The Club of Odd Volumes

The Club of Odd Volumes is a fantastic initiative from Melbourne where you can take your photos, paintings and illustrations, and print them digitally direct-to-garment in full colour, bright images onto:

• tees
• singlets
• tea towels
• tote bags
• cushion covers
• pillowcases
• apparel for kids

No set-up fees and no minimums, so you can print one if you need to!

The Club of Odd Volumes also features the work from other artists as part of the ‘THE ODD COLLECTIVE‘ which rotate every quarter with new artists, so there is always new work and artists to support. You can purchase on their online store, as well as their own range which we have featured today…. as I love the ‘back to nature’ range they have of tea towels, pillowcases and cushion covers.

The Block – Final room reveals… Terrace week

Well it was a highly emotional and overheated final room reveal of The Block this week… having to span over two nights with Lysandra suffering from heat exhaustion, the show had to be delayed to the second night; keeping us, the fans of the show having to wait patiently for tonight (Monday night) to roll around so we could finally see Kyal and Kara’s final reveal, plus see the all important final team results!

ALISA & LYSANDRA

The girls did it again with a stunning reveal which just tops them off… I think it’s going to be SO EXCITING to see the results come auction day. Its homely, sophisticated and definitely with wow factor. I loved the wall features, textures and round vertical gardens, they utilised the walls perfectly (compared to the other teams) and you can see that it’s such an important area where you can add depth and interest to an outdoor space.

The only downside was the built in bench seat being safety compliant on the rooftop terrace. If only the girls used their common sense on that one! Do you think they have the winning apartment?

KYAL & KARA

Well the dream team did it again, another fabulous and functional space, with bold and vibrant colours, beautiful styling and fabulous design and finishes. Their outdoor kitchen is lush with everything you could ever wish for in an outdoor kitchen, and the mirrored flashback is a great idea to reflect the view.

I did agree with the other teams abut the TV, without much seating to see the TV, but that is a very easy hurdle to overcome.

The Living Terrace is just lovely, the lovely vertical garden with hints of pink and that amazing arch window! What a feature… I bet you’re just as excited as I am to see the auction day 🙂

BRAD & DALE

Their scaled back rooftop terrace leaves it open for whoever buys the apartment to do whatever they wish! I think this is a great idea, they have put some beautiful plants and built in structures with the outdoor kitchen and that fantastic big screen TV…. I can see whoever buys that apartment having great Grand Final BBQs and never missing any action on that screen!

The boys living room terrace to be was gorgeous. The texture of the plants, the layering and the beautiful recycled timber just worked seamlessly with the living area. Such lovely, simplistic design.

CHANTELLE & STEVE

Chantelle & Steve have been struggling the whole duration of The Block, the judges haven’t always been kind, but they have come so far, and actually have been the most original out of all the teams… I’m not sure about you, but I really hope they find the perfect buyer for their property who is absolutely going to love it with all it’s quirks. Their outdoor space brings industrial together beautifully with the outdoors, the plant selection with their colours are divine, I love the purple and green hedging behind the ‘day bed’… the use ply definitely brings the whole space down, and that would be the first thing to go – but it an easy fix for whoever buys. It’s just a pity Chantelle and Steve ran out of money. Good luck guys!

Now when we thought it was going to be the countdown to auction day, we now have two homes being fully renovated in 7 days! The challenge has just hit a whole new level…

 

Symbolic & Spiritual Art by Miranda Skoczek

Melbourne Artist,  Miranda Skoczek is a captivating and intriguing artist that transports you into all areas of fantasy and the exotic… and, through her work, Miranda loves to explore the boundaries between abstraction and representation, design and painting; working with oil, acrylic and enamel, building layers, texture and depth.

As Miranda says on her website that she is “committed to producing work loaded with positivity, and hope to engage the viewer physically, as well as psychologically.”

I think she is successful in achieving this, I love the adventures the work takes you on, the vibrancy, but also the moodiness of these creations. They draw you in…

The Block – Bedroom 2 Reveal

The Fans have brought their A game to the show… watch out Faves!

Steve & Chantelle – their room brought a contemporary twist on Art Deco with Aztec and American Indian fusion to add some spice and warmth to the space.

The styling workshop with Darren obviously rang some bells with all the fans and they produced their strongest rooms yet. I’m really looking forward to seeing the journey of the fans in the coming weeks!

Kyal & Kara – I just love these guys style. After a few rocky weeks at the beginning, they look like they definitely have their mojo back! Choosing a very moody and interesting piece of art and working their palette around the warm orange and cool greys. This room has really brought back why this lovely couple were chosen.

The boys, Brad & Dale – After a very strong bathroom and terrace week, the boys weren’t as strong as the fans. Their surfaces are just stunning and they definietly have what it takes to win. Unfortunately they incorporated a few too many colours from the artwork to make the space a bit too bright and busy. A solid effort though – they are still working on the styling. But the foundation is rock solid!

Alisa & Lysandra – these girls just pull it together every week (even when they don’t try) which is fab. I must admit that, this week I was glad to see them push their own boundaries and experiment with colour. I love the art and the texture in the room. But some elements (like the lamps) I don’t think work. I also agree’d with Darren on the length of the artwork – it would be hard to sit up in bed and some people will have an issue of having such a heavy piece above their heads when sleeping.

What did you think of the room reveals?

Eclectic, Colourful & Creative Space Inspiration

Lately I’ve had the driving urge to get back into my painting. I absolutely love to paint and draw but never seem to find the time to create… It shouldn’t be that hard, and it’s usually our own barriers preventing us to branch out. But when I saw this image, I had the driving urge to ‘have a go’ and put paint to canvas.  Or even better, buy an old beachside shack and go to town. That’s how inspired I am by this picture.  It’s beautifully eclectic, rustic, and stylish. Its a feel easy space… which isn’t easy to put together with the right balance and harmony to make you want to be there.

This lovely home belongs to Poppy Lane and Scott Gibson and was featured in 2012 by my favourite Australian blog, The Design Files. You should check out the full feature if you wish to sticky beak around the whole property.

 

made by Tait .

Australian designers Tait . are a new modern quintessential take on the Australian outdoor lifestyle. Every time I see their Volley range of chairs in a publication I just want to have one in my outdoor space. Designed in Melbourne, these young men are pushing boundaries and making the outdoors sleek, cool and funky!

Kip & Co – fabulous Australian bedding

Everyone is wild for Kip & Co, who began as the little dream of Melbourne girls, Alex, Kate and Hayley to create bright and beautiful bedding for Australian coastal homes.

Inspired by unique, wild, and brave art and nature, soaked up on backpacking adventures around the globe and flea markets down the road… you can really gain a sense of their adventures through their designs and the inspiration and colour they will bring to a homely space. I absolutely love their ranges, their latest in particular.

Check out the Kip & Co website, and check out their summer range.