Hello, Kitchen!

Hello! 

It always takes me a good few months to get into the rhythm of a new year and I think I'm (finally) starting to feel the love for 2014. Last year was just the best year ever and I guess I didn't think 2014 could top it, anyway, that's all changed now and i've finally come around to the idea of it. I've set some big PipDesign goals this week that I'm going to get stuck into next month. Graham is in Melbourne this weekend and I've just driven down to Normy. Instead of working on the house this weekend, I wanted to just sit back and appreciate how far we have come. The kitchen space has experienced the most change in this place, if you're interested in some photos of what we've been up to, please enjoy this photographic journey!

Photo from the open inspection. The one that obviously won us over! ;)

Kitchen and stair pannels....OUT!!! We lit the biggest fire ever that night. Turns out, old shitty kitchens burn real well!

The very first thing we did after the kitchen came out was get the floors resurfaced. We chose a matte clear finish and man they came up gooooood! Then we embarked on the biggest painting job of our lives. It might not look like much but those bricks are thirsty buggers and the stinky cigarette stained beams needed a lot of work too. How good does it look though,right..right!?

Next time you're in the city and use a lift, or you're at the airport, take note of the incredibly hardy industrial rubber flooring you're standing on, because thats what we used for the kitchen floor. Its pretty much a flat car tire! It was ordered in from Germany through a guy in Mount Barker. Pretty cool hey! 

Ok, onto the island bench! It's hard to capture the beauty of the wood as it's forever changing colour depending on the light. Dad was driving past a local farm when he spotted a huge pile of these naturally weathered planks and wine crates in a paddock (spot the Petaluma!). He got chatting to the owner about our kitchen dream and next thing you know the guy just gave him the lot!

 

So, there you have it! Our kitchen :)
See ya! x

Housey Update

Hello long lost friends and family! Thought I would touch base for a second with a little housey update! Hopefully this will give you a better idea of where we have been for the past couple months.

We just added the finishing touches to our new balcony and it looks sooo good, I love it! I like to think it was a team effort...but who am I kidding...It was basically 99.9% Dad who made it, with me and graham working around him with our paint brushes and wood putty stuff...i am so impressed i can't belive it, i just love it.

The living area down stairs is all painted too and new lights installed. We also put in a kitchen over the summer and now I can't decide on a bench top. Anyway, we're having a ball and look forward to showing you more photos after the weekend. See ya!

Meet Me In The Vale

Last month I was commissioned by Fleurieu Living Magazine to illustrate a map of Mclaren Vale for their 2013 Summer issue. Since having done a map of Stirling and also Hahndorf, I think we can conlude that if you need a map, I'm your girl ;). Prior to beginning the illustration I was taken on a day trip where I was introduced to each and every winery feautured in the illustration. The Fleurieu Peninsula is a very special place and I now have a great big list of incredible venues and locations I want to go back and visit in the Summer. You can find the map in the centre spread as a tear out,  but just incase you intend on using it as an actual map, can I recommend sticking to the trusty ol' GPS ;)

Happy Days - Solo Exhibition

Earlier this month was the opening night of my solo exhibition, Happy Days, held at Urban Cow Studio in Adelaide. Happy Days was a real joy to create and i had the most wonderful night sharing my work with such beautiful and supportive people. Thanks again to everyone who came along and who has been popping by over the past few weeks it really really means so much to me.

It runs until the 30th of November.

photography: Amelia O'connor Photograhy

The Lobster

8 weeks ago, Graham and I put an offer on a cute little beach house in Normanville, fast forward 8 weeks and we picked up the keys to what is now called 'The Lobster' this weekend!! Settlement actually occured on the date of our 5 year anniversary so it was definately meant to be ;)

We had plans of gradually neating the place up, but once we get our hands on that baby we couldn't help ourselves and ended up ripping out and destroying anything that wasnt a wall. Tearing up the carpets revealed beautifully polished floor boards and removing layers upon layers of curtains and blinds has left us with big open windows and light filled rooms.
There is still more to do, but after a lick of paint (and ermm, a new kitchen) The Lobster should be all ready to go. We aren't moving in, we love living in the city, so it will be rented out until we are ready to enjoy it as a beach house to fill with family and beautiful summer holiday memories. 

Oh, and the name comes from three things: Firstly, the roof is red; secondly, in Germany where my Grandma lives there is a cafe we passed each day on our morning walk called The Lobster, and thirdly, Lobsters improve with age, just as this house will :)
Thanks for following along looking forward to sharing more photos next weekend. x

Heysen Centenary Celebration Walk

A couple of weeks ago I was commissioned to illustrate a map for the Heysen Centenary Celebration Walk in Hahndorf, South Australia. When I read the brief I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. For starters, I love maps. Secondly, I grew up in the Adelaide Hills, so i've got a bit of a soft spot for this lovely little village. Lastly, if you're familiar with my work you would know that i love detail, colour and hand-drawn type, this project ticked all the boxes.

The self-guided walk highlights some of the magnificent, historic buildings depicted in Heysenʼs works. If you're up in the hills between the 5-13th October, grab a map and take a stroll. Have fun!

Happy Molly

Last weekend we sadly had to say goodbye to our family cat of 13 years, Felix. He was a good cat. Each day he would walk down to the chicken shed and bring us back a mouse, most of which he would leave under the dining room table. If you were reading the news paper or using the laptop, you could bet anything that he would come along and sit right in the middle of it. If Molly was in the garden, Felix would be out there too, stalking her like a jungle tiger. Molly and Felix were the best of friends. They would keep eachother company and cuddle up together on the couch at night. Molly was just as sad as us to see him go. Yesterday we took her to the beach,  it's been the first time since last weekend that she has been her normal self. She loves the beach, especially when there is a tennis ball involved.

We ate lunch at The Jetty Food Store then joined Mum and Dad in making a bon fire. When it got dark we cooked sausages on the tripod over the hot coals and ate timtams for dessert. What a weekend. Hope you all had a lovely couple days off too. x