HOT CROSS BUN INSPIRED COUCH

 Inspiration comes in many forms and nothing like a traditional Hot Cross bun to inspire your furniture.  I doubt designer Elvis Pennetuzzo had Good Friday and warm toasty buns in mind when he came up with this funky arrangement of furniture but I like to think we can get inspiration from anything, anywhere and anytime. 

Have you seen any furniture inspired by the good 'ol hot cross bun?

4 WAYS TO RECYCLE YOUR DEAD BIKE

We love the environment, we love being healthy and we love riding our bike so here are 5 ways to recycle your bike and bike parts when you upgrade to that shiny new model.

LIGHTING

Bike chains are usually dirty horrible things that leave grease marks on your legs and a place to get your pant leg caught up in.  Usually you curse at them when they fall off when you cant get the damn thing back on but these chandeliers by Carolina Fontoura Alzaga are stunning.  Not only has she given these much sworn at items a new lease of life but she has created a traditional look by creating  sculptural talking pieces.  They maybe too heavy for delicate interiors but I think they have a place in many modern homes, even warehouses of today.

FURNITURE

Who would have thought bike rims and bike tubes could look so comfortable!  I think I'd like that chair to sit on the side of road races so when some-one breaks down I can ask them to 'throw a rim my way'. On second thoughts, I could end up wearing it after that remark.  Bike Furniture founder Andy Gregg has spent many years on the bike and in bike shops so it looks like he worked out where to unleash his frustration to make beautiful furniture that otherwise would have ended up on the scrap heap.

OUTDOOR FENCING

On a trip to Bright we came along this fence made from recycled parts.  There is a great bike track that cover Wangarratta, Beechworth and Bright so all I can imagine is there were a few of those who abandoned  the trip and decided the wineries or bakeries were a better option.

JEWELERY

I have seen some very ordinary necklaces 

made from a solid bike chain but these pieces 

actually have some style and class to them. 

Re-cycled Accessories are having a special at 

this moment and donating $6 to the Japan relief for 

every pair of earrings sold.

THESE SHOES WERE MADE FOR.......BATHING?

Now this has to be a Carrie Bradshaw must have!  Designer bath tub in the shape of a shoe?  It is not to everybody's taste but there must be a market out there for ladies who have a whole room (or wing of a house) dedicated to shoes.
These Audrey and Audreyette baths have been created by SIGIS who are known for their incredible mosaic designs and  strong colours.  The bath is created in a mold  and then the tile designs are put on by hand.  I cant even imagine how much it costs and as I am asking, I obviously cant afford it!

 What I do love is the waterfall spout that will tumble water down on to your luscious locks making you feel like an expensive, pampered goddess.

I still think they should have called them Carrie and Carriette!

Would you buy something like this if you could afford it?

ROOM WITH A VIEW - GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE

The views from rest of this house must be spectacular but this bathroom view makes it look like you are on a cruise liner.  A holiday feel everyday!
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THIS WEEKS ROOM WITH A VIEW

 This weeks view comes to you courtesy of St Lucia, The Carribbean

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A lazy Sunday is the time to dream so from today I will post a weekly view to dream over.

LIKE AN OWL WITH A SORE HEAD?

I think he needs coffee

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BACK IN BLACK- CROSSING ALL BORDERS

My love affair with all black & white has been fueled even more with this GAP commercial for skinny pants featuring the divine and quirky Audrey Hepburn.  It shows how easily black crosses over from retro to classy to dirty rock'n'roll with out a blink of the eye.

10 THINGS THAT MAKE A BEAUTIFUL HOME

We all love flicking through the glossy pages of magazines and peering into celebrity homes, but to often it is followed with a sigh of 'oh but I could never have that'.
You may not have their home, location or budget and you are constantly aspiring to the home of your dreams, but the essence of creating a home is universal. 
As an Interior Designer I get the opportunity of creating beautiful homes and work with incredible budgets but in the end we are all after the same thing.

1. Shelter - the basics are covered by a roof and walls. Due to poverty, disasters (as we have seen all to often recently with the natural disasters that have hit Far North Queensland, New Zealand and Japan just recently).  Our shelter is a basic necessity and a home provides this.  Size really doesn't matter. Everyone needs a place to call home.

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2. Happiness - if you can walk in your door and have a smile on your face at what you see, then you have a happy home.  Stop wishing and wanting what you don't have, and look at what you DO have and what you can do to make it look and feel better.

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3. Family & friends - A home is a place that is filled with laughter and it has an environment that puts everyone at ease.  A place people want to be.

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4. Food - cafes and restaurants are a wonderful treat but home cooked food feeds the soul.

5. Sanity - Having peace of mind that everything has a place means you aren't scattered all over place. Order creates time for you to do more things instead of wasting your time looking for that lost bill (found one this weekend!), the car keys and falling over all the toys in the house. 
Being organized DOES give you sanity (and sometimes you find cash : another true story!).

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6. Security - displacement is very real and if you have a place you feel you belong to then you know you are wanted and will feel secure about you and how people respond to you.

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7. Nature - our plants are what feed the earth and feed us as people.  There is something about the connection with the earth that brings peace & serenity.  Even if you only have a courtyard, growing herbs in a pot is enough to give you a healthy link with Mother Earth.

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8. Pets - Someone to care for and give back love can add years to your life.  Having a pet means responsibility, but that makes us better people in the long run. For a long time pets have been used for therapy in nursing homes, injured able and brain affected people.  The feeling of having a pet in your life creates a very different love that we have with humans.

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9. Freedom - A home is a place to express who you are and how you want to be without being judged by the world.  You may get judged and laughed at by your immediate family but hey, isn't that what family is for?

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10. Love - after all, love makes the world go round and if you have a home filled with love you really 'have it all'

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What do you think are the elements that make a home? You could agree with one of the above (or even disagree) or you may want to share one of the top things that makes your house I home.  I would love to hear from you.
Shaynna

A TURTLE, A MOPED & AN IGLOO IN SOUTH YARRA

The other day I was trying to get a park in this busy, narrow st in Sth Yarra.  I go there often to do voice overs and usually get a park right out the front of the studio.  But this day I did the circuit at least 3 times and then had to park a 15 minute walk away.
Melbourne is full of lanes and interesting streets and you get so used to them you forget to take notice.  I whizz past this cafe often so it was nice and refreshing to slow down  and take a closer look.  The street is dull, the cafe is opposite a train station and wedged between office and apartments but that hasnt stopped it putting out a little personality.

I love the cycle parking spaces

Turtles creeping up the polls - to reach the strange light maybe?

The place is so casual that no one had any idea why this inflatable  igloo was right next to it.

PS A week later I walked by (without my camera, damn!) and it was a pop up shoe store! Brilliant.  Hope it is there next week when I walk by!

SELLING HOUSES EXTREME-Port Douglas - SHIRTLESS & THANK-YOU!

Well, I started a little frenzy saying my hubby will be in the background tonight - 'shirtless'!!!!  With his permission - here he is.  Now this is a tale to all of you out there to wear sunscreen or you might end up with a runway on your back too.  The funny thing was he took his shirt off, wrapped it around his head to protect him from the sun (that stripe is where the T-Shirt dangled)  but didnt think what it would do to his back!!
If you want to see all the before and after pics of this ep go to the link at The LifeStyle Channel

On another note, I do have to thank a few people up in Port Douglas.  (If you want to know all the suppliers of the show, go to the link earlier) Of course the owners and their family were fantastic and worked so hard the whole time and their daughter organised for us to do a trip with HABADIVE snorkeling tour after the make-over. 
This was so greatly appreciated as every single person, except a certain some-one who was working on his tan (cough cough Andrew Winter ), worked to exhaustion on this makeover.  As most of us were from Sydney and Melbourne we couldn't believe the humidity  and how it depleted you.  We had planned some nice dinner evenings after the make-overs but after sometimes 12hr days, no-one could bare having to socalize.  

Then there is Phil and the team at Century21 in Port Douglas, they were the most accommodating group of people and I have been tweeting with them ever since (@portdouglas21 )
I also have to say a big big thanks to Tom from Oceanic Art Gallery who allowed me to borrow the most amazing and precious aboriginal art to create a truly amazing makeover for this episode.

Port Douglas Beach

The community in Port Douglas we totally behind us the whole time we were there and cannot speak highly of them all.
The tourist industry was already suffering up North from the GFC but with the news of floods and cyclones people think that they should stay away.  Well I can tell you it is just as beautiful now as always and was very lucky to miss most of the brunt of the the cyclone.
So if you are thinking of taking a holiday PLEASE go to Port Douglas and enjoy the beauty that it has!

I would love to hear of your experiences of Far North Queensland  and if you plan to go what you would like to see.  The list of bars, restaurants, day trips is huge so I wont bore yo with them - share here so everyone can see the great places to go.

Thank you everyone!!!

Here are a couple of behind the scene shots as well

Left - Me, Jeremy or 'The Human Ladder' (researcher) & the lovely Di (my assistant)

 

The owners sealed the doors 'before' they moved out the furniture. This is the producer, sound man and the camer man on the other side catching the couch.

The crew taking a welcome break from the heat!