Style for sale

The Urban Stylist

Valentines Day has well and truely gone but I'd still like to share the love

and this sleek Melbourne home we shot for Home Beautiful.

Amanda Ayres aka The Urban Stylist has a gorgeous home, hubby, button cute kids
and a furry four legged friend for that warm, wet welcome.

As a super stylist for homes under the hammer
she has all the answers to the big questions.

Ask Amanda...

How can I use wood on walls without getting cabin fever?

Do guilt gilt framed holy pictures work in the bedroom?

Trinny & Susannah say black only goes with black, true or false?

Labrador or Retreivor?

A black statement is always good...with a little red.

More lemons on the benchtop, I say!

 

 Charcoal, black, and I'll have a spritzer with my aqua.

 

 It's all about the detail and accessorising.

 

 A range of black and a garden splashback.

Wood panelling and not a moose head in sight, just the antlers.

 Blue, so perfect for the Delta Goodroom

 His and hers ladders on official business

  

Guilty is good.

Puhlease can I have a pony?

Got the lime but where's the coroma?

park, park, park!

Sunshine, lollipops and rainbows everywhere...

For more clever urban styling visit Amanda at theurbanstylist.com.au

Or pick up the March edition of Home Beautiful. 

photography: DerekSwalwell

ttfn Jo 

70's reno

here's the story of a lovely lady...

and she was bringing up two really lovely girls (and 2 boys)

It's a wonderful story, over many different levels and beautifully
decorated, by the lovely Mimi Kwa with a nod to the 70's
AND a shared Brady Bunch bathroom for the kids.

Here's their story plus more in the March issue of Home Beautiful.

The Den. Was that the doorbell? Like far out it's Davy Jones!

More watermelon please, Alice. :)

Alice???

 Sam & Alice must have left via the tradesmans entrance.

  The lovely lady herself...after a word to Jan, again!

   Gather round children..Tigers gone missing!

another level, and a place to sit and be groovy.

Up, up, up to all the Brady pre bedtime squabbles

aaawwwgggh...wait a minute, where's Marcia?

the shared bathroom..it really does exist!

Who needs double bunks when you have a room with a view!

Stay tuned
and see just how really lovely and clever Mimi is! 
mimitv.com.au 

photography by: Derek Swalwell

Decks & dining outdoors

How do you say croissant in Japanese?
Summer is a wonderful time in the Ranges, finding a shady spot amongst the
trees makes breakfast that much more enjoyable.
Gorta Yuki, a friend and local photographer shot our garden the other morning, 
he flys to Tokyo every month for work and assured me that he is paid more than 
croissants & lavazza. However I did remind him of the escalating price of a standard latte. 

I'm designing a website for our Landscape Designer and Gorta's images are just what
Desired Effect needs to promote their great work.

If you need any landscape work done around Melbourne...

Call Brett for a free croissant consultation
0402 829 344 

Outside Room Makeover

Paint, paving & potted colour
A VERY SEASONAL MAKEOVER
                   

Buttercup walls soon to be gone...just a matter of time and lots of it.

oh dear, before :(

Step-by-step (pun intended)

The foundations, its almost winter and ccccold!

Crazy paving, blue flagstones & bluestone tiling for walls, still cold.

Arrival of the plants under strict supervision, warming up slightly.

Just when you thought the box hedge was passe...it LIKES the cold

NB: almost around the corner with black rail conversion

The xlarge copper pot, used to turn chocolate at Cadburys ready for potted colour.

Not melting but have packed away the thermals.

Sweet little violets from our garden used for base planting..tres economical

Note December dappled sunlight!

Detail of lower staircase and 'Cleveland Select' Ornamental Pear tree 

with ring of English box, sunning itself.

Setting up a day bed, while the sun is still out and about.

View from the top.

Dog tired post landscaping and xmas festivities.

Landscape design: 
The Desired Effect
Brett Blundell 
brett@desiredeffect.net.au


ttfn, Jox

Bedroom Makeover

During & After....forgot to take a Before!

Use your imagnation and think burgundy walls & yellow trim

Walls are painted in Quarry with 1/4 strength Hogs bristle trim

original vinyl floral wallpaper stripped, timber doors undercoated

James Dunlop wallpaper 'Shade', colour: Eau de nil

Doors & trim painted

Bedside detail with Angus & Celeste vase(from santa)

fyi: the bedroom pendant light is going, going..almost gone

Hope you like it

Jo x

Painting a weatherboard house

Bless me,
It's been months since my last blog session, I accuse myself of...

1. Forsaking play for an unseasonally heavy workload.
2. Blind devotion to the Red & White, especially guernsey no.37...woo hoo!
3. Failure to understand or solve teenage angst.
4. Oh and a slight addiction to house paint?

The transfiguration of Somerton

 Burgundy begone, hello Brimstone grey, natural white and black accents.

Still to paint that guttering...professionals methinks?

 A black door...finally.

 I love our wild strawberries, absolutley rampent in the hills and so pretty.

 My favourite new purchase..the nursery display table right 
outside our Kitchen doors
  13 standard black pots filled with alyssum around a large tub of lettuce.

Halelujah!

Stay posted for more transformations.

Jox

Cafe Design

Metric or Imperial...Oasis or Blur?
Coffee Rules. Stumbled across this sweet new cafe in Brunswick West whilst on a shoot for Home Beautiful. Too good not to snap and post every little inch. $ensational coffee and a great design concept have kept it hummingbird along since it opened a few weeks ago. Ruler wainscotting, fantastic. 

Just don't tell the Sisters of No Mercy or there'll be some serious knuckle wrapping!

ttfn Jox