This photo is from the Herbst’s beach bach (thanks The Art of the Architect).  I was surprised by my reaction to seeing the seagrass matting – it connected with a part of my past I can’t even remember, but connect it did.  Now, I just need to find an excuse to use it somewhere :-)

…and Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.  Six or so months ago I saw this photo and loved the wooden stools and thought they’d be great bedside tables for the Lodge.  Finally I’ve been able to recreate them.  Buying the Oregon beams (ex Wellington Woolstores) was easy – see eight pieces below being stored in the room that will one day be our bathroom.  Finding someone to cut them a lot more difficult.  The answer was to post a job on NoCowboys.   I got a response from Sam (Sam James Designed) who did an amazing job.

And finally (damn, didn’t get the proportions quite right) here is my version.  Now that we’ve made them I know exactly what I’d do differently next time:

The only thing I really enjoyed about Tom Ford’s 2009 movie A Single man was the house that Colin Firth’s character lived in.  Afterwards I found out it was the iconic Schaffer house in LA designed in 1948 by John Lautner.  In fact it was my first introduction to John Lautner (well worth a google).  The house recently sold and the new owners undertook a renovation with Park McDonald.  A renovation focused on the integrity of the original design. This is a stunning home and a great example of how our surroundings can inspire and uplift!

Est-ce que tu aimes? J’aime beaucoup!  Yes, I know – I love elegant Parisian kitchens – here’s another one, from i29 interior architects (it’s Home 10 in their list of projects).  Obviously minimalist, most of the kitchen is hidden behind the bank of cupboards on the back wall, but what is really amazing is the very bespoke black island that has a surface only a few centimetres thick.  It’s hard to tell but it looks like the island contains an induction cook-top, and a sink (I suspect they don’t wash a lot of pots and pans).

Saw this exterior cladding on a beautiful house in St Kilda West, Melbourne, designed by Kennedy Nolan.  I saw this and thought, wow – what would it look like on our house when we replace the existing insulclad (put on 15 years ago by the previous owner when the house was moved).  A quick email to Kennedy Nolan and I found out its Anthra-zinc which is like a black zinc.   Re-cladding is years away, but I’ve already realised that perhaps I should go with something more honest and appropriate for an ex-state house in Pt Chev, ie weatherboard :-)

I’ve been exposed.  Is self-realisation the first step?

I thought I was broadening my (design) mind,  but perhaps all I’ve been doing is masturbating in public?  Awkward.  Perhaps on reflection it was just over-zealous masticating?  Though it’s probably cheaper to visit a therapist than a dentist.

Anyway, lots of links coming up – you might discover you’re an addict as well….  They’re all worth clicking on – though they are NSFW.  Not because they contain anything graphic – but because you should be working :-)

This is the first link that sent me down the rabbit hole:  I read this article in Stuff:  Addicted to online house porn?

Given it’s Australian references I went looking for the source, and found this 2012 article in the SMH: Addicted to house porn

I then followed a link in that article to one in the New York Times: Pinterest, Tumblr and the Trouble With ‘Curation’

Now that I’m feeling a little grubby/self-indulgent and despondent I’m also reflecting on some Nat Cheshire quotes (who I’ve been stalking on-line since listening to “Do not rest”):

• “I avoid blogs – I don’t want that sort of pollution. I want a monograph to help me tunnel under someone’s skin and into the heart of their practice. I want the questions they concern themselves with, not a blog-roll that only shows me their answers.”  The News
• “Blogs make me ill. I think blogs to architects are like ornithology to birds.”  Resident
• “Blogs are like skipping stones. Books are deep sea explorers by comparison.”  d and f ltd

Nat Cheshire – open invite:  You’re welcome any time in Pt Chev to discuss blogs and design – or anything you want.  We’ll provide the champagne :-)

Anyway I think I’ll move to that important next second step – denial!  Or, I’ll just embrace the words of Dave Grohl “I don’t believe in guilty pleasures.  If you fucking like something, like it” (courtesy of Austin Kleon’s GREAT book Show Your Work).