Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Sydney Home - PLUS Fiona Kate giveaway!

The Freshwater home of Fiona Chandler and family. Most photos here are courtesy of Cath Muscat - thankyou!

Nothing says cosy 'beach house' more than timber wall panelling, and white on white on white!


Love the classic white kitchen and timber panelling throughout...

Fiona Chandler's gorgeous weatherboard house in Freshwater on Sydney's Northern Beaches is a happy home to her large family - the troops include husband Nick, 4 Kids - Noah, Holly, Owen and Oliver... not to mention Chilli the resident cat, chooks Thomas, Rosie, Tiger and Aya, and 'Fish' - the fish! As Fiona says, 'it's amazing how many fit into a little blue house!'.

Fiona describes her home so beautifully -

'A white fence and hedges, old stone pavers leading up to the front door.... You won't knock (no one does) - you can hear the family inside, so follow the wooden verandah around, past the magnolia, and through the side door which says 'welcome' to the chaos within! A noisy living room, usually full of children toys & cooking - we love to bake, so imagine peanut butter cookies - that's our current fave!'

OH don't you just feel welcome and right at home already!?

Fiona grew up on the Northern Beaches, and her family has lived in Freshwater for the past 5 years. In that time Fiona and Nick have renovated their home in two stages to accommodate their growing family... although of course there is always more to do! There are always changes afoot - next up is a slide alongside the back stairs so the kids can slide or step into the back yard! (and YES that's in addition to the fireman's pole inside!)

It's no surprise that with four young kids under one roof, Kate's home is super organised! These shots of her home showcase many of the products in her Fiona Kate storage range - from boxes to shopping bags and storage sacks. Before launching her little business, Fiona was I was an art director/ graphic designer for several homewares brands. The Fiona Kate brand was launched almost 3 years ago after an initial year of development, which came in response to Kate's search for simple, well designed and robust storage for kids rooms - 'Simple gorgeous storage' as is now her catch-cry! Initially the range included sturdy storage boxes, letters and chalkboards that were super strong and toddler-proof, but recent additions to the range include soft furnishings which double as storage sacks, and fabulous wire postcard racks / poster grid display boards.

IN addition to sharing these gorgeous pics of her home, Fiona has generously offered a brilliant giveaway for one lucky Design Files reader! The prize consists of not one but two of Fiona's brand new products - the wire postcard holder and poster grid display case, both in fabulous Fire Engine Red as seen below!

Giveaway ALERT! - Fiona Kate's wire postcard holder and poster grid display case!

To be in the running for this lovely prize, you know the drill! Please leave a comment here before the end of the day, (midnight Melbourne time, Wednesday June 2nd). A winner will be selected at random and announced tomorrow!

If you subscribe to The Design Files by email, please don't reply to your daily email - in order to enter the draw please visit thedesignfiles.net and leave your comment! Thanks and good luck!

Huge thanks to Fiona for the fab giveaway, and to the very talented Cath Muscat for the lovely photos of Fiona's beautiful beachy home!

Outdoor details - including storage sacks/string bags by Fiona Kate!

Love the bold red/white/blue palette... especially effective in the kid's rooms. *side note - how cute are these kids!? Holly and Noah, I presume? So sweet and playing very nicely together on the bunkbeds!

YES there is a a firemans pole from the secret attic playroom down to the bedroom below!

The stripey cushions seen here double as storage sacksfor stuffing soft toys, old clothes or pyjamas.


Gorgeous painted mural on the wall...

Maximising limited space, Fiona has slotted a tiny home office underneath a loft-style mezzanine bed.

Storage central in Fiona's study!

130 comments:

  1. Fireman Pole! That's what I'm working on once the gentleman installs our laundry chute.

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  2. lalalalalalala la la la la la...da da!!
    redenny@xtra.co.nz

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  3. i love thje fireman pole! :D i want one! i meant... i NEEEEEED one! :D

    i like the postcard and poster holders, because my postcards always fall off the wall. plus i like to change things around a lot and still like to keep things organized.

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  4. Gorgeous colour palette!!!

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  5. wow what a stylish home! lovesit! love this postcard holder even more though, what a brilliant idea!

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  6. How gorgeous is this home.
    Thats my style xo

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  7. I have ALWAYS wanted a postcard rack! please pick me!!!

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  8. i can picture these pieces in my study, especially as they are red.

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  9. Gosh their home is amazing. Its so personalized!

    What kid wouldnt love a slide to the backyard :)

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  10. My son just purchased a Sean Connery James Bond poster from EBay. The wire poster holder is sooo him!!!

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  11. Very lovely beach house thanks Lucy! X

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  12. Ooh, what a beautiful home! And I'd love to win! Thank you!!

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  13. I love the 'welcome' on the glass panelled door...

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  14. kid friendly and with style , a great combination for a young family.

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  15. I love her attention to detail! just divine.

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  16. lovely home! and her online shop is too cute!

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  17. We just bought a holiday house and this is exactly the look I want to make it bright and vibrant with clean sharp looks... thanks for the insight....

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  18. Imagine that fireman's pole in red! My whole house is red, it would be such a feature. Beautiful home.

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  19. What a gorgeous home and such a cool prize! Please pick me!

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  20. Stunning home Lucy, count me in for the draw to win fiona's wares.. Many Thanks! Shelley

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  21. A very beautiful beach house! So fresh. Loving the storage ideas.

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  22. what a gorgeous peek. I am addicted to postcards so a rack would be wonderful! thanks!

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  23. this house is stunning and those racks are COOL! i especially love seeing all the string bags like mine around the place, they're so handy and aesthetically pleasing :)

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  24. Pretty please pick me!
    x

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  25. Great House, very better giveaway!

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  26. I have been searching for one of the poster racks for ages! The postcard rack is pretty awesome too :) I'd happily welcome these in my home!

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  27. Beautiful house, lovely prizes.

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  28. What an inspiration for a fun family home! I'm working on an attic... hmmm where to put the fireman pole. Love the give away too.

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  29. oh please let it be me! the house is amazing and the red would look great in mine

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  30. What a stunning house! I also love, love the giveaway (Fire engine Red - yes please!)

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  31. ahhh... fiona kate, such luvli storage!!!
    would love love LOVE to be chosen
    much love leah xxx

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  32. I love her use of red in a beach environment, rather than the more obvious blues and greens.
    And I love the fire engine red wire rack & grid goods!

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  33. What a great way to display photos. Would love one for my home!!

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  34. I love it - so simple, stylish and with children!!!! Love to win the giveaway! Paula

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  35. I have JUST the places for a postcard/photo display in my kitchen. Pick me!

    xx Cristina

    fujifilesblog@gmail.com

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  36. love the secret attic! the postcard holder and poster display are awesome.. modern, industrial & vintage all in one :)

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  37. Industrial Chic, would love to have these in my home!

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  38. me likey... fingers and everything crossed :)

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  39. Where to start...there are so many things to love...I had serious couch and kitchen envy (so white and clean and oh so pretty) but then I scrolled down further and found the postcard holder!! JEALOUS!

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  40. Oh, Fiona's home is so calm & appears to be simply styled but very beautiful. I love the postcard holder. Thank-you for another opportunity at a stylish giveaway.
    Bianca D'A

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  41. Beautiful home, everything looks so crisp. thanks for the chance at a giveaway.

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  42. A fireman's pole?! Jealous! I'm loving the poster display.

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  43. What a gorgeous (and well organised) home. the poster and postcard rack would be perfect for my young kids artwork and photos. Thanks for this lovely giveaway! Annalisa

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  44. Very inspiring home, love the little study space.
    Love the postcard holder too!
    Fingers crossed.

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  45. I literally said 'whoa' really loud when I saw that fireman's pole in the home. How very excellent.

    Please count me in for the giveaway.

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  46. Lovely. That postcard holder or the picture would really suit my kitchen. Touches of red are hard to beat.

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  47. oh the poster display is brilliant. please please please.

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  48. Aw love those kids rooms. SO bright and cheery yet simple and not overwhelming. Thanks for sharing Lucy. Great prize in the giveaway too - the postcard rack is great!

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  49. Love the fresh white base and the house is so warm and inviting...I want in!!!

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  50. Count me in! That's exactly what I need to display examples of my work :)

    (fingers crossed x)

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  51. Holy dooley, four kids and white couches... the woman deserves a medal.

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  52. nice house, great giveaway!

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  53. A beautiful home. such cute kiddies too. I would very much like the postcard and poster holders : )

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  54. I am new to your blog (I heard about it through Made 590) and I'm loving the content. This house is especially cute - the kids must love it. Lots of great ideas, thanks.

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  55. I am so impressed! I have 4 children too and am constantly racking my brain for storage/display solutions that are not more trouble than they are worth (ie child friendly)!!

    I love your house Fiona - you have created a gorgeous home that looks and sounds like a lot of fun - exactly what a family home should be!

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  56. Have been tossing up whether to use colour or go white on white for our walls. Now we know. And forget the kids, we're getting a fireman's pole for the adults!

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  57. i've always wanted a postcard rack since i was a kid... i also like the all white in the house :)

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  58. Gorgeous house Fiona! I collect postcards.. this is a brilliant & stylish way for me to display them! Goodbye blue tak & wrecked walls!!

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  59. Abosolutely inspirational. 4 kids, a beautifully kept home and a business to run. Nuff said!

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  60. Those wire frame holders are great! They would be perfect for my cheesy Sovereign Hill souvenir 'Wanted' poster.

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  61. My autistic sons want to move to Freshwater! We live in Cairns and wish we could get our hands on some of her wares especially the postcard holder. (The red is the perfect colour). Please let it be us.

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  62. Those are gorgeous! Pick me pick me!

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  63. Love. this. home!

    So Australian, so stylish. Fiona is a huge inspiration.

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  64. I think i'd need a dozen of those postcard holders for my postcard collection...
    But one would be neat to start with

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  65. What a home! It's so welcoming but gorgeous. I'm LOVING the fireman pole!

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  66. Lovely! would just love that postcard holder.....
    And I would put a map in the poster case. Of Paris, probably.

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  67. her house is lovely. would like a home like this one day.

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  68. So inspiring and absolutely beautiful! xxx

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  69. I have been searching everywhere for a postcard holder

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  70. I love the sharp shots of red throughout the home and the truly fun & creative ways that she has made the home workable for a young family.

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  71. Jessica McCartneyJune 2, 2010 at 1:17 PM

    Very cool place and lots of great simple design ideas.

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  72. my mum would love this!!!
    -taliesin

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  73. OMG I am so jealous. What a beautiful pad!
    http://porkchopandme.blogspot.com/

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  74. 'Welcome' to the chaos within... what a perfect family home!

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  75. A beautiful home, simple and welcoming

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  76. I met Fiona not long ago, she is lovely! I'd love the postcard holder, I've wanted something like it for ages.

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  77. what a great giveaway. i'm gonna check out fiona kates shop, now <3 hearts

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  78. That home is lovely. I can think of so many things to display in the postcard and poster holders! I have never seen them in red before. Fantastic!

    elissa at iinet dot net dot au

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  79. hahahaha fireman's pole, the mister and i have been toying with the idea of one for our future entry point, take the stairs or the pole down to the bottom!
    lovely home.

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  80. beautiful home!!
    love the poster holders. would like to see a print with lots of curves behind that grid!

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  81. what a beautiful house! love the welcome stickers on the front door!

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  82. Ohh it is gorgeous. I so want this house. Thank you so much for sharing ;)

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  83. Poster holder/ Post card Holder. Just the thing you need in a house where you can't put posters up on the wall!

    What a great Idea!

    XX

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  84. More brilliant storage, yippee

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  85. Love it!! Love it!! Love it!!!
    Even my husband love the pole :-)

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  86. Beautiful house. I long to be this organised...!

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  87. Oh wow - she's got it sussed! Love the children's mural, fireman's pole and the kitchen.

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  88. that postcard holder is fab!

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  89. wow! great prizes! Can I have one?

    Love Karlee

    karleeslater@optusnet.com.au

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  90. What a gorgeous home.
    And such beautiful storage products

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  91. I love the red touches which stand out from the white- it is such a beautiful home and photographed (as always) to perfection!

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  92. Hi there - please pick me! I've been looking for a postcard display rack for ages - this one is really pretty and wouldn't look like I'd stolen it from a bar.

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  93. The display racks would finally help me cut back on my annoying need for blu-tack.And they are RED.
    Win,Win!

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  94. my favourite part of that home is most definitely the welcome door. most welcoming!! fingers crossed for the divine giveaway! thanks.

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  95. Gorgeous house - love the firemans pole
    Mary

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  96. Seriously lovely!

    Michelle.
    nookshop@gmail.com

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  97. With my new baby boy due monday-that postcard rack would complete my frenzied nesting nursery with duck egg blue walls ... would be ecstatic and put lots of family pics in it to inspire baby taj as he grows up ! sasha

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  98. Oh wow, Fiona's home is gorgeous, as is her shop! I would love to win, such amazingly useful items!

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  99. Love the colours on the white canvas. White is so under rated. Love red. I have a red dining table.

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  100. Exquisite! I love the red and white details throughout! Thanks for the opportunity for another giveaway :)

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  101. ooh I just love this house, the beachy, relaxed vibe and the great kid-friendly elements - looks like a fun place to live.

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  102. Can I move in? Love the house - I would even love a cubby - perfect for a secret escape.

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  103. This house is pretty much the coolest!
    Love a bit of red - we're trying to introduce it through little pieces in the kitchen and it always makes me very happy.

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  104. I have collected postcards since I was a kid - what a fabulous way to display them! LOVE it!

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  105. Beautiful photos of a beautiful house. Love it!

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  106. postcard racks ~ eep, didn't know you could still get them
    the fireman's pole = very cool

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  107. These prizes would be so useful at my various workplaces- at Captains of Industry to display our Sunday Best Jumble Sale posters and at The Shop in Yarraville to display our amazing vintage ephemera- oh, but if I win them, they might not leave my home, where they would be filled with children's artwork & other domestic paraphenalia.

    Thank you for yet more stylish inspiration. Xx Catie

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  108. What a stunning home with such gorgeous details. Love it! xx

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  109. Why wouldn't I want to be in the running for such a wonderful prize? Count me in!

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  110. Gorgeous. I loveeee the fireman's pole, i think I need one.

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  111. The poster grid and postcard holder are just the most wonderful styling inventions ever! mm

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  112. Thanks for giving us another peak into a beautiful home Lucy.

    Clare

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  113. Love the poster grid . think its fantastic .

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  114. what a beautiful home! i love that even though the photos are obviously styled it still looks like a real, lived in home. the rack and poster holder are brilliant, too, of course!

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  115. Awesome. jelly jelly jealous fish.

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  116. Such a cute and happy house! it would be great to have a piece of it in a shape of a postcard or a poster holder...

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  117. Beautiful home, i love the wall mural.

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  118. Oh me oh my! I just had this conversation last about needing a postcard holder and viola you have a wee give away this morn. Jedi Mind Tricks at work here!

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  119. Such a cool house, I'd love to win this :)

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