Transition Spaces

Photo by Birgitta Wolfgang Drejer

Photo by Jenny Brandt

Hallways, stairwells and transitions spaces can sometime be forgotten or not treated with much care as the rest of the house. I like the lone chair sitting in these images above - they welcome you to sit down and just be. I'm going through a transition stage at the moment so these spaces really suit my mood.
Photographs via Emmas Blog.

Inspiration Profile: Kara Rosenlund

It's Friday again and, for us folks in Wellington, it is Anniversary weekend which means we have a day off on Monday. Nice. Friday also means this week's Inspiration Profile and today we have the delightful Kara Rosenlund. Enjoy.

Kara Rosenlund

Name: Kara Rosenlund

What do you do: I am a props stylist and also a vintage wares retailer. I’ve been involved in the industry first as a photographer some 8 years ago and more recently as a stylist.

Where do you live: Brisbane, Australia

What are you working on: I am always working on my Travelling Wares Caravan Pop Up Shop, this also compliments my interior work for private clients and also magazine and cookbook publications. Right now I am concentrating on launching my online store and props hire.

Who/what inspires me: Anyone who has the self belief, confidence and desire to push their own abilities inspires me. It’s not always easy and there are definitely easier roads to take.

I work best: In the mornings; I am definitely an early morning fowl; not so much a late night owl.

What I do when I’m stuck for inspiration: Generally I get some perspective. Slowing the pace down and getting back to basics and observing. You can learn and be inspired by your own observations so much, it is limitless. I have always been a very observant individual and this has always complimented and assisted my work. I like this approach, as in this day and age it is rare to find a true original sense of inspiration.

The best advice I have been given is: Just do it. This isn’t in the Nike kind of way, just a no nonsense approach.

My latest discovery is: Well, it’s not really a discovery, however I have recently become obsessed with pewter.

Books that I get inspiration from: Ilse Crawford’s book ‘Home is Where the Heart Is’ is a staple; whenever I need clarity I always find this book brings it in bucketloads, both on a personal and professional level.

Magazines that inspire me: World of Interiors, I have always loved. Vogue Living, of course. Monocle, the perfect travel companion.

Blogs that I enjoy: On the home front I really enjoy The Design Files, The Selby, My Vibe My Life by Kelly Wearstler, on the fashion side of things I really like The Coveteur and Garance Dore, on the shopping side of things I really like Father Rabbit's blog, and then on the wedding front (I am getting married this year) I am devouring both Studio Sixty and Nikole Ramsay’s blogs, obsessively, plus Snippet and Ink and 100 Layer Cake.

My favourite room at home is: Our bedroom, it is a true sanctuary away from it all. There is no other purpose to this room except to sleep and relax. No clothes piles, no computer, just beautiful textures and calm colours.

My office is: Unorthodox. An old long heavy worker's bench is my desk, with my ten year reference library archived underneath in piles of books and magazines.

What am I looking forward to: Achieving balance. Home, Life, Work.

Want to know more about Kara Rosenlund? Check out her website here, her 'Travelling Wares' Facebook page here or follow her on Twitter here.

Photographs used with permission from Kara Rosenlund.

Stylist Marcus Hay and his Apartment

The apartment of stylist Marcus Hay - has been featured in Elle Decoration UK and other European magazines. 

The opening of Marcus Hay's website portfolio - I love this photo.

A couple of days ago, I stumbled across Marcus Hay's lovely website. Hay is a Creative Director and Stylist, previously from Australia, now based in New York.
His apartment has been featured in the January 2012 issue of Elle Decoration UK as well as some other European magazines. He has made great use of the spaces in his small apartment - it looks homely and interesting with the eclectic mix of furnishings and objects. See more of Hay's work and his blog here.
Photographs by Jonny Vailant.

Dining Room with a Dash of Orange

Love everything about this simple dining room - the white walls, the Nelson pendant light, the orange Eames chairs and the painting. What a great combination.
Photograph by Laure Joliet.

Cool Architect's Apartment in Berlin

Here is a great apartment in Berlin belonging to architects and partners, Christoph Roedig and Uli Schop. Photographer Laure Joliet recorded this apartment while visiting Berlin to take photographs of Roedig and Schop's work - see her '24 hours in Berlin' here. I like the eclectic mix of furnishings and arrangements which soften the stark concrete shell.
Photographs by Laure Joilet via At Home At Home.

Inspiration Profile: Jeremy Hansen

Welcome to what I hope will become a staple to the pages of this blog. It is an exciting and new feature called Inspiration Profile.
When one works in the creative field, inspiration is so important to our work. I know when my work does not come together as well as it should, it's because I'm not inspired. This may be due to a variety of reasons and it is at these times that I step away from the desk and let myself be inspired by people, places, books, magazines, blogs and other influences.
I decided to ask a range of creative people to find out what gets them inspired. To kick off this new feature is Jeremy Hansen, Editor of HOME New Zealand.

Jeremy Hansen

Summer issue of HOME New Zealand.

Name: Jeremy Hansen

What do you do: I’m a writer and editor, and I’ve been editing HOME New Zealand magazine for six years.

Where do you live: Auckland, New Zealand

What are you working on: Right now, we’re finalising our February/March issue, which makes art its focus: artists, collectors, and the places they live.

The stylish pages of HOME New Zealand magazine.

Who/what inspires me: I’m a journalist by training, but I’ve always been inspired by architecture, so I feel lucky to have a job that combines these two things. There’s an inherent optimism about architecture and urban design that I continue to find inspiring – that good, old-fashioned desire to make the world, or at least small parts of it, a better place.

I work best: If I knew the answer to this, I’d be a lot more productive! But I tend to write best when I’m at home, usually late at night.

What I do when I’m stuck for inspiration: Read anything good. I don’t have a TV, but I subscribe to a lot of magazines and buy plenty of books, so there’s always something distracting close at hand.

The best advice I have been given is: The fact that I can’t think of an answer to this question suggests I should listen more closely when advice is being offered.

My latest discovery is: A fascinating new book from Taschen, ‘Project Japan: Metabolism Talks’. Edited by Rem Koolhaas and Hans Ulrich Obrist, it’s a rich collection of interviews, photographs and opinion relating to the Metabolism movement in Japanese architecture. I’ve always been intrigued by the otherworldliness of the Metabolists’ creations, and this book is helping me understand where the movement came from and why it petered out.  

Books that I get inspiration from: Lately, American writer and photographer Leslie Williamson’s ‘Handcrafted Modern’, a beautiful photographic tour of the homes and studios of mid-century modernist architects, designers and craftspeople. All of the buildings in the book are wonderfully warm and humane.

The  pages of HOME New Zealand have recently undergone a re-design.

Magazines that inspire me: I like 'New York' magazine for its smart pop-culture liveliness. The high-wire inventiveness of the homes featured in Japan’s ‘Casa Brutus’ is always inspiring. I’m always happy when my copy of ‘Architectural Record’ arrives in the mailbox – it consistently features a range of the world’s most exciting projects. I like ‘Dwell’ a lot, too, for its promotion of accessible prefab architecture and its determination to inspire its readers to build in a more environmentally sensitive way. Italy’s ‘Case da Abitare’ is always immaculately put together. I’m watching Margaret Russell’s transformation of ‘Architectural Digest’ with interest – she appears to be rapidly modernising it, moving it away from its décor-and-drapes fustiness towards a cleaner approach, with a greater emphasis on architectural content. And I always enjoy the energy and eclecticism of Australia’s ‘Vogue Living’.

Blogs that I enjoy: I read very few, I have to confess. For me, print is still king. But I like Decor Extremus , in which Douglas Lloyd Jenkins and Peter Wells muse on their very particular approaches to interiors at their villa in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. The great New Zealand potter Bruce Martin has a very thoughtful and inspiring blog, Kamaka Pottery. And at risk of sounding tragic, I regularly keep tabs on what Michelle Obama is wearing on Mrs O.

My favourite room at home is: I live in a 1915 apartment building in central Auckland, and I especially like sitting at our dining table. The table is a mid-century piece I inherited from my grandmother, and from it I can look across our balcony, with its elegant, dark-green wrought-iron railings, to the plane trees across the street. It’s a breezy, restful space that hovers three floors above the life of the street outside.

My office is: A little bit embarrassing – we’re part of a large magazine company, and our office has that anonymous 1990s corporate feel, with primary colour panels that are meant to make us feel cheerful. Plus, my desk is a shambles.

What am I looking forward to: Next month I go on the road with Canadian architect Brian MacKay-Lyons and New Zealand architect Michael O’Sullivan to judge HOME New Zealand’s annual Home of the Year award. We visit homes all over the country in search of our winner. Being out of the office visiting great works of New Zealand architecture with two people who know much more about the subject than I do mean it’s always the best week of the year.

Want to find out more about HOME New Zealand magazine? Check out their blog here and their Facebook page here.

Photographs used with permission from HOME New Zealand and Jeremy Hansen.

A Simple Designer Bakery in Japan

I'm enjoying this minimal and beautifully designed bakery in Kyoto, Japan. Named Panscape, the bakery was designed by ninkipen! and uses a lovely range of materials. The counter is made of 10mm thick aluminium, the front display cabinet rests on a large roughly cut log and touches of gold are noted with the front step lettering and reflective panel on the wall beside the front cabinet. Just stunning.

Photographs by Hiroki Kawata via Archdaily.