Trash and Treasures

What is it about council pick ups that are so intriguing?  Is it an opportunity to find a hidden treasure under a pile of trash or are you just curious about your fellow neighbours discarded possessions?  

I always feel quite vulnerable leaving my personal belongings piled neatly on the side of the street...as if I have to justify every previous purchase I have made.  Mind you, this doesn't happen very often, as I am such a hoarder!  

In this day and age where money is a little tighter and society has become more eco-conscious, council pick-ups, garage sales and 2nd hand stores have become trendy options to shop in when decorating your home.  

When I first began in the industry, I found it extremely difficult to source suppliers that sold eco friendly products.  Only in the last couple of years have we been inundated with a number of eco possibilities.  So here are just a few of my favourites...

Todae

83 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe

Live. Feel. Future. - This store is all about embracing sustainable products without compromising on style and comfort. Todae has a range of products and services which include fruit bowls made of discarded magazines and posters, Japanese inspired stools constructed using plantation grown veneer and water based inks and varnish, and cushions made from used woven seat belts.

David Met Nicole

382 Cleveland St, Surry Hills

An amazing little shop that is filled with great finds as well as new pieces.  This husband and wife team have combined "pieces from different cultures and time periods" to bring you a "British Style" right here in Sydney.

Bird Textiles

380 Cleveland St, Surry Hills

Bird Textiles stocks a beautiful range of locally made products that are environmentally friendly.  All the fabrics are printed using water-based dyes and each product is manufactured using renewable solar power. How fantastic is that!

Junktique

230 Oxford St, Woollahra

Junktique is a small corner store filled with a variety of vintage furniture and homewares that are quite reasonable priced.

Vampt Vintage Design

486-490 Elizabeth St, Surry Hills

This showroom has an amazing range of vintage design furniture and lighting.  Every time you visit the store you are bound to find something new and exciting.

Remember that there is no longer a stigma attached to buying used furniture or collecting something from the side of the street.  Be brave with your choices.  Choose a piece that will bring interest into your home.  Something with character and a story to tell.

If you have stumbled across a fantastic find I'd love to hear from you!

Art Attack

Art galleries are always such a wonderful source of inspiration for me.  I love to delve through the canvas and allow myself to be taken to another place and time that is new and unfamiliar to me. 

Recently I visited the Masterpieces from Paris exhibition at the NGA in Canberra.  The exhibition celebrates the development of post-impressionism and encapsulates the diversity of painting styles in France during the mid 1880s.  There are 35 artists featured in the gallery, which include the likes of Monet, Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, Cezanne and Seurat.

I have always loved the post-impressionist movement – the imaginative use of colour and the way that it is expressed to illustrate the emotional value of the scene.  Monet, who was at the forefront of this movement, would in fact paint his subjects at different times of the day so he could express the change in light.  This ultimately caused the subjects to dissolve – making the light become the focal point.

Now, this wasn’t the first time that I had met these works face to face.  My first encounter with these paintings was during a trip to Paris three years ago where I visited the Musee d’Orsay.  Seeing the paintings for the second time allowed me to look at them with more meaning and structure.  Although I had studied art at school and have always had a love for it, I felt this time I was able to see how the works have reflected on different areas of both fashion and interior design. 

Designers such as Nicole Farhi have recently turned to Claude Monet for inspiration.  Her summer 09 collection (pictured right) uses lots of bold stripes as well as vibrant prints of the artist's paintings.

Even the recent collections from Erdem are reminiscent of post-impressionist works.  I have fallen in love with these gorgeous frocks, which have each adopted the technique of using vigorous strokes of colour and dots in bright colours to create a work that resembles light changes and movement.

A great range to check out for complimenting accessories would be the new “Sun” collection at Dinosaur Designs.  These amazing resin pieces are available in warm yellows and ochres that take on the same brushstroke techniques used in Cezanne’s paintings.  

To see the rest of the new Dinosaur Designs collection check out their website www.dinosaurdesigns.com.au

In terms of interiors I dare you to be bold with your next purchase.  Us Aussies have always been quite fearful of using colour in our interiors. If you want this look without the large commitment of a new paint job or piece of furniture,  I suggest using accessories such as patterned cushions or beautiful coloured glass accessories...or perhaps even a print from your favourite post-impressionist!

Welcome

Hi there and welcome to Rocco and Me - a blog filled with many little inspirations that will provide you with an array of ideas and resources when you are designing your next interior project, planning an event, making a gift or even just deciding what to wear.  So if you are interested in wonderful interiors, arts and crafts, photography and a bit of fashion then this will be a wonderful read!  I hope my tips and finds will excite you and make you want to try something new.

I look forward to hearing from you and answering any questions you may have.  Enjoy! KS