After the success of last year’s Take a Seat for Legacy initiative, Temple & Webster are back with round two, asking 40 Australian personalities from the worlds of television, radio, sport, fashion, design and interiors, to design and create original chairs.
Some of last year’s creations
Going on display to the public at The Grounds of Alexandria on the weekend of the 24-to-26 October, visitors will get the chance to view a range of unique and stunning chairs, conceived and created by people such as Tim Cahill, Paul Hogan, Johanna Griggs, Melissa Doyle, Rebecca Judd, John Sutton, Todd McKenney, Magdalena Roze, Donna Hay, Sibella Court, Vince Frost, The Grounds favourite Kevin Bacon (he pig!) and many more.
Devised by Temple & Webster, Take A Seat aims to raise awareness and provide vital funds to support the families of Australian Defence Force personnel. For those wanting to take their favourite creation home with them, the chairs will also be available to purchase on the Temple & Webster website. The sale will run from 7pm on Wednesday 22 October until 11pm Thursday 30 October, with 100% of proceeds going to Legacy.
We absolutely love this initiative. Stunning one-off chairs and money raised for a fantastic and important charity. Get involved!
This time last week, an amazing and heartwarming charity project started in Glenmore Park, NSW. Build For A Cure will see a four-bedroom house built and fully furnished in just 21 days. Everyone has donated the labour, materials and furnishings for free and when the house is auctioned, all the money will go to the Children’s Cancer Institute. Amazing, huh? and the progress so far in week one is incredible!
Scott Cam at the Build For A Cure house
It’s the first ever Build For A Cure as part of International Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The home will be auctioned on 26 October and proceeds will go to the Institute to fund vital medical research to find a cure for childhood cancer.
The lavish four-bedroom, two-bathroom ‘Havana One’ home is being donated by McDonald Jones Homes and built in partnership with Austral Bricks. It will sit on 500 m2 of land in Glenmore Park donated by Wearn Brothers Group and will be sold fully furnished by Freedom, with kitchen and laundry appliances by Electrolux and home entertainment by Panasonic. All real estate services are being donated by PRDnationwide Penrith and the home will be auctioned by The Block celebrity auctioneer, Damien Cooley.
The Block’s Scott Cam, a McDonald Jones Homes ambassador, is lending his support to the project, along with the show’s 2012 winners Brad and Lara Cranfield and stylist Jason Grant.
“When Bill [McDonald] asked me to join the Build for a Cure campaign to raise funds for Children’s Cancer Institute, I was thrilled to have a way I could personally help. These people aren’t asking for a miracle, just the funds to make it happen. Children’s Cancer Institute’s determination is infectious and I encourage all Aussies to give generously,” said Scott.
With its labs first opened in 1984, Children’s Cancer Institute not only conducts medical research to find a cure for childhood cancer, but also ways to improve existing treatments and reduce the suffering long-term side effects can bring. The Institute is now excited to be embarking on a program of personalised cancer treatment that will see it centrally involved in guiding cancer care for high-risk children at paediatric hospitals throughout Australia.
Brad and Lara Cranfield
“As we celebrate 30 years of medical research, we’re more determined than ever to put an end to childhood cancer,” said Prof Michelle Haber AM, Executive Director, Children’s Cancer Institute. “As the only independent medical research institute in Australia wholly dedicated to childhood cancer, our role is vital – because even with the current survival rate of eight out of ten, childhood cancer still kills nearly three children every week. I am blown away by the generosity of our partners who are making this happen.”
You can follow the Build for a Cure journey here and donate at,or buy a $2 token at participating Big Ws throughout September and Woolworths Petrol throughout October.
Here’s a video that shows you a little more about it:
It’s an old and arguably tired adage, but the saying: ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’ couldn’t be truer in the case of Feast Watson’s Re-Love Project. The initiative brought together eight designers who donated their time and expertise by ‘upcycling’ worn timber furniture items into unique, one-off designer pieces, all in the name of charity. For those new to upcycling, it involves turning used or useless furniture or other household items into something far more glamorous.
Simone Barter
The project was an undeniable success, raising an admirable $5,000 for Salvos Stores Australia after Feast Watson agreed to match the funds raised from the eBay auction of the pieces earlier this month. James Fisher, brand manager at Feast Watson, notes that the success of the auction was a great reflection of both the strong support demonstrated by the public, and the delivery of such stunning products from the designers.
The project also shines some light on a craft form that, while popular, has yet to come into its own; with many seeing upcycling as a task best suited to smaller furniture pieces. Salvaging a larger item of furniture from the trash heap and showing it a little TLC, can in fact yield fantastic results and doesn’t require a lot of hard work.
According to Simone Barter (above), who fashioned a stylish chair and desk combination as part of Re-Love, it all starts with the search. And once you’ve purchased your piece, creating a masterpiece is as simple as planning, preparing and then achieving your vision.
Check out Simone’s step-by-step guide to achieving the look:
What you need:
Feast Watson Timber Primer
Feast Watson Stain & Varnish Black Japan Satin
Dulux Super Enamel in Tango Semi Gloss
Dulux Super Enamel in Malay Grey Semi Gloss
Planning:
Decide where the item will be placed in cohesion with the rest of the space and then choose a desk that will enable a large workspace. “Shop around and explore old and loved stores, you never know what you might find or what bargain you could stumble across!”
Preparation:
Prepare the wood by sanding it back, first with a coarse sand paper, followed by a finer one to smooth the timber. When selecting paint, “choose colours that will add a ‘wow’ factor – I chose Feast Watson Black Japan, Malay Grey and Pop of Tango from the Dulux range for a dramatic effect.”
Achieving your vision:
After applying the primer and allowing it to dry, remove all drawers and apply the first layer of stain and varnish, building up coats until the desired colour is achieved. For the chair, apply the Dulux Super Enamel in Tango Semi Gloss then allow to dry. When it comes time to paint, tape approximately 10cm from the bottom of each chair leg, evenly wrapped all the way around each leg. Then paint the bottom section of each chair leg. Remove the painters tape when the paint is completely dry.
Meet Darren Palmer and Baz Du Bois at charity event in Sydney
I just had to tell you about this event, Design for Life, which any interiors addict will surely love, but which is also raising funds for a great charity, Mummy’s Wish, which offers practical support to Australian mums and their families when they’re diagnosed with cancer. As someone who lost my mum to cancer when I was three, this cause is obviously very close to my heart. And the event has some top names on board and is going to be amazing, so you’d better book your ticket for 31 May right now!
Meet Darren Palmer and Baz Du Bois at charity event in Sydney
Mummy’s Wish is based in Queensland and has helped thousands of families there. They have had many requests for help by Sydney hospitals for mums with all types of cancer, but have been unable to assist as they don’t have support people in NSW. Their work is really practical. They help with housework, financial assistance, memory making for terminal mums, nutritious family meal provision, childcare, tutoring for little ones struggling to maintain focus on their studies due to their mum’s illness and free hire of iPads during hospital stays for Skype sessions between mums and their families.
How amazing and important is all that?
Help raise money to provide these services in Sydney by attending the ultimate interiors-loving girls day out, Design for Life, at The School in Rosebery on 31 May. Hear The Block’s Darren Palmer talk about how he got into interior design and some of the trends that are coming, and Barry Du Bois from The Living Room will to help you understand the five steps to planning a great room and show some examples. Stylist Megan Morton will be doing a styling session and Good Day Girl will show you how to dress confidently. You’ll also enjoy champagne and nibbles, all for $125 per ticket.
2-5pm on Saturday 31 May 2014. Places are limited. Buy tickets.
Is there nothing Jonathan Adler isn’t putting his name to lately? Just recently I saw his luggage range for Tumi and last week I was sent a pair of his shoes for TOMS. Cute eh? Perfect for next time I hit the beach. And TOMS are a fantastic brand, as for each pair sold they give a pair to a child in need (ten million so far!)
Jonathan’s limited edition range comprises sunglasses, canvas shoes and sandals in his bold signature prints. These are a great collector’s item for Adler fans and all for a great cause! “I’ve been a longtime fan, wearer and devotee of TOMS,” Jonathan said. “When the collaboration came about I was ecstatic because it felt right and organic. I wanted the spirit of TOMS to reflect the spirit of my work, which is what I call style, craft and joy.”
The shoes and sandals are $65 and the sunglasses from $180 (prices in Australian dollars and subject to change dependent on the exchange rate) Buy online from the US store for delivery to Australia.
I know some of you would, judging by the keywords you search which end up leading you to this blog! Wouldn’t you like to know…
On a much more serious note, The Block judge, interior designer and friend of Interiors Addict Darren, has promised to don a pair of budgie smugglers and run through the CBD on 28 March if he raises $10,000 for Youngcare, a charity he is ambassador for. I, for one, would pay to see that! If even half of you could donate just the price of a coffee ($3 on a good day) we could smash that target. So, what do you say?
Currently more than 7,500 young Australians (under the age of 65) with full-time care needs are living in aged care simply because there are few alternatives*. There are also 700,000 more young Australians being cared for at home by family and friends, often with limited support**. Youngcare believes all young people deserve to live young lives. The charity is committed to raising awareness of the issue across the nation so that we can drive change and create real choices for young Australians and their families.
The GIO Youngcare Budgie Bolt (in Sydney and Brisbane) is a 6 kilometre dash in nothing but your budgie smugglers or smugglettes to raise awareness and much needed funds. Every dollar raised will help Youngcare provide grants to stop young people going into aged care.
“Braving the Budgie Bolt is one of my worst nightmares,” says Darren. “The challenge has been set by Youngcare advocate Emily Dash, asking if I am man enough to take part. Emily and I have become great friends, however asking me to don the budgies and run 6km — this is pushing the friendship!
This image may be Photoshopped…
“I’m not one to back down, so I thought I’d see if enough people would put their money behind me to run through Sydney’s streets in my budgies and not much else! If I raise enough money for Youngcare, I’ll do it!”
I’ve put my money where my mouth is with a $100 donation. You can donate too here.
* Source: National Disability Agreement 2010
** Source: Australian Institute of Health & Welfare 2007
Today it’s 2 months since I married my love. How times flies when you’re honeymooning, moving house and enjoying married life! Before I completely let go of being a recent bride and get on with being a wife, I thought I’d share one last wedding post with you, this time about the styling aspect.
It will come as no surprise that I was more interested in what my wedding would look like than what I’d look like! I don’t DO dresses. I do however, do decor! So I had a lot of fun with this part of wedding planning. Here are some highlights and details of all my suppliers.
Perhaps the most talked about things at my wedding were: the dress, the flowers and the vintage caravan which I had arranged to serve tea and biscuits (I know, how English) as a fun and pretty time-killer after church and before the reception. That Vintage Caravan were brilliant. I’d seen their pink caravan (Sweet Jane’s Travelling Teahouse) at events before but when I found out they had a new addition, Spencer, who was not only very handsome but also navy and therefore on colour scheme, it was just meant to be!
Suffice to say none of my guests had ever been to a wedding where they served tea from a caravan parked on the street outside the church before and everyone said it was “very Jen”. The priest, in his wisdom, didn’t hesitate to give us the go ahead. Kelly Holcroft and her team did a top job of styling the grassy area around Spencer too, which suited the relaxed, pretty vibe we were going for. Total event professionals!
From now until January 5 2014, for every soft toy or children’s book sold at IKEA, the IKEA Foundation will donate €1 (approx. $1.50 AUD) to children’s education through UNICEF and Save the Children.
The Soft Toys for Education campaign aims to provide quality education to children living in poverty in developing countries. Since the campaign started in 2003, donations from the annual IKEA Soft Toy Campaign have totalled €57 million, helping more than 10 million children in 46 countries to enjoy their right to a quality education.
My personal favourite, by paper artist James Gordon
Some seriously stunning one-off, work-of-art chairs are up for grabs this weekend, in an auction to raise money for Legacy.
My personal favourite, by paper artist James Gordon
The 30 original chairs, designed and created by key Australian personalities from the worlds of television, radio, fashion, design, interiors and politics, including one from Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s family, go on public display at The Grounds of Alexandria this weekend.
The Take a Seat campaign has been devised by online homewares retailer Temple & Webster. Participants include Sunrise and Dancing with the Stars presenter Edwina Bartholomew, renowned artist and designer Stephen Ormandy (of Dinosaur Designs), stylist and interior designer Shannon Fricke, makeup artist Napoleon Perdis and many more.
Stephen Ormandy’s chair. Image courtesy of Olsen Irwin Gallery.
I’m delighted to be a brand ambassador, alongside The Living Room’s Barry du Bois, for the new My Salvos Stores eBay shop.
The Living Room’s Barry du Bois
Do you love furnishing your home with unique, affordable items but don’t always have the time to go out and rummage through op shops and speciality stores to find them? My Salvos Stores has the perfect solution. Access recycled homewares and furniture at your fingertips by shopping online at My Salvos Stores’ new eBay shop, with all proceeds going to The Salvation Army. Now you can shop online for great quality recycled goods whilst also helping a good cause.
Meet Barnaby, the luxurious limited edition bear for grown-ups with a conscience! Barnaby is the brainchild of Melbourne’s Cameron Comer, director and owner of Comer & King Interiors.
Being surrounded by a treasure trove of the finest fabrics sourced from renowned international labels, it was the hesitation Cameron felt associated with discarding the offcuts that lead to the making of Barnaby. Inspired by the original Barnaby created in 1994 as a custom made ‘newborn’ gift, and a long association with the charity TLC for kids, Cameron wanted to do something that not only satisfied his design sensitivities but also make a positive difference for sick children.
Today’s OTT may seem like a cop out because I’m not actually allowed to give blood myself. That’s because I used to live in the UK. Remember Mad Cow Disease? Yeah, that. No jokes please!
In the absence of a screening test for vCJD (the human form of the disease) the Australian Red Cross Blood Service won’t let us Poms donate. It’s frustrating, as I used to regularly in the UK. So I thought perhaps sharing the message with thousands of you guys could be my way of helping the cause.
