A word to live by

Posted by on May 1, 2012 Do you have a favourite word? I decided the other day that ‘yes’ makes my shortlist. In life there are people who say ‘yes’ a lot. They tend to get things done, achieve things, move forward. Then there are people who say ‘no’ a lot. They’re the bottlenecks, the brick walls, the cliff faces, the black holes, the chain-draggers. Our conscience tends to have...
read more

Low tech engineering

Posted by on Mar 30, 2012 After spending some time in Holland, one quickly embraces the aesthetic of a high tech, modern bridge. And we spent last weekend in Sydney, criss-crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge – which never fails to take our breath away (it was recently it’s 80th birthday). So, on the theme of nice bridges, here’s some amazing pics from the rainforests of the Indian state of Meghalaya. These...
read more

A sweet beekeeper film

Posted by on Feb 28, 2012 For some time I’ve been thinking about hosting a bee hive here in our garden. There seems to be a lot of happy bees about, so I guess they like it. I worry about a world without bees. They are in strife. Imagine a world without honey (very much less sweet). Imagine a world without bees pollinating plants (catastrophic). Further investigations will be required now that I’ve seen this...
read more

Butterfly beauty

Posted by on Feb 10, 2012 These butterfly images are really amazing. They look like they’ve all consulted a graphic designer for those patterns and stripes. It’s beautiful inspiration straight from nature. The names are also good fun. The first image (from the top) is the neglected eighty-eight butterfly (Diaethria neglecta). The second is the peacock pansy butterfly (Junionia almana). Third is the...
read more

Rocks

Posted by on Feb 5, 2012 Some people collect stamps. I collect rocks. I’m sure it’s a by-product of looking at the ground when I’m walking. Here are a few new additions to my pile. I love the colours of rocks, the feel of rocks in your hand, the smell of them. I wonder if Virginia Woolfe had pockets full of rocks when she waded into the river? Maybe she just collected rocks...
read more

In a nut-shell

Posted by on Jan 23, 2012 Many of my picture books when I was a kid were stories of princesses, gnomes, fairies and forests. I knew that the word of Peter Rabbit and The Famous Five just was not mine. I loved Milly Molly Mandy, but she lived in a cottage with a thatched roof – and I wasn’t really sure what that meant. But I was devoted to May Gibbs’ beautiful illustrations of Sugglepot and Cuddlepie, the...
read more

Super Sarah

Posted by on Jan 11, 2012 Three years ago one of our clients, Sarah Mamalai was diagnosed with a super aggressive and deadly brain tumour. This young mum was given the grimmest prognosis: the statistics were horrendous. But her wonderful surgeon inspired her to fight. And fight she has. She set herself a couple of goals: first to see her little boy to pre-school (job done, tick). Then she got really ambitious and decided...
read more

Dandelions

Posted by on Jan 3, 2012 I had to share this installation by German artist Regine Ramseier (which she made as part of the ArToll Summer Lab 2011). It involved the suspension of 2,000 dandelion flowers in a simple white room. Quite beautiful. She hand-picked the flowers, sprayed them with an adhesive and transported them in her car in a specially designed palette before hanging them. In the future I doubt I will ever blow...
read more

Recycled timber tree

Posted by on Dec 19, 2011 Have you put your Christmas tree up? Here’s a lovely tree made of recycled timber: the ultimate low-bling alternative to hang on your wall.  
read more

Beauty in a cup

Posted by on Dec 13, 2011 As I browsed through the latest Inside Out magazine this week I stopped on page 89, which was littered with beautiful stuff. All I really want, I thought to myself, is that quiet little piece of pottery in the corner. Sure enough, it was made by Shelley Panton. Last night we popped in to visit her studio in the Melbourne suburb of Middle Park. It was such a joy this morning to sip my coffee from...
read more

Some suggestions

Posted by on Nov 28, 2011
read more

Words of wisdom

Posted by on Nov 20, 2011  
read more

Beach house style

Posted by on Nov 4, 2011 With summer (hopefully) just around the corner, I’m taking inspiration from beautiful beach houses.  
read more

The Lady

Posted by on Oct 20, 2011 I can’t wait to see this film. Directed by Luc Besson, and starring the amazing Michelle Yeoh, it will be a beauty. The release seems to coincide with a series of positive political moves in Burma. I have my fingers and toes crossed for the people of Burma and their inspirational ‘first lady’. Watch the theatrical trailer for The...
read more

Finding inspiration

Posted by on Oct 3, 2011 Some inspiration here for those of you who may be looking for it.
read more

Be kind…

Posted by on Sep 23, 2011
read more

Simply simple

Posted by on Sep 21, 2011 Simplifying and paring back to the essentials. It’s like a breath of fresh air. Or like eating Nutella straight from the jar.   Design and photo:...
read more

Get me some cable ties

Posted by on Sep 21, 2011 Here’s a telephone pole in Hanoi. By some miracle this telecommunications nightmare just works. Some of us get stuck with tangles and knots, while others just love to tease them apart and tidy everything up. Lots of designers are hard-wired to create and see beauty in order. The challenge is to make the intellectual jump from cable ties, to wireless...
read more

Perfect details

Posted by on Aug 16, 2011 A pebble path with flowers underfoot. A tiny vase of golden marigolds on the table at a cafe. These are some small, sweet details that have recently caught my eye and made me smile. The world is full of beautiful details. If you are calm, quiet and keep your eyes open today, you might see one too.   Photos: Fusebox...
read more

The end of an era

Posted by on Jul 21, 2011 I will miss the space shuttle. The stars now feel much further away.   Photo:...
read more

Slow and steady

Posted by on Jul 21, 2011 Inspiration for those of us who are a bit...
read more

Sweet

Posted by on Jul 13, 2011
read more

The beauty of aging

Posted by on Jun 29, 2011 Anyone who creates knows the value of letting their work sit and ferment. It’s a crucial part of the design process whether you’re a designer, artist or a writer. I like to do a quick first draft, pin it on the wall and let it haunt me for a bit. Sometimes this process is only for a day or two, but the longer, the better. It’s in the subsequent process of re-working, refining...
read more

The best things

Posted by on Jun 22, 2011 ...
read more

Underrated design icon

Posted by on Jun 17, 2011 The Fender Telecaster was the first mass market electric guitar. It dates back to 1949 and still sells in an unchanged form today. Let’s put that into context: if your grandfather was musically inclined as a young man, he would have wanted one too. Here is the Fusebox Telecaster (a 1976 model) and it’s much the same as a 1956 or 2006 version. A design remaining basically unchanged...
read more

A simple philosophy

Posted by on Jun 17, 2011 Sometimes you need a good simple philosophy to live your life by.Here’s a good one. © Anthony...
read more

Big and volatile

Posted by on Jun 15, 2011 Here’s a great pic of the Puyehue volcano in Chile which has been errupting lately. Volcanoes remind me that we live in a very volatile universe.   © Claudio...
read more

Mindful of the dishes

Posted by on Jun 9, 2011 As the world spins and tumbles faster and faster I find it increasingly important to slow down. A little mindfulness helps me do this. Meet Mr Mindfulness, Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, author and peace activist. I’ve learned a little more about mindfulness from his book, The Miracle of Mindfulness. Here’s my favourite excerpt. “While washing the dishes one should...
read more

Underrated design icon of the day

Posted by on Jun 3, 2011 Scarcely a day goes by without me preparing food in this pot. I have had it for more than ten years, and that’s a lot of food. It was an expensive purchase at the time. But you have to rationalise the value of your purchases on a per use basis. On this count the pot is a winner. A simple enameled cast iron pot: simmering with memories and the smell of good comfort food. Three cheers: Le...
read more

Take out the trash

Posted by on May 23, 2011 Modern life surrounds us with trash. Rubbish information and entertainment, rubbish products and services, rubbish food and lots of other ‘trash’. I find the best way to deal with all this rubbish is to simply eliminate it from my life. Harsh editing is encouraged. I define ‘trash’ as anything which does not add value to my life. Steer clear of trash food, trash people,...
read more