There is something wonderful about Summer, the days seem long and there are many more opportunities to find a quiet place to sit, slow down and open and magazine. And that’s exactly the thing I did this Summer. In fact, I read so many magazines, that I thought I’d share the best of the press for those of you who perhaps don’t share my magazine addiction.
First up, there is a new title on the market; Design Anthology (technically it was launched in Hong Kong previously but this is the first Australian Edition). This beauty of a magazine is glorious. Suzy Annetta and her team have done an amazing job with this publication. The curation of interiors, art, architecture and travel is en pointe. There is a beautiful showcase of antipodean designers and craftspeople and the pottery of Damon Moon is one stunning example. This range is called Thrown and was made as a dinnerware series for the JamFactory collection. His pieces are hand thrown, glazed and fired in the JamFactory studio.
Fete/Life has always been one of my go-to titles, the styling and photography is clever and appears simple, which is a credit to superb styling and a sharp eye. Jane Cameron and Annabelle Kerslake have extended this beautiful brand and have recently launched Fete/Events. They have an exclusive venue in the Adelaide Hills which they style in their signature simple, monochromatic and seamless approach. I clicked through and read their online brochure (you can see it here) and boy it looks stunning. I am just trying to dream up a reason to have a party in a different state to where I live…
They’ve also showcased the Base To-Market bag (which I received for Christmas) it’s made from washable paper (yep, seriously). It’s reusable and eco-friendly and made to withstand daily use. It’s super comfy to carry as it has sturdy cotton straps that fit over your shoulder. I love it.
Adore Home had a bumper Summer edition. Vivian Panagos’ house was a standout to me with the use of the Gabriella mirrorby Sarah Ellison. This rattan and curved top mirror is bound to be popular, in fact I have seen it in several instagram accounts this Summer. It’ll bring a relaxed but not shabby style to a room, I’d pair it in a white room (who am I kidding, my entire house is white) or even pop it on a pink, mustard or navy wall. If you live in the city I’d keep it away from other rattan furniture though so it has room to be stylish, too much rattan together can tend to look a little beachy.
Inside Out had one of my favourite houses of the Summer. Leah Henricks’ renovated home in Sydney had the most beautiful palette of natural colours, the sage green kitchen is inspiring. Sometimes earthy tones can look a bit dull but the lighter shades of green add interest and softness to a white kitchen.
The children’s room decoration spread ranged from funky fun to tween dream, but it was the fir baby spread that caught my eye. For starters there was the divine Rachel Castle bed linen (the fern print is one of my all time favourites) and when paired with the teal Camomile London quilt the palette became ‘quiet’ and very soothing. The pop of peach in the clay light by Lighting Collective was a master stroke. A white light would have made the wallpaper over power the bed and a rattan lightshade would have been fighting for attention with the bed too.
The other article that resonated with me was the design profile on Poho Flowers and its owner Ed West. I love a florist with a signature style and Poho Flowers is one that has a contemporary edge to a heritage feeling and classic bouquet. Jump on over to follow their instagram feed…you’ll soon be adding a little more colour to your weekly floral arrangements. In fact, Ed made a great point when he said to trust your florist…how many times have we popped in to the florist and asked for a ‘white’ bouquet, or reached for flowers we know we love…maybe it’s time to ask them to ‘surprise you a little’.
Real Living had a fabulous selection of wellness reads in their book recommendation section. It’s definitely worth checking them out, I have the new Aesop book on my wishlist. Not only are they one of my favourite brands for the home, the linen bound book showcases a rare peak into one of Australia’s iconic brands and is bound to be seen on many a coffee table this year.
Kristine Standnes’ home restoration in Italy of an 18th century farmhouse is possibly the best family heirloom that I have ever seen. The house has been in the family for three generations and Kristine has seen it through a renovation that will ensure it lasts for many more. With a less-is-more approach to decorating, this home has rustic Italian charm coupled with Scandinavian design. It’s refreshing to see a renovation cast aside trends and really respond to the bones of a building.
Home Style showcased the newest New Zealand Interiors book Our Spaces. this stunning book takes the reader room by room through some of New Zealand’s most stylish and inspiring homes which are spaces that are relaxed yet refined, modest yet modern. It’s both aspirational and instructional with over 400 beautiful photographs, alongside hundreds of ideas and insights pulled from each space.
The interview with Sophie Rowley is fascinating. Sophie is a material designer who helps companies find solutions for recycling their production waste. Sophie believes that waste is the only growing resource and instead of extracting more of the planet’s finite resources, it’s time to work smarter with the waste we are producing.
Planted, Adore Home’s title for plant lovers showcased inspiring small garden by Harrison Landscaping. By dividing a garden into various levels and areas the space can appear much bigger and become more usable. It’s something that I used to find hard to wrap my head around, but then we did this in our first home (I will upload some pictures shortly) the results were so good. We had places for dining, relaxing and areas for the children to play. We are now starting to turn our attention to landscape designs for our current home and will be doing this again. I love the idea of being able to pop a pool in to our back garden, have a grass area, decking for dining, a fire pit for winter and not to forget that the children have asked for a basketball half court (between you and me I am currently playing around with the idea of making an indoor one – watch this space), and it’s this image below that showed me that I may be able to have everything on the list.
