Opposite Sides Of The Room

Bohemian doesn't have to resemble the Gypsy style but it can take influence from anything that is different and decorative pieces can be thrown together with disregard to matching colours and patterns. Before we look in more detail, it is worth noting that the Bohemian look will not suit characters who like order and simple lines in the home.

An exact opposite to Bohemian décor would be minimalism - you want to dress up everything and literally cram those books on the shelves or hang wall pictures within a millimetre of each other - the more accessories and those little life mementos on display the better - just don't get confused with kitsch or you'll spoil the desired look!

It might be time to go through old storage and dig out those postcards from faraway places, those elephant sculptures brought back from India or that old plaid Ottoman passed down from your grandmother - your home will be telling your story and will reflect your personality in its purest form. If you want to cheat you can always visit local antique shops, table lamps sale or second hand markets to find new treasures for your home.

Kelly Wearstler Interior Design

Kelly Wearstler has re-imagined the visual landscape of a diverse array of award-winning interior design projects. Her work with hotels and resorts, offices, restaurants, retail boutiques and residences for a distinguished clientele is frequently featured in fashion, design, travel, lifestyle and business publications. A 20-person staff under Wearstler’s direction offers a wealth of interdisciplinary skills, drawing upon several areas of expertise: interior design and artistic direction; product, textile and furniture design; graphic design; luxury lifestyle and public relations and marketing. Each of these disciplines unites to form the unique identity of each project and inspire distinctive ideas throughout the studio. The Kelly Wearstler Studio brings a multi-layered approach to each of its projects, utilizing influences in fashion, art, technology, history and travel, while paying homage to timeless notions of sophistication. This is Doheny Estate and Brentwood Estate,residential projects interior design of Kelly Wearstler Doheny Estate



Brentwood Estate

Upper East Side Residence Interior Design

Magdalena Keck has been creating commercial and residential interiors for nearly a decade. Keck’s streamlined designs have been published in Interior Design, VM+SD and Kitchen and Bath News. She has been featured among 40 established up and coming New York designers in the book Spectacular Homes of Metro New York, published in January 2008 by Panache Partners. Her clients include well known retailers such as Maclaren and Murray’s Cheese Shop. Keck’s current residential work includes high end homes in New York and Miami.



Magdalena Keck looks for essence, taking the simple and making it special through imagination, details and finishes. With thoughtful questions and close observation, she guides clients to express their individuality and needs. Inspired by nature, art and technology, Keck’s signature approach combines immaculate craftsmanship and function to achieve a distinctive elegance through honest, clean and genuine design.

Design Stack House Home

This addition and renovation adaptively re-uses a one-storey industrial building to become an artist’s home, complete with studio and gallery. The project uses modest means to pursue an ambitious agenda of environmental sustainability, and to create living spaces which are lofty yet intimate



The design opens up the existing roof in the middle of the building with a soaring 12m ceiling and generous clerestory windows which flood the previously dark interior with natural light. Carefully calculated angles allow the south-facing windows to provide complete shading during the heat of summer but allow for solar heat gain during the colder winter months. The triple-height open living space acts as a thermal chimney for natural ventilation.



Within, the original concrete floor and white painted gallery-style walls are maintained. A “ribbon” of wood, including douglas fir timber which was salvaged from the existing structure, is drawn up the staircase and through the triple-height open living space to the second floor rooms and the clerestory window above. A high-efficiency wood burning stove is incorporated with an anthracite-painted volume of cabinetry which houses books, computer equipment, firewood, and a built-in cocktail bar. The four new roofs are each planted with indigenous plant species providing accessible gardens for the owners, and the many ecological benefits of green roofs.

New Bartlit Residence

Mature stands of ponderosa pine, scrub oak, and native grasses amongst the granite outcroppings form the natural ecology of the site. The design is a series of low granite walls threaded into the hill forming the base of the house. Superimposed on this granite base are light exposed steel and glass “pavilions” whose copper roofs tilt to catch the sun and views. A sod roof “meadow” covers the guest rooms and further merges the house with the natural landscape.

Daylesford Home Interior

The Daylesford home of graphic designer Jessie Fairweather – The kitchen is designed around some reclaimed science benches from Melbourne Uni, and Ikea! The floors are black cement. All Photos by Roma Samuel, originally published in Green Magazine.



This is the incredible new home of super talented Melbourne designer Jessie Fairweather. How GREAT is it? I am so totally jealous. You might remember Jessie’s business – The Foundry, and her brilliant papergoods range, Measure, which I blogged a long time ago? Jessie has had an insanely busy couple of years launching her business, building her new home, and then moving both her home and her business to Daylesford, about an hour and half from central Melbourne. And you know what else, Jessie did all this on her own!? Amazingness. I am totally inspired! Jessie bought her little block of land in Daylesford a few years ago whilst still living and working in Melbourne. After a few years of thinking and planning how she might build an affordable, sustainable home on her little block, Jessie engaged local builder Mat Boyle of Pumphouse Design to realise her vision. Mat’s previous residential work appealed to Jessie, as did his focus on sustainable building methods, and his use of mainly reclaimed materials. The home was designed based on a studio shed Mat had previously built in Castlemaine – essentially a 10 x 10 metre corrugated iron studio with high ceilings, exposed reclaimed trusses, and cement floor. She added a studio on the side, and kept most of the living/kitchen space open. The house has just 1 bedroom, bathroom, and separate toilet and laundry.

Jessie moved her life and her business to Daylesford a couple of days before Christmas in 2008. During the process of designing and building her beautiful, sustainable home, Jessie completely fell in love with the area, and she says can no longer imagine living anywhere else! (Neither would I!). It was such a huge, brave move for a single lady with a fledgling design business… and personally I am just so in awe of Jessie’s incredible drive to make it work!



Jessie says her neighbours in Daylesford have been so incredibly welcoming… she loves the community spirit – and the rosellas, cockatoos and kangaroos who visit her backyard daily! Oh, and ps – since making her big move, Jessie has met her lovely man, who just happens to work in Breakfast & Beer – Jessie’s favourite café in Daylesford! Now that’s a success story. NICE work!

Getting The Shabby Chic Look

The furniture that you will bring into your home will be very important but let's not forget that existing furniture can be played around with to get the desired look. More often than not, wood is the primary material used in furniture but it gets a makeover with several layers of paint - not forgetting the aged look of chips and a little wear and tear. You can create this look yourself by sanding or distressing the top layer of paint to show the wood or other paint layers underneath.

Furniture should be comfortable as it is no good just choosing pieces for the purpose of looking great if they are going to make you feel stiff and rigid when sitting. Shabby chic is very cosy and should invite you to curl up on the sofa with a good book or cup of tea with friends. You can make things even more cosy with lots of plumped up pillows.

Wicker also works well in the shabby chic décor - give wicker items a white coating or if you have more than one piece you can leave one or two in its original condition for contrast. A couple of patchwork throws wouldn't go a miss and a good focal point could be a table with a display of random white ornaments and odd table lamps uk style to create an ambient, diffused lighting effect in the evenings.

Image: Small Place Style