matouenpeluche

Hengrove Hall

This frothy beauty on historic Macquarie Street has caught my eye on several occasions. As a result, I have had finding out about its style and background on my "to do" list for some time. Fortunately, this building is heritage listed, so there is a substantial spiel about it on the  Office of Environment and Heritage website. Built in 1929 - 1930, the style of this nine storey commercial building is officially described as Interwar Old English. I was quite surprised to learn that it was designed at the height of art deco and not during the Victorian era as I had thought! However, I was also interested to learn that the architect Henry Eli White was also responsible for The State Theatre which has a similar interior decor theme (although much grander) with Hengrove Hall's Tudor doorway, puti, crowns and the like as seen above. The Office of Environment and Heritage also notes that the English Tudor manor house Hengrove House in Suffolk was the inspiration behind the Tudor doorway and the other elements of the exterior.

State Savings Bank

What has Doric, Ionic and Corinthian Columns and is pink all over? The State Savings Bank of course - another of my favourite buildings in Sydney. It is a Beaux-Arts Revivalist wonder right in the heart of Sydney city!

Built between 1925 and 1928, the exterior features a red granite base with pink terracotta tiles covering the upper outer levels. Four imposing Ionic columns stand at the front while the sides are decorated with handsome Doric columns. Inside it is as equally striking with enormous green pillars in the foyer and a white marble vault that features a massive bronze door with a wheel. Elegant hanging brass light fittings and complicated floral mosaic tiling are also details of the interior areas. As with the Grace Building that I wrote about in a previous post, I was lucky enough to go on a behind the scenes guided tour of this colossal beauty as part of an Open Sydney weekend held a few years ago. Unfortunately, I didn't take any photos of the interior, so you'll just have to take my word for it that it is quite the marvel inside!  Fortunately, it is also heritage listed as of 2000. More information can be found here which gives quite a detailed description of the building's significance and history. 

Art Deco Textile

I thought this Art Deco monkey pattern textile was very stylish. It would make an attractive quirky wallpaper design in my opinion! 

Image from here.

Vintage Posters

I love these vintage posters for their exceptional compositional style and their vibrant colours. Any one of them would make a fine addition to a living room wall. I found them at Chisholm Gallery Vintage Posters. 

Desirable Loft Spaces X 3

Photos by Emily Johnston.

Apartment Therapy.

Enter the Loft.

Pretty Pottery

1)and 2) Nature Table Dessert Plate - Lou Rota

3) Francophile Dinner Plate - Nathalie Lete

4) Sissinghurst Castle Mug - Anthropology

5) Champignons Plate - Nathalie Lete

6) Bird Plates - Elise Lefebvre

7) Blackbird Pottery

Nice Things Early November

1) Women's graphic Owl Screen Print T - Shirt - Forest and Fin

2) Aqua and Cream Striped Ribbon - Shy Myrtle

3) Moth Necklace Butterfly Pendant - My Selvaged Life

4) Limited Edition Vulture + Whale Tangram Puzzle - Bright Beam

5) Blue Chevron Pillow Cover - Touchee Feelee 

6) Cushion with Soft Clouds and Sky - Touchee Feelee

Open House - Nathália Favaro

A beautiful sun drenched living room as featured on Casa de Valentna. I admire the artful way the owner, Nathália Favaro, has put together the rug, sofa, cushions etc in such a casual but effortlessly chic way. The textures and colours of all the interior bits and pieces really play well off each other. For more photos of this pretty flat, see - Casa de Valentina.

Eames: the Architect and the Painter

I recently watched a very interesting documentary/ movie about the creative powerhouse couple Charles and Ray Eames. It was called Eames: the Architect and the Painter. It covered their relationship, the creation of their design studio, the relationship with their staff/ creative team, their clients and their private life together. I actually blogged about this movie when it first came out in 2011, and now finally, I've actually watched it! What an interesting couple they were - and influential. All their iconic chairs shown in the documentary I've seen a zillion times out and about in cafes, waiting rooms, libraries, foyers etc as I'm sure you have too. In addition to furniture design, they worked at re-branding and creating advertising campaigns for huge companies like IBM, and America itself at world trade fairs and the like. Anyway, it was very interesting and I feel a bit more in the loop about who and what they did after having seen this compressive documentary. I highly recommend it! And if you're near or in London there's a gigantic exhibition dedicated to Charles and Ray Eames that has just opened at the Barbican Art Gallery that I'm sure is very worthwhile seeing.

The three photos above are the interior and exterior of the Eames' home (from here).

An Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman from here.

Beach House Heaven in Brazil

This beach house by architects Vidal & Sant'Anna is in Praia do Felix, Brazil. It's another example of a house that's like a gigantic, luxurious treehouse. My idea of heaven!

All photos by Fran Parente via ArchDaily.