Neryl Walker - Home Beautiful Kitchen Makeover

Neryl Walker's kitchen renovation before and after shots

When I first met amazing illustrator extraordinaire Neryl Walker, I was highly entertained by her story about winning a complete Kitchen Renovation from a Home Beautiful magazine competition! Amazing! Neryl was in the midst of the reno at the time, which was completed in an extremely tight timeframe to fit in with the Home Beautiful feature story / photoshoot etc etc. It all sounded very surreal and somewhat stressful, although very entertaining nonetheless!

Anyway, it's all done, it looks fab, it's in the current issue of Home Beautiful (along with a whole lot of not entirely accurate quotes from Neryl!)... I haven't checked out the mag yet but Neryl has the before and after shots on her Flickr so I thought I would share. Gorgeous or what?

Also, Neryl has some fab work up on her blog... love the collage below... do pop over to see her most recent creations!

Collage by Neryl Walker

Emily Forgot

Oooh I have a real goody for you this Friday. It is so good, it is taking up many hours of photo culling, and re-sizing etc... hence every other post this week will be short 'n sweet I'm afraid.

It'll be worth it! Promise :)

Meantime here's another quicky...

'Zoot Allure!' window display at Selfridges, UK, by Emily Forgot

Emily Forgot. Can't remember how I found her. Awesome graphic work (check out her site), but the main thing that caught my eye are these installations for the windows of UK store Selfridges in March this year. Zoot Allure! They are super-fabulous.

Limited edition print by Emily Forgot for 'If you could' collaboration (totally worth checking out that website too!)

PS) Just realised 'Forgot' is not actually Emily's surname. How disappointing. I want a catchy surname.

Cute shot from Emily Forgot's website.

Leça House by Ezzo (Portugal)

I love this house.

Love the black slatted timber cladding, the super-cool beanbags on the rooftop, the glass doors at the end of the kitchen, the black and white, the simple, restrained design approach and complete unfussy-ness of it all.

It's in Portugal. It's by an architecture/graphic design firm called Ezzo.

(Via Arch Daily and also Moco Loco.)

Marc Martin

images from A Forest by Marc Martin

Melbourne artist/illustrator/designer Marc Martin is Small & quiet.

Marc recently emailed me to let me know that he has just self-published a little book called A Forest, which he's selling around town at all the good little indie bookshops (Metropolis, Artisan Books, Brunswick Bound, Brunswick St Bookstore, Greville St Books and also at Monkhouse Design in Brunswick). This beautiful little publication is painstakingly illustrated by Marc, and is inspired by the delicate beauty and balance between man-made and organic forms.

A Forest - wall drawing

Identity, branding and program for This Is Not Art (TINA) festival

Poster(?) for This Is Not Art (TINA) festival

Marc's design philosophy hinges on the understated, intricate details that often go unnoticed - the texture of a surface, the softness of a colour... the small (and quiet) things in life.

There are lots more nice things to see in his folio. Check it out.

Identity and design of 24 page Word/Play booklet, exploring the writing of emerging Australian writers and poets, distributed throughout Australia through Avant Card.

Marc did the catalogue for the RMIT sculpture graduate show I wrote about in November. Remember? I loved that little catalogue!

Marc has worked both locally and internationally for studios such as Laurent Fetis and Bureau Paris, France.

Interview - Georgie Frew

Karen Ryan's Unmade 07 range were created for Trah Luxe in the UK, using unwanted ceramic vases and re-presenting them as if they were custom made.

TranSglass by Tord Boontje and Emma Woffenden for Trash Luxe

Collection wallpaper by Catherine Hammerton for Trash Luxe

Heath Nash's famous light fittings made form discarded plastic containers for Trash Luxe

I recently re-connected with the lovely Ms Georgie Frew, who I actually went to high school with many moons ago, although we had lost touch until last week! Georgie works in PR at Melbourne company HotHouse Media and Events, where she handles the publicity for lots of great Melbourne events such at Art Melbourne and the State of Design festival. She's so fabulously good at her job - mainly, I think, because she is so genuinely warm and friendly that you just can't help but wanna be her friend! Don't be fooled though, although a bubbly, sociable personality and winning smile goes a long way in the PR industry, it's not all about parties and champagne - Georgie works super long hours and often finds herself managing very stressful situations and super-pedantic clients!

It was so great to catch up with Georgie last week after so long, and I was particularly interested to hear about her recent stint working in London. She spent a year working for well-known boutique PR firm Camron, who handle some incredible high-profile design events in the UK including London Design Week and Trash Luxe, an exhibition curated by Dezeen editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs at London's iconic Liberty store. It made me swoon a little at the scale of these international events... I do love Melbourne, but sometimes you can't help but feel so far from all the action!

Thanks so much for Georgie for sharing her stories and giving us an insight into her incredible experience working in the UK!

Tell me a little about your background - what did you originally study, and what path led you to what you’re doing now?

I studied Business/ Public Relations at Swinburne in Prahran after I finished highschool. It took almost 18 months to get a job in P.R but I worked in retail and worked with stylists along the way, including the stylist from Bed Bath n Table where I assisted on shoots - learnt loads and really enjoyed it. I also did p.r work experience whenever I could.

During your recent time working in the UK, you were involved in some incredible events and design-related projects such as Trash Luxe for Liberty, and the London Design Festival. I am so jealous!! Can you describe some of your favourite projects whilst in the UK...

I was really very lucky to be able to work with such iconic and amazing events and clients during my time in London. Camron is a brilliant design agency that looks after some of the most high profile design clients in Europe. Some highlights would have to be the Yellow Veuve Clicquot event at the Wapping Project in the East End.

Veuve wanted to foray into the arts and commissioned various artists to create installations at the Wapping Project (it's an old Hydraulic Power Station). These included a huge tree filled with yellow umbrellas and a ringing telephone in the middle of birch forest- quite mad.

Yellow Veuve Clicquot event at the Wapping Project

Trash Luxe at Liberty was an exhibition that ran during the London Design Festival and was curated by Marcus Fairs (creator of dezeen) designers included Stuart Haygarth (love his amazing chandeliers created from found objects like spectacles and party poppers), Karen Ryan and Ineke Hans. The B&B Italia party to launch the outdoor collection held at the gorgeous Kensington store was pretty incredible as well.

Committee's Victory Kebab Lamp for Trash Luxe

Stuart Haygarth showed three chandleliers created from found objects for Trash Luxe. The Optical Chandelier is made from reading glasses (close up below)

Telephone wire bowls by ZenZulu for Trash Luxe

It is a dream of many creative people to work overseas… How would you compare working in the UK, compared to doing similar work here in Melbourne? Was it difficult initially to find work in London? Has it been difficult to come home!?

The biggest difference would be the media, in the UK we would be working with literally hundreds of media - the opportunity to place your client in a huge range of media was really exciting. Also the chance to work with such world renowned clients is just not possible in Australia sadly. I was lucky that I was introduced to the MD of Camron from a mutual friend and I had my job as soon I got to London.

In terms of settling back home it's been really hard- London gets under your skin and I miss it often. Melbourne feels VERY small in every sense.

Can you list some of your favourite designers or creative people who inspire you?

• Hecker Phelan and Guthrie do brilliant interiors- it was exciting to visit The Ivy when I came home also.

Images from The Ivy in Sydney - interiors by Hecker Phelan and Guthrie

• Tom Dixon is super talented, I love Shoreditch House in East London.

Images from Tom Dixon's Shoreditch House

• Fashion creatives - I love Alber Elvaz from Lanvin, super stylist Katie Grand and her new mag LOVE and Patricia Field's crazy combinations are always inspiring.

Where else do you find inspiration – ie books, magazines, your environment, travel, your family and friends?

Definitely magazines and books I think I spend a 1/3 of my income on international magazines - love Vogue UK, Elle Decoration and Teen Vogue (a guilty pleasure). Closer to home I love Rushh, Belle and Inside Out. Travelling is also a constant inspiration I am always thinking of schemes on how I can next escape - I love seeing how other people live.

What does a typical day at work involve for you?

Typical day would be reading the papers, lots of emails, speak to the media about clients I am looking after (goal- HUGE features), writing a press release or two and clients meetings.

What are you most proud of professionally?

Working in London has been my proudest moment so far. I also managed the publicity for a film earlier this year and that was something completely new for me and I love challenges.

What's the best thing about your job?

Definitely the perks. I got to go to Stevie Wonder last year and I recently was given a pair of the Vivienne Westwood for Melissa Shoes.

And the worst?

The long hours.

What would be your dream project?

Managing the publicity in-house at Marc Jacobs in New York.

What are you looking forward to?

I'm working on State of Design which is coming up in July can't wait to see the event and campaign roll out.

Melbourne Questions –

Which Melbourne event designers or other creative people do you collaborate with when organising PR events/launches etc?

We recently worked with Christian Wagstaff for the Stella Artois Portsea Polo in January, he created a fab space it felt like Palm Springs in the 1960's.

What and where was the last great meal you ate in Melbourne?

I went to Giuseppe Arnaldo and Son recently and had the crab arrabiata in the paper bag- love that place.

Where would we find you on a typical Saturday morning?

Having breakfast at Las Chicas in Balaclava with friends.

Melbourne’s best kept secret?

Does Shag count on Chapel St?

Core77 Milan coverage - the Appartamento Project

Photos from the Lago/Core77 Appartamento in Milan

Last year I told myself 2009 would be the year I would finally get to Milan for Design Week. But unfortunately, it was not to be :( (Thank God You're Here kind of got in the way....). Anyway, can't be feeling too sorry for myself because NYC is just around the corner...!

ANYWAY as you all know, the next best thing to being in Milan, is reading the fantastic daily coverage on the web. The absolute best, most up-to-the-minute coverage has to be at Core77, closely followed by Designboom. These sites were doing live event coverage well before Twitter came along (and frankly, I just can't get excited about a webpage with no pictures. Boring.)

Core77 are doing this awesome thing actually, in collaboration with Italian furniture manufacturer Lago. It's called the Appartamento project. Staff of Lago and Core77 are living together in a private apartment in Milan for the duration of the design week. The Core77 offices are on site, and all their Milan coverage will be produced and posted live from this location.



In addition to their usual extensive coverage, this year Core77 will also invite people to be interviewed in the space, reporting live daily from the Appartamento project. And actually, if you are in Milan, you can even visit the apartment yourself.

AWESOME.

Oh, and, of course, the apartment is ridiculously beautiful - filled with stunning designer furniture from Lago. Blah.

More photos here. and here.
Remind me what I'm doing in Melbourne, again?

Walls Notebook

Did you see this over on the Inside Out blog? Instead of offering blank pages on which to scribble, the Walls Notebook offers 80 pages of New York city walls to spark your creative imagination.

The official website reads -

'Not ready for jail, fines or involuntary community service, but still want to vandalise somebody's wall? With the Walls Notebook you can exercise your creative mischief on 80 untouched New York City walls without fear of repercussions or reprisal'. !!

Great for the budding grafitti enthusiast! But mainly it just seems like such a fun way to free up your ideas... because sometimes it's so hard to start drawing on an ominous blank page... ya know?

You can buy one here for just US$16.95. More info and pics here (including a cute little section where you can draw directly onto the Wall Notebook pages on their website...). This amazing little design was brought to you by US design duo the. (Yeah, they're just called 'the.')

Thanks Grace Lee at Inside Out for this tip-off!



PS) After perusing their website, it seems that 'the.' are clearly design geniuses. Their other creations include the often-blogged Anti-Theft Lunch Bag, the Speak-er (picture below - love it), and the fabulously simple New Lamp, based on my fave fave fave example of contemporary architecture, the New Museum in NYC!

Sheesh. These guys should be millionaires by now.

Speak-er by the.

New Lamp by the. I WANT ONE. Why is it US$1200?