Outdoor Entertaining Colour Schemes :: Colours of Rajasthan, India

The best thing about moving house is when you go through those last few boxes and discover old picture frames, holiday photos, lamps, ceramic bowls and items you purchased on holiday and packed away years ago as you never found a natural home for them. 

With this mind and together with my fond memories of India I would like to add a splash of colour to my outdoor entertaining space and finally find a home for those packed away holiday purchases. 

I am literally starting form scratch as I currently have no outdoor furniture.

So where do I start?... With a colour mood board and a theme. 

My colour theme for my outdoor dining area is going to be that of the intense mix of colours that I have found across India and especially Rajasthan. 

Here's my colour board below...

I have added a few photos from my travels along with my favorite colours & textiles. This blend of  bright colours instantly brings back happy memories of my travels. 

Yes you really can take a photo like this. The cows love the camera!

I cannot take credit for these photos as they are by others.
I have added these images so that you can see how intense colour really is in Rajasthan, from the sari fabrics through to the window frames and architecture.

For this type of colour scheme to work I will use intense colour across fabrics and cushions and keep the seating and furniture quite neutral, maybe white cane seats and white washed recycled timber.

This exercise is not something I am going to solve overnight but by starting with a colour board and theme it will help me keep focused on a clear approach.

Have fun.

Recycled Chairs :: Stackable Old School Chairs

My family and I have recently moved from our lovely 67 sqm Brisbane Post War home in Brisbane to a larger home by the sea in Hervey Bay. 

We plan to raise, extend and add a much needed deck to our Brisbane home at a later date but in the mean time we have swapped our city life for a sea change while we plan for the future new house build. 

This move has given us the opportunity to have outdoor living areas for the first time since we have been in Australia and this we are quite excited about.

So I now have some new "To do lists"...

1. Look for some second hand outdoor dining room chairs and recycle.

2. Reupholster and give some new life to some up my old dining room seats.

3. Look for some old timber doors or recycled timber furniture to make a new outside dining room table.

4. Find some old secondhand daybeds, refurnish to create to a new outdoor lounge area.

5. Start planning for the new build.

Now for Task 1 - Inspiration for new dining room chairs

Currently I have some old dining room, ply stackable, 'school style' chairs (originally from Ikea UK many years ago) and I am now looking for some ideas to give them a new face lift.

via poppytalk

This recycled old school chair has been given a great revamp just by adhering fabric scraps and samples to its back and base.

Here's a great idea if you love painting. These beautiful chairs from Anthropologie are hand painted with different flower and landscape scenes.

via decor8blog

Finally for something for softer. This comfortable revamp of a classic 1930's school chair by UK textile and pattern designer Ellen Calvert has created a cushion base and back by knitting the cushion and based with a giant woolen knit, then she applies a pattern print to then embroidering over on top.

Have fun.

Recycled Fabric Placemats & Coasters

Wow I cannot believe it's March already. With one thing or another I have had to take some time out from my blog but now I am so happy to be back :)

My husband and I have many new plans ahead including the final stage of extending and raising our home. I have also been gathering a few extra items of furniture and after acquiring a recycled timber coffee table, with a glass top, I was left with the task of finding something to form coasters and placemats to protect the glass.

Both my Grandmothers taught me to save all spare buttons, fabric scraps and learn to use a sewing machine. With this in mind I headed into my sample library and collected some A4 fabric swatches and smaller pieces, tidied up the the frayed edges and there you have it, protection for my glass table top. This was my quick fix but when I looked into this in more detail I came across some other websites with inspiring images of recycled table placemats and coasters...

image via Bemz

These images are from sew from home with a great link on how to sew these and protect the edges.

It's so worth keeping boxes for scrap pieces of fabrics as you just never know when they may come in handy!

Have fun.

Recycled Country Kitchen Shelves

Maybe time just seems to get faster and faster. I cannot believe a month has flown by since my last post and I have so much to tell you about designing or recycling your kitchen.

Recycled Country Kitchen Shelves

When it comes to kitchen storage I have been encouraging clients to think of using old country style kitchen shelves as features in their kitchens. 

You may have one stored in your garage or know someone that may be throwing one out to make way for a new modern kitchen. 

When you find one, it's worth checking with your joinery that they are structurally sound and additional support can be built into the wall, then apply a quick sanding and a new coat of paint. 

They can add a unique level of charm and detail to your kitchen along with that extra storage space!

Here goes a few images to inspire. Enjoy....

I just love these open shelves with the VJ panels behind and the stone bench top table below. A great two piece to anchor any kitchen and give some shelves to display your finest china.

I am all for the humble tea cup or mug to come back on show. There has been too may years gone by where they have only seen the inside of cupboards!

Have you ever displayed your best china? 

With the right pattern, colour combination and a little bit of styling you will be surprised the effect it can have to brighten up a kitchen wall. 

My apologies for not being able to credit the origin of these photos. 

If you are the owner one of these images please let me know and I will add your details to the image.

Keep an eye out in those car boot fairs, second hand stores and in your garage.

Have fun.

Country Kitchen Design Ideas :: KItchen Sinks

Wow it's been another busy month. I have three great projects on site, a country kitchen refurbishment, a new build circular house and an organic coffee cafe. 

Over the last month I have collected loads of great kitchen ideas and I think it is about time they made their way from my hard drive back onto the web, so here goes the first batch. Enjoy....

Country Kitchen Sinks

There is such a wide selection of sinks to choose from these days but a style of sink that find it's self quite a home in any country style kitchen is a Farmhouse, Butler or Belfast sink.

Most of these type of sinks are made form fireclay ceramic and although not as robust as stainless steel they add that element of character to any country style kitchen.

Brick bond rectangle wall tiles look great above these sinks.

As do open shelving.

My humble apologies for not being able to credit the origin of these photos. If you are the owner one of these images please let me know and I will add your details to the image.

Have fun shopping for your perfect kitchen.

Xavier Rudd's Home :: Natural Finishes, Recycled Materials and Sustainable Design

It's been such a busy time for me over the last month and I apologise for my lack of updates and posts. 

I have been working on varied selection of projects from an organic coffee cafe (on site as we speak), a sustainable new country kitchen refurbishment to an new build circular organic home. I am so excited about all these projects and will be posting more details over the coming weeks. 

Until then, a project that I have been using as a point of reference for the use of natural finishes and recycled timber is Xavier Rudd's home designed by Zen Architects in Melbourne.

What interests me with this house is the mix of soft natural finishes, sustainable and eco friendly architecture and capability to store excess electricity.

This home features straw bale walls with a hand rendered plaster finish, timber construction, reclaimed timber for stairs, rails and seating and polished concrete floor giving that natural and earthy feel. 

Love the reclaimed taps, Moroccan style wall tiles and stone wash hand basin.

What a creative outdoor shower concept!

all images by Phillip Stubbs

Also, unlike grid-connected power systems this home has an off-the-grid (stand alone) power system to store excess electricity produced during the day into batteries which supply the house at night or when its is overcast. 

It would be great to be off grid in the future but while we still work in close proximity to cities we will have to do with a grid connected system instead.

Have fun.

Natural Wall Finishes :: Tadelakt Lime Plaster

I am currently looking for a natural wall finish that I can use on a curved wall in a shower recess. Mosaics or small tiles would be one solution but I am looking for a more natural and traditional product that looks similar to polished plaster. 

One material that I am investigating at the moment is Tadelakt. 

images via

What is Tadelakt?

If you have ever been to Morocco you may have noticed the shiny plastered walls of palaces, hammams and bathrooms. These walls have been made with a traditional application of applying a lime plaster to the wall then polishing the wall by hand with a stone and finishing with an olive oil soap mixture for its final appearance and water resistance. This method gives you both a lovely natural appearance and a waterproof finish. 

Just think that this traditional finish goes way back to the days when glass and plastic showers were not available!

images via 

Polishing the wall with a glass bead.

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It's a unique finish but the process is labour intensive and time consuming which may result in a higher price tag then just tiling a wall. Like any feature finish if this is the look that you after then it's worth the investment.

Also to note in Australia you may still need to waterproof your wet area before applying this plaster finish.

Have fun.