Wednesday 31 July 2013

RESOURCES


I wanted to share with you today another homewares website that I discovered a couple of weeks ago. It is called Dunlin and what I like most about it, is that the products that they sell are very unique and in keeping with a contemporary, fresh and industrial vibe. A style which is also very 'right now,' as the products as well as being cool are functional. Also, they have some really great show stopping pendant lighting selections which I could not go past. Like I have mentioned many of times, putting a look together does not mean shopping all in the one place, it means having resources and many different place of reference. As you can imagine my list of references and resources is very long and I intend for it to double and triple constantly as I discover new and different collections and suppliers. That way whenever you are looking for that one thing that no one else has you will be able to find it somewhere in your list of resources. 

What I also really liked about Dunlin is that they showcased the manufacturing process of their exclusive Stanley pendants, which are individually made on demand. I find that it is very important to know where your products come from and how they are made especially if they are commissioned pieces or expensive unique pieces. Everything has a story behind it and every artist and designer has their own way of developing and conceptualising their ideas and then turning them into reality.  So I find it really adds to the value and greatness of a furniture, artwork, lighting etc when you know the story behind it, why it was made and how.

This brings me to the rest of today's post about Dunlin and the Stanley copper and brass pendants. Metals are also materials that are becoming more and more in trend at the moment and these are the perfect pendants that can that element of warmth or industrial feel to your kitchen or dining area. Also it is very cool to see how each one is individually made with an interesting insight into the manufacturing process of these great lights.


 









Make sure to stop by and have a look through this great contemporary homewares site Dunlin and maybe even add it to your resource list. 

All images and video sourced from Dunlin website.

Thanks for stopping by and make sure to comment below if there is anything new you would like me to feature on the blog. 

Have a great evening, 

JDZ x

Tuesday 30 July 2013

TREND ALERT

A couple of years ago the triangle, my personal favourite shape was very popular and became such a great pattern for textiles and other objects. I have to say though that I have this intutition and not just because I have been seeing it everywhere that the new trendy shape in town this year, the ever so lovely six sided, hexagon.

 It has just began emerging and you heard it here first! The hexagon shaped products, tiles, homewares, patterns have just started and I cannot wait to see what else will come from them. The honeycomb style pattern that is made up by a hexagon has always had a popular presence though in the design world in terms of environmentally friendly products, alternative materials for construction and support systems. This modular shape is assocciated and derived from how bee's construct their honey.

The six sided shape is making it's way into the design world in so many different ways now and it is pretty exciting to have another shape on board that allows for such an interesting pattern and colour collaboration other than the triangle or even the ever so popular circle. The modular pattern when together allows for a unique expression of colour arrangements that can add a real playful look to any particular space. The fact that it is a modular allows for it to be a simple continuous pattern that is suitable for practical objects and patterns such as tiles, which can be another great way to add interesting features or patterns to your floor. Make the shape three dimensional and the options are again endless, how about those awesome shelves below? How great would they look in an outdoor garden or study wall to show off some of your favourite accessories? It is also becoming very popular in terms of the shape for lighting and textile patterns.

What is great about trends like this or even the introduction of a new geometric pattern is that if you love it, it can be a great starting point for decorating a room or giving that eclectic edge. The fact that it then also can be presented in many other forms allows you to pull the look together through the whole space if need be, by referencing it in other homewares objects or tile patterns. 

Have you ever thought about your favourite shape and or how you could utilise them to create a look or feel in a home? Well have a look at some of these picks that I have discovered lately based on the hexagon emerging trend and hopefully it can inspired you. 


Swedish Hexagon environmentally friendly cement, wool, wood combination, creates
Traullit. A very functional product that can be used to assist in absorbing sound
to creating a great feature pattern. They can be painted any colour and were featured
on The Block Sky High by Matt & Kim. 



Di Lorenzo's new marble tile collection includes hexagon moasics that would
make for a great feature floor in a bathroom or kitchen splashback.

Tom Dixon's new accessories collections are hexagon inspired. 

Tom Dixon's new collection of wall lights and pendants which are Hexagon inspired.
They are very elegant and create a very antique yet modern look. 

Hexagon shaped shelves which can be found at Dot & Bo.
Great use of raw material to great an interesting feature shelf.

Di Lorenzo's new cement range also come in a hexagon shape in many different sizes.
How fabulous does this look? The pattern allows for a great combination of tones of
grey and size to create a very interesting effect. 

Hexagon Rugs from one of my favourite Melbourne stores, Fenton & Fenton.
Such a great way to introduce some playful colour into your living space.

Another variation of the same rug which can be found at Fenton & Fenton.
It just shows you the endless colour and pattern combinations it allows.

Part of the new Freedom Furniture outdoor range, hexagon block coloured
planters. What a great idea for your back yard or balcony space. Put this together
with the selves from Dot & Bo and you have a very interesting outdoor area. 


With the emerging trend I will be releasing next week a whole heap of new hexagon inspired designs for cushions and other fun objects through Society 6. It is in the works and I cannot wait to share with you all.

Products can be found through these websites, use photo captions for reference to where each product belongs.  All images sourced from the websites listed below.

Freedom, Dot & Bo, Fenton & FentonTraullit & DiLorenzo Tiles.

Happy Hexagon Tuesday,

JDZ x

Monday 29 July 2013

SKY HIGH REVIEWS

It was such an exciting and anxious night in many households yesterday as we watched the five teams sell their amazing sky high apartments! I knew it though, Alisa & Lysandra just had the edge and it was really amazing that they are the first female team to ever win The Block. Totally inspirational don't you think? They really do have an amazing design skills and work very hard at achieving their goals and vision, which I think is great. Their apartment was of a very high standard and they are definitely the Kitchen & Bathroom queens, as I have to say the 30/30 bathroom was my absolute favourite!! Such an amazing combination of colours and a perfect example of making brown and black tones work. 

It is such an amazing achievement for all the couples taking home $205, 000 each off their reserves last night. I cannot even begin to image the nerves and emotions you would feel after such hard work, it would really be bitter sweet. The girls plan to put their new found skills to use by setting up their own Interior Design business, which I think is great. It is also great for young woman out there who aspire to achieve big things in their lives, it is beyond true, that if you put your mind to it and keep working hard, it will happen. None of this, woman don't know anything or can't work on site... not true at all! 

Here is a look through their entire apartment and at all the beautiful finishes and colour combinations they used. With good finishes and smart space planning you can achieve great things. 





















Congratulations again to Alisa & Lysandra and I very much look forward to posting about them again in the future and staying up to date with what they are doing next.

All images apart from the 30/30 kitchen have been sourced from The Block Sky High website.
The 30/30 kitchen images were sourced from the ever so lovely Jen Bishop's blog The Interior Addict.

Stay turned for more Alisa  & Lysandra news!

Have a great Monday,

JDZ x

Thursday 25 July 2013

FEATURE FRIDAY: TOM DIXON

It was a Saturday night, probably almost a year ago now when Ev ( my partner in crime, ie: Boyfriend ) were on our way into the Darlinghurst to attend a very cool house warming party in a new complex just off William St Sydney. The loft style apartment was amazing and very cool but let's not get off track. Typical of our city, we could not find any parking anywhere and circled for ages, until we finally parked outside Dedece in Sydney which had this really engaging window/studio display that just caught my attention. After telling Evan his parking was all good he proceeded to say... "How cool is that!" He even took a photo just so I could remember it and look it up... which is very typical of us. Anyway, that was how I discovered the amazing designs that are by Tom Dixon and it seems like ever since then he is becoming seemingly more and more popular. 






Established in 2002 Tom is a british design and manufacturing company specalising in lighting and furniture. His designs are bespoke... yes I just used the big 'B' word that everyone throws around these days, but really he deserves it because his designs are truly innovative and I admire them immensely. It would be a dream come true to own or spec some of his design pieces. The brand in itself is inspired by the Britiain's unique heritage. It is a combination of mixed metals, unqiue materials, plastics and much more. Also established in 2002 was Tom Dixon's 'Design Research Studio' which is where he gets involved in installations, events, exhibitions and as described ' high concept interiors' that showcase the eccentricity that is Dixon and his love for raw materials.  His furniture and pieces also have a bit of playful edge and sense of humor, which is always fun. 

Here are my favourite pieces to fill your Friday and yes... this is me...being selective! 






















If you are wondering what the funny sculptural white, red and black pieces are, they are retro inspired salt and pepper shakers.

Credits: All images sourced from the lighting and furniture section on the Tom Dixon website.

You can find Tom Dixon products at Dedece in Sydney.

TGIF!

x




BTS: GREY IS THE NEW BEIGE PT 1


I know, I know, I am SO late posting today! Well, it has been one of those days and not the good kind. Sometimes when your day starts off not so great it kind of really sets the tone for the rest of it unfortunately. However, there was some good that came out of it!  

I am excited to talk about grey and how it seems to be the growing theme of many of the projects I am working on at the moment. I have mentioned this before but I want to talk about it more in depth over the next two posts as I begin to reveal the finished parts of a couple of my projects. I definitely feel that grey is the new beige! Grey is everywhere and I think it is here to stay as it is such a great neutral colour but at the complete different end of the spectrum. Some may argue because it is tone or shade of Black, it is not really a colour, but come on, tone or colour, it is awesome and has really allowed for a step up from the use of stark white in modern and contemporary style interiors. I would never say that beige is boring, i'd just say grey is winning more votes in my books. 

This behind the scenes look today is at a kitchen design I worked on recently. I assisted with finishes selection and planning with this client wanting something really simple but in trend and timeless at the same time. A bit of an interesting brief, so I worked with them on keeping things really simple and went for a semi large mosaic style tile, which gives you the grid effect but not so small as a traditional mosaic look. To finish bench tops are just a simple white-ish caesar stone with gloss white joinery. I finally styled the kitchen for a shoot today and will also be styling sections of the home in the coming weeks as it is going up for sale shortly. 













Stay tuned for some more behind the scenes pictures and a continuation on why I think grey is the new beige. 



Looking forward to Feature Friday tomorrow, 

JDZ x 





 
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