by Amber on November 4, 2009
{So, I’ve been a bit neglectful of CFS while I’ve been gallivanting around New York… whoops. Not to worry though, fellow globe trotter, the lovely Sarah von of Yes and Yes is saving the day with a guest post on the glory of decay!}
Though there’s something very calming and clean about modern design, it can get all get a bit sterile, can’t it? There’s something so mysterious and intriguing about spaces and clothing that’s a bit messed around the edges, covered in vines, chipping a bit. Don’t you want to spend an afternoon investigating all these places? Poking around with your camera and maybe picnicking among the relics?
If you’d like to add a bit more deliciously decayed decadence to your life, why not:
- Fill your bookshelves with old, hardcover copies of your favorite books
- Buy an antique locket and fill it with pictures of your pets
- Make a necklace from an old skeleton key and a ribbon
- (Very carefully) investigate your city’s abandoned buildings (maybe from the outside! and maybe with a friend!)
- Write letters on old pieces of sheet music
- Use one of those painting techniques to make your walls look like they’re plastered
- Rummage through the clothing section of your favorite antique store
- Pile your bed with old quilts, mismatched pillows and your mom’s ancient teddy bear
- Frame pictures of your grandparents as children
- Write your grocery list with an ink pen
- Fill a rusted can with peonies
- Watch ‘Grey Gardens’ or ‘Great Expectations‘
Do you love things that are a bit tumbledown around the edges?
by Amber on October 15, 2009
My sweet ickle brother turned 22 recently, and like all responsible sisters, I rushed out and bought him a very very last minute present. Thankfully the first shop I came across on my mad dash was The Cool Store.
As the name implies, they are retailer of rather cool and covetable goods, aimed at the more masculine shopper. Working with the double entendre, the whole space is set out like a modern butcher’s shop.
There’s fresh cuts of jeans hanging from the ceiling, stacks of sweet tees in a fridge and chunky gold watches and other accessories in a chiller cabinet. To get to the changing rooms you have to make your way through swathes of industrial grade plastic. It’s heavy – and makes a satisfying thwap, thwap, thwap noise.
My favourite part of The Cool Store experience? The gift wrap. Your purchases will be nicely wrapped up in brown paper and tape. Simple yet effective. It’s just how you’d get cuts of steak at your local butcher!
So what did I get Hemi in the end? A soft cotton Deus Ex Machina Union tee. Good times! The kid was stoked…
by Amber on October 5, 2009
For such a city girl (characteristics include: apartment dwelling, inner city live-work-play, urban holidays, even going to high school in the CBD) – I have been acting completely out of character! Blame the moon, astrology, seasons, whatever – I’ve stayed out in the country at the beach for the last week and a bit.
Combined with the occasional foray to the nearest village (including a tsunami evactuation), I only went back to the city for one day of work out of nine…
<a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/teststrip/3975666983/” title=”Untitled by Amber P., on Flickr”><img src=”http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2574/3975666983_3a3a13e858.jpg” width=”500″ height=”334″ alt=”" /></a>
(Have you met my teapot? I bought it in Xi’an, China and had to lug it in hand luggage for the next 2 weeks, on trains, buses and aeroplanes. I finally used it for chai.)
Oh well, it was nice to have a break. I’m back to reality tomorrow. Hope your weekend was swell!
by Amber on July 14, 2009
Who doesn’t love hip hotels? Characterised by stunning interiors, swoon worthy service and a kind of magical atmosphere. I feel like I’ve stayed in enough hotels to comment on what rocks… sheesh this year alone there has been more hotel beds than weeks! So when Mr & Mrs Smith (who describe themselves as boutique and luxury hotel specialists) sent me their new book I was really excited! I adore reading up on new places to go.
On occasion I’ll be profiling an amazing hotel from their collection – somewhere I want to go, naturally. My criteria? Places that have an amazing interior, somewhere in an enthralling location or somewhere good to take a lover for a sneaky weekend. Because that’s where the Mr & Mrs Smith name comes from – it’s a “common pseudonym often used by couples checking into a hotel for a romantic (and sometimes clandestine) weekend away”.
Which brings us to my first pick, the Viceroy Hotel, Santa Monica. I’ve only visited Santa Monica once, for a day ,and my memories are of it are of the pier, spotting Keanu Reeves (!!!) and going to the McDonalds.
Suffice to say I want to go back and explore a bit more. I want romance, summer sun, golden sands, braided beach hair, rollerblading and to visit that famous vintage store. As a place to retreat to at the end of my days, I can’t think of anywhere better than the Viceroy.
It’s a gorgeous 142 room hotel, decorated by Kelly Wreastler in the Hollywood Regency style. Hollywood Regency is characterized by glamorous finishes, ornate details and saturated colours.
The Viceroy’s Essential Elements for a good time:
- The interior fit for any starlet – in fact Dita Von Teese wrote the review featured in the Global Shortlist. Hurrah, let’s snap some daily outfits in the lobby!
- The mustard coloured library! Drinkin’ and readin’ – my faves.
- Signature drinks include Strawberry Vice, Mojito Royal and Mandarine Gimlet.
- You can hire the poolside cabanas! Ooh la la. Invite a date to your cabana, or if you don’t have one yet – meet someone. Apparently the Viceroy has a sweet ’scene’, where all the locals come hang at the hotel. How cool is that?
Giveaway! Smith Hotels has given Code For Something a copy of their lush new Global Shortlist book to give away. The Global Shortlist “takes you beyond the bedroom doors of the world’s most stylish boutique hotels, steering you toward the best places to wine, dine and unwind at destinations around the globe”. Simply leave a comment telling me the name of the coolest/most memorable hotel you’ve stayed at! I’ll randomly select a winner on July 21sr. Yay, good luck!
by Amber on March 24, 2009
Lighting is incredibly important. It sets the mood, the atmosphere and the scale of a room. Would you rather go to a starkly lit dinner party or one possessing a comfortable glow? I think the glow is optimal; the lighting of our favourite little restaurant is something we should aspire to in our own spaces.
Thanks to a past life as a cinematography student and current forays into photography, I’ve learned what makes people and eyes happy. Thus, I offer my view on how to perfectly light your bedroom, your boudoir.
So how do we create friendly environments with light? My philosophy is to layer lamps across a room. This is to create rooms that we enjoy being in as well as simply shells in which to rest our bodies and keep our stuff. Aside from making the most of natural light sources, I believe there is one golden rule to great lighting:
Nothing is to be lit directly from overhead!
Bedrooms are for relaxing, not washed out faces. You want to feel your best in your bedroom, not be squinting and squirming at the sight of your nose casting bizarre cubist shadows everywhere. To achieve a warmly lit bedroom scene, I use three tiers of lighting: atmospheric, task and decorative.
ATMOSPHERIC:
These are the main sources of light in the room. I love the liberal use of standing floor lamps, preferably at different levels. However most bedrooms are average sized and therefore don’t necessitate a forest of lamps. A more appropriate set up therefore would be a low floor lamp (such as a globe), a table height lamp and a large standing light source.
TASK:
This layer is about the lights above your mirror and your bedside lamps. The functional stuff shouldn’t be neglected – making sure your bases are covered will make everything that much more harmonious and liveable:
- It’s highly recommended that if you are sharing a bedroom, make sure there is two separately controlled beside light sources. Me? I like to have two lamps anyway, so it doesn’t matter which side I stretch out to sleep on, hee.
- A light source above your mirror will save time; whether doing your make up, plucking nose hairs or just general preening. Fumbling in the dark always hinders “going out” preparation.
- If you must have a desk or workspace in your room (if only we all had the space to make bedrooms only for sleeping and relaxing in), allow it its own light source, with a high wattage bulb. No need for utilitarian pieces here however… check out this piece of lamp porn by industrial design demigod Yves Béhar, the Leaf Light:
DECORATIVE:
This layer serves the purpose of adding magic to your rituals (like drinking tea before bed), for romance and for when Stella McCartney hires your bedroom for a lingerie shoot or your mates band needs a suitably captivating location for their latest video.
- Indulge in a variety of beautiful candles or use some sparkling fairy lights!
- Embrace different colours – blue light disco or red light district? I wish a light rope came in a lilac.
- Try digging around antique or curios stores to discover a crazy feature piece – I have always wanted a giant glowing matchstick as a centrepiece. Go wild on this layer! Not just in quantity, but with your creativity.
INSPIRATION/OTHER THOUGHTS:
- Look to the books and magazines written by stylist and designer Isle Crawford. She is a genius at making homes 4 dimensional bubbles of happiness and aesthetic pleasure. In particular I like her book Home is Where the Heart is and Elle Decor back issues.
- Bare bulbs are naff. Your bedroom is not a post-modernist Berlin cafe. If you must use something like this, multiply it – have 20 or 100 bare bulbs instead.
- Browse the Apartment Therapy archives. They have a billion articles and photographic features on beautiful rooms. If you’re inclined to do-it-yourself, check out this tutorial on how to rewire a lamp – perhaps make your own version of this gorgeous tea party affair!
Photos sourced from we heart it.
by Amber on November 7, 2008
Sometimes emotion just wells, triggered from some residual memory or dream. This photo sparked such feelings – it makes me so incredibly happy. Why? I’m not sure – but I see an entire movie in it, a life breathing through.
As a side note; once upon a time I bought a working photo-booth but had to give it away. Oh! You have no idea how much I regret this. One day I’ll start a photo-booth manufacturing workshop, creating elegant beasts with carved wooden interiors and plush royal blue velvet curtains. All analog, of course.
[via {this is glamourous}]
by Amber on September 14, 2008
My friends Nicole and Joel are currently converting an old potter’s studio, unused for 20 years. It’s in a giant lush backyard, with stonewalls, daffodils and ancient trees. It’s like a secret garden! Visiting it made me want a little nook of my own… I currently live in the city, in a big old creaking villa filled with lovely people but sometimes I dream of escaping the hustle. Wanting my own patch of land in the country, with simply a little tiny house in which to sleep, write and read. This resulted in me day dreaming around the Internet collecting images of tiny bliss.
This is a summerhouse at the end of a very long garden, similar to what I imagine my friends one will eventually look like.
This minimal ply space is by Dorte Mandrup. Built in bookcases and a fold down bed make it just right for penning your magnum opus.
The Scandinavians have it right with 21st century huts in breathtaking locations. Hang out all summer long drinking vodka overlooking a Norwegian fjord? Yes please!
This pad is functional, aesthetically pleasing and easy to make yourself. The plans are available from Ready Made, so if you’ve got the space, the time and a nearby hardware store you can do it! Most of the time you don’t need permission to build a structure so small. I don’t have the inclination to build myself something but I am lucky to have a wee shed that I am planning on turning into a silk-screening studio. If you need more inspiration check out this wonderful site materialicious, which only focuses on these tiny amazing abodes!
by Amber on August 18, 2008
Perchance you haven’t skipped across to The Selby yet? Possibly you have missed the shouts of glee from across the internet as people exclaim over the latest in shelter porn? Prepare yourself for some serious envy then…
Todd Selby has been hooking up with all sorts of creative wunderkinds, then taking photographs that detail the people and the places they live their lives. Take for example, Chrissie Miller, designer of sophomore. Selby shoots her at home in NYC.
Selby then rounds out his photographic spreads with a handwritten and answered questionnaire for his subject. It’s an incredibly intimate peek into the lives of some interesting folk. My favourite shoots so far include: Matt Creed, Georgie Greville (her aesthetic is awesome!) and Adam Wallacavage. It seems to be updated every few days, so I’m looking forward to regularly discovering new beautiful details.
It reminds me of a project I’ve been plotting for the last little while; documenting my life, my bedroom, my sacred daily touch points. In a while this life might change – I want to remember how my books were arranged just so, bookended with a dusty Pentax and how the light always seeps in through my curtains. I would also love to photograph my friends and their treasures – other people’s “stuff” is always fascinating to me. If you could photograph someone right now, with all access, who would you choose?
