Ace Space Saturday

What a divine space this is... Found over at Oh Dee Doh, I just love every square inch of it!

A perfect blend of pattern layering and pretty for 2 lucky little girls.

Natural surrounds

I'll admit, I do seem to be having a bit of a "stone feature wall" obsession lately, but you have to admit, they are quite striking... In fact, I'm noticing more and more how drawn I am to spaces containing natural elements - whether it's stone, leather, sisal flooring, raw aged timber or even just some ochres and natural earthy hues... A natural element provides a warmth that can't be matched by anything else. It puts heart in your home. Take a look at these beauties that have caught my eye over the past week...

Images via

Aren't they all cosy? Just what's needed here in Sydney with this freezing weather misery we're having! Makes me want to rush out and stock up on sheepskin rugs and cane baskets... Hope you're staying warm and dry!

8 pretty girls rooms with a good dash of whimsy

Not much more to say here than the title suggests... 

White tongue and groove,, white-washed floors, layers of pattern 

and pretty wallpaper, how can you go wrong?

Scroll your way through 8 delightfully feminine rooms.

Images via Pinterest, Ministry of Deco, Pottery Barn, Tumblr & VTWonen

Cool new mag alert

I love a new online magazine to "virtually" flip through. And when that new mag haemorrhages cool the way Novalee does it's a pure delight. We're talking serious street cred people. Hop over here to check out Issue 2. And take a look at their blog for loads of awesome UK based kids brands that will blow the doors off your kiddos wardrobe. 

Tuesday tour

Today's tour comes from the lovely people at Seventeen Doors and it is just to die for...

The kids rooms aren't cute - they're STUNNING! Take a look around...

The Block: Kitchen week room reveals

You knew what today's post would be didn't you? I just can't help myself. Why is it though I always get really hooked on shows just as they're finishing? 

So, in case you missed it, Sophie and Dale have finally won the judges hearts completely (and I do wonder if the timing of Mr Whittaker coming around to their style coincided with viewer feedback that Team D&S were a favourite - by my calculations it started going to air about two thirds of the way through the build....hmmm?). Anyway, they effectively won both the room saver and the kitchen but were pipped at the post by the boys with their bonus points. That's ok though, everyone's broke and D&S seem pretty flush to finish their outdoor areas so I'm happy for them to share the moola.

Here are a gazillion pics of all the spaces because they were all gorgeous...

Dale & Sophie...

Brad & Lara...

Dan & Dani...

And by using their 2 bonus points they win by a measley half a point...
Though that ceiling is quite special....
Mike & Andrew...

So, now we just have to wait for the outside to be done and then it's all about who's going to win! 

Who do you think...?

8 Rambling Realistic boys rooms...

Minimalist schminimalist I hear you say? 

So in protest to last weeks post, 8 minimalist boys rooms, 

here are 8 more boys spaces that are a little more realistic in their approach 

(and I think the boys who live in them might even prefer them to a minimalist style as well....).

Images via

Ace space saturday - of a different kind...

Sigh. It's raining today in Sydney. Again. And my two little monsters are a little cabin feverish. They aren't giving me much of a chance to write up a post, so instead I've decided to turn our living area into an Ace Space (of sorts) to keep them occupied and perhaps use up some of their abundant energy.

I found this idea on Pinterest this week and it really is quite brilliant. It's kept these guys busy for a good 40 minutes (and in their world that's a lifetime). Simply cut up a bunch of squares out of bubble wrap (we just happened to have some in the laundry from a recent delivery), and tape them to the floor with masking tape. Voila! Instant Bubblewrap Hopscotch! They think it's an Ace Space - and that's all that matters today.

Pressed metal decorating

If you've been paying as much attention to Dale and Sophie on Ch9's The Block as I do, you would also have noticed this week, a small snippet of the couple shopping for pressed tin panels for their kitchen splashback (which immediately restored Sophie's status in my mind to creative genius). I think it will look amazing and can't wait for Sunday nights room reveals. (Though I have to add that I'll be waiting to see how those herbs are going to drain planted in those cute blackboard labelled jars she's made????)

But back to pressed metal... It did bring back to mind though the pressed metal feature wall in Nina's old apartment from Ch10's show, Offspring (there is a small possibility I watch too much TV yes). Do you remember it?

I loved it immediately. And not long ago, Home Beautiful ran a trend page about it too...

So even though traditionally, as we all know, pressed metal goes on the ceiling like this....

There's nothing to say you can't put it on the wall in your kitchen like this...

Though I lean towards thinking that Dale and Sophie's kitchen will be much more stylish than that example and feel a bit more like this....

Either way, I want to use some... now. Love it! What do you think?

Window seat inspiration

One of my favourite, under-utilised elements of my home is it's bay window. The house itself is a 1940s semi, and apart from this one redeeming feature at the front of the house, it's street appeal is rather "unappealing". So, what with all this building and upcycling I've been immersing myself in of late, I'm finding the itch to develop this corner into a more attractive and useful spot more and more difficult not to scratch.

Here are 3 stunning bay window seats that I'm drawing inspiration from. Mine is more like pictures 1&3 with the angled side panel windows rather than a squared cove which in my mind makes the job a bit harder, but slowly I'm feeling more confident about tackling the project, and have even downloaded some plans to build it. What I'm wondering though, is what's the best approach to using as a storage area? Should the top have a lifting lid under the cushion? Or should it have drawers accessible from the front? Or cupboards? I'd love to hear if you have one and what you love/hate about it most so I can design and hopefully build the best window seat possible. I mean, after all, this is no small project. If I'm going to tackle it, I want it to be perfect and arm myself with all of your experience... So... Tips people?

Images via