Monthly Archives: July 2013

THE BRICK HOUSE

24 July 2013

I love Australian architecture. It’s innovative, clever, functional, contemporary and most of all aesthetically pleasing.

Clare Cousins Architects are masters at their craft as you can see from this beautifully designed and renovated Edwardian house in Prahran*, Melbourne. Describing the project Clare says:

Craving privacy from looming neighbouring flats two new structures were conceived to cocoon a private central courtyard space between them. The house extension curves to maximise its northern orientation and to visually incorporate the native landscaping into the house.

Designed for a young family the house caters for their needs now and in the future. A flexible space, referred to as the studio, is housed on top of the new garage forming a double story mass at the rear of the site to help screen large neighbouring buildings. The sculptural first floor contains a studio and bathroom with ribbed timber cladding that continues across the west-facing windows to provide solar protection.

What did I tell you: clever, functional and beautiful! I love the innovative use of brick references throughout the house in the black splash back kitchen tiles, the white fireplace tiling and the smaller vertical bathroom tiles – all in brick style pattern. The outside also plays with raw timber pattern and linear spacing.

I’m sure this won’t be the last time you’ll see Clare Cousins Architects on STYLEJUICER.

* Wikipedia tells me that Prahran Market is one of the premier fresh food markets in Melbourne and has existed on the same site for over 125 years.

Brick House by Clare Cousins

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Brick House by Clare Cousins

Enjoy and I hope you’re inspired!

Annie Signature Stylejuicer

More information | Clare Cousins Architects
Photography | Shannon McGrath

COOL ORGANIC KIDS CLOTHES FROM BOYS&GIRLS

23 July 2013

‘Out To Play’ is a bit of a mantra for the team behind Boys&Girls. They think if it’s not comfortable and practical enough for playing in then it’s not worth wearing.

A great criteria to be judging children’s clothes by. Their range is based around a core of simple sweat shapes and each garment is created with care using GOTS certified organic cotton that are soft yet strong. Their colourful designs are comfortable, modern & fun with an emphasis on great unisex pieces that are perfect for all types of play.

More parks & playgrounds than paddocks & ponies, Boys&Girls clothing is cool yet practical and perfect for today’s vibrant urban lifestyle.

The brand is based in London’s vibrant East End and are continually inspired by the local boys and girls. Lots of whom are modelling for their photo shoots as they believe all kids are brilliant and beautiful and enjoy seeing their personalities shine through.

Boys&Girls are a funky urban brand with a deliciously fresh concept and I love their range of vibrant clothes. Their Spring/Summer 2013 collection would certainly go down well with my two lively toddlers!

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Enjoy and I hope you’re inspired!

Annie Signature Stylejuicer

More information | Boys&Girls

SMOKED SALMON AND POTATO SALAD RECIPE BY SARKA BABICKA

21 July 2013

I’m feeling energetic so let’s kick the week off with a beautifully simple and tasty recipe for a cool salad on a hot summer day. Created and photographed by the talented Sarka Babicka for her food blog Cook Your Dream.

The recipe uses only a handful of ingredients which are easily available all year round and it’s super quick to prepare. Healthy and vegetarian you can enjoy it hot or cold though I think it would be a perfect summer evening salad, sitting outside with a nice glass of… err, wine of course. But what kind?

This leads me nicely into introducing a new guest contributor, the very knowledgeable Sarah Abbott, Master of Wine, twitter fanatic, airmiles collector and lover of high heels with the finest taste buds in Bedfordshire, and possibly the world. Take it away Sarah!

Salads can be quite tricky to match with wine, because dressings are usually quite sharp, while flavours of the key ingredients are nuanced, and quite complex. But I have just the thing.
Like the recipe, this wine is from Hungary. It’s a dry, gently scented white with creamy freshness and just the right amount of zip to counterpoint the smoky, rich salmon and the tangy yoghurt dressing. It’s called Dobogó Dry Furmint. Furmint is the name of the variety, and it smells a bit like rhubarb crumble, and a little like honeysuckle, but yet it still tastes so fresh, clean and savoury. Hungarian whites are fabulous, and still underrated in Britain.
Note to UK readers: You can buy this wine from the lovely & very efficient people at Wine Direct, at £15.49 a bottle. It’s a fantastic wine, worth every penny. If your budget is tighter, then Verdejo, the rounded but aromatic speciality of Northern Spain, is a good match. Waitrose do a lovely one at £7.99 a bottle.

If you’re only going to make ONE new thing, make this!

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SMOKED SALMON AND POTATO SALAD WITH DILL

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

400g baby potatoes
125ml (1/2 cup) greek yogurt (soured cream)
1 small garlic clove, crushed
1tsp lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 handful fresh dill, chopped
1 spring onion, chopped
170g smoked salmon, torn into small pieces

DIRECTIONS:

Wash the potatoes, put them in a small pot and cover with water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes or so. Meanwhile, prepare the yogurt dressing. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Stir in about half of the dill.
Strain the potatoes and let them sit for a while to cool down. Arrange potatoes and salmon on plates, sprinkle with the remaining dill and spring onion. Finally, spoon over the yogurt dressing and serve.

Enjoy and I hope you’re inspired!

Annie Signature Stylejuicer

More information | Cook Your Dream Blog
Photography | Sarka Babicka
Guest contributor | Sarah Abbott MW

I spotted this colourful photo of a local woman dancing the rumba on Pinterest (where else!?) and came across this series of travel photos by Tai Power Seeff.
 
I’m always excited when great travel photography and writing come together as is the case in this article on Cuba and Trinidad. Tracy Young’s writing talent equals that of her photographing companion and her account of taking her eclectic ‘clan’ (‘a loose collective of family and old friends’ read seven people!) is hilarious as well as informative.
 
What struck me most of her account was how lost in time both Havana and Trinidad are and I wonder how much longer this is going to be the case. Another ‘must’ for me on the list of places to go and see.
 
Now, get yourself a cup of coffee and get stuck into Tracy’s article with Tai’s photography as a virtual cookie on the side.

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Enjoy and I hope you’re inspired!

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More information | Writer Tracy Young
Photography | Tai Power Seeff

RESTORED COUNTRY HOME IN TASMANIA

17 July 2013

For most of us Tasmania feels a long way away but what a treat of a home when you finally make it there.
 
Edwina and Mark were married on the porch of their beautifully restored country home in which they have clearly invested a lot of love and attention to detail. The doors that form the main entrance are antique French and Edwina painted the floorboards in the main hallway in a checkerboard pattern which draws you inside.

The changing tableau in the hallway features beachcomb finds and the fact that Edwina grows her own peonies – my favourite flower – is the icing on the cake.

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Enjoy and I hope you’re inspired!

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Photography | Sharyn Cairns
Styling | Charlotte Bell
More information | Homelife