Marian Bantjes

I love typography. I spend many hours playing with type and fonts. I'm working on a project now with that and soon will reveal here. My passion for this is why, I was hooked on Marian Bantjes, via Orange Beautiful.

Marian Bantjes lives in Canada and illustrates, writes and draws, among other things.

One of my favourites from her work is her series of Love Stories, which was included in the latest UK-based Creative Review magazine (unfortunately, only available to subscribers). Love Stories is her story-telling of someone she loves. If we bothered to read them, she describes these loved ones too.

Her mother (through her work, you can also tell something of the person she lovingly crafts masterpieces in honour of). I'd imagine her mother to be so colourful, a many-interests lady, warm, friendly and vivacious.



Her neighbours:



I'd imagine her eldest brother to be strong, dedicated, big hearted and bold:



Her father, who must be a person who loves automobiles and mechanical processes and probably also thinks analytically:



A friend, who would be a great person to get to know, whimsical, flamboyant, big-big hearted:



For the boys who loved her back, how they've affected her heart, her life, and how deep their affect has been on her and to beautiful moments shared (this is painstaking gloriously beautiful burnt wood!):



Glorious work huh? I'd love some of these as reprints. :)

Another item of Bantjes that I absolutely love is her custom-designed clock she made for a fund-raising event for AIGA/DC.



Starts wheels spinning in my head for custom designed clocks for loved ones for Christmas... (thanks Marian, for the idea).

Etsy, Marian?? :)

Let there be WHITE!

So I'm finally kinda ready to reveal the living room in all its glorious whiteness (remember my previous posts about white living rooms here and here). My all-cream house was a state of blandness when we finally got the keys. The next day, my in laws, husband and child marched there armed with almost 20ltrs of white semi-gloss. We have given the living room two coats of that glorious white (plus undercoat of course). Ceiling in the same semi-gloss because I love light bouncing off the walls. And the ceiling isn't really a ceiling, it's two walls colliding in the centre at the highest point.



My sister in law counted... the living room has 15 walls. So ALOT of cutting in to do. Plus we had to hire an OUTDOOR scaffold so we could paint the INSIDE ceiling.



Here's hubby taking a short break from painting the ceiling. He did enjoy having the scaffolding to monkey-climb on for 2 days.


Now with the scaffolding gone, the awful cream gone and furniture in place, complete with decorative child (we actually live here, so please pardon child-moved objects):





Still have more to do:

1. Trimwork painted. Not decided on colour yet.
2. Lighting replaced.
3. More artwork to be bought and placed :)

Moving

First the mad stint of packing.
Then painting.
Then packing more.
Then cleaning.
Then painting.
Then packing more.
Then cleaning.
Then painting.
Then THE MOVE.
Then unpacking.
Then painting.
Then unpacking.
Then cleaning...



Such is life when you have 80 boxes around and no spatula.
(btw that's not slop. It's the best potato, leek and bacon soup ever. Thanks MIL!)

Jewels in the home: Graham and Brown Pink Boudoir

Wallpaper is big now. And the choices are endless. But they are also expensive. At $300 and above per roll for a nice quality roll, spending $2000 or so to wallpaper a room is not going to pass muster around here. Especially when the best paint is only around $200 for a 10ltr can.

Wait.

I should explain a bit more about this post.

As you might know, I've just moved into our first home. And my design plan for this space is the "jewel box experience". I wanted somehow to allow my loves for all white spaces and for bold colour to inspire me and my home.

My Jewel Box Scheme: The main living spaces are going to be essentially white zones with 3 coats of bright white. This includes living, kitchen, study and long hallway. Branching off those, of course, are the bathrooms and bedrooms. Those private rooms should open up to reveal surprises: bold patterns and colours.

Now.

Back to wallpaper. How to minimise cost... but use it lavishly?

I have recently added the free Martha Stewart and the until-now never heard of before Designer Visions Online videocasts to my highly selective podcasts. And within the latter videocast I have found my inspiration!

You gotta check out my favourite so far: the O At Home apartment and walkthrough.

Wallpaper smaller rooms, creating a wow factor. Like linen, laundry and hall closets and just toilets

An all white, seemingly boring hallway with boring ol' white doors. Right?

Well. Yes. Right. But the door opens to reveal a surprise!

Gorgeous linen closet. If it were mine, I'd be opening the linen closet everytime I walk pass just to be surprised each time!

NOW for the main wow inspired, wow I want this:
Wallpaper glamour up your walk-in-closet, creating a totally unique boudoir, all hidden in behind a white door! Open right into a jewel box!







I can so totally do this. (After some serious saving.)

Images taken as screenshots from the Designer Visions Online O-At Home apartment walkthrough videocast

Woah: Felice Varini & Georges Rousse!

I was like-wise blown away by this:



As a graphic designer, it would be easy-peasy to put a opaque red square on a top layer of an image of a room. Takes all of 5 seconds.

But this is PAINT. This is some meticulous, precise and some kind of OCD type design and paint job. How surreal!

According to Orange Beautiful, back in 2007, there was an exhibition at Musée des Beaux-Arts in Arras, France which featured some experiments-in-perspective. Felice Varini and Georges Rousse created the above masterpiece.



I mean, I could see how this could have been achieved... projector, stencil, ladders, cramped limbs and a pencil. But to actually do it to SUCH A LONG SPACE....



I am blown away. Good Friday night jaw-dropper. Thanks Orange Beautiful!

DIY: Lamp

I could do this! So fun for Hannah's room or my home office :)

Photo from Flickr: frillie designs

Fish dreams

I love the ideas of aquariums in the home. The only fish I ever had, though, I basically ignorantly overfed and LEFT food in the bowl (which is a HUGE no-no)... and so the fish start growing mold (despite treatment) and then started swimming backwards... and then upside down BACKWARDS. The poor thing hung on for ages and ages like that... despite my then-boyfriend husband cleaning it out religiously and treating the water (and not allowing me to feed it ever).

(We won't talk about how we dealt with that poor fish.)

My sister loves fish and has recently become a fish-guru. So we can't get another fishbowl or something small for fish. They need acres of space and water to swim in. So gotta think nice and big about having ONE fish. Otherwise, apparently she'll report me to the board of FishRUs or something :P This below is her one Betta .... swimming in LOADS of water.



I've wanted to get back into fish and aquariums... not the fish vase/bowl I had before, but an aquarium, with plants, lights and fancy decor. But I HATE the current offerings for decoration! No I don't want some buried treasure chest or pirate ship or skulls... I want some MCM chairs. And MCM lamps. (But apparently the paint on these things will kill fish and my sister ain't having that.)

But I may have found my answer: House within a House, by Canadian like-minded aquarium seeker, Teddy Luong.



Perfect for my needs... specifically just for Betta Fish too! I want a pretty red one..

via Design Spotter.

Thanks to my new sponsor!

Wow... it's exciting when you meet with others who believe in what your passions are and what you do.. I always believe in focusing on the passion rather than "how many people area reading"... Passions draw... popularity ... well... wanes.

Thanks to my first sponsor, Greentea Design. Mike Ramsey from Greentea Design contacted me 2 weeks ago and today... we have liftoff! :) Yay

Check out their kitchen cabinets and furniture! I'm Asian myself and love how the pieces are unique and we have real antiques. The website is also very very very well done. I love how you can view up really close details of the furniture pieces.



I love antiques... love to have show-stopping pieces in every room... maybe the Persimmon Hutch for the kitchen. Or the Antique 3 Drawer Black Console in the living room. Maybe paint it lacquered red and leave the detail untouched... or something. :)

My resident chirpy bluey

Ok so I'm not hot about the area I now live in (missing the old area like crazy) ... but I am crazy about the home... and its newly discovered resident birdy and his sweet mate.

They were bobbing up and down in my very ugly courtyard grass strip, pecking at insects for a meal... I had to look it up... An Australian "bird finder" revealed that it is a Superb Fairy Wren.

A gorgeous blue and black tiny bird... only about 6-8 cm in height. Pretty plain brown female mate, but so sweet.

Had to steal this photo from a Google Search result because my own photos of my little one was terrible!

Hope you're all having a great weekend!
I painted.
Then made coq au vin for my friends at night.

The coq au vin was fantastic.

Small report... and encouragement from the lovely Ashwell

When you have chosen and bought the house you want, it is important to take a little time to look with an open mind at what is now yours and make an effort to shed preconceived ideas.

Rachel Ashwell, The Shabby Chic Home, 2000.

This is me.. taking my time (and battling a cold).

Whilst a busy day today with work, daycare and more work stuff, I got 2 hours to do some alone-me-me-me rare time. What turned out to be a hassle with work, allowed me two visits to a factory outlet (LOVE!) and Salvos.

Steal of the day:
$160 lamp for $19.95. Without shade so I'm looking for a bold yellow shade...
$60 gorgeously green covered casserole dish for $12.95. Lid is a VERY SLIGHT different green from the bowl. :)
$25 for a footstool... been looking for one for my desk chair for yonkers... due for a small DIY project soon :)

Three out of my eight lamps are shade-less... I'm "taking my time" with their shades.

Tomorrow... I plan to crack open some yellow enamel paint.

At my desk... planning. (At 11.54pm)


(Pardon the messy cords, the ugly blue footstool pre-DIY... taking my time...)

New Releases at Room To Grow!

I featured Room To Grow a few months ago and kind director Lilach Weineiger sent me a lovely gift! (Thanks again!) It now hangs in my study in the new home (will feature the study when its ready) :)

Room To Grow was the first to carry Krooom's sexy range, but now you readers in the US can get it from Barnes and Nobles! The few French readers I have can go to Tropico and Hipercor in Spain.

Just to reiterate, Room To Grow/Krooom's products are made from reinforced cardboard recycled material (at least 60% post consumer waste). So go green! No chlorine bleaches and hazardous dyes used, only water based glues and a special UV coating. Done with the item? Recycle it again!

I love the funky and fun designs... suitable for the serious man, the moody teen, the funky designer and even the fun-loving little one! I love their toybox and the Maggie storage bookcase to match the lovely black and white damask Delta I got from lovely Lilach! On casters too! GREAT movable closet! Hmmm.



I think best of all these gorgeous things are so sturdy!

Lilach sent me an email two weeks ago letting me know about their new July 2008 range! Sorry Lilach, only now getting headspace to action some emails for the blog!

I love the new Manooo wall organiser! Perfect for kitchen, dressing area, children's room and the hallway. Pretty and fresh to the everyday mundane. :)



And of course, beneath the Manooo, have the Austin sideboard! Great for the hallway, these two things! One for your pickup-ables, and the other for the ubiquitous umbrella, vase, bags, scarves and berets. Great for newspapers and even the Yellowpages.