We first heard about the Mark Tuckey + Cotton On collab months ago and have been hotly anticipating it hitting stores. It’s now available in store and online so I thought I’d showcase my favourites. It’s a lovely range; casual, colourful, easy to mix and match and with a few shots of Tuckey’s trademark timber. It’s great value too and you’ll find pieces for your kitchen, living and bedrooms. Whether you love your neutrals or colours, you’re catered for!
While it may have started as a blog to document the renovation of her Paddington home (and her subsequent relocation to Palm Beach), Heidi Carter’s blog Paddo to Palmy very quickly turned into a blossoming lifestyle label.
Heidi
Now an online shop that sells beautiful Moroccan homewares and also stocks Heidi’s latest venture, fashion line Gisele, she was inspired to open the store after struggling to find furnishings to decorate her Paddington abode. “I went for a minimalist Moroccan theme,” explains Heidi. “However when it came time to decorate I had trouble finding Australian based suppliers. So I convinced my hubby that we should go for a holiday to Morocco and I came back with over 40 rugs! That is how the online shop began.”
Heidi’s Palm Beach home
Designing some accompanying ceramics, blankets and throws, last summer saw Heidi take the shop one step further, launching her own fashion label: “I have always been obsessed with fashion, in particular the prints of the Parisian designers, and I just felt there was a gap in the market for clothes that were flattering and made with gorgeous prints and colours. I will always be an interiors addict but there are only so many times you can renovate your house!”
Heidi’s Palm Beach home
[contextly_sidebar id=”lOREC3fabh3ONFyvOWXMzRN9IhwUG4QI”]However, it’s not just her Paddington home that Heidi’s renovated, with her Palm Beach retreat also getting a beautiful revamp. “It is a Modernist style house that was built in the 1950s,” explains Heidi. “It was in pretty bad shape when we bought it. I painted all the floors and walls white so I had a blank canvas to work with, then stuck to a palette of white, light blue, tan and yellow. I scoured eBay for unique and cheap furniture and had it renovated and furnished in three weeks!” Can you believe it?!
Heidi’s Palm Beach home
A unique build, the home features a three-story tower, with 360-degree views over Palm Beach and Whale Beach from the top. Unsurprisingly, that’s Heidi’s favourite room. “The bedroom at the top of the tower is so large that we also made a section into a cocktail area where we congregate at sunset, for yes, cocktails!”
Heidi’s Palm Beach home
With the home’s style being a bit of everything — a bit Moroccan, a bit beachy and a bit oriental — the look stays true to Heidi’s own personal style. “I have always been very opinionated about how things should look. My friends always joke and say it’s just ‘so Heidi’ which I hope is a compliment! Although sometimes my taste, especially my use of colour, can be a bit out there which I know isn’t for everyone.” Well Heidi, it’s certainly for us!
Shop at Paddo to Palmy here, or even better, stay the night at Heidi’s Palm Beach retreat, which is available for rent here.
We put the finishing touches to the Interiors Addict/Nest Designs apartment project we’ve been working on last Thursday night to host opening drinks and reveal the transformation. Here are the photos you’ve been waiting for! We know many of you have been following its progress and the reality behind the scenes of a reno, but what everyone really wants to see are the after shots, let’s face it!
The living area
Emma Blomfield from Nest Designs did a fantastic job furnishing and styling the apartment and I think this living area shows how she nailed a coastal holiday apartment vibe without falling into dodgy, overly-beachy territory (I think we’ve all seen that on a weekend away)!
While there it was great to reference the stunning Palm Beach location here and there, she definitely got the balance just right. Do you agree?
As we prepare to reveal the finished Palm Beach Apartment project (a joint project between Interiors Addict and Nest Designs) this Thursday, stylist Emma Blomfield tells us about the less glamorous reality behind the scenes of a top-to-bottom reno.
The Palm Beach Project hasn’t been without drama. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you will have seen a few of the issues that have arisen!
Firstly, the tenants in the apartment when it sold weren’t the tidiest, so the kitchen, bathroom and carpets had seen a lot of wear and tear. We got to work repainting and giving the apartment a bit of a facelift; that was relatively drama-free apart from the fact that the light switch cover plates were apparently imported from Europe so there were none anywhere in the country that would fit for us to replace them! We also soon realised once the tenants’ furniture was removed, that the carpets would need more than a steam clean so they were ripped up and replaced with gorgeous sisal in a chocolatey colour.
As we prepare for the unveiling of our Palm Beach apartment project at the end of the month, I asked Emma Blomfield of Nest Designs what special considerations need to be made when furnishing a holiday rental.
Durability and being easy to clean are 2 of the top, and less pretty and creative priorities when embarking on your holiday rental. “You never know who will be renting the apartment and when you might have families with children there for summer holidays, you can’t be sure how it will withstand a visit from sticky fingers or what will happen during a game of hide and seek,” says Emma. “Materials that should be avoided are things like glass top tables that aren’t secured, veneers — they are soft, dent easily and don’t withstand heavy duty cleaning agents that the cleaning company might use – and high gloss MDF as it scratches easily and ages faster.”
When it comes to flooring, hardwearing is key. Tiles, sisal carpet and timber floors are best. “There are loads of wool carpet options too that are commercial grade and come in a huge range of colours to suit your decor.”
Emma also had to think about easy and regular cleaning between guests. “I’ve chosen bench tops that have flecks of taupe and brown so any scratches or spills won’t be obvious. The sofa is scotch guarded to prevent spills staining and the rug is a jute material, making it easy to shake out to clean. Sisal carpet is good for disguising sandy footprints.”
I have an exciting new project to share with you today and I’ll be sharing it with you from start to finish over the next few weeks! A few months ago, I was approached by Judith Webster, who had just bought an investment property on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, to help her style and decorate it and share the process with my readers.
I loved the idea of course, but with a wedding to organise and not actually being a stylist or interior designer, I thought I decided to pass this project on to my friend Emma Blomfield at Nest Designs, knowing what a great job she’d do. One of you will get the chance to win a weekend away at the apartment once it’s finished! Sound good? Yes, I thought so!
Work has just begun, with a a thorough clearout and paint job and plans for a new kitchen and flooring. Today I’m sharing Emma’s moodboards for each room with you.
Judith, who first met me when she came to my blogging course at the Australian Writers Centre in Sydney, said: “Earlier this year I bought a two-bedroom apartment at Palm Beach. It is in a small, resort style complex that was developed about 10 years ago for holiday stays. It’s right in the heart of Palm Beach with the beach, restaurants, boutiques and ferry all within walking distance.
A new look for Palm Beach Collection called for a new photoshoot at Manyara Home on Sydney’s northern beaches and Interiors Addict went behind the scenes.
The Palm Beach Collection story started in 2009 when brother and sister duo Kirsten Walker and Mike Grey gave up their day jobs and combined their love for the ocean and Palm Beach to create the brand. Last month, Kirsten’s baby daughter Indigo got her first taste of the family business, “assisting” on the shoot (she’s so cute I think she probably should have been in it!).
The new collection was shot at Manyara Home in Newport and styled by its owner, Rouba Alamein, a friend of Kirsten’s. “We love working with Rouba because she is such a passionate person and has an incredible eye. She understands the Palm Beach Collection vision and as a retailer herself, knows exactly what we want from the shoot. We have very similar brand aesthetics and feel.”
Al Walsh’s first series of poster art, The Travels of Vivienne, recalled an era of advertising now long gone. The exhibition was heralded a success with press in Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue and of course, Interiors Addict.
Fast forward to 2013 and we have Sydney, Al’s second poster art series. It elegantly captures iconic suburbs, paying tribute to the city that this Pom has called home for nearly a decade. “24 January is the 9-year anniversary of my relocation from London to Sydney. I wanted to create a collection that local people could relate to, as well as paying homage to the place as a way to say ‘thank you for having me’.”
And he nailed it. “I want people to look on their wall and see the elegance, the glamour and the seduction of Sydney,” says Al, “a little reminder of what a wonderful part of the world it really is.”
You can check out the exhibition from Thursday (24 January) at The Foxhole Small Bar, corner of Kent and Erskine Streets, Sydney. Luckily for us, Al’s works are ‘cheap and cheerful’ and at only $100 unframed or $250 framed, it’s artwork for the budget-conscious.
