So in love with Olioboard – vote now

Oh I am so in love with Olioboard. I sometimes find moodboards a bit clumsy. They remind me of primary school. They are fun, but I never think they look particularly professional. Then I read about Olioboard on Apartment Therapy and wowzers – how cool! Glue and scissors no more!

Check out the below real life comparison and vote on which you prefer!

This is a client brief I have for a house in Sydney. The client has an classic heritage house at the front and is building a new wing out the back which is totally modern, concrete floors, high ceilings, clean lines. She wants to fuse the new with the old. She likes the house to be neat but not sterile, and wants to inject personality through her furnishings.

Exhibit A – the original mood board I created the old paper and scissors way…

Exhibit B – my new Olioboard version of the same client brief.

I’d love to hear your comments on which one you like better – the original or the olioboard version??

I’m Back!

I’ve been away a while, but now I am back, with lots of design inspiration from around the globe and some local projects too. Let’s start with a couple of my favourite designers currently in the USA:

Ghislaine Viñas - http://www.gvinteriors.com/

Check out interiordesign.net and cococozy for more.

And of course Kathryn Ireland for increadible bohemian, moroccan, mexican inspired textiles, prints and textures.

Take a tour of her home: http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/ireland-bold-bright-0308

Tree Inspiration – living in the canopy

I have been dying to write a post about tree houses. One day, in my wildest dreams, I am going to build one of these for myself… but in the meantime, I can just just fuel my imagination….

Yellow Treehouse Restaurant – Auckland – a Fairytale restaurant 10m up a redwood tree.

 

Some great treehouse articles on the busyboo design blog include the Bubble Treehouse:

Enchanted structures by Japanese master treehouse builder Takashi Kobayashi – commissioned by Nestle for a commercial:

Or the African Treehouse lodge in South Africa with wonderful outdoor bathroom:

 

Free Spirit Spheres – built by Canadian Tom Chudleigh which are suspended from the trees. You can buy them and move them to your own location or stay the night in one for between $125 - $175pn and feel the gentle rocking in the wind for yourself:

Or the O2 Sustainable Treehouse inspired by a Japanese lantern and built from sustainable materials with no bolts or nuts so it doesn’t hurt the tree. They can be ordered as a self installing kit.

Check out one of the world leaders in treehouses – the Baumraun Cooperative have designed and built projects all over the world. Order your own made to order treehouse:

Some companies are set up to build treehouses for personal use, for studios or hideaways and will build them to your requirements like US firms Treehouse Workshop or the Living Treehouse, as well as retreats and tree homes:

Treehouses can form guestrooms or family rooms as an extended part of the main house like this one outside Salzberg as featured on Wallpaper.com.

 4Treeshouse created by Studiolukaszkos in Canada – suspended around 4 trees and designed to sway with them – built across 3 floors:

Swedish architects Tham & Vedegard Architects Tree Hotel

Do a search for treehouse and you will be surprised what amazing, inspirational homes and places you will find that captivates your imagination…. I know I was blown away.