Friday 31 January 2014

FEATURE FRIDAY: WHAT WE INTERIORS PEOPLE DO!

Yesterday I was completely inspired to share this with you and all because of Darren Palmer. Yes, you all know who he is, Block Judge, regular all round nice guy who always favours my tweets... which I really appreciate by the way and to top it off a great Australian Interior Designer. He shared with the world something that really inspired him, which in turn inspired me to write this post today.

Often it isn't very well understood what Interior Designers actually do with space and I often find myself saying that I am an Interior Architect ( All my girlfriends do it too ) because otherwise it just gets very confusing and we often get called Interior Decorators. NOT that there is anything wrong with that... I love styling and I love decorating, it a huge part of the job and it is a lot of fun, but I didn't really go to University for ... lets just say a long time, work my absolute arse off, get slammed and stress just for style. There is so much construction content that we have to know and understand, as well as knowing how to organise space and inform how people inhabit that space. It is all about documentation, space planning, electrical plans, lighting, specifications, materials, style and then decoration. There is a hell of a lot of work that goes into it and that is not even talking about decoding the brief, coming up with the concept ( or program ), considering use of space, details AND the surrounding environment, sun, shadows, east west, north south... yes! It is all VERY important!

Which is why I often find that sometimes us Interior Designers are a little under valued because lines between Stylist and Designer are very blurred. We are stylists yes but even if it is just style or decoration it is never just easy or something that happens over night ( unless you are on The Block, but it still isn't easy ) which is why I wanted to share this today. Us Designers, Stylers and Decorators all have a very strong mutual respect for each other in our community and it is very important to realise that what we do is VERY hard work. We are not just finger pointers by any means... far out I HATE that term... and yes I have been called it and no I do not appreciate it. So let me just get the record straight... everyone should watch this very inspiring video that really captures what Interior Designers do as a job, especially the ones that have been doing it for a very long time and are good at it. When I watched this video I remembered why I decided to become an Interior Designer... and yes there are days where I think... why? Why did I pick this?!

Apart from getting insight, 432 Park Avenue is an amazing development in New York that will just blow your mind!

Head on over to Designbloom and watch it now by clicking here. All images below are sourced directly from Design Bloom which were put together for 432 Park Avenue by Deborah Berke and her team.




Thursday 30 January 2014

COLOUR PALETTE: BED HEADS

Having a beautiful frame for the top of the bed allows for you to really create a statement in a bedroom. I am a big believer in having a bed head for your bed, which means that I do not particularly  like the idea of buying beds that come with pre made headboards or all in ones. Don't get me wrong though, sometimes you can come across some really great all in ones but generally I think that if you have the chance to create your own bed head of get one made, why wouldn't you? It really allows you to play with pattern in a room and create your own individual look that frames the centre piece of a bed room, where you sleep.

I have been furniture sourcing lately and designing some features for bedrooms, so when I came across this DIY bed head post... I just had to share it with you. Where does the colour palette come into play? Well, with the emerald and earthy tones of course. I thought why not combine the two together, as I normally would not gravitate towards this colour for a bed head, but it works so well in creating a very fresh, calming but vibrant look.

I found all the information regarding this awesome DIY bed head via this great blog Fabric, Paper, Glue and Adore Home Blog. You can find both by clicking directly on their names <----------------

All the DIY information can be found here and the colour inspiration from my Pinterest, so make sure to click and follow me.





Are you renovating and have a DIY project you are proud of and want to share?! Make sure you do by commenting below. If you require any assistance with furniture and colour choices, make sure to contact me through my website or email me at info@jdzdesigns.com.au .... we would love to hear from you! 








Wednesday 29 January 2014

WARRIOR WEDNESDAYS: GET YOUR GOOP ON

I have written about Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop before, but I had a feeling last week that is was perfect for today's explorations. It is a serious go to guide for everything, from design to style to food to wellness... and wellness is something that we are very passionate about here at JDZ. It is one of my main goals to combine the two together and always inhabit spaces that really make you feel good. As a designer we have total control on how a space makes you feel and we can control and inform on how to inhabit and experience that space too. It's all very complex beneath the surface... believe me, but that is what makes our job as designers a lot of fun!


Goop is a guide/ website that presents you with the positives in life, so naturally you can see exactly why I really like it and think you all should get into it too. Goop has a weekly journal that is released to it's subscribers that embodies a lot more information and resources that is shown on the website.
Recently on the "see" part of the blog they had featured the steps in creating a beautiful and inspiring guest apartment. I really liked how they simply explained the process and showed the development of the initial stages of developing the concept to final stage of bringing it to life. Making a space function as well as feel good is a challenge and what I really like about this design process is that Goop demonstrates how some attention to detail and planning can really make some serious positive changes to an environment. These changes will not only change the space but how the space is perceived, used and inhabited. There is no doubt, the guest who stays in the newly styled apartment won't love it, feel comfortable and have a positive experience.

Here are some of the images from the Goop site. You can see all the design details by clicking right HERE. 

Before Photos

The Plan

The Concept and draft development

The mood board

The Final result- before the final result is produced you of course have to source all of the furniture.
You can see all of the design details by going to the direct link.

All images sourced directly from the Goop Journal blog and
can be found by clicking HERE.

Tuesday 28 January 2014

NEW YORK NEW YORK

The Block is back and of course I am beyond excited! This seasons theme is Fans vs Favs which means two fans will go head to head with two all stars. It kicked off last night with a massive episode and I am already hooked, wishing I could just get in there and do my thing too. I really liked the challenge and cannot wait to see what the other two couples have install for us tonight. The challenge is not at all easy and it is a bit of a downer to know that you have worked so hard to get into the show and then all of a sudden you are not a part of it anymore... but I guess that is how the cookie crumbles. Both teams really set the bar high, which is only a preview of what we should expect from our new Blockheads.

Weekly, on Monday's while The Block is airing, I am going to be doing a review and segment on what I think about the reveals and my favourite products from the show. So make sure to stay tuned as the series continues... because if you are a Blockaholic like me, you will want to know everything. Which brings me to today's post about the brief for the challenge... New York New York!

A loft style of oversized and mix matched furniture that allows the space to really look uber cool and comfortable. It is about mixing bold colours, prints, timbers, metals and large vs small items. I wanted to share today's post with some real inspiration behind a loft look, which usually embraces an industrial contemporary feel. Here are a collection of images from my Pinterest that I feel really embrace the brief of loft.

I love an exposed beam, rustic look mixed with contemporary white and streamline furniture, it can be very elegant as well as really funky... which means the look isn't for everyone but it suits that New York city vibe and city living. We here in Australia don't really have that look embraced, yes there are certain developments that have utilised that concept and brought the idea to life, however, what makes the loft concept more authentic for New Yorkers is the age of the buildings and homes that have been split to create space for living. Warehouses turned into lofts already give off that instant industrial vibe because of its existing nature, hence creating that notion and link to an industrial look that is associated with the idea of a New York loft. It suits the lifestyle and suits city, which makes it such a desirable and cool look... so without further delay ... here are some inspiring examples to allow you to think about how to embrace the look of a loft.





Friday 24 January 2014

FEATURE FRIDAY: THE SOCIAL SCENE

One of the most important parts about being in Interiors is being in the know with trends and all the very important events. The events season is being kicked off this year by Decoration + Design at the beginning of February this year with many more to continue. They are strictly trade only events but they are so much fun and a great way to surround yourself in all the information and products your brain can absorb.

Here are the three top events happening in February this year! Am I going to be seeing you at any of them?


Decoration + Design 
The Reed Gift Fair
Home and Giving 


Ps: The blog is getting another make over!!! So exciting... and it is coming up in the bloggers world, so stay tuned for some pretty awesome developments.

Pps: What are you all up to this Australia Day long weekend!?





Wednesday 22 January 2014

WARRIOR WEDNESDAYS

I am launching a new regular post on my blog as I am not only very passionate about design and my job but I am becoming increasingly passionate about developing a healthy and happy lifestyle inside and outside of our bodies. So welcome to Warrior Wednesdays, where we explore avenues on how to develop our wellness.

I am a huge believer in doing things that we love and not spending our precious time doing and working on things that do not honour our true selves. We all have a great purpose and it is our job to bring it to the world so loving yourself, your body, your home and your life is paramount. Yes, I am getting all philosophical and sappy on you... but I can assure you it is such a great way to live your life and I want to share my discoveries and inspirations with you all, especially interior based.

Today I want to share with you a true warrior and wellness advocate; Melissa Ambrosini. I absolutely love her blog and her website, it is such a great source of inspiration. Today she was talking on the Wellness Guys show, which is also a great show that really gives us great advice on how to keep our lives rich and happy.

I really encourage you to listen to this half an hour pod cast if you are having one of those flat days, trying to figure out what you want wanting to do and achieve, because achieving is believing... yes, I am being very cheesy... I know... but it is true!


You can find the pod cast by clicking right here: LISTEN TO ME





Tuesday 21 January 2014

COLOUR PALETTE: STYLING WITH ORCHIDS

It has been a bit of hit and miss with Pantone's colour of the year Radiant Orchid, some really love the colour and some not so much. What is your take on the soft purple? These type of tones are always associated with being quite girly and not really presenting a masculine feel, which makes the colour a little difficult to work with, if you have a client that isn't very forth coming to exploring more than just your average colour palette. Tones and contrasting colours of purple can actually be a very great combination to create a fun, elegant and stylish interior. Plum was a colour utilised a couple of years back in a lot of interiors and styling, where you could find many different homewares pieces in a shade of purple. I personally really like the colour and feels it leaves a world of interpretation out there, so today I want to talk about different ways you can use Radiant Orchid to style with.

Would you introduce purple into your home? Are you a purple lover?

Ps: It is not entirely purple- it throws off a little bit of pink too. 

So, here are my tips on introducing the colour into your interior with lots of inspirational imagery to follow...

- Artwork is very important for a home so why not express it in some different tones? 

- Fresh flowers and orchids themselves, they come in a beautiful purple tone and make for a great fresh and elegant setting in a clear vase or grey one 

- The three ingredients to a happy living room, rugs, throws, cushions & ottomans - but don't make all of them the same colour of course! 

- Accessories, just like a great outfit combination, an interior needs to be dressed up too. That means, books, vases, stationary, cards, candles... 

- Prints and lush materials 

- Lighting, lighting, lighting 











Great colour palette combo inspiration right here, team it with a beautiful neutral/grey and you have yourself a winning combination.





All images sourced from Pinterest.
You can follow me HERE

JDZ x






WEBSITE UPDATE

We have been working very hard at JDZ HQ to get the website updated and up and running with lots of new images of the projects we have worked on, which means lots and lots of new pictures.

Make sure to head on over by clicking right HERE.



Monday 20 January 2014

WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON THIS 2013 TREND

Even though we generally shouldn't be looking in the past and always living in the present moment, I was thinking today about a particular trend in 2013 that showed up. I particularly had mixed emotions about it because it caught the tail end of the year and wasn't really sure if it was going to take off. So, we all know that fashion and design pretty much are all in one, so whatever fashion dictates you know eventually we will be seeing it pop up in homewares and the like, so when ombre became a huge fashion statement in hair and clothing last year... heck even I have ombre hair, which I love by the way, it showed up in interiors. It started making it's way through in fabric patterns, paper stationary and general homewares, so even though I loved it in fashion, I was left a little confused as to wether it really worked for interiors. In my opinion in certain settings it looks absolutely amazing and can really set the mood for a very cool boho or eclectic style interior, but is it something that really lasts? This is one trend in 2013 that left me feeling a little empty and despite its beauty, not sure if it was really going to last. What do you think?! In my opinion gradients are something that does look great, but not really practical for all styles and works best in black & white! Tomorrow I will talking about my take on a trend in 2014 that I think is a good one.





All images sourced from Pinterest. You can follow me
Here

JDZ x

Friday 17 January 2014

FEATURE FRIDAY: COUCHELO

Feature Friday is our featured post of the week on Behind The Designer. It is where we have the opportunity to share many things in and out of the design realm that we are very passionate about. That includes exploration of business' that are doing great things as well as industry interviews. 


As an interior designer myself, it is one of the main topics when in a general conversation, of where and how we find the right pieces of furniture. How do you do it? Where do I go? And I am on a budget so how the hell do I find that perfect piece without breaking the bank? Well, do we have the new resource for you! 

It is very much brand new and really hasn't officially been launched onto the app market just yet ( Feb 2014 - Stay tuned ) but it will be worth the wait... it is called Couchelo. An online marketplace that allows you to not only view and buy but also sell pre loved furniture and homewares. It is all based on location too, so the app knows where you are and will direct you to the nearest suppliers, even people who are registered sellers on the app so that you can find that perfect piece you are after AND not break your bank account at the same time. Brilliant idea right? My prediction is, that it is going to hit the online world and go viral as there really isn't any kind of resource like this for us furniture and homewares lovers.

 Not only am I a huge supporter of small business but I am a huge supporter of great ideas and making life a lot easier for those who are wanting to find that perfect piece of furniture. I know that If I ever get a client that is looking for something vintage, reused or with a story behind it, I will be definitely using this resource to assist myself in locating it. I have a lot of product knowledge myself and am always on top of everything, latest trends, latest furniture lines etc ( something that is imperative for all designers to be into) so naturally you can understand my extreme excitement to be let into the loop about Couchelo

The app which will be available for majority of mainstream mobile devices is currently undergoing trial run and will be available on the market as soon as possible. Make sure to keep up to date with all things Couchelo by clicking here and following me, because I am sure to be one of the first to download and use this awesome new app. 

You can also like Couchelo on Facebook by clicking here and Twitter... so make sure you do. 



Image sourced from Couchelo website

Enjoy the weekend everyone! 
JDZ x

Thursday 16 January 2014

FIRST WEEK BACK - NOTHING RUNS SMOOTHLY.... EVER

You know when you are having a horrible week or just completely struggling with something and you end up in the conversation where you think... far out I must be the only one that ever has it tough or challenging. Can I just tell you, from experience, that anyone, no matter what the issue may be who says they never feel like they are having a bad day or ever have anything go wrong... are absolutely not telling the truth. At the end of the day we are ALL human and contrary to popular belief non of us are perfect... bottom line, we are all pretty much the same. Business and life is not always easy, it has to be one of the most challenging yet rewarding things I have ever decided to do. Also, it is a huge risk and a complete leap of faith... and journey, one that is, despite opinions that aren't the same as mine has been great. Now you must be wondering why I am ranting on and on about all of this? Well, it has a point I promise. It is my first week back at work and even though I was meant to be on holidays last week, I was working right through because there were some challenges that needed to be sorted and deserved my attention. Any project that you work on that is creative or a renovation is going to have hick ups, it is really part and parcel to this industry. You are running and working to a very tight deadline, you are relying on other outside sources, you are delegating work, managing everything and I can guarantee no matter what there will be something that goes wrong... there are going to things that you did not expect to run into.. and can I tell you, where there is a will there is ALWAYS a way! It is not the hick ups that are the challenging thing, it is working out how to approach them that sometimes is not easy, but I assure you when you are relying on external suppliers that do not meet your deadline ( I will NOT name and shame ) your job becomes really tough, especially when you are answering to a client. Its even worse when they client isn't very understanding, but majority of the time, I assure you if you approach it in the right way you will have an understanding client. A client and designer relationship are very much like a friendship, there has to be respect, personality matching, communication, trust and understanding. If you are missing any one of those things and it makes for a really tough experience. This is what is super stressful about this kind of job because being a designer means that you do like things to be perfect... well I know I do... so when things don't run smoothly it really feels like the end of the world. I am talking about this today because even though the farmhouse this week is now all back on track.... yipee... and is starting to look amazing, it has not come with its challenges and moments where you think to yourself... I wish I knew that 6 months ago, but it is all about learning and saying, it is what it is and trust me in the end... it all works out. Things that you do not expect to pop up always do, on every job I have worked on because designing is a process and it is putting a puzzle together... sometimes you do make an error in judgement but it does not mean you are not good at your job, it just means you have to re think the situation. There are no disasters though and nothing can't ever be fixed so the moral of the story is, whenever you think your renovation or design is going to run smoothly, try and always be open to curve balls, the come but having a bit of experience and a game plan when they hit always helps!!

Enjoy some behind the scenes... it is not all together at all, with some more more happening but... my feet make an appearance.







JDZ x

QUICK NOTE OF THANKS

Just to quick note to say: It is always so super lovely when someone shares about us on their creative blogs, it is really all about sharing the love which assist in getting your name out there. So, you can really see why we were excited when we were mentioned on a US Blog called The Cre8ive.

Here is the link so make sure to check it out!!


Wednesday 15 January 2014

HAND MADE LIGHTING

Hand making lighting is a whole new level of cool, especially for these great products. There are many different products out on the market that are handmade but what makes these different is the type of materials that they are handmade from. I saw these in my travels last week while doing a little inspired research and could not resist but to post about them on the blog to find out more.

They are designed by Ariel Zuckerman, who hand makes many different styles of lights and these ones are just an example of her brilliance. Together with designers Oded Sapir and Adva Bruner, they developed a crocheted wool fabric that acts as a three dimensional sack for the circular lights. This blend allows the fabric to be manipulated in such a way that allows for various applications and looks, which I think are brilliant and uber cool! The sack almost looks and acts like a stocking but really adds a lot of depth, colour and texture to a simple pendant application. Not only has she designed these but in my research discovered that she has her own Etsy store, which you can find by clicking here, selling most of her hand made lighting. For handmade and custom design they are not too badly priced either, which is really comforting. It just goes to show that you can find the most unique and different pieces in the strangest of places sometimes, which also shows that you should never discount where you can find your new latest feature for your home or space.

Ariel Zuckerman is a designer I will definitely be putting on my radar this year.

Photos are sourced from her Etsy Store as well as the great design blog Design Milk, you can find the article I referenced right here.







JDZ x



Tuesday 14 January 2014

LOOKING THE OTHER WAY MAY HELP

Today's inspiration is this beautiful image and not only does it apply to life and circumstance it applies to your interiors too. If you look at a space a little differently sometimes as well as try moving things around you may find that it can work in different ways.


Monday 13 January 2014

2014 VISION BOARD

It is still very early in the new year, only 13 days to be exact, which means we have a lot of time up to jump in and start thinking about all our visions and goals for 2014. I really love this time of year because you can get as creative as you want and then forget all about the intensions you set and then often find you have made even the smallest goals complete at the end. There is always a lot of talk about New Year resolutions which I mentioned at the start of this year but there is also lots of talk and imagery going on at the moment in regards to the vision you want to create for yourself in 2014. Some maybe very skeptical about it all and think this never works, but honestly, it is not wether it works or not, it is just about giving yourself and your ideas some purpose and motivation to achieve things in the next 365 days that you haven't done yet. Vision boards are floating around for life choices but I wanted to ask if you have created a vision board for your home or for your interiors? Do you have major renovations that you have planned this year and real interior goals in mind? I know this post spins off the last one, but I really think it is important to set even the smallest intensions for your space. Take me for example, my office is getting a complete make over, there is stuff everywhere and I have some real specific ideas for that space, so I have a little inspiration board happening of elements I would like to include. ( Will share this with you later in the year ) Images are often the place where it all starts and gives you all the ideas and vision for what you would like to achieve. I get asked so much how to just get started or what direction to go in... and I always say, do your research, find five images that you love and make them your vision for what you want to make out of your space or home improvement. It may not look identical in the end, but you don't really set yourself up to copy, it is just a bouncing board.

What is on your home 2014 vision board? Do you have a dream home or style you would like to achieve? Share it with me below!






Images sourced via my Pinterest- Find all the images HERE & don't forget to 
FOLLOW ME!! 


JDZ x

 
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