VOGUE AND SJP

SJP? No other than Sarah Jessica Parker that is, best known for playing Carrie in Sex and The City, a very popular show around the world. I am a huge fan of SJP including SATC ... the fashion, the shoes, the stories... I could go on for hours.

A very exciting thing occurred last week where Vogue went inside SJP's New York apartment and shot her over 70 questions about herself, what she loves and her home. It is a very fascinating watch and really captures the actress in her normal life and environment, which is full of interesting things and character. Her bright and awesome personality just doesn't shine through on the camera but through her interiors as well... I couldn't love this more, it is 5 minutes of your time very well spent, well for us ladies and interior lovers anyway.

What I also really love about this, is that her home has a real sense of history and stories... it seems as though you could spent a lifetime in there, learn so much about the people who inhabit the space and the history behind all the pieces. There is an interesting debate this idea relates to, which I will share with you all later in the week.


Video sourced from trusty You Tube and image courtesy of Google.

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.

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.