into my window

margaret river bakery

2010-09-11T00:10:00.001-07:00

Although a bakery might not seem like a “home” to those who visit, it can be for those who work there day in and day out. Lyndon and Marcelle have been working at the Margaret River Bakery for many years now. Not just a humble bread producing business, the bakery also acts as a cute cafe and serves breakfast and lunch (try the french toast – yum!)

I love the way that Marcelle has decorated the interior of the bakery. The decor is made up of vintage finds, from the couches to the drinking glasses to the spoons placed carefully in antique tea cups. If I ever owned a bakery, I have a feeling it would look a little like this one :)

the home of tea for two!

2010-04-05T05:50:00.000-07:00

when i went to tasmania, quite a few months ago now, i had the priviledge of photographing my sister katie and her husband ben's little home. i love their place. all the little things just seem to come together in a way that gives this home such a cute personality.

Katie's design style is all about symmetry, clean lines and cute things. She has made these three elements work well together by creating a space where organised piles of fabric, rows of magazines and books and stacks of square t2 boxes complement the cute little things she has placed on the shelves of her bookcase.

What Katie (and Ben) love most about their home is its functionality. "Despite the fact that the whole house is so small, each area is very functional and not a single cubic metre is wasted. My husband lives and breathes functionality. If something is not practical then why use it. Better to throw it away and design something better! (I tend to favour form over function most of the time, much to his disagreement). At the end of the day we have a functional house with the added touches of a home (thanks to me) to give it that aesthetic appeal."

" Our space is very well designed (by Ben’s uncle/architect!). It catches the sun in winter through a high north facing window. This same window is positioned so that very minimal sun beats through in summer, keeping the house cooler. Its height means that it allows optimal light, keeping the place nice and bright and airy, without compromising privacy – no need for curtains or blinds!"

"The living spaces flow easily from one area to the next: living to dining to kitchen. Anyone who has been around to our place would easily notice this. It is nice and open and each area has its own function."

Creating a space that is unique and reflects the people who live there can be challenging when room is limited.

"Working with the limited room has been an ongoing challenge from the day we first set foot in this place. As our needs have changed, so has the way in which we have organised our home. First it was sorting/organising and storing our wedding gifts when we first moved in. Deciding which items to display and which to store away was tricky, as we wanted to show it all. About a year later it was finding a place to store all our newly acquired bushwalking gear (we had fallen in love with the pastime). In the last few months we have been busy re-arranging upstairs and downstairs to make room for our beautiful new addition to the family, our baby boy."

"Luckily, the house was designed with storage in mind. There are lots of ‘hiding’ spots for our things. We’ve also used clever ways of tucking clutter and things out of sight – pretty storage boxes that hide stuff but are appealing enough to be placed in visual areas. Every now and then we have a ‘blitz’ and change an area of storage to make it more functional/practical (usually instigated by Ben!)"

"It becomes a unique space when you add all the things that reflect me and my style…clean lines, symmetrical displays and all the things I love – fresh flowers, tea (+ lots of it!), teapots, books and photos. All these things make it ‘ours.’"

Katie's house is made a home because, as she says, "all the things I love are in it and on display. I just wish I had more space to express myself sometimes! I guess because there’s only a limited space for our bits and pieces we have to be careful that we don’t end up “cluttering” it up too much."

"My favourite place is upstairs – the coziness of our big bed…my craft table which contains piles of yummy fabric just waiting to be crafted into something…my clothesline of cards and other things I’ve made or kept, hanging by little wooden pegs above my craft table. I love to sit downstairs on the couch whilst I’m feeding my little boy and admire the upstairs area I can see. I think the beautiful plywood tree Ben made last Christmas really fits in with this area nicely.
All of Eamon’s things have made our house very homely as well – mobiles, his owl wall decal, white cot and change-table and the shelves above containing so many of his ‘baby’ things."

This won't be home for Katie and Ben forever - they have plans to build a new house. Will the same design features carry over into the new house?

"I think we will continue this design in some ways in that our next house will also be functional. We are functional people so we would like to plan for each of our living spaces to be practical. The same architect who designed our unit has also had input into our new house so once again it will have some clever features, with some more modern touches as well. It will continue to be an open living theme but hopefully will reflect more of our personal styles and what we would like out of our house – I can’t wait!"

We can't wait either to come visit you either, Katie and Ben! Thank you so much for letting me 'into your window'!

retro playground

2010-02-22T21:13:00.000-08:00

I'm very excited to be taking you into the windows of one of my favourite photographers, Arlene. Being someone whose work I both love and admire, I was looking forward to seeing what gems her house might hold.

Arlene describes the house as "Westbury Castle - It's big and old school". From the striped couches to the old tv, brightly coloured kitchenware and grand light shades, this place has nothing short of retro charm. In fact, that's one of Arlene's favourite things about her home.

"There's so many things I love about my place - my favorite would have to be the morning sun on the massive verandah, although I also love how well the house suits my obsession for retro style bits n bobs that we collect from random markets and opshops, how the light shines though the front door and the beautiful roof patterns and blind decorations."

One of the things I love about this place is the way that old cameras are scattered in various places, waiting for someone to create peices of art, but in fact becoming art themselves.

"We have alot of old cameras here and at my studio", says Arlene. Her housemate, also having a "slight obsession" for all things old school has purchased many of the cameras from auctions. "I have a beautiful box brownie I have never used but just love the look of. I love shooting with the old polaroid cameras - polaroid is just so beautiful."

It was no surprise then to see Arlene's photographs grace the walls of this home.

"I call my photo wall 'the happy wall'", says Arlene, "and along the same lines, I like to be reminded of how blessed my life is, and how much I still have to enjoy and explore."

Not just a collector of memories in the form of photographs, Arlene also likes to collect old things.
"I love so many of the old pieces I've collected, like the flour canisters and the old world globe. I often wonder about their stories, and where they came from in the past. I also think that a lot of items were designed better years ago."

Arlene's home is not just a place of lovely things, but a place where the value of those things is considered important. So, what does she want people to see when they look through her window?

"If some one was looking through our window I would love them to see it like a reflection of our blessed and active lives, a place like a retro playground with the old boards, bikes and cameras."

Thank you, Arlene for letting me into your home - it has been wonderful!

home with heart

2010-02-01T22:58:00.000-08:00

after a bit of a blogging drought, i have another instalment of into my window to show you all. i visited dinkie at her cute fremantle apartment a little before christmas. the patchwork quilts, vintage suitcases, cameras, photographs and family heirlooms are lovingly owned, and each little piece has it's own story to tell.

i was so excited to show you these pictures when i first took them, and i'm still excited by them now. dinkie is one of the most bright and effervescent people that i am fortunate to know. through my little view finder, i found that her little room is a complete reflection of her personality and spirit - i hope you'll agree!

i'm going to leave the words to dinkie when they are sent through (she had a technical glitch) but for now here is a view "into her window".

out the back door

2009-09-01T04:56:00.000-07:00

it has been a long long while since i have showcased any houses. while this isn't quite into someone's window, it is looking OUT of a window...
this is the exterior of my opa and oma's house which i showed you on my very first post. i took these photos a little while back now, but felt i should post them up anyway :)
oma and opa have decorated their house in all these little ways - even though it might not all match, all the little things seem to come together in a way that could only truly be described as them.

into MY window

2009-06-29T23:12:00.000-07:00

please pop over to my sister katie's blog - she has gone "into my window" and has a lovely series of pictures that she took of my room when she last visited. remember to post a comment!

http://katiesteafortwo.blogspot.com/

'home away from home'

2009-05-12T02:34:00.001-07:00

During my mid semester break adventures, i began to develop some ideas for the next 'into my window'. as i was riding my bike on a sunny day along the geographe bay coast, thinking about all the houses and wondering what was inside them, a lovely bunch of people waved to me from their porch and invited me in for a lemonade! invigorated and inspired by the house, (and by the holiday makers' generous hospitality) i endeavoured to stop by again and take some pictures, and so i did :)

i love this house every time i step into it. from the carpet to the lights to the garden, everything about it has charm. i wanted to challenge myself with this project, and i thought the best way to capture this house was with film! so, armed with the clunky 1980's camera and a roll of film, i clicked away! a couple weeks later, with the photographs back from the lab and an interview with the wonderful owners, i present to you..the 'home away from home'...

"The house was built in 1963 (yep, all good things come from that year) for Mrs A Pinnock", says Diane, owner of this antique gem with her husband Daniel. They purchased the house as a holiday retreat, somewhere they could relax and unwind in a beautiful place of the world.
"The reason we bought the house was because of the location. I didn’t take much interest in the actual house itself. [However], once we spent a week there, I loved it! It just felt good, just like the fitting of an old pair of jeans, cosy and comfortable."

Cosy and comfortable are appropriate words to describe the house. Although it is only lived in for a parts of the year, stepping inside reveals a home that is warm with feeling and a sense that it has been lived in.

"What I find exciting is that there has been no hammering in this house at all. It is still in its original condition, with sixties/seventies décor. From the green brown yellow floral carpet, (top quality carpet in those days - I think its westminister 100% wool carpet), to the bamboo patterned curtains, the kitchen overheads with the sliding glass door, the brown and cream tiling in the bathroom and laundry, and the built in wardrobes with the Queen Anne style handles -nothing has been updated!"

One of Diane's favourite parts of the house are the light fittings in the main living area. "the orange and white glass waffle designed ball lamp fittings suspended from the ceiling by a plaited cord. Absolutely fantastic!"

She also loves the picture of the bird in the living room. "It's painted, and I would like to take a closer look at it next time we are there, and find out who the artist is and do some research. Who knows, it could be worth heaps, or maybe just $2 from a op shop!"

She also says that the house came with a few extra surprises in store!
"We found a cupboard in the laundry which was locked. We left it for a few months, but curiosity got the better of us and we prised the cupboard open. Yes, it was a treasure trove! It was filled with hand painted crockery, silver serving dishes, vintage Tupperware and also sorts of fancy glassware .My favourite from the treasure trove was the hand painted salt and pepper shakers. They take the honourable position on the mantle piece above the fire place."

I love the fact that even though this house is used as a holiday getaway, the original and untouched decor make it a place that still feels like home. I'm so glad the owners have chosen to keep this house the way it was, and have the same passion and devotion in maintaining the essence of this house as the original owner once did.

Thanks so much for letting me into your, Daniel and Diane (and Carol and Eric of course who put up with me flitting around the house in all weird and wonderful positions to capture the house)!!

windows + wallpaper

2009-03-26T03:50:00.001-07:00

A little while ago now I was invited to the housewarming of friends of ours, Rob and Charlene. I was so inspired by their little home that I decided to come back and feature their house on my blog!

Rob and Charlene have been living in this house for about a year and a half now, but the house itself is a lot older.

“ As far as we know it was built in 1954 as part of the government housing for returned servicemen. We also think it was given a face lift in the seventies. At this point the back veranda would have been closed in to make the sleepout and this is where the colour scheme and wall paper would have originated from.”

The wall paper was certainly one of the things that caught my eye when I visited, and the home’s vintage style has not gone unnoticed by the owners either.

“What we love about or house is at it has the charm of a different era, i.e. the open fire place the high ceilings and the warmth of the jarrah floorboards (not any actual warmth it’s freezing in winter). But in addition to this it presented us with a blank canvas that we could work with and make the house our own.”

For Rob and Charlene, part of making this house a home is “the little things you have to live with” – that includes their dog tearing things up a little and a few water issues..however, “its things we’ve done to make it our own like the new kitchen we added and opening the kitchen to the lounge, as well as, the decking, veggie garden and chooks out the back that really make it a “home” so the longer we’re here and the more we do the more homely it gets.

And as for the future of the house? Rob and Charlene have lots of plans! we will be converting the roof from tiles to tin soon, and the sleep out will be converted to a guest bedroom. Further down the line we hope to completely overhaul the bathroom and laundry, as well as enclose the front yard and put in a new driveway, and the whole house could use a coat of paint both inside and out. Its going to be long process.”

A process that is going to be worth it, for sure.

“We still have a long way to go to reach the goal of what we would like to see in our home, so currently we would love for people to see past the chaos and see a little of what we are trying to achieve in trying to keep the charm of the old place adding some of the convenience of a new house and sinking a fair bit of our own character and style to the place.”

And as for fiasco?

”ruff ruff” (ie I love playing under the house where there is lots of room to dig holes!)

Thank you Rob and Charlene for letting me take pictures of your house – it was great!

mandy's room

2009-03-20T01:42:00.000-07:00

finally, a new post! a couple weekends ago i stumbled upon this treasure of a room! it's twinkling lights and warm glow made me feel like i was part of a fairy tale. i fell in love with the branches entwined with little dotted lights - the way they creep up to the ceiling and cast shadows around the room. i love the shade of the lamp with its crystals and the little ornaments scattered on the dresser. i love the chest of drawers with their delicate carvings and shiny handles and the soft white of the bedspread...what's not to love??

All of it has been beautifully put together by the lovely Mandy! Thank you for letting me shoot your room - i'm looking forward to coming back to do the rest of the house! Let me know what you think!

something up my sleeve

2009-03-13T18:41:00.000-07:00

i have something very exciting to show you very soon!

Chantelle's stamping space!

2009-02-01T20:14:00.000-08:00

A new week, a new window :) In the past week i popped into my sister Chantelle's and decided that her craft room would be great to photograph!

Chantelle has been paper crafting for about 8 years - she first started with scrapbooking and making cards using bits of paper she had lying around. Being introduced to Stampin'Up in 2006, she says she uses stamps for "scrapbooking, cards and 'off-the-page' items".

The amount of scrapbooking materials contained within this small space is amazing. On last count Chantelle records having just over 70 stamp sets, something which she herself is even surprised at! With stamps stacked into old fruit crates originally sourced from Busselton, markers stored neatly in drawers and bits of paper filed away, this little room is the epitime of organisation, everything having it's own little place. Chantelle says that her collection of supplies, furniture and storage items have "been collected over time".

Chantelle hopes to continue stamping for a while, and says she would love to be a part of a design team. "I love sharing my work and what you can achieve with Stampin'Up, so that will be the focus for my blog this year."

So what does Chantelle love the most about this little hideaway of hers?

"My favourite bit of this room is that its just mine and I can come and go as I please".

into my window

2009-01-16T02:17:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my new blog!

"into my window" has been inspired by the memories that homes hold. a home isn't just a building, it's a place where memories are made stored and kept forever among the furniture, pictures and walls. i hope to capture the stories and memories :)

The first home featured is my grandparents! Their home has survived generations of children playing in the spare room, countless coffee mornings (and afternoons) complete with "oma biscuits", and a multitude parties! Despite all this, it still retains in original charm. I love the wall paper, the pictures that cover the living room walls, telling the family history, and all the mantlepeices and shelves layered with bits and pieces of memorabilia. Each piece has its place and story, and some date back to the 1800's and were passed down from my Oma's Oma! (like the tea set). The ship framed in the picture below was where my Opa worked, and the windchime set against the backdrop of vintage wallpaper is probably from the mid 1900's. Take a look "into my window", and let me know what you think of my new project!