Surprising Chartreuse

A colour I have fallen for in the last few months has been Chartreuse and it is a real surprise to me as it was never on my radar before and I never imagined I would want it in my home.

I think it all started with a skirt that I found at an Op Shop - I was surprised how much I liked the colour and then surprised again
when it fitted into my wardrobe so well. I always get comments on the colour when I wear it - from total strangers sometimes.

The skirt is almost this exact colour of this spectacular dress Emma Watson once wore - I am only dreaming my skirt looks this good on me - but it is nice

I think chartreuse is so appealing because it is fresh but grounded, earthy but bright and complements so many other colours beautifully just think of leaves just turning yellow in autumn against the blue sky.

I think this best demonstrates what I mean

But I also think it is great against grey and metalics. It is a great match for pinks and reds and blues and oranges and well - I like it.So here are some little shots of chartreuse straight up. I hope you find it surprising in a good way too. 

It is great in velvet

Found Friday

Not a lot of time for finding much this week but here is a little sampler

Finding my mothers day tulips beautiful

Finding this awesome hand knitted blanket at the Op Shop today - makes me want to curl up next to a fire with a hot 

apple cider inspired by its hues

Finding these cool neon connector toy thingys at the Op Shop last week - loving the colours and the shapes - the 

endless possibilities

Beauty, Beach, Bollywood, 'Punk'

I have an upcoming assignment to take a photo of a room and use it as inspiration to create the whole room adding or subtracting along the way - all for a specific client. This includes rendered floor plans and elevations but I am thinking of taking it a step further and doing it for my computer design class as well, if time allows and skill levels permit, so it becomes a fully visualised room.

The client was an easy choice for me. A few years ago a friend moved to a new house and briefly mentioned me helping her design her bedroom - it unfortunately didn't eventuate because for one reason or another she had to move out too soon but I had already started to think of furniture, colours and a vibe for her. Here is my chance to make it happen - even if only virtually.

Leading my design concept are aspects of her style and personality I have observed. I like to call it

Beauty, Beach, Bollywood, Punk

Beauty relates to her work as a beauty therapist but more so being a person who celebrates beauty; Beach is literal for where she lives but more than that it reflects her deep connection with the ocean and her down to earth nature - often not found alongside the first point; Bollywood - is not literal either but represents her love of travel and finally 'Punk' which is certainly not literal but the best word I could find. It is more a reference to a more wild self expression in the fashion and art aspects of Punk because despite all of the above she has an edge.

Beyond a design concept it is important to think about the aim of the room. A bedroom isn't the same thing for everyone - some people like it clean and uncluttered for zen like rest but others need to create a personal haven filled with their things. For this 'client' who shares a house with flatmates I see the bedroom fulfilling the role of restful self expression. A haven but also a place to fully express herself. For this reason I want to make sure the brighter and bolder aspects of the Bollywood and Punk don't overpower. 

Here are some of the inspirational images I have found so far - none of them are exactly it but elements of each are getting there.

The image below from Melbourne store Fenton & Fenton is a great starting point. The feminine curves of this bed are beautiful and a recurring theme. What I like best though is seeing it upholstered in natural warm linen - Beauty meets Beach. Ethnic aspects to the room, like the rug, lampshade and basket fulfil the Bollywood brief. Overall a great room - I just feel it tips too far in one direction and needs a little editing and edging.

These black walls are very grown up and sophisticated. A great mix of modern pieces with old including the contrast of materials. This has just the right amount of Beauty, 'Punk' and Bollywood - just missing some Beach and should be more restful as a daytime space. 

Would be a great hotel room but not a personal haven.

A 'Punk' mirror 

Neon and texture - cosy and fun

Someone lives here - it's not a showroom. Beauty and Beach and a little Bollywood - no 'Punk'. 

Ah well

Here is my developing Pinterest board of ideas 'For Others' and you can also see more related ideas from my earlier post Neon, Neutral and Natural celebrating this favourite current trend of mine - Beach, Beauty and 'Punk' for sure.

I am enjoying this and can't wait to create the right mix and fully visualise the room. I just hope it is 

worthy of her and of showing you the results.

I would love to know what four words you would use to start designing a space for yourself.

A Cuppa with mum

Happy mothers day to all the mummy's.

This is my second mothers day and today I was feeling very blessed. We had a great day despite a false start when we went in search of a cafe for breakfast - without booking - only because we didn't know if my assignments would be complete but 1.30am took care of that. Looking for a place for breakfast on mothers day without booking is never easy and there aren't a lot of nice ones where we
now live.

However this mishap lead to an unexpected exploration through the local botanic gardens with coffee, banana bread and croissants alfresco and tumbles in the grass. Sometimes things not going to plan have the best outcomes. We even found the gardens has a nice cafe with a playground which only equals more fun times to come.

I sadly couldn't be with my mum today as she lives too far away but we will be hanging out soon enough.

One of the things I like to do best of all with my mum, even from when I was a little girl, is have a cup of tea together on the verandah. We still try and fit in a few quiet cuppa moments during my trips back home.

I once described to my friend Ben, a fellow tea appreciator, that tea with milk was like a warm hug and a good chat with your mum while black tea was like a chat with your dad where he cuts to the chase and helps you sort stuff out. I think we need both in life (whether we get it from our actual mum and dad or other people who fill these roles).

But today is in honour of mums. So here is my tribute to mine. All milky tea and verandahs.


A Pride and Prejudice quote for mum

The Beatles for mum

I have always liked dunking

A little selection of beau-tea

And while I would gladly sit on any of these verandahs for a cuppa with mum my preference will always be home.

Found Friday

So I have been a little slack this week with posting here. I have two very good excuses I promise - one fun and one not so fun. I have also managed to do some cute finding - dollhouse furniture in need of a refurb (see the little reno for which plans are still being approved - by me) and some linens. I promise to take some pics of these and get them up early next week but my not so fun excuse, my assignments, are keeping me too busy right now so I will make this short and sweet.

Now to my fun excuse - finding a long time friendship unchanged. I have had a very special visitor this week, my long time friend Trish who is in the country briefly from China where she lives and works. It was great to catch up and get reacquainted after a few years of seeing eachother - or talking for that matter because even though she is one of my dearest friends life is just like that.  As it happens I am fortunate to have a handful of these friendships with friends that live overseas or interstate who I see or speak with very seldom but with whom nothing changes. We manage to pick up right where we left off. Nothing fundamental has changed in the friendship just the details of life and it is great to fill eachother in.

We have a mutual love of op shopping that goes back to high school and while I won't admit to how long that is let's just say we were joking about the need to do something fabulous or at least notorious before a significant school reunion next year.

Here she is in a great puffy sleeved 80's navy print blouse, one of the finds from our trip to the local Op Shop together.

I picked it up off the rack for her and while she wasn't sure at first she now likes it and I think it is absolutely fabulous on her. So I would like to take this opportunity to give thanks for my friends - near and far - who never change in the right ways while changing all the same.

Found Friday

This week's finds Top 3

• A foxy new collection of images
• Finding out good news
• Many ways to procrastinate

A foxy new collection of images
I have always loved imagery of foxes. I know that they are not native and indeed are a general bad ass pest in Australia but gosh they are cute. I started a new board on Pinterest to collect the most foxy finds I could find - 'What a Fox'. Here is a favourite to get you feeling foxy too. This foxy lampshades is from Radiance a UK based 'glowing light and craft boutique'.

While checking out their products I also found another fabulous designer - House of Chintz - these beautifully layered lampshades
are to die for.

Finding out good news
My very talented partner Craig was named one of Capture Magazines 2012 Top Emerging Photographers in the Advertising Category. You can check out the winning shots in the latest issue of the magazine or via his website craigproudford.com as part of his Wish series and while you're there check out his other beautiful shots. While I love them all an all time personal favourite for me is the ninety K's series - so named because I was driving and was on my P's and could only travel at 90 K's. They are painterly and dreamy. I couldn't be more proud.

Many ways to procrastinate
I have several assignments due in the next 2 weeks and subsequently I have found many many opportunities to procrastinate including much pinning on Pinterest - yes even more that my prolific norm (see this week's find #1) - an appropriate favourite pin this week.

One of the main reasons for the procrastination, apart from it being the usual order of things with me, is that I have been feeling a little inadequate. I have been comparing myself to others and coming up short and have been avoiding even starting for fear of not liking the results. Nothing like a deadline fast approaching to snap you out of that. So today I tried to remember why I am studying interior decoration and design in the first place. BECAUSE I FIND IT FUN. I am not the best at what I am tackling currently and don't expect to be - hand rendering interiors and materials - but I am OK at it and I can get it done. I just have to have fun with it (and remember that it the real world there are computers too).

I remembered today some unsolicited advice a psychic gave me many many years ago (I knew she was a psychic because even though I was just her waitress she knew way too much about me). She told me to 'Have fun and the money will follow'. Insert anything you are seeking here - Love, career progression, friendship. If you forget to find the joy on the way what is the point in arriving.

Here are some of my (unfinished) fun scribblings from today. Now enough procrastinating with writing this post and back to it.

Watercolour Playtime

These are the beautiful food colouring watercolour creations me and my nephew made together today at his suggestion. He is very crafty and his mum always has some amazing 'build a whole world' project on the go with him. This was my easy contribution - I have also done this with my little one before and loved the effect. I would love to translate this to fabric and see the results. The 2nd one down reminds me of a Japanese mountain scene with blossoms. My favourite part is picking up the paper and watching the colours merge and run down the page in channels to create something unexpected - happy messy times - Thanks C-Bear.