY also by Ellen Hamilton. It’s a completely different look and feel but Brian brings it to life for us. It’s light, bright and casually elegant. Don’t miss the rest of Brian’s portfolio. And equally stunning is Ellen Hamilton’s portfolio! A must not miss.

I was messing around in Messana O’Rorke’s portfolio the other day (as you do) and fell in love with this farm cottage and addition (Ten Broeck Cottage). It’s a bold but simple juxtaposition of old and new, classic childlike house and believe it or not a trailer home as inspiration. Each building stands alone yet interconnected respecting the other. Simple minimalist lines from the 18th century and the 21st. Stunning.

Something a little different on WINKS this weekend. Our favourite (and most generous) architect Scott Weston sent us photos of his latest project overlooking Sydney Harbour at Point Piper…. the before photos that is… but what a before! Liberally sprinkled with hints of what’s to come I thought a Saturday was just the day to drink in all the details. Once again Scott has included his incredibly detailed models as well as drawings to help us understand the design process even more. WINKS returns in its original form next week but for today take it away Scott!

We have been working on the project since April 2009 and now it’s finally at construction stage- it’s a bit like going through a pregnancy or long gestation and then seeing it finally come to life. Our Client works in the publishing and media field and purchased this deceased estate ‘Art Deco’ apartment with beautiful bespoke joinery by cabinet maker ‘Paul Kafka’. While looking at the cabinets I came across a name plate inside a door (refer photo) and did some research and found out that his work is on display at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney.

During the process of designing the apartment and borrowing on the items that were built-in to the apartment we decided to reference Art Deco but not mimic it. Unfortunately, most of the bespoke joinery which are so beautiful could not provide the functional requirements of the Client’s family needs and how the apartment would function in the long term future. The entire apartment had the existing clothing wiring with bakelite fittings and requires a completed re-wiring as does the gas, plumbing to kitchen and bathrooms to bring it up to Australian Standards. So it was with great distress that we had to remove these items (items were taken away by interested parties) and demolish bathrooms that were built back in the 1940’s….. to last forever.

It was great to see that these spaces were built to last not like the built-in obsolescence that is most typical on more recent apartments. Rather than waffle on I thought I would attach a visual feast of images of the existing conditions, the model and concepts of each and every room and the materials and finishes we have specified. Essentially each room references ‘Art Deco’ with selected rich veneers but the twist being when you open up the joinery it contains a solid colour to the internal carcass. So for example the master bedroom is ‘Birds Eye Poplar’ with internal cabinets in Black Tulip (aubergine) and felt lining. The kitchen is simple chic black and white with mauve internal cabinetry, mini mosaic black and white tiles and linoleum flooring. Bathrooms are exquisite jewels with the Client exclaiming yesterday “she has her perfect princess bathroom” of coral, black and light pink with circular mirror cabinets back lit. We even have the pleasure of placing original Fornasetti cabinet within the apartment to complete the design. Will keep you posted on the work as it progresses and my Client moves in prior to Christmas holidays. Enjoy the images!!!!

OMG! I’m floored. An amazing Art Deco time capsule and a stunning re-interpretation. Thanks Scott. Finished pre-Christmas? Can’t wait to see the final result.