Never underestimate the power of the morning coffee..

Behind every successful woman is a substantial amount of coffee.  ~Stephanie Piro

 

  see: sally scott's latest collection, for the love of sweetness. love all the outfits, the photos, the short videos. just love everything about it!

Decaffeinated coffee is kind of like kissing your sister.  ~Bob Irwin

I **HEART** clouds so being Sunday I can't think of a better time to daydream.

see: on cloud nine, a video promotion for neiman marcus.

see: clouds in the bedroom by sarah murray.

see: dreaming by bene bess.

see: indoor weather as spotted at monster munch but there's not much info there, i couldn't really figure out whose work this fabulous art belongs to. can anyone help?

Colour me Katie

If you have a few minutes this weekend and want to be inspired then you should watch this. Katie Sokoler AKA Color Me Katie is a specialist at working with strangers. Inspired by a college project in which the then shy Katie was forced to photograph 100 strangers in 5 hours, she has since eschewed using models to stage shoots, preferring instead to promote human interaction through her work and capture the results of humans in their natural habitat when mixed with fantasy or fun. In both her recent projects, the Brooklyn Thought Bubble Project and the Shadow Project, Katie stages creative traps and lies in wait to capture special moments on camera. We follow her through her process and ask why she makes interaction her art.

Found this over at clearspot

The Creative Type

SLOWDOWN!!! It's Friday! Tim Burton, Peter Saville, Malcolm McLaren and Jimi Goodwin all take time out in their day... to be quiet. I love how London based photographer Antony Crook. captures the super busy creative's sitting still collecting their thoughts.  Who knew Peter Saville had such great legs.... So take this as a hint you need to slowdown even during this busy period.  It might only be for five minutes but oh that fiver will be worth it. HAPPY WEEKEND!

JFK and Marylin Behind Closed Doors?

Alison Jackson has done it again. Grabbed our attention by using look-alikes to play out what most of us imagine may be true. 

Alison Jackson has photographed the Queen of England on the toilet, George Bush and Tony Blair chatting in the sauna, Paris Hilton bribing her fellow inmates and Monica Lewinsky lighting Bill Clinton’s cigar. Or has she? The likenesses are uncanny, but of course, her subjects are look-alikes.

Her photos demonstrate that while seeing is believing, the truth is another story entirely. In her work, Jackson says on M+B website, “Likeness becomes real and fantasy touches on the believable. The viewer is suspended in disbelief. I try to highlight the psychological relationship between what we see and what we imagine. This is bound up in our need to look—our voyeurism—and our need to believe.” 

You can see more work here. Beware some shots can be slightly shocking 

Cable Drawings

What a cheap but effective idea! I heart this by the talented Royal College of Art graduate Maisie Maud Broadhead.

Image via Maisie Maud Broadhead

Living Down In Chinatown

Enter the Dragon. Moving into a former restaurant in the heart of LA's Chinatown inspired one family to embrace the colourful style of this vibrant area. I had to send photographer Richard Powers to snap this home for me. I think this week for me it's all about colour! I hope you don't mind?

Los Angeles' Chinatown is in the middle of a renaissance - new housing and transport links have created a thriving district filled with great bars and art gallaries, as well as a multicultural 24 hour street scene. Still it's not everyone who would want to move in a former Chinese restaruant and transform it into a home that embraces the original vibe - and even fewer who could manage to do it in a contemporary way! 

 

Having started out as a popular cabaret spot, in the Eighties this place became Madame Wong's - a punk club that played host to bands like Blondie. But it was languishing as a furniture warehouse when American property developer Dan Bernier and his architect wife Amy Finn Bernier fell for it and turned it into a fun family home fro their sons Lewis and Moe. I love its playful mix of retro-meets-industrial furniture, a fusion of East and West that never gets too kitsch.

"I love colour and have never been afraid of it. With the high ceilings we decided to break the colours up into horizontal bands so that no single shade would overpower the effect" shares Amy

"We love to have our stuff on show for easy access, but to stop it looking cluttered we have chosen pieces that match the colour palette"

All pictures by Richard Powers

"When it comes to getting the details right, it's about sticking to the colour palatte and having a sense of humour," says Amy.

Light'n Up It's Christmas!

Ho, Ho, Ho! The jolly season has begun and what better way to do it than to start with your Christmas lights.  UK stylist Suzanne Stankus and photographer Damian Russell have got all creative on us with some explosively gorgeous ideas in how to brighten up our homes. A blog exclusive folks...

This year it's time to look beyond the tree to add some extra twinkling sparkle inside your home. One word PAR-TY!

A kitty cat's dream. Peace with a handmade white stained, wood cross by UK artist Alex Goacher

Remember Christmas didn't start with the fat guy in the red suit. It's about Virgin Mary popping out baby Jesus. So why not illuminate her with some fairy lights. Who cares if your not religious this will be the talking point for visitors all over the break.

Enough with the twee and bring in the Polystrene chains. This is soooo Tim Winter with a Stankus and Russell twist. Think statement, statement, statement... oh and Bambi

photos by Damian Russell 

  There is never enough dining chairs so make sure you stock up and never let them go. I love mix and match but why not try to stick with one colour... LOVE IT!

This shoot makes me giddy. Suzanne and Damian probably don't know this but they inspired me when I started out in Australia to do what I do. Their shoots have always been breathtakingly beautiful and what makes them stand out is how they create IDEAS that most haven't thought up. Suzanne started her career styling at British ELLE Decoration under the editorship of Ilse Crawford and then moved onto styling the iconic Habitat catalogues. Damian has helped set the tone in how modern interiors are photographed in our favourite magazines. The duo have been working together almost forever. If your about to set off in creating a new campaign then this is your team. And for the rest of us who love to have fun at home then go crazy with festive lights and brighten up your space.

Living with Colour

I LOVE COLOUR! Stumbling upon Seattle based photographer Seth Thompson's website it reminded me how the Mexican's and Cuban's celebrate vibrant hues inside their homes.  Seth's images make my knees go weak.... I really love the bedroom 6 shots down.

All photo's via Seth Thompson 

What makes the look so seductive? It's the mix of vibrant paint colours washed onto the natural raw surfaces. 

Feeling blue and stressed out by life then all of the above shades will help pick you up. 

Pink is known as the great nurturer. This tone creates feelings of caring, comfort and even sedation. Blue is the colour we should consider to be a blessing. It embodies vitality. It relaxes the mind and refines our ability to concentrate whilst helping to induce a flow of positivism. If there is heaven on earth, White may just be as close as we get to it. It evokes a feeling of purity when used in interiors. Green equals tranquility, peace and new life. Pure bright Greens will uplift you, conveying energy and life. 


Right then you know where to come next time when you want a pick me up! Remember though a big hug is another must do remidy.

Small Spaces

There's a new word to learn and it's Puki! Not to be confused with pukey. I have just discovered the works of Linda Gavin who has put cool into doll collecting. The doll in question is the Japenese customised Puki doll. I knew there were doll enthusiasts out there but I always thought them to be a wee bit creepy but not anymore. Linda spends her spare time building super contemporary mini-size doll houses and then photographs her Puki dolls inside the room sets. I love how her imaginary world of Puki has loads of great decorating ideas.

All photos via Linda Gavin 

Cool fact about Ms Linda Gavin. She designed the Twitter logo back in 2006. That alone makes this lady worth a follow on her blog Imaginary World.