I bet you thought I had given up on my blog…..no….just busy with the kids.

When browsing home listings, something I notice are cool lights or lamps, and this is one I’ve fallen for.  The Nautilus Light by Rebecca Asquith, is such a reminder of the beach and holidays and the bach….well – perhaps the posh bach. Anyway, they come in two sizes and three colours and you can get them right here.  They start at NZ$460, which isn’t too bad considering some ‘light features’ cost thousands; plus they ship worldwide.

Whoa, how about these kitchens to inspire a change on your reno.  My favourite is Duality – the silver version – it works well as a room separator and you can view the other room while ‘in’ the kitchen. And for those who use and have a load of cookbooks, the Library kitchen is perfect.  Phillippe Starck designed these for Warendorf (formerly Miele kitchens) in Europe.  No ideas yet when they will be available, but they WILL be available – at least in Europe.

via [Apartment Therapy]

I can’t tell you much about this house as I don’t speak spanish and the website is well..spanish.   It is in Gandario, Galicia, Spain and the architect is Carlos Quintáns.  It’s a stunningly simple home blending the new form with old stone – striking and visible from inside the home.  In one of the photos, I love how the wooden floor vents are not in metal, but are seamless with the wooden flooring.  Of course the glass across the entire front is always a winner for me, and check out the view!

via [Materialicious]

Ok, I got a little carried away looking at all the houses at Sagaponac and only because I wanted to show you this one. Now there are several I like that are totally cool….go take a look sometime.  This home is the Ban + Maltz Furniture House inspired by Mies Van der Rohe’s unbuilt Brick Country House.  It has 4 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms over 3800 square feet.  What’s clever about it is the primary structure – the house is made of modular cabinet units providing loads of storage, supports the roof, and encloses heating and cooling systems. What I would give for that much storage!

via [Apartment Therapy]

If you think you’ve chosen the tiles for the kitchen or bathroom, think again!  Moving Color is the company behind these temperature sensitive tiles.  The base colour can match almost any colour you desire;  they change colour based on body or water temperature or whatever they are touching!   The temperature change point can be requested by you, so the dynamic colour change begins at the selected temperature and changes over three phases, each one is a 6 – 10° rise in temperature. Once the temperature peak is passed, the base colour returns and remains the same until the temperature drops.

The tiles can be used on floors, walls and counters and they are a green product, because they use glass that is 20 – 80% recycled. Also they come in eleven different glass textures.  How much you ask?….about US$15 for a tile 4 x 4 inches, so US$180 a square foot and they also do larger 18 x 18 inch tiles.  Nice and expensive way to make sure the shower isn’t too hot for the kids!

Homage in Newmarket, Auckland has just had a new shipment of furniture arrive, so go take a look as soon as you can. They have a great range of iconic mid century reproduction furniture, plus a range for your little ones also.  You can download their catalogue here for a look at what’s available and better yet, they are super helpful at making sure you get just the right piece for your home – even if it means taking a couple of pieces home.

Over at Desire To Inspire, I came across these pics, plus more of some of the most inspiring and colourful interiors.  The man behind the lens is Mark Lund, who’s website sends you into major time wasting territory just looking at all the great photos.  He also has a blog with updates of his current work and cool snaps of his beautiful family.  

This Penguin Wallpaper from ISAK in the UK is intense and cute and busy all at once, but I love it. Perfect for one wall or inside a closet.  You can buy it here for NZ$77 and they ship internationally.  

via [Decor8]

Marimekko have come out with some of their most popular prints on wallpaper.  At this stage they have 11 prints for sale but will be adding all 56 patterns.  It you love their designs as much as I do, click here for a look.  They are US$89 a roll (NZ$140) and ship worldwide.  My favourite are the Stilla leaves and Bo Boo kids cars.

I love this shower, it’s all organic and curvy and modern.  Designed by Roberto Semprini for Mastella, the leaf shape shower tray is wenge wood but comes in many other materials if it doesn’t suit your decor.   The Sogno is such a refreshing change from the tiled rectangle or square.  

via [Trendir]

Yes, I have an addiction – it is the store Anthropologie, and although we don’t have it down-under, I still swoon over the seasonal ranges online.  They do ship across Europe and North America, but sadly, down here in Oz and NZ we are forgotten once again; which is actually a good thing or I would really give the credit card a beating!  If you aren’t familiar with their store (everything from clothes and shoes to kitchen and bedroom) go take a look and fall in love with….well…..everything!

Now it’s cold enough to need cosy warm towels in the bathroom, I would have loved to be able choose something this groovy when we were renovating.  They are actually radiators but can also be used as towel rails.  The paper-clip is my favourite by the company Scirroco.  The Archibald Towel Radiator that looks like clothes hangers is from Bisque.  And no, you can’t seem to get them here in NZ – blast!

via [Apartment Therapy]

This house was designed and built by Bevk Perović Arhitekti’s in Ljubljana, Slovenia.  I really like the simplicity of this from the street.  And although I wouldn’t choose to live in it, as it looks just a little to cold for me, it would be a perfect office space for Mr Bohaute and I.  Just adding some colour and comfy furniture would make this quite an inspiring working space.  

via [NotCot.org]

One image to inspire a little fun into your reno or new house build.  How about a slide beside the stairs? Actually, I had to add a few more pics for you. This whole place is cool because it’s under ground mostly and sits right smack bang in hip Notting Hill.  The home belongs to Alex Michaelis, an architect at Michaelis Boyd Associates, so of course his home would rock.  Click on the link to go see a few more images on their website under Residential, Oxford Gardens.  Master Four (and three quarters) would love it!

via [Bloesem Kids]

This Remuera, Auckland house recently sold around the NZ$5.5m mark.  Whoever ’snapped’ it up must be pretty chuffed, and have a load of wine!  I have cellar envy.  We don’t even have wine in the house right now, so could not imagine what this would look like full.  I love that you can see part of the cellar from the dining area as well (image second row left).  This mighty home has 5 double bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, 4 living areas, a home theatre, a games room, a gymnasium, a 1000 bottle wine cellar, a state of the art kitchen with huge butler’s pantry, 3 car garaging, a pool house, an 18 metre gas heated pool, a spa and dedicated utility rooms covering about 800m2.  The house is fully automated to control everything from lighting to irrigation.  Oh, and last – beautiful views through beautiful native trees.  To view more images go here.

images [Open2view.com]

Sooo, this is an uber home if ever I saw one.  Could you imagine waking up and making breakfast in that kitchen.  It’s…..so…..gorgeous, and that’s an understatement.  So the details:  Ultra mod with gorgeous views over KL, it was designed by YTL Design Group in KL and Agence Jouin Manku from Paris, for a wealthy Malaysian family.  

It started out in 2003 and finished in late 2008 – whoa, that’s a long time to wait for a house! The 3000sqm house – COUGH!) can accommodate both private and public functions.  So I guess while you are bathing the kids at one end, your husband could be entertaining royalty at the other. 

The building has nine bedrooms, two family rooms, a family kitchen and a private dining area, a family library, a game room, a study, a public reception area, a formal dining room, a ballroom, chapel, 21 bathrooms, a swimming pool, two guest suites plus indoor private and guest parking.  For more info and images of this wickedly stunning place, check them out here.

images [Roland Halbe]

via [LuxuryLaunches.com]

I love a good gallery site, one that’s easy to use, has large photos and you can quickly update and add your own pics of anything architectural, housey, outdoorsey, etc.  At Houzz.com it’s a collection of the interior and exterior of places……have a browse over it – the site is clever, in that my thousands of inspirational home photos clogging my hard-drive can now be stored here, so I can access them when I am without my notebook. Others can add them to their gallery and we can all share the eye candy of all those lovely places in the world. Free to join, you can tag and make notes, and you can even subscribe to their RSS feed.

If anyone is looking for a home in Paris in the lovely Marais district, then how about Christian Lacroix’s place. For sale for a cool NZ$5million, it has four bedrooms and a mezzanine library – and a courtyard garden. Actually if it came with the furniture, it would rock!  I love a house filled with colour – eclectic colour – I can’t go quite that far on my own – even though I want to.  To sit and have my croissant and hot chocolate for breakfast (I don’t do coffee) in front of those windows would be very agreeable.  Here is the real estate listing should you need to contact the seller (yay for you!).  Mr Lacroix will only be 200m down the road.  

The estate agent says this about the house “…the tall ceilings, elegant windows with shutters and panelled doors are straight out of an 18th-century French genre painting. A staircase with carved white banisters leads from the drawing room up to the bedrooms, which look out over the rooftops of Le Marais, and there’s an enclosed courtyard garden. How perfect in spring and summer to dine outside, or lie on a chair to work on your suntan.” – I want it even more now – hope it’s got central heating for winter.

via [Apartment Therapy]

I have just purchased a Tolix stool in red to sit beside by womb chair as a table and I love it.  It’s shiny and industrial looking and works well with the grey wool chair.  You can get the whole range from Madder and Rouge in Newmarket, here in Auckland and they have some great colours in stock at present, including a great red table.  You can pretty much choose your colour as they have a great colour palette.  Read about the history of Tolix right here, otherwise call or go take a look at these practical pieces of furniture.  This place in Kerikeri also stocks them.

Ahh, this is lovely spacious and light, and if I were to be moving in – just waiting for a bit more colour and cosiness to be thrown about. I love the concrete floors (hope they’re heated) and the bathroom basins. Take a look here at more images (there are loads) and plans as well.