Designalogue

Its been a while between posts. Quite a while. So sorry for the trouble that would have occurred if you were holding your breath between postings!

Instead of making excuses for my loooong absence, I shall just proceed…..

Now, once again here at Designalogue blog, the subject of today’s post isn’t the most original or ground breaking subject to the blogosphere, in fact only just last week ever the fabulous  Design Crisis did a post on this very topic – Scattered cluster art walls things. (yes, that IS the technical industry term used!)

But this posting is once again with purpose! The purpose being to show a lovely client of mine just how fabulous cluster walls of all different shapes and sizes can look! (and the double purpose of said lovely client then also feeling confident that its the right choice for her home!)

So, enough of my prattling and on with the eye candy:

David Jimenez

Via Dwellings & Decor

David Jimenez

Nate Berkus

Jeff Andrews Design

Peter Dunham

Jeffers design Group

Via Desire to Inspire

Andrew Suvlasky Design

David Jimenez

Miles Redd

via Desire to Inspire

Preston Lee Design

Miles Redd

Jeff Andrews Design

Via Ish & Chi

Kathryn Scott Design

Via Ish & Chi

Just a few pictures there to get the point well across!

Well thats all for now – I’m off to organize me a picnic! Fella & I are off for a loved up sunset cruise tonight on this!

So until next time peoples!

this is not the Nicholas Building....but kinda near it, so Im keeping the picture!

Its been a hilarious & crazy busy few weeks which included some installations of some highly anticipated goodies and also saw ME on the tele – interviewed as a design professional giving my opinion on a subject! Hilarious!! and I promise to tell you more about that in another post… one day!

But just a quickie for now, to give the Melbournite reader stalkers out there a heads up & head on down to the Nicholas building on Thurs or Friday eve (yep – that’s Thursday as in tomorrow!) for their annual open studios.

If you make it you will find the studios of all kinds of creative types - Jewellers, sculptures, milliners, artists, textile peoples, shoe makers and more uber clever peeps!

More info can be found here

***Update – I have been, seen, & checked out the open studios -clever peoples things seen, as were their goodies. With my trusty crappy snappy camera in tow, I took some pics to share of some kooky things -not one of the artists peddling their wares, it was more the building that got my attention. I’m sure you will understand what I’m talking about:

The building has 9 stories of endless corridor’s just like the one below that look like they haven’t had to much love since the building was born sometime in the 1920′s.

The stairs also seem like they are in their original condition.

Being a curious kinda lass, I took a look through a peep hole of a lonely door in a lonely corridor:

Shoes people. Shoes. Thousands of shoes.

If anyone can explain this. Please do!

The other day I had quite a beast of a day!

I went and heard the Paul Simmons co founder & creative whizz of wallpaper & fabric fabulousness Timorous Beasties talk – not once, but twice!

Lucky for me he is a great speaker full of interesting stories (told in a fabulous Scottish accent!), gorgeous goodies to show and not even too bad on the eye!!

I first heard him in the morning talk at a seminar at a trade show that was in town where he talked about the ‘evolution of textiles’ – a subject I could listen to for days and weeks as its totally my thing!

One story, which sadly I don’t have any visuals to back me up (so just use your imagination please!) was about a toile from the 1770′s. (for those not in the know, a toile is a fabric depicting a scene or story – usually in one colour….this is what wikipedia say!) It featured a young woman and a man having a chat, then in toile fashion as the pictures go on-the story evolves and in this case the is man getting a little tooo frisky and forcefully with the young innocent lady, and then as it goes… the young women is left destitute on the street with a baby. Ah, history in pictures! (and ladies you be warned!!!)

Historically, toiles clearly weren’t too shy about showing the macabre sides of life, unlike now where they generally are all about the pretty and fluff!

So after a really interesting morning talk, I then heard him again at a suppliers ‘doo’ in the evening -oh, but I wasn’t stalking him or nothin!! Again some more stories and a good look at the fabrics and papers from his ranges. I had a wee chat with him, but possibly surprising to those who know me –  I get all shy and don’t know what to say- so I don’t get to dazzle him with MY fabulousness!?!! Instead a few of my ‘design friend gang’ downed the champers and giggled in the corner until heading to the pub near by to do more of said giggling and champers downing!!!

Anyway – onto the visuals……following are some of the designs of Timourous Beasties:

Oh, isn’t this a pretty little bar scene. I can totally see Nana Beryl or Auntie Val pouring an afternoons secret shandy in here.

Hang on… Just what is going on on that wall….lets look a little closer:

On closer inspection this toile shows modern London:  kids drinking in the park, someone getting mugged at gun point. Does Nana Beryl even know?!!!

Moving on….Oh, isn’t this lovely. a cute orchid print wallpaper in this cute restaurant.  Lets order shall we…I have decided this restaurant is of Asian influence, so I will have spring rolls for starters, then some other kinda yummy after that.

Um hang on, what is that blur in the background? I think I need to look into this wallpaper a little further too….

Hmm, good thing I did or we would have missed the manga porn image behind the flower! Spit out that spring roll Nana- we are leaving!

While that bite digests and the scandals set in our stomachs, lets just move on to more TB eye candy:

And then finally this classic flocked damask wallpaper, where all I will say is the devil is in the detail!

(psst – not the paper I would choose for a kids room!!)

Well I think that’s about enough for now! So over & out from me for now! For more of the gorgeousness of Timorous Beasties click yourself onto here and enjoy!

I have written before about my love for glass genie bottles in an obsession confession (see here)

Its a continued and long loving obsession of mine, so imagine my delight when I came across some more genie bottle eye candy for me to drool over!

It was like the clouds parted I tell you!!

Jonathon Adler via House of Turquoise

Nathan Egan

Christopher Maya

John Ellis Photography

Via Desire to Inspire

Via Simply Grove

Via Bahrainidiva

Brown Design

Brown Design

By the way, in my collection of many, I’m still yet to come across a genie, so no wishes have been granted.

I am quite sulky about this!

I have been a busy girl of late with quite a few installations happening almost all at once! So in the spirit of sharing, and to appease my guilt at not attending to Designalogue Blog much of late, here are some ‘crappy snaps’ I have taken of an apartment I have been working on.  

The scatter cushions sent some serious love chills my way and I have to admit when I picked them up from my brilliant cushion maker, I had to pull myself together, be strong to and stop them from finding a home on my sofa! Such is the trouble with this line of work…

The photos don’t do the fabric justice, The fabric and colours are just stunning and I love love! 

Once I have proper photos that do the art the justice they deserve, I will tell you more about the paintings. But in short they are Google Earth images of the coast line of our home town and surround and are a mix of resin and silver leaf and even have a diamond or two!! 

That is all!

The Cockatoo, for those who aren’t in the know; are an native bird to my lovely home land of Australia. But as this is a designed based blog, and not a bird fact forum, I will spare you from too many a detail of the pretties! Except, they are in some regional areas considered a pest, and in more city dwelling areas considered a pet! In captivity, they are known to live for up to 50 years.

My point is this, Cockatoo’s are not something that one should commit to lightly. And with this in mind, I am also thinking of the gorgeous limited edition Cockatoo rugs by Catherine Martin for Designer Rugs!

I’m sure many of you have seen the pattern of which I speak – its appearance on the front cover of the latest Issue of Australian Vogue living, has caused quite a stir in the world of late (and rightly so I say!)

Available for adoption to good homes: Limited edition rugs – three colourways, and only five of each.

Personally I think the adoption process for these lovelies is too lax. The ‘candidate’ should be subjected to at the very least a home inspection!

But alas, we know that’s not going to be the ca$e.

All I am saying is that I hope the people who adopt these lovelies, fully appreciate them and treat them with the respect that they deserve. To think of a coffee table upon, or even a baby spew incident…well that just breaks my heart!

Please. Give them a good home. I know I would make Cockatoo ‘yellow’ a very happy and long life together.

Personally, I cant think of a single thing better than a crystal horse chandelier in a castle. 

Ha! seems Stella McCartney cant either. 

But she has access to more castles than I do. And lets face it, the castles she can get her hands on in the English countryside are quite different (read um, real) than I can here in Australia! Infact the only one I can even think of here is Kryal Castle. (I suggest you click on the link so you can understand more of why this is always referred to with a bit of a smirk and extra glint in the eye!)

Anyway back to Stella’s and my shazam jinx moment (um, ok. Its all hers… I’m just on the bandwagon for effect! stay with me people…) Way back in the olden days of 2004, Stella created this horse chandy sculpture titled ‘Lucky Spot’ using lots of Swarovski crystals for a temporary exhibit for a fashiony thingy DOO at Belsay Hall! The outcry was immense (um, I’m going for effect!) so its back and galloping the great hall once again.

Clever things make me happy!  

pics via Bloomacious & The Cool Hunter

I was at a rather odd dinner party recently *, the dinner conversation went through some very awkward pauses and it got me thinking, should it be mandatory to invest in good conversation ‘art’ pieces to assist in dinner table chatter?!!

I went on the hunt for examples sure to break the pause:

Now this painting would surely conjure up a lot of different topics, though could be a bit of a political hot potato and maybe that’s not always the best topic at the dinner table!  (and i know that from experience!!) 

Katie Leede

Not wanting that hot potato in your lap, this could be the kind of thing to spruce up your dining wall. Its got me thinking all lovey and springy and stuff that makes the heart flutter.  This is very generous also, as if your guest isn’t into the fluffy lovey stuff, there is the option of dot counting, and wouldn’t that be a fun dinner date!

Philip Galanes

Maybe you are wanting a little more modern and groovy vibe at the dinner table?

This neon grid ticks my boxes and makes me wanna talk all things Blade Runner

(I could go on about that topic for a while!) 

Office for Word & image

Maybe you are more of a nature lover and want that kind of talk at your table?

(This butterfly freaks me out a little though! feels like its ready to attack!)

Living Etc

Of course Pop art is guaranteed to loosen some tongues. EVERY one has an opinion to share about that topic! -don’t they?  

Living Etc

Or maybe the conversation you want at your table is more of a monotone nature? Safe chat can only be good in some circles!

Living etc

Now this art option is either rude, or genius!! Simply plaster the days newspaper on the wall and:

A. you can simply read over your guests shoulder in those quiet moments, or

B. Select topics to discuss!! 

Living Etc

Hmm,  this could work for those international guests looking to improve their language skills?!! 

A is for apple…

Or those wanting a bit more brain teasing – find a word! (love that game – its got me through some tough times!!!) 

Living Etc

And now as this is MY own dinner table, I wonder how this reflects on me! These creepy people watching over our daily consumption of goodness! I can tell you it does get the conversation flowing, especially when people hear what the title of the piece is called “Gods contemplating the fate of the universe” and also when we point out the rips in the canvas due to the fella not fixing to the wall when he was given lots of ‘encouragement’ to do so.  (no, don’t read nagging into this!) 

Sometimes when its just me and the fella I read him the numbers. It annoys him greatly which I don’t quite understand -as he is a nerd and I thought nerds liked that kind of thing!!!

CMD

On the topic of dinner conversation art, I had to include an image (be it a bad one!) of a recent painting I had commissioned for a project I have been working on.  Being just a small and dainty painting at 3 metres, the piece is designed around dinner conversation!

While it may look just like a big wave to you, to those in the know its the story of Medusa and how the winged horse came to be -hmm, you totally see it now don’t you!!

CMD

And well, if a painting on the wall isn’t going to get them talking, surely a giant tree trunk in the corner would get even the most difficult of guests chatting. Surely? If not, well you tried your best and odds are they wont be making a return visit!!!

Suzy Hoodless

* – if you think this relates to you and the fabulous dinner we had – it totally doesn’t. You were great, fantastic, lovely AND hilarious! Its not you at all, it was totally someone else. for real!

After some serious moments I need me some more pretty to look at.

I spied this fabulousness over at Simply Grove and new it was an image I would be happy to look at over and over. Ahh. 

Last year I did just a day course of basket weaving with my lovely mumma, we both came away with a small curl-less than a palm size of wool and dried grass…nothing on these gorgeousies! Makes me appreciate the workmanship in each one that much more.

Looking at it again – its either a HUGE wall, or a tiny chaise!?!

All I’ve got in me today is a bit of randomania art eye candy. 

Images from Office for Word and Image