Hecker Guthrie

I've been admiring the work of Melbourne Interior Design firm Hecker Guthrie for quite some time, so I was thrilled to see directors Paul Hecker and Hamish Guthrie jointly take out this year's Belle Coco Republic Interior Designer of the Year Award. Announced at an event in Sydney late last week, the evening showcased the very best of the Australian interior design industry. Described as 'consistently fresh and directional' by Belle editor-in-chief Neale Whitaker, Hecker Guthrie’s multi-disciplinary work is a constant source of inspiration to many, and I personally can't get enough! One of my favourite Homes to Inspire posts to date has been this beautiful pastel themed home by Hecker Guthrie. Another standout, you may remember this residence from my Gan Rug post. 

After a while you start to recognise the work of Hecker Guthrie when you come across it. Predominantly monochrome with clean lines, beautiful use of timber and marble, and incredible attention to detail, the results are exquisite. Here are some more examples from their amazing Portfolio. 

Armadale Residence, Melbourne

Park St Residence, Melbourne

Toorak Residence, Melbourne

Carlton Residence, Melbourne

Neale Whitaker and Paul Hecker with his prestigious award

Monday's a holiday here in NZ for Queen's Birthday, so I'll see you back here on Tuesday! Have a lovely weekend everyone.  

Homes to Inspire | Natural Beauty

I stumbled across this unique home late last night and was intrigued by the architecture and interior style. This morning I couldn't wait to look at it again with fresh eyes (after my coffee fix) and I have to say I'm pretty smitten. Located in Cape Town, South Africa, it was designed by Chilean architect Antonio Zaninovic. Drawing inspiration from the surrounding landscape and forest reserve of Table Mountain nearby, natural materials such as concrete, bricks and bamboo have been used in such a way as to mimic the structure of a tree. The resulting family home which is deceptively spacious and easy to live in, resembles that of a contemporary glass-box tree house. 

Turkish designer Yelda Bayraktar took on the interior project, in collaboration with the owner Jo Springthorpe, a fashion editor. Predominantly white with lashings of green and an abundance of wood give the home a fresh yet earthy feel, further connecting with nature and the beautiful outdoors. Vintage textiles, African design pieces and a mix of original mid-century modern furnishings make for some wonderfully vibrant spaces. Gorgeous plants and colourful artworks add the finishing touches. 

Clearly a surfing family, the indoor/outdoor spaces provide an idyllic lifestyle. 

The white Tulip Chairs designed by Eero Saarinen in the kitchen look great against the concrete and wood.

Such superb styling! I love the rug, greenery, vintage touches and photographic art. 

More green in the bedroom, expansive glass, and a lovely outdoor spot.

There's definitely a relaxed, holiday feel to this home which is so appealing. If you'd like to see more, there are some additional images on the architect's site. While you're there check out some more of Antonio Zaninovic's work. It's pretty spectacular! 

Images via casavogue.globo.com

Kitchenware | Ideas & Inspiration

The idea for this post actually began with tea towels. I was looking at ours, which are very well-worn, and thinking that I really need to get some new ones for when we move. You may remember from my first Home Build Post on the kitchen, I included a gorgeous Deer Tea Towel from Father Rabbit in my inspiration collage. Well that's still at the top of the list, but I'd also like some patterned ones, definitely black and white, and perhaps a bit of colour thrown in. From there I got sidetracked thinking about kitchenware in general. Since the home build post, my wishlist has of course grown, and I've seen so many gorgeous things that I thought I'd share them with you. 

I recently bought a peach octagon trivet and a marble cutting board from The Minimalist which I was very lucky to acquire, as they were the last ones and sadly the designer is not making them anymore. They are almost too pretty to use so I think they'll be displayed on the String Shelf so that I can admire them, or at least to begin with. To see what else I'm coveting, check out my picks at the end of the post. 

Firstly, here are some inspiring images from my Kitchen and Homewares & Styling Pinterest boards. 

Images: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7   

Links after images

01 Stelton Vacuum Jug by Erik Magnussen from Finnish Design Shop
02 Cork Coaster from Ferm Living
03 Marble Bowl from Nordic Elements
04 Herb Stand from Normann Copenhagen
05 Arne Jacobsen Design Letters Multi Jar from Finnish Design Shop
06 Vincent Van Duysen Ceramic Container with Oak Lid from Fitszu
07 Norm Spice Grinder from Scandinavian Design Center
08 Majamoo Tray by Jani Martikainen from Finnish Design Shop
09 Grey Moon Tea Towel from Ferm Living
10 Black Triangle Tea Towel from Ferm Living
11 Ceramic Cups from Nordic Day
12 Gold Uashmama Bag from Girl & Graaf
13 Geometry Espresso Cups from Ferm Living

Dining Rooms | Bright, White & Green

I've been thinking a lot about the dining area of our new home lately. The pendant lights arrived yesterday which is very exciting, and I've found both the trestle legs and the table top that I want. The chairs will have to wait but our existing ones will work for now, with the help of some sheepskins to warm up the cool steel seats. What I'm really looking forward to however is the surrounding space. The open-plan layout that includes the kitchen and living, the white walls, black joinery of the windows and doors to the adjoining deck, and white ash wood flooring. 

I really love dining spaces that bring in lots of light and greenery from the outdoors. Indoor greenery is wonderful too, and that's one of the key elements of these spaces I'm going to show you. Plants and fresh flowers really brighten up the room, adding texture and life. Regardless of style, be it vintage-industrial, rustic or modern, adding touches of green to bright white interiors is a simple formula that works every time.  

Images: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

I hope you've seen something here that inspires. I'm heading off to seek out some cosy sheepskins! See you back here tomorrow. 

Monday Mix Up | Moodboard & Homestyle

When I saw the Inspire Someone Today image on April and May, I smiled. These words have huge meaning for me, being that this is what I strive to achieve every day through my work. Add to that a cute design featuring a gorgeous shade of turquoise that I'm loving right now and a moodboard was asking to be created! It's even available as a free iPhone background by ONR. Adding dusky pink and a touch of yellow to the mix, I really enjoyed curating this moodboard due to its pretty palette. With Danish brand Muuto and the blog Weekday Carnival being my other main inspirations, my Pinterest boards (as always) served me well! 

Today I want to tell you about one of our local mags, Homestyle New Zealand. The Winter issue has just hit the shops and I was eager to grab myself a copy for several reasons. You may remember when I wrote about the launch of Dunedin based company MintSix Boutique Homewares & Styling I mentioned that one of the owners Talia O'Connor was due to have her home featured? Well here it is, gracing the cover no less and looking absolutely gorgeous!  

Inside you'll find more photographs of Talia's amazing character-filled home, photographed by Emily Hlavac Green and an accompanying feature written by my friend and fellow blogger Vic Bibby of Cush & Nooks.


The gorgeous home of Talia O'Connor of MintSix and her family 

There's also a great lineup of other homes from around NZ, as well as a stunning new build in the Netherlands.


A cool renovated 1960s apartment in Auckland's Freeman's Bay

An impressive architecturally designed home in the Netherlands

Another huge drawcard for me, this issue has an interior styling spread titled Northern Lights, featuring four Scandi-style home makeovers. Styled by Alice Lines, Amber Armitage and Caroline Paynter with photography by the hugely talented Larnie Nicolson, you'll gain loads of ideas for creating a cosy and inviting home this Winter.  

I'm loving this Scandi-style vignette featuring one of the gorgeous prints by Kristina Krogh who I featured here.  

I was also thrilled to see The Design Chaser included in the Fresh Finds section, alongside one of my favourite online stores The Minimalist and the beautiful Mö Photographic Journal. 

Packed with loads more home and living inspiration, make sure you grab yourself a copy! 

To finish off I'm really excited to announce the winner of the Thread Design Giveaway. Congratulations to Emma Kate Dyer who has won herself a gorgeous pair of black & natural triangle pillowcases! Huge thanks to Thread Design for their generosity, and to everyone who entered!  

Interior Styling | Rustic Doors

Last Friday I wrote about rustic style bathrooms and how I love seeing natural elements such as wood and concrete in all white interiors. Even in small doses these materials have the ability to add so much depth, texture and warmth. Well, recently I've stumbled across some interiors that feature vintage or recycled doors and the effect is striking. I can't seem to get enough of the contrast between the raw timber and pristine white surroundings.

This beautiful minimalist home is a great example...

These connecting rustic timber and glass doors work well in the industrial style kitchen...

This home in Brazil features a lot of raw timber and concrete. The pool house with its rustic doors is spectacular...

These doors have been given a personal touch with geometric designs...

  

And splashes of colour in this hallway of a renovated barn in the Netherlands... 

More fabulous contrasting here with vintage details...

and bright, white Scandinavian interiors...

White shutters look lovely in the bedroom... 

You could also use recycled doors purely as a decorative element, as shown with the shutters (above), or as a bedhead...

A room divider...



Or even just leaned up against the wall...

So there you go. If you're renovating, don't throw away your old doors just yet! Whether you're remodelling the living room, bedroom or any area of your home that has internal doors, they could become a standout feature of your freshly painted white interiors. 

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