Thursday, July 29, 2010

Moonbasket





Always on the hunt for unique lighting, I stumbled across these crochet lampshades by Cape Town designer and artist Dani Le Roy of Moonbasket. Dani and her team use natural jute strings, cotton and braids crocheting lovely simple designs with a variety of stitches, designs include lampshades, vases and even jewellery. She says "Crochet is one of the few crafts that cannot be replicated by machine. The unique quality of each handmade item produced becomes the most essential part of its luxury". Her works are available via her website.

IMAGES: Moonbasket

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Labour and Wait









Labour and Wait is a lovely little store in my most favourite part of East London, they sell timeless classic home wares, like bottle openers, measuring spoons, aprons, dust pans and even feather dusters. But not just any feather dusters, ostrich feathers tied onto lovely wooden handles. For those of you like me that need an extra push to get that housework done, this could be the very thing!

All images: Labour and Wait

Monday, July 26, 2010

Online folio


I am very lucky to have an in-house web designer, literally in-house, in fact right by my side - who has just finished my website folio, which is now live, thanks love...

Check it out www.larritt-evans.com

IMAGE: Photography Tony Mott

Friday, July 23, 2010

Rachel Castle

The artwork of Sydney artist Rachel Castle from Castle and Things is like an infectious smile, a burst of sunlight or "insert something that makes you feel good". Maybe it is the colours, maybe its the hand-made-ness or maybe it's just the lovely Rachel shining through. Anyway you look at it, her playful and highly coloured works are just delightful.

Rachel creates embroidered pieces, screen printed artworks and to top it off the the funnest bedlinen sets going around.

I had the pleasure of meeting Rachel via the wonderful Megan Morton a while back and must say she is every bit as lovely as the images she creates. Visit her website Castle and Things for more info to view the entire collection. I've 'dog-eared' a few pages on the website for a new residential job that kicks off this week.


Images: Castle and Things


Thursday, July 22, 2010

Anna-Wili Highfield




I recently stumbled across the works of hugely talented Sydney Anna-Wili Highfield. Anna-Wili creates stunning sculptures of animals with torn paper and copper pipe. The daughter of a puppetter, I suppose it's no wonder she has this amazing talent to create these creatures. She must have the patience of a saint, using cotton archival paper she paints it, tears it and sews it to create the figure of an animal. I just adore the really Australian Gallahs and Magpie's. After having made some simple paper maches for the maiden window at A shop called Moth, I tip my hat to this amazing talent. Good news people, Anna does take commissions.

Images:
Anna-Wili Highfield

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Before and after

I just love looking back at projects and reliving how they unfolded. Here is the service counter from 'A shop called Moth' as it was in the warehouse I found it in and then again it is in full glory in store.

It feels that much more rewarding using old furniture and materials that have been brought back to life, rather than simply shopping out of showrooms. It's the thrill of chase and the excitement knowing you've found something truly unique.


Monday, July 19, 2010

The best of Design Made Trade

The Design Made Trade event was held last week as part of the State of Design Festival. For me, the most interesting new designer was lighting guy Wolker Haug. I am always on the look out for simple but interesting lighting, so I've booked marked this site for future projects.










All images Volker Haug




Wednesday, July 14, 2010

A shop called Moth

Ta-da! Here are the final images of my latest project... 'A shop called Moth' at 164 Bridport St, Albert Park.

The task was to create a space fitting for the stunning hand-picked pieces that Jocey Davidson has sourced from all over the world. The garments themselves are all beautifully crafted, detailed and embellished classics, a singlet with hand-stitched beading, a stretch dress with intricate stitching and beaded sleeves are just some examples. Nothing screams for attention, it is quietly beautiful.

I chose a neutral palette to let the clothes speak, layered with texture in pressed metal panels, ambient hand-made light globes, found objects like ladders reinterpreted as clothing racks, old suitcases from Jocey's family and wooden crates made from my sisters fence. We re-worked an old table and gave it some love, an old workbench and the most beautiful Chinese moon moth was taxidermied and sits pride of place on the counter.

Swear Words took care of the branding, delivering hand-drawn Rorschach-like ink drawings, embellished with copper embossing, equisite!

Interior design and styling: Claire Larritt-Evans

Photography: Tony Mott

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Ace Hotel Palm Springs










Built on the foundation of a 1965 Howard Johnson hotel, Ace Hotel & Swim Club is part Palm Springs classic and part urban cool. Its simple and undenialibly cool. So much so that we tried to change our flights home just to stay there longer. It really is an oasis in the desert. Inside, it maintains all the original features that you expect from a mid-century design, clean lines, use of raw and natural materials. Outside, set against the rocky mountains is the pool surrounded with everything you'd ever need, a BBQ, towel service, DJ, massage, bar and yes even a pool side gift shop. It's a pinch-yourself setting.

King's Highway restaurant redefines roadside diner fare as part of an American peasant food tradition. With local, seasonal, and organic ingredients matched with locally produced beers and imported champagnes, even the menu itself is mouthwatering in design as well as what it has on offer.

This place is a must-do if you're in the region. We hired a convertible mustang (of course) and drove especially from LA to check it out, this and of course some of the finest examples of mid-century architecture. More of that in a separate post.