Colour Burst: Pale and inky

For the first Colour Burst feature I was going to post an image full of colour but after this post I thought I would be polite and tone it down a touch.

Paint chip colours (L-R): Porters Paints Frieda, Birthday Candle, Pretty in Pink and Sand

This colour scheme might look beautiful in a bedroom. Here's how I would work with it:

An antique bed, pale linens, pink walls painted in Birthday Candle and a little pop of colour such as a bedroom chair or photo frames painted in Frieda.

Paint chip colours (L-R): Porters Paints Galactic, Alley Cat, Lavender, Oriental Lily

This colour scheme might look nice in a small room such as a reading room to make it extra cozy, dark and moody. Here's how I would work with it:

Walls painted in Galactic, a lamp painted Alley Cat, cushions in Lavender and furniture in Oriental Lily to contrast against the walls.

If you had these colours to work with, how might you use them?

(Fashion images top and bottom Bazaar magazine)

Interior Inspiration: The patterned ceiling

I have seen this display home featured in a few different places. I was initially drawn to the blue walls and then inspired by the way this home was built of 5 shipping containers.

Looking closer I was amazed by the patterned ceiling which creates a beautiful focal point. Often in class we are advised to consider a room as having not only walls and a floor but a ceiling that can designed to add interest to a space. These images have inspired me to also look up.

(See more of the building process here and interior here. Hand rendering by me using pencils and copic markers.)

Fashionably Late Friday: Hearts & more

Hello, hello! The sun is shining here. Being in Sydney it doesn't get too cold. I dream of really chilly (or snowy!) winters though but I really can't complain.

Today I am headed to a photography exhibition in the morning. I am hoping it will help me decide between a couple of different Canon SLR models I have been researching.

I am also attending a textile event in the afternoon hosted by the Design Institute of Australia which will be an opportunity to meet textile artists and view various techniques.

I have been really inspired and energised lately and I have a few ideas for this here 'ol blog including two new features which may become weekly but time is never on my side. They aren't particularly new ideas, they are evolving what I already write about to help me practise rendering and putting together colour schemes to share with you.

1. Interior inspiration:

From time to time I write about interiors I fancy. I still plan to write on this topic however when I have the time to focus I will add some hand renderings using pencil and copic markers. I think it would be a good way to really analyse the space by looking at the light, shadows and reflections.

2. Colour burst:

You might be like me looking for colour inspiration where you can, whether they be from interiors, nature, photography. I am hoping to present various schemes along with paint chip samples to achieve a similar look.

Of course I will still be ploughing away on my home. There is lots I would still like to do! And there are always my notoriously late Fashion Fridays. Oops.

If you have any ideas of what you would like to see more of on ish and chi, please let me know in the comments below. Have a beautiful weekend, friends!

Floor plans. Perspectives. Elevations.

The learning curve has been a steep one but I am grateful for what I have already learnt in the course I am studying. I have been busy drawing floor plans, perspectives, elevations, trying to think of concepts and present my designs in creative ways - all while battling Robbie for my markers and playing 'let's measure your toys' again (he loves the measuring tape).

This is a little snippet of what I have been working on.

Snap happy

Since getting my hands on an iPhone 4 I have discovered instagram and I am driving people insane snapping photos here and there. It's fun. Do you use it?

As an aside, I think I have found my limit of social networking type sites that I can use, especially daily. I'm not sure I can 'connect' with another. I blog, I have a facebook page and profile, I tweet, I answer questions on formspring and I share photos on flickr. When I came across pinterest I had to back away slowly. Ha! Life is crazy enough as it is...

If you would like to fuel my obsession, you can find me on instagram by searching ishandchi.

Interior Inspiration: An apartment alive with colour

If you are not a fan of colour you may need to wear sunglasses to read this post because WARNING - there is lots of it to see here!

Designed by Swedish architectural company Tham & Videgård Arkitekter, the Humlegården Apartment combines a colourful parquetry floor with bold white furniture for contrast. The furniture looks surreal in this setting.

The all white furniture allows the flooring and walls take centre stage. It is minimalist but not in the way I have seen before. It is lovely to see that parts of the parquetry flooring in the main dining space have been left uncoloured. It makes it seem as though the colour is melting from doorways and spilling out onto the floor.

What I love most however is that the company has shared its inspiration - Humlegården park with its leaves that change colour with the season. The floor plan says it all.

(Images Tham & Videgård Arkitekter found via Whorange)

Decorate by Holly Becker

I have been meaning to write this post for weeks. Truth is I haven't been able to find the time to really devour Holly Becker's book Decorate as much as I have been aching to. Recently I was in hospital for the day. Nothing major (no, I haven't gone up a cup size!) but it did give me the opportunity to really sink my teeth into the book she co-authored with Joanna Copestick.

Holly writes in her same warm, friendly voice and there are pages after pages of tips, ideas, beautiful photographs and inspiring quotes from some of my favourite people such as Belinda of The Happy Home, Nicole of Making it Lovely, Anna of Absolutely Beautiful Things, Leslie of Creative Mint, Shannon Fricke and Victoria from sfgirlbybay to name just a few.

There is a little quote by me in there too. Thank you dearest Holly!

It was nice to see floor plans and layouts included which helped me get a feel for the photographed space. I was also inspired by a quote in the book by designer Tom Delavan - 'Make a furniture plan - this is a simple step that most people think they don't need. The pros all do it for their clients'. I'm not usually organised enough to draw up a plan and it kind of goes again my impulse-buying habits but when I moved into my house I needed to so that I can work out the best way of making all my furniture fit. There is definitely value in this exercise.

If you haven't had a chance to pick up a copy yet it is available in Australia and retails for $59.99. If you already have a copy, what do you like most about it?

(Images by me of some of my favourite pages from Decorate)

Fashionably Late Friday: Long weekend

It is a bit chilly here in Sydney and a long weekend too. I'm off to the movies to watch Super 8. I love that I don't have much planned for this weekend at all.

Bicycle

Exciting times! I have put a deposit down for a bicycle. She'll arrive in July all shiny and new.

I bought this Dutch style bicycle in blue and will add to it a leather saddle, brown rubber grips and a front wicker basket. Oh, and maybe a red riding hood cape too!

The one thing I need to research more is cycling with a toddler because I know Robbie will enjoy riding with me too. I think he is a little too big now for a front mounted child seat but I like the idea of them.

Fashionably Late Friday: Spots and stripes

I bought this outfit on a whim. I remember asking whether stripes and spots could be worn together. Hmm, why not?

I'm certainly not shy to wear spots or stripes (see past outfit posts above) but I think this is the first time I have worn them together.

Adore Home: 4 products I love right now

The latest Adore Home magazine is out now and isn't the cover beautiful? Seriously, how lucky are we to have such easy access to this magazine? Each issue keeps getting better and better.

Editor, Loni Parker asked me to contribute some of my favourite products that can be purchased online for the 'blog loving' feature. These are my picks above.

Check out the full issue here. Thanks Loni!