30 January 2011

Kitchen Cute

Check out these cute and innovative kitchen goodies from The Design Dispensary www.designforuse.com.au
Fish and chips napkin rings
Chalk board clock
As well as its striking graphic appearance – in the form of a black vinyl (stick-on) face & stark white hands – the best thing is that you can personalise the clock face with a simple piece of chalk…. you can map out your whole day! Have fun…
Spoon and fork sticky notes
Doily news-The name says it all! These unsold newspapers are recycled into lovely, whimsical ‘doilies’. This version of the humble, old fashioned doily certainly looks great.
Novel napkin rings- These fun napkin holders also double as a place-card: the smart black surface is for writing on! And why stop at names…… perhaps the menu or a quote…?!?!
Go to the website to see the really fun things they sell.
j-b x

25 January 2011

How To Lime Wash Or Paint Timber Floors

To get a similar look to some of the beautiful timber floors below, visit your ship chandler (a specialist retailer for ship equipment) and ask about using marine paints, suitable primers and sealers.
Marine paint is a more expensive option, this will leave you with a very durable surface that will take a lot of wear and tear and will last for years.

Lime washing floorboards is another great option- our personal favourite!! What you want to achieve is a translucent coating that soften the appearance of the bear timber boards. Once again get some professional advice before you do anything. The floorboards will need to be cleaned or sanded, depending on their condition, primed and then given several coats of lime wash- the effect is beautiful!!!

See some examples of lime washed or painted timber floors below which we think look amazing!
The above photo was taken by me on a terrace project I worked on in Paddington, Sydney- these lime washed timber floors were selected from an old barn in America….and they look absolutely stunning!!!
www.beachstudios.co.uk
www.qualitepeinture.com 
www.apartmenttherapy.com
crisp white gloss painted floor boards- these look fantastic!
www.livingetc.com
www.atlantabartlett.com
www.atlantabartlett.com
www.housetohome.co.uk
www.theselby.com
www.theselby.com
Another great interiors with white painted floor boards!
Let us know what you think of the white painted or white washed floor boards.
j-b x

17 January 2011

mushroom bruschetta


The word ‘bruschetta’ comes from the Italian word ‘bruscare’, which means to char. As long as you’ve got some raw garlic to rub on the ’pane bruscato’ (toasted bread) and some good olive oil you can make bruschetta.
Clean and slice the mushrooms and place them into a hot pan that has olive oil and a nob of butter already in the pan. Cook them until golden, season with some salt, pepper and fresh parsley.
Put your slices of sourdough bread onto a hot griddle and toast on both sides.

When the bread is nice and charred, rub the cut side of the garlic all over it. Drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil then top with a small handful of your mushroom mixture then drizzle with a little more olive oil. And just like that you’ve got a lovely lunch or snack.




j-b x

16 January 2011

Say Cheese!

French cheese’s are one of my top 5 weakness’s….take a look at some of these photo’s that I took this weekend at some French food markets….you will understand why…


all photo’s taken by me!
j-b x

11 January 2011

Nestrest In The Trees



Dedon is a German company that creates really really amazing outdoor furniture. “Nestrest” is one of its outdoor loungers that looks like an over-sized bird’s nest. It’s the the perfect place for relaxation, meditation and open-air conversations. The hanging lounger is made of an especially strong yet simple polyethylene fibre, the most popular and versatile plastic in the world, guaranteeing a sturdy and solid weave with excellent properties against the sun, it is waterproof and it is extremely durable. This elegant lounger would make a tree space in your backyard much more stylish and very cool. It’s available in a choice of Natural or Chalk finish.
http://www.dedon.de/en/home.html


I would love one of these in my backyard!!
j-b x

3 January 2011

The Smell Of Summer


We are loving these fab umbrella’s this summer. There are no dusty cobwebs hidden in these beauty’s from BasilBangs. Great at the beach or in the backyard, they are definitely making all the right statements! Check out the amazing range of fabrics on offer.
www.basilbangs.com
xx J-B