Brilliant Autumn

Autumn is my favourite season with it's warm days, cool evenings, burnt oranges and golden yellows. But May is rapidly disappearing, and Winter is calling. So as a last hurrah, here is a little salute to Autumn and it's spectacular colour palette...

Kip & Co bedlinen | Saben 'Charlie' handbag | Hammock pic | Big Save Barcelona chair in tangerine tango | Bobo Choses 'Fish & Chips' cushion | Evie Kemp 'Roaring Lion' print

Healthy Living

We are all very aware these days of our planet, and the need to take care of it. Being the mum of three young girls, it's really important to me that this world is safe and healthy for them in the future. So I was thrilled to receive a parcel full of natural New Zealand products last week from The Green House.

All of The Green House products are plant-based, free of harmful chemicals, and their packaging is 100% biodegradable. The are designed to be gentle on you, your home, and the environment. What more could you ask for?!

I started using the All Purpose Cleaner straight away, and I love it. In fact, I got into a bit of a cleaning frenzy, wiping down just about every surface in sight - benches, cupboard doors, the stovetop, even the windows. It smells divine - citrusy and clean with a hint of lavender. The Refreshing Room Spray and the Hand & Body Lotion are equally as beautiful to use, and I'm saving the Soap (the packaging is too pretty to rip open just yet!) for a special occasion.

I'm so impressed with all the products that I look forward to trying more. In particular, the First Aid Balm, and Aches & Pains Balm would both be really handy for our busy family. And the Dreamy Coconut Soy Candle sounds delicious!

Feeling inspired by The Green House's natural philosophies, I looked into some other companies who live by a similar motto. Matt & Nat (short for material & nature) make the most beautiful bags using eco/recycled/upcycled materials wherever possible, including recycled plastic bottles for linings. They don't like hurting animals and they care about the welfare of our planet, so that means no leather, and lots of vegan cupcakes for smoko.

They have even designed a range of bags exclusively for Apple, that are only sold in the Online Apple store.

And because we have to look after ourselves as well as the planet you should definitely check out Move Nourish Believe, a site by Lorna Jane, my favourite sport and activewear company. Lorna Jane believes in a three pillared philosophy of move your body, nourish from the inside out, and believe anything is possible. The new website provides daily motivation and inspiration, healthy recipes, interviews, videos and much more. Make it a daily read, right after you read my blog :)

Glassons Queen Street

I know I'm a bit behind the 8 ball when it comes to this revamp on a well known clothing store in Auckland, but when I came across it recently I knew I wanted to blog about it - not only to share it with those of you who haven't seen it either, but also to have it in my archives for easy future access. I just love it!

Glassons is a New Zealand fashion chain store. It's priced to be accessible to all women,
but it's marketing has always been pretty slick. Not all the stores look as cool as this one in Auckland's Queen Street, however. The team responsible for the revamp is Studio Gascoigne, a multi-talented group who work across architecture, interior design, branding and identity.

The 57m long shop features a series of different zones or 'rooms' that enable the customer to experience the spaces as if they're walking through a villa. At the front is the spacious salon, the library is in the centre, and towards the rear is the conservatory complete with a 'green' wall of pot plants and a sky blue ceiling. A central catwalk and tall glass pivot doors lead to a luxurious fitting room.

Unashamedly girly, the shop features button-backed sofas, balloons and a giant unicorn.
The architectural details are gorgeous - beautiful ceiling roses and ornate Victorian verandah fretwork. Teamed with contemporary lighting and mounted animal heads the shop is fun and quirky with the element of surprise to make you smile.

Closing the gap between the on-line and off-line shopping experience, a designated web lounge consists of interactive built-in iPad stations and free Wi-Fi. It's easy to see why this is an award-winning space. To me, retail shopping is not just about the products, it's the experience. Creating an atmosphere that draws people in, delights them, and makes them want to come back. Studio Gascoigne have definitely achieved that, don't you think?!

Bar Carts Three Ways

It's no surprise that I'm a huge fan of bar carts, they're a collaboration of two things close to my heart - cool furniture and vignettes. Whether you use them in the traditional sense, to house your liquor and drinking accessories, or simply as a cool side table, it's hard to go wrong with them.

The gorgeous Roxy from Society Social is the queen of the bar cart, designing a divine range of them. The Madison Mixer below is a beautifully styled example of how you can use the bottom half to store your drinks and the top as a side table - perfect for integrating into your living room.

Because we do so much socialising outdoors in the warmer months, having a fully stocked bar cart outside makes sense. And the hot pink screams out 'fun in the sun'!

If you don't have one of these gorgeous bar carts, never fear, you can create your own using a small side table or even a large tray that sits on your bench or sideboard.

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Black Beauty

There are a lot of things to love about this gorgeous home in the coastal suburb of Barwon Heads, Victoria, Australia, and for me it's the colour palette that's the winner. The beautiful depth and contrast provided by the charcoal with the white, and bursts of rich colour.

Also the textures are delicious - wood, polished concrete, brick, velvet...

And everything that has been chosen to go into the house has such great style, from the lights right down to the rugs.

Pop Motif

As a trained graphic designer who has stepped sideways into the fabulous world of interior design, artwork is hugely important to me. It's one of the most effective ways of expressing your personality in your home. So I was really excited when I discovered a new online art gallery based in Auckland, called Pop Motif. They have an amazing range of prints and posters at really affordable prices. This passionate group of art lovers believe (as do I) that everyone should have access to great art.

The Favor Girl by Pierre Bellenger is one of my favourites, we have a really huge version in our living room, which always gets compliments. Pop Motif specialise in vintage art and have a fantastic selection, including plenty of Bally posters - another love of mine.

As well as vintage, you'll find some awesome pop art from such renowned artists as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Kozyndan.

I've got my eye on some beautiful fine art prints, including Almond Blossoms by Vincent Van Gogh - the colours and the detail are exquisite.

This print, Walk Haring's Dog, by a British graffiti artist, is really cool, I'd love to use it in a teenager's bedroom. The artist goes by a pseudonym of Banksy, his identity unconfirmed, and Pop Motif have a whole series of his satirical street art.

If you've followed the blog for a while, you may have picked up that I have a soft spot for zebras. So I think Kaleidoscope by Ben Allen might have to come and live with us! It would look perfect in the twins' room.

And not forgetting the littlies, how cute is this range of Peek-A-Boo prints by Yuko Lau?! There are 14 different prints in this range, so you could almost wallpaper the room in them.

So there you go, are you excited too? This is just a taste of what you can find on the Pop Motif website, so go and check it out for yourself. And why not join their mailing list while you're there to make sure you're kept up to date with all new art, discount codes, and more.

Rue May/June Edition

Have you read the latest Rue magazine yet? It's a cracker! Chat with a pair of designer Mums (or Moms) who create a fabulous range of accessories and bags; and see inside three amazing bloggers' homes - Jennifer Hagler of A Merry Mishap, Kirsten Grove of Simply Grove, and Rachelle Francey of Kenziepoo.

This, of course, is just some of the amazing content you'll find in this issue. My favourite feature was the one on the home of interior designer and owner of Loot, Julie Pierce.

Not only do I love her home and her style, some of her comments are my sentiments exactly... "Try not to worry about how temporary your current living situation is," Julie says. "If you aren't in a hurry, and choose pieces you really love, you'll end up with an amazing collection that harbors your story." She goes on to say "if you only put things around you that you really love, they live well together because there's some similar quality in all pieces." Oh, so true! Surround yourself with things you love, and build a story over time.

Domaine

I can't tell you how excited I was when I discovered Domaine, a newly launched shoppable online magazine. Seeking to bridge the gap between artistry and commerce, Domaine celebrates design while providing home decor inspiration and ideas. There is so much that inspired me, but one of my favourites is the story about Glee actress, Lea Michele, and her West Hollywood bungalow makeover.

Interior designer and fashion stylist, Estee Stanley, who also happens to be Domaine's editor-at-large, convinced her friend and client, Lea, to submit her new place to a Domaine-style makeover. With only four hours to move nearly all of Michele's possessions into temporary storage, and style her home with a truck load of new furniture and homeware, the task was huge. I absolutely love it - they managed to achieve a home that looks like it has evolved gradually over time. There are some beautiful pieces, but I think my favourite would have to be the one-of-a-kind French Baroque-inspired blue velvet settee which sits opposite a trio of industrial dining chairs.

Lea loved it too. She had complete faith in her friend, whose only instructions were "make it cozy, and don't touch Barbra". Read all about the makeover, and see even more gorgeous photos of Lea's home here.