MD Meanderings

Sculptures by the Sea

MD Meanderings
Last weekend we went to Sculptures by the Sea held in Sydney. All the sculptures were found along the walk from Tamarama beach to Bondi beach.  It was a warm day but nice to be out and about.
There were 109 sculptures featured. My favourite sculptures were the red paint tube, grass and sand dining setting and the yellow man with the fan on his back. There were some amazing sculptures made from wood, stone, metal, fibre glass, plastic and other natural and man made materials.

NSW artists Suzie Bleach and Andy Townsend were awarded the Allens Arthur Robinson People’s Choice Prize of $5,000 for their sculpture, The Adaptable Migrant.  See the Camel illustrated below.


If you have never been to Sculptures by the Sea I highly recommend you go.  This years Sculpture by the Sea is finished but there is always 2011. Check out the link for details.
The Adaptable Migrant

Inspirations from the South Island of New Zealand

MD Meanderings



Milford Sound




I’d like to share about our recent trip to New Zealand, South Island. We hired a campervan and spent 14 days exploring some of this very beautiful picturesque country.

My favourite things were the green rolling hills, snow capped southern alps, the cute lambs that played carelessly in the spring NZ countryside, the friendly locals, lush rainforests, and spectacular lakes in all their varied shades and tints of blue along with the very tasty fresh produce that NZ South Island boasts.

What I didn’t like was the two out of twelve sunny days that it rained. I was rightfully reminded by my Kiwi husband that this was why everything in the South Island is so green. Good point!

As a Decorator I often find myself looking at my surroundings for inspiration for colour schemes, creativity with my designing and this trip definitely gave me a lot of inspiration.

Red sheds and green countryside, vast shades of blue toning perfectly together, contrast of textures from lush green fields to dry dessert. Even the cloudy gray skies tied in well with this beautiful country that I was exploring.

I’ve included some pics of our trip, take a look at them and see what decorating schemes you could be inspired to create from them. Have fun!

South Island does have a lot of Sheep



Mirror Lake




Church of the Good Shepherd, Lake Tekepo





Lovely Leura

MD Meanderings

Last Saturday we took a drive through the Blue Mountains to Leura. I hadn’t been to Leura for some time and I must say this little village is a true shoppers or window shoppers delight.  Every Boutique Store that we visited be it womens fashion, furniture, homewares even deli/cafes were filled with beautiful things that made my mouth water with desire (ok I’m being dramatic now).

I particularly loved Inner Space’s (first 3 pictures above) bold modern oriental homewares including beautifully textured cushions, leather pieced floor rugs, mosaic geometric mirrors and wow pieces of furniture.

Another store that I loved was Maison Montage Homewares (pictured centre, 2nd line) with it’s French and English style impacting you the moment you walk through the doors.  It’s as if you are in a quaint little home wares store in Europe.
 Moontree Candle Shop has an amazing range of decorator items and candles, perfect for creating some winter warmth and ambience.

If you decide to take a visit make sure you don’t leave Leura without a visit to some of the Galleries that showcase some very talented local Artists work.

See link to some of the stores. http://www.leurabluemountainsguide.com/leura-shopping.html

If you live in Sydney and desire a gals day out I recommend Leura. I certainly enjoyed myself and walked away creatively inspired and refreshed. Nothing like a breath of inspiration to clear out the winter cob webs!! Enjoy :0)



Drapes with a medieval twist!

MD Meanderings
The other day some friends and I watched the movie ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ (with Orlando Bloom) on DVD.  I was inspired by the set design of this movie.

The movie was set in the middle ages, in medieval Jerusalem.  A lot of the architecture then was of stone, the decor was of beautiful silks and woven fabrics, big brass urns, large scale furniture of stone and wood – very different to our modern day furnishings.  I particularly liked the blend of heavy or sheer drapes in door ways and large scale fire burners close to them (I’m sure they would have had probs on set if a gust of wind came along).
I’m so inspired I’m going to pop up some drapes in our living room (it will also be a great insulator during these winter months) they may even give an ancient twist to our modern living space.  I’ll keep you posted.