the block : master bedroms.

Hooray! Can't wait to see everyone's finished rooms. From the little things we've seen, they look really beautiful!

Here we go:

michael and carlene : I love the look but I really don't like the bedding – other than the beautiful linen bedspread – well maybe just the throw and a couple of those cushions. I really like the recessed bedhead and the black. Once again I love their artworks with the black and white and touch of gold. Change a few cushions and I think it's beautiful!

chris and jenna : Can't wait to see this copper wall! Once again, change the bedding (so much gold and copper) but it's simple and beautiful. I like the black walls and the black and white artwork. I agree with the judges that the rest of the room doesn't compliment the wall. I feel very sad for them.

karstan and max : They've improved so much this week!! I love the simple colour scheme and those two massive artworks are beautiful. The charcoal and white with the orange is great. And who can go past those windows and the bronzed mirror!? They did well but it's not how I'd do it.

simon and shannon : Love the mexsii bedhead, copper pendants, and the timber wall under the window. I love that style. And how lucky are they with so much room to allow for that coffee area!? Beautiful! The simple white and grey walls work well. Don't love the artwork – I don't think it's sophisticated enough. But overall it's great!

darren and deanne : Very cool to have a fireplace in their room! I love the artwork! It's cool how they've tied the panelling in every room - it's not my style but has worked well. A pretty good room but nothing groundbreaking.

I do think the winners are deserving but I feel that the judging is based on too many other factors than just the rooms they present (and often too much on styling). Good to see the wins being spread out amongst the teams though.

yellow.

In my blog post about Jason Grant’s book, A Place Called Home, I set myself some tasks to do. One was: “create colour mood boards of things I have”.

Here is my first one:

Y E L L O W

the block.

Last night, while watching The Block (my very favourite show), I saw something I loved. Often when I am watching The Block, especially the room reveals (or house reveal, in the case of last night), I see things I like or ideas for our house, but occasionally I see things that I really love!

This was last night:

This bathroom was designed by my Block couple crush, Kyal and Kara, and the funny boys, Brad and Dale (part of a previous couple crush). I love both of their styles. 

As a whole, this bathroom is great, but the thing I love is the towels. They are quite difficult to see in the shot above but I can't find a still of them (this is a screen shot from the video). They are plush, have a Moroccan tile imprint, and tassels!

Here is the photo of them from The Block Shop but the colour is very different. I'm not sure which is more true to the real towel but I think I prefer the darker colour shown above. 

They are Hermon & Hermon Bedouin Societe Towels in Ventian Sky. Unfortunately for me, a single Bath Sheet is $110 and a Hand Towel is $45 - this isn't really my price range for towels. If it's yours, or you want to gift me, you can buy them at The Block Shop here.

I decided to go through and look at the rooms from this series and show you a few other things I love.

I'll start with this lush one. This is Brad and Dale's master suite. I love the bed linen: the simple quilt with laced edge and blue blanket. Anyone know where they are from?

These candle holders were on Brad and Dale's dining room table. They are simple yet colourful. They dress up the table without being too pretentious. They remind me of (or maybe they are) something I saw in gorman last season but can't find any trace of them now... anyone!?

This is Kyal and Kara's kitchen. I love their use of wood. I specifically love the cut out nook under the bench to add interest by having things out but not in the way all over the kitchen bench.  

Their glass covered brick splashback adds an interesting dimension to the room. I love the tweed pots they chose to put their herbs in (maybe because I have a succulent growing in an orange one). Buy it here from Have You Met Miss Jones (however I can't see them in black).

This is Alisa and Lysandra's living room. I love the leather! Those occasional's look so comfy - like you'd sink into it - but sophisticated, and I can't go past a brown leather couch - if only money grew on trees!

And to finish, this is Kyal and Kara's guest bedroom. I love the muted colours on the bed which bring some life to the simple room, but I especially love the floating wooden shelf and cooper mirror.

There it is. Some faves of mine from The Block! Did you have anything you loved? Do you know where some of these products can be sourced?

a place called home.

I'm having a home alone weekend as Thearle Boy is away on a bucks weekend. I had a fun morning yesterday: I slept in, I made a natural face mask, I played music really loudly and danced to it, I exercised, I read and journaled, I made chicken stock (the house smelt amazing), and I sat down and had a cup of tea and flicked thorough one of my favourite flicking through books. 

Mr Jason Grant, a stylist based in Sydney, has written a book called 'A Place Called Home' (Hardie Grant Books, 2013). I received it after attending a Freedom styling workshop with him. It's a really beautiful book with great, everyday ideas for styling your home and looking for inspiration. When I first read it, I really resonated with it and felt like I could write my own ‘A Place Called Home’ based on similar concepts – I would have different 'My Favourite Things' lists and less pictures of myself (don't follow @mr_jason_grant on Instagram unless you want to see lots of photos of him. I'm going to try to follow again. According to my friend who works in the industry and from my one time meeting him and asking some questions, he doesn't have much time for anyone else. Thankfully I'm not trying to be his friend, just reading his book!) Lots of his ideas and advice are things I already know and do.

I couldn't help myself putting this portrait in!
Photo from mrjasongrant.com/gift-shop/a-place-called-home/

I love reading Australian books, specifically by people from, or living in, Sydney. I love being able to recognise places, visit places they suggest, and naturally seem to trust them more (for some strange reason). Jason's book is full of this: pictures of Manly, Bondi, Koskela, a bathmat my parents own, brands like Qantas and Gorman, Doug Up On Bourke, and Australian homes, streets and flowers from the garden – full of places I've been and things I love.

From his book, I've been inspired to: 

• create my own 'My Favourite Things' lists (and photos). My grandma used to always bring me the magazine out of the Telegraph and I loved the final page which interviewed someone and showed photos of their 10 favourite things. 

also some of my favourite things!

• create colour mood boards of things I have or photos I've taken. I especially love his Earthy Tones one. 

• create paint swatches from the colours in our home on paddle pop sticks and keep them in my bag - I'm usually pretty good at knowing if things will go, but it would be helpful to have them on hand! 

• visit some of the shops and websites he lists at the end of the books. There are many, and some I already know and love! 

Stayed tuned on how I go.