Jute rug

I just love the look of this jute area rug from Pottery Barn. Great price as well.
I used to have one just like it in my LR but then I found the antique one to replace it.
It adds such warmth and texture to a space.
Reminds me of all of the houses in England.
Some people think that it is like sisal and very scratchy to the touch- but it is really quite soft.
I first used it in my master bedroom dressing suite at the San Francisco Decorator showcase house. I used the jute wall to wall and loved it. Since then- I have done my whole office as well as my bedroom at home too.


Check out the video on jute as well- quite interesting

Reading corners

Alongside the need to get an alphabet poster for Hannah now, it's also time to set into motion a plan I've had from the day she was born...

A Reading Corner!

I blogged about the above reading nook space way back and the image has been seared into my brain... but no corners behind our doors to create a private, magical world for her escapes up the Faraway Tree. And she's too young to want to read on her own for hours like I remember doing when I was about 7.

So I Flickr-ed for inspiration....

Flickr sewinsight

Flickr moline

Flickr Vintage Pleasures

Flickr Two Straight Lines

Flickr cawalla1

Flickr RoegersSofierik

Flickr Veronica TM

Or you can go all out and create a special (expensive project) for your precious ones, like what Flickr: frecklesreggie did:



But with a budget of $0.00, I wanted to create a special place for her in our study. Previously her Step 2 table just kinda sat nowhere. After sleeping on the idea for 2 days, working out placements and trying out one other arrangement, I hit on an idea which I put into place last night and am reasonably happy with it. I dragged out her bookcase from her bedroom (she only ventures in there to sleep) and stole her foam sofa from the living/TV area (gotta replace it with something else)...

Before: (quite an old shot)


After:


She's outgrowing that table, so I'd really like to get her a desk... but the table's nice for when her friends come, although that's not frequent... Anyone got a secondhand/used Step 2 Master Activity Desk to sell? (I'm in Melbourne, Australia...)

Update since writing this: The next morning, the first thing Hannah did was drag that foam sofa out back to the TV area... which was okay since I'd just scored an Ikea Egg chair... and I like the look of it now :) Also dragged out an Ikea lamp from the recesses of our storage...



What about a bright round rug huh?

Un-beige cubicles

via Flickr user: Kristen Anna

I worked for a few years before falling pregnant in a small cubicle. While I wasn't one of the lucky few with a view of Sydney Harbour and the Opera House, all I had to do for that was stand up and the window would be 4 feet from my seat. It was a rather open office and I didn't feel boxed in... and I guess my design passion wasn't quite so... intense as it is today.

But I think a few more years in that space and I'd be tempted to do the same as graphic designer Maria, seen today on Lifehacker. Maria got some inexpensive fabric from Ikea and created a personal and happy space for her daily 8-hour grind.



Good huh? And not much of experience and skill required, just a "that's it, I've had enough of beige", a staple gun and some pretty fabric. Read more of Maria's cubicle happiness on her blog.

Of course, that got me going to Flickr for more cubicle happiness.

Enjoy!!

Flickr user: creampuffles

Flickr user: jamalistics

Flickr user: lorihighfill