If you’ve clicked into Houzz you’ve probably already found Coffee with an Architect and Jody Brown’s Ideabooks.

If you want more Jody (and I did) head to his website and enjoy ‘an architects dress code’ (where I grabbed the image above), and ‘what not to ask your architect’  and ‘the most interesting man in the room’  - guess what – it’s not me!

Take the time to read peoples comments as well – some of them are just as much fun :-)

Actually I love writing lists, I live my life by lists, but I’m not a fan of the lists of the top 10 things someone can’t live without…  These lists seem to exist only to fill column inches.

However I was intrigued by a list of the 12 things James Dyson couldn’t live without :-)

Perhaps it was just the use of the number 12?

Sorry James, I was expecting something more interesting, but the Senz umbrella did catch my eye (number two in his list).  The hunt for the perfect umbrella continues.  Luckily we were heading over to Sydney (to see Prince in concert – he was AMAZING), so we found a top3 store and bought one (you can buy them online but I wanted to see it first).

Love Sydney – always a lot of fun – and a great reminder of just how provincial Auckland/NZ is…

And a reminder that we shouldn’t try to be just like our big brother, we have our own identity.

I’m not even sure how I found houzz  but I am sure that within it’s 449,000 photos I can find some inspiration, even though it does feel a little like a visual smorgasbord (ie it’s more about quantity than quality) – I am feeling a little peckish though :)

Actually I’ve also downloaded their App – surfing is best down from a couch!

Words almost fail me, I love this house!  Have a look yourself, watch the YouTube clip, and scroll down to see all the photos – it’s worth it!  I have no idea who or what is ‘Voices of East Anglia’ but thanks for sharing this with us.  I suggest you also take the time to check out the architecture/interiors category for a whole lot more fun – and inspiration (I’m re-thinking everything we are doing to our house).   If you want to know more about John Lautner, the John Lautner Foundation website is as good a place to start as any (I’ve just bought the ‘Infinite Space’ dvd).

Have you heard about the Resene Architecture & Design Film Festival?  I hadn’t, and it starts on 10 May – but I’ve bought my tickets now.  Head to Rialto for more info or to Resene if you want to download a programme.  The other event sponsor is Design Onscreen - they are a US based non-profit foundation dedicated to producing, promoting and preserving high-quality films on architecture and design.  Of course the Architecture & Design festival won’t be of much interest to you if you’re not in Auckland.  Love the idea of the festival – but would really love to be able to download/rent these movies online – it would be more convenient and I could see more of them – and some movies are best viewed in the privacy of your own home.

Home of the year – it’s beautiful – have a look yourself

One of the things that caught my eye was the lighting.  They are Octo birch pendant lamps by Seppo Koho for Secto Design lighting.  In NZ you can source these from Simon James Design.  But if you want some idea of what they cost head over here.  I think they are too big for either side of our bed though…

I saw this and knew exactly what we are going to do in our bedroom

See the other photos

A work of art is not primarily an object of connoisseurship, a historic or cultural record, or a commodity.  For artists, a work of art is alive, a living reality.. to be fully experienced, a work of art needs to be felt, more than understood.

Michael Craig-Smith, artist

Why collect contemporary art?

Contemporary art is the art of its time: it engages with the immediate here and now.  It also points to the future.  Contemporary art can assume an infinite number of forms…  Within this multifariousness a collector can locate an area that is compatible with his or her own intellectual and aesthetic preferences.  Contemporary art often reflects the past in order to illuminate the present and indicate the future.  In this way it can reinforce an understanding and appreciation of art history.  At its best contemporary art engages the mind and the eye.  It can force the viewer to grapple with unfamiliar concepts, or to look anew at the everyday.

Louisa Buck and Judith Greer  ‘Owning art – a contemporary art collectors handbook’

People often ask me what my paintings mean.  I realised when I was thinking about this that rather than try to explain what they are about, I would much rather discuss what I hope is their mystery, the gaps between their ostensible subject matter and what they actually say.  This difficulty in explaining the meaning of a painting might become planner if you try to explain the meaning of things in the real world; of an actual bird, hill, tree, table, a necklace or flower etc.  One can expound… on the appearance, function or context of an object, but it’s very hard to explain what is actually means…

Tony Lane

What you really collect is always yourself

Jean Baudrillard, Philosopher