Dirty laundry.

Laundry is not a favourite chore, that's for sure! I loathe putting on a less-than-full load, and what I really don't like is sorting through a basket of dirty clothes to find all the white/coloured/dark clothes to group together. Our last laundry 'basket' was huge and awesome- it was actually a whole unit that included a huge pull out drawer for the dirty clothes and a hat-stand type attachment to hang all those things that you wore once but are still good to wear again. Alas, it wouldn't fit in our new place so I needed a new solution.

Trio of laundry baskets

We just have three! Great for sorting- one is for dark, one is for light and one is for coloured clothes. It's also great because a full basket equals a full load, so I can just chuck the whole basket-full in the washing machine in one go! Perfect. Well, as long as everyone has remembered to empty their pockets...

This arrangement works because it's not only practical, it looks good. The good old laundry basket is far from a statement piece, but that doesn't mean that it has to look bad! Choose colours and materials that don't stand out from the surrounds too much, as well as being practical. These baskets have a fabric lining that is removable and cut-away handles on both sides so they are easy to carry. Each basket is different without being so dissimilar that they clash, making it easier to sort the dirty clothes straight in to the correct basket.

These baskets were sourced at Homeline Trader.

Beautiful brush.

We made a little trip to Rozelle markets today and had a great time trawling through the stalls. Rozelle is almost exclusively second-hand wares and there are certainly some interesting finds to be had. Some weeks you can walk out with a carload of stuff, others you don't find a thing. Either way, there is a great atmosphere and it's a great adventure. The coffee and food isn't half bad either!

Hoof brush

Today I found this beautiful hoof brush -at least I am pretty sure that's what it is- for the bargain basement price of $4. I don't actually have a horse (of course, of course) and thus won't be using it for its intended purpose, but I think it will look pretty good on the bookshelf.

The stall that I bought it from had so many great things for very reasonable prices. It's a shame that we haven't done the extensions yet, because he had a few pieces of furniture that I could have seen us living quite happily with.

Strange lettuce.

I collect strange things, it's what I do. I find things, buy things, scavenge things, get given weird and wonderful things because people know that I will think their junk is rad. The fantastic thing about 'things' is that you can make almost anything look great just by putting it in the right place.

Porcelain lettuce and a cut glass decanter

Take this example. A cut glass decanter that I found in my grandparent's house and a porcelain candle holder shaped like a lettuce. What strange things! Well, more specifically the lettuce, that's weird. Weird but amazing! It's by Sydney-based designer Jennifer Jones and her company Have You Met Miss Jones. I picked it up at their annual warehouse sale for a song. I haven't actually used it to hold a candle, I have enough candles that can hold themselves.The point is that you can take two (or indeed more) seemingly incongruous things and make them work. Currently they are sitting on the end of my little mantle having a grand old time prettying it up.

Too many times I see this clustering concept fail, because people tend to want things to be all the same size, or all the same colour, or evenly spaced. Take a page from Mother Nature's book and stop trying to make everything the same!

In this case it's all about the size of the objects. Both are delicate in design but solid in shape, neither object overpowers the other and thus they are complementary. They also work in this narrow space because they fit within it, things hanging over the edges of shelves or mantles look messy and precarious. The decanter 'ends' the space with its height, giving the mantle a softer look- not everything can make a big statement. The decanter also catches the light, and an incidental effect is the pattern created on the wall behind it.

Today's interior decorating lesson is: either complement or contrast because you can't do both!

Ring ring!

I bought this wonderful old telephone at an antiques store in Woonona who are so marvellously antique that they have no web presence at all. Their street address is 486 Princes Hwy, Woonona, NSW 2517 if you're keen.

Bakelite beauty

The price tag said $80 but I only paid $55 because apparently I look like someone who knows how to look after precious things. Cool! It was years ago that I bought it and it's still the coolest 'phone I've ever seen. The 'phone has and old connection and is rotary dial, so it's not that useful as an actual 'phone, but awesome none the less.

I inherited this telephone table from my grandparents, and I'm told that it belonged to my grandmother's parents. This table was always in my grandparent's house and so it makes it all the more special to have it now in our home. As with most of my wooden furniture I keep it in good shape with decent doses of orange oil from time to time.

Gluggle Jug

I bought this magnificent thing! Apparently this little baby has been made in England by Dartmouth Pottery since the 1870s. I'm sure I've seen them in vintage and antiques stores in my travels but since they're still making them I just bought a new one! I found it by accident while looking for a milk jug. Could not resist!

Gluggle Jug in pink

I ordered it online from Peter's of Kensington, fast and reasonable shipping, especially as you typically save a bundle on the actual cost of the item!

Gadgets ahoy!

I thought I'd make a post about the little gadgets and whatnot that we have bought to add to our Dear Little House. It's been fun shopping for all the little things that make a house a home, but I must confess that the insatiable joy I feel when perusing homeware stores is getting on Michael's nerves somewhat! He's imposed a time limit in such stores unless I can find him a suitably entertaining activity in the general vicinity. Fair enough, I suppose!

Breville Ikon Toaster/Kettle

This handy little appliance not only saves us space in our teeny tiny kitchen, but it also only uses one power point. You can use both 'ends' of the appliance at the same time and it is a nice little unit with a retro feel. The kettle is a little on the small side, only holding 1 litre. This is not a massive problem unless you are making a big pot of coffee, and it does boil very quickly. It was only a little more expensive then buying cheap appliances separately, but it is well made and has all the features you need.

Available at Harvey Norman and other retailers.

Bodum Double walled glasses, 250mL

These are so super-cool!! My mum got some about a year ago and I was so jealous of them. The only thing holding me back was the expense, so when I discovered Peter's of Kensington and their Grand Re-Opening Sale I couldn't pass it up! I paid less than half the RRP for a set of 6. They are not only stylish and cool but they are actually really nice to drink from! The double walled design keeps the contents at optimum temperature for longer.

Available at Peter's of Kensington and other retailers.

Amco Garlic Crusher and Slicer

What a wonderful thing! One tool that can either crush or slice your garlic. It includes a built in double-ended cleaning tool that snaps on to the inside of the handle, and on top of it all it's dishwasher safe too. Easy and comfortable to use, it's a great thing to have in the kitchen drawer.

Available at Peter's of Kensington and other retailers.

Cuisipro Foam Punp

This is a somewhat long story; I bought some very expensive liquid hand soap that was on sale (of course!) and the dispenser that it came with was less than great, frequently shooting the soap onto your crotch rather than your hand- not a good look! Then I bought a cool looking soap dispenser to solve this problem, but that broke after only 3 days. I gave up and was just using it broken because I was sick of it, however while I was shopping for something else I came across this little gem. You fill it up with a mix of soap and water (a scale of measurement is conveniently printed on the back of the dispenser) and give it all a good shake. The soap them comes out in a magical foamy dollop! It not only saves on soap while keeping your hands as clean as ever, but it adds a little novelty to an otherwise mundane process. The suction-cup base stops it from moving around on the sink and it has a neat, smooth action.

Available at Howard's Storage World and other retailers.

Simple Human pull-out drawer organiser

Unfortunately our kitchen has next to no cupboard space, so I was quite pre-occupied with finding a solution to this storage conundrum. I looked and looked for something, and finally I came across these drawers. They were expensive, but as soon as I installed them it made the space I have so much more user-friendly. It saves me from having to pull everything out when I want something at the back, and the construction and design is sturdy and well thought out, meaning that I can stack containers on top of each other.

Available at Howard's Storage World.

If you've got it, flaunt it!

Cookbooks are great. They teach you new things and stop you from getting bored in the kitchen. What's less than ideal about them is this; I get them, think they're great, cook one recipe from them, then they end up forgotten in the back of a cupboard. That seems to me to be a waste. So why not keep them where you can always see them?

Arranging a small collection of cookbooks on a bench top or shelf will ensure that you are much more likely to use them, as well as giving you an opportunity to enhance the poor, neglected kitchen space. People like to hide everything away in the kitchen, and to an end that works for most- it makes cleaning easier and looks 'uncluttered'. But screw uncluttered, I love a bit of clutter! Why waste a perfectly good bench top by filling it with nothing?

Spice it up

Spices. If you don't have them, you need them! You can't cook without spices, and if you think you can then you haven't lived! The problem is storage. How do you store a multitude of wondrous spices without taking up way too much room in the cupboard? Spice rack. Think they're ugly? Me too.

All things nice

I bought these little glass jars many many years ago at Rozelle Markets, and have supplemented the collection by scavenging more from a pharmacy that was getting rid of their old bottles. I simply bought swing-tag labels from the newsagent and tied them on. The colours of the spices are beautiful and they add a point of interest to an otherwise boring space under the window sill.

Open bar!

I'm a fan of old and interesting furniture. I'm also a fan of eBay. You can imagine how this could get a little out of hand! But I am restrained (mostly) and believe that if a piece of furniture is meant to be mine then it will happen. Often I find- or scavenge- amazing pieces from all over the place! One thing I have always coveted is an art deco bar (or cocktail cabinet as they are frequently called).

Art deco style cocktail cabinet.

I have always marvelled at these magnificent pieces and dreamed that one day I would have one. In fact, I was once so enamoured with a piece in a cute little inner-city retro store that has long since gone out of business that I used to drive myself there just to look at it. The $895 price tag was so far out of my budget in my student days that looking was the best I could do.

Makes me smile every time I walk past!

I was perusing eBay just doing a general search of 'vintage furniture' when I came across a stunning cocktail cabinet that had only just been listed. The starting bid was a mere $275, but with over a week to go I knew I would be outbid for sure, seeing as they usually go for over $800. I put in a bid and promptly forgot about it. 8 days later I got the notification saying that I had won! What? Nobody else had bid. It was all mine for the bargain basement price of $275. Amazing!

It was almost a disaster when Michael and I went to pick it up. It only just fit in the minivan, and by that I mean that we had to bend the van a little bit to make it work. It was also a nightmare to carry- my back is still sore! A lick of orange oil and some windex later, she was shining. We had fun arranging all the glassware and of course the booze, and as an added bonus we now have more cupboard space in our teeny tiny kitchen.

Gorgeous grandpas

When my grandparents passed away I was lucky enough (or mad enough, as some relatives thought!) to inherit several beautiful pieces of furniture that would have otherwise ended up being chucked in a skip bin. They have been in storage for the last couple of years and I have been having a magnificent time putting in a little restoration work.

All cleaned up and looking fine!

The chairs were in fairly good condition, if not a little dusty. The fact that they are worn only adds to their charm as far as I am concerned, and I wanted to preserve that 'lived in and loved' appearance that makes them feel like home. I have been told that my grandmother's parents actually were the original owners of these chairs, and also that my grandfather was fiercely opposed to re-upholstering them some time before I was even born.

The varnish that was initially applied to the arms is worn in places and buckled. I did consider sanding them back and just polishing up the timber, but decided against it as I felt it would make them look too 'new'. Instead I just used some Gilly Stephenson's Orange Oil to give the timber a nice glow- it also smells divine- and to keep it in top condition. A quick coat of Armor All to the seats and they look stunning. I love the warm glow and comforting feel that they instantly add to the living room.

The cushions were cheap and cheerful and add a quick splash of colour to the room without overpowering the beauty of the chairs themselves. The aqua and grey cushions were $4 each from KMart, the olive green corduroy was $15 from Target and the silver and green peacock design was $30 on sale from the "Bed Bath 'n Table" outlet at Birkenhead Point.

Initial impressions

So I've been going a little crazy decorating and organising the house. It's been lots of fun opening boxes to find things that I had completely forgotten that I own, as well as buying pretty and funky new things to add to our eclectic collection.

Michael and Nat :)

We bought these from a great little homewares store in Bondi called Abode. ALPHA Art by Design Ideas come in different sizes, colours and fonts and are a cheap way to brighten up a boring or under-utilised space. They are currently on our bookshelf, which happens to be the first thing that you see when you walk in the front door. I am in the process of organising the bookshelves to make more of a statement, as I have mentioned they are the first things any visitor will see.

You can contact Abode via email on abodebondi@gmail.com or visit their neat store at 16 Hall Street, Bondi Beach NSW. ‎

Moving Day!

The internet's finally connected so I can update on the last week or so. Moving day went well, no major dramas and all the heavy lifting was done by lunch time. The removalists were wonderful, efficient and courteous.

The Dining room, day one

We set up the kitchen as a priority, I'm sure there's some saying about the kitchen being the heart of the home or something! We pretty much just plonked the furniture in the room that we thought it would belong in and worked our way from there. I think we managed to do well on the first day, all things considered. Once everything is more sorted and I can find the real camera I will take more pictures!

We have keys and everything!

Got the keys today! So exciting! We even managed to move a few bits and pieces in today, mainly stuff that was already in the back of the car because we've had nowhere to put it.

The wall right by the front door says it all really!

It was really cool, the people that sold the house are really lovely people, they went through all this stuff with us and showed us all around the house and told us how to work everything. They also went through all the plans for the extension, so that was really helpful, and we have all the paperwork to get that rolling as soon as possible.

I can't wait until tomorrow night when we have everything in there and are starting to get settled! It already feels pretty special, even though there's nothing in there but a few kitchen things and a mop.