Farewell and a fresh start!

Wowser's ;-(... I think I'm going to miss this place...this old blog of mine. Now do tell me, is that normal when you move sites?? I am terribly good at any sort of change aren't I?? Anyhoo I've come here to warn you that things are still very green over at Hip Brown Home... yes, upon your arrival you will be surrounded by many imperfections... but its definitely time to expand on all of those ideas I've had rattling around for my new blog and business and allow them to flourish/ be. The finer details will develop along the journey!

I do want to say that whilst my blog is going to run along side a business...It's my mission to stay as creatively connected to it as ever. I am still very passionate about blogging and oh my gosh, I hope I don't get stage fright but I have many ideas that I am looking forward to work-shopping ;-0.

Thankyou to all the lovely friends I've made here, you have seriously inspired me in soooooo many ways. Do hope you will join/ follow me over at the new hang.

Rach xx  

Sunshine and completing the decor look!

 

When I am craving a little warmth, a little sunshine, this is where you will find me at my house. Now, even if I only have just five short minutes to sit and enjoy being here... most days I'm content with that!

Where do you like to be when you need some outdoor light and warmth?? Do you too have a favourite pose-y that you like to be?

 

 

Have to tell you, that I am loving my outdoor vertical garden; it makes my favourite spot even more enjoyable!

 

 

I have also added the above hanging plant.

 

I do love how finding the décor-essence for one wall, can help you complete an entire look.

 

Rach xx

 



DIY Vertical Garden For Under $30!



Hello,

I hung a little fern on our wall. It is called a "Slender Bracken Fern". I bought it from our local Native Nursery; our's is super cheap, I call it the $2 nursery! Not everything is $2 but very close to. Do you have one in your area too? I simply planted the fern in a glass jar; I used coloured sand in the very bottom for a little drainage and then packed in planting-soil to surround the actual plant. I then used picture wire to wrap around the jar, twisted it several times and then made a loop so that it could be easily latched on to a wall hook. I love it because it's very simple and looks a little bit sweet... Do you think so too?? I think I need one in our new bathroom too!

 I do think there is something about planting plants or maybe it's having nature around you that is a little bit addictive because hanging the above fern also inspired me to create a vertical garden on our balcony. Again, it was super easy to do and I think you could use any type of jars you have at home. I wrapped picture wire around both the jar and the lattice wall that surrounds our balcony but you could use hooks or even an old picture frame to do this on any wall at home. An old frame with added picture hooks would give your vertical garden a very fancy finish too!

I like the little jars in the top row best but I may change my mind once the ferns start to mature. Am I sounding like I have a green thumb yet? Ha! 

You could add some jute string too if you wanted to add extra sparkle.

Now, do remind me to water them... please.

Rach xx

Visiting Ivy and Elephants

P.S Please read on RE: Caring for your fern's

That's a wrap on #7vignettes!

 Did you play 7 Vignettes on Instagram?? The above collage is my wrap-sheet from the entire 7 days. I thoroughly enjoyed playing this month! It can be a time zapper but creatively very satisfying from a styling point of view.  

 

The below vignettes were some of my favourites from the above bunch of snaps; each theme is headlined above. 

 

MONOCHROME 

 

I think the clock vignette above was my favourite of my entire vignette's however I am not sure that I can articulate why... it's just a little bit of fun, you know.
 

 WINDOW

 

 

Now, should I add the above sign to my Hip Brown wares collection?? Hee hee, it could read "HOME" on one side and "NOT HOME" on the other. It could come in really handy especially on those very rare days you just want to hide from the world (very rarely happens!)... then I think that maybe you're just lining yourself up for regular break in's! Best not!!!

 

 

HANDMADE

 

Lastly a vignette of one of my hand printed, handmade lime & coconut decor bags becaue I do love making them in a "non sweat- shop but pop-up shop-ish" kind of way. Check out Jen Bishop's Interiors Addict for the details if ever you would like to join in the fun.
 

Hope you have a great week! 

 

Rach xx 

A perfect house takes work and commitment

 

Hello
 I’m posting a picture of my house looking a bit special and tidy but don't be mistaken for thinking that it's like this here every day because unfortunately the reality is, that it's not; as you would already know a perfect house take’s ongoing work and commitment to keep it that way.

 

I am actually quite ok with the wheels falling of the cart every now and then. Are you too? Truthfully, things are a little shabby around here for one reason or another...I have a spare room full of washing that needs folding, it’s also Jen Bishop's #7vignettes on Instagram so styling props are everywhere and my four year old (who thinks he is the real Mr Maker) has been very busy cutting things up and leaving stuff everywhere.

This snap is actually to add to my portfolio on my new website, speaking of which if you live in Brisbane and know a Word Press expert please send them my way... it is just about finished however I do believe that I need to employ a professional on board just to do some extra tweaking.

 

Next time your house is looking a bit fabulous, do remember to take a picture, stick it on your fridge just to remind yourself that it does happen!

 

Rach xx

 

 

Kettle/ Teapot Cleaner Tutorial

 

Hello,

It has been a while since I have done a tutorial on the "HBT blog" so I thought I would share a "Kettle- cleaning tutorial" that has been handed down through the generations in our family. My grandma first showed my mother how to do it and it was sooooo good I still do it today! It's hard not to spot the safety-yellow coloured Berri Lemon juice (since 1942) above but I can assure you this is not a sponsored post on behalf of Berri. It's just berri good ok ;-). Ha, no seriously, I am sharing it because I've been doing a little spring cleaning of late (go figure??) and thought if ever I had a trick worth sharing this might be it; it really works a treat on kettle/ teapot scale without using any harsh chemicals. For the record I have tried to be all hippie and use just plain lemon juice but it does not work, at all. You need to use the real lemon squeeze concentrate!

 

 

Pour Lemon squeeze directly into your kettle at least 2cm deep, swirl it around and close the lid.  

 

 

 Pour a small amount of the squeeze into a small porcelain dish. Using a brush or cotton wool bud, also clean the outside of your kettle. This will remove any build-up and also make it look shiny and happy again.

 

Don't forget to swirl the lemon squeeze around regularly inside your jug so that it will reach the areas up high.  

 

 Leave your lemon squeeze inside your kettle/ teapot for 1-2 hours, this is mine already looking very shiny after about 1 hour. You can even leave it overnight if you would like.

 

When happy with the look of your kettle; rinse and boil your kettle a few times over to remove any lemon squeeze residue. 

Do you too have any spring cleaning tricks that have been handed down through your family?

 

Rach xx

How to make a sweet home!

 

 

I made a chalk board for one of my clients; it's ok to try it out on my kitchen first, right?? Love playing around with different looks and could not resist! I needed a lil kitchen-y type accessory to go with a clock I had previously sourced and a lovely canvas that my client already owned. I am happy to report that all three look very fabulous together in her kitchen and make a lovely wall vignette. I will show you the reveal over on my new site, very soon ;-).

 

The same client also sent this very sweet snap of her children helping paint the kitchen furniture. I know, bless them!

Admittedly the perfectionist within me was a little worried about application... but seriously "phht", who needs perfection! This lovely family will remember this time for years to come and I do think memories are the things that really make a home a sweet place to be.

 

Visiting Ivy and Elephants linky party

xx

 

Decorating with tropical plants

It occurred to me oneday as I was zhooshing things around my house (as you do) that I did not own one single palm tree/ plant. How very un- Queensland of me! I have lived in Qld for over six years now and I instantly knew that I had to do something about it. 

Do you like to decorate with plants?? I do and I think they create much decor warmth and calm for everyone to enjoy. Here is my palm- plant purchase above; it is a Parlour Palm. Apparently and I do love a good quote ;-O "Research has also indicated that growing plants inside can effectively assist in filtering and improving air quality"- Pohlmans; I best get a dozen more!!! I think my palm looks very Queensland/ tropical, cheery and a lovely addition to my home. 

Do you too like tropical plants??

Do have a great week everyone! 

Rach xx

Join the "wardrobe-revamp marathon" too??

Hello,

Did you catch the beautiful super moon last night? As you can see, it was a beauty! This is the view from our back deck, on a clear night we can see almost three entire buildings... no, you would never say that we have Brisbane city views however I do love that we enjoy a mini city glimpse or two ;-).

 

 

I am so chuffed to report that I have just finished revamping one of my lovely antique wardrobes from last week, I still have two more to complete. You should see the look of determination I am sporting right now! The Suburbans Stylist is on a mission to get her own wardrobe revamp's and storage issues out of the way. Can it be done during School holidays?? Watch this space lovely people, we shall see!

Method- I used a white chalk paint and a little distressing to achieve a quite conservative looking wardrobe; I believe the perfect look for a linen cupboard!  Can I tempt you to join in the "wardrobe-revamp marathon" too? 

Rach xx

 

 

 

Bought and Sold by The Suburban Stylist

 

Hello,

How has your weekend been?

I do hope it has been lovely! I've been busy... doing a little wheeling and dealing. As you do; and as a result I now have a huge list of "To do's" and it's all a little bit overwhelming but in a good way offcourse. I don't know how it happened exactly but suddenly in the space of two days, my house is looking more like an antique store than a home.... seriously!  I do believe that suburban stylist is still buying more wares than selling!!

 

The Suburban Stylist's record thus far

Sold

1 x Art Deco Mirror (dreadfully hard to part with!)

 

Purchases

Vintage Mirror

Lamp 

Vintage Ladder

Antique Wardrobe's x 3

Dresser with antique Mirror

 

 

Keeping ;-)

Vintage Mirror

Lamp

Vintage Ladder

Antique Wardrobe's x 3

Dresser with antique Mirror

 I am actually super smitten with all these new purchases; We have had storage issues for a while now, more specifically since our bathroom renovation. In order to make our new bathroom more spacious, we had to say goodbye to our hallway linen cupboard; it had amazing Tardis like capabilities, everything including the Christmas tree happily lived in that space. Anyhoo, thought I'd just share that I now have three beautiful antique cupboards and vintage dresser with mirror all waiting in line for a lil restoration (can't wait to show you!). I also have my new website and styling portfolio to finish in order to launch this next phase of my styling business. The upside is that I don't mind having lots to do at all and I am super excited about getting all of this completed!

Rach xx

Do you like to get the look for less in your home?

Hello, 

I have been quite preoccupied working on developing my new website... between you and I, I am a web novice so this project literally eats my time. I guess, there is always a huge learning curve when you embark on a new adventure too. Stay tuned, I am hoping that one day soon.... I will eventually be able to share some more news  ;-0.

Now tell me, do you like to get the look for less?

Well, this post is all over that!.

Getting the look for less is one of my favorite things, mostly because I get to recycle, reuse and be creative all at the same time. As some of you would already know this makes my heart flutter and puts a huge smile on my face especially when the project is completed.
 

I wanted to create a wall vignette just like the one you see on the front page of this Elle Decoration UK magazine. For the record, it did not turn out exactly the same. The look on the magazine is all about lovely neutrals; it is subtle, interesting and beautiful all at the same time! My vignette did not achieve the same result however I definitely feel that I have put my own style and creative spin on things and that is very important too!

Thrifted picture frames

 I bought these picture frames from a thrift store, they ranged in price from 50 cents to maybe around $1.00 each. Just saying, they were super cheap! I simply painted them; some I distressed white and a couple I painted charcoal.

My wall vignette

As you can see my wall vignette is a mixture of snaps of my children that I took from our last family holiday and also a couple of Instagram pictures that I recently photographed and liked. It was a specific design decision to mix up the subject matter; I wanted the wall to be interesting and have few layers of appeal. I believe that I have made a good start to achieving this and I know that the wall will continue to develop from here.

 Have you had any thrifty bargains of late? Please, do tell me about them.

 

 Rach xx

Hooking up at Ivy and Elephants linky party

Sweet memories and souvenirs

Inside these bottles are dried remnants from a beautiful bunch of flowers gifted to me on mother’s day. They were from Magnolia Flowers in Ashgrove, my favourite florist!

 

I adore their flower arrangements and Magnolia is also one of my most favourite names ever!

Keeping flowers has long been a tradition of mine; it was something I did even as a teenager. I guess I just love the gift to last and like finding ways to remember thoughtfulness. They are my souvenirs to remind me of a sweet moment and I think they also look great as decorations scattered around the home.

Sometimes, the greenery is the best part to dry out and keep! They look great hanging on a wall, dangled around a bottle, or as part of a wall vignette

What souvenirs do you like to treasure?? xx


Hooking up at Ivy and Elephants

A vintage meat safe restyled

 This old meat safe would have many stories to tell... I do like that attribute in a cupboard!

 

A girlfriend of mine, spotted this fabulous gem! She could see that it was very worthy of a revamp/ restyle and helped me rescue it from a road trip to the tip. It was all kinds of apricot and its doors were lined with old-style frosted glass...

Do you like to give old things a new lease on life? I do! I particularly appreciate the hard work and craftsmanship you see in older style furniture. It’s rare that you see that kind of love in modern day, mass produced furniture. It is a huge, huge shame!

I sanded it back and painted it with a Dulux Antique white. I lightly distressed it for a very conservative, shabby chic look. I felt that it already had oodles of character and didn't need me to go overboard with a more dramatic look. I removed the glass inserts/ chipboard from the cupboard doors and for a more textured look lined them with chook wire. To achieve a sweet vintage-style finish, I also stencilled numbers on a few of the door knobs. 

There is something about this cupboard that I find very inspiring. It is the new addition to our office/ creative space; it will be a props cupboard of sorts and I love that it has already resolved some quite major storage issues around here. It does so make me smile!

 

Hooking up over at the Say Gday Linky Party

Happy Mothers Day!

This is how I spent Mothers Day, last year. This year, I spent a good part of the morning on our couch.... both were very lovely ways to spend a Mothers day! I do think it's nice to enjoy a lazy rest every now and then.

This is me, looking very sunny and yellow... Love!

I must confess I haven't yet sent my own mum a mother's day card... it's going to be a belated one this year, I do hope she understands. Instead, we have had a good chat on the telephone. It is a shame we don't live closer to each other, I could pop over and take her out to lunch. I would like that! 

For the record, I have never done juggling or acrobats with either of my children...but I do love and appreciate his imagination for thinking so!

What are your plans this Mother's Day??

Rach xx

Vintage Style Adventures

Oh Hello,
Thought I would share my latest thrifty adventures. How adorable are these vintage style finds? I love them! I do believe these treasures are going straight to the props cupboard… Although I honestly think I could find a special nook for this sweet vintage trophy if I persist! And I also love the autumn colours of this breakfast tray, be so gorgeous for a lil morning tea extravaganza. Orange and green palates do look so fabulous together!

Can you believe that my hubby found the above two vintage bottles (far right) on Anzac day? I thought it kind of timely and special! I think, I was also just very surprised to find some history in my own backyard... as everything is so very modern these days. As you know, I do love a vintage bottle or two and I adore how rustic they are! Have you had any Antique/ thrifty adventures of late?? Do tell me about them!
 
Rach xx

The irony behind "A Dunny with Dignity!"

 

I will take any progress I can get, Yay!!! 

As a general rule, I like to keep my blog posts mostly about all things interiors and inspiring if I possibly can; it is the voice that I am truly passionate about and the one that I am motivated to use... but please, allow me a quick whine (or wine is good too) if I may. The past week and half of our bathroom renovation has felt like an eternity. For many reasons (including our little family in tow) it is exhausting and I cannot wait until it is finally finished. I don't mean to sound dreary, just attempting to be at peace with life’s ups and downs, I guess. Maybe you also get the feeling that I am not really the outdoorsy type?? Yes, camping (i.e outdoor loo loo's and showers) for an extended period of time is possibly not for me!

 I realise this time will not last forever; it will pass and will be worth every ounce of pain. However I think the hardest thing is and as crazy as it sounds, I actually feel a little homeless without a bathroom in my house. Word is that I am a blessed creature of comfort and I think it’s quite true! Imagine if I were born pre 1950's where in-house toilets were uncommon, or even if I was actually homeless? Would I cope?? I don’t know; I hope so! What I do know is that I am indeed quite blessed to be finding this a difficult time in the first place and I see that! In the meantime, I am trying to enjoy the funny side to our outdoor living situation, and I hope our neighbour’s, bless them… will see it too ;-O.

Some random, possibly even helpful facts about about Portaloo's and showers.

• Portaloo's need to be within 10meters of kerbside so that they may be serviced/ hmm emptied... however it is quite possible that your visitors may actually knock on both your front doors ;-). 

• Get used to venturing outside during the night and try to not wake up too much so that you are able to get back to sleep more easily.

•  Portaloo's and Portashowers have no electricity, therefore your entire family will need to shower before dark and invest in VERY fancy robes/ dressing gowns.

• Outdoor showers are more suited to private areas ok; just saying a high fence is a sensible idea and preferably away from your neighbour’s entertaining area...

• Although the slogan is "Dunny's with dignity", bear with me... I am yet to discover the D for dignity in our outdoor dunny just yet!

Rach xx