Liquor and cocktail storage

Candy
Is dandy
But liquor
Is quicker.
-Ogden Nash (1902 - 1971), "Reflections on Ice-Breaking"

My cousin is looking for inspiration for liquor storage for her impressive collection. (Or rather, we were..) So I thought I'd go digging in my files...

As seen in Apartment Therapy.

Tea trolleys

Alex Papachristidis Interiors

As seen in Apartment Therapy.

Ashley Roi Jenkins

Sideboard

Joe Schmelzer

Bureau/secretaire
Placed in your dining area... it could be such a statement. I love how this blends in with the decor as not to appear too garish. It's a gorgeous way to store and display your liquor. The fold down desk is the perfect way to mix your drink.



A bookcase
DIY instructions from Apartment Therapy

What about utilising an antique card catalog specifically to store your precious wine??

As seen in Apartment Therapy.

If you have the large room and a spectacular console, it could be the perfect place to display/store your liquor! Love the presentation in the image below... all neat and symmetrical... totally unattainable for me! (Surfaces are meant for husband and child to store their stuff.)

Eileen Kathryn Boyd Interiors

Or a small console/side table:

Robin Bell via coco+kelley

Or if you have plenty of moolah, get a custom designed built-in with a uber cool front... like what Amy Lau did for a client:

Amy Lau Design via Desire to Inspire

Or why not go all out and bring in a BAR!

Robert Couturier via Desire to Inspire

Quite a few options... huh, Sue? :)

Inspired...

I am so inspired (and moved to some degree of desperation) by this image (no, not the person's bum anatomy)...



I LOVE the combo of white, black and raspberry red. The trend of recent was black, white and yellow... or black, white and kelly green... but this is sharp, feminine, chic, happy and adult :)

I want this for my bedroom. WANT.

Greentea's Offer on step chests

My sponsor Greentea Design is offering 20% off all step chests!! (Thanks to Kim for the heads up)



I've always wanted one in the kitchen to use as a spice cabinet (I use BOTH Asian and Western spices). So I have things like candlenut powder, candlenut whole, chicken curry powder, meat curry powder, screwtape powder...

Of course, you can also use it to store DVD and CDs...

20% off is a great deal! Grab your own!!

Etsy Spotlight: Janet Hill Studio

I love paintings of rooms; vintage and new. I wrote about Anne Harwell's fantastic prints a while ago (visit her Etsy store here: Annechovie)... but never blogged about another favourite Etsy seller: Janet Hill Studios.

She Liked To Call Them Her Canary Shoes by Janet Hill

I love Janet Hill's work... here's some of my more favourite pieces from her store.

1. Sarah and her Fan, 2.Rosecutter's Cottage, 3. Summer Dresses, 4. Flowering Orange Tree, 5. The Reader Paige Has New Books, 6. Port And French Cheeses, 7. Dressing, 8. The Music Box, 9. Irises
Taken from JanetHillStudio's Etsy Store

Rush to her store to pick up your own Janet Hill!

Random shots of beautiful Melbourne Part 1

Yesterday I brought my sister and her friend from Philadelphia for a tour of Melbourne from a semi-insider. I must admit, while travelling with my little girl was trying at times, I fell in love again with Melbourne CBD.



Studying here almost 10 years ago, I would walk the streets of Melbourne almost daily, dealing with loneliness and other things. For those of you who don't know, the Melbourne CBD is contained within a small, walkable grid. So I would walk the grid. Ten years on, and so much has changed... and yet so little.

An historic city of such diverse lifestyles, almost contained in streets. Collins St, the business, high fashion street. Bourke Street, the shopping strip. King Street, the gentleman club strip. Russell Street, Asian grocery and eateries. Little Bourke, Chinatown...

But for today I want to focus on the little arcades Melbourne is famous for... mainly concentrated between Bourke and Collins Sts. If you allow yourself to be dazzled by popular brands along the streetfronts, you might actually miss these almost hidden pathways filled with quaint shoplets and their exquisite seductions.





There's a store only selling thousands upon thousands of Babushkas, aptly named Babushka, in the Royal Arcade. One of its neighbours is Koko Black, a tiny chocolate cafe offering decadent chocolate drinks, sweets and truffles. Block Arcade boasts some gorgeously decorated places as well, like the simple, tiny tiny French Jewel Box, selling only the best antique French jewellery...



or Hopetoun Tea Rooms at the Block, an Alice in the Wonderland type surrounding, with rich Kelly greens hugging the walls and swaths of green fabric hanging from the ceiling.



And then at the epicentre of these arcades are these beautiful high domed centres... you might forget to view the architecture while being dazzled by beautiful wares... like in the Block Arcade.



Ancient mosaic tiles on the walls, the floors of the arcades, high ornate ceilings, super ornate brackets and signs... Contrasted by super modern, super beautiful glassware in the super white, bright store.





I'll stop here for today with the Melbourne GPO (General Post Office) which suffered a fire in 2001. Business relocated next door but because the GPO was a landmark, heritage listed building, it was painstakingly restored and is a swanky upper-market shopping mall.

The Story of my Side Table and other tables

Via La La Lovely

Via Jonathan Adler

I love artful arrangements on desks, tables, sideboards, dressers etc. Of course, I have no Anna Spiro-esque, Jonathan Adler-esque or Kelly Wearstler-esque eye (or budget) for it myself and am constantly honing my eye when it comes to arranging things on surfaces that are functional yet pleasing to the eye. (Yes, yes I know it's all styled for the shot... but I'd like to think there is something that remains beautifully arranged after said photographer and stylist leave.)



Nate Berkus in his book Home Rules has a good guide on the Art of Display:
- Three or more like objects create a more purposeful and powerful statement than just one or two.
- Grouping different items by colour can also create a cohesive collection-all white pottery, mirrors in gilt frames.
- Three or more collections in a room will distract attention from one another. Your home may wind up feeling more like a store.

Via Jamie Drake

I have been very dissatisfied with the only side table in the living room so a few weeks ago, I did some swopping around and I must say I am pleased. (Again, budget of $0.00.)



Eddie Ross recently did an educational blogpost on how to create gorgeous tablescapes which was very informative.

I love the informal, pretty feel of this side table below in such a vibrantly coloured home. I love white walls with plenty of colour in furnishings and art. The pink glass birds add a superb touch to the setting...



Here's what I finally did, with the stuff I had lying around.

- Switched the side table to another slimmer, taller one. Because it's darker wood, it stands out from the wall and window trim and contrasts with the taupe lounge. It also picks up the warm tones of the wood blinds on the window and somehow complements the green grass just outside. Because it's a taller piece, it's now easier to place and reach for a mug.

- While the colouring and toning works well with the pieces around it, it is MUCH smaller. I know lots of interior designers crave symmetry... but because it is smaller and I have no pairs of lamps or vases yet, I decided to go asymmetrical.

I was also encouraged by Kelly Wearstler who says this in her book, Modern Glamour:
Symmetry is graphic thinking at its most instinctual level... Does this mean I avoid asymmetry? Hardly... but I won't apply them in an unbalanced way - especially where accessories are concerned.

So it was a conscious decision... and I also knew exactly what I needed on my side table.

- I was also dissatisfied with what I had on display/kept on the table. Something had been missing. Eddie made me realise: I had no bling! :) I added a silver box my mother gave me a few years back and repeated the metal/shine in a round, 50s Ranleigh silver serving tray.



The former side table now graces the hallway and displays my vintage typewriter, some Raynham urns and a large really pretty sampler I scored from Vinnies for $10. I'd love a bit more of a presence... like a Hollywood Regency faux bamboo small chest of drawers in a brilliant vermillion, but I guess I'll have to make do.. ;)



Although a bit shabby... I love the legs. One day I'll paint it turquoise or lime green.

I only have this small side table because the main "coffee table" is an ottoman I had made specifically to store Hannah's toys. I've always loved ottomans as coffee tables, I find it adds a real luxury to the lounge room.

Because Hannah loves to access it all the time for her toys (and jump up and down on it), I can't pile it with stuff. So I like to keep it plain for propped up bare feet and a tray...



(Pardon the poor workmanship... the carpenter got my instructions wrong... the upholstery on the lid is starting to sag. But I still love the large pop of colour in the lounge room, amongst my colourful art and pieces.)



I love the one above... love love love. Simple tablescape... beautiful buttonhole... gorgeous vintage castors and slim, low design.

Doesn't this side table below hold the right ingredients for a bedside table? A lamp, some pretty flowers, a clock and a little bowl to hold rings, earrings, hair-ties and clips... I'm inspired!

Dining chairs makeover

My cousin sent me an SOS for a dining table and chairs when she moved into her rented apartment a few weeks ago. She had very little budget but didn't want to settle for cheap and nasty. I like my cousin's eclectic style... and was pleased when she said she wanted a wooden, "classic" set.

We found this at the local Salvos and picked up the lot for only $250. Sturdy chairs, no chips etc etc. This is it in her dining corner of her rather open plan living/dining area.



The next SOS my cousin sent me was this past Wednesday... to help her re-cover the chairs in time for her house warming do next weekend. So we popped over to Spotlight for some fabric... and got to work with my staple gun.

This is what the lounge area looks like (just so you get an idea of the entire room)..



The chairs before:


Recovering her chairs seats weren't easy because they had these corners! So took longer than expected.


My husband posing ... actually he was great help. This is him doing the last chair (I did the previous 5) and declared a rest.



And this is the result, just before being served a thank-you-so-much-you-guys-rock dinner of some buttery-soft steak and morrocan spice roast vegies, yum!



I wanted the area to look as nice as possible... so I insisted her pictures be hung... that large beautiful one is painted by her talented father.

It's not finished though. I'd love her to gather a small collection of bright yellow vases/holders... for her centrepiece for a pop colour... and perhaps some small plants for her window sill...

We've also been scouring ebay australia for a dinner service. My cousin's eclectic... so she's been fancying a retro dinner service. So the journey to a great place to live continues!

What were they thinking?

I discovered Fly Through My Window today on a Google search for Martha's jadeite... and enjoyed this blogpost more than any other for a while (because it's done on a realistic, everyday-people budget).

I have to say though... (actually, I have to scream it in my head)... What were the previous people thinking!?



I was so inspired by her bathroom makeover... what a great job Darby!



Go to her blog to read and see more detail.

Confessions of a Collectaholic

Via Better Homes & Gardens

If you are a collector, let other people share your pride and joy. Don't sprinkle your collection out of sight in a meaningless jumble. Notice how groups of small objects when they are well arranged, become important and effective... Collect what you will, but see to it that you arrange your hobby to its best advantage.
-Dorothy Draper

Via G-a-r-g-y on Flickr

Aunty Voon was my nanny from the time I was old enough to speak till I was about seven. From the time I knew them, there were always piles and piles of yellowed, hardened newspapers everywhere: hallways, front porch, corners of rooms, courtyards. I remember them already yellowed and this was the late 70s! Uncle Voon collected every daily paper since he was old enough to read (or something).

Via JasonTromm on Flickr

My sister's friend in Philadelphia hoards bicycles. We were stopped at the front door of his large shed by about what must be 500 broken, run-down, rusted out bicycles - I forgot to take photographs in my stunned condition!

My grandfather liked collecting old day-planners... never used. And torchlights, all with functioning batteries. And huge nail-clippers.

These were the type of people I use to label "hoarders".

I've come to realise now... that we are all, hoarders... collectors, gatherers. At the very least, like bower birds, dragging bits and bobs that catch our eye into our little nests.

Via maureen_g on Flickr

(Aren't these nests spectacular??? These nests are built by the male birds, who steal bits of bright blue from houses, courtyards, restaurants etc to attract their female counterparts. And they ONLY ever steal BLUE! Not pink or green or yellow! When my blue pegs from the line would go missing we'd know that there was a bower bird nest somewhere near.)

But collectors, hoarders, bower birds, always have different reasons for their inclination. Uncle Voon thought he could sell a newspaper of significant meaning one day. John repaired those bicycles to give away to kids who couldn't afford them. Bower birds drag in these shiny (and often blue!) items to make a beautiful home, to lure a mate and well... prolong their species.

And so do we (no, not build a home just to prolong our species). We interior-home-decorating nuts, we book-lovers, we baking-and-cooking-loving people... don't we like collecting what attracts and inspires us?

I collect, I confess. And I don't think I"m alone by a long shot. Celebrity interior designer, Nate Berkus collects a piece of rock or shell from every vacation as momentos. Martha Stewart collects.. well.. everything... but her jadeite fireking collection is second to none.



I thought I'd end this musing with a guilt-free show of a few of my collections:

Books

Nicola by Loui Shabner now graces the creative home of Kim from Desire to Inspire!

Vintage ribbon


Art glass


50s brooches

Little girls' frocks


Paper napkins


Children's books

Stationery


Art










China






(Incidentally, don't you just love what must be a treasured collection of antique 1880's Coalport Indian Tree china against the watermelon of the walls in the first photo?)

Bags


I also thought I'd add some inspiration from Flickr:

Pez:

Via One Good Bumblebee on Flickr

Eggs:

Via Heather Lucille on Flickr

Teapots:

Via *jenny b allsorts on Flickr

Pencil sharpeners:

Via sallyw3000 on Flickr

What collections do you have?
Anything quirky?
Like 50 year old lipsticks? ;)
Do share!