Why I blog and decor8 Blogging Your Way

When I started my blog a couple of years ago I was scared of writing, hopeless with spelling and feeling a little bit shy but with limited online knowledge and the support of a dear friend Michelle from Paper Tree Designs, I wrote my first post. The years have flown by and until recently I had not stopped to ask myself why I blog until I started Holly Becker'sgging Your Way e-course.

It's been an amazing course and I will be honest and say that it's been hard for me to find the time around my work and other commitments but I am so glad I kept going. I may have missed the odd homework assignment, sorry Holly, but wow what an interesting course. 

It has made me step outside of my comfort zone, given me loads of advice and made me rethink and change a few key things in my life and my blog. It has also taught me the importance to be yourself, live your dreams and passions and blog from the heart.

So, back to the big question.....why do I blog?

I am a greeny at heart but also an Interior Designer which can be seen as polar opposites. I love great design but also feel it is important to raise awareness that there are sustainable alternatives to the mass produced furniture, kitchens and bathrooms we see all too often in our high street stores.

In the past my blog has concentrated on my client's projects and great design ideas that I have wanted to share. However, I also have my own home and it's ever increasing "to do list" of ideas to reduce its running costs whilst still having a beautiful home and until now I have never shared these more personal aspirations on my blog. 

Due to the cost of buying a new home (one that we would inevitably redesign) and the challenge of finding a home that has strong passive design principles (a rare breed of house) we are thinking about raising and extending our humble postwar home in Brisbane. My husband is a project manager in the building industry and given a design or some drawings, he can get things built very quickly. One would think we would be the perfect couple to renovate, decorate and own the perfect  home but like most people it all comes down to money and time. Maybe now is the time to step up and do it ourselves?

So thanks to Holly's course I am adding a new dimension to my blog and looking forward to sharing with you our future home, all our sustainable initiatives and our design decisions that we make along the way. 

Hopefully in the few years our journey will inspire others to avoid the mass produced and resource intensive and seek alternative solutions and products for a more sustainable but still beautiful home.

So, a huge thanks to Holly and her team at BWY for change is on the way in my life, my home and on my blog...

Have a great week.

Lisa

Recycled Timber Wallpaper

I was looking for some recycled timber wall images when I stumbled across these by designer Piet Hein Eek.

all images via designer Piet Hein Eek

No kidding, these are actually wallpapers!  Having worked with recycled timber quite a bit it I understand how hard it is to achieve this look and still have a smooth practical wall. This is a fantastic option to achieve this look in a wallpaper!

If you are still after the recycled look but with a smooth practical surface another option is to strip the timber and apply a new surface.

I used recycled timber for a feature wall in a store named Three Little Girls &  A Boy Named Ted (link to the story and photos of the project). I have also added a couple of before and afters below.

The recycled timber was sourced from an old Queenslander style house in Brisbane. In its original form it had a lovely look to it but in this case it was a bit too damaged and gnarled to have delicate clothes hung next to the surface. So instead of keeping the raw look, the timber was then striped clean, painted with a natural paint and finished with a wax top coat. 

The early stages: From recycled timber complete with nails and weathered surface to new feature finish after being painted and waxed.

The final look kept the quality and age of the recycled timber but with a beautiful texture and smooth feel to it.

If this look's like too much work you can purchase the wallpapers in Australia from Safari Living.

Have fun.

Open Kitchen Shelves Ideas

I am currently working on a new kitchen design and thought I would share with you a few images I am using for inspiration. 

For this project I am thinking of using open shelving for a natural modern style but with a country influence...

image from here

Floor to ceiling storage is great if you have all those heirlooms pieces that are still packed in storage boxes!

image from photographer Daniel Farmer

image from Style Files

A thick solid timber edge helps to make a feature of the shelving and give a natural look to the kitchen. 

Heidi Lender's San Francisco kitchen, image via Design to Inspire

For that extra country look why not decant some of your most popular ingredients into glass jars, label and display on open shelves for a splash of colour and of course an easy reach...

Have fun.

Recycled Timber Stools :: Natural & Painted

I had the pleasure of walking around Brisbane in Design yesterday. There were loads of great new furniture ideas, artwork, rugs, kitchen and bathroom appliances to view and the odd glass of bubbly!

One of my favourite finds were these recycled timber stools by Jardan made from recycled telegraph or electricity poles! 

From pole to stool in the Jardan factory - images courtesy of the design files

They come in either a natural or painted finish and can be used for both indoor and outdoor situations. 

What a great sturdy stool!

Have fun.

Vegetable Peeler Japanese Style

I mentioned last week on my blog that I was on a hike between the towns of Magome and Tsumago in the Kiso Valley. Traditionally these steep hillside villages did not have a mains water supply like most large towns and cities and so they relied on water from rivers channelled along the side of the main village footpath.

I noticed this in the water channel and waited to see what it was for...

Then along came this lovely lady with a big grin on her face watching me watching her! She smiled then turned around and removed the device from the water and opened up a flap on the side. Out popped loads of small peeled potatoes. What a great idea! Fantastic no more peeling, let the water do it for you!

These channels have been used to supply water for everything in the village from the filling of outside kitchen sinks, laundry & washing, water storage for fire fighting for the timber houses as well as some novel uses like the Japanese potato peeler!

Have fun.

Natural Wall Decoration Ideas :: Leaves

I have just got back from my travels but have so much more to tell you about the interesting things I found around Japan. 

Interiors in Japan appear to take on a more natural tone with the use of light coloured finishes, natural finishes like timber and tatami flooring and indoor / outdoor garden courtyard views.

One interesting concept was the use of nature for decoration which I discovered whilst on a hike between the towns of Magome and Tsumago in the Kiso Valley. I stumbled across this cute store that literally brought nature into the environment by using dried leaves stuck to the wall for decoration adding warmth to the room. 

To keep the leaves in place on the rough plaster surface it looked like they had been added to the wall whilst the paint was still wet but on closer inspection I found that they had also repaired a few with double sided sticky tape. Still, saves on buying wall paper or wall decals!

Have fun.

Quilted Vintage Patchwork Chairs :: Japan & UK

As I was browsing in a department store in Kyoto, Japan I stumbled across a range of recycled patchwork chairs. Unfortunately I have no idea as to their origins as I was unable to converse with the assistant but what a great DIY patchwork project this would make at home!

Stool seen in a department store in Kyoto, Japan

In the past I have sourced something similar from furniture designers in the UK. Some of the suppliers designs are below. 

Chairs from Kelly Swallow (top left), Squint (top right) & Viva Terra (bottom)

As I have not seen many similar items made in Australia, I would like to get in touch with any Designers or Hobbyists in Australia who want to sell their recycled patchwork chairs.

Any recommendations would be most appreciated.

Have fun.