With the new year coming up, so is the release of Queensland Homes 2012 Annual Gold Edition!

QH Gold 2012 brings us a fresh new mix of home pictorials - from beach side living to country homes on the coast, you’ll be spoilt with unique design + decorating inspiration.

There’s also a HUGE Interior Designers’ Q&A feature, which you simply must read! With a low-down of new tips and trends from a selection of interior designers, you’ll be all set for the new year.

Lastly, Natalie shares some stunning interior images of designer boutique hotels around the world in one of our regular features, Global Style. I’ve had my flick through and the pics are STUNNING!

Featured in 'Global Style'

This issue will be available in newsagents in January, so make sure you grab your copy early! You can also pre-order online via our website > graphicpublishing.com.au/subscribe/qhSubscribe.htm

Here are a few words written by Margaret McGuire for the editor’s letter -

When you read this it will be the start of a new year - a fresh slate on which to write another slice of your life, and we would like to take this opportunity to wish all our readers a happy, safe and prosperous year.

Queensland Homes Gold differs from our quarterly issues in the number of pages we are able to give the homes we feature, and this edition our houses needed every page we could find. In many cases, these homes are on acreage sites, where there is room for big, beautiful trees and lush landscaping - and some of the houses have access to their own creeks and waterholes - now that’s bliss.

We also feature a gorgeous old home from Toowoomba which has been restored and renovated but which is still a fun, family home; a beach house built on a sand dune, an ultra luxurious Balinese resort and Sir Richard Branson’s Makepeace Island at Noosa.

We’ve also conducted a Q&A with a number of interior designers and it seems that minimalism is on the way out after a record run of popularity - I have to say it never made an appearance at my house; you need to be very tidy to live with minimalism!

In its place the designers are predicting a return to warm, welcoming homes, softer and more colourful interiors filled with all the lovely accessories that make a house a home - and the return of wallpaper.

I’m sure you will enjoy this issue.

Purchase your copy of QH Gold 2012 online > graphicpublishing.com.au/subscribe/qhSubscribe.htm

Visit the QH website > www.queenslandhomes.com.au

- Cherizza, QH Web

This year my family has opted for the ’secret santa’ style of gift giving.  It goes like this : we put our names into a bowl one by one … we then close our eyes and repeatedly chant to ourselves, ‘please don’t draw Daniel, please don’t draw Daniel’ (who happens to be my brother. He is awful to buy for, there is always one in the family right?) I thankfully drew one of my sister’s names (ssssshhhh, it’s a secret!) Since then, I’ve been on a ‘under $50 dollar’ gift hunt and thought I would share my top 10 finds …

1/
Baby Bunny Rabbit Brooch from O design
> $26.00
http://www.madeit.com.au/detail.asp?id=426834

2/
Ice Ice Baby - Tea Towel by Dubblyou Studio
100% cotton tea towel, screen printed locally.
$12.00
http://www.etsy.com/listing/86785988/ice-ice-baby-tea-towel?ref=v1_other_2

3/
Bamboo coasters by Thea & Sami
Bamboo coasters are a design collaboration between designers Thea & Sami and Red Revival who laser cut them. Designed and made in Brisbane, Australia.
$24 set of 4
http://www.thea-sami.com.au/Coasters_Bamboo.html

4/
Ridley’s Classic Table Quoits Set
This tabletop sized set is ideal for a bit of after-dinner entertainment or for taking on picnics.
$19.95
http://www.larkmade.com.au

5/
Limited Edition - “Love you the longest of time” Print - Red
Hand printed on an antique 1893 printing press on 100% cotton rag archival paper (white colour) and printed the beautifully old fashioned way in Brisbane, Australia.
$45.00
http://bespokepress.bigcartel.com/product/limited-edition-love-you-the-longest-of-time-print-red

6/
The Little Veggie Patch Co: How to grow food in small spaces by Fabian Capomolla and Mat Pember, RRP $45.00 published by Pan Macmillan and available through all good book stores.

7/
Acrylic Diamond ring by : AMT
You don’t need to plan a diamond heist, these rings are a steal! This is the classic Tiffany-set diamond ring reworked in plastic by:AMT. Way more affordable and a lot more fun!
$29
http://www.oyemodern.com/rings/acrylic-diamond-ring-by-amt/prod_15.html

8/
CAVALLINI & CO. ANIMAL STICKY NOTES
Useful and beautiful sticky notes featuring wonderful animal themed images.
The Animal collection features 480 decorative sticky notes in 8 different animal themed designs in a variety of sizes.
$24.95
http://notemaker.com.au/products/cavallini-co-animal-sticky-notes-cavalinie-and-co

9/
Bright yellow, faceted coffee/sake cup
Small faceted white porcelain cup with a bright neon yellow coloured interior.
This range of cups have a heavy base that sits beautifully in the hand and is perfect for; coffee/espresso, sake and whisky.
$40.00
http://www.goldenink.com.au/products/bright-yellow-faceted-coffee-sake-cup

10/
K TOTE
TDK are proud to bring you our NEW summer range - a must-have TDK canvas tote perfect for those trips to the beach.
$28
http://www.thedesignkids.com.au/k-tote.html

Happy hunting! - Joanne Thies QH digital manager.

I am looking for lots of new blog content > email me and submit your new finds, ideas or events happening around Brisbane! joanne.thies@graphicpublishing.com.au

We’ll be interviewing some of Brisbane’s top kitchen and bathroom designers for a BIG feature in the March issue of QH - do you have a question? What would you like to know about making your kitchen as comfortable, attractive and efficient as possible - and no, it’s no use asking for a live-in chef!

As a little treat, 5 best ‘questions’  be given their very own copy of the magazine!

> You can email your ideas (and questions!) to QH Web at:  web@queenslandhomes.com.au

> Follow this conversation via our Facebook or Twitter!

If you didn’t get to pick up your copy of the Winter 2011 issue of Queensland Homes magazine, you would have missed out on our Interior Showcase special feature - showcasing some truly inspirational interior design + decorating ideas.

In this 4 part weekly blog post, I’ll be sharing a few of my fave interior projects - you’ll be spoilt for inspiration ideas!

Here are a few words about the Interior Showcase …

“Each year we ask some of Queensland’s interior designers to showcase a project they’ve been working on so we can see the latest trends and directions in decorating. Many design the furniture for their projects, and they all consider where the home is and their clients’ lifestyle when they create their schemes. You’ll find practical ideas married to great design in this feature …”

Now for Part 1 of the Interior Showcase - a fabulous Gold Coast penthouse! This gorgeous Gold Coast penthouse has come to life under the careful guidance of the Robertsons Design team.

Diana Mitchell has her say on a few styling notes …

• The brief was to achieve a sophisticated international penthouse feel, away from the norm of cane and ‘typically coastal’ to suit the high end interior finishes and architecture.

• Large art pieces work with the light and help to absorb the brightness as does the neutral linen sheers that surround the lounge/dining windows and the white shutters that are in the kitchen.

• The abundance of natural light in the space allows for creativity. Hence the use of matt black paint on the feature wall only enhances the space and grounds the area without making it feel darker.

• Mirrors are a wonderful tool when designing and when used properly they complete the space. We have used a great full length mirror in the dining area which reflects the light and creates depth to the room as we’ve done in the master bedroom.

• The iron lattice lamps imitate the square structure of the behead and the large mirror completes the room by reflecting the whole space.

How we love our Brissy designers! Featured in our ‘Made with Love‘ special (have a read in the current issue of QH Spring 2011!), boutique greetings designer Alarna Zinn puts her little heart and soul in to her Little Jane St. collection of unique, handmade designer stationery.

With a knack for paper crafts, plus a creative eye for cute and quirky design, she creates the most adorable range of limited edition greeting cards, gift enclosures, custom invitations, signature wrap, art prints, paper decoration, ribbon, ceramic garden labels and personalised trinkets.

Putting the love back into greeting culture, giving the gift of a smile and a warm heart to the receiver, Little Jane St. is all about a revival in heartfelt moments. And little treasures that make you go ‘ohhh’.

> You can buy online, and have your parcel delivered in organic hand-stitched cotton carry-bags (cute!) … littlejanest.com.au

or

> Head out to explore Alarna’s recently opened Little Jane St. boutique at 5c Winn Street, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane.

Love handmade goodies? Check out our other fave designers featured in our ‘Made with Love‘ special here!

We adore the little pieces of magic that ceramicist and novelist (And Brisbane girl!) Kylie Johnson creates for her Paper Boat Press collection.

Featuring quotes and poetry that bring a smile to the face and a twinkle to the eye, she is a designer, potter, poet and published author to boot!

Kylie brings the magic of words to life, made with love - using everything from ceramic quote tags, brooches, pencils, magnets, hanging stars and letterpress.

> You can browse + shop online directly on her website… paperboatpress.com

> Check out her blog: instinctandgrace.blogspot.com

> If you missed our previous ‘Made with Love’ designers, check them out here!

Stay tuned for more ‘Made with Love’ next week!

Our second ‘Made with Love‘ featured designer is another local Brisbane talent..Gone Dotti!

Gone Dotti is the name that Brisbane designer Megan Phillips uses for her collection of quirky and creative art canvas, broochs and pendants, which she makes out of her Paddington based studio.

What started as a shop to sell and encourage the wrk of local artists and crafters has now been converted in to the workshop for Megan’s own creations, which she can funnel her passion for redesigning old treasures in to new keepsakes - wares that have been made with love, laughter and passion.

> If you haven’t yet come across Gone Dotti at the local markets, or visited the store, you may just like to check out her online shop at gonedotti.bigcartel.com. Delights are guaranteed!

> To read more about our quirky Aussie designers featured in ‘Made with Love’, purchase your copy of QH Spring 2011 here!

As featured in the NEW Spring issue of QH, we give you a run down of some of our favourite designers, makers, and crafty folks behind some of the finest Australian handmade designs and objects of art!

In the next few weeks, we’ll be revealing the creative locals that made our ‘Made with Love‘ special feature - so stay tuned!

First up - Bonni Barker…

Based in far north Queensland, designer and illustrator Bonni Barker makes the most beautiful range of laser cut plywood and perspex wall clocks out of her studio, Snowfawn.

She also makes wall decals, art prints, bangles, pins and brooches using the same techniques. Originally from England, Bonni moved to Australia over five years ago and has set about interpreting her love for European inspired-wilderness, creatures and romance into a really beautiful collection for the home and body.

For more info on online stockists + to discover more of her world… visit her blog > snowfawn.blogspot.com

Spring is here! and so is the new Spring 2011 issue of QH.

This season, QH brings us a RENOVATION SPECIAL - featuring loads of hints + tips on giving your home a superb makeover.

Along with the regular features, QH Spring 2011 gives us the low-down in all things bathroom + kitchen - including what’s new, what you will LOVE and some gorgeous kitchen design images to be inspired by!

This issue will be available in stores next week, so make sure you don’t miss out! To ensure you have your copy, pre-order online > https://graphicpublishing.com.au/subscribe/qhSubscribe.htm

Here are a few words written by Margaret McGuire for the editor’s letter -

The beginning of spring is a joyous time of year - the days are longer and warmer, the garden is awakening and the dark days have passed.

To get you in the mood, this issue focuses on renewal - Melissa Reynolds shows us the latest spring fabrics and colours, in her Spring Fresh feature, and follows it up in her Spring Wish List with a bounty of homewares - where flowers and butterflies make their presence felt.

Natalie Bannister takes us further afield with her regular round-up of all things design.

Kitchens and bathrooms are also featured this issue with an overview of the latest appliances, tapware, bathware and basins, and our Kitchen Design Files show you the stand-out features of six fabulous projects. And in line with our theme of renewal, all the houses in this issue are renovations - houses which for one reason or another, have been made over and brought up to date for modern living. It’s an interesting journey.

We hope our renovating tips will set you on the right track to a successful project if you are planning to take this path, and as always, the featured garden should prove inspirational.

Our sister magazine Holidays for Couples has hit the technological high spot and is now available on the iPad - for free! So download it, and see why this magazine is so popular - we think you’ll love it.

And speaking of sister magazines, the 2011 issue of Outdoor Living is now in newsagencies; it’s full of news and information on what’s available for your outdoor entertaining areas, and features a couple of gorgeous gardens and outstanding landscape projects which are sure to inspire.

Purchase your copy of Spring 2011 online > https://graphicpublishing.com.au/subscribe/qhSubscribe.htm

Visit the QH website > www.queenslandhomes.com.au

- Cherizza, QH Web

Above: Joan Miró | Silence

If you have been under a rock the last few years - you won’t know that GOMA is is Queensland’s premier visual arts institution and a leading art museum nationally. The Gallery’s driving philosophy is to connect art and people (which is acheived just beautifully) I am so proud to have this fabulous gallery part of my home city! Recently returning from visit to Paris I was pleasantly surprised to have part of the city follow me back to Brisbane! ’Surrealism: The Poetry of Dreams’ includes more than 180 paintings, sculptures, photographs and works on paper and films by 54 artists and  have travelled to GOMA directly from the Musée national d’art moderne, Centre Pompidou, Paris!

The Musée national d’art moderne, housed in Paris’s iconic Centre Pompidou, is one of the world’s best museum collections of modern and contemporary art. Its Surrealism collections are the finest in Europe — and the core of this collection is now living in GoMA.! This exhibition presents more than 180 works by 56 artists, including paintings, sculptures, ‘surrealist objects’, films, photographs, drawings and collages. ‘Surrealism: The Poetry of Dreams’ is an opportunity to see important art works that rarely leave Paris, in an exhibition that will provide a fascinating and comprehensive overview of this important artistic movement. (some hightlights below!)

Above:  Jackson Pollock | The Moon-Woman cuts the circle

Above: Salvador Dalí | Hallucination partielle. Six images de Lénine sur un piano (Partial hallucination: six images of Lenin on the piano)

Above right: Dorothea Tanning | Chambre 202, Hôtel du Pavot (Room 202, Hôtel du Pavot)

Above: Victor Brauner | Loup-table (Wolf-table) 1939, 1947

Above right:  Man Ray | Oeuvres de Giacometti: Femme tenant l’objet désagréable (Works by Giacometti: Model holding a disagreeable object)

Film and photography are also represented throughout the exhibition, including films by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí, René Clair and Man Ray. Important photographic works by Hans Bellmer, Brassaï, Claude Cahun, Dora Maar, Eli Lotar and Jacques-André Boiffard also feature. The exhibition is rounded out with late works that show the breadth of Surrealism’s influence, and includes major works by Jackson Pollock, Arshile Gorky and Joseph Cornell.

‘Surrealism: The Poetry of Dreams’ will be accompanied by an innovative Children’s Art Centre program, an exciting range of public programs, including talks, discussions and performances, and a full-colour exhibition catalogue. The popular Up Late program will return on Friday nights from July, as well as an amazing film program at the Gallery’s Australian Cinémathèque.

DID YOU KNOW! GOMA also offers Surrealism High Tea? Take the visual feast that is Surrealism to a different level and indulge in a Surrealism High Tea. $35 per person, including glass of champagne and tea/coffee. Sittings: 10am & 2.30pm daily. Bookings essential, telephone (07) 3842 9916

Grab your tickets online > http://qag.qld.gov.au/exhibitions/current/surrealism_the_poetry_of_dreams/tickets_and_packages

Check out some fave behind the scene shots I came across on the GOMA Facebook page! View the entire gallery online here >  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150197778771716.301532.42483226715&l=bddfae172c

Like GoMA on Facebook too! >https://www.facebook.com/pages/Queensland-Art-GalleryGallery-of-Modern-Art/42483226715?sk=wall

Behind the scenes!

Don’t miss this exhibition. Im so excited to visit the exhibition this weekend!

Something I should know about? email me! > web@queenslandhomes.com.au
Joanne Thies - QH online