How To Get Snapped By The Sartorialist

This pic by The Sartorialist (I think it's Michelle Jank?) has me yearning for summer like nobody's business. I've been sick with a cold or flu for two months now and I am O.V.E.R. it.

This guide to getting snapped by The Sartorialist from Refinery 29 is pretty funny

Dachshund Lamp

If I can't have a sausage dog in real life, perhaps this would suffice.

US$78 from Urban Outfitters.

via Swiss Miss.

Children's Bedrooms

Paper Pot

The paper pot can be used for tissues or toilet paper. US$27 from Molla Space.

Via Swiss Miss.

Design Files in NYC

Lucy over at Design Files is in NYC and has some awesome itinerary posts. The above pics are from her walk around Williamsburg.

Be sure to check out her other posts including the Renegade Craft Fair and her Etsy HQ tour, green NYC (reminds me of the Huckstable's house) and her first impressions. Lucy's in NYC, San Francisco and Bali till the end of the month so there will be lost more blog goodness coming our way.

Please God, let me win lotto. I'll do anything you want. Really.

Danish Summerhouse

This summerhouse is near Tisvilde on the Danish coast about 60km from Copenhagen. Traditionally a fishing village, a lot of the houses have been transformed into summerhouses. I love wood-paneled ceilings. Especially when they are painted white.

Photos by Lars Renak on Indenfor & Udenfor.

Via Little Glowing Lights.

Terrarium

About two years ago I told a person of some high standing in interiors that terrariums where on their way to a home near you. She gave me a funny look. 'Watch out' I told her. And they just keep on coming.

From Made By Mavis.

The Alphabet of Birds

Birds from A to Z by Geninne D. Zlatkis has been produced as a limited edition print for LMNOP's latest issue. 

Get yours here for US$50.

Some Nice Bathrooms

1. Beach Studios
2. Light Locations
3. Skona Hem
4. Amanda Martocchio via Desire To Inspire
5. Living Etc
6. Heath Ceramics owner's shower via Remodelista
7. Skona Hem
8. Ilse Crawford for The Olde Bell Inn via Remodelista
9. Content Agency
10. Verne Photography via Remodeilista
11. Remodeilista

Feltidermy: Funny & Cool

via the very sweet Papier Mache magazine from Australians Bec, Alice and Paul.

Paris Hotel Boutique Cool Finds.

Pair of vintage 'American Kennel Club' prize ribbons US$90.

Dior & I, 1st Ed 1957, US$85.

How To Travel Incognito Bemelmans US$75.

Knife and Fork in New York 1st Edition 1948 US$250.

Goodbye Picasso 1st Ed US$165.
The Snob Spotter Guide 1958 US$120.

Pair of Monumental mi-century crystal sconces USD$1,800.

Antique convex mirror US$350.

1920s gentleman's portraint, oil on canvas US$350.

Monumental mid-century Hollywood Regency chandelier US%1,900.

Ornate vintage 'Golden Jubilee' trphie US$150.

Some really cool finds over at Paris Hotel Boutique. Makes me want to go to an antique fair immediately.

Matthew Hilton's Oscar Sofa

Roger that. GBP2,480 at SCP.

via Remodelista.

A Beautiful Mane Of Hair

Australian photographer Julian Wolkenstein shot these ads using hair extensions for a London advertising agency. Apparently the horses quite liked the attention....little smile.

via Inside Out blog

This Is A Bullshit Free Zone

As opposed to the 'good-bullshit' variety. I may have to put one of these above my desk at work - just in case people haven't already realised that I'm a 'no-fuss' kind of person.

By London creative agency Sell!Sell!. Get your free copy here.

via @grainedit.

Are You Over Slogan Tees For Kids?

Have a look-see at Boombi unisex long-sleeve onesies and t-shirts sizes 00-2 by Melbourne-based graphic designer Tarnya Chambers. From AU$30.

Via Bondville.

Hello Naomi

Matching cake to the invitations from the amazingly talented Naomi from Hello Naomi. And this girl is finishing her computer engineering PhD. 

Extremely delicious.

Photo by Kirsten Cox.

Bud Tingwell

Rest in peace Bud Tingwell.

Cantilevered Pool

OK. So, I debated if I should have titled this post 'This Is Bullshit II', but went for something more modest. When I think about it, given there's nothing modest about this house by Antón García- Abril, I should have gone with This Is Bullshit II.

via Archinect.

Invitations

I ordered invitations for my mum's surprise birthday party from Nathalie at Imprintables who, as usual, came up trumps in designing an appropriate invite once I'd given her a little brief (mum loves poker and is loved by many). 

So I was pretty excited to receive them in the post all wrapped up like a gorgeous present a few months ago. 

I couldn't blog about them back then in case my mum read my blog, but here they are. Neat-o, right?

Nathalie also added a few extra surprises of her own to the package - a cute pack of Easter themed cards and matching envelopes......

...and 'a note to my teacher' cards and envelopes. Aren't they the cutest?

Queen of Hearts

Today is Mother's Day in Australia and it is also my mum's birthday. A pretty special one actually - she's 60 today. Last night we had a surprise birthday party for her at Sydney Rowing Club, the place she first met my father 40 years ago.

Needless to say she was surprised which is no mean feat given her enormous circle of family who speak with each other every day. Mum's a bit of a dab hand at poker so we dubbed her Queen of Hearts for the night. 

Love you lots mum - you rock!

Firekites 'Autumn Story'

I was reading about the amazing work that Renew Newcastle are doing to bring life back in to some of the (often beautiful) disused buildings in Newcastle via Inside Out. Renew Newcastle comes from the same brains as those behind the great This Is Not Art festival.

Anyway, there was this neat little song and clip from Renew Newcastle's legal advisor's band, Firekite, using chalkboard animation by Yanni Kronenberg and Lucinda Schreiber which took 6 months to produce.

So awesome reading about creativity and innovation especially from a rad place like Newie.

Today's posts have got me all warm and fuzzy and I like it.

The Beckoning of Lovely

via Mightygirl.

Lovely 80s Film Mashup

I can't believe how this track and video makes me so very happy. Go Duckie, Go!

Music by Phoenix - 'Lisztomania' (released on 25 May).

Boot Bag

How great are these boot bags from Scotland-based Anta ? GBP105 each.

via Remodelista.

Sacrificial Chair

Fabulous idea for a bedroom from Punga & Smith, The Sacrificial Chair. 

Via Noquedanblogs.

Paul Sahre & Christopher Brand

Paul Sahre: A Designer And His Problems from AIGA/NY via Swiss Miss.

An early associate of Paul, Christopher Brand has developed quite a portfolio, including the infamous 'The Sun Also Rises' cover with obligatory bullfighter.

via Design Work Life.

Collections

Neat-o post about Lisa Congdon's collections over at Poppytalk.

Robert D'Souza

Same map as here?

Round pool reminds me of this. 

From the portfolio of Robert D'Souza.

Via Desire to Inspire.

donna hay general store

I had the pleasure of working at donna hay magazine a few years ago and have kept in contact with Donna over the years whilst watching her brand grow from cookbooks, to magazine, from homewares to her own shop.

After opening with a discussion on the merits of Google Reader (‘it will change your life’) I ask the lovely Donna Hay to lift the lid on her latest venture, the donna hay general store, and her upcoming collaboration with Royal Doulton.

Your own shop has been on the cards for a while now. What took so long?
Well, construction isn’t always easy. All the water from the street had basically been pooling in the basement of the building. It’s a very old sandstone building and there was a lot of work to dig out the mess and reinforce the foundations. Because of the age of the building it was slowly as she goes. Happy to report the building is back to its former glory…or better.

The store design is trademark Donna Hay: considered, clean and clever. I even noticed the neighborhood dogs are looked after with a water bowl and their leads can be tied to a horseshoe wedged between the sandstone blocks at the front door.
I’m so glad you noticed that!

Did you collaborate with an architect for the fit-out?
Yes. Well, two actually. They both played different roles in the project. Kieran McInerney Architect, who did my house a few years back, and Tribe Studio who focused on the interior.

What words kept popping up in the brief?
It is off the beaten track so once you get there we wanted people to walk in…you know when you drive somewhere on holidays, you get to the holiday house and you open the door and you go ‘ahhhhh!’… Well we wanted people to arrive and find all the beautiful things in the shop to feel like it was worth the trip just because the space is so beautiful. So it needed to be calm, simple, an experience, and a destination.

I can only imagine how you would have had much of the interiors already planned in your head, but can you give me an example of something that the architects thought about that you hadn’t?
Lots! Tons of little things. What you want and what is technically possible are two different things. I guess one example was that I wanted some sort of pigeon-holing aka 'general store' look and they came up with the design of the different shaped boxes and opening some of them up at the back so you can see through to the sandstone walls of the building.

Can you tell me who built your custom furniture, because I want one of those marble-topped trolley tables?
We had shop fitters make up those but they are a derivative of some of my favourite pieces of furniture we have in the magazine studio. In a couple of weeks we will have similar ones for sale in the shop that are a bit wider for use as a sideboard and they will come with a choice of marble or zinc tops.

I saw your range of cookie and cupcake mixes in store. How did you come to work with Frost Design on the design of the packaging? (^)
We put out a brief to a few design studios to work on the food packaging and what Frost came back with was closest to what I thought consumers would have expected in food packaging from donna hay. It’s an existing brand that has a look already. So they came back with the big food pics that communicated that yum factor. They came back very much on brand, and translated well for food packaging. And Vince and his team were so easy to work with that it really did feel like a collaboration in every sense of the word. There were no design egos and they had the experience that was specific to food packaging…like ‘crush bottoms’ on boxes…all that stuff that I don’t know about! And he’s a funny guy.

And what's this about you making your soaps yourself? They smelt divine!
It’s just like cooking really. I buy bulk organic soap base and other bits like oils and then scent it, set it and then cure it and then the girls in the shop wrap it. It’s really, really easy, and it’s very therapeutic. You know I love a craft project.

Yes I remember your felting stage.
Soap making is just another stage in crafting. I also made soy candles for ages too...I am past that craft stage now! But I make the lip balm too.

It's great to see you stock unique handmade product such as Reya Veltman’s knitted pebbles and Jennifer Murphy’s teddy bears. Who are some others that make the cut?
Jennifer’s bears are expensive but amazing and truly one of a kind. She only makes a few each year so we asked her about 16 months ago for the three we have in the shop. We’ve already been contacted by a collector in the US who wants to know what we have. There’s also Brickett Davda ceramics from London, Alyssa Ettinger's ceramics from Sunset Park in Brooklyn and Kathleen Lewis from Brooklyn who does wonderfully simple body and beauty products. She does this great girl’s Stiff and Sore cream. It’s like a Dencorub for girls but has a much nicer minty scent and works a treat.

The Venetian-looking hand-blown glassware you have is so light and delicate. They are on my perpetual wish list. Can you tell me their story?
The glassware is from Juliska. I love drinking from really fine hand-blown glass but it’s about the expertise of the glass blower and the quality of the glass. They are actually stronger than they look and feel.

There's a kitchen in the General Store. What's baking?
We are now baking there every morning. There’s cupcakes, a cookie of the day, 7 flavours of French macaroons and molten choc brownies. Very soon we will have a coffee machine too.

Any chance of more donna hay general stores or an e-store?
I’ll have to wait and see – we’ve only been open for two weeks! But we will be putting some things on donnahay.com.au so people out of Sydney can purchase.

How is the collaboration with Royal Doulton progressing?
I’m seeing 3-D resin prototypes at the moment coming through from the UK. And really, this project with Royal Doulton has been one of the most amazing things I have ever done. Like exciting-wise, personally for me…it’s been amazing. They sent one of their designers out from the UK who is trained in design of homewares and so we sat in the prop room at the magazine studio and we drew hundreds of different pieces. He taught me so much. Why certain pieces are made in parts, and that a certain line in a ceramic means it’s made bymachine, but this piece here had a hand made base, but connected to a blown piece at the top which is really unusual…For something that I love collecting and admire so much, it was great to have him give me all this background. He was so professional. I have learnt a lot. I learnt so much in a week my brain nearly exploded.

How will this range compare to your previous homewares range?
There’s a lot more! There’s glass, cutlery and cookware. It’s a very holistic range, I’ve even got a beautiful kids range with modern-nostalgia illustrations. All the pieces will be introduced in stages from early 2010 and I think we have about the first two-and-a-half years already planned.

Where will the Royal Doulton range be released?
Initially in Australia, the UK and Canada. And more countries later.

And finally, your tips for best Brussels sprouts?
Well, I like to treat them like Chinese cabbage, so I finally shred them and add them to stir-fries with lots of ginger and chilli.

_____________________________________________________

For everything Donna Hay, head to donnahay.com.au which now includes an online recipe index. 

And make sure you visit the new donna hay general store at 40 Holdsworth Street, Woollahra. It’s worth it just for a tin of Route 29’s Peppermint Bark.

Burn The Drama

My little drumming cousin Joe is celebrating the release of his band, Burn The Drama's first EP release this Friday at Spectrum in Sydney. If you like rock this one's worth a ticket.

I like their monochromatic prop display for the cover photographed by Angelo Kehagias.

French General Store

I have been scolded by Donna Hay (yes, the Donna Hay) for not posting for over a week.  Things have been a little crazy, but I have lots to post about, including an interview with Donna on her new shop, so stay tuned peeps. 

How great are these French posters? Nothing better than some old-school illustrative cataloguing in my opinion.  

US$50 from French General Store.

via Abbey Goes Design Scouting via A Cup Of Jo.

My Life As A Fake

Peter Carey backlist covers printed on archival paper by Jenny Grigg via Design Work Life.

Biscuits

These were my favourite biscuits as a child.

Image from We Make Words via Design Work Life.
 

Door Sixteen

Anna's bathroom has been revealed in all it's glory over at decor8's 'How Much For This Room?' feature. 

Anna's work ethic is just so inspirational. She makes me think even I could tile.

Funny People

I hope all the good material isn't in this trailer because I want to go at see this. The last scene is really funny.

via  A Cup of Jo.

Work Space

1. Content Agency
2. Camilla Engman
3. Sandra Lane via Sarah Kaye
4. unknown (but if you do, please let me know)
5. Ilse Crawford for Aesop's London store
6. Emma’s Design Blogg
7. Stylist Sybilla Court’s NYC home via Inside Out magazine
8. Emma’s Design Blogg
9. Unknown (but if you do, please let me know)

Inside Out

1. The best Australian interiors magazine
2. Now has a blog
3. New issue on sale now
4. With a free gift that's original, useful and cute, designed by Grace Lee

5. I have two issues with gift to give away. Tell me what turns you inside out.
6. This is not an April Fools Day joke

You Are Epic

Happy birthday Tavi.

Sit-Com Maps

From Dan Meth. Check out his Movie Trilogy Meter and Sit-Com Houses charts.

via Lifehacker AUS.

Industrial Lights

Love the lights in this flower shop. 

via Black Eiffel.

Oak NYC

Sadly no longer available, but love the style, especially ripe for Sydney autumn.

US 128 from Oak.

via Ill Seen Ill Said.

Where Did My Life Go

Need to be very careful this doesn't happen to me.

via We The Robots.

Kate

How crazy that you see it immediately.

via Le Fashion.

This would make a good poster. A test cover for The Outsiders.

via ffffound.

Modern Art

So true.

via Noquedanblogs.

Borsalino

OK, so helmets don't excite me generally, but these ones are pretty rad. 

Borsalino also make some pretty cool bikes too.

via Noquedanblogs.

Babel

There is so much paper crap on my desk right now that one of these would work nicely.

Babel designed by Siebensachen in Germany. About EU44.

via Design Crush.

Periodic Tables

In a similar vein as this Periodic Table of Typefaces comes.....

the CS3 Shortcuts.

Custom Moleskin Travel Journal

This is the coolest things I have seen since this.

A family spent 8 weeks in Brooklyn in autumn 2008 and the dad customised a moleskin with daily snippits for their adventures. Kim at Good Stock has documented lots of the pages. Check it out.

Ashley G Portraits

ashley g. is now accepting custom portraits of individuals, families and even pets. For more deets check here.

Sis Deli Cafe, Finland

Fantastic design for Sis Deli Cafe in Helsinki by Rasmus Snabb.  How cute are the paper bags and the awning?

via Design Work Life.

Skinny laMinx

Great cushions from Heather Moore at Skinny LaMinx via her etsy shop. 

I especially like the above 'I Wish We Had Ikea' pillow (^) which Heather designed illustrating her Ikea picks whilst waiting for the day Ikea comes to South Africa. 

via Style Files.

Mini-Diary

More Mini-diaries now available for pre-order at Marta Writes. 

US$10 each or US$45 for a 5 pack.

Gervasoni....Again

More Gervasoni love. The Ghost 4-seater sofa designed by Paola Navone as seen at the Darling Point home by Arent & Pyke.

Available from Anibou, for around AU$4,000.

via Remodelista.

Arent & Pyke

Sydney designers Juliette Arent and Sarah-Jane Pyke of Arent & Pyke doing some lovely work in Darling Point.

One of their other projects has this great wall map in the kiddies room.

via Remodelista

Manhatten Poster

Put your name down now for the next release of Jim Datz's Manhatten Poster.

US$48 from the ever-lovely Three Potato Four.
 

Mahon & Band

Just realised some of my favourite brand identities have been produced by the one agency - Mahon & Band.

Icebergs Dining Room And Bar.

Otto Ristorante

North Bondi Italian Food.

Rockpool.

Red+White.



The Beresford Hotel.

The Botanical.


Dinosaur Designs catalogue.

Google Icon

Liking Google's search icon today.

Pedlars

New stuff at Pedlars.

Par Avion

I've been on the hunt for a laptop case for a while now and I think I've found it. 

Par Avion Leather Laptop Sleeve by Australian company Shuky. US$79 from Mighty Goods.

Via Mighty Girl.

I'll Be There For You Always...

...and get you drunk when you are sad.

US$26 from Cubist Literature.

via Design Crush.

Arabia Finland

On ebay today:

A tad overpriced, but in fantastic condition is this Antti Nurmesniemi coffee pot with a BIN price of US$599.

These guilded espresso cup and saucers start at US$99 with BIN price of US$118 which is a bit of a bargain.
Set of 6 Arabia Finland jars starting at US$99.

Cute Blog

Have a little peek at Catherine's blog Little Glowing Lights. She takes some terrific snaps.

Wayne Levin

How serene are these photos from Wayne Levin? This school of akule remind me of Gloria Petyarre.

The life of a free-diver...fascinating.

Content Agency

After posting about Gervasoni Grey armchairs here I saw one in-situ in an interior at Content Agency.
More pics from same room.

If you know homeowner or photographer, please let me know.

Speaking of Pigeons....

An oldie but a goodie.

Ed Carpenter for Thorsten van Elten. Pigeon Lamp. AU$165 from de de ce.

Where The Wild Things Are: The Movie

Spike Jonze's Where The Wild Things Are is being released in the US in their Fall. Fingers crossed we aren't too far behind.

David Pidgeon

David Pidgeon is responsible for some of the loveliest packaging around these parts of late.

"We love apples. Because Preshafruit juices are pressurised cold the gentleness of our process enables the taste unique to each apple variety to be captured in our juice. Apple varieties and blends with pear and lemon plus a stunning Valencia Orange are the first varieties in the range."Heide Museum of Modern Art bottle their own honey.

Wine labels for boutique winery Di Stasio in the Yarra Valley.

(500) Days Of Summer

Is it because of The Smiths reference, Zooey Deschanel, or Booger? Quite possibly all three. Yay! Something worth seeing at the movies soon.