Tuesday, November 8, 2011

What's on your kitchen bench?

Tidying up my kitchen over the weekend left me wondering if other people have as much stuff on their bench tops as I seem to have?? Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with my 'stuff'. Some of it serves a purpose and some of it is just a collection of random things I've gathered over the years that have managed to find their way to my kitchen.

However, it's certainly different to the good old toaster and kettle on the bench that I grew up with. The current trend seems to be that these 'necessities' are mostly being hidden away, unless of course they are seriously good looking toasters that still get to hang out on the bench :) People are now putting all manner of other paraphernalia out on display whether it be on the bench or on exposed shelving.

I have tried to be minimalist in all areas of my home but it just doesn't seem to work for me, so I say bring on the junk shop finds, plants, books, old school wooden chopping boards, gorgeous artworks/vintage signage and trays full of anything ranging from bottles of olive oil to candelabras!  Tx














Picture of a little corner of my kitchen.
The Wooden Bird Board is timber table-ware and part of a set of four by Bonnie and Neil.
Bonnie and Neil are a Melbourne based studio that create lovely handcrafted items for the home. Check out their great things at http://bonnieandneil.com.au

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Shop 'till you drop- literally!


I'm proud of my home. My home is my sanctuary. My home is in Beijing, also home to millions. Like most people here my home is an apartment, shared with my wonderful family on the 29th floor of an orange and brown 90's style building. After arriving from New Zealand with little more than our suitcase and hand luggage to call our own, we entered our white square box of a home here and set about making it comfy. Provided with "modern Chinese" landlord owned furniture, (sofas, beds, cabinet, tv stand, tv and bed side tables)in non-descript browns and creams, we promptly set off for IKEA to reinvigorate the eerie clinical, minimalist (not in a good way) look of our new pad.

IKEA on a Saturday and Sunday in Beijing really is an experience to be missed. Think packs of people jostling for aisle room, toting young babes in arms, scratchy screaming toddlers, grandma and grandad and the lady of the house, teetering on high heels (seriously!) on a buying mission from hell! Times that picture by 10's of thousands and you've got some sort of reality of our shock and dismay at making a gigantic newcomer mistake. Our plans of whipping through the aisles grabbing pillows and styley cushions in bright hues, modern prints for our walls and cool kids stuff was scuppered in one foul blast of sheer humanity.

So... if you can't beat 'em, join 'em I always say...firmly planting my two year old in the trolley to wail to his hearts content, dragging my four year old and her assortment of picked up off the shelf "isn't this pretty Mummy?"goodies, searching in vain for my seven year old, who had decided to park up on one of the cosy-looking kids bunk beds for a power nap, and cajole my less-than-happy, moaning husband to continue following the seriously ridiculous yellow arrows that were like some sort of holy grail towards the exit. Said holy grail happened to take the form of a queue like no other that, like most non-existent queue's in China, took an organic form consisting of shoulder barging, elbow prodding, back shoving and dinky maneouvering to shuffle towards the check-out girl - who most definitely did not greet us, (or anyone else) with a friendly smile. By this stage my now very vocal family,(and not in a good way!) were well over it and ready to snap.

Options buzzed through my brain...dump all and escape, be mature and patient and super-mom like and distract my kids with technolgy (cue i-phone goodness!), eye-ball the check-out girl with "my family are going to snap and it might not be pretty for you girly" look or just simply turn around and blame my husband for as many things as I could think of, which turned out to be a really silly, but oh-so-satisfying option! I believe my slightly OTT tirade consisted of something like this: your idea to drag us to IKEA on a Saturday...dragging us to China... your idea not to not send more of our house things over... leaving the toilet seat up, insist on wearing your ugly brown clodhopper boots to work...so got to get your hair cut...hey....come back here while I'm trying to blame you for everything...!!

There are many morals to this story: definitely don't go to IKEA in the weekend, don't take your children, do rely on technology to pacify your kids when your back is against the wall and always be nice to your husband!


Read http://inmycabinet.blogspot.com/2011/11/little-bit-of-pretty.html for more Beijing stories to brighten up your day and check out our home decor blogs about products soon for sale in our online homewares store and sent straight to you! http://inmycabinet.blogspot.com

Thursday, November 3, 2011

A little bit of pretty...

I have absolutely fallen in love with Oriental Fans, silk umbrellas and bird cages. They are just so quintessentially Chinese without being OTT in the bad taste department. It's just a case of using them cleverly to accent a room with a little bit of pretty. I have a green cage that sits pride of place atop my cabinet in my lounge and a gorgeously painted natural timber fan above our bed to create a romantic, oriental feel in our bedroom. I plan to buy a set of delicately painted silk umbrellas to hang in the girls bedroom...so cute. (although I wouldn't be adverse to hanging one plumb against the corner of the lounge ceiling either...will post a photo when I get around to doing it!!)

A touch of romance with butterfly designs, birds and cheery-blossom, these items, still used by locals in the towns and cities today, have both a practical and aesthetic use. Chinese woman of all ages continue to cool themselves off in the shade with all manner of gorgeous silk fans and shelter their famed porcelain skin with stunning umbrellas. On a sunny day, it is not uncommon to pass literally hundreds of women toting their favourite umbrellas, crocked delicately towards the sun to fend off the rays....I find it so feminine, so endearing. Elderly men take an early morning stroll to the park with their pet birds in exquisite antique bird cages and hook them up on a branch for the birds to tweet a chorus to their hearts content (the Chinese equivalent of taking your dog for a walk, perhaps?!)

How to use these decor items in your home?

Hang the umbrella upside down from the ceiling of your kids bedroom (or a set of them), pop a bird cage on top of your dresser or hang in a forgotten corner of your bedroom or lounge to provide interest, beauty and a talking point. I bought my large embroidered-look timber slat fan in a tiny village in Southern China, made famous for their fan-making skills. It was fascinating to see an entire village of people, as we wandered the age-old dirt streets past their homes, tracing out the fan shape on wooden templates, deftly painting the designs on the fan in their street-front shops and perching on tiny wooden stools to drink lu cha (green tea) whilst waiting for the fans to dry in the sun. We bought ours from a lovely man who invited us to sit with his family and share his pot of tea. Priceless, really.
xElla

Bell Jars and Glass Domes


I have a little collection of these in my home and would probably have more if not for the  often hefty price tag that tends to go with them here in Melbourne. Mine have mainly come from eBay and various op shops (I am a self confessed op shop addict!)  I even managed to get one back from NZ in my suitcase after a trip home last year. The reason I went to all the trouble was that it was $4. Basically a massive bargain, therefore well worth the effort. 


A picture of a few of mine on a sideboard next to my dining table.
Anyway, they have been seen in many an interiors mag over the last few years and are still popping up all over the place and being used for a multitude of purposes. At one stage, the most popular choice seemed to be to fill them with anything dead, taxidermy was having a major resurgence! However, I have also seen them filled with photographs, ceramics, jewellery, flowers, plants, keepsakes and various other quirky objects. I currently have both photographs and candles under mine but no doubt there will be something different next week as I feel a bit of a reshuffle coming on! Planning on having some bell jars in our little shop so watch this space. Enjoy the pics, most of them found on Pinterest.  T





decor8blog.com

Saturday, October 29, 2011

The Colours of Culture


When I travel I'm particularly drawn to the colour of a culture, be it the colour of their textiles or cloth, their architecture, their food or even their language. If a place resonates with you, it is virtually impossible, if you're anything like me, not to want to take a piece of that back to your home to covet.
A swath of exquisite fabric, a unique ceramic, a gorgeously patterned lamp, even a small but perfectly formed item of furniture from THAT SPECIAL PLACE can both serve to transform your space and add depth and character to your memories of being there, of seeing it, of meeting people and connecting with their culture.

Perhaps you haven't been there but want to; perhaps you dream of the escape and yearn for a piece of that heritage, perhaps its just so beautiful you just have to have it??

Watch this space...In My Cabinet may have just what you want for your place....

xElla

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Pinterest


Something I have only discovered fairly recently, but absolutely love the whole concept of... 
Pinterest lets you organize and share all the brilliant things you find on the web. Basically, you can create your own pinboards on specific subjects. For example, home decor, fashion, art, recipes and weddings to name but a few.
Once you sign up you can view other peoples pinboards and get inspiration from people who share similar interests.
grahamandgreen.co.uk
Graham and Green has great stuff.
Still love a Moroccan Pouffe or two. I have a fuchsia one in my lounge and would like more for the girls room.
community.livejournal.com
honestly-wtf.tumblr.com
Can't get enough of neon right now. Nails, bags or even a coffee table... love it
designformankind.com
Gorgeous scarf, great colours
Loving metallic nails at the mo. Mine don't look quite like this but I'm working on it. Brought my polish called 'Silver Animal Instincts' at www.fashionaddict.com.au
Free delivery for orders over $40.  gold
How gorgeous is this ceramic bowl! 
sfgirlbybay.com
Don't even know what to say. A sequined wall...ridic
ginger-ella.tumblr.com
Believe it or not, this is in fact a child's room. There appears to be a David Bromley on the wall and Mark Tuckey furniture. Lucky kid.


These are a few of the pics I've recently pinned. Head over to Pinterest and check it out and feel free to 'follow me' even though I don't have a huge number of pins yet! T
http://pinterest.com/taliao