Rain on the caravan roof - Part 2

So, can a caravan really be an object of desire? 

As if Byron Bay wasn't cool enough - why not stay in one of these at the Atlantic?

It can if it's an Airstream!  This is the caravan that I have on my wishlist and one day I'll roam the countryside or park myself somewhere in the Sunshine Coast hinterland in one of these beauties.

Originating in 1930s California, the Airstream was developed from original designs by a guy called Bowlus,
who also happened to be the head designer of Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St Louis

So called for their aerodynamic shape, the Airstream is a thing of utter beauty to me.  Since my caravanning holidays as a little girl, I have always been fascinated by the interior design of the mini home-away-from-home.

(found on Google images - sorry, lost the thread!)

It's the ultimate design challenge - how do you fit everything you need for weeks or months on the road into such a tiny space?

Really smart thinking is how.  And stacks of ingenuity.  Nothing in such a compact space can have only one purpose, so your table has to fold away to become the base of your bed, and everything you sit on must also serve as storage. 

(lost the thread of these ones too ... oops)

I just love the cleverness of it.  Then add the styling, detailing and retro cool of the Airstream exterior ....

Um .... I am dying of coolness overload here, or as a lovely blogger bud of mine would say - hooley dooley!
Who the heck knew Fritz Hansen had designed an Airstream - and a Mini to tow it?  Check them out here

.... and you have another deserving winner of the coveted William Morris award:


                                                          BEAUTIFUL and USEFUL.


Til next time, Nx

K'Gari .... meaning paradise

Otherwise known as Fraser Island.   Have you been yet?

Nx

Rain on the caravan roof - Part 1

Over the past week, a lot of people in my part of the world (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia that is) have been heard to say, "I wish it would just b****y well rain!"  Two things I've learnt about Queenslanders since moving here last year that are summed up in this sentence: 1. they don't mince their words and 2. they take a very keen interest in the weather.  If you live here and don't know what the BOM is, well, you'd just better go and find out before you're sent back to New South Wales or wherever it is you came from.  (It's the Bureau of Meteorology website, by the way.  It's first with storm warnings, so kinda important round these parts).

So now we have what we wished for - it's pouring!  And has been all day.  Just in time for a 4-hour drive up to Fraser Island tomorrow for a very welcome break.  I was feeling a little uninspired to blog today, what with it being so grey and wet outside, and a wee bit cool (I really need to toughen up).  Until, that is, I started listening to the rain on the tin (deck) roof.  How I love that sound ....

Visit Wallpaper Decor for the OAS (Oasis) Collection

And why do I love that sound so much?  Simply because, when I was a littlie, every year our family packed up the car and the trusty Thompson Traveller - our caravan - and headed south for our very own European vacation.  I was a happy and a very lucky little camper to have spent holidays in France, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Italy and Andorra (it's a tiny country between France and Spain), and all before I was even a teen.

via Talking to Unicorns

On these holidays, my brothers and I made friends and played with kids without being able to speak each other's language. 

via Blondie and Co

We learnt how to pack light, because somehow you had to squeeze 3 weeks' worth of clothes into a cubby hole about the size of a shoe box. 

 A travelling Brisbane shop - otherwise known as the Best Little Vintage Van in Vegas

We got to swim in the sea, get a suntan (and burn), wear nothing but flip flops and swimsuits for 3 whole weeks, and of course we got to sample exotic 'foreign food' - I still have a vivid memory of eating my first pizza!

But one of the strongest sensory memories I have is lying in bed listening to the pitter-patter of summer rain on the roof of our home-away-from-home.  Mum and Dad would still be up, talking in hushed voices (we were only separated by a curtain, after all) and maybe playing cards on the table that would later be folded away to form the base of their bed (design genius!).

Check out this little wagon somewhere in a forest in Denmark at Boboho

I loved caravanning as a child, it holds many happy memories for me, so much so that I now have a dream of one day having a very special type of caravan to call my own ....

But you'll just have to wait until next week to find out what that is, if you haven't guessed already!


Til then, Nx

Texture Tour

I'm still recovering from moving house, so what better way to ease back into blogging than to get the old holiday snaps out again and finish my trio of tours. Just in case you missed the other two, here are Colour and Pattern, but today it's all about Texture.

There's something about the word texture and its many meanings that I really connect with. 

I feel as if, for life to be interesting, for it to stretch us and grow us, it's got to have texture, and stacks of it.  We have to "take the rough with the smooth" and weave our own way through "life's rich tapestry".

Detail from Temple of Apollo by Scottish artist Ian Hamilton Finlay at Jupiter Artland

Texture adds warmth and depth to a space or place, and so often tells a story. 

Snuff Cottage, Culross

You can see texture, but you can also feel it.

Clay Tree Wall by Andy Goldsworthy at Jupiter Artland

My favourite interiors, and artworks, have those elements that make you want to reach out and touch them.

And it wasn't deliberate, but apart from 2 of these images (and I'm sure you can guess which 2!), my choices for the Texture Tour are all from my native Scotland.

No particular reason, maybe it's because I know it so well that I tend to look closer and notice the beautfiul details.

Like the lichen on the rocks, or this fence railing at the cemetery overlooking Loch Leven ...

But it doesn't really matter where we are.  

Texture is all around us, adding beauty and interest.

The trick is remembering to stop and take notice.  Our own little tapestry will be all the richer for it.



Til next time, Nx

What's in the bottom drawer?

Isn't it amazing how quickly memories fade if we don't pay attention to them? 

It's only a few months since my trip, but so many other things have come along to fill my head and push those memories to the bottom drawer of the file cabinet in my brain.  So it feels good to open that drawer again and linger over the patterns, their shapes and their colours, that transport me back to a time and a place, just like a scent can do the minute you smell it.  Before you know it, you're right back in the memory ....

Tiles adorning the outside of Rumah Bebe shop-house

When I first walked into Rumah Bebe in Singapore, I gasped.  So much colour, so many patterns - my kind of heaven.  I feel so alive and happy in places like this. 

You can imagine how hard it was to choose which fabric to buy from the seemingly infinite range of batik prints stacked to the rafters in the back of the shop ....

A length of batik fabric I bought in Rumah Bebe

Then I just couldn't resist this vintage thermos and its delicate decoration ....

Detail from vintage flask bought in Rumah Bebe, Singpore

Time for a sit-down and a Singapore Sling after all that shopping!

Coaster from the Raffles courtyard bar, where you'll be served a REAL Singaore Sling. 
Tip: Don't bother with the Singapore Slings in the upstairs bar where everyone goes - it's pre-mix!

Pattern is everywhere in Singapore, from the coaster under your Singapore Sling, to the stationery in your hotel ....

A montage of card, paper and envelope designs from the Regent Hotel, Singapore

From the modern ....

The Crowne Plaza, Changi Airport, Singapore (taken from Terminal 3 - much more than an airport terminal!)

To the traditional ....

Traditional shop-houses, Singapore

I love this country's joyful use of both pattern and colour.  I felt right at home!  And speaking of home ....

Poppies (once they've flowered)

The intricate patterns of nature and the countryside are always a source of delight in my native Scotland ....

Loch Leven, Scotland

And how amazing was it on this trip to see the original interiors of the Royal Palace at Stirling Castle recreated as they would been in the 16th Century ....

The Queen's Inner Hall in the Royal Palace, Stirling Castle

Another gasp-inducing moment ....

 The Queen's Outer Hall

And my old stomping ground of Edinburgh didn't disappoint either.  It never does ....

A typical New Town terrace, Edinburgh

 And while Paris was a mere glimpse compared to the rest of the trip ....

No denying the Parisiens do a good lamp-post ...

 The patterns of its history are always a joy to behold ....

The underside of the Arc de Triomphe

Thank you for joining me on this little 'Pattern' trip down memory lane.  There's still the 'Texture' tour to come, so I look forward to seeing you there soon.

'Nature Table' plate by Lou Rota, from Anthropologie in Edinburgh

Til next time, Nx

Travels in technicolour

Hi everyone and welcome back to regular posting here on make space! 

A whole lot has been happening lately, what with travels and then finishing (part of) my studies, so it's great to finally make (space and) time to reflect on the things that have inspired me lately and share them with you.

Colour, colour - everywhere!  Travel awakens my colour senses even more than usual (sometimes I wonder if that's possible, but anyhoo, I digress), so here are a selection of colour hits from my recent trip to Paris, Scotland and of course, Singapore ....

Macaroons - the new cupcakes!  Spotted these in a Paris patisserie window.

How good do these look?  Good food and colour all in one - a dream come true!  It was early morning in Paris and this shop wasn't open, so the tasting had to wait until Singapore and the wonderful Jean-Philippe Darcis cake shop at Marina Bay Sands.  Don't miss it if you're visiting Singapore!

A gorgeous vintage car being used as a promotional vehicle for the Tour de France

My visit to Paris also coincided with the Tour de France, so cycling-mania was all around.  So much passion and pride surrounds this race and whether you're into cycling or not, you can't help but get swept up in the excitement.  And to the two lovely old French blokes I got chatting to at the start of Stage 8 - what was that about Cadel not being up to the task???!!!

In actual fact, I saw very little of Paris beyond the first day or two, because I fell ill with a virulent flu virus and spent the majority of the stay sweating it out in my tiny apartment (thankfully one with a great view overlooking the Seine).  What I did manage to visit, though, was the Musee d'Orangerie ....

One of the Monet curved paintings at the Musee d'Orangerie.  Unusually, you're allowed to take photos in this gallery - of course unfortunately that applies to everyone, not just me!

Despite the hordes of tourists (Paris in July - never again), I found this building and the treasures within very calming, almost ethereal.  Thanks for the recommendations to visit, everyone.  Well worth it.

And so on to Scotland, where summer in the countryside is always a riot of colour ...

If you missed my Six Senses tour of Fife last week, make sure you check it out here.

A field of oilseed rape - a common, but stunning, sight in Scotland in July

  

But Scotland always has the ability to surprise me too, every time I visit.  I hadn't planned to, but I ended up going to Stirling Castle and I'm so glad I did - it was a major highlight.  I'll do a separate post just on this at a later date, but here's a sneak peek of the nearly 10 years of painstaking research and restoration that just blew me away ....

The King's Bedchamber in the Palace at Stirling Castle

The passion, craftsmanship and attention to detail that has gone into restoring Stirling's Royal Lodges to their 16th century splendour oozes out of every room, every piece of furniture, every tapestry and every painting.  Do not miss this place if you ever find yourself in Scotland!

And so finally to Singapore - a colour and pattern lover's paradise!  From the flowers planted and blooming everywhere you look, to the simple but beautiful designs on my hotel stationary, Singapore had me at hello ....

 A beautiful example of traditional shophouses in Singapore

This row of 'shophouses' in the Katong and Joo Chiat area of Singapore had me snapping away like crazy.  Ok, just one more ....

Not to mention my new favourite shop ....

Rumah Bebe - a shop selling traditional Peranakan fabrics and other fabulous items.  I'll show you what I bought in a later post!

Well, that hasn't even skimmed the surface of my photos, so with my colour tour complete, look out for the pattern and texture tours that will be coming to make space very soon.

Enjoy the rest of the week, everyone, and may something colourful brighten your world today -and every day.

Til next time, Nx

The sights, sounds, smells, textures, tastes (and secrets) of home ....

Hi everyone,

It's Friday, the sun is shining and I'm where I'm supposed to be - life is good! 

A sneak peek from my Six Senses Tour - link below

Spring must be on its way here in Brisbane, as Jezebel the cat just brought me the first lizard of the season.  Thanks Jez, I love you too. (If only the tail would not detach and wriggle about on the carpet all by itself!!!!!)

I wish I could take credit for this great shot of Jezebel, but I have to thank Ruth, who with her husband Fred, took the best care of the girls and the house while I was overseas - thanks guys!

Since my trip and then my graduation, there's been a lot of thinking about 'home' and what that means to me. 

Fitting then that my post today is simply a link to the post I've written for a gorgeous blogland friend of mine, Felicity, of Gifts of Serendipity.  Felicity regularly posts a feature on her blog called the Six Senses Tour, and when she read that I was heading back to Scotland to visit my family, she asked me if I would write a Six Senses Tour about the little corner of Scotland that is my original home.

So here it is - I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it:

My Six Senses Tour of Fife, Scotland

Enjoy your weekend, everyone.  I'll be back to regular posting next week, with a mix of new thoughts and ideas, as well as a host of highlights from my trip.  Don't expect too much from the Paris part, however - most of that was spent in bed with a hideous flu!

Til next time,
Nx

5 and counting ....

Only 5 more sleeps until I jump on a plane, bound for Paris, Edinburgh and finally Singapore.  I am a very lucky girl!  Precious time with family in Scotland, shopping in Singapore, and soaking in the sights and sounds of one of the world's most beautiful cities - what more could I ask for?

So here's a question for you?  What is (if you've been) or would be (if you dream of going) your favourite thing to do in Paris?  And what should a design/interiors/colour/pattern/texture addict like me be sure not to miss?

I'm thinking I'll swing by here on my wanderings ....

Hermes' newest Paris store - image via Elle Decor

And while I've been to Paris many times (oh I do miss the heady days of cheap startup airlines in the UK, when you could be whisked off to Barcelona for less than the cost of a deep-fried Mars bar), I've never visited this ...

The Scare Coeur ('sacred heart') - beautiful photo by Arnaud Frich

Or actually been inside here ...

The Louvre - photo by 'mcpig' on Flickr

My favourite fabric house in all the world has a Paris showroom, so it'd be rude not to drop in and say hi ...

Both images from the latest Accessories catalogue from Lelievre

I'd love to eat at an art nouveau or art deco restaurant or cafe, so let me know if you have any suggestions! What with the whole gluten & dairy free thing, and being a vegetarian (when in France, I eat a lot of omelettes!), I might just be ordering the 'potage du jour', but hey, who cares if I get to soak up surroundings like these!

Bofinger restaurant - photo by blogtrotta

So if I've whet your appetite for more of the French capital, why not pop on over to Gifts of Serendipity for today's six senses tour, which just happens to be about Paris (serendipitous indeed!)  And don't forget the beautiful range of photographs from Little Brown Pen, brought to us by Let's Go Moerkabout just a few weeks ago ...

La vie est belle!  A bientot ... Nx