Try as I might to achieve minimalism, I just can’t seem to stop the clutter in my life. After a huge clean, the house experiences a few days of perfect organization and cleanliness before the chaos creeps back in, usually through a series of seemingly innocent decisions — a piece of mail I set aside instead of filing away; an irresistible thrift-shop find that gets purchased without a plan for where it should go; a sale on craft supplies. You know how it is. Okay, maybe they’re not so innocent.
While I still plan to eliminate and prevent clutter, I also embrace it to a certain extent as a challenge to finding clever ways of storing things secretly. I consider today’s project a double achievement in this category: I have not only found a place for my extra pieces of art, but I’ve also created a stealth storage unit that can hold the most unsightly items in my house: my random binders, files and paperwork. With the right piece of art and a readymade box, you can make this project in under an hour. So I ask you, if the clutter is hidden behind a pretty piece of artwork and nobody sees it but you, does it exist? Happy crafting ;) — Kate
Read the full how-to after the jump!
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The Melbourne, Australia, home of Kate Challis, Andrew Hollo and their 2.5-year-old son, Jasper, is in fact a 19th-century storefront in the inner city, complete with gallery shows in the front window. When they first bought the place seven years ago, friends thought they were crazy, but they loved the rawness of the area and seeing it develop, as well as the village’s strong community. Andrew works as a management consultant and has a love of books (see below). Kate, who authors urban kaleidoscope, an interiors blog devoted to spaces with soul and personality, has run the gamut of experiences, from completing a PhD in art history (early Renaissance illuminated manuscripts) and opening a yoga studio to working as a corporate trainer and facilitator, saying “Like my personal style, my life is very eclectic.” These days most of her time is spent doing what she loves most: being with her family and exploring her passion for design. And when they’re not in Melbourne, they’re in Bali. Thanks, Kate! – Anne
Image above: This antique table I found on eBay; it’s in the kitchen, where we spend most of our time. The curtain fabric is by Timorous Beasties, an avant-garde Scottish textile and fabric designer. At first glimpse, you think it is a traditional toile depicting sweet rural scenes when, in fact, it shows down-and-out life in contemporary London. Totally appropriate for the street on which we live.
Image above: The curtains are a brilliant deep aqua blue. A number of people tried to talk me out of such a bold colour. Conventional wisdom says to stick to more neutral colours for curtains. But where is the fun in that? I have not regretted it. The painting of the girl on the polar bear is by one of my closest friends, Pacquita Maher. What I love about this room is that it is both minimal and luxurious. The chair is an eBay discovery that was recovered, the little deco table is from an antique shop and the metal tin that sits underneath is Balinese.
Image above: The sofa in our living room is 2.5m (over 8 feet) long and big enough for the entire family (including the 2 cats). The Madeline Weinrib raspberry pink rug I found on sale. I almost didn’t get it, as someone else had put it aside, but then they changed their mind and bought a grey or taupe one instead. As the saying goes, their loss was my gain. Like the curtains in the bedroom, it’s bold and not for everyone, but I adore it; it breathes some fun and warmth into the room, which is what you want in a living area. The metal Moroccan tray table I searched for for several years until I found the stand in one shop and the top in another. The art on the wall is a combination of photographs, prints, paintings and watercolours, which were found, bought, collected or given over many years.
See more of this beautiful home after the jump!
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