An email from Inside Out Magazine

Its not every day I get an email from my favourite magazine asking to share some of my home with their readers.  But that is just what happened in the run up to the Blogster Awards a few weeks ago.  An email from Inside Out popped into my inbox and there was a request to share something from my home with their readers.  Huge excitement!  Ofcourse it all had to happen on one rushed afternoon when the light was right, but these are the moments I decided to share from my home.
 A moment in the living room.  I have put this chair on its own with the bamileke table, a comfy spot to read but still be close when Mr B is cooking in the kitchen.   My Quick Flowers have gone a lovely dusty pink and look lovely inside at the moment.

Morning light in our bathroom, yes I know you have seen it before but I love this room.  Onbe day I will manage to take photos of the walk in robe to show you too, lighting is an issue!

Thanks to the team at Inside Out - you made my day.

Corner modular search part 2

I have found some more options for the corner modular, and also found some manufacturers I didn't know existed before.  I still love the Osbourne from Boyd Blue but its going to cost around $7k which is really a lot more than I want to spend.

First I discovered Staple & Co, available through Project 82.  They aim to be stylish at a reasonable price point and they are.  The Lennon from $1,050 in fabric seems frankly to good to be true, I am guess this is the base before adding fabric.  I recently went to the store and is is super comfortable.    The Lennon and the Walter are my favourites.

The Walter reminds me of the more modern Restoration Hardware designs.  Both have a lot of modular options that should let me design the corner sectional of my dreams.  The Walter looks great in this photo but the back is very low and I personally thought the Lennon was more comfortable.  Bit disappointed because it looks so great in this image.

Then I discovered Camerich, best selling point for me is that the covers can be removed and washed, and better yet you can buy another pair for around $900 a sofa.  If you have children and pets this is going to make you happy.  It also means you can choose a daring fabric colour safe in the knowledge that if you hate it in two years time you don't have to pay for a whole new couch.  Quite a good range of fabric's to choose from.

Comfort was good, especially the Lazy Time which will make a fabulous place for the whole family to flop onto.  I like the style of the Casa and Clouds but they are a more firm feel.  
Price point was pretty good too, around $5,500 - $6,000 for the size I am interested in.  

So no decisions yet, but some really great options.  If any of you have any good suggestions let me know.

See part 1 of my great corner modular search here.

Black walls and styling perfection

This is the kind of space I wish I could pull off, its so retrained and has such great impact.  I would never be to edit to this pared back level.  But perhaps I can take some notes from the styling of the altar table against the black wall which I think is just perfection.

See the full house which is from Real Living here, and more of photographer Sharyn Cairns work here.

the gift of giving...what to do with pre-loved toys

Its a good time of year to sort out the toys, Christmas is around the corner and our lucky children are sure to be getting presents.  They have been good so it will be presents rather than coal.  

Its the perfect time to sort through what we have:

• throw away the broken, 
• regroup the sets that have become scattered, 
• separate preloved toys for regifting

This year in addition to their own stockings, my children will have a regifting santa sack where they can put toys that can be passed onto children who need them.  

It is hard to find places in Australia which will accept quality preloved toys, but I have managed to find a few places who do take them: 

• Your local police station may accept soft animals that children in a traumatic situation can be given to cuddle, 
• Family refuge centres (like Ozcare) will also accept toys if they have a family with children of the right age, 
• Foster care centres will pass age appropriate toys onto children in care
• Childrens Hospitals
• Lifeline shops accept games and books.  

If anybody has any other suggestions please let me know, I do hate the idea that old toys just go to the tip.

Inspiration from papaya.....summer 2013/14

Papaya is a favourite store for browsing.  They have the best lanterns, beautiful boxes and baskets, and a textured neutral colour palette that makes it easy to add their pieces to your home.
These are my picks of whats in store this season.

Above: Palomino vases - love the shape how they look grouped together
Below: Portello fire stack, Marakesh lantern, Taverna baskets in grey

Would love to have a grouping of those Palomino vases on my oak table outside, or perhaps at the front door.  

This is not a sponsored post and all opinions are as usual my own.

Why we should all grow our own veg

Chatting to Indira Naidoo (author of The Edible Balcony) about urban farming at the Australian Garden Show was inspiring.  You can catch our interview here but thought I would summarise the points that have really got me thinking.

We all have the space
We really do all have enough space for one or two pots, or even a vertical garden, even on the smallest balcony.  In that space we should all be growing most of the herbs and salad plants we need to eat.

With changing climate and increasing population, there is a decrease in available farming land.  Imagine if we free up the land currently used for common herbs and salads for more important foods.

Think of the savings - $500 a year sound good?
I estimate that we personally save $5-$10 a week growing our own herbs and salad, we just don't need to buy them anymore.  This is an annual saving of at least $260 a year on herbs alone, around $500 if you include salads which are our most reliable and rewarding crop.

Last summer we never had to buy tomatoes or watermelon either.  Even with the cost of planting we probably saved around $700 over the year.   Makes good sense and good cents too. 

Pick only what you need - less waste

Nothing tastes as good as fresh picked, we all know that.  But another bonus is that you only ever pick what you need.  When you buy you often buy more than you need and then end up throwing away what you didn't use.  Grow your own and there is far less waste.

Enjoy seeing children eating fresh out the garden

We joke that we let Miss J out to graze.  She eats handfuls of sugar snap peas fresh off the vine, tomatoes still warm from the sun, strawberries (usually before they are properly ripe), even sticks of celery snapped off the plant.  

Could anything be better than growing your own?   I have just planted these small sweet watermelon's - Sugar Baby.  They are an heirloom variety and you can get them at The Little Veggie Patch Co or Gurneys.  Last year we loved the watermelon crop and would have had more if our irrigation had been working better.  Every time it rained they doubled in size over night!  This year I am trying to grow them from seed rather than seedlings, lets hope it works!

Please share your success stories, I would love some sure fire winners for this season.

Corner modular search part 1...who has been sitting on my chair

I feel like Goldilocks.  I have been going from showroom to showroom testing couches.  Some were to hard, some were to soft, some were to lumpy, many were to ugly.
I want a corner sofa for our lounge.  Our chesterfield sofa is just the wrong size and its time to move on.  
We need somewhere we can cuddle up as a family to watch TV and read, comfortable but not too precious, we are a family with a two year old after all.  Modern enough to fit in with the style of our home but classic enough to test the time.  Something like these.

Love the combination of leather and felt look fabric via Four Walls and a Roof.  If anybody knows where its from please let me know.

This one just looks so inviting from Interiorholic.

Another big square design in grey, I like the shelf that is part of the base on the right (Archimagz).

An option from Matt Blatt - the Massina retails at around $3,000.  I didn't love it when I saw it in store but it is a great price for the size.

I love everything about this built in unit designed by Jessica Helgerson.  See the rest of this amazing Brooklyn brownstone on Design Sponge.  Love the colours, the book shelves, the grey wall, it reminds me of her Tiny House lounge which I featured here.

This is the one I really love from Lounge - the Osbourne.  But I have yet to find out what it costs.  I like the armless design on the left, I think that style will make our sofa look more inviting as you look towards the living room.  At the moment you see the side of the sofa and seems to stop people going over and sitting down.  

The Wyatt from Lounge is a contender too but just to big for my space.  I like the chunky shape and the ottoman at the front.  Lounge products are available through Boyd Blue.  They are a bit more pricey, from $3,630 + fabric (Osbourne), and $3,960 + fabric (Wyatt) for these configurations.  They are a lot more comfortable though, and their good classic looks should make them a good investment.

I am a little nervous of moving away from the convention sofa look, but I think its the right design for our house and lifestyle choice for our home.