Barbie's Malibu dream house - By Jonathan Adler Interiors

I wonder who would have commissioned Jonathan Adler to create this masterpiece? 

Hummm.....could it be?

Or....

 

Or....

I don't know about you but I am off to figure out how I can fix a tutu to the bottom of a chair and maybe watch some Mad Men.

Lounging around on a nailhead trim sofa

Saturday afternoon was spent lounging around - after a morning filled with brunch and thrifting with mum I laid on the lounge watching high quality quality television shows such as Kim & Kourtney take New York & Gillana and Bill (please don't judge hehe).

Why am I mentioning my television watching - you ask? The episode of Gilliana and Bill featured the most glorious lounge and I can't stop thinking about it! The lounge was in their Chicago condo (sorry not the best photo) It was a white couch with nail head trim all over!

I have been searching in the hope of finding a similar sofa for our abode, starting to think we might need to have one custom made if the search does not end well. I found this custom made one in the US by Ellen kennon.

Talking about nailhead trim on a sofa "done well", I was reminded of the living room of Mr Goodwill hunting. Instant sofa envy!.

PS: How good would the chair I posted about last Friday fit into Mr GWH abode!

Lonny chair - Ebay find

This image from the latest Lonny mag is beautiful:

This then had me searching on Ebay for something similar - I searched "brass chair" and this is what I found for $120 here . Just putting it out there but it seams that allot of nice things appear if you type "Brass" into Ebay/ Craigslist or Gumtree (try it- I double dare you).

Allot of you were cautious of me posting my Ebay finds - Our apartment is full to the brim - I purely search these things because I love the thrill of the chase, nothing makes me happier than finding a budget friendly version of something that probably cost a motza.

Does anyone want me to search your city for a bargain?

Friday Flowers & I love lamp

Hi beautiful readers- I hope you have a great weekend whatever you might be doing. I will be going out on a date with the hubs tonight, a bit of goodwill shopping and visiting my family tomorrow & on Sunday working on a project for our Study...that will involve a skirt and a desk.

Last weekend we visited the In Laws on their farm, I went flower picking in the yard with my mother in Law, these beauties have been cheering me up all week. If you have the opportunity to pick flowers from your back garden I am insanely jealous of you!. Unfortunately for now all I have is apartment dwelling and the ability to kill every plant on our balcony.  

PS: Do you like our new lamps for the buffet? Separates from Target $10.50 for the mirrored base & $10.50 Shade.....$21 a lamp! My lucky day (so I bought 2 one for either side of the buffet). In the words of the beautiful Michelle from Ten June I have been repeating to the husband incessantly the line "I love lamp!" I keep remembering it from her post....Do you remember the movie where that line came from?

Ebay find of the day- Bamboo chairs

Is seams that many of you beautiful Black Velvet Chair readers have a great eye for finding a bargain and seeing the potential in everything.

Sooooo the $1 Million dollar home I posted yesterday made me feel depressed and disheartened with the Sydney real estate situation I was then led to shopping on ebay for Bamboo chairs....what else is a girl to do when you don't have $1 Million dollars in your pocket? (we can't all be "Winning" like Mr Charlie Sheen).

Option 1

Located in Melbourne and currently no bids at $70 (only 1 day left).

OMG check out the detail at the corner where the leg meets the cross bar - Devinne!.

Here on Ebay

Option 2

These beauty's are in Windsor (Sydney).....Stop me now.....bid, bid, bid!

Here on Ebay - Currently $19.99

I imagine these would look great at either end of a big table.

(Karina - you say I never mention you on this blog.....you must buy these for your big table) 

I would paint them gloss white and pair with beautiful cushions covered in a floral Missoni Fabric (as below). 

Sydney house prices....Virtual re-decorating

The house prices in Sydney are Astronomical! Sydney is ranked number 2 as the most unaffordable city to buy a house.

It might sound crazy but sometimes I like to dream about what $1 Million dollars might buy us in our local area. Today I came up with this charming abode....

Picture this.....white walls + sanded and polished floor + Massive chandeliers all Furnished with a few gorgeous artworks scattered on the walls.... 

The house would look just like Bree Oliver's beautiful Paddington home that was sold last year.

Via: Paddington Perspective 

 

Oh yah this million dollar home also has a glorious Kitchen in lemon yellow and spearmint green:

I would do this:

Do you ever virtually re-decorate a home?

Margaret Lord "A guide to furnishing the Australian home" (1944)

Have a look at this book I recently picked up for $2 from a book fair- "A guide to furnishing the Australian home" written by Interior designer Margaret Lord in 1944. This book is described as the first Australian monograph of interior design.

It seams like the decorating style is almost still current today - just look at the illustrations and colour selections. (click on Image to view larger).

And in case you were interested a little about the author Margaret Lord Via: Powerhouse Museum:

This is a photograph of Margaret Florence Lord (1908 – 1976) – a precursor of interior design in Australia. It was taken in Lord’s flat in Potts Point by a prominent Sydney photographer Laurence Le Guay in 1944, the same year she published her first book Interior Decoration. A Guide to Furnishing the Australian Home.

The content of the book comprised of notes originally prepared for a correspondence course for service personnel organised by the Army Education. The overwhelming popularity of the course led to the publication of the book which is now considered the first Australian monograph on interior design. She published two other books, an autobiography titled A Decorator’s World: living with art and international design in 1969 and Interior Decoration in Practice in 1971 and also wrote numerous articles for magazines such as Australian Home Beautiful and The Home.

According to Lord

“interior decoration is a civilised art with a primitive appeal; it strikes deep down to the fundamental instinct of home-making which is inherent in all of us. This instinct needs direction and education if we are to satisfy our natural desire for surroundings that provide both for our need of comfort and our love of beauty”

(Lord 1944, p.1). 

Interiors designed by Margaret Lord include Sydney University Union, the Shell Company’s Carrington Street building, Johnston and Johnston’s factory at Botany, Australian Glass Manufacturers’ factory at Waterloo, Wrigley’s Ltd building at Rosebery, the Sydney Club, the Memorial Hall at Shore, Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital, Women’s Hospital, Melbourne, and the ships Monowai, Manoora and Kanimbla.

The Powerhouse Museum’s extensive archive of the designer consists of diaries, photographs, guidebooks and notes regarding her travels, scrapbooks, news cuttings, typescripts of speeches, broadcasts, articles, and more.

I think I have a new Idol- Oh and what a Betty!