Monday 30 September 2013

THE DESIGN FILES - OPEN HOUSE

So excited today because the dates and locations for The Design Files- Open House has been released, with the major news that it is coming to SYDNEY!! This is such an exciting time for the Sydney Design scene as it will give Lucy and her team the ability to showcase some new Sydney based talent as well as network with lots of fans and followers.

If you don't know much about The Design Files, it is one of Australia's most popular design blogs where the lovely Lucy shares all her inspirations and love for design, homes, interiors, food through her blog. The open house is where she gets the opportunity to showcase all that she talks about in her blog in real life. It is set out just like a home inspection, where visitors, readers and designers can all come together and get a real sense for the products she has showcased over the years. This great idea which she started in 2012 got such an amazing response it deserves to happen again in 2013 as well as bring the open house to Sydney.  The first open house begins November in Melbourne and early December here in Sydney, Surry Hills. This year I was actually going to make the trek down to the city that I love, Melbourne but seeming as it is coming to me... I have no real excuse for a "working holiday!" Oh, well, who has time for holidays anyway?

The open house is going to be such a great way of brining the blogging world and Australian design world together all in the same interior space. To top it off, Dulux is one of the major sponsors and assisting with some of their beautiful new colour range to bring the styling and open house to life. The space I can just image is going to be styled and turned into an interior that will be admired by many, including me.

To find out more about The Design Files & The Design Files Open House, check out this video below.





Video sourced from The Design Files Website which you can find by clicking here as well as read up on more of the exciting news that is TDF Open House.



Happy Monday,

JDZ x

Friday 27 September 2013

FEATURE FRIDAY: DESIGN IS EVERYWHERE

I am using Feature Friday today to introduce a new topic that I am going to be discussing on the blog over the next couple of months. JDZ is going international... talking about international design trends, inspiration, cities and history. There is so much to be said for all the different countries around the world that play a part in influencing the design world. There is a huge emphasis on environmentally friendly design as well as many new technologies that assist in creating beautiful and functional products. Just like here in Sydney with Sydney Indesign, London have their own huge design festival which promotes them as one of the leading countries to influence design globally. As part of the festival there are a series of installations and activities everyone can take part in, to educate and inform the world on new materials and design principals. The London Design Festival ran this year from mid September to the 22nd and even though it has now finished there are still serval installations that are located around the city which really demonstrates the advance nature of their design thinking and creativity. I have been to London and it was an amazing place that I fell in love with, but just like anywhere, you either love it or really hate it. For me it was not only culturally diverse but had so much creativity and inspiration to be admired. The galleries had hundreds of artworks and history that I studied all through my high school days and University which I found fascinating to see in person. The thousand year old structures, urban planning, city layout juxtaposed with modern architecture is amazing. The city itself has so much history because it is so much older than Sydney. I did however, feel like I was some what at home when I was roaming the streets of London city... no surprise really.

Over the next couple of months JDZ will be posting about international design and cities that are influencing and inspiring me through my design practice, so keep a look out. Today take some time to have a look through the videos and experience the interesting installation and information the Endless Stair has to offer outside the Tate Modern now in London. 








All images and videos have been sourced from The London Design Festival website, which you can access by clicking here. 


Have a great weekend, 
JDZ x

Thursday 26 September 2013

PURPOSE

Do you love your home? Or where you live? These are pretty loaded questions for a Thursday, but I think it is important to love the space you inhabit and spend a lot of your time in. My point in today's post is to give you a little of inspiration to bring meaning and purpose to your spaces. Whether it be a tiny area or a whole house, it is really important to bring purpose and meaning into those areas so that they not only serve a particular function but assist to create a space that is your own. I think you can achieve this by bringing meaning to particular tasks or objects so that you can create even more of a reason to do those dreaded chores around the home. For example, the mundane task of doing laundry. Who really loves to do laundry?... Well, not may people because it is a normal boring task, but what if you added meaning to something that has a purpose, like a washing basket. Instead of having a really ugly washing basket or laundry area, why don't you mix it up with some nice accessories or a colourful basket to make the task a lot more enjoyable? Same goes for your dishes, same goes for your pantry organisation. If you bring those mundane areas to life with colourful tupperware, labels, or something that brings meaning to your day to day routine, it brings a whole lot more fun and purpose to what you are doing.

I believe you can apply this theory to your entire home as I often get asked, how do I make it reflect who we are? Is it really annoying to have pictures of our family all over our walls? Well, no, because they are meaningful to you and if you bring a purpose to the collection of images, it will become a true reflection of your personalities. Instead of dedicating five walls to family photos, pick one and add in an artwork to mix it up and create a gallery style setting. (More on this in the coming weeks ) Maybe you change the colours and textures of the frames so it all works together. Maybe you bring more meaning by framing some of the kids art works. Having them situated like this gives you a lot of room to play and even move them around when you want to. Even if you have a really long shelf you can place items from your travels and objects you love onto it and create an open display of your treasures. By doing this it brings meaning and purpose to your space and it is also helps to turn normal things that you store into display items.

Think about how you can bring purpose to your environment even to the most boring of tasks and then inspire you all at the same time. Here are some images from my Pinterest to inspire. If you would like to follow me on Pinterest, head over to the top of the right tool bar and click on the 'P'.










Hope you have had a great Thursday,

JDZ x

Wednesday 25 September 2013

LIVING THE GOOD LIFE

Living a good and happy life is all we want to achieve and I believe this is not just achieved through material things but can be complemented by beautiful homewares and accessories that assist in creating your 'perfect' lifestyle. Have any of you ever been to Greece? I am dying to go and it is on my list of places I must visit, along with all of Europe again. Europeans seem to know how to live the life and are always striving for fun, happiness and a life that is good. This brings me to my new online homewares discovery of CITTA Designs, a New Zealand based design house that specialises in textile & homewares design.

Their 2013/2014 summer range is based on the inspirational life and culture of Greece. The designs are to captivate the culture and good feelings that are associated and cultivated around summer, lying in the sun and living in the present moment. A philosophy I believe so strongly in, so you can only imagine my love for this collection, 'Greece Under The Sun.' It is a really tough thing sometimes to translate emotions that we associate with a certain belief or inspiration and them communicate them successfully through your designs so they are able to connect with your clients. When it is achieved and achieved well, it makes for great design. This is what I felt immediately when I started sorting through the CITTA Designs catalogue, I immediately got it! It communicated to me the love of colour, Mediterranean, life and summer. The designs have meaning as well as purpose, which I really love. The colours are exciting and beautiful too, blues, oranges, yellow, white, reds all connecting us back to those days in the sun and the sense of living the good life.

To find out more make sure to head over to their online store and website by clicking here. Take some time to watch their video too, it really explains what they are about and how they go about giving you the opportunity to live the good life through their designs.

Check out some images from their 2013/2014 Greece, Under The Sun collection.










All images sourced from their website. 


Happy Wednesday,

JDZ x

Monday 23 September 2013

THE WEEKEND THAT WAS : BHG LIVE

Hope you all had a lovely weekend and enjoyed some time soaking up some Vitamin D. I had the pleasure of attending The Better Homes & Gardens Live show on Saturday with some family. It was an interesting experience for me as I attend many fairs but they are always majority of the time trade only events, so it was a good to be able to compare the two different types of shows.

The DIY demonstrations were a hit in my books and gave you the opportunity to pick up on the spot some great handy tips, which one can always benefit from. Another hit was the craft areas, where you actually were given the opportunity to take part in creating or learn about styling etc. Temple & Webster as I have mentioned previously on the blog are a fantastic online homewares resource that is filled with great sales and products. Their area's and tips on styling were a huge success and I really enjoyed getting the meet some of the team and see their set up. Being a girl who worked at Bunnings for six years during my uni days, I am not afraid of power tools nor a stranger to learning about DIY.
So it was also really great to see such a fantastic Ryobi section and Bunnings team members running around. I also love the Kas stand, which had some really amazing vibrant cushions and bed spreads... More on Kas coming up on the blog in the next few weeks.

Take a look at some behind the scenes shots of the day. Did you get a chance to head to BHG Live? If so, I would love to hear what your experience was like by leaving a comment below.








Happy Monday,

JDZ x

Friday 20 September 2013

FEATURE FRIDAY : UNIQUE VISIT

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of heading down to the Sydney Unique fabric showroom for a special tour and introduction to their latest collections. I absolutely loved it and seeming as I am specifying some unique fabrics for the upcoming residential project I am working on, it only seemed fitting I feature it today and give you a special behind the scenes look at the great showroom they have.

What I really love about looking for a great pattern and fabric is going into the showrooms themselves, they are often like a library, quite, peaceful and full of treasures waiting to be discovered. I really liked how Unique has their fabrics set out, colour co-ordinated and arranged via upholstery/ drapery/ high end/ outdoor/ wallpaper etc. Visually I respond so much better to things when they are hung up vertically and the fabrics are not looking at me directly in the face as I like to browse and often a really small amount of colour and pattern will get my attention. What I also find really interesting about patterns and fabrics is that you often have to really think about them on a larger surface, and I really loved how at Unique you have these large surface draft style desks that you can lay out all your hangers and unfold the fabrics to see them in more detail. It is amazing sometimes the beauty in a pattern that often gets over looked because it is only a small cutting, so it was really great to see some of the fabrics on a much larger scale and understand the widths, pattern repeat and design. This way you may pick a fabric for an upholstery of an armchair that maybe you may have over looked before.

My favourite Unique ranges are the Textilia range and the Andrew Martin ranges. They have such great choices and amazing colour ways. What we are seeing really come through for the next season of Summer and 2014 is orange, especially your more rustic burnt orange colour ways.  Tribal, aztec, stylised aztec is still huge, which are patterns I love very much as well as new softer water colour prints in soft pastel colours.

Here is a sneak peek into my tour around one of my fabric suppliers Unique.











All photographs taken by JDZ herself and if you would like to have a look at Unique's website. 

TGIF!

JDZ x                

Thursday 19 September 2013

INSPIRATIONAL THURSDAY

Such a crazy day at JDZ HQ today, I do not really feel like I am getting through half of my to-do list, it seems to just keep growing and growing. The end of the week for me does not get any slower as I am heading to the Better Homes & Gardens show on the weekend, which I cannot wait to report on.

I wanted to leave you today with a little inspirational quote that is floating around on Facebook at the moment and gave me a little boost of energy this afternoon.





What are all your weekend plans? Any great new DIY experiments?


Make sure if you have not already you head on over to Barry Dubois' website to check out my Tips for Tiles to help you along with your bathroom choices.




Happy Thursday,

JDZ x

Wednesday 18 September 2013

GOODBYE GREEN WALL: BTS

Here are some more Behind The Scenes today at one of the projects we are working on at JDZ HQ. I showed you recently a little update on this exact loft giving you some insight into the brief and what is installed for making this first home buyers new place amazing. Originally it had this very overpowering dark emerald green which you can see in the action shots below. Regardless of emerald being a hot colour for 2013, it really was not working for this space, a little too over powering for a small sized living and master bed. Also, we want to make sure we have some great resale value added to this place, incase the owner wants to sell in the next five to ten years, so we are going to focus on bringing a lot more colour accents through the accessories of the home rather than the walls.

Paint colour choices are from Dulux and we have gone for a warmish but not pinkish off white that contrasts very well with a warm grey. That will bring a very nice contemporary edge to the loft as well as giving it some character. We will also be introducing a very funky and awesome wallpaper print that is going to bring the Master Bedroom to life. We cannot wait to share that with you... but you will have to wait ... just a little.

Here are some action shots from the work that is currently being done on the loft.

Dark emerald green ... be gone!










Looking forward to keeping you updated on the progress and transformation.

Happy Mid Week All,

JDZ x

Tuesday 17 September 2013

RUGS, RUGS & MORE RUGS

You probably under estimate the value of what a rug can do for you and your space. You probably have not ever really noticed before, but a rug is such an important part of anchoring a space, especially your home. Rugs work to add colour, personality, pattern, zoning, anchoring, warmth, sitting space, protection... my list continues. It is always the way when looking to update your home and or looking to furnish a place, it is the little things you do not expect to have to buy or spend some kind of money on. Well, you do not really need to spend a lot of money on one, but I have to break it to you, just like your new Ikea couch is going to cost you $800, be prepared to spend the money you save on cheaper furnishing on buying a decent rug, that might only cost you $100-$400 ( if you are on a budget & cost generally depends on size required)

Think of it in terms of buying a dress and this is direct at the ladies! Most of you are prepared to spend that amount on a new outfit and wont buy your own home a new rug to give it some warmth and style. If you buy the right rug, you will most likely only buy it once or for as long as you require it, which will I guarantee you, will be at least 3-5 years.


DONT:

Do not buy large pile, fluffy rugs if it does not suit your practical needs and you have children, it will only be a waste.

Do not buy a rug that sheds hair if you are not prepared the clean it and you again have children or floors that show the hair.

Do not buy a white rug if you have children or you are clumsy, because you will spill that red wine.

Do not buy a rug that cannot be easily cleaned or show dirt.

Do not buy a rug that is made of silk, unless it is for show only.

DO:

Do buy a low pile rug, sisal rugs or a rug with a very durable strong weave.

Do think of it as an investment and I think about the difference it makes to your environment.

Do think about wool combinations, the use of the rug and where it will be going go in your home.


You will only buy it once if you buy in right in at least 3 to 5 years, where as you will most likely only wear that dress off the rack once and then need to buy another one for your next event. Ways around the lump sum that needs to go into buying a rug can be buying smaller sizes and buying a couple or buy three different style runners ( Ikea have a great selection ) and them layering them so you get a really unique look and make up a rug at the same time.

Here are some great resources for rugs on a budget and some inspiration.


Image sourced from Ikea. It is the new Stockholm rug available in Yellow. 

Sourced from Freedom. Their new Summer 2014 range has limitless possibilities and orange is in!
Freedom is a great resource for rugs. 

Sourced from Freedom and it is such a great way to add softness and anchoring to a dining area. 
Do not be scared of using a rug under the dinning table. The dark colours allows for protection and low pile
will not get ruined. 

Layering allows you to be playful with rugs and create unique and interesting looks.
Image Sourced from My Pinterest. 

Kilm, Tribal and Aztec prints are amazing ways to add great colour and pattern to a contemporary design.
Image sourced from My Pinterest

Low Pile shaggy rugs look messy on purpose to give that really soft and effortless
look. This is very on trend at the moment, especially this style. Very much suitable
for a bedroom or study area. Image sourced from My Pinterest.








Temple & Webster have a great promotion happening at the moment with Cadrys, which gives you the opportunity to purchase some amazing Aztec inspired, vintage pieces at a very reasonable price. Make sure you sign up and take a look, you wont regret making the investment if you make it right.


Happy Tuesday,

JDZ x







Monday 16 September 2013

EXCITING GUEST POST FOR BARRY DUBOIS

I was very fortunate to get the opportunity to guest blog post for one of the great Interior Designers and Master Builders out there, Barry Du Bois. If you are familiar with his work you will know that he is also one of the presenters for the channel 10 show, The Living Room. I love The Living Room and have been following their show for quite sometime now and always loving all the renovations they complete. So it was such a great opportunity to be able to guest post, especially because I too believe just as Barry outlines on his site, that it is such an great experience and rewarding process to watch something you design yourself grow and get completed.

Have you ever had trouble picking the perfect tiles for your bathroom? It can be a daunting process and I always get asked where do I start? There are so many great tiles out on the market now that can allow you to make some amazing choices and create great atmosphere for your home. 

Now make sure you go and have a look! It is a great post and while you are there make sure to read more on what Barry has to share on his own blog which is filled with great information and inspiration.

Click HERE to read My Tips for Tiles & check out Barry's Website by clicking HERE. 


Di Lorenzo Cement Tiles. Find out more about Tiles by clicking here. 







Friday 13 September 2013

FEATURE FRIDAY : ORIENTAL GROVE

Today in my Feature Friday post I am introducing you to one of my most recent connections and relationships with the lovely Jess and her team from Oriental Grove. I love creating new resources and connect with like minded people so it was an absolute please when Jess introduced me to this wholesale business that creates their hand crafted furniture from reclaimed hardwood. 

Oriental Grove are a wholesaler located in Melbourne Australia and their furniture is targeted to the residential and commerical interiors. I think it is such a great opportunity to have a wide range of furniture and homewares resources especially when they offer such unique and environmentally friendly pieces. It is so refreshing to have such great products like this on the market and furniture that offers a point of difference. What I really like about Oriental Grove is the raw nature and hand crafted detailing in their work. It makes every piece feel so unique and can really add that interesting talking point to your home or commercial space. The shapes are traditional yet modern, especially with their great timber stool ranges that come in my favorite colour red and black. 

They aim to create a fusion between Eastern and Western styles which I feel they achieve successfully, even with a modern raw edge. They really pride themselves on having environmentally friendly business and production practices by using reclaimed timber to primarily create their designs. The products are not just full of history but are brought back to life and in a way become timeless. 
Oriental Grove are definitely and up and coming furniture wholesaler and designers who are also working to showcase unique ideas on their "ideas" page to give their customers and readers advice on how to use their products in a unique and inspiring way. 

Here are just some of my favorites from their website. 










Find out more about Oriental Grove by visiting their website and liking their facebook page.

TGIF,

JDZ x

Special thanks to Jess and her team for allowing me to post about Oriental Grove today! We cannot wait to see more amazing furniture and design ideas from you.

Thursday 12 September 2013

ARE YOU OK DAY?





Today I am talking about something that I think everyone should be aware of and should never hide from the fact that life can be tough. Everyone no matter what they tell you has had feelings of doubt and helplessness and always needs a person to talk to and vent whatever it is they are feeling. It is important that even in our society today were life is ridiculously fast paced, full of all sorts of pressures and expectations that we take the time out of our day to be nice to people in which we connect with, even if it is in the supermarket. I am a big believer in being nice to others and treating them with respect so it is only natural that I feel very strongly about today's dedication to asking people around them if they are ok! I think our society, worries and fear that many hold on speaking and associating with strangers is rather sad and it really does not say much for the future of our world. Genuine and kind people are hard to come by, but I believe it is important we all take even if it is a second which requires no effort to ask the question, are you ok? or just be nice and smile to those you interact with on a day to day basis. Doing this can do a world of good and even if you are skeptical you never know if you will make someone's day.

So find out a lot more about the cause and join in on asking Are you ok? today!

The website for Are you ok? can be found by clicking here. 

I'll be back tomorrow with a great feature Friday post!

Tuesday 10 September 2013

FURNITURE ON A BUDGET

Have you had your own 2014 Ikea catalogue delivered to your door step yet? Well, if you have you would know how amazing it is and loving all the new products that they have on offer for some great prices. One of my other clients at the moment is a first home buyer and we are working together to achieve her own amazing first home in Sydney. The brief is Indiana Jones, which is a very cool brief to be working to and obviously it is not in the context of the movies but more in the context of what Indiana Jones represents. When I think Indiana Jones, I think quirky, I think browns, earth tones, greys, neutrals and maybe a little hint of cool patterns.

What I love about the new Ikea catalogue and Ikea in general is that it makes some great products really accessible to everyone and it is great for the first home owner who is looking to furnish their new pad with a very limited budget. Ikea is pretty much a one stop shop and because it has such a variety you can really find a huge mixture of different products that will allow you to create a really effortless cool looking interior. The new catalogue and products for 2014 to me are better than ever. They have introduced some great new pendant lights which are very trendy and affordable as well as their living products and new kitchen designs. The furniture is not only affordable but functional for those who do not have the biggest of spaces. Even though my clients space for her living area is not large, the loft style apartment has a great orientation and allows for the use of a good sized drop side dining table from Ikea that she can extend when she has more than a couple of guests. Once the project is under wraps I will release the mood board and more of the inspiration behind the new home. In the mean time here are my favourite pages from the new Ikea Catalogue as well as my top ten places to find bargains for your budget.


I'd love my studio to look like this! 

Very cool patterned tiles. 

Loving this monochrome kitchen look. 

How great is this bathroom tile and design combination? I am loving it! 

My favourite new product from Ikea!! How great is it and look at the price! 

Loving this look and the feel of the chandelier. 


Here is my top ten go to guide on places that have cool furniture and homewares on a budget. They are in no particular order :

1. Ikea
2. Oz Design
3. Freedom
4. Matt Blatt
5. West Elm
6. The Home
7. Glicks Furniture
8. Temple & Webster 
9. Click on Furniture
10. Zanui


Hope you are all having a great Tuesday,

JDZ x
 
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