WONDERLUST // THE INTERIOR TRAVEL DIARY

To say I am excited about my upcoming trip is an understatement. So much to do and see, I do not even know where to start. I thought I would share with you all today, what is inspiring me about going on this trip and how I am going to use it as a breath of fresh air. It will be assisting me to inject some new exciting things into the business. We are really going to be going with the flow the whole time, I am not over planning or locking things in because we really want to immerse ourselves in the cultures that we are going to experience as well as see as many authentically beautiful things as possible. I am going to be looking for great little local furniture stores, suppliers and really immerse myself into the architecture of these ancient places. I cannot think of a better way to be inspired spatially, then staying in old ruins and exploring monuments that I have studied and admired. 

Here is the start of my Travel Diary series, where I will be eventually sharing my own travel interior guides to all the places we are visiting, but first, we are to start from the beginning. What are some of the essentials a Designer takes on holiday with them... well, I am a bit of a wellness freak so of course, I wont be leaving without my own little snacks and herbal tea bags BUT most importantly, a camera, a visual diary, pencil, good tunes and pre organised meetings with suppliers that I have made contact with over the years.  You can find all the images below to where I am heading on my Pinterest. 

In no particular order, here is where I am visiting: 

Trieste, Italy

Santorini, Greece 

So much inspiration to be recorded  

Milano, Italy 

Taking our time 

The Interior Designer

Verona, Italy 

Rhodes, Kos and Kalynmos, Greece 

Lake Como, Italy 

Venice, Italy 

London Town, UK 

GUEST POSTING FOR THE INTERIORS ADDICT

The lovely Jen gave me the opportunity to Guest Post on Interior's Addict whilst she is away on her honeymoon. Those who follow her and her fabulous blog will know that it was a very big and exciting weekend for her and I am sure just like I was, many of you were checking instagram every so often on Saturday to see any pictures. Whilst Jen is honeymooning around different parts of the world she has a trusty mix of guest posters and a blog sitter who is making sure it is still running and the content is great. There have been already some great guest posts that I am loving and I feel very privledged to be amougst the writers chosen.

Here is a little back story: One of the destinations Jen is off to is the UK, so I wanted to focus on some great talent from Europe and talk about the inspiration that one can get from travelling and exploring different countries. London in particular is very well known for it's markets where you can find many treasures for your home, it is also produces many fabulous designers including Claire Coles, who makes amazing wallpaper. I wanted to showcase her fabulous designs but also capture and inspire the art of being able to find treasures around the globe to fill your interiors.

You know you want to know a lot more, so make sure to head over to Interiors Addict today by clicking here and having a read of my guest post. 

Go now... and get readings! Let me know what you think.

FEATURE FRIDAY: DESIGN IS EVERYWHERE

I am using Feature Friday today to introduce a new topic that I am going to be discussing on the blog over the next couple of months. JDZ is going international... talking about international design trends, inspiration, cities and history. There is so much to be said for all the different countries around the world that play a part in influencing the design world. There is a huge emphasis on environmentally friendly design as well as many new technologies that assist in creating beautiful and functional products. Just like here in Sydney with Sydney Indesign, London have their own huge design festival which promotes them as one of the leading countries to influence design globally. As part of the festival there are a series of installations and activities everyone can take part in, to educate and inform the world on new materials and design principals. The London Design Festival ran this year from mid September to the 22nd and even though it has now finished there are still serval installations that are located around the city which really demonstrates the advance nature of their design thinking and creativity. I have been to London and it was an amazing place that I fell in love with, but just like anywhere, you either love it or really hate it. For me it was not only culturally diverse but had so much creativity and inspiration to be admired. The galleries had hundreds of artworks and history that I studied all through my high school days and University which I found fascinating to see in person. The thousand year old structures, urban planning, city layout juxtaposed with modern architecture is amazing. The city itself has so much history because it is so much older than Sydney. I did however, feel like I was some what at home when I was roaming the streets of London city... no surprise really.

Over the next couple of months JDZ will be posting about international design and cities that are influencing and inspiring me through my design practice, so keep a look out. Today take some time to have a look through the videos and experience the interesting installation and information the Endless Stair has to offer outside the Tate Modern now in London. 

All images and videos have been sourced from The London Design Festival website, which you can access by clicking here. 

Have a great weekend, 

JDZ x

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

HAPPY QUEENS BIRTHDAY

Seeming as we are ringing in the Queen's birthday long weekend today I thought I would dedicate my post to all things British.

I had the pleasure of exploring London about four years ago and it was amazing. I really enjoyed the five days I spent living in Camden and catching up with friends. It surprisingly felt like home and was a good feeling hearing the english accent, even if I was made fun of by locals because my pronunciation was all wrong. But yes, I still love London.

One of my favourite British Interior Designers is Abigail Ahern. She has a very unique sense of style and has a great book, website and blog that is filled with lots of inspiration. I particularly love her blog because it is personable, you just want to keep reading and reading. This unique style I mentioned is very distinctive and a little dark but she just has a real gift for mixing different textures and design elements that some of us just would not even consider or think about. That to me is what makes her so enjoyable to keep up to date with. She even has her own design school! Click here to check all things Abigail.

Visit Abigails amazing blog

John Lewis is a huge department store in London and Wales that stocks everything from homewares to gardening supplies. It is like Bunnings and Ikea all rolled into one. Last year I sourced some wallpaper that I discovered here that was ridiculously expensive and found it via John Lewis so much cheaper and had it shipped in for the project. One of my besties who is now living in London just moved into her new abode and sent me a whatsapp text this morning telling me I had to help her with her new room.

So here are some of my favourite pics from the John Lewis website, including one of my very own designs. I picked the pieces keeping her in mind and I especially picked pieces that are vibrant to help bring colour and brightness to her room. It may be a little daring for her but I think she should be a rebel.

Picked by JDZ with images sourced from the John Lewis website and Society6.
The colourful wallpaper is my favourite along with my cushion and little paddington bear.
Wallpaper does not always have to be for a wall. You can always frame it and turn it into a
piece of art. Same goes for funky materials. 

You can find all these pieces on the John Lewis website and my profile on Society 6. 

Happy long weekend!