Ro Sham Beaux!

In my search for the perfect pendant, I recently came across an incredibly talented lady making the most beautiful lighting out of glass beads, shells, twine and gold paint. She is Ann Yancy Rogers and her business goes by the name of Ro Sham Beaux . Have a look at these beautiful pieces.

The Malibu

The Adelaide

The Carmen

They're made using red coral, white rock, recycled coke bottles, blue quartz, mirror quartz and can be made in any colour really. A selection of new options keep coming through.

If you'd like to get your hands on one of these gorgeous pieces, send me an email!

laura@laurashannon.com.au

x

Wow have I been busy.

I have decisions to make every day on our project. What's the detail on the ensuite cabinetry, the shower mixer can't be reached on that wall, I don't want that ceiling flat...

But my main thought when I lie awake at night is what light fitting will I put there, how many do I need, and where exactly will I put it? I've got a little money to spend each week over and above what we have agreed on for the build, and with that I am selecting the jewellery for the house. Being an Interior Designer it's beyond important to me to include special details. 

Thinking back to the house's original crystal chandeliers, I had been deliberating just WHERE to put them? There are 2, should I keep them together, split them up? I've decided to lend the dining table some bling and hang them both over that. They should brighten up that leg of the room quite well!

Working on from the brass and sparkly idea, I wanted to pull the open plan space that also includes the kitchen and small sitting area into a more casual, tropical, british colonial feel. Doesn't that sound impossible?! Ha!

I wanted to keep pendants off the kitchen island bench so a) they don't compete with the chandeliers, and b) to keep the space feeling open. I've opted for 2 wall lights to sit either side of the rangehood, like this...

 

 This is the one I've chosen, from Restoration Hardware.

And to hang over the small sitting area by the fireplace is something that needs to pack quite a punch. You'll see it as soon as you walk through the front door looking through the foyer. It needs to reflect the overall vibe of the house, and also tie in with the rustic wall lights and sparkly crystal chandeliers.

It's perfect! It's open and airy. It's beachy. It has a touch of brass, and a touch of steel to blend with the other fixtures. Oh, and it's STUNNING. It is called the Palm Beach Chandelier. Right up my alley.

Can you tell I don't like downlights? 

   

Budgeting...again!

To keep the reno within budget I have had to cut down on all the extras and special details I want (you'd think I'd asked for gold plated walls). It's a shame but I'm treating it as a challenge to design and decorate with some smarts about me. Unfortunately the dream range cooker had to immediately go. Read about it here. But I managed to score myself a gorgeous Viking direct from the wholesaler for $6700 less than the Lacanche. It's a rarely seen brand in Australia but I know in the States you either choose a Viking or a Wolf. The Viking has open burners and a tray under the hob so all the mess that spills over onto the cooktop just lands on the tray underneath. Just pull out the tray, replace the foil and voila a clean stove! Another great feature is the oven. It's a 90cm range but the oven is massive! Biggest than anything I've seen by far.

I love the depth of it too. At 70cm it's a proper commercial size and feels so solid and tough.

The very kind guy at Anolon Imports also showed my friend and I this beauty. A 1.8m La Cornue, royalty in the cooks world. Hence we took photos. It was stunning! But really - who has room for a 1.8m stove?

So now with the slight change in style of the stove, I've been thinking how the kitchen design will work into that. Cue many nights falling asleep thinking of splashback materials, open shelves, rangehood designs....My brain just won't stop. I came across this picture on Pinterest.

c/o Veranda Interiors (duh)

I was drawn to the open shelving around the rangehood. I'd already planned to do that. But the lighting I was impressed with. What a quirky feature and a great way to show off the ceiling height. So that's a big tick. I will probably add another wall light over the sink. I also like the brick pattern tile but wait, our house is MADE of brick. Why tile when you can expose?

c/o Desire to Inspire blog

I love the rustic look of this. It's such a gorgeous kitchen. Of course, our brick would look more like this with a white washed effect.

c/o Apartment Therapy blog

What do you think? Am I travelling in a good direction here? It's hard doing a design job for yourself!