Doing interiors? Here’s why you need to know what Citco is

Posted: 13/07/2019

If you’ve never seen a three piece marble bathtub the size of a room that exudes luxury and an air of ‘f$%k off’ like nothing else, then you need to be introduced to Citco (pron. ch-it-co). This year at Salone del Mobile in Milan, the Italian natural stone people, Citco, will showcase beautiful and elegant pieces for two new collections within its Citco Design and Citco Privé lines. This year, they collaborated with architects and designers to bring their works to life, creating incredible installations for home and living spaces that dreams are made of. Their 2019 is all about five key new pieces for the marble fanatic: The oval table created by world renowned artist Anish Kapoor for 2019 Citco Design collection. Made in granite and in onyx. The magic cave bath by Marco Piva; a stone sculpture that envelops and generates water, taking its inspiration from underground caves. Soma light tables by Fabrizio Bendazzoli. These are pieces comprised of two sections: an arched frame that acts as an LED light source and a matching solid inner panel that allows the light to be directed to suit one’s preferences. Soma light tables by Fabrizio Bendazzoli. Pelago table by Zaha Hadid. It takes inspiration from the costal rock formations carved by the sea and mirrors the logic and coherence of natural forms. And the Vortex table by Arik Levy, which is a functional sculpture with a dominant presence that is inspired by the powerful energy of a vortex. See more about Salon de Mobile at… Read More

Category: INTERIORS, LIFESTYLE

Tags: Citco, Citco marble, Citco Milan, Interior design show, Milan interior design show, Salon de Mobile

Doing your home right: Sunbrella’s philosophy is one to live by

by James Banham

Posted: 10/07/2019

Sure it’s been around for a while and might be known for its outdoor textiles, but Sunbrella does one thing well that has the power to turn a home around: liveable fabrics. It integrates performance and design to create great fabrics that interior designers and stylists can take from the backyard, to the boat, to the living room, all relatively easily. Sunbrella uses a winning combination of performance, design and creativity to develop high-quality contemporary collections as they consistently transforms and revisit their products to address the needs of those who love it. Renowned for its experience and unique savoir-faire in the weaving and colouring of the fibre, its philosophy is inspired by the boundless creativity and lasting impact of art, fashion and design. Sunbrella remains at the forefront of style and the cutting edge of innovation. The result is a singular blend of design and performance with beauty – and a reputation – that’s second to none. Renowned for its experience and unique savoir-faire in the weaving and colouring of the fibre, its philosophy. See more at the Sunbrella website.

Category: INTERIORS, LIFESTYLE

Tags: Sunbrella, Sunbrella fabrics

Cosy lights: Make winter nicer with your decorations

by James Banham

Updated: 01/11/2023

Home isn’t home unless it feels cosy. And winter is the prime time for cosiness, made all the more so with how you decide to spruce up the inside. Think throw rugs, fluffy rugs, down pillows, scatter cushions and warm heating – bonus points for a fireplace. But in lieu of all that, or if you just want something that kind of makes all those other thing obsolete without nearly breaking the bank – and using the tools you’ve already got at your disposal, like a lamp – then LIFX might be for you. They’re wireless, Bluetooth and WiFi controlled light bulbs that you can put in literally any fixture in your home to sync with your life. Think screw bulbs, bayonet, downlights and even wallside lights that kind of take the place of at-home artwork. They’re called Tile and are cool. It’s called the ‘day & dusk’ feature in the LIFX app and turns your place into a perfectly timed, wintry landscape of cosiness, times to turn on and off with the sun, or just as simple as when you’re in or out. It’s all about matching your circadian rhythm to help you turn the winter hibernation on and off. Also, the likes can pump out some serious wattage in virtually any colour your heart desires. Trying to woo someone? They can do red. Throwing a party? Turn ’em blue. Chilling out? A nice late sunset glow is definitely doable. You get the idea. Well, create a video of your new decoration and share it… Read More

Category: INTERIORS, LIFESTYLE, TECH & GADGETS

Tags: How to make home cosy, lifx, THE F LIFX, Winter cosy, Winter guide, Winter lights

A whole new IKEA: Shop without the crowds and queues at Warringah Mall

by James Banham

Posted: 05/05/2019

Gone is the IKEA you know – and love. They’re opting for a new iteration of the Swedish look and feel without any of the crowds, queues, lanes on the footpath or aisles of self-serve furniture. It’s called the IKEA Home Planning Studio and you’re in the market for a refreshed take on kitchen and bedroom storage solutions, then it’s for you. It’s a new 98m? studio within the homewares section of Warringah Mall in Sydney that will provide one-on-one planning consultations and developments if you need. Everything is done online within the studio and delivered directly to the your home, so there’s none of that post-visit awkwardness in trying to fit a 10-seater anything into the back of your Mini Clubman. There’s a stylist and design consultant on-hand, too, for two hour sessions that are booked in advance, where you’re are guided through each stage of their kitchen or bedroom planning process, with a stunning end result. Make your booking here.

Category: INTERIORS, LIFESTYLE, RETAIL

Tags: IKEA Studio, IKEA Warringah Mall, the f ikea

Cole & Son have a new collection: Fornasetti Senza Tempo

by James Banham

Updated: 17/03/2019

Inspired by architecture, flowers, fruits and stones, animals, the sky and culture itself, it’s no wonder the new collection at Cole & Son is in such high demand. Fornasetti Senza Tempo is the new collection by the luxury Italian design and decorative arts atelier. Cole & Son are all about a proud passion and commitment for design excellence through its in-house design studio; where innovative, artistic design is founded upon a strong heritage of craftsmanship, so it’s no wonder the two operations found a synergy that just works. It marks the fourth collaboration between the two brands that captures the imaginative universe of Fornasetti in a set of atmospheric wallpapers embodying the “timeless” essence on which the Milanese atelier has built its very identity. Their combined meticulous attention to detail in these magical sets of wallpapers blend perfectly, elegance and irony to create enduringly aesthetic interiors with timeless appeal, or Senza Tempo, in Italian. It’s stunning enough to almost consider the wall element of the Fornasetti name to be a more fixed extension of the decorated furniture and home accessories they made their name on in the 50s. See more at the Cole & Son-Fornasetti website.

Category: INTERIORS, LIFESTYLE

Tags: Cole & Son England, Cole Son, Fornasetti wallpapers, THE F Cole & Son, Wallpapers

Out with the old, in with the new: Your redecorating guide

by James Banham

Updated: 14/02/2019

When you are looking at redecorating your home, there are a lot of things you need to consider. It can become quite a stressful time while the redecorating is taking place, but there are some things that you need to do even before you get to this stage. In this article, we are going to take a look at some of these things and how you can do them! So, if you are interested, then keep reading. Get rid of old items One of the very first things that you need to be doing is getting rid of old items. Ensure that you are recycling that which can be recycled to help save the environment while you are redecorating! Your waste needs to be taken to the rubbish dump as soon as possible, so head to the same-day rubbish removal site to have this done. It is the simple way to get rid of all the waste that is clogging up your home and gives you somewhere to put it rather than in storage. If you are struggling with the things that you should be throwing away, a good general rule is to throw out anything that no longer is productive or brings you joy. If you can look at something and it has no use, and also doesn’t bring any sort of happiness to your life, then it is time for it to go. This is going to be hard for a lot of people, but when you are redecorating it is something that needs to be done…. Read More

Category: INTERIORS, LIFESTYLE

Tags: How to redecorate, Redecorating guide, the f lifestyle, THE F redecorating

Celebrating 100 years of Bauhaus with German Tourism

by James Banham

Posted: 10/02/2019

In the world of design, Bauhaus is big. And if you’re German, it’s one of the country’s exports you’re most proud of. The Bauhaus movement began in 1919 when Walter Gropius founded a school with a vision of bridging the gap between art and industry by combining crafts and fine arts. The Bauhaus movement is characterised by economic sensibility, simplicity and a focus on mass production. (source) It’s a design principle that is as much aesthetically pleasing as it is pragmatic and useable, giving way to the tradition of German ingenuity through-and-through. In conjunction with the German National Tourism Board the 100-year anniversary of the movement was celebrated in Sydney, shining a light on the German design principles that you can find through so many contemporary spaces. As one of the cities in which the Bauhaus was originally located, Berlin will be playing a central role in the centenary celebrations in 2019. The centenary year will start there with an inaugural festival featuring a large number of performances, concerts, film showings and discussion events sa part of a world tour. The ‘100 years of Bauhaus’ tour and event invites you on a Germany-wide journey of discovery. It will take in the origins and places of activity of modernism – to the places where revolutionary ideas in architecture, art, design, photography or dance were and are developed. See more at the Germany Travel website.

Category: INTERIORS, LIFESTYLE

Tags: Bauhaus