Design in Dublin?

Design for Someone else!

2009-01-11T17:54:00.002Z

I'm back! Sorry about my absence...again. The Christmas season has been extraordinarily busy with all the celebrating and shooting two weddings in one week, including Paula's (of ultra fab accessories site Mabel & Violet).

Today's design tip to help your own home: design a room for someone else! I'm watching Colin and Justin's Worst Home in Britain at the moment, and to get a group of people to break their own bad design habits, they've each been assigned a room to decorate based on a fake client's brief. And while the people on the show seem to have failed disastrously, I'd say anyone with the slightest interest in interiors could use this as an fantastic exercise to build on their own design repertoire. Either practice your drawing and collaging skills on a piece of paper, or find a friend (or should I say willing victim) with different tastes from your own, who will allow you to decorate a room in their home. I think I might even try this myself!

Mid Century Modern Flashcards

2008-12-28T17:32:00.004Z

Christmas may be over, but that's no reason not to buy just one more gift for the Mid Century Modern fanatic in your life, and I think these flashcards will do just the trick! Aptly named "Know your Corbusier," this ring of laminated cards will teach you your Pantons from your Bertoias from your Jacobsens and much more. I mean, how can you impress your snobby south side, recession resistent friends if you aren't able to recognise and compliment them on owning that Hans Wegner lounge chair they never sit in. For a mere $25.00 on Etsy, it's worth it rather than the sheer embarrassment of confusing a George Nakashima with a George Nelson.

Free Posters at Readymade

2008-12-18T20:44:00.003Z

Just because every newspaper, magazine, and news station in the world tells us we're seconds away from losing our jobs and international economy is crumbling, doesn't mean you can't invest in some art. Especially when it's free art ;-)

ReadyMade have asked five artists to reimagine the populist posters from the Great Depression, and you can download them for absolutely nothing. Since James and I have some empty frames and wallspace to fill, we've decided to take advantage of these freebies. Shall I say it once more? Free! Free free free! ....free

So ugly it's cool...maybe

2008-12-15T21:19:00.002Z

Perhaps I've gone a bit mad, but I kind of like this thing. If matched with the right wall colour and a few awesome cushions, this set could be ugly/fantastic. But I could be wrong. Before I make a huge mistake by bringing it home, what do you think? Ugly/fantastic or just plain ugly? Keep in mind, it's on Dublin Waste, and therefore, free.

Design in Shanghai!

2008-12-09T13:42:00.008Z

Blooming silk-blend mini dress - 63.00 Euros

The Chinese have always had awesome fashion sense, and a perfect example of this is Dawanda shop Matrix Loft, who specialise in avant garde, mostly grey clothing. When it comes to fashion on online homemade shops like Dawanda and Etsy, I'm quite often disappointed with level of quality I see, which usually consists of badly knit or poorly sewn items made from a mish-mash of cheap fabrics and labeled "Boho-chic." But I have to say, Matrix Loft has totally blown me away! It's young and hip, but at the same time elegant and mature. And the best part is the prices which could give BT2, Urban Outfitters, and Topshop a run for their money. Check out some of my favourites below:

Lantern Shirt - 55 Euros

Flower Bud applique skirt - 88 euros

Ashes Coat - 121 Euros

Transparent Wings dress - 65 Euros

Just one more thing to sweeten the deal for you: If the size posted on the item will not fit you, Matrix Loft will create a custom one that will at no extra charge. Talk about couture on the cheap!

Tea Time at Mable & Violet

2008-12-09T12:32:00.010Z

(Cake stand with glass lid 32.95)

There's a new French inspired home shop in town, and guess what...it's affordable! It's an online boutique called Mable & Violet. I spoke to owner, Paula, a few months ago while she was still setting up shop. She explained that she was fed up with how infinitely expensive homewares could be in Dublin and wanted to sell beautiful accessories that people can actually buy. And I have to say, she's got some gorgeous things on her site. Have a look:

Gold tea set for two 28.95

Hand knit hot water bottle 14.95, which is actually better value than the ones in Boots!

Pretty glass soap dispenser 3.95.

Hellebore Bone china teacup and saucer set 13.50

I honestly can't think of a better place to pick up some Avoca/Pia Bang quality products for Dunnes Stores prices, and I wish Paula the best of luck with this shop.

Bird Feeder

2008-12-03T15:40:00.007Z

Like most Dublin renters, James and I are not allowed to keep pets. A couple days ago though, James surprised me with a bird feeder so we could have the pleasure of seeing birds at our window but don't have to clean up after them or listen to them squawk at 5AM. We've no birds yet; just the occasional magpie perching on our gutter, but according to my parents (who have a collection of hummingbirds visiting their front garden), we should start noticing more feathered friends within a few weeks. I think this is a fab alternative to risking one's deposit. here's a few feeders I really like:

This one's great, because you can easily make it yourself with a couple of 2x4's, some chicken wire, and a bit of rope. But if you can't be bothered going to the hardware store to pick up the materials and building it, you can always buy one off Etsy from this guy for $16.00.

I found this gorgeous copper Topflight feeder on Amazon.com for $39.99. A bit more expensive, but incomparably beautiful.

Here we have a very festive, eco friendly gourd feeder for E12.99 from Blue Rock Gourds on Dawanda.

Ok, I know this one has been blogged to death, but I absolutely love it. It's by Eva Solo and they're made of hand blown glass. Very modern, very cool. Available at Amazon.co.uk for 28.50 pounds.

Interior design and children...

2008-12-03T15:30:00.005Z

(My niece and I)

Hey all, thanks for all the kind words and suggestions over the past couple of days. And I suppose I should thank my husband for basically forcing me to continue blogging...though I'm not sure how I feel about him hijacking my blog like that.

I wish I could post a bit of DIY, but I haven't really been doing any the past few months. We had our niece over for a bit a few weeks ago. It was the first time we had a child in our home. Kids are the best judge of things because they'll always tell you exactly what they think of it. The two words she used to describe the apartment we have worked so tirelessly on for the past two years were "It's funny." James told me later that I was showing her the apartment like a designer would show it to a client, but how do you explain things like feature walls and matte emulsion to a 10-year-old who's first language isn't english? You can't really.

Tell Shawna what you want....

2008-12-01T12:06:00.003Z

This blog has been taken over for today by the husband of Shawna, that's me. You may have noticed the distinct lack of posts in the past few months. Well Shawna has hit her creative wall and doesn't know what she should be posting up here any more.

So I've sneeked in and want to ask anybody out there reading this to let her know what you'd like her to post blogs about. She needs a few of you to tell her to keep blogging or this may end up being the last post here :-(

Michelle Obama's White House

2008-11-07T10:45:00.011Z

Jackie Kennedy in the Green Room with guests

I apologise for my absence the past couple of weeks. I've been so engrossed by the election that I haven't really been capable of doing anything else but watching the coverage on the major news networks. Now that it's over, I'm quite relieved (Go Obama!!!!!) and there's even been discussion of the possibility of moving to New York. However, it's still at the discussion stage.

Speaking of my new president, what do you think a Michelle Obama White House would look like? We have a long tradition of First Lady redecorations and renovations when it comes to that place, so I'm wondering how Mrs. Obama is going to stamp her name on it. When Teddy Roosevelt was president, they moved a number of moose heads into the State Dining room. When Jackie Kennedy was First Lady, she appointed the first White House curator and brought in loads of antique furnishing as well as an antique mural on wallpaper that surrounds the circular State Reception Room. Each president is allowed to design a new rug for the Oval office, and Laura Bush designed it this time around. I don't think anyone would see George W. as much of a creative type...

Here's a few photos of the White House through the years:

Rossalyn Carter in the Red Room.

Roosevelt Dining Room

Nancy Reagan's study

The Bush Dining Room

More Egypt Photos

2008-10-24T10:15:00.021+01:00

I've edited the bulk of our Egypt pictures, and I wanted to share a few of my favourites so far. I really can't recommend Egypt enough for a holiday. We saw more in just the 2 1/2 weeks we were there than we have in years. It's absolutely incredible!

(eating falafel on the bus)

(Our camel train at dusk)

(Egyptian men...dressed as Pharaohs...playing the bagpipes...)

(Saqqara, the site of the first Pyramids)

(Behold! The great Pyramid of Giza! If you go, don't be surprised by the extreme amount of tour buses out in front of it. It takes away from the picturesque scene, but it makes for a funny photo.)

(Me looking rather smug about being in front of the pyramids.)

(The tourism police doing what they do best, taking pictures of people...with big ol' guns on there backs)

(On the sleeper train to Aswan)

(a very pre-packaged breakfast on the train)

(one of many ferry captains)

(The Temple of Philae)

(Some dudes that forced us to take a picture of them so we could pay them for it.)

(Getting an amazing henna tattoo done by a lovely Nubian girl)

(James jumping off our felluca boat into the nile)

(In a hot air balloon over the Luxor valley)

Dublinwaste find

2008-10-23T17:08:00.003+01:00

Do people just not know what cool furniture they're giving away....for free?! I'm starting to notice a pattern here, especially with sideboards. I suppose it's a good thing for all us scroungers out there. I particularly like this one. It's mid-century, but the shape of it looks like it would fit well with an Asian or Hollywood regency-type room as well. After that yellow chair this week, James has put his foot down on my ever-growing furniture collection, so I can't have it, but it would be nice if one of my readers picked it up....and sent me pictures!

Halloween Things

2008-10-22T18:25:00.009+01:00

(A gorgeous Eleanor Grosch Skull print: $40)

With Halloween coming up shortly, I thought a themed post would be appropriate, but worry not, these products will look good in your home all year long!

(Pair of owl salt and pepper shakers. $25 by Perch)

(Pumpkin Spice warmer from Yokoo's Etsy shop. $70)

(Monster mugs by Lollipop Pottery. $25)

(Day of the Dead cushion by Lama Design. $85.00)

Autumn/Winter White Book

2008-10-21T12:31:00.004+01:00

I always get excited when the new White Book comes out. I'll never be able to afford any of the products or properties shown in the magazine, but it's great for inspiration...especially the article about Jade Jagger's lake house. How adorable and comfy looking! But if you're reading the articles about Irish homes...that's another story I'm always disappointed to see the same sort of neutral, symmetrical design aesthetic in every house. That kind of traditional/contemporary look that we see so often in show houses. And this is meant to be, supposedly, the top in Irish interior design!

Hate to break it to you White Book, but not everyone who's into interiors is in their 40's. You may argue that upper middle-class/middle-aged people are the consumers that can afford all that bespoke furniture, and that's their demographic. However, with this world-wide recession on, a lot of those people might be thinking twice before buying those €5,000 camel coloured sofas (which by the way, I'm sure I could find a knock off of at Ikea). And I'm sure even they would like to see some colour and texture in Irish homes. The only consolation I have is the knowledge that when all those boring designers get old, our generation will be designing and painting their nursing homes. And they won't be Khaki! Viva Revolution!

Coat Sale At Bluefly

2008-10-19T10:52:00.008+01:00

Laundry- $214.20

I think it's fair to say that winter is upon us. It didn't truly hit me till we flew home from Cairo on Tuesday and our apartment was freezing. It was the first time I've had to turn the heater on since about March.

I've decided it's time to start looking for a nice winter jacket. I have a plain black one that I bought from Top-Shop a couple of years ago, but my relationship with that coat has lost it's spark and now my eyes are wandering towards younger, more attractive models. I popped onto Bluefly.com this morning and they've got a 3-day outwear sale on (I think today is the last day, though). An extra 15% off all coats and jackets. Here's a few I've already fallen in love with:

Soia & Kyo- $183.60

BCBGMAXAZRIA- $152.15

Soia & Kyo-$170.85

Nanette Lepore-$351.90

Marc New York: $277.95

New Chair

2008-10-18T16:53:00.007+01:00

Check out the plastic easy chair I scored from Jumbletown.ie. The Purty Kitchen have the same ones outside in their smoking area, and I've been admiring them every time I walk by there. I'm pretty sure I'm seen them in Mobilia on Georges Street as well. Anyway, I did a bit of research (and by research, I mean I googled it). It was created by London designer Jerzy Seymour for Magis. I wish I had a few more to stack on top of it. They look pretty cool stacked on top of eachother. I don't know where I'm going to put it, because we don't have a lot of room as it is, but I figured I should just get the cool chair first, make spacial arrangements later.

Old stuff in Cairo!

2008-10-15T11:54:00.015+01:00

Hey all! It's been awhile but I'm back with plenty of stories and pictures to share. There's so many, however, this'll have to be broken up into several posts. Let's start with Cairo. A city of 22 million people, it boasts a butt-load of history and was taken over by several Empires over the years including the Greeks, Romans, Persians, Turks, English etc etc. This means a vast amount of design variety all within the one town. On our first day we visited two Coptic churches and the world famous White Mosque (which is an exact replica of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, thanks to the Turkish invaders during the 19th century).

A chandelier in one of the Coptic churches

Door at the back of the church

A close up of the amazing inlay work on the door!

Fish carved into the pews. Here's something I bet you didn't know. Back in the day when the Romans were persecuting the Christians, a lot of them fled to Egypt (till Rome caught up with them of course). They decided to use a symbol to tell who was a fellow Christian and who wanted to kill them. They couldn't use the cross, for obvious reasons, so the fish became the Christian symbol.

Plastic-wrapped Jesuses at the gift-shop

Outside of the White Mosque

The lights inside the White Mosque. Quite possibly the most impressive chandelier I've ever seen. It's about 10 feet across and whenever a breeze blew in, it acted as a wind chime as well. This was given to the Mosque by the French in exchange for one of two obelisks outside Luxor Temple (but you'll see pictures of that later.

Under the chandelier

Unfortunately, the White Mosque is no longer a place of worship. It's now a place for school trips and tour groups like us. Still very beautiful though.

Reporting from Egypt

2008-10-12T16:05:00.002+01:00

Hi guys, sorry it's been a good long while. James and I are still in Egypt, but you'll be happy to hear we're coming back to Dublin on Tuesday, so that means some serious posting of pictures, and boy do we have a few!

Also, I think I should mention that about 45 minutes ago we completed our Open Water Dive course, so I apologise if this blog slowly turns more into a scuba blog than a design one. Haha. Well I'm going to have a couple of drinks now to celebrate. See you all later!

Off to Egypt

2008-09-26T10:15:00.002+01:00

I apologise for not doing much blogging lately. James and I have been pretty busy shooting weddings and planning our Egypt trip. We're off Monday for two weeks, but fret not. I will try my best to keep you all updated on Egyptian design. If I cannot get to a computer however, I'll have tons of photos for you when I get back. See you then!

Vogue: October 2008

2008-09-18T10:06:00.004+01:00

(Front, above)

If you haven't already picked up the October issue of Vogue, I highly suggest you do so. There's some great articles about Swedish design team Front, London paper-cut artist Rob Ryan, and Orla Kiely's new home furnishings line. Plus plenty of fashion-related reads as well. Apparently overly baggy, sequinned trousers are all the rage. However, I think I'll pass.

Vintage Vases on Etsy

2008-09-17T12:07:00.006+01:00

Pyrex 1950's vase/caraffe from SamyStClair. $15.00

Four small 1970's vases from Vicskitschn. $8.00

Mid-century candle holder/vase with faux wood finish. From Violet64. $18.00

Vintage head vase from Touspourvous. $30.00

Antique whiskey jar/vase with the word "dimple" on it. From Scottishart. $15.00

Come See my Work!

2008-09-11T16:34:00.005+01:00

Starting tomorrow and running through the weekend, James and I will be exhibiting some of our band photography at the Hard Working Class Heroes Festival in Temple Bar. The exhibition will be held in the Button Factory and I'd really love it if you all could come down. Also, there have been rumours of free beer at the opening tomorrow evening (just a little added incentive). So please come on down and say hi (I'll be pretty easy to find thanks to my bright orange hair).

Oh and a quick PS:
My email isn't working properly and for some reason I can't reply to your emails at the moment. So just hang tight. I'm not ignoring you, and we're trying to get this fixed as soon as possible :-)

How to use good wallpaper...goodly

2008-09-08T21:46:00.003+01:00

Apparently "goodly" is a word now. Check out Beezy Peezy's fab kitchen. I'm especially liking the yellow/blue colour combination. I feel a revolution coming on. A revolution of people wallpapering unusual areas of their homes. Hoo-rah! I'm gonna draw the line at wallpapering appliances though...I have a feeling I'm gonna find that on google soon....yep here it is:

Ziggy Played Guitar!

2008-09-07T13:10:00.004+01:00

A couple of days ago, I made it much easier for people to find me and possibly for boats and planes to recognise land by having my hair-boyfriend, Richie dye it a shade I like to call "Ziggy Stardust orange." The only drawback is that now when I walk down my hall, it's like looking at an Irish flag (See exhibit A above). Oh well, the things we do for fashion!

This month's world of interiors

2008-09-05T12:46:00.004+01:00

The next time you're in the newsagents, you have to pick up the October issue of The World of Interiors. Like it says on the cover "Our biggest issue ever!" It's so thick and full of inspiration, you can bludgeon someone over the head with it. This year's fall colours are a bit more reminiscent of bright, jewel-toned, Spring colours, which is great because it's just effing miserable outside right now! I'm just gonna sit here and stare at the bright yellow cover and pretend I'm somewhere warm....

How to use good wallpaper...badly

2008-09-02T17:19:00.005+01:00

I found this photo on Flicker of this amazing wallpaper. It was gorgeous and retro and I've never seen it before. I thought for sure that it belonged to a room with equally retro furniture and funky prints on the wall. I just loved the little pops of metallic gold and winding stems....then I saw the way the owners furnished the room...

They crammed a massive china cabinet into the corner and slammed an ugly, dark leather sofa up against the wall. There's nothing on the walls at all to break up the pattern. What a waste of a beautiful wallpaper!

New Diaper Bags from Pushmepullyou

2008-08-26T21:04:00.003+01:00

If you're a fan of Eleanor Grosch like I am, you'll love her new diaper bags for sale here, whether or not you have a baby. They are so adorable, and yet so very unlike conventional pink or blue nappy bags. Who says you can't have kids and be stylish?

Jaysus that's some moulding!

2008-08-26T16:44:00.003+01:00

Was my first thought when I saw this picture on Apartment Therapy. Apparently I think in a Dublin accent now...

At first glimpse, I instinctively wanted to like it, but the more I look at it, the more I think that maybe it's a bit much to look at. Hmm...maybe it's better in person. I love the colours though, and the layout of the furniture is quite superb. I just don't know how I feel about all that moulding. What about you?

Stealing Melaware Eggcups from my mother-in-law

2008-08-25T16:43:00.006+01:00

Our story begins last Friday when James made hard boiled eggs for breakfast. He mentioned that he wished he still had his old silver egg cup from his childhood. To which I replied "My family never had eggcups. We just cracked them on the kitchen counter." That comment was met with a look of dismay and slight confusion. "You never had an eggcup? What's wrong with you Americans?"

Fast forward to that evening when we're having dinner over at his parents' house. James decided to bring up my eggcupless existence, which got the same response from his family. His mum quickly got up and started rummaging through the cupboards. A few minutes later, she brought a rather large collection of eggcups to the table. However, a few caught my eye. A set of six little Melaware melamine eggcups that looked like they came from Urban Outfitters...or the 50's. Turns out it was the latter, and we took them home with us. James wanted just to borrow them to practice some product photography (as seen above), but I think I want to keep them. Just hope my mother in law doesn't remember that they are gone.

Design in Dublin in The Times

2008-08-23T16:10:00.004+01:00

I know it's a bit late in the day to tell you all this, but there is an article in the Irish Times Saturday Magazine today featuring yours truly and written by the always wonderful Zee of Homebug.net. I can't give away too much, but I can say there's a big ol' picture of me sitting on my wallpapered staircase.

Cool chairs at Urban Outfitters

2008-08-19T17:43:00.004+01:00

It's been awhile since I've visited the Urban Outfitters website, and I'm quite pleased with what I've seen. I was particuliarly impressed with their new furniture. There's a bit more variety than what I'm used to seeing from them, but they still maintain that retro-college-dorm type style that they're known for. Whether that's a good thing or bad thing, I still love these chairs. They're brilliant replicas and quite affordable.

Dublin Waste finds

2008-08-14T21:48:00.005+01:00

Today seemed to be Sideboard Central on Dublin Waste with these two gorgeous sideboards. The top one is located in Shankill and the other one in Marino. Get em' while they're hot people!!!

Geometric Chic

2008-08-13T16:23:00.005+01:00

I was just doing a bit of blog browsing and came across this photo that Anna from Door 16 posted, of these fab doors on Broadway. They reminded me of a coffee table that Zee of Homebug painted a while back. I think I feel a trend coming on...perhaps Geometric chic :-P

I'm going to EGYPT!!!

2008-08-11T17:19:00.010+01:00

As we speak, James is booking a holiday for us in Egypt for October. I'm completely ecstatic! Of course we'll be seeing the standard sights (Pyramids, Egyptian museum, etc.), but we'll also be snorkling, sailing, hiking and having a grand ol' adventure. Might even get a chance to do some home shopping in Cairo. Fingers crossed anyway. So today, I bring you some Egyptian inspiration!

(Ivan Flores)

(Sanda Malisse)

(Peter Gutierrez)

(Xavier Fargas)

(David Haberlah)

Etsy finds- Doxie motifs

2008-08-05T20:21:00.009+01:00

I really dislike when people get obsessed with particular breeds of dogs. Well maybe not the people, so much as the merchandising...jumpers and placards that read "I <3 my Cavalier King Charles," or "Beware of our Bichon Frise." Doormats, postcards, keychains, coffee mugs, those stupid recordings of dogs barking that someone remixes into Christmas carols, the list is endless.

That being said, I've been noticing a trend of Daschund motifs everywhere, and it makes me miss my babies, Murphy and Pheobe, back in Seattle. So here's a few Doxie-related items, I found on Etsy this evening.

Doxie frame purse by Field of Roses. $27

Big ol' hotdog print by Bee Things. $15.00

Weiner Necklace by Shara Lambeth Designs. $25.00

Doxie Skeleton tee by Skeledog. $25.00

Attack of the pod people!

2008-08-03T16:05:00.003+01:00

Lately the adverts for the Dulux Paint Pod have been taunting me. It really makes me wish I had a wall left to paint in my place. The paint gets pumped into the roller from the pod, so you don't have to bend down constantly to dip it in a tray, and once you're done it cleans itself like some sort of flippin' painty miracle.

However, it looks like you have to buy a specific range of Dulux paint with containers that fit the pod, and it only comes in 13 colours...all pastel. I guess if that's the kind of colours you're going for, the Paint Pod might be worth the €99.99 price tag. For me, though, I think I'll stick to my trusty old manual roller until I can get some variety in my colours.

Friday Flowers

2008-08-01T12:33:00.002+01:00

I was down in Superquinn this morning and felt in a very flowery mood, so I picked up some lovely chrysanthemums and carnations at only €2.99 per bunch. It's amazing just how much freshly cut flowers can brighten up a sitting room!

The Hidden Art Shop

2008-08-01T11:27:00.003+01:00

The Hidden Art Shop is a bit like Urban Outfitters in that they sell mostly affordable, novelty home accessories, but the difference is in the variety and quality of their products. Not only are they a shop, but they also support up and coming designers and help them network. Hidden Art started in 1994 as an event to show the work of 43 Hackney based designers and now support more than 1800 all over the UK. Here are some of my favourite items from their online shop.

1.- White Chandelier canvas print (also comes in a light up version). Large £50
2.- Rock On coat hook (also available in several other hand gestures). £90
3.- Wooster pendant light. £225
4.- Blaue Blume tea cup. £32.95
5.- Seville cushion. £55
6.- Stamp mirror. A3 size £47.95

Cool Domino House Tour

2008-07-29T09:52:00.003+01:00

I just came across this great video house tour on Domino of photographer Matt Albiani's New York apartment. There's some great ideas on how to customise your home and make a bit more spacious. I especially liked the wood planks nailed to the bedroom walls. Too cool!

The sale

2008-07-25T19:48:00.007+01:00

At 11:00am I spotted the first signs of a queue forming in front of Habitat. A few people hanging around and peeking through the windows. I gleefully asked one of them if they too were queueing, in case they weren't. They were, and I was quickly shouldered out of their little cigarette circle. I played some Tetris on my phone for a while; when I looked up again, the line was backed up all the way down to Molly Malone. Things didn't get stressful however till people from the surrounding businesses came down around 12 and didn't much like the idea of a queue, so about 100 randomers just stuck around the front. How rude!

Finally, at about 12:15, a man in a suit appeared at the door with keys. Unfortunately, the lock was jammed and he had to go find someone to fix it. He reappeared with a man holding a screwdriver and a smile, as the crowd outside, full of caffeine and an urgency to shop, started pouring into the street. The doors opened and everyone went flying in like some sort of messy air force squadron locked onto their target sideboards and fancy dishes.

I've never participated in the whole "queueing for a sale" thing...well willingly at least. I remember one time when I was 8 or so, before the days of TiVo and downloading movies, my best friend's dad used us as extra arms at a Circuit City sale. "Remember guys, when the doors open, look extra cute and grab as many blank VHS tapes as you possibly can. At 10 cents each we can record all the tv we want."

As I was browsing all the bargains, I suddenly remembered I was all alone and there was no way I could carry everything I wanted to buy, so I had to edit my wish-list down to just the essentials. I grabbed four Hennie Haworth glasses (€12 for 4) to go with the tea towels I bought a few months ago, two green and yellow cushions (€10.50 each), 3 picture frames (€10 each), a lovely little single duvet cover with paper airplanes on it (€10) which I plan to make a table cloth out of, and a lovely metal fan (€15) which was desperately needed in our office.

When I got home, I surveyed my bounty and decided that I should go back for more...because I'm a masochist who loves nothing more than to stand in queues and shove past hoards of furniture obsessed crazies like myself. I was only gone a couple of hours, but when I got back to Habitat, there were no more queues outside and hardly any furniture left inside. Upstairs I could hear glass shattering as people with their full bags of merchandise knocked the remaining lamps off their display counters. I saw a woman with a newborn baby standing in the credit card line. What on earth was she doing here? Shouldn't she be like, I dunno, at home with her new baby?! "Alright baby, if you're going to be in this family, you've got to earn your keep. Here, wear these Pantone mugs like mittens while Mommy fights this lady for the last Chester armchair."

There wasn't a whole lot of anything left, but I did manage to grab the last undamaged picture frame (€21), new fancy numbers for the front door (€12 for 2), a couple of cool fish prints (€12.50 for 2), and a rather large poster with some flowers and polka dots on it (€12.50).

I don't think I'll be returning the rest of the weekend. I'm truly exhausted, and I don't think my apartment can fit any more crap in it.

Habitat Liquidation Sale!!!

2008-07-24T17:27:00.003+01:00

(My face when I found out about the sale...Thanks Homebug!)

The weekend we've all been waiting for since Habitat closed down in May is finally here.

The opening hours will be:
Friday 12 noon-6pm
Saturday 9am-6pm
Sunday 12 noon-5pm
Monday 9am-5pm

All stock will be reduced by up to 80% off.

I have some unfinished business with that store and will definitely be there to try to snap up some bargains. If anyone would like to meet up afterwards for some post-habitat-madness lunch, feel free to contact me tonight.

Mawwage!

2008-07-23T09:29:00.002+01:00

Last weekend was James's and my 2nd aniversary, and here's the ultra lovely sunflowers he bought me to mark the occasion. Wow, it doesn't seem like we've been married that long at all. Still feels like yesterday when I rang him up to say:

"James I'm coming back to Dublin."
"No you're not"
"Yes I am, and I'm moving in with you, buddy!"

Ok maybe it wasn't quite as simple as that, but hey, we're still together after all that nonsense. I couldn't have snapped myself up a better husband.

Adult colouring books!

2008-07-15T18:08:00.003+01:00

We may have grown out of our Lisa Frank or Disney colouring books, but that doesn't mean we have to grow out of colouring all together. Rock Paper Scissor have two colouring books for sale, specifically geared towards design enthusiasts: Modern Home and Creative Interiors. How awesome are these?! Time to bust out the Crayolas!

Via Apartment Therapy.

Sale on in Topshop

2008-07-14T18:44:00.003+01:00

I don't generally do fashion posts, but I was in Topshop today in the Jervis centre, and they have the most fabulous sale on. Usually I can only find a couple of things that catch my eye, but it seems like they're trying to get rid of their entire summer stock. There are countless sun dresses with pretty floral prints, and flowy, transparent white frocks.

1.) Knitted stripe frill top. 22 Euros
2.) Tie side cotton dress. 30 Euros
3.) Bow print silk top. 18 Euros
4.) Turn-up piped shorts. 22 Euros
5.) Jewel ballet flat. 18 Euros

Meeting internet friends...in real life!

2008-07-09T21:30:00.003+01:00

Today I met up with fellow design blogger, Zee, of Homebug for what some might call a "design date." We discussed all things DIY, rented apartments, and Irish furniture shops (or the distinct lack thereof)...including a mutual hatred for a certain catalogue-based chain store. I dare not speak it's name, but I will link to a hilarious video of Bill Bailey talking about it. We talked about organising a meetup for all the local bloggers perhaps towards the end of the month or in August. If that agrees with all you bloggerinos out there, just shoot us an email and we'll make try to make this happen.

Dublin Waste Finds

2008-07-08T19:35:00.002+01:00

How great is the shape of this retro couch. There's a bit of wear apparently, but nothing that can't be fixed. I just love that really tall back.

Attn. Renters: Start decorating!

2008-07-07T14:25:00.005+01:00

Today I've been trying to find some good examples on Flickr of well decorated flats in Dublin...And I couldn't find any. I was really disappointed but not exactly surprised. Why do Dublin renters not decorate their homes? No, you don't own the place, but there's no reason why you shouldn't make it your own whilst living in it. I'll use this bare room as an example. Even if your landlord won't let you paint, move furniture, and so on, that's no excuse not to do a bit of decorating.

(Before)

(After)

I threw this room together in about an hour and a half. I made the walls white, because it's been my experience that even if you're not allowed to paint your place, changing the colour from that sickly magnolia to white makes a huge difference, and landlords won't usually notice as it's still a neutral colour.

The curtains are from Urban Outfitters. Blanket and Pillows from Avoca. Mirror by BoConcept. Water colour by LaSrtaPil on Dawanda, lamp and picture frame from Ikea, lampshade by Orla Kiely, and you can get those plants at any chain hardware store or garden centre.

There you have it folks. Just a few soft furnishings, a piece of artwork, and a plant or two can make a boring old bedsit into something a bit more homeish.

The Sims...Ikea style

2008-07-07T11:59:00.005+01:00

(I actually have this desk...and I'm sitting on the left side of it...and there are bookcases behind me. CREEPY)

So you say you'd like some Ikea furniture, but you don't want to drive to Belfast. Or perhaps you like the Ikea catalogue, but it's just not sparking your imagination as much as it should be. How about some virtual Ikea digs via The Sims 2. That's right, thanks to EA games, you can now combine your two nerdiest obsessions into one big nerd fest by purchasing this add-on. Personally, I think the only use for this would be if you plan to decorate your entire home in Ikea and want to use it as a lay-out planner. I couldn't imagine that it would be any more fun than decorating your Sims dream home in the Sims furniture. Though, as much as I'd like to sound pessimistic about this, I'd still like to try it out...

Bellinter House does NOT suck!

2008-07-01T18:20:00.004+01:00

James was on Boards.ie the other day doing a bit of browsing and found a post from someone asking about using the Bellinter House in Meath as a wedding location. I was surprised to find that the only people who replied to the post seemed to hate it. One person went as far to say that the decor was "ad-hoc" and one room was "Austin Powers themed."

I visited a handful of rooms there to blog about a couple of months ago, and I must say I never saw anything that even remotely resembled Austin Powers. I'm really concerned that some people can't differentiate between tacky 60's kitsch and classic midcentury pieces; or that they would confuse a mixture of antique and modern with "ad-hoc." Furthermore, the staff were brilliant and absolutely bent over backwards to make sure our stay was comfortable. Ok rant over...Sorry, I just had to come to the defence of one of my favourite hotels in Ireland.

My New Bag

2008-06-30T15:39:00.004+01:00

I've been in need for a new bag for a while now and I was thrilled when I found this little number on the shelf at Funky Tees. It's a tiny little shop towards the back end of Stephen's Green shopping centre next to that really tacky t-shirt that sells cringe worthy slogans for hen nights and birthday parties. Funky Tees on the other hand is quite the opposite with fun colours and retro logos. Granted it's not Dolce and Gabbana, but it's simple, relaxed, and cheaper than similar tees you'd find in the likes of Urban Outfitters or Topshop. Right now, everything is 20% off, so get your butts down there and buy some t-shirts and/or bags. Unfortunately they don't have a website for me to link to, so you'll just have to trust me on this one.

Home envy

2008-06-29T16:58:00.001+01:00

Oh how I wish I were a filthy rich architect who lives in Manhattan with a waterfall under my bed. Via Dwell...

Planning a Living Space

2008-06-29T11:30:00.003+01:00

My apologies for not being around this week. James and I have be up to some pretty exciting stuff including opening our new Etsy shop, with a Dawanda shop in progress. We're also planning for a couple of exhibitions in September: The Hard Working Class Heroes festival and the Ranelagh Arts Festival.

For now though, here's some helpful tips from Videojug that will show you how to make a floorplan and layout furniture. This is something my friends ask me about all the time, and because we live in Dublin and the minuscule size of our apartments a lot of times could rival those in Tokyo (without all the cool gadgets, though), planning a layout for your living space is definitely your best option...unless you're like me, and you have to learn everything by trial and error.

What I did at the Weekend

2008-06-24T09:19:00.005+01:00

(Taken in Bruge. April 2005)

On Saturday at 4:00am, James and I bared all down at the Dublin Docklands for the latest Spencer Tunick installation. You may remember a couple of months ago when I announced that I had signed up to be apart of it. I have to say it was one of the most interesting experiences of my life. The Independent reported that there were about 2,700 of us there, but it felt like a lot more. After the initial giggles of seeing everyone around you taking their clothes off and then remembering that you, yourself are also naked, things just start feeling normal again. Everyone talks to eachother casually as if they were waiting in a queue for a concert, and when the Stenaline arrived from England, everyone just waved and laughed without the least bit of modesty. The cold was the only thing that could dampen our spirits, but even then we pressed on. I'd do it all again in a heartbeat. Did anyone else take part?

Swap-O-Rama

2008-06-19T09:49:00.002+01:00

On Saturday the 28th June, The Science Gallery at Trinity college will be hosting a clothing swap-o-rama in association with their latest exhibition, Technothreads. Essentially, you just bring a bag of clothes that you're never going to wear and either swap them with the other attendees, or visit one of the many workshops, and DIY stations to transform your old duds into something new. I think this is fabulous idea, just in time for summer. I'll definitely be there. The best part is, it's totally FREE! For more information and for FREE tickets, click here.

Rock Star Furniture Designers: Doshi Levien

2008-06-17T22:46:00.004+01:00

I'm noticing an awesome trend lately, of outlandish, rock n' rollish furniture. Even though I will probably never convince the husband that we should lay down our savings on a few pieces, I can always look at all the pretty pictures the internet can provide.

That said, I'm in love with London-based design duo Doshi Levien. Nipa Doshi and Jonathan Levien combined their powers in 2000 to create some of the most original looking pieces I've seen in a while. Their mad mix of influences include Indian culture and industrial production. And they work brilliantly together! I should really change the name of this site to "Design I wish was in Dublin"...dot com.

Oh so jealous...

2008-06-15T22:08:00.007+01:00

I love lots of colour in a home, so I was inevitably excited when I stumbled upon Super Junk's flickr set. What a fantastic living space! I really dig the collections of vintage toys and mid century furniture. That 70's style fireplace reminds me a swiss chalet. My favourite bit is the little wire ice cream parlour table and chairs. I'd love to have a set myself, but I think they're a bit too kitsch for James. Plus I think I'd have a pretty hard time finding one in Ireland.

More than you bargained for...in a good way!

2008-06-13T10:01:00.003+01:00

I remember seeing these things on Grand Designs a while ago and thinking "oooh, I'd love to have one of those," as I do with most things on that show, but this thing sets itself apart from most things I want because of it's triple usage. It's a light source, a conversation piece, and believe it or not, get ready for this... an extractor hood! I, of course, wrote it off as something only available in the UK, as most things tend to be, but there is, in fact, a place in Citywest that sells them. It may be a bit feminine for some males, but fear not, guys! If you let us bring these into our kitchens, we'll let you turn them on and off with this swanky, futuristic remote control!

The new White Book

2008-06-12T10:25:00.003+01:00

I was having a pretty boring day in my day job yesterday, so I was pleased as punch to find the new White Book on the shelves in Centra. There's a great article about the history and renovation of Kileen Castle in Co. Meath, which will soon open in 2010 as a five star hotel! But if you can't wait till then, you're more than welcome to purchase one of 162 residences which are being built on the castle grounds.

Also in the book are the typically amazing adverts that make me drool over stone bathtubs, swooping minimal beds, and more beautiful kitchen appliances than I will ever own.

The photography, as usual, is immaculate with plenty of light, airy rooms to make me jealous of both the homes in the photos as well as the photographers' medium format cameras. It's 320 pages of pure interiors porn; right on time for the weekend!

Sale at L'Affiche Moderne!

2008-06-11T09:54:00.004+01:00

A while ago, I blogged about a great, French poster shop called L'Affiche Moderne who sell really cool, highly affordable posters by loads of different artists. I'm happy to say that right now till June 30th, you, my readers, get an additional 25% off their entire catalogue. I'm so excited about this, I know I'm going to buy more stuff than will fit on my walls. Sshhh, don't tell my husband! Just pop in this promotional code in the discount code box: promo25. Happy shopping!

Bartosz Kolata

2008-06-06T16:46:00.006+01:00

One of my favourite artists at the moment just happens to be one of my next door neighbours, Bartosz. It actually surprises me that I haven't blogged about him before. I suppose now is a more appropriate time than ever as he is holding an exhibition tomorrow in the Lemonstreet Gallery on City Quay. It's a thrill everytime they have me over for a drink, because there's always a few new paintings up on the wall. They have so many that they have to store a lot of them out in the hallway. I've threatened to "borrow" a bunch on numerous occasions.

Bartosz's paintings are based on the photographs that he and his flatmates take around Dublin and the rest of Europe. They are very much "a slice of life." Some the subjects are as simple as the Ranelagh Luas station (something I'd never usually consider very arty), or a crane in Belfast (again, not that arty), but he's pulled it off with a tremendous use of vibrant colour and composition. The web pictures I've provided don't do them any justice. You have to see them in person to get the full effect. So come on down and support local/kinda Polish art at the Lemonstreet Gallery 24-26 City Quay from 6:00pm-8:00pm tomorrow evening! I'll be there at some stage too.

Oli!

2008-06-04T10:15:00.004+01:00

I recently came across a UK-based website (go figure...) that has a selection of reasonably priced furniture. Though most of Oli's products are kind of West-Elmish, some of it is actually pretty cool. Here are a few of my picks.

1. Pony curtains from 23.00 pounds
2. Presley night stand 149.00 pounds
3. Orton dining chairs 60.00 pounds
4. Maria Grachvogel Daybed 599.00 pounds
5. Gilt Baroque Chair by Maria Grachvogel 299.00 pounds
6. Maria Grachvogel Dressing Table 220.00 pounds

The only bad news is that they don't deliver to the Republic just yet, but they do, however, deliver to the north. I'm sure my cousin up in Belfast would be more than happy to have a butt-load of furniture delivered to his flat. Yep... not a problem at all :-)

You know what they say...

2008-06-04T09:37:00.005+01:00

...Great minds think alike. In this case it's myself and one of the sisters who write Sugar City Journal, and we're thinking about stairs. We seem to have taken the same approach to creating something lovely from something massively boring. However, she made hers in a completely different way from mine.

Instead of using wallpaper, she scanned a damask fabric onto her computer and hid little photos of her family in the pattern. She then printed it out on regular paper, laminated it and glued it to the stairs with Modgepodge. As the stairs look to be properly varnished hardwood, she's a lot braver than I was. James and I were lucky in that our stairs were crap to begin with, so we pretty had a blank canvas when we started. Well done Sugar City!

Via Apartment Therapy

Goodbye Yves Saint Laurent

2008-06-02T20:32:00.005+01:00

Although this is mainly an interior design blog, I felt it necessary to write about late great fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent, who died yesterday at the age of 71. His career spanned over five decades and started when he dropped out of the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture and went to work for Christion Dior at the age of 17.

Just a few of the things he brought to the fashion world are: trouser suits, safari jackets, the beatnik look, and thigh high boots. He was also one of the first designers to use black models. Though Saint Laurent designed for the catwalk, his work was so innovative that countless similar designs could be found on the highstreet. He created clothes for models and the everyday woman alike. That's what set him apart from so many fashion designers of the 20th century.

"We must never confuse elegance with snobbery."-Yves Saint Laurent

Rooftop Garden Envy

2008-05-29T09:52:00.009+01:00

(Photo by Tvancort)

After all that crummy rain this week, it's so nice to have such a lovely, sunny Thursday, especially when you're off work! Yeah! However, it really makes me wish I had garden in stead of a building site. I'd really love a private rooftop garden, secluded from the rest of world. But since can only dream of the day our landlord will let us make one, I'll just have to keep looking at pictures on Flickr or travel Down to Avoca in Wicklow to get my garden fix. Here's a few rooftop gardens I especially like.

(Photo by Felix Haslimeier)

(Photo by TonyCT)

(Photo by Jodimarr)

(photo by Horses and Tigers)

Just a quick P.S. I had a few more gorgeous pictures I wanted to post, including a garden in Venice, but blogger is being a bit crap and won't let me add any more pictures for some reason. Boooo!

Movie Interiors: Rear Window

2008-05-28T17:17:00.002+01:00

As far as set design goes, I'd have to say my favourite Hitchcock film is Rear Window, mostly because it's a movie about people's homes and what goes on in them. My favourite is the musician's apartment. It's so clean and elegant. James Stewart's place is cluttered and dark, but full of gorgeous lamps and spacious enough for Grace Kelly to float around in those amazing dresses. If you don't own Rear Window already, you can pick it up at HMV. It usually goes for about a fiver.

Leather suite on Dublin Waste

2008-05-27T06:42:00.004+01:00

Firstly, I'd just like to apologise for not being around the past few days. We had a bit of an emergency that required us to fly to England, but we're back now and ready to give you the latest in affordable design. And it doesn't get much more affordable than free!

I'm loving this 3-piece suite I found of Dublin Waste. Not entirely sure if those fabric cushions are original, but they're still darling nonetheless. It was just posted yesterday, so hopefully one of you might still have a chance to get your hands on it. Sometimes I wonder if people realise what they are giving away, because this is such a cute little set and it seems to be in pretty good condition.

Punky Punks

2008-05-21T20:53:00.008+01:00

The other day I suffered a really bad hair cutting experience. My regular hairdresser, Richie, wasn't there so I let one of the other girls chop my mop instead. Big mistake! I told her I just wanted my regular cut, slightly boyish and funky. I guess she misinterpreted that, because she essentially gave me a men's cut and charged me 70 euros. The only way I could make it resemble something of a normal hairdo was to go punk and wear it in a mohawk.

So to celebrate my newfound anger at the establishment, the government, and society in general, I've decided to do a Dawanda roundup of all things punk and punk related. Dawanda is a fantastic European-based website full of handmade goods from sellers all over the world.
First up we have these nifty little plastic pistol earrings from Glamasaurus in Swizterland for 6 Euros. And guess what? The shipping is free on these guys!

Here we have the Anarchist knit bag by ScandicWoolArt for 66 Euros.

I don't really think this is what the Ramones had in mind when they wrote "Blitzkrieg Bop" but I like these Y-fronts all the same. Hueftkino also make a girlie version as well. Both are 17.90.

Of course no punk wardrobe would be complete without some sweet badges. I'm loving the ones by Inko, especially this Rock the World badge for 1.10.

Well that's it for me. The husband is nagging me to watch the last few minutes of Chelsea vs Man United. I guess it's important or something...

John Lee

2008-05-19T13:47:00.006+01:00

I went down to the Interior Design show at the RDS yesterday. I was quite impressed by many of the stalls. There were a few there that looked like they threw as much of their store into their section as they could possibly fit, but for the most part, most of the companies had well presented areas.

One furniture designer in particular caught our attention. John Lee from Co. Kildare makes bespoke wooden pieces of sheer brilliance. The pictures really don't do them justice at all. I love the massive amounts of legs on some of the tables. They look sort of African but quite bizarre as well, like something out of a Tim Burton movie. You could almost imagine them walking away like giant wooden caterpillars...or maybe that's just me. You can check out more of his work here

Jimmy Martin comes to Ireland

2008-05-15T18:15:00.005+01:00

If Rock n' Roll and furniture had a love baby, the work of Swedish design duo Jimmy Martin would definitely be it. And lucky for us, their work is now available in Ireland through interior design company Studio 44. Of course, their pieces are one of a kind and I can't find prices for them which isn't really a good sign on the affordability end of things. Oh well, a girl can still dream can't she?

Wellies, Baby, Wellies!

2008-05-14T19:23:00.004+01:00

With festival season fast approaching, I thought it appropriate to post some really sweet footwear that with any luck, may be gracing the likes of my feet during the likes of any number of musical events this summer, because as we all know, it's not about what music you like, how much booze you can smuggle in, or even how many Top-Shop dresses you can fit into your weekend bag; it's all about how neato-cheeto your Wellingtons are!

Checking out Goldfrapp, Bat for Lashes, or any other girlie band known for their horse imagery? Why not try riding your white horse in these babies from Wellieart.com.

Perhaps you're watching something a bit more hardcore, a bit punk, but you're not quite ready to go all out and sacrifice your fashion standards by shaving the side of your head and carving the words "shit sandwich" into your chest. Perhaps something a bit more subtle, like these guys from Avoca.

It will more than likely be rainy, but that doesn't mean you can't dream of summer sun in these Red Poppy boots from Funky-Wellington-boots.co.uk.

Festivals are fantastic for watching completely self-indulgent rock stars bask in the glow of their own narcissism, but we love them anyway, so why shouldn't we be a little indulgent sometimes too? And these chocolates pair of wellies I found on Ebay do just the trick! I believe I saw these ones in Korky's as well, but way more expensive.

And there you have it; my wellie picks for the month of May. I'm sure I'll find more I like as the weeks go on. I always do...

I'll be back tomorrow!

2008-05-13T09:03:00.002+01:00

Sorry folks, there'll be no posts today (other than this one to tell you there'll be no posts today), as it's my mom's last day here in Ireland, and we still have so much mother/daughter bonding to do. I'll see you cool cats tomorrow!

Goodbye Habitat

2008-05-11T20:00:00.004+01:00

It is with a heavy heart that I have to report the loss of our good friend, Habitat. On Friday night, one of Dublin's few good furniture stores closed its doors for the last time, much to the dismay of all its loyal customers, most of which (including myself) had absolutely no clue that the store was closing down. In fact, I was in there just last week, and no one mentioned anything to me when I made my purchases about the store closing. Although, I assume this was probably a surprise to most of the staff as well.

Conai Designs (Ireland) Ltd. stated the following in a press release on Habitat.ie:

"Due to severe downturn in both our Galway and Dublin stores, it has become impossible to trade through the subsequent financial difficulties, particularly in light of the current economic environment. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support over the past 6 years."

I'm slightly outraged at the company for closing so quickly without any warning whatsoever. The least they could have done would be to have a massive closing down sale long enough for people to actually find out about it. Needless to say, I've been in a state of shock and mourning all day. The sun was shining, but the world seemed a greyer place. The birds were singing, but all I could hear were the sounds of Habitat's swan song. Today truly is a tragic day for Dublin interiors.

Bellinter House: Part 3

2008-05-11T09:42:00.009+01:00

The lounge area was probably my favourite space in the whole hotel. It was a mish-mash of old and new, antique and modern, mid-century and Edwardian. Animal heads adorned the walls, but in the form of paper lanterns. Upholstery ranged from leather to velvet to tweed, and were set off by lamps with shades made of paper, wicker, and translucent silver plastic. With a roaring open fire (which was slightly unnecessary in the sweltering heat) and massive floor to ceiling windows, I was in heaven!

Bellinter House: Part 2

2008-05-10T21:36:00.008+01:00

(I giggled when I saw that part of the decorating included the same Urban Outfitters cushions I've got on my couch at home)

Here's a few pictures of one of the suites in the converted stables. This puzzled my mom, because in America, barns would just as soon be knocked down as converted into a living space. This was a beautiful conversion. The room's mood was set by its lime washed walls and original timber lintels and ceiling supports. The stable is far more rustic than the decadent rooms of the main house, like a cozy, Scandanavian cabin.

Bellinter House: Part 1

2008-05-10T07:45:00.007+01:00

On Thursday night, my mum and I stayed at the fabulous Bellinter House Hotel in Meath. If you ever need to take a short holiday, even for one night just outside Dublin, this is the place to take it! We had a wonderful time, and the staff there were kind enough to let me take some pictures of a few of the uninhabited rooms. Let's just say I took a few more than "a few," so this weekend I'll be posting sets of pictures from our little mini-break along with tid-bits of information about the hotel.

This morning's photos are of two bedrooms in the Main House. These rooms were massive. The blue bathroom was bigger than our own room in the East Wing. Each had their own mirror-tiled shower and freestanding tub. The bedrooms were airy and sophisticated. The decoration was the height of romance. These were quite obviously the bridal suites....just filthy, stinkin' gorgeous!

Creepy Baby Ceramics

2008-05-08T07:48:00.006+01:00

I've seen stuff like this before, but not nearly as creepy (the baby hand hand-soap might be in the same realm, but at least they dissolve). These tiles just give me the heebie-jeebies in the worst way! However, if you're feeling rather broody and in need of a baby hand stuck to your wall or a 3D portrait of infants screaming, you can purchase these from Susan Kniffin Davidson's Etsy shop. They run from $22-$60, and lucky us; she ships internationally!

Tea Towels @ Habitat

2008-05-07T11:10:00.003+01:00

I think Zee over at Homebug might have mentioned these a couple of weeks ago, which might, subconsciously, be the reason I had to buy two of the Hennie tea towels when I was in Habitat yesterday. Or perhaps it was because they were 30% off. At a mere €11.20 for the two of them, I couldn't resist! It's just too bad that we have a surplus cups in the house, otherwise I would have bought a few to match the tea towels!

Stairs Before and After!

2008-05-07T10:12:00.006+01:00

(BEFORE: The builders tried to pass off underlay as actual carpet. Walking on it was an itchy mess)

(AFTER: Pretty white stairs, pretty white walls, pretty Bindweed wallpaper!)

A few days ago I finally finished my staircase. I started this project back in February, but due to things going horribly wrong in the paint & varnish department and just general photography-related busyness, I wasn't able to get it right till now. It was totally worth the wait, though, because it's the first project in our house that turned out exactly how I envisioned it. Walking up those stairs each morning to the kitchen is an absolute treat. And the best part is that we have loads of wallpaper left and I'm already planning my next attack on the house with it!

Busy bees

2008-05-06T07:49:00.006+01:00

(Dipping my toes in a bit of glacial bog-water)

My apologies for the distinct lack of posts over the past few days. It's been a very busy week for James and I. Everything from shooting a wedding, to massive amounts of DIY, to getting a violent case of vertigo at 3am (it's not nearly as glamorous as Jimmy Stewart made it out to be), and spending loads of time with the visiting mother who totally approves of the radical changes we've made to the apartment since the last time she was here.

Yesterday we took a small day trip with my in-laws to Wicklow. The weather was absolutely perfect and the mountains looked more beautiful than ever! If we get another weekend like that, I'd highly suggest taking a drive through Wicklow and stopping off at a few of the lakes. They're cool, refreshing, and completely gorgeous!

L'Affiche Moderne

2008-04-30T10:39:00.005+01:00

A couple of days ago, I received an email from a website called L'Affiche Moderne. There was no message, just a link. I almost dismissed it as spam until I scrolled below the link and found a couple of pictures that caught my eye. I was delighted to find that L'Affiche Moderne was site that offered limited edition posters by some pretty amazing artists at very reasonable prices. 50cm posters are are €59 and 30cm posters are €29. They have something to fit everyone's tastes, so get to buying people!

Get naked for art!!!

2008-04-29T20:54:00.004+01:00

You've probably already heard about it on the radio or read about it in the Metro, but photographer Spencer Tunick is coming to Dublin and he's bringing hoards of naked folk with him to the Docklands! Despite several "no's" from James, I signed both of us up for the event. It's on the 21st of June, with a photoshoot in Cork on the 17th of June as well. If large scale exhibitionism tickles your fancy (remember, it's all for the sake of art people), you can sign up on his website here. If not, keep your eye out for me in that dublin photo showing a bit of cheek.

DIY Sundays.

2008-04-27T22:58:00.006+01:00

(I promise James took out those rubbish bags right after this picture was taken)

Sundays tend to be my DIY days, and today was no exception. My wallpaper arrived from Germany on Friday and I had fully intended on getting the stairs done. However, i only managed to get a bit of painting done on them, as my dear, sweet husband managed to forget my numerous warnings and stepped on two of the wet steps before realising he had paint on his socks... So now I have to wait for those to dry, sand off the bits of sock fluff, and paint again before popping the wallpaper on.

(Before...notice the cheesey, fake marble effect on the tiles)

Fear not, my lovely readers, as I was able to turn my attentions elsewhere, namely the tiles above my sink and in my shower. I've always hated them. It's the kind of hatred only a renter could have towards something their landlord insisted putting in because it was "cheap." Some nights, I'd lie awake plotting ways to kill those tiles. And today I had my revenge by smothering them in ridiculous amounts of highly volotile organic compounds (aka tile paint). Sure, I feel terrible about the amount of harm I've done to the planet today, but if it's any consolation to our Mother Earth, I haven't turned on our heaters in like a month, and I don't own a car, so I think we're ok....

(After...see what five minutes and a coat of paint can do?)

The only bad thing about doing this, other than the obvious environmental affects, is that now I really really want to replace those ugly taps. I mean seriously people, Burger King has better taps than those!

Christina Vantouz!

2008-04-25T09:56:00.007+01:00

I'm absolutely loving these prints by Christina Vantouz! They satisfy my need for images involving animals mixed with people as well as colours that go well with my living room. Hooray! They're slightly more expensive than most of the art I post on here at $120 each, but if you take into account that the price is in dollars and it includes world wide shipping, how can you say no? Even if they're not your thing, have a look at her website. She's got some totally rad flash animation going on there!

Whistle While you Work

2008-04-23T11:28:00.004+01:00

When it comes to DIY, there's a few things we all need to get the job done: the proper tools, the right materials, and of course something to listen to whilst working on your project. Even though I probably work faster without music (impromptu dance attacks generally happen at least once an hour), it makes working on the project that much more enjoyable and memorable. Below is a list I've compiled of bands that I like to listen to whilst working on particular jobs.

Painting- Roy Orbison, David Bowie, Blondie, The Beatles

Tiling- Beastie Boys, REM, Polyphonic Spree, The Young Knives, Cold War Kids

Decoupage- Edith Piaf, Regina Spektor, Belle and Sebastian

Wallpapering- Arcade Fire, The Cure, The Decemberists, Editors

Rearranging Furniture- CSS, Delorentos, The Supremes, Vampire Weekend

What do you guys listen to when working on your home? Please share your musical inspirations!

Wallpaper and visiting mothers...

2008-04-22T09:32:00.003+01:00

Yesterday I ordered my "Bindwind" wallpaper from Wallpaper From the 70's. It should be here in the next few days. Yeah! Hopefully, the paper will be here by the weekend, as Sunday will be my only day off between now and when my mother comes to visit at the start of May. In fact, the whole house has to be perfect before she gets here. The last time herself and my dad were over from Seattle, it was just a few months after we moved in, and we didn't even have a proper couch for them to sit on. I think some serious Spring cleaning is in order as well.

Mister Lonely

2008-04-21T10:00:00.003+01:00

I came across this trailer last night. I love Samantha Morton and Diego Luna, and the idea of a bunch of celebrity impersonators living together in a commune just seems so funny and endearing. But seriously though, how on earth could they afford lake front property with a castle?! I suppose that's all part of the fantasy.

Yellowy Spring inspiration!

2008-04-21T09:15:00.014+01:00

(Photo by Go Shine)

(by M-Louis)

(by Techaluta)

(by Keeping it Real)

(by Haaaley)

Since we had a couple of days of nearly uninterrupted sunshine the week before last, I have determined that it must be Spring. With that said, I'd like to share some Springtime inspiration with you, using one of my favourite Spring colours: yellow!

Decorating in a Haunted House!

2008-04-18T09:46:00.004+01:00

Last night I was having drinks with a friend of mine who recently moved into a newly renovated apartment in Rathmines and has asked me to help her decorate her room. It's an old building and her bedroom is a restored attic space. I thought perhaps our biggest challenge would be to get the landlord to allow us to paint over the pea green paint. Then she told me the house was haunted.

Like most people, I think the idea of ghosts is completely ridiculous and highly illogical, if my friend was Mulder, I'd definitely be Scully. However, when left alone in old houses, the slightest noise gives me the heebie-jeebies. Don't know why. So just to be on the safe side, I want to do everything in my power not to piss off her ghost that may or may not exist.

If I've learned anything from movies, however, it's that all ghosts get pissed off at people who move into their gaff, especially if they redecorate! And not all ghosts are as friendly and reserved as Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis in Beetle Juice, so we should be extra careful.

I planned on framing some gig posters of her favourite bands. But what if the ghost isn't a fan of Bjork or Explosions in the Sky? Will he melt our faces with his scary ghost eyes? Short of hiring a medium to find out if he prefers A Merimekko wall hanging to Cole and Son wallpaper, I really don't know how to appease this ghost. Then again, the noises and things started before she ever did anything to the room, so with a bit of luck, maybe her ghost actually wants us to redecorate!

dublin waste chairs!

2008-04-14T21:52:00.005+01:00

I just found a very cute pair of fixer-upper chairs and sofa on Dublinwaste.ie. The upholstery doesn't even look that bad. A fresh coat of paint on the wood in a cool colour and throw some funky cushions on that couch, and you could have something really sweet. Maybe someone out there in the blog world might want them.

Octohead!

2008-04-13T18:43:00.007+01:00

(Gocco greeting card by Apak. $4.00)

After a long, arduous 7-hour photoshoot today, I plopped down on the couch, flipped open the laptop and started looking for octopi on Etsy. As summer approaches, we're seeing more and more sailor-styled clothing in the shops, and with that, I really hope we see more nautical imagery, and in particular, the octopus.

However, when I did a search for "octopus," I found tons of pictures of said creature on people's heads. Was there some sort of weird, collective telekinesis with loads of artists one day that just said "Octoheads...brilliant!"? It's a strange sort of trend, yes, but some of these images, I think, are actually pretty cool.

(4"x4" print by Noosed Kitty. Only $5.00)

(Limited edition 7"x7" print by Anne Julie. 22 squids...forgive the pun)

(Just to change it up a bit, here's a 8.5"x 17" print of a girl on an octopus's head by Animalsleep. 45 squids)

Hotel Fox in Copenhagen

2008-04-10T19:02:00.008+01:00

There's been some talk recently over at Homebug about fabulous hotels, most of which are located in equally fabulous Ireland, but at the reccomendation of one of Zee's readers, Ciara, I visited the site of Hotel Fox in Copenhagen. Holy crap! If I wasn't so desperate to go somewhere tropical for my holidays, I'd be going there.

Hotel Fox is like a massive art project...that you can sleep in. It consists of 61 rooms, each individually designed by 21 international artists. They all came together from the worlds of graphic design, graffiti, and street art to help create this amazing boutique Hotel. One of my favourite things about this place is the Tour De Fox option. It allows you to sleep in 3 different rooms for 3 nights. You can watch the whole process of the design and renovation in a short movie they've made here.

A New Reason to Go to Boston

2008-04-08T19:15:00.004+01:00

Apartment Therapy recently posted a house tour of a beautiful bed & breakfast on the south end of Boston. The owner, Stephen, used his experiences travelling as inspiration when remodling the old brownstone property 14 years ago, and I think it definitely shows. The house is very mainstream as far as colour and pattern, but still very stylish and elegant. There's loads of modern mixed with antiques. And that bathtub just looks soooooo relaxing! You can check out the rest of the 30-picture house tour here.

Rosie Music

2008-04-07T22:48:00.006+01:00

There's just something about rock n' roll and art that just goes together so brilliantly. A great example of this is RosieMusic on Etsy. Her stuff is cutsie, girly, but totally rockin'. But if guitars and keyboards aren't your thing, she's got plenty of pictures featuring a variety of nerdy activities like knitting and computers too.

Sexy Furniture

2008-04-07T21:34:00.010+01:00

A couple of months ago, a friend and I were sharing a bottle of wine and doing some catching up, and towards the end of the bottle she made a rather generalised comment about the Dutch. "They're all sluts!" she giggled.

I thought perhaps it was just the wine talking until today when I came across a photo of a fruit bowl shaped like four breasts, only to find out it was made by Dutch designer and sculptor, Mario Philippona. As I browsed through some of his other works, like the legs table and the high heeled wine tray, I started to wonder if my friend's slightly outrageous statement was somewhat true. Whatever the case, Mario's works are brilliantly sculpted and made from gorgeous woods. He's like a much tamer version of H.R. Giger.

As much as I'd love some erotic furniture in my house, I wonder if it's at all practical. If you have kids, how do you explain to them why a table shaped like bent over, high heeled ladies is cool? Or if you're like me, and you use your living area to meet clients, you don't want to make them uncomfortable by serving refreshments out of boob-shaped bowl. I dunno. Erotic furniture in your homes? Yea or nay? Sexy or Tacky?

Funny Games

2008-04-04T17:35:00.005+01:00

I just got back from seeing the film Funny Games at Cineworld. I must say, I've never seen a film like it....EVER! It was probably the most twisted movie I've ever seen, but if you're willing to sit through two hours of complete sadistic sickness, you're in for a interior design treat! The film takes place in a Hamptons weekend home full of gorgeous, traditional American decorating. Whites, woods, and periwinkle blues dominate the colour scheme like a much softer, more loving version of American Beauty.

Hmmm...whenever I think back to my grandpa's old beach place in Washington, all I can think of was ugly wood panelling from the 60's and ceramic maritime figurines. But I digress. The home in Funny Games is completely immaculate, full of light and air, and the kitchen is to die for; quite literally to die for. But despite all that beauty and sense of Americana perfection, if you do decide to see this film, you might second guess purchasing that home in the Hamptons.

P.S. Oh yeah, and if you're a total film geek like me, you might agree that this has, like, the best opening to a movie ever!

Kylie at Home

2008-04-01T19:13:00.006+01:00

I heard a while back that Kylie Minogue had released a collection of homewares and thought "Great! She's got mad style, Darling is one of my favourite perfumes, but will it really come to Ireland?" Well some of you might be pleased to know that she's officially kicked Twiggy's ass to the curb to become the new queen of Dunnes Stores Bedding. Twiggy still has her spot in the store, but she's kind of been put on the back burner.

I must say though, I wasn't impressed with Kylie's new bedding and cushions. A lot of it looked like it was made from the clothes of Copper Face Jacks patrons. The theme is definitely Bling. The cushions were covered in sequins, fringe, and shiny metallic animal print, and the duvets were similarly decorated. I did a touch test and none of them felt that nice against the skin in any way. I did, however, like the faux silk cushions with the big bows on them. I suppose it all boils down to the age old question of style vs. substance.

Some dude on top of a piano...

2008-04-01T07:47:00.005+01:00

Ok, since apparently, our client reads this blog, I now have permission to post some of the photos we took with that old piano. Thanks again Philip!!! But I don't want to deviate too much away from the world of design, so I'll just post one that I really like.

Bringing the inside out!

2008-03-31T22:08:00.005+01:00

(I try desperately to keep my ears warm)

(James thinks the acoustics in that field are great!)

Yesterday myself and James woke up at 5am to do a photoshoot at sunrise...in Cavan! Tired doesn't even begin to describe what we were feeling. Fortunately though, I was really excited about this shoot because it involved moving a really really really old piano out into the middle of a field.

It was fabulous! Half the keys didn't work, the ones that did were completely out of tune, the veneer was peeling off from 15 years of being stored in a damp shed, and we're pretty sure it was home to many a rat. The thing was so old, it had candlestick holders on the front. It had so much character to it, it was sad to see it in the condition that it was, but hey, at least we got some use out of it before it's destroyed completely.

I wish I could post one of the pictures of the musician with it. They look so cool together. But since I can't, you just get pictures of me and James with it instead!

French AIDS Awareness Posters

2008-03-29T12:40:00.001Z

A friend of mine in California found some French AIDS Awareness Posters and I thought I should share them. They're quite disturbing, so instead of actually posting the pictures, I'll just provide the link. Viewer beware. However, from a photography, photoshop, and design aspect, they're incredible. And I just love the herringbone floorboards and silver lamp in the first photo!

Colour Glass in Ranelagh

2008-03-29T10:28:00.004Z

Last week, James took me down the street to show me the new Colour Glass showroom here in Ranelagh. Of course, to prevent any sort of purchases, he brought me down on Easter Sunday when the shop was closed. Thanks Sweetie! Fortunately, they've a lovely website with brochures to download. Colour glass is a hot trend at the moment that replaces the need for tiles, and it comes in about a bazillion colours to fit your needs. With all my tiling frustrations at the moment, one sleek piece of glass seems so nice right now.