Back to basics...

Hi all, I am so sorry I was absent last week- but off styling for the week and the weekend I just slept as I was exhausted!

The other day my brother and I were watching a cheesy TV show and saw an amazing loft. It reminded me of how much I love raw materials in design... It has always been a dream to own a loft apartment and really strip it back to beams, brick and light, then go to town on fantastic industrial design with lights, chairs and materials.

Here are some fantastic examples of Loft design and maximising on space,light and the raw materials.













I love this loft that features in Gossip Girl as the Humphrey's Brooklyn loft. Fantastic!







Anyway I hope you have all been well? I am looking forward to spending time at night catching up on the passed week with my favourite blogs! Cam xox

Decisions, decisions, decisions... HELP!

So for a while now I have been on the hunt for a console table for behind my couch that can house my laptop... Something I can sit and blog at comfortably with a cup of coffee...

Exhibit A:



Now I have found three and I really can't decide!

Complete Pads- Trestle Writing Table in White Wash ($1075)- loving the simplicity and rustic look (goes well with my old ladders).



OR

Complete Pads- Elm Trestle Console Table ($865)- love the detail on the legs and smoothed raw wood- but worried it is too high at 80cm?! Though the one above is 75cm so not that much different!



OR

Freedom - Excelsior Writing Desk ($599)-loving the legs and the draws would be a bonus and liking the art deco styling...



Help my blogging friends- which one would you choose 1, 2 or 3!?

Tag it with love...

I love brown luggage tags- I think my love originated from Paddington Bear as a child and I have never let it go. I have been using them for my own styling for a while now, but I have also been inspired by other blogs use of paper tags in event planning.

Here are some of my favourites...

The following are from the ever amazing Green Wedding Shoes. This is from a wedding in Idaho. I love the pinned in notice board to find your seats and then tied somewhere on the table to know which seat.





From a very cute green wedding... very cute and easily made with a plain tag and cute stamps.



I love these labels from Cori + John’s Sweet Outdoor Wedding... the stationary they used was absolutely divine- so nicely aged and vintage and these unique labels fit perfectly.





Last week Eat Drink Chicposted a lovely D.Y. article on Summer Floral Gift Tags. To check out how to make these amazing tags and T&C's of use please go to Eat Drink Chic to find out more....





They really are cute and make an occasion quite personal. You can pick up some kitsch designs from Kikki K, though really I think they are cute if they are simply made from old brown luggage tags and string- all you then need are cute rubber stamps and you get a great handmade rustic feel. xox

Spell it out...

I have been wanting to buy some beautiful old vintage letters for ages now. I look every week on David Met Nicole to see what new ones they have or to hunt ones on sale. I first fell in love with the idea when a Stylist I used to work with in London brought beautiful guilded gold letters to a shoot. Unfortunately I have yet to really see quality ones come up at auctions, most of the ones in stores are imported and not local which make them more expensive.

I love this wall of mismatched vintage letters- I also love the casual styling of the french grocery bag.



While not classically vintage I do think the old typewriter keys picture is fantastic!



I am not even sure how this is done but I think it speaks to my love of industrial as I love those blue exposed shelves with the faded lettering above.



This is also not vintage though really easy to do yourself. Just grab some vintage mismatched plates (you can always grab some from bric a brac stores or auctions normally really cheap) and some paint and simply paint a statement!



Bedroom from Marley & Lockyer. This would be a gorgeous way to remember who's side is who's! :) And what a great head board out of an old fireplace (easy to pick up on ebay or auctions or trading post!)



Also from Marley & Lockyer -a simple statement...



This letter is amazing! And probably worth a small fortune... :)



This is a great mix of old frames and a letter. I have lots of these frames, you can easily pic them up now from markets and bric a brac stores.



Check out David Met Nicole for some amazing vintage letters and signage of all sorts of styles and designs or for French Zinc letters Ici et La in Surry Hills.

I think I've gone industrial...

I have fallen head over heels for industrial lighting... I currently live in a big 3 bedroom townhouse that was built in the 70's (it has the tiling to prove it!) and I would love to use these big industrial lights in the living room and dining room space. I really think it would sit so nicely against my feather down couches and my brothers beautiful black Eame's chair, don't you think?







Love this old medical light, you can move them to highlight different spaces.



How cool is this? Love it! Love the rawness of the light globes!



I also really like these industrial chairs, perfect against the wooden table!



But love these spring chairs! OMG!



How cute for bedside table lighting? And very functional as you can expand and retract!



I would love this beside my brother's Eame's chair... Coco Republic have some beautiful new ones but David Met Nicole have some amazing old ones!



Oh I am definitely going to look into these some more! I have so many idea's! xox

P.S go onto Coco Republic's site for car / furniture porn! My two love's in one!

New York loft...

If there is one place that comes to mind when you mention style in America it is New York; the hub of fashionists, the home of Sex in the City and one of my favourite shows the younger version of S.I.T.C. Gossip Girl. HOT! And to me they idea of a New York loft is heaven. All that open plan space, the high ceilings, amazing beams and raw surfaces gives you an amazing blank canvas on which you can splash your own style. And don't the New Yorkers do it well?

From Living Etc a mix between Balinese chic and contemporary style...



This loft in Brooklyn NY from Style Files is stunning! Check out those amazing beams and sky light...



Sheer curtain really add a romantic air against the functional loft... oh and light is AMAZING!





From Apartment Therapy is this amazing Soho loft owned by Marcus Nispel. Once again I love the rawness of materials; the brick, the exposed beams, the unadorned windows, those amazing art deco lights, the floor to ceiling book shelf... this is my heaven!





I love this staircase against the stripped back walls... the height of that ceiling is just awesome!





And who doesn't need a lap pool in their amazing loft!



Enjoy your weekend everyone. I will be off on my first day of jewellery making- so wish me luck! Hopefully I will soon have unique pieces to wear & hopefully not too 'unique' that they are really not functional. :) xox

Italian inspiration....

I must admit I have been rather enamoured with Italian living since watching a movie called 'Stealing Beauty' which is set in the wine valley of Tuscany. The back drop of the rolling hills covered by vines added to the sun bleached walls and earthly tones of fresco's left to fade, all create a sense of lazy indulgence that seems to follow through to their way of life. Everything is about food, passion and family. Who wouldn't want to live there?

Italians have such a strong sense of design in both fashion and home, from city chic to country charm they get it right each time.

These opulent rooms are all from designer Savio Firmino and care of Luxury Interior Design and Decorations.

Once again my love of the claw bathtub features heavily! :) Oh and love the sheer curtain in the second pic!





From the chic city style to the simplicity of the country. The Italians have this amazing light that makes their homes look inviting and warm. You can just imagine curling up in the sun in a little nook and reading till your eye's grow heavy or breaking bread warm from daylights touch and dipping it in fresh extra virgin olive oil as you sip on a good glass of Chianti.




All Italian country houses have a pagola, somewhere to eat, laugh and watch the last embers of sun fade into the night...

Or how about somewhere to dive into to refresh your tired limbs...

This is a beautiful country apartment with lime washed walls that reflect the colours of the sofa...



How sweet are these light switches, I love the faded wall paper against the rustic paint. This to me is the images of Italy I fell in love with... *sigh* Images care of Mary Lou.

But to be a true Italian you must get around in style... So want one!