Amazon wishlist carousel

I am getting a little carried away with the potential for so many new features now that I have a more versatile layout. The current obsession is the Amazon 'carousel widget'! Nothing like an animated gimmick to get me excited :) I have added the carousel as a permanent feature at the very bottom of the webpage, and will update the wishlist with new finds as I come across them. Enjoy!

You can get your very own carousel (or ferris wheel!) here.

The AOC

I've just discovered incredible young UK architects The AOC, because they're shortlisted for the BD Young Architect of the Year award.

Above is their incredible 'No. 1 Lower Carbon Drive' installation for the London Development Agency, which is touring the UK, showcasing ideas on how to 'green' the average home. (fantastic collection of little videos showcasing this project here).

Aggh! love love love. Why don't companies in Melbourne want to commission such things?

via Designboom.

Dutch Design Week

Dutch Magazine VT Wonen's fabulous 'Inspiration House' from the Woonbeurs 2008 event in Amsterdam via Dutch blogger She likes Cute (featuring that stunning Christien Meindertsma knitted rug I posted a while ago)

more shots from Woonbeurs 2008 via She likes Cute - more shots below of those fab oversized cupcake cups by Beerd Van Stokkum.

colourful installations from Woonbeurs 2008 via She likes Cute

This week (18th - 26th October) is Dutch Design week... which is not much fun if you're living in Melbourne... but luckily the international design blogging community does makes these things seem a little bit closer...

I'm a huge fan of Dutch design as you all know...! Dutch designers seem to have an uncanny knack of creating beautiful, polished work that still has an unmistakable sense of fun and personality. Like these fantastic versatile 'Sweet Cake' giant cupcake cups by Beerd Van Stokkum. Guaranteed to make you smile :)

'Sweet Cake' giant cupcake cups by Beerd Van Stokkum

I found some great shots of Dutch Design events on Flickr, including Dutch Magazine VT Wonen's fabulous 'Inspiration House' from the Woonbeurs 2008 event in Amsterdam earlier in the month... a lot of the shots I've posted here are by Dutch blogger She likes Cute, found via Bloesem.

Pouring Jug by Studio Job (photo - Kristof Vrancken) on display as part 'Bold', an exhibition at the newly opened Designhuis exhibition space and shop in Eindhoven. via Designboom

More Dutch Design Week links -

Some great coverage here at Designboom

Core 77 will cover events as they unfold...

Laboratory Bazaar - featuring, amongst other products, those fantastic versatile 'Sweet Cake' giant cupcake cups by Beerd Van Stokkum.

Dutch Design Week official website

Darlinghurst house tour on AT

Just a little note to say my shots of the wonderful Darlinghurst apartment we were lucky enough to house-sit Sydney have been turned into a house tour on Apartment Therapy! You guys have seen all the shots but might want to visit to read a little more detail about the home...

Just clarifying also that the owners of the apartment are close friends of ours, and of course granted me permission to take and upload these shots! AT readers seems very concerned about this...! I was a little taken aback at some of their comments :)

Anyway, you guys know me better than that!

New Zealand design

Tea Bangles by New Zealand designer Lindsay Pemberton

Must apologise there's no interview today... awful isn't it!? I really must line up some more back-up options to fill these gaps. I do have a handful of wonderful interviews in the works with some truly amazing Melbourne creative folks... a very talented and prolific interiors stylist, and a truly lovely Scottish ex-pat with a very well-known Melbourne-based creative business... any guesses?

Soon soon.

Anyway, today I thought I would profile some excellent New Zealand creative happenings... There's so much great design coming from NZ! Must visit one of these days.

Lindsay Pemberton's label 'Rekindle' is the perfect name for her thoughtfully designed recycled ceramic pieces. She reinvents traditional domestic objects in an effort to challenge our thoughts about everyday objects and rituals. Her Tea Bangles, created from old-fashioned ceramic tea sets, are truly gorgeous - such a simple, engaging concept. In the same range are her delicate Heart Pendants, made by joining two cup handles to form a heart.

Rekindle Tea Bangles

Rekindle Heart Pendant

A completely different NZ design house is Esther Diamond - a textiles and soft furnishings label founded by Sandi Reefman. The label has grown rapidly since its inception in 2004, and its various ranges of soft furnishings showcase the work of many different NZ designers and artists. There's a real sense of humour evident in Esther Diamond's bold, illustrative designs... and the label's light-hearted, quirky personality is clearly evident in the design and content of the excellent Esther Diamond website - full of kooky details and quotes to make you smile.

a clipping from the Esther Diamond website

Esther Diamond screenprinted cushions

Esther Diamond tea towels - love the illustration on that New Zealand ' decorate a cake' one!

For more New Zealand design don't forget to bookmark the excellent Studio Home Creative blog, and NZ design shop/online community Clever Bastards. (Also I just discovered a really great little gallery of photos of NZ artists in their studios at Clever Bastards right here...)

Two Ruffians

I recently met the very entertaining Mr Nick Young on a photo shoot for Real Living Magazine... he's stylist Claire Wayman's other half, and together these two are such a bundle of fun and endless creative energy! Nick often works with Claire on photo shoots, but he also designs his own range of T shirts, tea towels, tote bags and anything else worth screenprinting, under the name Two Ruffians. It's the perfect name for Nick's cheerful label - his products have a really playful, boyish sense of humour.

In Melbourne you can find Two Ruffians at Lulu, 322a Carlisle st, East St Kilda. You can also buy them from his online shop.

Re-Design!

Illustration by the amazing Rob Ryan. He has his own shop in London now! He is making amazing things! Visit him here!

A big thankyou for your patience this evening as I have been re-designing my layout. I've been making changes, previewing and tweaking all evening, so I'm sure it was slightly irritating for anyone actually trying to read the content!

Three columns allows for lots more fun features... more to come, but I've just started by posting some web shopping finds... and Trent Jansen's gorgeous Kissing Pendants because they just make me smile every time I see them :)

I would love any feedback about the new layout.... how does it work in your browsers? I got an email recently saying my site was taking a long time to load due to all the photos... has anyone else had this trouble? Would love to hear all and any of your thoughts.

Thankyou so much! :)