Harry and Sal's Design Blog: September 2007

HARRY: OK, I'll finish up on the lighting stuff now. But I couldn't resist posting this. One of my favourite sites - mocoloco - covered London's 100% Design beautifully and there was a huge lighting component (aptly named 100% Light). I love Freedom of Creation's 'Palm' and Tom Dixon's new pendants are just very very cool (below).

Labels: Harry, Lighting

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 9/30/2007 0 Comments

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HARRY: Sal is absolutely right. If you get the lighting wrong your place is doomed. The thing I hate is overlit rooms. Impossible to do if you've got a Noguchi. His lovely paper lamps are pieces of sculpture. Just make sure the kids are nowhere near with anything pointy! His lamps haver been part of the collection at MOMA since the 50s. They aren't crazily expensive either. This one pictured above is $125.

Labels: Harry, Lighting

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 9/30/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: OK people, I mean seriously. Isn't this the most fabulous thing you ever saw? I think I may be developing a pendant light fetish - but let me explain. You can do everything with a room, spend the earth, but if you neglect the lighting you are doomed. The right lighting transforms an ordinary room to an eye-popping statement. Speaking of which, I had to share with you the PXL lamp from lighting company Zero in Sweden. Stunning. Check out the camouflage pendant also, a white globe with molecule like clusters and holes spreading globby light throughout your home. Very cool.

Labels: 711, Lighting, Sal

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 9/29/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: If you have a passion for homemade indie designs, this is one site you will have to bookmark. Cutique is a directory of the delightful and the divine, focusing on apparel and accessories with a small selection of homewares. Here is just a small sampling of some of the cool gems I discovered there.

Labels: Sal, Style

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 9/29/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: I'm a big fan of the work of designer couple Janet Morales & Stu Eli over at Three Potato Four. They have delightful taste - presenting an eccelctic whimsical collection of vintage and modern objets. AND they have lived the dream - packed up from the rat race in NYC and now running their own Web business from home. It really can be done!

Labels: Ornaments, Sal

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 9/28/2007 0 Comments

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HARRY: Had one of those days where you feel like a super woman. Did the kids, did the house, did my work, did food shopping. Did the lot... and now I am TIRED. But inspired. I met with the new editor of Monument magazine today, Peter Salhani. Very enthusiastic. I'm going to cover some residential stuff for them and maybe do the books page. Fun to be in the thick of it again. He gave me Davina Jackson's new book... 'Emerging Talents in Australian Architecture'. Looks lush. Spectacular photography by Melbourne woman Shannon McGrath. The cover shot for the book of a Mark Cashman project is pictured above. The book sits here on my desk by my glass of wine waiting to be opened. Davina also wrote, with her architect husband, Australian Architecture Now - a great survey of what is happening down under. I also got a very cool mag today from Remo Giuffre, the powerhouse behind Remo. The magazine is called 'Dumbo feather, pass it on' and is just an exquisite piece of design. God only knows how they keep themselves going - there's next to no ads. But for the reader it is pure bliss. You can now get it at Barnes and Noble (but not online) ... definitely check it out. I've pasted the cover of the current issue below.

Labels: Books, Harry, Magazines

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 9/27/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: Urban Outfitters has a limited furnishings/furniture collection, but it can always be relied upon to add a little funk to your home. Check out the Braeburn Bentwood Chairs. Made from laminated plywood, they come in at $139 for a set of two. Also available in Petal and Windowpane. Oh and they're stackable. Sweet.

Labels: Furniture, Sal

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 9/26/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: Perhaps it's Fall approaching and all the delicious colors emerging as the season changes around us, that is bringing on this lust for color. Although for Harry in Sydney, they are now (thankfully I'm sure) heading in to Spring. Whatever it is, I too am finding myself drawn to the bold and the bright these days. I was checking in on how the folks over at Grassroots Modern were going with their house project, when I spotted their post about the work of Avalisa and her wonderful prints for children. See a selection below. Luckily for us, Avalisa is now branching in to rugs - and has a sneak preview on her website - enjoy!

Labels: Art, Kids, Sal

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 9/26/2007 0 Comments

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HARRY: Julie Patterson of cloth has been around for a while. I remember her from my days editing Domain (a scary 8 years ago...my, how old we get). She was starting out and I thought her stuff interesting but rather rough. Her work is now so refined. I loved the new line of native birds (below). I've been looking for pillows for our couch. I was thinking of something from Florence Broadhurst but I think she's reached saturation point. I already have a few cushions in her fabric. These cloth prints seem fresher and less obvious.

Labels: Art, Fabric, Harry

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 9/26/2007 0 Comments

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HARRY: Thank God Sal threw some colour in there. We were getting rather beige for a second! I have now truly shaken off the flu and am in need of some colour to cheer me up. Spring is slowly creeping in. Warm days in Sydney. Lovely. I thought these prints by Yellena James were perfect. There is a joy to them that's infectious... in a good way, not a flu way!

Labels: Art, Harry

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 9/25/2007 1 Comments

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SAL: Following on from Harry's recent post on cool bedding for kids - I had to share the cool duvets and sheets over at Boodalee. I particularly like the Circus print pictured above. However at $135 for a twin duvet set it's not the most thrifty of options. For those of you on a tighter budget such as myself, I hate to say it, but Ikea again has some really fun designs. I got the Barnslig Rand set for Oliver's room last week.

Labels: 711, Kids, Sal, Textiles

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 9/25/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: The desk - it's elegant yet functional, modern with a classic style - behold the Jonas from the ever inventive folks over at Ikea. What is not shown in this picture, is that the Jonas comes with a side desk that extends on the right, creating a retractable L - extra room that comes in super handy. All this for an unbelievable $129. I also got the filing cabinet to sit next to it. The final touch will be the Nominell chair. It wasn't necessarily the comfiest, but you got to love that green!

Labels: 711, Furniture

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 9/24/2007 0 Comments

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HARRY: This is just a quickie (got to get my son to school). I'm doing a column for Good Weekend magazine called Favourite Things. I interview well known Sydneysiders about their favourite things. Simple idea, but it turns out to be really fun. One of the names that has come across my desk is Remo. Locals will remember the design store that once graced Oxford Street...I still remember those great fine white cotton t-shirts. Remo brought taste and style to Sydney and now Remo Guiffre brings that same style online. The website's been going for a while but he keeps adding stuff AND he ships to the US. Check out the Dinasour Designs gear (pictured above) and his great t-shirt designs. I love the site too. It's quirky, just like the store was.

Labels: Harry, Kitchen, Style

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 9/24/2007 1 Comments

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SAL: Apologies dear reader for the sparseness of our postings in recent days, we've been experiencing some technical difficulties, and add to that poor Harry was laid low with a wicked flu! But, onward... I've been meaning to write about this table for a couple of weeks now. DWR have introduced a new rosewood top to celebrate the anniversary of Eero Saarinen's pedastal collection. They are built from all sustainable materials and feature a nifty medallion on the bottom to remind us how special they are!

Labels: 711, Dining, Furniture

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 9/23/2007 0 Comments

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HARRY Sorry to everyone that we've been off the air for a few days...bugs seem to be everywhere - Blogger, my household...from my sick bed I've been pouring over the exhibitor's list for 100% Design in London. A friend of mine is there and I couldn't help feel a pang of jealousy when she called before leaving. (Sal and I will have to meet up in London next year). I especially like the work of British designer Benjamin Hupert (pictured above and below). He's part of 100%futures, an exhibition of emerging talent. It's a great chance to spot new talent and see what the old guard is up to.

Labels: Furniture, Harry, Lighting

posted by cerentha harris at 9/21/2007 0 Comments

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Anthropologie upholstery sale is about to end. If only I were in LA...I would be all over the Ditte Slipcover Sofa. It's pictured above. I lovethe lines of hat sofa with the ornate fabric. Although I wonder if we'll look bakc on all that decorative fabric and think how 2007 it was! I'm also drawn to those lovely little upholstered Astrid chairs. This one with snapdragon fabric is on sale...not sure about the fabric but the shape and size is perfect for my bedroom.

Labels: Furniture, Harry

posted by cerentha harris at 9/21/2007 0 Comments

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HARRY I'm back again. Just. We're still up to our eyeballs in boxes and both the kids are sick (we've been juggling vomit buckets with dust rags all day). Brian just connected the Bose so at least we have music (this system is amazing...I highly recommend it. Great sound and it looks sleek). No TV til next week. And we seem to live at IKEA. I think those guys should give you free coffee after the third visit. Or at least a discount. The kids rooms has finally taken shape...so now they can get feverish in comfort. Got the dotty bedspread above, the rug below (which is a lot richer in real life - lots of earthy reds and greens). Finally got the Bookworm up - it took three of us, including my father who is a builder. Now it is home to everything from a Batman doll to books and weird little wooden Mexican winged things my brother gave the kids. Their room looks really cool. And ours? Well, it sucks. But I start on that tomorrow. Definitely no more IKEA.

Labels: 94, BedBath, Harry, Kids

posted by cerentha harris at 9/17/2007 1 Comments

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SAL: I really don't think I could handle this bed for myself personally - but it's pretty amazing. You would need a really big room with virtually nothing else in it to show it off in all its glory. The Lomme is apparently the result of years of research into sleep problems and therapies according to the website. "Owners of Lomme beds will benefit from state of the art light and sound therapy, which remove outside disturbances and allow you to wake naturally feeling refreshed and full of energy." Hmmm....

Labels: BedBath, Sal

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 9/15/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: Via Print & Pattern, I discovered the gorgeous work of Suling Wang. You can contact Suling through Kolea Baker who is an Artists Representative with an impressive collection of artists she represents. Kolea has great taste! Have a look through the artist portfolios for inspiration! I also really liked Tom Collicott's photography below.

Labels: Art, Sal

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 9/14/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: There are few things that scream modernism quite as loudly as a Nelson clock. George Nelson, together with Charles and Ray Eames, was one of the guiding lights of American modernism. The sunburst clock pictured above, is one his most iconic statements and is now brought to wonderful life by the Vitra Design Museum. Haus Modern Living has a whole selection of Nelson's clocks for sale, including the Ball clock in a range of colors and the Eye clock. They also have a collection of his lamps, including the criss-cross lamp (below) which was produced by Howard Miller and is now brought to you by Modernica.

Labels: Lighting, Ornaments, Sal

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 9/12/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: As we're looking at bathroom layouts for the Kydd House there's a little bit of pressure mounting as to what style of tub we want. Is it freestanding, or built-in? These decisions will impact the final bathroom design. A freestanding tub is a majestic thing, it needs room, it needs placement. I'm a big fan of a good tub, even though I might not use it for 360 out of 365 days a year - boy for those five days I'll be REALLY glad I had it! Tub-searches are not so easy to do online, like a bed, there's something about a tub that you really need to experience first hand before making a decision. That being said, I had a bit of a mooch about and found some gorgeous options. The Water Monopoly company in London has a great site to look at for ideas, the Paris tub pictured above is a nice combination of classic and contemporary. Vintage tub is a great stop if it's a clawfoot tub you're after, and Waterworks classic tub was a not-too-crazily-priced, but elegant built-in tub. I'm not one for the jets, or inline heating, so I'm hoping my needs will be relatively easy to address. If I can't find what I'm after, I may just throw in the towel (pardon the pun) and go for a hot tub in the yard and be done with it. Only the classiest ones though, of course.

Labels: 711, BedBath, Outdoor

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 9/11/2007 0 Comments

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HARRY: Sal is absolutely right. We do get carried away roving the net. It's so easy to post something glam that we could never afford! And good design can so be expensive. But it doesn't have to be. My friend Ruth introduced me to the joys of Cost Plus World Market in Los Angeles. Such a bad name for a such great store! I'm looking for rugs for the kid's room right now and although these guys don't ship to Australia (such a shame) they've got some inexpensive graphic rugs. I got heavy white curtains yesterday for their room from IKEA that have a giant green leaf pattern ($59 for two extra long panels). I want to get a simple graphic woven wool rug for the floor. I'm now deciding between black and white (like the ones above) or warm red tones (like the one below). Something that they can run riot on and I wont be worried about. If anyone knows a good spot for rugs in Sydney ... let me know!

Labels: 94, Harry

posted by cerentha harris at 9/10/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: Sometimes we get a little carried away as we surf the Web looking at all these beautiful objects, and sometimes we need to come down to earth - just a little bit. When I told my sister-in-law how much the satellite lamps that I was blogging about a couple of days ago, cost ($1320 a pop) her response, understandably, was "Lordy!" So that set me about looking for some more reasonably priced options and I've found a wealth of them. My fave was at Design Within Reach. DWR is not usually top of mind when it comes to inexpensive options, but the Icon pendant captures the same kind of vibe as the Encalmo-Stamen I mentioned this week, but at a fraction of the cost. $299 vs $1195. Bargain! Design Public also has some really simple and elegant pendants that I liked, especially the Deco Pendant that's very feminine with lots of different shade options.

Labels: 711, Lighting, Sal

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 9/10/2007 0 Comments

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HARRY: I'm back. A few days by the sea has left me very relaxed. Maybe a bit too relaxed. It's hard to get back into work. We move back into our house on Friday (our tenants are moving out early...yippeeee!) So this week is going to be very busy. And just like Sal, I am obsessing over desks. I've decided on trestle legs and a white top from IKEA...it's definitely the cheap-as-chips option that will get us through to the renovation. Then we'll build something fabulous in. If I could choose anything? It's a toss up between the Eames desk and one by Modernseed (below). In the meantime, IKEA here I come...

Labels: 94, Harry, Office

posted by cerentha harris at 9/09/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: The challenge - find a desk for the current house, that is cheap and cheerful and practical. Note, this is an interim solution as the new place will likely call for something very different - probably custom-made for a specific space. That being said, if I find something suitably versatile it may live on as a bedroom nook type desk in a future life. Alas - am I trying to do too much with too little? I fear that might be the case. So we have - dream/future-proof scenario and make-good cheap-as-chips scenario. Dream-scenario would be something like the Parson's desk pictured above. Sleek in a variety of polished finishes, it may do just the trick for now and later, at $299 it's not ridiculous, but not cheap either. Trusty Ikea has some really great mix and match options. I do like the Galant system for something simple and very economical. Hmm... decisions, decisions. For more great ideas check out House & Garden's Desk Quest slideshow. PS Harry, we miss you!

Labels: Furniture, Office, Sal

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 9/08/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: More lighting deliciousness, this time via Grace at Design*Sponge (LOVE her). The Encalmo-Stamen (soothing flower?) pendant light available from Niche Modern is sublimely beautiful, perfect for an intimate space. The new house we are designing is all open spaces and airiness, but I'm keen for it not to become too Modern with a capital M - all white and stainless steel. I really want to retain a feeling of warmth and that for me boils down to two components - lighting and color palette. Think soft, think natural, think organic. That, my friends, is my new mantra.

Labels: 711, Lighting, Sal

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 9/07/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: A friend put me on to the gorgeous work of the folks over at Lampa and I am totally sold. I really love the satellite pendants pictured above, available in delicious shades of lemon, mandarin and lime! The Mother Lamp looks amazing - I'm not sure quite where in my house it would go - I'm imagining it over a dining table in a room with a very high ceiling. Ah - don't have that quite yet, but I'm working on it!

Labels: 711, Lighting, Sal

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 9/06/2007 0 Comments

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HARRY President Bush and a whole bunch of other world 'leaders' have descended on Sydney for APEC. So we are heading out. I'll be offline until Monday. Before I go I wanted to point to Treehugger's take on Sydney. Liane Rossler from Dinosaur Designs sent me the link. Warren McLaren did do a nice job covering the city from it's birth as a penal colony to today - a city willing to turn off its light to save electricity...at least for a night. And, in case you are missing a design fix - the Opera House has revamped its new store where you can buy all sorts of Sydney things online. We got the wooden harbour bridge puzzle and loved it! You'll also find Lin Utzon's vases (above) - she's the daughter of Joern Utzon, the architect who designed the Opera House.
See you Monday.

Labels: Green, Harry

posted by cerentha harris at 9/05/2007 0 Comments

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SAL: I'm a woman in need of a rug, and I'm picky. I recently got some rug tiles from Flor and they are working out really well. Checking back today I love the botanical range - trying to think how that would work as an area rug though, hmm... Flor also has a new relationship with Martha Stewart and they have some elegant cool designs with great names. Check out Cinnabar or Bisque!

Labels: Floor, Floral, Sal

posted by Sal Taylor Kydd at 9/05/2007 0 Comments

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HARRY I love the idea of prefab. At it's best it is fast, cheap, green and stylish. I recently came across two prefab systems - thepodsystem by my friend architect Kim Crestani and the Perrinepod by Perrine, by Perth based architects (pictured above). Crestani's system attaches to an exisitng house while the Perrine system is freestanding. Both are well worth a look.

Labels: Green, Harry

posted by cerentha harris at 9/04/2007 0 Comments

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