My Nicola at Kim's!

I wrote a couple of months ago about my Shabner's Nicola being for sale. I love it... but gave it up to someone... not without regret... but it's so great to see it in the home of someone so utterly deserving, and it looks soo damn good in her home.

Kim from Desire to Inspire was the lucky buyer and I'm so pleased. I'm also so jealous that it fits so much better in her home!!!!! Nicola never looked so good!

Image from Kim's Flickr

For those of us in Victoria, Australia and are facing the threat of the bushfires, my prayers and thoughts are constantly with you. Hope none of you lose homes today in the threat of high temps and high winds. I too, will be watching my skies and fields around us!

Ish and Chi Etsy store

Ya all have to go to Ish and Chi's brand spanking new Etsy store to see and grab some happy prints!

Love the pink one! Already have a spot picked out ;)





See more here. Well done, Viv!

Secretaire DIY ala Eddie Ross

For 2 weeks now husband and I have been considering a major move in our lives which has been triggered by Christmas 2008. Will talk more about things when we have made more of a decision... but it involves planning a new floorplan!

So when I spotted this secretaire DIY ala the frightfully talented Eddie Ross* (Top Design Season 2 contestant and Senior Style Editor, Martha Stewart Living) I got all excited. The new floorplan planned during Christmas 2 weeks ago involves a much needed secretaire for books, storage and deskspace. Since I can't afford a new one at my favourite store for $3950, my secretaire will also most likely be a product of a similar DIY job.

Before:




After:


Thanks Eddie for the inspiration and encouragement!

Btw, this is another secretaire Eddie DIYed! Love the punch of colour too!




*I know this sounds so lame, but we here in Australia don't enjoy most of the American produced interior design shows on free to air... but I scored a copy of Top Design Season 2 and have been enjoying it after my family sleep. So hence my seemingly late-oh-so-overdue discovery of Eddie Ross!

Kim's Kitchen Remodel ala Greentea Design & Kitchens

My sponsor, Greentea Design, did a fantastic job imho remodeling blogger friend Kim's kitchen.

Kim is one half co-owner of wildly popular blog Desire to Inspire and she moved into her own house in Canada and did a really good job with her then-kitchen. It went from this:





To this with the help of boyfriend Jeff and some good blogland suggestions:





(which is bloody awesome as it is since it was looking so cool and glowy)

And in Sept 08, Kim revealed a biggie: she scored a deal with greentea design & kitchens; in exchange for some extensive coverage on their work in her kitchen, she'd get a package of some awesome japanese-inspired kitchen cabinets.

This was the discussed plan:



And after four months, here is her fantastic new kitchen!











Read Kim's kitchen reno here.

See more of greentea designs & kitchens here.

Well done guys!!!!!

Absolutely beautiful at Absolutely Beautiful Things!

Anna Spiro, fellow Australian design blogger behind the wildly successful blog Absolutely Beautiful Things, is an incredibly inspirational interior designer and she's recently posted her newly renovated, recently bought, home in Brisbane. It's right down my design style... with more money, of course! :)

I love it so much!

Mimosa

I am happy to see that Pantone Color Institute has chosen bright yellow, the Mimosa, as the colour of 2009. It's very similar to the yellow I chose for paperbean design a couple of years ago.



"Mimosa, a warm engaging yellow, brings hope and optimism during a time of economic uncertainty and political change. Inspired by the Mimosa tree and the sparkle of the renowned cocktail, the 2009 color of the year represents the hopeful and radiant characteristics associated with the color yellow."

I love this shade of yellow. It's the shade I plan to paint the fireplace and two walls in the home office space to complement my yellow art wall.



via Apartment Therapy.

ish and chi's lovely nursery!

i recently started chatting with Viv of ish and chi when she posted some cute red and white wallpaper used on her newly finished nursery. Viv also just scored a sweet red velvet settee on eBay and worked some paint magic on it...



Now her completed nursery looks so clean, sharp and totally designer-ware!






Well done Viv!

Photos from ish and chi

Kim's Kitchen Remodel and Greentea Design

The ever fun Kim from Desire to Inspire has just let me in on her HOT NEW PROJECT!

She has managed to SCORE a deal with the fantastic Asian-inspired Kitchen Cabinets Designer, Greentea Design in Toronto to provide her with a Japanese-and-Chinese inspired kitchen in exchange to have an ad space on the wildly successfully internationally acclaimed Desire to Inspire blog!!!!!

A Miyuza kitchen by Greentea Design:



You guys HAVE to follow the journey as Kim designs, installs and puts her magical touches in her new kitchen. You also have to watch as my sponsor, Greentea Design creates this totally unique, bespoked kitchen.

It's going to be an astounding project!

When Kim first moved in:


After her magic touches, working with existing cabinetry:


After collaboration with Greentea Design:

Read about it.