A Contemporary House in Cape Town, South Africa

I love homes like these which are designed as an escape and create the impression that neighbors are not at close proximity.

The original house was transformed into this stunning home in the Bantry Bay area of Cape Town, South Africa. It was designed by SAOTA - Stefan Antoni Olmesdahl Truen Architects and Antoni Associates. It maximizes on every inch of available space while capitalizing on the location and drawing in stunning panoramic views with the indoor-outdoor areas.

This family home oozes comfort with the furnishings that have been chosen throughout the indoors and outdoors. 

 

 

 

images via and via

If you require any help with Interior Decorating please click on the tab at the top of my page marked 'Services' or click here for further details.

I would love for you to leave a comment. Thank you for stopping by; please do check back often.

Wine Bottle Lamps

I love pieces of furniture or any accessory that is unusual - something one does not come across every day. This is a great upcyling idea by John Meng. Have you seen these neat lamps?  They would be perfect for a bar, on a desk or really any space begging for a great conversation piece.

I love the various options with the design of a lamp using the wine bottles. I am also drawn to the warm glow of the ambient lighting.

Images via

I think my favorite lamp would probably be the horizontal one although I love the idea of having a bottle upside-down as well.

Which one is your favorite? Could you see yourself using one of these in your own home?

If you require any help with Interior Decorating please click on the tab at the top of my page marked 'Services' or click here for further details.

I would love for you to leave a comment. Thank you for stopping by; please do check back often.

Scotch Blue featured my projects

My projects have been shared on Scotch Blue's Pinterest and Facebook pages. I am thrilled!

This chandelier transformation was a project I completed over summer last year. There was no initial plan for it. It evolved gradually.

For more details on this fun project go here and here.

Scotch Blue also shared my dining room stencil work. I had used a ton of tape to hold up the stencils as I worked on this elaborate and intricate pattern around the entire dining room.

I have not revealed the entire dining room as yet - it is still a work in progress in terms of window dressings, artwork and so on.

To read more about the dining room go here and here.

I rely a lot on this great painter's tape for a number of different projects. Do you use Scotch Blue?

If you require any help with Interior Decorating please click on the tab at the top of my page marked 'Services' or click here for further details.

I would love for you to leave a comment. Thank you for stopping by; please do check back often.

Please Note: I have not been compensated in any way for this post. The views and opinions expressed in this post are solely mine and are based on my experience with the shop and on my purchase of products.

Frames for the artwork

I had shown you some great prints I had purchased for the basement from Etsy shop, Margin. I wanted to showcase them in frames that would not take away from the colors or patterns; ones that appeared lightweight and modern at the same time while being unobtrusive.

I have them up on the walls in the frames I found last year.

I found these acrylic frames at Muji. They come with wire for hanging in either landscape or portrait position. I bought four of the 10.6" x 14.2" (outer dimensions) Inner dimensions (from the metal bolts) - 8.3" x 11.7" which fit the 8 x 11 prints perfectly.

Some close-ups.

 

But as you can see, the wire is not the best for hanging. It is tough to hide and looks untidy.

I am planning on using hemp instead.

But for now, here are the four prints along the stripes I had painted on the wall.

 

I am happy with these frames. They showcase the prints  beautifully. Excuse the angle of the pictures. I was trying my best not to get any reflections off the acrylic frames.

I have had a couple of weeks to sort of recharge - more like catching up on paperwork, studying and other routine work after visiting family departed from NY. I have also been trying to get the kids' school supplies bought and sorted before the buying frenzy really being in August. We go back to school in early September but I feel more organized to get it out of the way once we have the lists in hand.

On another note, I need a new camera. I had been looking for one for a while and have found one but have not bought it yet. And on our road trip, while taking pictures inside the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C., I dropped the point-and-shoot I have used for years. The zoom function is stuck. For now I am relying on my iPhone to take pictures like those above.

If you require any help with Interior Decorating please click on the tab at the top of my page marked 'Services' or click here for further details.

I would love for you to leave a comment. Thank you for stopping by; please do check back often.

Itzchak Tarkay Artwork and The Piano

Several years ago we bid on this large framed artwork at an art auction fundraiser for the kids' preschool. A beautiful cafe scene. It is so vibrant. For some reason, ' Silent Conversation' seems stuck in my mind as the title for this piece. I am not sure whether this was the original title - I cannot seem to find any evidence of that online. Nevertheless, I see energy and movement even though the women do not seem to be obviously conversing. This could be the result of the bright and bold colors and pattern. Perhaps I can imagine them listening to music that might be playing.

The artist is Itzchak Tarkay (1935-2012), a figurative artist who drew inspiration from French Impressionism and Post-Impressionism like Matisse, for the refinement in his use of colors and the drawing style of Toulouse-Lautrec. Tarkay has done many such cafe scenes.

He was a master at graphic art and with all of his talents, created stunning serigraphs like this one. (A serigraph is a silkscreen print on paper. They are not reproductions of an original). Tarkay created his serigraphs by layering colors one over the other to create texture and transparency.

This special artwork was hung in the dining room for a few years and then in the living room above the couch.  When the grand piano was moved to a more suitable spot in the living room about a year ago, it struck me that this piece would be perfect above it with its cafe scene and its size would balance that of the piano - typically artwork should be about two-thirds the size of that which it hangs above.

The artwork is now centered on that wall. It adds gorgeous color to that corner of the room.

I have come to realize that I enjoy different styles of art. It has to speak to you in some way. I love the colors, the patterns that have been achieved with this particular technique of painting and yes, the size at approximately 4.25 ft x 2.5 ft (framed) is phenomenal. This was a special purchase which will be appreciated and enjoyed for many years to come.

Are you a fan of such a style?

To learn more about Itzchak Tarkay go here.

 

 

If you require any help with Interior Decorating please click on the tab at the top of my page marked 'Services' or click here for further details.

I would love for you to leave a comment. Thank you for stopping by; please do check back often.