MISSONI STYLE

Photography by EMILIE SMITH, Styling by PETA RUDD & EMILIE SMITH

Ever since I inherited an antique Missoni style scarf from my great grandmother, I have been in love with this design house.  So you can imagine my excitement when I happened upon a beautiful, brightly coloured, Missoni style knitted scarf at Ceres Markets recently.  I have always lusted after Missoni cushions but have never indulged this desire.  Thanks to my new scarf the 'look' of Missoni was now within my grasp.  The size of the cushions was determined by the amount of fabric I had to work with,  so I ended up resizing cushion inserts that I picked up from Spotlight.  I have to say, I'm thrilled with the result!  Pictured above, they are featured as part of the Moroccan Wonderland my friend Emilie and I created for her Birthday and below, as they live in my home.  Not bad for $14!

Photography by PETA RUDD, Styling by PETA RUDD

MOROCCAN SAFARI

Photography by PETA RUDD, Styling by PETA RUDD & EMILIE SMITH

I love the sense of warmth the use of elements from the natural world creates in an interior space. Through the careful selection of both new and vintage pieces Emilie and I created an exotic refuge.  One that I could quite easily live in!

MOROCCAN DECOR

Photography by PETA RUDD, Styling by PETA RUDD & EMILIE SMITH

To create our room, we started with an earthy tribal palette. We then layered ethnic prints- conjuring a taste of Africa, Persia and India. Subtle hints of subdued colour tied the room together and we accented this with luxurious textures (satin, fur, embroidery, crystal & pressed metal) and punches of vibrant iridescent colour (fresh flowers)- sure to be a strong trend for the coming season.

For further inspiration and the latest trend predictions, visit Emilie's blog Sketch of a Season.

MOROCCAN PATTERN

Photography by EMILIE SMITH, Styling by PETA RUDD & EMILIE SMITH

When I think of Morocco the first thing that comes to mind is the emphasis on pattern. Whether it is in the layering of an eclectic mix of prints or the detail of a pressed metal dish, it is the foundation of Moroccan Design. 

MOROCCO ON A BUDGET

Photography by PETA RUDD, Styling by PETA RUDD & EMILIE SMITH

I've been dreaming of traveling to various exotic locations for several years now. And since my budget (or lack thereof!) hasn't allowed for the fulfillment of this dream, I've decided I'm going to enrich my life by bringing the essence of these destinations into my everyday life.

Most recently my very dear friend Emilie and I combined our talents to create a Moroccan Style Interior for her Birthday Celebrations.

Most of what we incorporated were items already belonging to the two of us.  To this, we added some inexpensive fabric for draping along the ceiling to create a tent like room, some white paper lanterns, candles and tealights, a few great op shop finds and some brightly coloured fresh flowers.

Stay tuned for further posts illustrating how you can bring the exotic charms of Morocco into your home for little over $AU 100.  If you were planning on starting from scratch, you could expect to outlay between $AU 100 - $AU 300 to achieve a similar look.   Total cost of course depends on how thrifty you can be!

A SIMPLE SHOT

What I like most about this collection of portraits is their simplicity. In case you hadn't yet gathered, I like clean, simple lines. I think the image at the bottom is especially striking- I love how such a simple idea can be so effective. It's a really cool portrait. I realise it is very poor form not to reference these images but I honestly can't remember where I found them (I've had them saved on my computer for ages)- sorry!

FAENA HOTEL & UNIVERSE

Faena Hotel & Universe

Over the Christmas break, after seeing a brief article which spurred some further investigation of my own, I discovered the magnificence that is the Faena Hotel & Universe. Situated in Buenos Aries, Argentina this luxury boutique hotel was conceptualised by Argentinian fashion designer Alan Faena, and has been artfully designed by none other than Philippe Starck. In contrast to much of Starck's earlier work, hotel Faena is for the most part rich & passionate- featuring plenty of black marble and red velvet. The white dining room pictured above seems to be the only trace of what is more reflective of his signature style.

JONATHAN & ELLE

Jonathan Adler

Elle Decor

I really like these images from a graphic perspective. I love the lines and the colours.

A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS.....

Rope Doorstop from Vivre

Shell Dish from Vivre

Organic coral

Neece Clark Painting

Mesi Jilly Shell Ring

Mattise 'Blue Nude 2'

Diamond Cocktail Ring

Dahlia

Bobbie Medlin Necklace


Bookends from Vivre

(* I admire these bookends purely from an aesthetic design perspective- I am against the cruelty of any animal.)


These are just a few of my favourite things. I have been collecting these images for several months now and after some time, began to notice a common thread......Nature (albeit in rather glamorous forms!).

LISA WASSMANN PHOTOGRAPHY

Lisa Wassmann

I think artwork is an important element in decorating your home. Taste in art is such a personal thing, so it can really help put an individual stamp on your overall look. I discovered the work of talented photographer, Lisa Wassmann  a long time ago on flickr and instantly fell in love with these intimate and evocative images. Please click on her name to see more of her work- it has great energy behind it!

LISA WAGNER'S HOUSE

You may have seen this house as featured in Elle Decor a long time ago.....

It belongs to American producer, Lisa Wagner and her family. I think it has been beautifully and artfully decorated. It's modest with a very personal feel- together with the autumnul colours it makes for a very warm and welcoming space. I love the coral beaded light fitting in the dining room- the colours and textures in this room work beautifully together. I also love the bookcases built in against the walls, and around the windows in the second and third pictures- they're a fantastic use of space and create an interesting feature.

ANN WOOD HAND-MADE

Installation for shop window

'Rudy' - love the acorn beret!

'100 horses' part of an exhibition at Tin Lark gallery

When I first came across the work of Ann Wood, it brought a huge smile to my face. The quirky little birds she painstakingly hand stitches out of recycled fabrics are full of individual charm and character. I love how they are each given well suited names and the manner in which they are photographed is just too cute for words! Amongst other beautiful things, Ann also hand-crafts incredible sailing ships such as the one created for a shop window installation (above). You can read about her latest creations on her blog or visit her website annwoodhandmade to view more of her work and to see her gorgeous cake-toppers.

ALLISON ARMOUR GARDEN SCULPTURES

Pictured from top: Aqualens, Aqualens in action and TeePee garden sculpture by Allison Armour.

This New York based Parisian, attended the Parsons school of Design before leaving for London to study at the Architectural Association. After sending in some photographs of her first piece (Aquasphere) to a magazine, her work became instantly popular. Allison works with stainless steel, glass and perspex creating shimmering, light reflecting fountains, mobiles and sculptures. Aqualens, a water filled sphere, reflects an upside down view of its surroundings and throws off beautiful rainbows. Who wouldn't want any of these amazing pieces in their garden?!

A GREAT BEDROOM

I think this bedroom (as seen on All the Best) is fantastic. I love how they've made full use of the high ceilings with a beautifully arranged collection of art. Everything in this room seems perfectly balanced to me- it is all so complementary but in a very evolved and uncontrived way. I love the warm tones and textures contrasted with the crispness of the black and white photographs and the bright light filtering in through the window. Love the bed linen too!

I LOVE...ROUND TABLES

The work of Vicente Wolf

Sara Jessica Parker's dining table

Tamara Mellon's dining table

Round tables......they seem to fit into just about any space and always look neat and ordered. I imagine dining at one would feel a lot more intimate also, as everyone is facing each other. They really hold their own.

MANHATTAN STYLE

One thing you should know about me is I absolutely LOVE ELLE DECOR magazine and the gorgeous style of decorating that is generally featured. It's glamourous but the lines are contemporary and clean which makes it pleasing to the eye and the mix of colour and texture is often ecclectic resulting in a really unique look every time. As I've discovered, there are a lot of people who share my admiration for the work of Vicente Wolf. I could happily live in the room pictured above- it is so full of colour and light.

PAPER ART

http://www.jenstark.com/

Modular Origami

Kusudama

I am really fascinated by Paper Art at the moment. I'm amazed at what can be done by cutting and folding paper. The first two images are by Artist Jen Stark who makes incredible paper sculptures using stacked coloured paper. The third image down is modular Origami where the same piece is repeated and joined only by folding. The final image is a Japanese Kusudama which is the precurser to modular origami- the difference being that the pieces are stitched together in the center. I love that as a whole unit it is complex but when broken down to a single unit it is simple. It makes me think of atoms and cells.

THANK YOU

A sincere thanks to the girls at desiretoinspire for mentioning my blog as a new place to visit. I really appreciate it and I'm also happy that people are enjoying my posts!

FLOWERS FOR SUMMER

As summer is the festive season and a time when we are outdoors and entertaining a lot I always think of flowers - especially in bright colours. I really enjoy discovering alternate and creative ways to present flowers. I love the idea of placing flowers in dyed water to add an extra punch of colour.

WHERE I WANT TO BE

This is my idea of the perfect summer evening. A creatively built/self-constructed outdoor space with candles, dinner and wine- and by the ocean no less! This beautiful scene was created by Stylist Laurence Pasquier. You can view more of his work at stylingworld.com