|
|
|---|
Showing posts with label interior design. Show all posts
Showing posts with label interior design. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
MOTH has a total aversion to pale blue paint. He will not, under any circumstances entertain the colour. When queried by his pyschotherapist Dr. Millie, he mutters something about it being cold, icy, unforgiving & unwelcoming (whatever that means!). So today I'm just going to have to fly under MOTH's radar with this scrumptious image.
Image: Trent Bell
Monday, May 3, 2010
Every now & then the Internet yields a true gem of a site & - Askmen.com. is no exception. It claims to be the No 1. Men's Lifestyle Portal - yep. Informative, intelligent & sophisticated content, like their Top 10 Lists section which grabbed my immediate attention. I've featured a few examples, so you can get an understanding of this scion of prestige on-line journalism.
Top 10 Ways To Keep Your Ex Away For Good
Top 10 Date Ideas For Under $20
Top 10 Pick-Up Tricks Worth Trying
Top 10 Reasons Why Not To Get Married
Top 10 Date Ideas You Can Do Naked
Top 10 Subtle Ways You Can Tell Her She's Getting Fat
Top 10 Ways To Get Out Of The Doghouse
Top 10 Ways To Get Out Of The Doghouse
Top 10 Signs You'll Get Lucky
Top 10 Halloween Sex Positions
Top 10 Ways Men Can Survive A Chick Flick
Top 10 Ways To Pick-Up Women In Bars
Top 10 Disadvantages Of Dating A Babe
Top 10 Ways To Successfully Date Two Women At Once
However there was one that really caught my eye........Top 10 Ways To Impress A Woman With Your Home. And who better to put his own interpretation on the list points than our own resident Sensitive New Age Guy - MOTH. He never misses an opportunity to tell me what a smooth operator he was in his single days & how lucky I was to nab him when I did.
MOTH's Top 10 Ways To Impress A Woman With Your Home
Keep It Clean
Start the Leaf Blower outside the front door, then walk through the house blowing all detritus including well-used socks & jocks, empty beer bottles & pizza boxes in the direction of & out the back door where the aforesaid junk can be dropped over the neighbours fence in the dead of night.
Take Care Of Your Pets
Saving time is paramount so put Fido under the morning shower with oneself. Soap him up well then use him as a large mop to clean the hardened crud from shower recess...... easy!!Be Creative With Your Art Works
I once had a very creative piece called Painted Lady. She had a bikini bottom on but her arms & torso were painted in a black & red rugby top. I have found that this style of decorating did not impress most chicks, so changed the art works to sports photos showing me in all my trophy-winning glory. That was an instant success.Keep It Non-Threatening
Note to self: Hide all items which make the place look like a adult bookshop.
Install A Bath
You've got to be joking, find a friend or neighbour who's got a bath & exchange houses for the night.Go Easy On The Gadgets
I agree - a converted stainless steel beer keg works wonders as an all-purpose cooking appliance. To effect dishwasher mode place dishes etc. in keg (lid open position), squirt detergent on said dishes, place outside (if not already there) & pray for rain.Give It Soul
Taxidermy works wonders here e.g. a stuffed marlin (& I don't mean ready for the BBQ beer keg) hung imaginatively from the ceiling creates a certain ambience that women just love, along with sporting club memorabilia & the exotic beer bottle collection. Can't think of any better way to display such great depth to my caring, sharing side.
Do Your Research
Hopefully a previous girlfriend would have done all that for you - enough said.
Make It Personal
Arrrrrrh !! Get real !!
Express Yourself
I have expressed myself before & got arrested - not a good idea.
Image: Nickadon
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Very occasionally you'll see a room that is a spectacular, sparkling diamond amongst the lesser, duller zircons. A room that has star power. This is such a 'room'. To read more go here. You'll need to register online first, but it's really easy & you'll read the incredible story of the home this room is part of & its fascinating provenance. You'll also have access to the NYTimes amazing Home & Garden magazine archives. Can't think of a much better way to wile away a rainy Saturday 'arvo really.
Image: NY Times
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
My challenge to find The Emperor's New Bed yesterday was successful to a point. I know what style upholstered headboard I'm going to get for our bedroom & the new Guest Room, now I just have to decide on the fabric. My dear friend Char @ Richfields loaded me up with a stack of fabric samples she knew I'd like, so now I need to run them past The Emperor & get the royal nod. I've narrowed it down to a Toiles De Mayenne or a stunner from Hodsoll McKenzie. The contrast will be provided by the new bed linen & accessories, & my head's spinning with the possible combinations - & for a boring scientific-type that's very unusual! I was totally smitten with a Manuel Canovas print 'Junko', but would need to sell MOTH & the boys to the Siberian Salt Mines to pay for it.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Contrary to popular belief, I'm not a complicated person. In fact if you want to make me really, really happy you only need to drop me off outside 2 stores - a book shop or a wine store. Give me unlimited time & a few dollars & I'll emerge in a euphoric state, my little purchases tucked under my arm & a grin from ear to ear.
I also love great design, design that's clever, a little quirky, tells a story & sells a product. I recently read a fab article from Wine Business describing the process behind the design of a wine label. If you're interested in knowing what drives design in wine labelling, this article is well worth the read.
I do however, abhor wine snobbery, there's no place for it ever, ever, ever. There are a number of great Antipodean winemakers who can be described without fear or favour as larrikins. They add wonderful dimesion & balance to the world of wine, god bless them. They will not hesitate to call someone a Wine Wanker if they deserve it & nor will I.
These days I tend toward the quirky on the Wine Shop shelves to grab my initial attention. Not that I'll be swayed to trade good content for a creative label, but often it will influence me more than a boring, staid label that's done it's time. So here are a few of my current faves, interestingly mainly South Australian wines because we have one of the best Graphic Agencies in the whole wide world, Mash Design here in Adelaide. If you've found something wonderfully quirky & clever in your wine store lurkings, please tell me.
These 3 are from Shinas Estate . The Guilty is a Shiraz, The Innocent a Viognier & The Verdict a Cab. Sav. The Owner/Winemaker is a Magistrate Judge.
The next 3 come from the outstanding Killibinbin Winery in McLaren Vale. The main US distributor of Killibinbin was always referring to these as being 'Killer' wines, so this 'Killer' comment became the impetus for the packaging of this series of wines. The theme was enlarged using graphics from old horror flicks and their gruesome killing scenes. There is the 'Stranglehold' Cab. Sav., 'Bloodcurdling Scream' Shiraz & 'Killer Hand' Red Blend.
Then there's the fabulous 'Return of the Living Red' from Redhead Wine Studio in McLaren Vale. This label was designed for the top end of their fine wine range. As this Red is non-vintage it has no age (the 2 grape varieties coming from different vintages).This was a complex fine wine, a mysterious and intriguing wine. To compliment this, Mash Design developed a concept to create a small packet envelope containing missing and/or suppressed crime files implying the existence of the living dead in and around the vineyards. With use of disturbing illustrations and fascinating old photos on a toothy uncoated paper the concept was bought to life. A slip knot with old twine and a deep red wax dipped bottle went with the old crime file folder.
A barrel monkey is the Australian equivalent of California’s cellar rat - ' one who drags hoses or pushes barrels in winery'.... the distinguishing features include a purple tongue & stained red hands. This Shiraz was produced by a group of moonlighting barrel monkeys using the equipment at Redhead Studios in McLaren Vale.
The highly-acclaimed Lazy Ballerina Shiraz Viognier from McLaren Vale is named after the viticultural term. It refers to the common trellising effect that a wine grapevine is grown on in Australia.
I love the 'Bins' range! According to Dieline 'It started out as a cheeky concept based on many Australian wines (Penfolds in particular) who use the specific 'bin' number to identify their wines. The Design Agency used the fact that in the U.K bins are usually associated with refuse or garbage & then twisted the concept by taking photos of regular garbage bins outside houses in the U.K. As is quite common, householders paint their respective house number on their bin to identify it as theirs. Bin 15a is obviously a flat.'Image 1: Madwine Images 2,3,4: Shinas Estate Images 5,6,7,8,9,10: Mash Designs Image 11: Sam's Wines Image 12: Lazy Ballerina Image 13: The Dieline
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
This tiny townhouse originally built in 1830 in the West Village of New York had only one room per floor. The architects restored the interior and exterior and then designed a four story wood frame addition overlooking the rear garden. The addition included two additional bedrooms, home office and laundry. Original materials were restored and salvaged materials, including vintage pine floorboards, were used wherever possible. A secret bookcase door is built-in to cabinets in the home office which is on the garden courtyard level. The exterior rear garden facade was stripped of 1950s asbestos cladding to reveal the original wood clapboards, which were restored. Salvaged pine boards clad the new addition, and match the scale and texture of the original clapboards. I think this is a triumph for the less is more school - what do you think?
All images Fink & Platt (Photos by Patrik Rytikangas)
Monday, June 1, 2009
As heard at The Hedge last night.'So Millie, what did ya post about on ya blog today?'
'Oh, just posted on the Guest Room reno. & tried to answer a Reader's question about what my style is. But that was difficult, 'cos I really don't have one.'
'Whaddya mean - style?'
'What my decorating style is I guess.'
'Well, that's easy love, of course you've got style & I reckon your's is Techno-Rococo.'
Stick to your day job darling MOTH as I don't think the design industry is quite ready for you yet!
Monday, April 6, 2009
This house, a couple of street's away from us in Stirling is for sale. It's called St. Mark's & was built in 1910 as a Hills summer house for a family living down in Adelaide. The young Owners have certainly eschewed the fusty, musty look that still often goes with period houses - thank goodness!
No country kitchen look here - very streamlined & sophisticated, although Miss Millie would need a little more bench space.
Built of local sandstone, the house is simple in design, & I love the turret.
The front entrance hall is stunning & the use of colour here very brave, but gosh they've pulled it off. The intricate plaster work on the ceiling is wonderful & the leadlight panels around the door just glorious.
A more subtle use of colour in the living rooms.
The main bedroom was once the formal sitting room complete with bay window alcove & has fabulous views over the garden. Initially not really a fan of that particular wall colour, it's actually grown on me as I've prepared this post. The turret room is directly overhead.
The bay window offers a sunny spot off the main bedroom to look out into the garden. 
A little girl's bedroom - pretty in pink.
Navy, red & white for a boy's room - although I'm pretty sure my guys would have been begging me to flick the chandelier!
Functional guest room with fireplace.
A side entrance hallway again using the dramatic surprise element of red with contrasting white.
The house sits on approx. 4,000 sq. metres & has a swimming pool & outdoor entertaining area tucked around the side.
Lovely garden aspect leading up to the pool area.
The lovely sunny pool area.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Images J.K. PlaceTO: Best Western Hotel/Motel Group.
FROM: Millie.
SUBJECT: Your Rooms.
OK, here's the go guys - times are tough & I'm sure you're feeling the fiscal pinch as much as everyone else, but I've got an idea that will turn your business around pronto. Hire uber-cool Italian architect Michele Bonan to redesign all your rooms & you'll have those Chevvies swinging off the highway & into your establishments as quick as lightening. Take a leaf out of the Kafri family's book who did just that & commissioned Michele to design the fit-out of their 2 new Hotels, the JK Place boutique hotels in Florence & Capri. Granted neither of these stunning palazzos have oil-stained parking bays outside each room, but I'm sure Michele can even do something amazing with those. Oh, & those hatches in the wall for the tacky breakfast tray to be noisily slid through..... they'll have to go - not cool boys.
So, what do you say, the quicker Michele puts his designers pen to paper the better - after all you've got 303,888 rooms in 4200 hotel/motels located in 80 countries, so he's going to be 'As busy as a Gaza bricklayer!'
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
