hanging around the studio...

Pendant lights, Sunday Age M magazine Savvy Shopper

When it came to figuring out how to display a heap of hanging lights, I really didn't have to look too far.  I have long been an admirer of the ceiling and interior roofline at Decent Exposure Studios, where Mike and I shoot most of our Savvy Shopper pages.  It's a former pasta factory, complete with beautiful distressed old beams, flaky paint and corrugated tin - now that's my kinda backdrop.

We spent a lot of time clambering up and down ladders that day... well, Mike did far more of that than me, bless his cotton man-socks.

This image appeared in The Sunday Age M magazine, Savvy Shopper page last Sunday 29th July.  Photo by Mike Baker, story and styling by me, copyright owned by Fairfax Media.

If you'd like to know where to score any of these beautiful pendants, drop me a line or comment below.

Hx

gorgeous Melbourne home - Sam Scally of Scally Duggan Styling

The home of Sam Scally of Scally Duggan Styling

You know that crap feeling you get when you wear the totally wrong outfit for the occasion? We'll that's what it felt like when Sunday Life Home photographer Armelle, her lovely assistant, Annette, and I rocked up to shoot Sam Scally's amazing 1970's home. Where the hell were our string bikinis, chunky platforms and hot pants?  And we didn't have a single cigarette to share, either. Novice mistake.

I kept humming the Skyhooks songs 'Livin' in the 70s' and 'Balwyn calling' as Sam took us on a tour of  her multi-levelled, multi-bathroomed, multi-built-in-ashtrayed home. Clever Sam has taken this incredible home and bought it right up to 2012 with her great collection of mid-century furniture, and the addition of pops of colour to enliven the brick walls.

Sam and her sister Penny have a home styling business, scallydugganstyling.com.au that bridges the gap between interior design and 'doing it yourself' - they do everything from whole houses to storage solutions to kids bedrooms. Sounds like a perfect business to me.

This home appeared in the Sunday Age / Sun Herald Sunday Life magazine yesterday. You can check out all of the photos on dailylife.com.

hx

Photos by Armelle Habib
Story and Styling by Heather Nette King
Copyright Fairfax Media

gorgeous Melbourne Home - Nick Peters

Nick in the sitting room

Ahh, another Sunday and another fab home in Sunday Life. This week it was Melbourne's turn, so we got to have a sneak peek into the glam home of Melbourne guy Nick Peters. There are some great colour combinations and pattern plays going on in this home, and loads of art, some of which is available through Nick's affordable art company, Canvas & Canvas.

Here it is on the page and you can check out the rest of the shots on www.dailylife.com

Photography by Armelle Habib, story and styling by Heather Nette King and copyright owned by Fairfax Media Ltd

extreme beauty alert! Deb Kavaliunas' home is in Country Style, on sale today.

Just one of Deb Kavaliunas' exquisite displays

Whiplash.

That's what I get when I visit the incredible home of Deb Kavaliunas.  Ooh la la, she has the most exquisite collections, all curated and displayed with her artists eye, in her beautiful Queenscliff home.

It's the ultimate wunderkammer.

So, if perfectly faded old artworks, nests, eggs, feathers, dolls house furniture, plaster cornices, birdcages, chandeliers, books, etc are your thing, read all about it in Country Style, August 2012.

Delicious photos by Sharyn Cairns, story and styling by Heather Nette King, copyright NewsLifeMedia

hx

on the newsstands today...

Real Living August edition out today

There are so many good reasons to dash out and buy yourself a copy of the August 2012 issue of Real Living.  Firstly the beautiful cover girl -  one of my favourite homewares retailers, Ursula Van Schoonhoven, of Armadale's House of Orange (beautifully styled by Natalie Walton and shot by Chris Warnes).

Then,  inside on page 100 is a story about Melbourne's Southwood family - yes, more clever retailers - this time of the eponymous Southwood label and stores. Catherine and Martin Southward, together with their four kids, live in possibly one of the smallest homes I have written about, but it's also the smartest, and definitely the most passionately designed. I'm talking serious eco-cred. And the best bit?  The Southwood's have nailed the formula for mixing style with sustainability. It's a really thought-provoking home, one which kept me thinking for a long time after my visit.

This story was beautifully shot by Armelle Habib, and written by me.

Hx

thirteen...

For the girl who tells us she was "born to play the role of Maria".  Print from Galerie Montmatre in Fitzroy.

my baby turned 13 this week - cue to struggled back sobs.

Jem and I started a tradition here when our big girl turned 13 two years ago.  We pledged to ignore all pleas for technology and buy her something to keep forever.  For Annebelle, the choice was obvious - she is a girl who likes fashion, and isn't averse to a bit of luxury.  Se we went with this.  Which, in turn, led to a bedroom make-over.  All good fun.

With Alex, the choice was, once again, very straightforward.  This is a chick that loves a show tune, is a total nostalgia nut, and sings all day.  All day. And sometimes in her sleep, I shit you not!

So, with wonderful help from Michelle at Galerie Montmatre, we chose a West Side Story movie poster from when the movie was released in France (in the 70s, I think).  It is glorious, and hopefully it will spur on another room makeover.  This room though, is a challenge that may require a team of stylists.  There aint enough ikea Expedits in the world to store the 13 years of collecting this kid has racked up.  She has a combination of rampant sentimentality and a collectors instinct.  Let's hope by the time she is taller than this poster I will have whipped her bedroom into shape! Wish me luck.
hx

new work for Dulux...

After the blur that has been the past few months,  I get very excited when my work makes it out of the studio and into print/onto screens.  I saw these images last week and thought "Ooh that's right - they were such a fun couple of days"  More fun than work really should be, I suspect!

I had a fab time styling the interior images for this campaign (yes, I moved myself and the furniture out before the beautiful and talented Jess Bush started throwing paint around).

This campaign is all about ridding yourself of the winter blues and brightening your home and your mood with some colour - something I have been known to do on the odd occasion...

The man behind the lens on all of these fantastic shots was the very talented Alex Aslangul.

Interior rooms shoot:

Client: Dulux -  Leanne Pearce, Senior Brand manager, Dulux Interior
Creative Team:  Sarah-Jane Finlayson and Chris Shoolman at Creative Results
Photographer: Alex Aslangul
Producer: Allison Lockwood
Interior homewares styling: Heather Nette King
Photo assistants: Merlyn and Aaron
Studios: Sugar Studios

hx

I heart Melbourne...

Melbourne homewares style, photo by Mike Baker, styling by Heather Nette King

Talk about a tough edit...

Each and every day I receive new info about another fabulous Melbourne person or company who has poured their heart and soul into designing and making stylish new chairs, bottles, artworks, sculptures, tea towels, cushions...

It's inspiring - on so many levels.  And it's always beyond hard trying to choose which ones to shoot.

For this Savvy Shopper round-up of (the teeny-tiniest portion) of fabulous Melbourne designs, I took my cues from our city itself.  Paved with solid bluestone foundations, with the steely cold grey/blue backdrop of our sky, and the occasional, much-welcomed burst of winter sun.

Here is a peek behind the scenes on the day.

dodgy iPhone photos by Heather Nette King

As always, interstaters can email me for product details.

Keep warm!

hx

  on the page yesterday, photo by Heather Nette King

trawling the archives..

Dougal at the door.  Photo by Heather Nette King

I just stumbled upon this old photo - one of my favourites ever.  Dougal as a puppy, green door and lovely fresh flowers.  Ah, happy days!

hx

my home is in Elle Decoration UK!

bedside reading!

Last night, Annebelle and I were working through some anticipatory-stress-issues regarding the imminent ending of our two favourite tv shows - Offspring, series 3 and Mad Men, series 5, (gahhh what will we do every Wednesday and Thursday night?) when I heard the little ping of an email arriving. Eventually I got up, wandered over to my computer, and was BEYOND thrilled to read that the August issue of Elle Decoration UK has hit the stands (and the iPad Newsstand), and in it is an 'At Home With' story on our family home.  Cue to a few hectic minutes of me trying to download the issue (thank goodness for tech-calm teenagers) and we got to check it out.  Now all I have to do is set up camp at my newsagent,  and patiently wait to get an airfreight copy in my hot little hands!

All of the images were shot by superstar Armelle Habib, and copyright is owned by Armelle Habib and Heather Nette King. Interview by Talib Choudhry.

Elle Decoration UK August 2012

hx