I have never in my life decorated with red...until now. My study is...well, to put it bluntly...a study in red....yes, bad pun intended, sorry. I've convened a meeting of anything and everything that I own that is red...and put them in my working space where they talk the same language. I've even painted some things to match so they don't feel left out. Here's a peek...you don't get the whole room because it's far too messy right now. I'm too occupied at the moment with all sorts of work busy-ness to clean it up...papers all over the floor, mugs of tea on the desk, even a tape measure (not sure why that's there...to measure my staying power perhaps?)

The red cabinet used to live in the guest room when I had the luxury of one of those...no more I'm afraid, so now it holds the printer paper and anything else I don't have a place for...hmmm, maybe that's where I put the battery charger The head in the foreground belongs to an antique rocking horse...falling apart at the seams as all well loved rocking horses should be. The painting was bought from a dodgy art 'student' in Beijing...because I liked it and it reminded me of the doors of the Forbidden Palace...

The 'stuff I need to deal with' reminder makes me laugh like a drain...it's a nice principle...but do I do it very often? Ah, nah! The lava lamp was a gift and I don't care what anyone says...I still think they're cool...even if they're not really. The pen holder is one of the vampire slayer's old cat food tins painted with gloss enamel...that cat's got to be good for something! The eskimo sculpture was a gift from Canadian friends we lived with in England a very long time ago...thanks Mary and Mark. Apart from lovely memories, it reminds me that while it gets cold in Canberra, it doesn't get that cold!

The red thing started with me changing my mind...a fairly frequent happening in that space between my ears...when I called my friend Chris who was on her way to Ikea from Canberra (a 3 hour trip) who had kindly offered to pick me up an item (or twenty-three).

"Chris, could you possibly change that white Lack shelf to a red one please? Are you sure Kerry? Yep, let's live a little dangerously" said I...and I'm glad I did. I quite like it...for the moment anyway. And besides, it matches my kitsch parrots! Just noticed my desk needs dusting...sigh.

Still much to do in this room where I spend such a lot of my time...like painting the walls white, getting rid of the very ugly terracotta coloured vinyl venetian blinds...whoever heard of that colour blind for crying out loud? I'm thinking maybe some nice roman blinds instead? But the main thing is that this room works for me...and I can sit at my desk and look out the study door across my living room to a view of my courtyard...and that's quite nice. It'll do me anyway. That pile of unread books is still in here though!!

all images by me - yep, need to take a photography course!

Yesterday, I blogged about a beautiful house in West Sussex in the UK. One of the things I loved in that house was this...

I thought that parrot was so fabulous...and it is...I love it to bits and I would really like to own it, but alas I don't!

Now lovely people, I spend a lot of time at the desk in my study

(note to self, get better lighting or a better camera and paint those walls white...but which white??)...where was I? Oh yes, I'm here either working on my real work when I can manage to work from home, or blogging, or devouring other people's blogs (which I'm afraid to say is bordering on the obsessive!)...so when I saw these babies in the Canberra Centre's version of the two dollar shop yesterday...I'm sorry...they had to come home with me.

So call the design police (although I'd rather you called a lighting specialist)...I don't care. I love them, and you know what...they make me smile...and when you're working, what could be better than that!

If you needed a bit of cheering up, these would be just the thing. Whimsical, witty and worth a look.  You can find them at Peter's of Kensington. So much less trouble than the real thing. I wanna get me one!

Moo Potter

Emoo

Moozart

Klimt Kow

Kick

Cuban Club

Manhattan Cars

Ms Moolevard

Mira Moo

Picowso

Muuu Selmalet

Muuuza

How cute are some of those names?

I had, and I stress the word 'had', a Ganesh statue similar to this...
encased in one of these...

until... (I can barely talk about it)...

...until last night I dropped my iphone on it from a great height while using the phone's spirit level app to try and get my newly painted red notice board hanging level on the wall in my study. I am gutted. My ganesh snowdome was quite possibly the most amazing bit of kitsch I will ever own. I have never seen anything quite in its league anywhere else (sorry Carol, even the Obama Chia would turn green with envy!). In my humble opinion there was nothing to rival its complete and utter kitschness. It was in a class, or should that be glass, all its own. There is no other option than to mourn its passing (pour me another glass of wine please...not this morning of course...that would be just plain wrong), light up some incense and plan a trip back to India where I bought it, to begin the quest for its replacement. 

Taj Mahal snowdomes, ha!...a dime a dozen.  A ganesh snowdome...now that was something. This home improvement stuff has its downside I've gotta tell you.

all images from here

It's been an extraordinary day of busy-ness at the tranquil townhouse today.  The MGM put up my Ikea shelf in the study this morning...we won't tell anyone about the slight problems we had with that!
I finished painting the pergola...and got a very sore back and shoulder as a result, but I'm pleased that the Mission Brown has gone to its maker! Can you spot the Vampire Slayer in the photo?

I undercoated two bedside tables and the ugly bookshelf in the bedroom...this one...yuck...can't believe how much better it looks already...photo when project is done.

and framed my very kitsch but oh-so-lovable heavily beaded Taj Mahal cushion cover I bought in India a few years ago.

and, oh yeah...bought these gorgeous Eiffel Tower paper clips yesterday...too cute, from Typo...now there's one dangerous store to hang about in.

...so, to use the great Australian vernacular...I'm knackered and off to watch Dr Who.
Will leave you with this lovely study in lieu of a photo of mine which, despite the shelf is still a work in progress!

eclectic home office design

Enjoy the working week.

My friend Carol, American by birth, Australian by choice, has this amazing bit of kitsch in her kitschen (groan, sorry).  It grows stuff called chia, which looks ludicrously healthy, and I really want one. No disrespect to Barack, no not at all...that man is, well, hopeful. And the ObamaChia is just plain cool.

...here he is a little earlier with a slightly shorter fro...a strangely disturbing resemblance to Chairman Mao's coiffure at this stage methinks. 

...and Carol also alerted me to this piece of glorious americana

...then broke my heart by telling me that the Chia Liberty can't be imported into Australia because of the chia seeds and our quarantine laws saying no, no, no (not that I'm complaining about the law mind you, but I soooo wanted one). So if you're heading off to the U.S. can you get one, but just remember to take out the seeds before you bring it on home to me.

There is no way I would have the patience to do anything remotely resembling this...actually not even sure I would like anything remotely resembling this with the kiddies all grown up 'n all...but honestly, it is so kitsch it's just gotta be cute. Head on over here where I found this on Stumble Upon for a full tutorial...yes, go on...try this at home (if you can even find light bulbs like this in Australia anymore that is). Look in the back of the linen cupboard.