Beautiful Bookcase Ideas

I have always loved the idea of having a 2 story bookcase in my home. I have wanted this desperately.
You know the one, with the ladder on wheels. I could always picture myself climbing up and reaching across a library of hard covers searching for the perfect book.
Now all I do is pick up my iPad and read through my Kobo reader. Not quite the same thing though. I still long for a massive library of collectible design and architecture books. But with the digital versions I can take hundreds with me on holidays. All the while drooling at their contents.

When studying design, one of the first bookcases I learnt about was created by Sottsass for Memphis.
Using what was for its time cutting edge materials (laminate) it was not quite everyone's cup of tea. I fell in love with it. Especially the little person on top.

Over the years there have been a few stand out bookcases that I love.
This one is gorgeous. I can picture myself sitting in there for hours.

The bookworm by Kartell is an interesting take on a how we store and display books. Not the most practical, but hey.

The Bourellec brothers Cloud is fantastic! Able to be created from several pieces to your desired size it really makes and impression. Practical though?? Not really.

My number one bookcase though has to be both practical, beautiful, made with love and something that is a talking piece.

Love Abby

Mix and match textures at home

What goes with what? I remeber living in a house in Paddington that was a throwback to a 70's swingers pad. Cedar timber panelling on the ceiling and one wall. Exposed 2 hundred year old bricks on another. Slate flooring in the kitchen and an orange laminate benchtop. I even had brass light fitting and a brown bathroom. Right down to the brown sink, toilet pan and cistern. Classy!

Well it was my cup of tea to say the least. I like some people like the textural qualities of super soft fabrics rather than exposed brick. Think silk or a man's woolen suit in superfine 150 wool.
Others prefer a fabric with a thicker, coarser knit. Something with a bit of bite, like sisal or hessian. I do too, but older styles of sisal can be hard and uncomfortable underfoot.

In home furnishings you are looking at several components of the room. The floor coverings, the window covering, upholstery and soft furnishings like throws, cushions and lamp shades. Not often used are textured wall coverings but these can be fantastic for warming up a cold minimalist room.

Starting from the ground up, my favourite is polished concrete or terrazzo. This harks back to my childhood and terrazzo being used throughout my grandmothers guest house. Beautifully smooth and easy to care for they are not the best choice for a family with young children. They can also make the room feel very cold. Which may be a good thing depending on where you live.

Other fav's are sisal and floorboards and silk rugs. I have never been a fan of carpet except in the bedroom's.

On the walls I love a beautiful hand made embossed or flocked wallpaper. Nothing says elegance quite like a luxurious wall covering.
This adds warmth to the room and also acts to reduce sound bouncing off flat surfaces. I also softens a hard floor.

In the living room I have dogs, so a leather lounge is out as they would ruin it in 5 minutes. I do love leather lounges though it must be something primal about curling up in a piece of flesh and skin.
Wool crepe makes for a brilliantly warm setting but think about corduroy. This throwback to our corduroy clothing of the 70's has a great textural quality.

When deciding what elements to use in your home, take into consideration the location of the property.
Is it by the beach? In a forest? Is it on a busy thoroughfare in the city, tightly packed in with energy buzzing all around?
How do you want to feel in your home? Is it a place for refuge from the world? Is it a family home? What activities will occur there?
As the home is representing us in our entirety, how do you want guests to feel when they are in your home?

What age are you? Is this where you will nest for the rest of your life? Or do you move every two years?

The answers to these questions will have a big impact on what fabrics and furnishings you decide to choose.
Could you be comfortable in a home made from pre-cast concrete slabs, marble and glass. Or are you more likely to want to curl up in front of a fire place feeling the pile of shag pile rug between your toes?

Peace, Abby

How to Select a Colour for your Bedroom

In our rush, rush, gotta have things done yesterday madness, often our bedroom is our only place for solitude and reflection.

It is the place where we spend a third of our lives and yet we often pay little to no attention to how this room makes us feel.

We may choose to use a red paint for a feature wall. Thinking that this is the colour of passion and romance. Something desirable in the bedroom. While this is true, it is also the favourite colour of fast food companies, airlines and discount department stores. Red increases blood pressure and your heart rate for it is associated with danger and strength. So do away with red in the bedroom!

Instead green is a perfect colour as it calms and soothes. Think about the television studio "green" rooms. They help guests calm and compose themselves before the nervousness of being on TV sets is. Being the opposite colour to red, it also has a message of safety. Something we need to feel in our sanctuary.
Looking at the 2 room above and below, how do you feel? I know which one I would get better sleep in.

The latest colours used in the bedroom have been mono tonal black and white. Black gives a feeling of elegance and formality, it can be overpowering but equally impressive and contrasts starkly against the pure nature of white.

After selecting a colour palette to work from and depending on the size of your room you need to select the correct furniture.
It all comes down to scale and what feels right. Personally I like to have a very simple collection of furniture. The bed, simple, low besides, bedside lamps and a chair. That is it! Definitely NO TV or DVD player in my bedroom. It is purely for quite time.

My ideal bedroom looks a little like this.

Peace, Abby