Good Prod: Catherine David Designs - Josefine Bordello Wall Sconce

Oh I've found a good prod all right.  

It's a wall light.  

Not just any wall light.

It's colourful and has a contrasting fringe.

You hang, you plug and you go.

I'm in love.

Which one would you choose?  

I couldn't choose so I brought all three (for the Studio of course).  Come visit them and me and I will sell you one if you can wrestle them out of my hot little hands...

Catherine David Designs is a New Zealand designer that has provided us with some most excellent prods in the past (and still does) but these exceed all my widlest dreams.  

You can find and buy all her goodness here.

Colourama: Marimekko Spring/Summer 2014

Hello Spring/Summer.  I can feel you peeping around the corner and boy are we ready.  

I often blur the lines between fashion and interiors and quite oft get my inspiration from the pattern and colour marvens - Marimekko.

Please take a front seat, don your dark glasses and ignore your goodie-bag.  It's time to get some inspiration from our finnish friends.

Clap clap clap.

All images from Marimekko and spotted over at super scandi blog Hunajaista.

It's not about faces, just places, spaces: Weekend home of Bradford Shellhammer

It's been a weeny while since the last 'It's not about faces...' segment and it's come back into town like a band of colourful gypsies firing off confetti guns.

This home is a goodie.  It's all that is good in the world and it's just for the weekends.

Probably the best stop-in-your-tracks image I have seen in a while.  Get that red trim looking all cute as you like next to that nasty matte black.  Pop on top bright plates and a turkey head and BAM.  Magic.  There's no kitchen unit - just an upcycled of a retro piece.  Well played Mr Shellhammer.  Spot blinkin' on.

Ahhhh - more black matte maddness which could not be a better backdrop for the primary colour showcase.  And showcase it does.  I love you.

Carpet tiles replace a conventional rug in a mixture of black/white/nad multi. 

High fives for keeping the wood too.

The owner, Bradford Shellhammer is the Fab.com creator and his home really represents what his company is all about - fun, whimsey and colour.  I love what he has to say about decorating your home...

“At Fab, we’re on a mission to rid the world of boring beiges—not get rid of beige altogether, per se, but to give people permission to explore and bring life and fun into the world they live in.”

Heck yeeeeahhh.

Not usually a fan of b.board but in this context it's good.  Relaxed and cheeky - just like the rest of the house.

Thanks to Jonathan Lo from Happy Mundane for posting this home and Lee Tran Lam of Inside/Out for featuring this gorge-beast-of-a-home.

All images by Trevor Tondro

Ask Alex: Rugs

Oh hi!  It's a new section called 'Ask Alex'.

Pretty straight forward - you ask me a question and I will answer.  Let's crack into it!

"I've just found your blog with your carpet stairwell. Wow I love it! I see it's customised which I'm sure equals pricey! I'd like to carpet our childrens playroom in a nice bright fun stripe, but am failing miserably to find anything. It's only about 6sqm. I was wondering if you can help me. Is customised the only way to go? Do you know of any nice bright big rugs that could do the trick?"

Ahh rugs.  You sneaky cheekies.  I see you in many magazines looking all bright and big and yet you evade us in shops and online.  BUT today is the day I will find you, and show you off in all your glory.

I commonly get asked about where to source lots of different things but rugs is always right up there.  Here are my picks.

Mintsix

High on colour and pattern - their kilims are super big and durable.  Made from wool with goat hair fringe they boast a 'heavy base' and are stain resistant.  

Sizing: 216omm x 1410mm

Cost: $1050 - $1300 (NZD)

Available: online at Mintsix 

Image from Mintsix

Image from Mintsix

Armadillo & Co

These guys do both off the rack and customised rugs in all shapes, sizes and colours.  They have an amzing 'stock' range so if you are not keen on customising there is plenty of options to choose from.  I especially love their hall runners (we have one at home) and new childrens range.  These rugs are made in India with a high level of craftmanship and skill and it shows in the end product.

Sizing:  Various from runners, rounds, rectangle, square and flower

Cost:  Varies depending on size

Available:  Through Alex Fulton Design or you can see them in stock at The Ivy House at 238 Jervois Rd Herne Bay Auckland 1011.

Hours:  Tues - Fri 9.30 - 2.30 and Sat 10am to 2pm

* Opening next week!

Image from Armadilo & Co

Image from Armadilo & Co

Image found over at The Design Files and photographed by Sean Fennessy 

LET LIV

LET LIV is not only scandonavian but name and also by design.  As well as rugs they also  have a yummy collection of Scandinavian and worldwide collected goodies.  Their rugs though are timeless and simple as well as very well priced!

Sizing:  1400mm x 2000mm, 70mm x 2400mm (and others)

Cost:  $199.90 to $379.00 (NZD)

Available:  Online only at LETLIV

Image from LETLIV

Image from LETLIV

Teapea

Meg from Teapea has a super eye for design with all her products but she has managed to find some good rugs to boot.  One crochet and one felt - she ticks the originality and colour boxes again!  I love that I havn't seen these anywhere else too.  They may not be big but they are mighty!

Sizing: 1000mm x 1600mm (Felt) and 1200mm (Crochet circle)

Cost: $198 and $185 (NZD)

Available: Online at Teapea

Image from Teapea 

Image from Teapea

Fenton and Fenton

Woah, these guys know colour.  I know I'm talking rugs today but please do go look around this online store.  Australian based but they send over the seas.  They hav ea magical selection of Dhurries and Rugs and even a Rug builder!  I know!  Colour and go... It's fun.

Sizing: Various

Cost: Various (AUD)

Available: Online at Fenton and Fenton

Image from Fenton and Fenton

Image from Fenton and Fenton

Image from Fenton and Fenton

Izzy and Jean

I shouldn't be showing you these as they are 'out of stock' but they are just too good AND I have spoken with Claire and she tells me she has more of the black and white with accent colours coming mid Sept.  Keep an close out!  The stunning colourful one alas was so unique she probably won't be getting another in... but you never say never!

Sizing: Various

Cost: Various

Available: Online at Izzy and Jean

Image from Izzy and Jean

Image from Izzy and Jean

So there you have it - all rugged up!  Let me know what you think?  Also do you know of any others that I might like - let me know.  Love your feedback.

Please email alex@alexfultondeisgn.co.nz if you have an hairy design questions and I will be sure to either reply in person or you may end up on the blog section 'Ask Alex'.  Lucky.

Thought-o-the-day: Keeping it real

I don't know about you, but daily I am exposed to beautiful things, places and spaces.

I read blogs, I flick through magazines and I check out instagram feeds (here's mine if you wanna look?) - it's all there for the taking.  A visual feast for the eyeballs and brain to gorge on.  And gorge I do.

Usually it's all fine and it's happy days, but sometimes, just sometimes it's all just too much.  The self-doubt can creep in and you start to feel a little inadequate.  I do and I know that you probably do too.  Perfect vignettes and pretty habitats, preened stylists and picture-perfect environs...

Today, I wanted to say, hey, it's ok.  I wanted to put my hand up and say that I'm human and so are my surrounds.  The power of the styled photograph is an extremely persuasive tool and mostly we are eternally grateful for photoshop and  clever camera angles.  The world would be a pretty ug place without them to be sure, but let's just keep it all in perspective.

Image taken by my neighbour Hanna.

 This is usually how I work - a dog or two in very close proximity, a glass of wine and in odd places thanks to wifi.  At the time of this photo we had taken out the two doors next to the fireplace (see below shot) and were replacing the old ornamental fireplace with a real open fire.  I didn't care that my floors weren't vacumed (with featured HUGE industrial vacum) or even that my fire surround was not in place.  I was just happy to sit and work with dogs, trackies and wine!

Image taken by Larnie Nicolson Photography

This image was taken the day that Larnie and LeeAnn came to photograph me and the house for Your Home and Garden.  I would just like to state that the chances of me sitting on the side of the couch and blogging are slim to none.  It is true that I will blog most places but this was a little tough on the thighs.  What it did do was show you all my pretty Swedish clogs and a great room perspective so that's all that matters really.

Hooray for good photography and clever photographer's everywhere.  It's such a skill.

Happy Monday - love yourself and your home.  It's a no-comparison-zone please.

*This blog post is written just as much for me as for you*

Discovering: Out of the Dark UK

It's lovely to start a Wednesday with a feel good story and this is most absolutely one.

Most of you know that I have a passion for up-cycling old design into new and exciting pieces so when I spotted this charity based organisation in the UK - Out of the Dark, it made me real happy.

They roll this way:

"Out of the Dark is a charitable social enterprise that recycles, restores and revamps salvaged furniture as a means to train, educate and employ young people from disadvantaged backgrounds."

Good sorts.

I must admit I'm a weeney bit jelous of the fact that they can find such designer 'trash' - we in little ol' NZ are hard pushed to find such amazing designer finds.  It never stops me form looking though!  

Look out for a post in the future about up-cycling a piece of your own.  I have had such amazing feedback from my home being in Your home and Garden (NZ) that it calls for a big ol' share.  Don't be shy about sending me your photos too of pieces you have saved from the dust pile - let's be loud and proud!

Colour Story: Your Home and Garden July 2013

Just in case you missed it (it's actually still on sale) here is my colour story for July in Your Home and Garden Magazine.

Brights, bold and bodacious - it's all right there to take your colour clues from.  Take 'em and run I say.  

You likee?

I am particulary loving this shade of green mixed with blues, aquas and yellas.  Mix in some  baby pink and bam - hot flush moment.

Special thanks to Resene for doing some rad matching maneuvers.