Habitat + Beyond

CRAZY FOR GICLEE

2013-03-21T11:54:00.000+10:00

I do love Giclee fine art prints and when one of my favourite new online stores TheChicElement started stocking these beauties by Sarah Hankinson I just had to share them with you. The Melbourne Illustrator catches the femininity of her subjects and I love the occassional splashes of colour.

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Since its launch earlier this year TheChicElement have added a ton of gorgeous wares to their store - all aimed at reinventing your office space. Since decorating my own home office (twice - I kicked my husband out of his office and now it's mine!) I know the value of having a space that reflects you.

I've just about finished my room makeover in my new office space, and one of my favourite things is my gallery wall, I think the 'Jessica' is the missing link I've been looking for!

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H+B KIDS ONLINE STORE AND A SHOPPING TOUR

2013-03-14T12:13:00.001+10:00

I can't believe its nearly a month since I last posted. I have been so busy work wise and on the home front I had to sacrifice a few things and one of them was my beloved blog.

I mentioned a while ago I was working on an online store and I'm happy to say that it is now up and running! I'm constantly working on sourcing new products that work well with the aesthetic of Habitat + Beyond Kids, so expect more products to be added soon!

It's so hard to find gorgeous linens for children's rooms and nurseries and I'm so happy to be stocking Kate Lauren designs. Teamed up with the typography prints I designed, handmade mobiles and gorgeous decor pieces I'm so happy with the final result. You can check it out for yourself here.

Navy Cross Bean Bag

Dots Bean Bag

Chase Your Dreams Letterpress Print

Nate Hudson Bedding

Lovely Symphony Mobiles

Another thing I am excited about is the Adore Home book. I have already pre-ordered my book and if you haven't already ordered yours the stakes have been raised even higher. Loni the Editor and creator of Adore Home is hosting a shopping tour of Brisbane, where she will share all her favourite haunts!

There are some amazing interiors stores in BrisVegas and this is the perfect way to discover new delights. Some of the stores will also be sharing their styling tips and how-to's!

There are 2 options to choose from:

SHOPPING TOUR REWARD $120

Standard package includes 1 ticket aboard the Adore Home

shopping tour. This exclusive tour will take you to the best interior

shops in Brisbane. Plus some of the stores will give styling

how-tos and decorating tips. Price includes charter bus, lunch,

printed guide, goodies bag and 1 invitation to the book launch party.

All of the above plus you get 1 copy of the Adore Home

book, 2 invitations to the book launch party, plus

a special VIP goodies bag with contents worth over $100.

VIP SHOPPING TOUR REWARD $200

All of the above plus you get one copy of the Adore Home book, 2 invitations to the book launch party plus a special VIP goodies bag with contents over $100!

You can pre-order the book now and the pledge is only processed once the target to fund the book is reached! Click here to order your copy now!

Glad to be back!

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BARGAIN BEDDING!

2013-02-07T15:32:00.000+10:00

Lately I've been thinking that my bedroom needs a mini makeover. Only a few minor changes like new bedding and a different wall colour behind the bed, but bedding in Australia can be sooo expensive and seeing as I only purchase our current set about a year ago, I can't quite justify the purchase...yet!

Yesterday I was trawling the net as I do for one of my online clients and I came across some gorgeous AFFORDABLE bedding from Urban Outfitters - and guess what they also offer reasonable shipping rates to Australia!

Here are a few of my favourites - though I'm not sure how my two big dogs will feel about having cats on the bed!

I love the black and white chevron print - do you have a favourite?

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AIMEE'S STYLE

2013-02-05T19:00:00.001+10:00

Have you ever wished you could take a peek inside someone elses's home... (all the time right?!). Well as a huge admirer of Aimee Song, who I blogged about here, I was surprised when I did a bit of digging in her site and found some images of her old apartment in San Fransisco. Not unpleasantly surprised - just surprised! I would consider Aimee's personal style a little bit edgy, perhaps masculine with a feminine edge, and her apartment was a lot prettier and more wordly than I would have imagined.

There are so many fabulous, eclectic pieces that I would imagine she has garnered from her globe trotting!

Now of course Aimee's wardrobe is to die for and you can see a really cute video here on her wardrobe tour!

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One of my favourite things about Aimee is her ARM CANDY - just check this out...

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for a daily dose of Aimee's style check out here instagram feed @songofstyle!

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FEB/MARCH ADORE MAG OUT NOW!

2013-01-31T16:05:00.003+10:00

So I'm back to reality after a weekend at Gwinganna Health Retreat (well in actual fact I've been back to reality for a few days now, but only just getting back into the swing of things blog-wise!). The retreat is located only 20 minutes away from where I live on the Gold Coast, and is frequented by Hugh Jackman - unfortunately he wasn't there that weekend. As other Mum's would appreciate it's sometimes very hard to squeeze any 'me' time in so a request to my husband for a weekend there as a Christmas present was met and off I went!

I had booked in a couple of treatments for when I arrived, followed by an early group dinner to meet the other 60-odd retreat-ee's and early night was called for so I had engergy for the 5:30am wakeup call. The morning consisted of Qi Gong at 6am followed by a Fit Ball class - where I learnt that core strength is not MY strength. Followed by an organic breakfast and then a choice of classes. I was looking forward to the deep water running session but we decided against it as the pool had dropped temperature to 25 degrees with all the rain. So we opted for a boxing class instead. More food at 11am - a delicious banana and almond milk smoothie and herbal teas and then at 11:30 'The Dreamtime 'starts. This is the designated time for whatever type of relaxation takes your fancy... spa treatments, sauna, steam room, lounging by the pools (when the weather isn't so bad) just to name a few options.

At four I had scheduled in a three hour treatment called Dusk Indulgence which consisted of a foot scrub and massage, full body scrub, wrap and massage and finally a facial - it was total bliss and definitely the highlight of my weekend! I drifted straight from my treatment to dinner, and from there to bed.

I opted not to go to Qi Gong again in the morning but did manage to drag myself out of bed in time for the 6:45 am Realignment class - and I'm so glad I did! I learnt some great techniques for stretching and finding out where my weak spots are. After breakfast I chose to do the Bosu class and then a spin class which gave me a great workout. The program doesn't finish until 2pm and you are welcome to stay until 6pm - which I had planned to do but with flood warnings across South East Queensland I decided to leave early in case of any drama's on the way home. I would love to share some photos with you but mobile phones are pretty much banned unless in your room, and with the non-stop rain while I was there I don't think they would have done the surroundings justice!

So this week I have just been catching up on my workload and still trying to get my new office finished - it's pretty much done but as I've mentioned before I'm a bit of a perfectionist! I was excited earlier today when I received an email to say that the new issue of Adore Home is out as I wasn't expecting it until tomorrow. I'm sure this is their biggest issue yet and I just loved the Kids Feature that I was so happy to be a part of!

I was totally in awe of the Diane Von Furstenberg penthouse in Hayman Island, I don't think I will be visiting there any time soon with it's $5000+ per night price tag but I can't dream right?

You can check out the whole issue for yourself here! Another exciting project in the land of Adore mag is the possibility that they will be publishing a book! By pre-ordering a copy you can make this possibility a reality (and snag an invite to the book launch party too) hop on over to www.pozible.com/project/14494 to find out more!

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HOME CRUSH: ARIANE GOLDMAN

2013-01-24T18:35:00.002+10:00

I'm about to start work on designing a playroom for a family and I would love to introduce lots of colour to the room in a subtle way so it can also be adult friendly. I really like this space belonging to fashion designer Ariane Goldman which appeared in Septembers issue of Lonny Magazine. The bones of the room are actually quite understated but the room is brought to life with some simple accessorising, What I love about this style of designing is that its so easy to update the look or the colour palette if you become tired of it at some point!

Ariane really has such a beautiful home so I thought I would share the rest of it in case any of you didn't catch this issue of Lonny.

all images: Lonny Magazine

I love the mixture of seating styles and I'm a huge fan of that monochromatic rug!

A little while ago I mentioned that I was off on a health retreat for a weekend - the time has now come! I'm incredibly excited to head off to Gwinganna tomorrow for a weekend of spa treatments, delicious organic food and lots of 'me' time. I'll share some of my highlights with you on the blog next weekend, and for all my Aussie followers - Happy Australia Day - enjoy the long weekend!

A FEW THINGS ABOUT ME

2013-01-22T12:54:00.002+10:00

A week or so I recieved an email from a lovely fellow blogger Marie from Home of Bambou tagging me for a Liebster Award which is encouraging people to discover new blogs! This is such a fabulous idea and not only can you find more blogs to follow but you can also learn a little bit more about them.

Marie has tagged me and another 10 bloggers - we need to share 11 things about ourselves and then answer the 11 questions from Marie.

11 Things You May Not Know About Me....

I was a long haul Flight Attendant for 3 years for Virgin Atlantic - I started when I was 19 and living back in England.
I have always had a fear of birds and as I have gotten older I have strangley become afraid of flying - which is weird if you look at #1.
I have been told by two different people (strangers) that I look like Boy George - compare to my profile pic to see if you agree!

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I have a bit of an infatuation with the Victorias Secret Angels - are these girls even real?!

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I am a perfectionist and can be quite stubborn but I will do anything for the people I care about.

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If I wasn't an Interior Designer I would love to design shoes.
When I was younger I used to dream of marrying Prince. No, not 'A' Prince, the singer Prince! (or is that 'symbol' or 'the artist formally known as').
I love lifting heavy weights at the gym.

I am inspired by people who speak their minds.
I am obsessed with anything leopard print (you may already know this if you've read my About Me page - but it's too important not to share again!)
I am not a morning person and I get hangry (hungry + angry) if I don't eat regularly.

and here are Marie's questions for me (and my answers)!

1 - Which talent would you like to have?

I would love to be a great singer, I wouldn't like to be famous but to be able to belt out a tune at kareoke and wow the crowd with my talent would be pretty cool!

2 - Neutral or colors?

Can I be tricky and say both? I love neutrals and colours paired together. I like classic pieces paired with a shock of colour - in both the home and with what I wear.

3 - What is your new year resolution?

I don't believe in them.... I believe they are a way to set yourself up to fail! I have some new habits that I started a little while ago now that I am trying to keep up - but I don't beat myself up about it if I slip up every now and again.

4 - Which person (dead or alive) would you like to meet?

Rachel Zoe - I would love to go shopping with her!

5 - What do you do to feel better when you're feeling down?

I always put music on. Painting my toes makes me happy - I love having well manicured feet! And making my son laugh always makes me smile.

6 - What's your favorite song?

I'm going to embarass myself immensly here and say Justin Beiber's Beauty and The Beat.....yes I am 34 next month and I have got Bieber Fever - oh dear!

7 - Do you buy yourself flowers?

I buy them for the house from time to time, and I separate the bouquet so I can have a few smaller vases dotted around the house instead of one larger arrangement.

8 - Electronic organizer or paper?

I'm trying to start doing it electronically as it's easier to have everything on my phone, but nothing beats an old fashioned organiser or diary.

9 - What did you do for the holdays?

We had family over from England so we spent a lot of time with them, my son learnt to walk and we chilled out on the beach a lot - heaven!

10 - Madonna or Lady Gaga?

Ooh that's a good one! I'm a bit of a Lady Gaga fan at the moment but I would have to say Madonna - she's lead an interesting life and I would love to find out how she manages to look so good... I'd love to steal her little black book of beauty secrets!

11 - Figurative art or abstract art?

Abstract.

Thanks Marie for tagging me - it was a lot of fun!

THE CHIC ELEMENT

2013-01-18T20:44:00.000+10:00

So I have been working hard on redesigning my new office space this week. The feature wall is painted (the same colour pink as my last little office nook), my gallery wall is up and I just need to organise a few more bits and pieces before I can snap some shots to show you.

It seems only fitting that while we're on the subject of offices I tell you about my new collaboration. A few weeks ago I was approached by a former client who was launching a new online store which will offer everything stylish to do with offices called TheChicElement. A simple desk in the corner is fast becoming a thing of the past. With more of us opting to work from home these days it's become more important than ever to have a office space that inspires you.

I know myself when I turn on the computer each morning that my office space is truly one that represents me and my style. So when the owner of TheChicElement, Tiffany Faglin approached me about offering Habitat + Beyond's moodboard services to her customers and I was delighted to come on board. I'm looking forward to showing people that it can be easy and affordable to create a stylish office space at home.

From brightly coloured chairs and cushions to kitsch office accessories if you're planning on updating your office space you have to check this store out!

ALL THAT GLITTERS

2013-01-15T20:52:00.000+10:00

Have you ever fancied a deliciously feminine boudoir? I know I have, but like most married women there is another person who shares that room with me that might feel differently! What's strange is that when I was younger I never particularly liked pink, but with age it has become a colour that I love to use in my home...

I came across this interior on Jen Ramos's pinterest board today and I just had to share it with you. Created by interior designer Kristin Peake, it was the mirrored dressing table and cute artwork that first caught my eye, and THEN I saw that gilded oversized headboard!

This would be an incredibly easy thing to recreate - with some highly metallic paint and some architrave that is used around windows! It's is the highlight of the room in my opinion and even if you didn't want such a 'pretty' feel you could easily use a darker metallic paint to give it a more masculine edge.

How cute is this fluffy pendant light and the gallery wall is framed designer shopping bags!

A lovely muted ensuite...

And what woman doesn't dream of a wardrobe like this? And that zebra carpet - oh my!

I also love this clever use of a 'dead' space - the perfect place to chill out!

When can I move in?!

SHOP WATCH: INKKIT

2013-01-11T11:46:00.001+10:00

I'm a sucker for pretty packaging - who isn't?! So yesterday when I was trawling the net for some office pieces for a project I was working on I stumbled across this adorable etsy shop called Inkkit.

The hand dipped pencils are pretty perfect in my opinion (yes I have already ordered some) and everything looks so beautifully packaged!

Here a few of my favourites...

I am relocating my office space into a larger room at the weekend - it seems I have already outgrown my space which I gave a little makeover here. I just love the pink wall colour I used last time so I will be reusing it again. As the room is bigger I will be adding some art, including my own prints (which you can buy here)- a few new accessories but other than that it should stay pretty much the same. I'll share some pictures of it once I have moved anyway!

Have a fab weekend!

D.I.Y FAUX ADLER RUG!

2013-01-09T19:01:00.002+10:00

I've mentioned before what a big Jonathan Adler fan I am and I have wished for one of his Zebra print rugs for a little while now. They come in a multitude of colours are made from Ilama's wool they don't come cheap - retailing at $USD995.

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So when I saw this felt DIY version on etsy.com I fell in love!

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Pretty much identical right? The tutorial was taken from a book called Dorm Decor, which has over 35 thrifty projects from customising lampshades to organisation for small spaces. This DIY looks pretty straight forward if you have a bit of time to spare, and the best bit is you can make it in any colour felt!

If you fancy giving it a try, pop on over to this page for full instructions including the rug template to download. If anyone takes up the challenge, please send me a photo - I would love to see it!

HABITAT + BEYOND PRINTS!

2013-01-07T20:39:00.001+10:00

I've long had a love for typography prints and particularly letterpress prints. I love the uniqueness and variations you can get from the process. So a little while back I set out to design my own! I wanted prints that would work with any decor and with phrases that had meaning.

I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know is a phrase that I have in my son's room, and whether you have your own child or not I'm sure you have all had someone in your life that that phrase has meaning for. The second print is Chase Your Dreams, and that's what I decided wholeheartedly to do last year - starting many new chapters in my life!

I'm so happy with the way that they turned out, each print is available in either Gold or Silver ink. The prints can be purchased from my etsy shop which you can find here and will soon be available on my website. For wholesale enquiries you can email me kelle@habitatandbeyondkids.com

SHOP WATCH: CLAIRE BELLA

2013-01-03T20:47:00.000+10:00

I love having trays dotted around the home to store my bits and pieces and I'm always partial to anything with a monogram so this zebra print number from Claire Bella fits the bill perfectly. Yes they're great for storing food but they are also so cute for displaying your jewellery, perfumes, car keys and I even have a tray for my remote controls ha!

So after poking around this online store a bit longer I found a few other goodies that tickled my fancy such as this melamine plate,

a cute little clipboard,

and these bottle coolers

I love how vibrant the colour palettes are and they are fully customisable - you pick the font, colourway and the patterns! My personal favourite is the ice bucket which you can check out here.

WELCOME 2013

2013-01-02T19:08:00.005+10:00

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all managed to have a bit of a break too over the holidays. I ate far too much and so I am back to Clean Eating and suffering from a sugar detox headache - ouch!

We had a lovely relaxing time with our family who were visiting from England and my little fella also started walking so that was very exciting.

I got spoilt with lots of Lorna Jane gym gear and other fitness related pressies (at my request hehe) and was ecstatic that my husband has booked me a weekend at Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat! A weekend of spa treatments, delicious organic food, relaxation and above all some 'me' time is my idea of heaven so this literally has to be the best Christmas gift. I have booked in already for a couple of weeks time so I look forward to sharing all the details of my experience with you soon!

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While I was on my bloggy break I came across this stunning home featured that was featured in Est magazine in December. How cute is that pink flamingo? I find I always gravitate towards white interior with blasts of colour - probably because keeping a home like that spotless with two big dogs and a baby would be kind of impossible!

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You can check out the issue here to see more gorgeous interiors!

BLOGGY BREAK FOR 2012

2012-12-17T17:07:00.000+10:00

Apologies for my absence last week, I was feeling a bit under the weather and on Thursday I was hit by a nasty virus.

I have decided to take a little bloggy break until 2 January... I have a few clients that I want to give my full attention to over the holiday season as well as spending time with my lovely family. We also have some family coming over from England for Christmas and I really want to make the most of their time here too.

Thank you all for being a part of my life over the past few months while I have begun my journey into the blogosphere. I'm looking forward to sharing some incredible interiors with you in 2013, and while I'm on my little break feel free to follow me on my instagram page @kellehd to see what I'm up to over the break!

I wish you and your family a safe and happy holiday and I hope 2013 brings you lots of success and happiness. Don't forget to check back in next year!

LATEST PROJECT: FUEL BAR

2012-12-10T14:42:00.001+10:00

A few weeks ago I blogged about a commerical project I was working on - a Member's Lounge for a Health Club. It was a tight deadline of 3 weeks, but it all came together in time for the launch last Friday. I'm excited to share a few shots I took of the space over the weekend.

One of the main things I had to consider in the design was that there was only one wall in the room - which also had doors leading to an electrical cupboard that needed to stay there. I had an idea to have a brick wall built and then changing the face of the doors. We managed to find some great authentic doors that worked perfectly.

The Member's Lounge has a barrista serving coffee and is also an area for Membership Consultants to meet with new members so it was important to have several options for seating that could easily be moved around into different configurations.

I had a custom decal made with some of Go Health Clubs brand imagery - so people don't forget they are actually in a gym - not just some trendy cafe haha!

There are three computer stations for members to use free of charge. I wanted to give them the feeling of privacy but due to the size of the space closing them off completly was not a viable option. So to work with the 'alleway' look of the brick wall and doors I decided to get some high metal fence panels built, so while the space is still open it provides a visual barrier and privacy to the area as well as dividing the lounge area.

We went for a blacked out ceiling...

And polished concrete floors to complete the industrial look...

And here is some shots of what it looked like 3 weeks ago...

Overall I think the brief of a Melbourne-style cafe was achieved and I'm sure it will be a popular space for members to hang out. I also came up with the name for the lounge - Fuel Bar!

ADORING SUMMER

2012-12-06T20:43:00.000+10:00

Ok so I'm a few days behind but I finally managed to check out the new issue of Adore Home Magazine! I've been super excited for this one as one of my favourite interior designers Maria Barros is featured (I blogged about her here) and of course it didn't disappoint.

The issue is packed with tons of gorgeous homewares so I thought I would piece together my top picks from the issue. At the moment I have a thing for angel wings - not only in nurseries - and I just fell in love with this golden stool from Adorn Homewares (which also comes in other colours).

This week I've started my Christmas shopping and I always find some great ideas for presents through online magazines - it's so easy all you do is click on the product and it takes you straight to the website to purchase from - love that! Have you started your shopping yet?

GIVEAWAY WINNER!!

2012-12-03T21:00:00.000+10:00

I'm so excited to announce the winner of my giveaway celebrating 100 posts!

I have just used random number generator Random.org and the lucky winner of Jonathan Adlers book is Chantelle - congratulations this really is a fab book!

Chantelle if you can email me on kelle@habitatandbeyondkids.com with your full name and address I will post it out to you!

Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway - it was great to hear who your favourite interior designers are too!

LOVELY GIFTS

2012-11-29T16:20:00.002+10:00

I was delighted when, last month I got an email from Lovely Wedding Magazine editor Loni Parker asking me to put together a selection of homewares that I would have on my Gift Registry (that is, if I were to get married again). Never one to shy away from souring the net for beautiful treasures to adorn my home - or that of my clients - I had a lot of fun picking my wish list.

My favourite colour combo's at the moment are pastels mixed with neons and a bit of gold thrown in, so I decided that this would be the perfect palette for a summer gift registry.

I love a good cocktail so I couldn't resist the Mr and Mrs cocktail glasses from Furbish or the adorable Salt + Pepper pots from etsy seller Alison Brent! What I adored about Lovely Magazine's first issue was there was so many things to be inspired - whether you are a bride to be or not. Planning a party or holiday soiree and you can get so many tips from the real weddings in the magazine.

The second issue of Lovely launched earlier today, I've already had a quick scan of the pages and Nicola and Darren's deliciously peachy wedding on page 35-49 is simply stunning - you have to check out the meringue dessert table!

Don't forget - there are still a couple of days left to enter my giveaway to win a copy of Jonathan Adler's book Happy Chic Colors if you haven't already! Just click on this link and leave a comment telling me who your favourite interior designer is by 1 December - good luck!

PRETTY AS A PEACOCK

2012-11-27T16:12:00.001+10:00

I've long lusted after Peacock chairs ever since Sienna Miller graced the cover of GQ sat in one a while back.

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So when I saw these mutlicoloured beauties on Fenton & Fenton's facebook page earlier today I was smitten. They really are so effortlessly glam and would make the perfect addition to any under-loved balcony or patio.

My husband and I keep discussing giving our balcony a bit of TLC - all that resides there is a BBQ, outdoor dining table and chairs. And now those Queensland balmy night are upon us I really want to take advantage as much as possible of al fresco dining!

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As much as I love pink around the home I fear I may get a little over it if it were outside but I am truly loving the canary yellow version!

Thank you to everyone who has already entered my little giveaway - all you need to do is click on THIS LINK and comment on that post letting me know who your favourite interior designer is before 1 December to enter. You have to be in it to win it!

Easy as that - good luck!

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

2012-11-23T20:27:00.000+10:00

So in a few short months I have hit my first 100 posts! Since starting my blog in June this year it has been so much fun discovering new interiors, shops, people and places to share with you. I have found so many incredible new blogs to follow along the way and it has also meant so much that so many of you have taken the time to comment on my posts - so thank you for coming on this journey with me!

100 posts!!

So to thank you all for reading my blog I am running a GIVEAWAY to celebrate 100 posts! In one of my first posts I blogged about a book I love by Jonathan Adler. I have many favourite interior designers such as Kelly Hoppen and Wearstler, Mr Adler and Anna Antunes and I really love to collect books on interior design.

So I am giving one of you the opportunity to win a brand new copy of Jonathan Adler's Book 'Happy Chic Colors'.

I'd love for as many of you to enter as possible so I'm going to keep it really simple! Comment on this post by 1st December 2012 and tell me who YOUR favourite interior designer is! And that's it, as easy as that.

This giveaway is open to all my blog readers - no matter where you are in the world. I will use a number generator such as Randomizer to generate a random number based on the number of comments posted and will announce the winner on Monday 3rd December.

Best of luck, I do hope you all will enter, and thanks again for following!

SHOP WATCH: LEIF

2012-11-21T15:48:00.000+10:00

If you're looking for some uber-cool homewares or accessories to add to your holiday wish list you can't go past Leif. I've only just discovered this online Mecca for homeware goodness and I'm so glad I did. There's an array of pastel hued jewellery and decor pieces as well as some stunning gilded treasures.

Lucky US shoppers can also benefit from free shipping on purchases over $150 at the moment too! I wanted to show you a few of my favourite offerings - it took me ages to narrow it down to these few - there's so much to choose from!

I think the gold 'Twig' ring is to die for, so much so I'd even consider swapping my beloved white gold rings to wear it!

Keep an eye out on the blog over the next day or so - I'll be celebrating my first 100 posts with a giveaway of one of my favourite things (Oprah style!)

COLOUR EXPLOSION

2012-11-19T16:55:00.001+10:00

You know how there are certain colours that you would imagine wouldn't work together, but then you come across a room where you couldn't imagine it being any other way. Such as this room designed for Apartment Therapy's 'Room for Colour competition'. Hot pink and mustard..... could have been a recipe for disaster but not here!

From the ornate bedhead to the lucite tray and the gilt task lamps to the neon artwork, this over-the-top boudior is a welcome break from the usual serene surroundings that you see in most bedrooms.

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And mixed in with all that colour is the clever addition of the antique globe and op shop looking rug to counterbalance the space. If you take away the high voltage artwork and colourful bedding you actually have quite a muted room.

Here are a few of my picks to get this look:

Zebra rug / Throw / Kate Spade Book / Vessel / Lamp / Juju Hat

I recently asked my readers to recommend any style/interiors books that they love - thanks so much to Viv from Cush & Nooks for recommending this Kate Spade book - it's now on my Christmas wish list.

What do you think of this room? Is it something you would like to wake up to every morning?

A DIFFERENT KIND OF LOOK

2012-11-15T16:18:00.001+10:00

The past few days I've been hard at work pulling together a design for a new Health Club's Members Lounge (owned by my husband and Mum). When their last Club opened I blogged about it here. Now the latest incarnation opens in a mere three weeks so I'm flat out finding pieces and getting them here on time!

They are after a funky, eclectic cafe feel as they will have a barista serving coffees to members (not bad huh?). Here are a couple of the images I'm using for inspiration...

Taking heed of Megan Morton's wise advise that I took from her Science of Styling Masterclass that I attended a few weeks ago of assigning each project with one word, I decided to ask the client (my husband) to do just that. In typical form he couldn't give me one word, instead he gave me two -- "F*#king Cool" ahem - his words not mine! Yes he has a penchant for swear words unfortunately.

So with that in mind I have asked the question each time I have found an item that I think will work... Is it "F...... Cool?", and if it's not then it doesn't make the cut!

Here's what I have come up with so far...

STOOLS / PENDANTS / BAR STOOLS

The floors will be dark polished concrete and the ceiling will be BLACK! This project is so different to my usual aesthetic of bright pops of colour, I really can't wait until it all comes together!

SHOP WATCH: FROMAGE LA RUE

2012-11-13T19:53:00.001+10:00

Fromage La Rue... You are going on Santa's wish list. I'm seriously in love with these illuminated letters and in particular the Vegas Boneyard! The signs are handmade in Australia, and this Sydneyside Duo to custom work when time permits.

If an oversized version isn't your thing they've got a mini version coming soon and they're only $150! Isn't it just the most adorable thing!

Next year I'm going to update Xavier's room to his first big boys room and I think an illuminated 'X' is a must have!