Happy New Year to you all, I hope 2105 is off to a ripper start. I have had a fabulous few weeks with my family, away from my computer, and am now feeling refreshed and ready for an exciting year. I will be easing my way back into blogging as I still have three boisterous kids demanding my attention, but aim to bring you two to three blogs a week this January. We had an amazing Christmas and New Year at our family lake house, but there's nothing quite like coming home. My home is my sanctuary, as I'm sure yours is too. I believe that whether you work from home, or are coming home after a long day (or holiday), you want your home to be a beautiful, clutter-free space. Somewhere you can relax, feel at peace, and be happy. For me, it's the little details that turn a house into a home, so when I arrived home I grabbed my camera and snapped a bunch of shots of my home - little details that make me happy.
If 2015 is the year for you to make changes in your home, Dael & I - Bibby + Brady - would love to help. We will be taking on new projects February onwards, but get in touch anytime and we can book you in.
I want to apologise for my slightly sporadic blog posts over the last week. You all know what a crazy, busy time December is! Dael and I are working long hours getting interior projects finished and our new office/showroom ready for opening early next year. But if you're renovating your bathroom in the near future, I'm sure you'll love today's post. Remember back here when I showed you my newly renovated toilet...
Well for the last four months we've been balancing the roll of toilet paper on the top of the loo behind. That's because I'd rather go without than put the wrong holder up. I wanted something simple, understated, but classy. Sure it's a functional item, but I also wanted it to look amazing, after all it's the little details that can make all the difference. I finally found this gorgeous brass toilet paper holder from Ferm Living.
Although it seemed to be sold out in every single online shop I tried, I was determined to track one down, and eventually bought mine from lefliving.comin Germany. I had to wait several weeks until they were back in stock and then have it shipped to my UK YouShop address (you can read all about how that marvellous service works here and here, I use it all the time!). The wait was totally worth it, I love how simple and elegant it is, and how the brass and wood work with my colour scheme.
When Dael renovated her toilet recently she chose to buy a standard holder (available from most hardware and plumbing shops) and turn it into something special by having it powder coated a fun colour.
I love the idea of powder coating, but I had my heart set on a touch of brass, so spent a lot of time looking into different options. This gorgeous loo roll holder (below) is part of the Simplify project by Group Work Studio in Australia. This was one of my favourites, but unfortunately they hadn't gone into production on their pieces at the time.
I also love onefortythree's tissue roll holder, but the white and brass was sold out, and although I love the aqua, I knew the colour wasn't quite right for my loo (also available in black and mint green).
Last, but not least, the Roll With It(great name!) toilet paper holder by Assembly Design is very cool too - once again, simple by classy. It comes in a range of finishes including walnut and brass which would be my pick.
So those are my picks for toilet roll holders. I love mine, but to be honest I'd be happy with any of these choices. I know they're all from international shops, but if they don't ship to NZ, just set yourself up an account with NZ Post's YouShop, and you can have an address in the US, the UK, and China. I use this service a lot - it's fantastic and it opens up so many more possibilities with your online shopping.
SodaStream was a favourite of mine when I was a kid, and it's just as popular as ever now. You know it's super cool when Scarlett Johansson is their global brand ambassador!
I was excited when I first saw the colourful SodaStream PLAY machines. Available in black, white, yellow, blue and red, the sleek new design looks amazing and will be a fabulous addition to your kitchen bench - far too good to hide away. I love the glossy yellow against our pink kitchen wall.
I've been having lots of fun trying the different flavours and creating fun drinks for everyone. The kids love my Raspberry Coolers made with Sugar Free Cranberry-Raspberry, a handful of organic raspberries, and a sprig of mint.
My husband's favourite is sparkling water - he's easy to please! We keep a bottle in the fridge - it's a lovely alternative to still tap water. To make it a bit special I add a dash of lime juice and some cucumber, it's so refreshing, and will be a great Summer staple.
If I've got some girlfriends coming over I whip up a bottle of Sugar Free Pink Grapefruit. It's delicious as is, but try adding a splash of gin and a slice of lemon - the girls will love it.
There are so many flavours to try, including the single serve SodaCaps. If you haven't already got a SodaStream machine, why not put one on your Christmas wish list, or pick one up today, before your favourite colour sells out. Try Noel Leemings for a yellow SodaStream Play like mine, you won't regret it. And check out the SodaStream NZ Facebook page for more recipes, special offers, and competitions.
