my bookshelf space

The entry to our home in Norman Park, Brisbane.

Yes, I know it's been so long since my last post - the last couple of months for me has been seriously crazy! I ended up leaving my fulltime job as I was basically working there every waking moment and had no time for my art and blog. So I'm back... I'm catching up on my art orders and loving being able to dedicate all my time into growing this business again.

I just wanted to share with you my little bookshelf space. It is just in the entryway of our home so it was important to me to have a nice quirky first impression. After discovering the Woolloongabba Antique Centre soon after we moved here we have found so many pieces for our home - including this bookshelf which was the perfect size for the space! I love the retro feel and colour of the timber. Scroll down for more pics and a few more details on what treasures I have used to make up this space.

Kimmy :)

I'm totally in love with this 'Devil's Ivy' plant - it brings such a pop of colour to the space, especially in the glossy black pot. 'The Book of Skulls' is an illustrated book I bought at The Design Files Open House in Melbourne - I don't usually go for skulls but was just mesmerised by this book! The African wood carving is actually a bookend and was given to me by my Aunty Phine who travelled in Africa over 40 years ago.

The framed art is actually the menu of my favourite restaurant in Melbourne, Chin Chin! Their branding is so fun - these were the paper 'place mats' with the menu on the opposite side. Now that we live in Brisbane it's nice to have these little reminders of Melbourne around the house... even if it does have me dreaming of kingfish sashimi and caramelised pork...

The old highway sign is from the Woolloongabba Antique Centre (of course), the 'N' and 'K' wood letters are vintage stamps we picked up at the Brooklyn Flea earlier this year (see my Brooklyn post) and the tiny fern looks super-cute sitting on the ledge bringing some life into the space. 

This is weird looking head is a 'Daruma' doll - a Japanese good luck symbol. I bought it at an antique store in Melbourne and was intrigued by the story - being that every year these heads are made from paper mache and the eyes first start off as two circles. Then someone colours the black circle inside one eye and makes a wish or 'goal' for that year and leaves the doll in their house - then every time they pass by and see this doll they notice the one eye missing and they are reminded of their goal the need to achieve. Once their goal or wish comes true they fill in the other eye. They then start the process again the following year! Seeing as this doll has two eyes I can assume that someone's wish came true. You can read more about these dolls here.

I love finding things from nature that you can put in the house as decoration!

Absolutely adore this pineapple bookend I bought at the Brooklyn Flea. It's very happy here holding up my favourite books including 'Find and Keep' by Beci Orpin.

These lovely shoes are now more for decoration than wearing... they are so uncomfortable! Need to toughen up and wear them in soon as they are too cute to just sit there on display.

We bought these maracas on our trip to South America last year and I'm not too sure where to display them yet. We picked them up in the seaside town of Santa Marta, Colombia. See my blog post here on that beautiful adventure.