FRIDAY BOOK STACK : The Decorating Book, New Paris Style, Defining Luxury, The World Of Interiors and Apartamento

I love those old school Mick Jagger by Andy Warhol prints and the sparkle of the glasses here

This room can translate easily into the modern day. I love the Persian poufs in the corner and also the slight touch of colour that's offered by the table book 

Greenery has the power to make ANY room more lively and fresh. The brightness of this room just serves to make the plants pop even more as well as providing a good environment for the plants to flourish too 

This area is ideal for relaxing and chilling out

I checked out my uni library which has the biggest selection of Art and Design books ever. I was pleased to have found The Decorating book and New Paris Style there

The second week of uni is officially over and I can genuinely say that learning about Marketing has changed the entire way I see the world. Like everybody, I interact and consume many media brands but have never paused to think about the depth of those brands and the way they work. Magazines are just as branded as Vegemite or Spam ham. After all, both generate profit and spend profit to make profit. Learning about marketing is also helping me run P.F.F and seeing it through a marketing lens. I know I'm delivering a product in a way and I know that that product has to be marketed too. 

I bought two new magazines this week. The World Of Interiors, which is now my number one favourite interiors magazine and Apartamento, which comes close to being number one. I really adore Apartamento because they manage to find such obscure homes that are decorated in such unique and unforgettable ways. I have no idea how they manage to find some of the places that they feature and that's one of the reasons why it's so successful, in my opinion. 

Sometimes I look at these old 70's  interiors and wonder if they were real. Did people actually use this space as a bona fide office? Or was this something more or less staged simply to be photographed and used as an example of good decor? 

Shelfie! 

This dining table set is amazing. Loving the acrylic, white vibes and the Panton-esque pendant light. It's Space age barbie home to a tee

The decorating book was like an expandable dossier of decorating and homewares. The number of different colours, textures, shapes, sizes and periods of different furniture and furnishings in each section was huge. The kitchen and living room section was particularly impressive with cupboards, beds and wall texture designs in the dozens. Their patterns and textiles section was incredible. Think there's only one weave of carpet? Think again... The spaces in which we inhabit are our arena to play god and when offered so much, there really is no excuse to not tailor it all to exact tastes.

I love the eclecticism here. There's an allegiance to classic furnishings such as flowers and a muted couch, but then there's the unabashed lashing of personality and character in the art, materials and choice of shapes. 5/5 in Eclecticism  

Parisian apartment layouts are up high on my list of interior favourites. The ornate, old world detailing, the fire places that come with every apartment ( or so it seems ), the floor boards and panelings on the wall... On top of that, I also feel like lots of Parisian decorators are naturally eclectic. In the array of movies, documentaries and photographs I've seen of French apartments, the decor has been a true mish mash of old and new, high and low. Another reason why I am so drawn to that city, their vibes really match my own.

These interiors in New Paris Style were my picks of the best. 

I absolutely love this steel table and chairs set. It gives such a casual and practical vibe to this kitchen. Nothing fancy or precious, up and go done and dusted. I love that. I recall my last air bnb in paris having the exact same set and it looked terrific

Why did I choose this? Yep, that's right for the silver globe lighting

Stunning example of easy and unfussy living. Height, White and Light - my three favourite elements 

The dimensions is what gives this room its flair and personality. My favourite? The silver stairs that are both ornamental yet functional ( OK almost functional, the steps look pretty small ) 

A shot from another persepctive of the apartment above

Flamboyant, proud and bold. This is a textural lovers dream! Every corner shows off something new 

What is it about plaid that is so American? 

I like lamps because they give designers a lot of leeway in being out there with their ideas. The wide, bulbous shape of this lamp is what gives it its edge 

The London Sketch Club as featured in The World Of Interiors Sept, 2017 

Well organised and to the point : The shop, studio and home of Frank Leder

I don't know about you, but the idea of using a table as a place to display things is new to me. I always associate tables as a place to sit down and write so using it as a display tool was different for me. I like how the owner is mixing Child like art with museum like objects in this room

Retro rooms in Apartamento 

I've always loved Apartamento for never shying away from colour, they know how to use it and to choose what things to take photos of. Plus their covers are stellar! 

The room of Queer Icon " Flawless Sabrina " 

Design legend Alessandro Mendini - A key contributor to the Memphis Design movement 

Antoni Miralda's Colour Supernova

Antoni Miralda's kitchen 

The discreet and elegant kitchen of Christopher Nying, co-founder of ' Our Legacy ' one of Europe's most successful menswear labels 

This weekend is a weekend of work. I've got notes and readings to do for my marketing course and also I have a shop visit planned for P.F.F. On top of that, I really need to catch up on my journalling because that's been severely neglected ever since my life became hectically busy. Thanks for visiting and please come back again next week for more. Thanks to those who've reached out and talked to me on Instagram too. Your support is so amazing.


Publications Featured :

The Decorating Book here
New Paris style here
Defining luxury here 
The World of Interiors here
Apartamento here 

P.F.F FEELS : Intentional style & Trying

Recently, I read an article on Man Repeller Called " Is trying finally back in style? " which used Celion Dion's new found lease on life as its inspiration and it made me put this question into the context of homes. There's a certain pressure on viewers when they see settings that are 'too' assembled. We all love stunning flat lays but who ACTUALLY has three stems of roses falling nonchalantly out of their bag?

If anybody knows the artist of these photographs, please ID them in the comments! Would love to find out more of their work

Style when enforced comes across as pushy. Do you recallthe feeling of going into somebody's home and feeling almost uncomfortable at how much chintz they owned? Or maybe they were really into porcelain figurines? Perhaps it wasn't about objects or patterns but just that everything felt a bit too contemplated upon. Why do we get a bit " Hey back off with your style " when things are assembled too far?

I love the intentional style in this photo series though, those green shades are killer 

Everyone is trying to make a point about their style but in an indirect way. There's an expectation out there where we have to make our point indirectly and those who know how to do this are, in my eyes, totally exceptional. It's the key mark of communication when you do a little and get a lot and this translates into anything visually inclined.

Trying can look good but that's just the thing - it needs to look good. 
If you try and it works, then you never really tried in the first place. But if you tried and it didn't look good, then you tried AND you failed. Two things nobody wants to admit.

Here's one thing I can say about trying that's good for the whole world. When you try and you succeed, you can pass knowledge on. And if you've failed and then succeeded, we can benefit from your experience. Being effortless and succeeding makes us look awesome but it doesn't contribute anything to the tapestry of visual learning that we all do on a daily basis. This is why we hate 'effortless' people. They get everything and give nothing but what's that really contributing? What's that really doing to help other people play the game in a better way?

The thing about trying is that at the end of the day, it shows bravery and courage in small ways and large. You've had a vision about yourself and you want to put it out there. That's so much more powerful than just rolling out of bed looking amazing. That shows self awareness, direction and being able to make oneself vulnerable. You're making a claim to life and that scores 100 points from me.

DESIGNER DIARY : THOMAS O'BRIEN / AERO STUDIOS

" I bought all of my interests together in the style of an Artists studio " 

I discovered Thomas O'Brien's portfolio of interiors last week haphazardly browsing Pinterest. The usual stages of discovery ensured. First, it was excitement. Then, investigation. Finally the slotting of the name into my mental ( and real ) design directory data base.

His first foray into New York City was to study Art and to be amongst the cultural riches of the city. The museums, Architecture and Galleries underpin not only the location of his studio and store but also the foundations of why he enjoys New York so much.

Both this city and the wonderful training I received exist in the way I think about design. The location of Aero was chosen for its connection to the downtown world of artists and galleries that I first witnessed during school source   

Thomas O'Brien's work ticks off the style values which are of importance to me. His rooms are warm, inviting and reflect an affinity to 'intentional assemblage'. The curated mantle displays gives you an idea of what I mean. There are ceramics, knick knacks and sculptures which have not only been thoughtfully placed but most likely selectively sourced too. As a shopper myself, I love good shelf game! 

Dark bathrooms simultaneously create privacy and intimacy by closing in on space 

A shot of his own apartment on 57th street. A true reflection of his inner style values. See the entire project here 

As much as minimalism is having its moment, I can't help but be naturally drawn to the maximalism aesthetic because there's more to see. O'Brien's rooms are full of objects but he deftly avoids the messy, charity shop look by foresight and possessing a natural ability to demonstrate visual balance. O'Brien gives himself leeway to decorate in his style by using muted tones and minimal colour. You can say he's using minimalist values to be a maximalist to the extreme in regards to this particular space.  

His colour palette consists of warm colours that do not fall into the conventional Red, Yellows and Oranges category. Rather, Brown's, Beiges and the spectrum in between have been generously rationed to provide a unifying atmosphere. Having whites as well as choosing rounded pots and vases adds to the warm comfort value. 

His fascination and love of Portraiture is reflected in his framed art works. A solid example of sentimentalism done well.

Sculptural pieces by Nakashima, Bertoia, Giacometti as well as ancient Chinese and Celtic objects inform his choice of ornaments 

The sheer amount of space and flatness that lofts offer allows creative minds to build dimension either through renovation or decoration

By choosing un-fussy and quiet furnishings, this Tribeca Loft's old world, pre-war (?) details shine through. The vast stretch of space here gives true credence to its loft interior and show that despite being a space that is mostly circuited by youthful furnishings, can be re-thought of as a modern home for a professional set. 

Classic forms with simple colours eschews the trendiness that comes with loft space living 

Felt compelled to share the oddity these handles bring in repetition and mass... who else feels it looks not necessarily bad but a bit odd here?

I believe that good lighting has an essential place in every good looking room and this West Village loft is holding testament to this. Young and Optimistic, this room features Scandinavian inspired furniture and a fun, paper lantern light which nods to playful un-conventionalism.

The white marble counter top and the miniature square tiles are my favourite features of this bathroom

Sometimes, the most elegant spaces are practical ones which clearly serve or go to make one purpose as easy and streamlined as possible. In this case, the furnishings and features of this bathroom are minimal, the room is spacious and most importantly, the bright lighting promotes a feeling of cleanliness.

Tiles provide texture and discreet patterning to any wall space 

See the entire project here 

Doesn't this dining area speak of Australian style living to you? I chose it for this reason. Despite O'Brien's body of work being mostly established in the states, you can see that choices in furnishings can hark to another place entirely.  I love dining areas as most dining tables 'float' in the middle of the room and this is my favourite way to display furniture. Items pushed against a wall give off a dated look and does not promote the flow of movement in a room. 

Beautiful colours here. Soft beiges, browns and earthy tones give us a style code of sticking to what's natural, timeless and classic 

Maybe it's because I love Italian interiors and furnishings but I love the use of marble in almost any room. Marble gives a luxe finishing and can be used in small or big ways. Think tables for big and ornaments for small. As a pattern lover I also appreciate the natural ebb and flow of the marbling pattern. 

See the entire project here

This exterior shot of the house shows its modernist foundation but with a slight country touch. It's actually a beach house that's spread over seven acres that's been re-done thanks to Aero Studios.

What would any interior designer be without their own book? I'm eager to have a flip through of O'brien's and will definitely be noting it down on my to-search for list. 

O'brien's style appeals to our desire to be in liveable, comforting and warm spaces. His stylish portfolio speaks ease of life with strong ties to a passion for Art and Fine Objects. Surrounding ourselves with soft furnishings, framed photographs and objects collected from travels reminds us that there's nowhere better than home to be our true selves.


All photography rights belong to that of the original publisher. Photography credit is always provided if known

LUST LIST : AMARA, MISSONI.COM, SAFARI LIVING, YOOX & MYTHERESA

Monday's shop visit to Safari Living felt like an homage to Missoni already but today's post looks at their range of products in more detail. I haven't been so swept up in a label in ages and I feel like there's just so many beautiful things to show from their label and so here are my picks for both the home and in fashion from Amara, Missoni, YOOX and Mytheresa in today's post.

From Top going Right : Temperance Throw, Flower Bath Mat, Timothy Pillowcase, Tucumcari Cushion, Tibault Duvet Cover, Tolomeo Hooded Bathrobe

I suppose there's nothing too deep about why I love Missoni. The colours and the patterns are gorgeous and that's why I am drawn to the label. But Missoni also have an air of a perpetual holiday to its image. Their clothes and homewares are what you'd expect to see in a holiday house, not necessarily an everyday home and I am always drawn to elements of escapism in any guise.

Missoni evokes images of the desert, lush rainforests, pool side idling and beachy breezes to me. They're not the images that usually underpin my aesthetic in clothing and homewares ( I hate the beach and I hate summer! ) but despite it all, I am still drawn to Missoni's aesthetic and taste palette. Surprisingly, the things you like don't always fall into your usual safety net of preferences which is good. I think it's necessary to get beyond your experiences, sometimes. Missoni know colour and they know pattern and I value those skills.

From left to right : Left, Center, Right

How stunning are their beach and bath towels? They divide their towels into men's and women's which I thought was funny but I think it's just based on sizing. Nobody's going to know! These patterns would look so bright and beautiful under the sun against the sand on a beach, don't you think? I'm pretty sure I haven't been to the beach in about four or five years but towels are definitely staples of a comfortable and well kept home, in my opinion.

From Left to Right : Left, Center, Right

My eternal quest to look more mature dies when I see these pieces here. Their vibrancy and eye catching colours reel me in like a moth to a flame. The great thing about patterns is that they actually suit everyone. The reason being, the pattern funnily enough recedes into the background and actually brings the wearer's features, hair colour and skin tone into the foreground. Having black hair myself makes colours pop even more. Having said that, I don't really wear much colour but prefer to use it in my paintings or just in and around my home. I would absolutely make an exception for Missoni though.

Left to Right : Left, Center, Right 

Those pants are so dreamy. Perfect for parties and if you're brave enough, just everyday wear. The head band is also stunning. Having bright colour but in small, concentrated spaces allows them to stand out even more and this headband would pair perfectly with red or blonde hair ( actually with all hair colours now I think about it ). The dress is amazing, needless to say. I'd wear it with a pair of  metallic shoes or a pair of knee high black leather boots.

Left to Right : Left, Right Both Fabric Swatches by Missoni. View the full range HERE By Safari Living

Left, Right

Couldn't really pass up showing you some of the stunning Missoni fabric swatches. I think the catalogue online shows you in detail the entire rack of fabrics which I took a photo of on Monday's post about Safari Living. So much variation and inventiveness in all the different fabrics. They've got the zig zag down pat but they're not relying on that as their only tour de force. It just goes to show that there are so many ideas and combinations out there just waiting to be discovered. 

Left, Right 

Left, Right 

Full Price and Material Details HERE

In writing this blog and going on so many outings to look at shops and homewares, I am starting to be able to clearly and succinctly give an elevator pitch of what my style is centered around. Missoni is now the latest addition along with the Saint Laurent movie by Bertrand Bonello and Roger Sterlings office in Season 4 of Mad Men ( maybe it's a thoughtful idea to make a collage of all these things in the near future? ) One of the most frustrating things for me, is when people ask what things I like and I just give a really watery and vague answer when the vision is so bold and clear in my mind. You are so confident in what you think you know until you have to bring it out into the open.

Full Price and Details HERE 

What did you think about my picks? Do you have any favourite Missoni pieces? What brands are you liking this month? Tell me in the comments below!

RECENT PURCHASES

THE SHIRT 
The shirt is from Miss Brown Vintage who have branches in several cities in Australia. The store I bought the shirt from was from Melbourne Central ( just under the big clock... Melbournians know what I mean! ) I am a massive shirts addict as I feel like they suit me and because I live in jeans they go well with my growing collection of denim. I also love prints and these stars are just too pretty to pass up. The shirt itself is new but is stocked under a vintage brand. I like how some vintage stores stock new items because the design and colouring look vintage but they're new which means longer wear and shelf life.

THE BANGLES 
I've been eyeing bangles ( and jewellery in general ) for a bit now and have been wondering if I can pull off wearing more jewellery in my day to day. I visited Sydney road the other day to do some thrifting at Savers and came across Scavengers which is where I picked up these bangles. One is an old See by Chloe one ( eyed them in Japan but at $300, I couldn't ) and another is simply a navy blue one. I'll definitely be wearing the See by Chloe one often because I actually own a lot of neutral toned clothes on top of my patterned clothes and the pinkey orange will look good with the neutral stuff.

THE SCARF 
You can get this scarf at Ishka's sale which is still going HERE. A lot of really great things are on sale both in their shops and online. I'm not sure how Paisley crept into my radar as I've never particularly cared for it. But that's how things go sometimes. You never care until one day you realise you do! I'm so excited to wear this with my trench coat and beige turtle necks once the weather turns chilly again. The material is also very soft and warm which will make it perfect for layering in winter. 

THE SCRUB 
The price point for Soap and Glory's stuff is excellent if you're looking for a treat for yourself but don't want to go over $25. In fact, most of their products fall below that price point which is awesome. I love their pink packaging and don't even mind their scents despite the fact I prefer mild to no scent most of the time with shampoos and shower gels. You can find it here at Mecca. 

Flat lay fabric from The Fabric Store 

Do any of you who shop often and enjoy it feel guilty? Sometimes I get a pinch of guilt when I buy things because I know I should be trying to be more vigilant with my money even if I can technically afford small things here and there. But in all honesty, most if not all of my purchases are always  inexpensive. I don't think you need to spend a lot in order to get a lot. I get so much joy from vintage and second hand items. I get the same thrill from getting second hand items as I do with new ones! An items value isn't always reflected in the tag!

Have you guys bought anything you loved recently? Tell me about it in the comments below!