I’m stalking two industrial style lofts today. The first, in a former produce store in Richmond, Melbourne is mind blowing. The open plan design over several levels, the concrete and timber, the steel and the brick are all classic industrial loft riffs. The design stars for me are the two fireplaces. Oh my! I’d be lighting fires in summer and cranking up the air conditioning to cope! OK so it  needs some personalising. It’s like a cross between a bachelor pad and a half empty furniture consignment store. But the bones! Oh the bones! For when I win the lottery. Link here while it lasts.

Bright and fresh, young and playful. Whether soft pastel colours with whites and greys or rich and earthy with timber and stone these homes are stylish and luxuriously simple. Lean of line but big on impact. By Stacey Kouros Design.

P.S. I’ve included a couple of commercial images for their cool ideas.

Just as Australian architects and interior designers are creating fabulously stylish and liveable homes our landscape designers are reworking the concept of a patch of grass weeds and a few mismatched potted plants as urban garden. Our outdoor spaces are an extension of our homes. We spend almost as much time in outside in the warmer months as in our living rooms. The boundary between inside and out is blurred and the great outdoors isn’t way out in the bush. No it’s just a few steps from our back door. Whenever I need inspiration for amazing urban outdoor living I just head over to Secret Gardens. It’s no secret they are the best in the business.

A quirky kitchen and living area for midcentury coffee aficionados. Or should that be addicts? What do I love more? The little coffee making area? The midcentury furniture? The mesh wall divider? The retro finishes? No, if I was honest, I must admit that I have a serious case of espresso machine envy. How can someone own that many Atomic coffee machines? A fab design by South Australian interior design firm Koush.

Beachside living has never been so glamorous. ANTONI ASSOCIATES, the Interior Design and Décor division of the South African architectural firm SAOTA, have created a white and white interior that is sophisticated and luxurious with classically elegant overtones yet breaks out to an amazing al fresco entertaining area that is the signature of both these firms. A glass walled double void connects the upper and lower flows while providing a stunning backdrop to the study’s fireplace. White hot elegance on a hot white beach.