Flos Outdoor Romeo C1 Light

Here is a sneak peek of an interior job that I have been working on.
My clients have recently had their new lights installed, including this cool Flos Outdoor Romeo C1 light. The shade is constructed with woven PVC threads on a stainless steel frame, while the light bulb is covered by a injection moulded opal coloured diffuser, which gives a lovely glow when turned on.
I think the light looks great and add a modern touch to their porch area. The front door also has been recently painted with a coat of glossy black. Looks smart.

Photographs by Charlotte Minty.

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A Stunning Garden

Featured in the latest NY Times T magazine is this stunning Nantucket Island garden designed by Dutch landscape designer, Piet Oudolf.
Oudolf is well known for his planting on the awesome New York's High Line and this garden has the same feel - drifts of flowering perennials plants and grasses that look as nature intended them to be, even though it has been designed to every layer and detail. I adore this garden - as well as the gorgeous surrounding cedar shingled buildings. Drool.
Read more about it here.

 Photographs by Dana Gallagher via T Magazine.

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Everyday Swing by George and Willy

My niece, Billie adores going on the swing and always says 'higher, HIGHER!' when we push her. She is 2 and a half years old and fearless. So when she is a wee bit older and bigger, I think this swing will be her cup of tea (and hopefully she'll let us adults use it too). The Everyday Swing is by George and Willy, a charming company by two young craftsmen/designers who focus on high quality, hand made, New Zealand products. Their aim is to create loved objects that will sit in Kiwi homes and baches for generations to enjoy. Sounds good to me.

Photographs via George and Willy.

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Scandi Style Cafe in Japan

Spotted on Gardenista today - this is Soholm Cafe, a Scandi inspired design by Jamo Associates, which is located in a seaside suburb in Toyko, Japan. Great use of colours and materials -  I like the casual and relaxed atmosphere created by the graphic brick pattern, the strings of frosted bulbs and lush plants.
Photographs via Jamo Associates.

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Kerryn Dunshea Garden Benches

Bespoke garden bench by Kerryn Dunshea

Thorndon bench

Ponsonby bench

Khandallah bench

In the weekend I was outside my friend's deli in Kelburn and while chatting with them, they mentioned that they are keen to place a bench in front of their store. So I recommended to them to have a look at the classic and traditional Kerryn Dunshea Garden Benches.
Dunshea, a fellow Wellington interior designer, was inspired by the classic English garden furniture she saw while she lived in the UK. The benches are handcrafted in Wellington using traditional construction methods and there is a paint colour palette to choose from. A perfect piece for the garden (or in front of a deli) this summer.
Photographs via Kerryn Dunshea.

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Conservatories and Sunrooms

Chiswick Restaurant, Sydney - a conservatory style dining area with polished concrete floor. Photo: Remodelista.

A conservatory on the side of this house brings in more light. Photo: Remodelista



A window seat area - the textile mimics the outside. Photo: Remodelista.

A country style covered patio with refurbished 1920's wicker furniture.
Photo: House and Home.

A sitting area in a screened off porch with mid-century style sofa and chairs.
Photo: House and Home.

An industrial style conservatory with in built seating. Photo: House to Home.

Fashion designer, Tory Burch's solarium with woven chairs and antiques. Photo: Vogue

In the Conservatory by Edouard Manet, oil on canvas, 1879. I really like the bench seat.

I have been researching conservatory images for a client of mine. We have refurbished most of her family home and the transformation has been fantastic. One of the rooms left to do is the conservatory, which will be next year's project - so I have been slowly building some visuals to get some ideas and have been trying all kinds of names to find them, including sunroom, patio, screened in porch, solarium, window seat, outdoor rooms, etc. Here is a small selection of what I have found so far.

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