Martin Cooper

Studio 103 completed the transformation of this old warehouse into a collaborative design studio. The building, located in Abbotsford, Australia, also contains a colorful history. It served as a manufacturing venue beginning in the 1940s. “We set out to create a unique, functional space which retains its original industrial charm, utilizing the existing architectural features as a foundation,” the architects said. The project also aims to strengthen the connection between Studio 103 and their building partners, McCormack Property Services, who reside in the neighboring building. The interiors boasts minimalist arrangements and industrial designs . The exposed timber trusses and industrial shelving also add to the personality of the space. The concrete flooring, black-framed windows and the original red brick wall create a powerful contrast. The new studio accommodates a series of working offices. They’re split by a glass meeting room, an open kitchen and plenty of greenery. The desi...

We hope you like the products we recommend. Just so you are aware, Freshome may collect a share of sales from the links on this page.  Etsy recently released its trend report for 2019 — and their trends are refreshing, as usual. Their unique take on style is one of the reasons that, according to a business statistic website , Etsy has nearly 36 million active buyers (and growing). We think you’ll be seeing these Etsy 2019 home trends all year and into 2020. According to Dayna Isom Johnson, Etsy’s resident trend expert, “Idealism is out and reality is in.” The most popular searches in 2018 were magical motifs and pastels to escape from the news and politics. Isom Johnson says, “Shoppers are about to ‘get real’ — so we are officially declaring 2019 the year of Being Real, which includes using all-natural products, focusing on sustainability and being realistic when it comes to decorating and living.” 1. Etsy’s 2019 Color Of The Year: Burnt Orange Images/products f...

Does Home Chef make it easier to get dinner on the table? Let’s find out. Image courtesy of Home Chef . We hope you like the products we recommend. Just so you are aware, Freshome may collect a share of sales from the links on this page.  Ah, the joy of cooking. If Julia Child taught us anything, it’s that there is pleasure in putting together a well-crafted, delectable meal. At least, in theory. But anyone who’s ever run out of an ingredient, nicked a finger while dicing or overcooked the shrimp knows that not every meal preparation experience is a delightful one. And with the busyness of daily life, grocery shopping for the necessary ingredients and getting dinner on the table can feel overwhelming. That’s where  Home Chef  comes in. Home Chef, like many of the other meal subscription services cropping up today, purports to deliver “home cooking made simple.” Does it? I got a week of meals delivered to my door to put it to the test. The ingredients for each...

In 2017, U.S. fire departments responded to 1,319,500 fires. In fact, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a U.S. fire department responded to a fire every 24 seconds. There were 499,000 structure fires, and 72 percent of those structure fires occurred in home structures . Also, of the 3,400 civilian fire deaths in 2017, 77 percent occurred in home structures. Could fire-rated doors help reduce the loss of life and property in residential settings? Here’s what you need to know about them. What is a fire-rated door? A fire-rated door can provide beauty and safety. 20- 90-minute fire-rated MDF door, style 9244. Image courtesy of Simpson Door Company A fire-rated door — or fire-resistant door — is specially constructed to slow or prevent the spread of fire and smoke, according to Ken Canziani, Senior Fire Investigator at EFI Global in Sacramento, CA. “A fire-rated door is a very heavy door made of materials like metal or gypsum,” Canziani explains. “T...

Here’s my tricky RAST faux apothecary drawers called Nine equals Three. My daughter Valentina (6 years old) and I (Miguel Angel, 54) made it. The dresser looks like a nine drawer chest but it’s really just three drawers. Material list: IKEA RAST chest of drawers Some sheets for paper patch work Nine thin (3 mm) wood veneers Spray paint Transparent glue for wood Nine colored knobs The process for the faux apothecary drawers is very simple: 1. Cut the wood veneers to the right size to fit 3 of them on each RAST drawer front. You could get the hardware shop to cut them for you, if you don’t have the tools to do so. Related:   One RAST chest, 14 ways to dress it 2. Then, decorate the wood veneers with papers using a patch work style. We chose a variety of matching papers but in different colours and tones. After that, we cut and glued on irregular pieces of paper using a transparent wood glue. (eg.  Mod Podge ) 3. While you wait for your decorated wood pieces to d...

Keep your bedroom ready for R&R by putting these bad bedroom cleaning habits to bed. Image:  Cornish Interiors Your bedroom is your sanctuary. It’s where you go to rest and get rejuvenated. It’s where you dream, plan and — if you’re like us — do a lot of your Netflix binging. This is a restorative space. At least, that’s the idea. But after you’ve cleaned all the other parts of your house that guests will actually see, keeping your bedroom tidy can feel like a low priority. That’s a problem, though. Bad bedroom cleaning habits can impact your mood and your sleep . If you want to get better rest, feel more rejuvenated at the start of your day and enjoy those movie marathons in bed guilt-free, keeping your room clean is key. And we’re here to help. We’ve already talked about how to up your cleaning game in the bathroom and kitchen , but let’s not leave our sanctuaries shabby. Ditch these five bad bedroom cleaning habits to enjoy a better bedtime. A platform bed ...

IKEA and LEGO go so well together that it’s inevitable to use them together. While we wait for the fruit of their collaboration , we round up a few of our best IKEA and LEGO storage ideas. But first … a few words from the wise. An expert LEGO organiser recommended a 3-step process, which makes a lot of sense if you want a super organised LEGO storage system. 1. Organisation – set up a list of rules to decide where each type of element goes 2. Storage – decide on the right sized containers / storage unit for your categories 3. Sorting – the process of putting each piece in its right place (which is probably the hardest bit to keep up with) Taking these steps to organise and sort will make it much easier to find the pieces you need and build your LEGOs. Less time hunting and more time playing. Now, once you’ve decided on the LEGO organisation best for you and your stash of bricks, it’s time to go shopping at IKEA. 10 best IKEA + LEGO storage ideas #1 A LEGO organizer with T...