Hump day getaway

It's Wednesday, hump day, the working week half done but still the promise of the weekend is just out of reach. If we can't escape our everyday humdrum then perhaps we can take a virtual getaway to a slice of South African heaven. From its luxury bedrooms and spa-like bathrooms, to its rooftop jacuzzi and an infinity pool overlooking the African bush, to the quirky hippo skeleton hanging above the dining table, the Leobo Private Reserve lodge hits every fantasy getaway note. It even has its own observatory. Via Luxe Houses.

Click to read more ...

Indoors and out

In Australia we love to blur the line between indoors and out. Honestly I believe if it was possible we'd live in a house with no walls. Not very practical so the next best thing is a seamless transition from inside living to out. I love this house in Clovelly, Sydney by The Designory. A relaxed sophistication with a neutral palette playing off against the bright blue of the pool.

A monochrome family home in Israel

A limited colour and material palette certainly doesn't restrict the style of this family home in Israel. Whites, greys and black play against bleached wood, concrete and interestingly a statement bamboo staircase. Love the double height public areas with light pouring in and the patio extending to the pool area. A beautiful home for four by Kfar Vitkin, Israel based Neuman Hayner Architects.

Click to read more ...

Point of view

"I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape- the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show." - Andrew Wyeth

What do 20th century American realist artist Andrew Wyeth and Nashville landscape architect Anne Daigh have in common? Why did Daigh use his quote as the description for this garden? They are storytellers and lovers of the bleak, the melancholic, the beautiful. Daigh's design for this suburban backyard is painterly in its approach, sculptural in its execution. To me, an Australian, it has about it a certain "Americanism", the dream of the field, the barn, the farm.

Click to read more ...

Ibiza idyll

Monday already? Where did the weekend go? If I had my way I'd be on permanent vacation in this colourful and quirky home in Ibiza by interior decorator Luis Galliussi. Just looking at these pictures puts a smile on my face. So much fun. Can you imagine what it would be like to actually be there? That will be my happy thought as I face the coming week.

Click to read more ...