The Silver LiningSussex St – Open House Perth
Posted on November 18, 2014
The first destination we visited for Open House Perth was this amazingly well designed house by Mountford Architects. Located in a semi-industrial area of Maylands, this home maximises its space by utilising a simple, elegant design which allows cross ventilation and easy access to the garden. The widespread use of louvred windows allows light and breeze to permeate the house (and also form cool-looking rainbow reflections on the walls!). There is a single pitched roof over the home which causes hot air to rise to the top of the house, where it is vented through an open window, thereby cooling the house. In addition the house enhances its environmental credentials with solar panels and a grey water system for the garden (definitely something to think about for our place!).
The design of the garden worked in cohesion with the design of the house – a testament to the teamwork of the landscape gardener and architect. We both really liked the clean lines and the considered nature of this house, and the way that the productive garden was located so close. There were lots of good ideas to take away from this one!
Sussex St by Mountford Architects
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Open House Perth
Posted on October 30, 2014
This weekend Perth opens its doors and let’s you see inside 70 venues dotted around the city. Open House Perth is running this Saturday and Sunday (1st and 2nd November) and gives you the chance to look behind the scenes of some very public places and also into some very intimate private residences. This is the third year Perth has hosted this worldwide event and we’re super honoured to be given the chance to cover the event as official media partners – so stay tuned for a look at our favourite destinations!
So far, places on our must-see list are David Weir’s Apartment House (pictured third from the top), Sussex St House (fourth from the top), Post Studio and Gallery (fifth from top) and the State Theatre Centre (last picture). Other venues open for viewing are a number of other architecturally designed homes, as well as many architectural firms themselves and some cool spaces around Perth such as Paper Mountain, La Petite Galerie, PICA, Beau Est Mien and Moana Chambers. Not only that, there are also several amazing sounding guided walking tours around the city. So much to see, so much to do!
This is an exceptional event run by a small group of passionate people (Here’s lookin’ at you, Carly!) with a tremendous love for architecture in this city. Come down, explore and check out Open House Perth this weekend! You are bound to have your eyes opened by the amount of hidden gems in this city.
Open House Perth / 10am to 5pm / Sat Nov 1st and Sun Nov 2
Image credits (from top): Jinn, Stephan Nicholls, Martin Farquharson, Matt Biocich, Vanity Projects, Robert Frith.
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Sandringham House
Posted on August 27, 2014
We came across this delightful house on Desire To Inspire the other day. Designed by Techné Architecture + Interior Design, it is a wonderful conversion of a double-fronted weatherboard house into an amazing and inviting space full of colour and energy. I love how the street frontage is subtle, with only a cheeky bright blue door and a small amount of metal cladding visible to hint at the impressive structure within. They have managed to add four extra bedrooms, an open plan living-dining area and a study, with heaps of life-bringing natural light. And to top it all off, the interior design and furniture is positively mouthwatering! (Excuse me whilst I rescue my laptop keyboard from my drool…)
Photography by Derek Swallwell
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Meet Jelena – Mr Sparrow
Posted on March 12, 2014
A few weeks ago we went and paid a visit to Jelena, the owner and keen-eyed curator of Mr Sparrow. Mr Sparrow is conveniently located in Subiaco and is one of my absolute go-to stores for many, many reasons. It simply, practically and beautifully always has the answer to my present-buying woes! Overflowing with irresistible gift ideas for the home and garden, I never leave this place empty-handed. *danger danger!* It was so great to meet Jelena after a long and unrequited Instagram love affair…
Hello hello! Yes, I’m completely obsessed by your shop and stalk you on almost every form of social media known to mankind. *awkward smile* What’s the story behind Mr Sparrow?
I’ve always wanted to own a shop of my own, filled with beautiful things that I love. I was looking for a way to do something creatively inclined whilst doing my GP training in 2012, when the opportunity to own Mr Sparrow came up! The previous owner of Mr Sparrow was looking to move over east, and I leapt at the chance to do something different, and fulfil my dreams of wanting to own my own shop! Plus it was a bonus that I already owned half of the pieces in the shop myself, being a long time supporter of Mr Sparrow when it was under Anna’s ownership. It was really daunting at first and many thoughts of uncertainty went through my mind like, “We’re new, will people like us?”, “Will anyone come to our shop?”. But I bit the bullet at the end of 2012 and have had a lot of fun growing this store since!
We renovated the store in October 2013 which breathed new life into this little place. It’s been a blast!
Where do you source your collection of goods from?
I source things from all over the world – places include Japan, Finland, the United States and, of course, Australia! I keep my eye out for unique pieces that no one else in Perth stocks, and am particularly excited by the chance to collaborate with creatives to come up with exclusive Mr-Sparrow-only products! For example, my Bridget Bodenham x Mr Sparrow ceramic planters – I just love them!
And what inspires you?
I’m generally inspired by my travels, near and far, always looking out for beautiful products along the way. I’m also a big fan of Instagram! One of the biggest challenges in owning a store is continually finding fresh, new things and in the right balance.
So you own a shop AND you’re training in General Practice. How do you balance both sides of your work life? I’m envious!
It isn’t always easy balancing the medical side with the business/creative one, however I’m loving the balance of these two at the moment. I’m currently taking a break from General Practice training to focus on the business – and to be honest, I’m loving the day to day of running the business. I’m also keeping myself busy studying a Masters of Public Health, and doing some other work as well. (Sarah almost falls over at this point – she barely remembers to brush her teeth before rushing out the door to work each day!). But Mr Sparrow most definitely still has a firm and very special place in my life! Life as a doctor very easily becomes all-encompassing so it’s super important to me to maintain a balance.
We talked on for more than an hour, mostly about life and how to do it best. It was a fantastic chance for myself and Jinn to meet a fellow medic who had successfully burst out of the “doctor stereotype”, and fulfilled and expressed her other more creative side, something I personally find very difficult to do at times. Jelena is a great encouragement and role model to us both, with her big heart, clear vision, lateral thinking and, of course, superb taste.
Make sure you pop by to see Jelena or visit her online store! Be sure to check out my favourites – Bridget Bodenham ceramics, Emily Green necklaces, Kip & Co bedding, and jewellery by the WA Fashion award winner, Alister Yiap.
Mr Sparrow / Shop 3, 223 Bagot Rd, Subiaco / Online store / Facebook / info@mrsparrow.com.au
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New year, new wall!
Posted on January 14, 2013
With the advent of the new year, there is no better time to spruce up a tired looking wall. We experienced a considerable influx into our mini (but growing!) collection of art and prints during our quest to visit as many museums and flea markets as we could on our trip to New York last year. We bought so many, we still haven’t gotten around to framing them all!
When you’ve got so much to choose from, it’s always best to make a “draft” and lay everything out on the floor first so you can get an idea of what it’s going to look like on the wall. We chose a collection of bits and pieces picked up along our travels (spot our Oh! My God! I Miss You! print by Nara from MoMA, or our Kabuki-style man from Kyoto for example), some art prints from our favourites Outre Gallery and Society6, as well as a bunch of photos that are precious to us. Personalise your wall – each one of the pieces up there has a special meaning attached to it.
Another handy tip is we use Command 3M picture hanging strips (from Bunnings!) so you don’t have the mess, hassle or permanency that happens when you hammer a nail into the wall! Perfect for renters, plus also good if you stuff up! Just pull it off and start again!
The Silver Lining 