Australia

It's time for the Australian House Awards 2013 and here's the shortlist.. There are 125 residential projects across eight categories. Yes, they are of course all out of this world. Here's a selection of them. 

photo John Gollings

photo Brett Boardman

photo Trevor Mein

photo Peter Bennetts

photo Stuart Scott

photo Shannon McGrath

photo Derek Swalwell

Any favourites?!

hx

Tuesday Tips - Flooring

I didn't really know what to call today's Tuesday Tips, but I was instantly drawn to this hall and the effect the flooring has. In these wonderful before and after photos you can see how much nicer it looks to use only one type of flooring. By changing the floor and creating a large opening instead of a normal door this space has been completely transformed. It appears much more spacious and you've got to love the light detailing along the floor and ceiling. I'm also for painting everything white, but if you're a regular reader of my blog you've probably noticed that already... I do love all this light. 

It has a much better flow now, don't you think? It also looks like a much larger and more open home than before, not to mention very trendy. There was a large budget spent here, but the idea of the continuous flooring wouldn't necessarily be a huge expense. There are lots of good alternatives out there for all budgets. 

If you would like to see the all of the Before and After photos from this apartment you click HERE. This apartment was transformed by very talented Italian architect Carola Vannini. 

Hope you like this little flooring tip. 

Thank you so much to Minni for giving us last Tuesday's Tip. 

Have a lovely day!

hx

all photos credit Carola Vannini

New magazines

You've left so many sweet messages. Thank you so much! It feels like the right decision for us, so I'm sure Scotland will be fine. It will be very different to living in the French countryside, but to be honest we're all looking forward to going somewhere a bit more busy. 

Tomorrow I'm starting my new medication and get to spend the whole day in hospital, so I've stocked up on new interior design mags. ;) I'll show you more details from them soon. I think I found some really good ones. 

I'll be back on Tuesday with more Tuesday Tips.
Have a look at my Pinterest account if you're in need of some inspiration.

Have a nice start to the new week! 

hx

ps! To all my blogger friends, I promise I'll come by to say hello soon. I've been very bad lately, but it's also been good spending less time on the pc.

We're moving to..

Scotland!!! Well done to Deborah for finding the little clue. The Rennie Mackintosh detailed windows. Well done to Nicki too for guessing Scotland. I'll be able to show you lots of cool places to visit, stay, eat, drink, shop you name it..! I studied in Glasgow and worked in Edinburgh before we came to France, so I know Scotland quite well. I'm sure lots have changed though. Were we had our first date there's no longer a pub, but a fab Italian. :)

As I mentioned, we'll be renting a flat first to find where we'd like to settle. It's all very exciting and quite strange leaving France, but we miss family and friends. It'll even be much easier for us to see my family in Norway as they'll only be a short flight away. So time has come to say bye to France after 9 years.. I'm sure we'll be back for holidays though. 

by Rural Design Architects

by The Design Practice

So, in a few months I'll be blogging from trendy coffee shops, sipping macchiatos and taking you round the country. Until then, I shall enjoy the French weather as the Scottish weather won't be quite as good..  

photo All that is solid

Have a brilliant weekend!! 

hx

For rent in..

So would you like to know where we're moving to?! We've decided that we'll be moving early August, so Magnus can start school in ...... :) We'll be renting for a while to find out which area we'd like to live in. 

Here's a fab home for rent. No, no this isn't the place we'll be renting.. It's a bit over our budget especially as our house isn't sold yet. Don't think we'd have enough furniture for this place anyway. It's pretty cool though, don't you think?!

There's a little clue to where we're moving here. Can you see it?! It's just a little detail. 

Have a nice day! We're having Magnus's 6th Birthday party this afternoon. Should be good fun. 

hx

Tuesday Tips - DIY Doily Baskets

Hi, I’m Minni from a blog called Nimidesign. I’m so excited to share this easy DIY project with you today on Tuesday Tips!

This doily basket project is very easy and simple to do and the results are fun!

Things you will need:

Crochet doilies

Bowls in different sizes and shapes

Cling film

1 dl of water

1 dl of sugar

Crochet doilies are easy to find from thrift stores and they make great diy material for different projects. I noticed that the ones made with thicker yarn work better for making baskets. Instead of using glue or toxic hardeners, we’re using sugar as a hardener. The fun thing about using sugar as a hardener is that it can be washed away with water. This means that you can use the doilies for other projects in the future if you want! How great is that?

Instructions:

Wrap the bowls with cling film. The cling film makes removing the baskets easier. Boil the water and mix with the sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Put the doilies to the sugar-water mixture. Remove from the mixture and squeeze the doily gently so that it’s not dripping but still wet. Set the doily on a bowl and smooth out the wrinkles. Let the doily dry for at least 24 hours and remove from the bowl carefully. You have a finished doily bowl! It can be used to hold small treats and items or it could make a great gift if filled with sweets or other treats.

Have a lovely day everyone and thanks Hege for having me as a guest blogger!

Minni

A visit to Japan

Let's start the new week in Japan with this unique home. I love the mix of concrete and wood. 

found via lovely blog Harmony photos by Suppose

You've got to love this beautiful shade of green next to the concrete. 
It looks like a great place to either work or sit and enjoy a coffee. 

I'm excited to be blog of the month on We heart home! Thank you so much to Holly and Trisha. Pop over to  We heart home to read the interview. 

Here the sun is shining and we're going to have lunch outside. Should I mention that we had breakfast outside too? I could get used to this weather. 

Happy New Week! 

hx