my home - the final tour

Entry to our Norman Park home.

Well it's been a crazy year for me (to say the least) with busily filling my white with three art orders, running my freelance design business, working as a senior creative for a period of time earlier this year AND now throw in the 'you're moving to Geelong' factor! We just moved to Brisbane from Melbourne in January this year so it's taken quite a while for my husband Nick and I to settle in and get the house the way we like it... and now Nick's work is taking us across the country yet again! (This time to stay for a while thank goodness!)

Amongst all this we have been trying to get pregnant and after some highs and awful lows in our journey we are so happy to announce that we are expecting our first baby! So much happening... so much excitement.

Our pregnancy announcement photo taken by my talented sister Katie of Sweet Mary Photography. The cameo necklace is my mother's which Dad gave to her when they were engaged which she wore on her wedding day.

I will be sad to leave Brisbane though. I hadn't shared much of my home with you as it's taken us this long to get it to a point we're happy with! (Keep in mind we had to fully furnish it from the ground up - we came with nothing!). So I thought I'd better give you the tour of our home before our lovely things get packed into boxes next week. Our home in Geelong is a gorgeous little renovated cottage and I can't wait to share that with you once we settle in!

I am also working on some exciting new products which will be housed under a new label and website... more details will come over the next couple of months.

Kimmy

My office which is constantly transforming. This is where I fill my white with three art orders!

My office - I do most of my work behind the computer and love sitting in my new office chair. It's an Eames Replica from Milan Direct. The genuine sheepskin rug on the chair is from Ikea.

One of my prized possessions is this Beci Orpin collage art print (top) - hand signed! Also on my desk are a few watercolours I've been playing with... I'm still learning...

I love all the windows and natural light.

The holy Epson Fine Art Printer where I produce all my white with three prints! All orders are printed on demand so people can easily pick custom colours at no extra charge. Framed is my 'Lots of Sleepy Dachshunds' print in 'navy'. 

A few vintage goodies I picked up on our recent trip to Melbourne including a French keyring.

I love displaying herbs around the home as they last for ages! When in the water long enough they throw roots so it's nice to have living plants scattered around.

Love this 'Hektar' lamp from Ikea. The industrial side table is from the Woolloongabba Antique Centre (I'll miss that place!). The tall glass dome will remain empty until I find something that will fit in it!

I got this pair from an antique store for $120. Solid timber and newly covered in lush velvet. The giant rosary beads is from our trip to South America. The cushions are from Freedom.

Coffee table and side table from Freedom (though the plain timber one with the plant on it actually belongs to a nest of three - the other two tables we are using temporarily as bedsides!) The art above the couch was a splurge in South America - an original print by Guayasamin. We have named her Bruna.

Again - displaying herbs in a little vase! This one is Thai basil. The big woven tray was given to me by my father who works in Papua New Guinea. The white 'gem' vase with the fern is from Beneath the Sun.

Our bedroom - it's a bit underdone having only bought our bed and bedspread a few weeks ago... the bedspread is from Kip & Co - now I just need some of their amazing sheets and pillowcases to display! The bed is suffering from serious 'under-cushioning' at the moment. 

Our dresser is another Woolloongabba Antique Centre find. The framed art is one of my Fragments 'Garden View' prints.

A small part of my bottle collection (I'm slightly obsessed with bottles). The books and postcard are antique.

It took Nick and I ages to decide what to buy as a dining setting! We ate off our laps on the couch for MONTHS. I'm so glad we took our time as we are so happy with our decision! The table is from Freedom and the chairs are Bentwood Replicas from Matt Blatt.

I like to leave random things around that I've collected in our travels - like this newspaper from Japan! It just reminds me of how special all our adventures have been.

The guest room - bed and bedspread is from Ikea. The chair 'bedside' is from the Woolloongabba Antique Centre.

The print above the bed is one of my Banana Botanical prints in 'golden honey'.

Another Woolloongabba Antique Centre find - this 'Games for the Family' book is filled with gorgeous family activites!!

This mirror was carted all over South America in our luggage and somehow made it home unscathed! I loved it because it was so 'South American'. This plant stand was something I had been hunting for so long and guess where I found it... at the Woolloongabba Antique Centre! Now it just needs a pretty fern to crown it.

Honey and Rio have loved living here and I hope they like their new home in Geelong as much. Our herb garden is in the background which provides me endless 'foliage' to decorate the home... and sometimes to actually use in cooking!

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.

shop love: scout house

Welcome to Scout House - the beautiful little store that calls me inside every time I'm strolling around St Kilda. At first glance you may assume it is a quirky antique store but look closer and you'll see a heavenly mix of old and new items that are full of whimsy and character.

This beautifully curated store is the work of owner Orlando Mesiti who opened Scout House two years ago. He expressed his inspiration for authentic everyday objects, Australian design, reclaiming and reusing, handmade and craft. "Home is so important to me."

Scout House is a treasure trove of new and antique furniture, ornaments, cushions, textiles and art. When sourcing items for Scout House, Orlando explains there are no rules. "I like authentic makers, original products, timber and ceramic. Beautiful authentic textiles. Quality. Anti mass production." In three words Orlando describes Scout House as rustic, eclectic and original. This passion for authenticity and originality means there is something special about every item.

So whether you are strolling around St Kilda or have to tram it from the north side - Scout House is definitely worth a visit. You can find them at 125 Grey Street, St Kilda. If you don't live in Melbourne don't despair, you can forage through all their lovely pieces and buy online at www.scouthouse.com.au

I hope you enjoy this store as much as I do
Kimmy