Amazon Love

I love AMAZON! It sends me presents all the time.

Granted, I have to pay for them... but it is a lot cheaper than buying design books in real shops here in Aus. An awful thing to say but its true. Case in point:

Jaime Hayon - Works - $185 on the shelf in Melbourne bookshops, US$63 from Amazon (around AU$75 inc. shipping)

House of Concepts: Design Academy Eindhoven - $135 on the shelf in Melbourne bookshops, US$57 from Amazon (around AU$70 including shipping)

Jaime Hayon - Works

Jaime Hayon - Works
sketches and photos of Hayon's bathroom range for ArtQuitect

Jaime Hayon - Works
double-page of Hayon's inpirations and visual stimuli

Jaime Hayon - Works
Hayon's bathroom range for ArtQuitect in the workshop

House of Concepts - Design Academy Eindhoven

House of Concepts - Design Academy Eindhoven

Fantastic designs by duo Marleen Kaptein and Stijn Roodnat - Left: paediatric clinic in Harlem, NY (which looks like it belongs in a kids cartoon) and play equipment/seating constructed from a continuous piece of fluorescent green piping hundreds of metres long. Love it!

House of Concepts - Design Academy Eindhoven
Interesting designs for public space by Marcel Schmalgemeijer - whose website is SO worth a look for more incredible event design/installations...

House of Concepts - Design Academy Eindhoven

More from food designer extraordinaire Marije Vogelzang.. yeah yeah I know I talk about her all the time. But it really is well-deserved. Her restaurant website is here. Her blog is here. Check them out.

I wholeheartedly recommend both of these fantastic books! Jaime Hayon - Works is a truly beautiful publication in every respect. The stunning indigo printed fabric cover and gold-edged pages give way to the most beautiful collection of photographs, sketchbook doodles and back-story about Hayon's incredible career to date.

House of Concepts is also an absolute treasure. The Design Academy Eindhoven has an incredible track record for producing some of Hollands most exciting and innovative designers... this book gives an insight into the workings of this most unique school, and covers work by its most impressive list of graduates including Tord Boontje, Job Smeets, Jurgen Bey, Marije Vogelzang, Christien Meindertsma, and Bertjan Pot to name only a few. Such incredible work... such inspiring people.

Rebecca Thuss

Receiving my copy of the beautiful Lines and Shapes volume 2 has re-ignited my long-standing professional crush on Rebecca Thuss.

Her styling work is just purely PERFECT. I honestly cannot imagine a more perfect collection of images than the ones on her beautiful website.... Sometimes I get worried that she'll take her website down, and I won't be able to see her work ever again... and then I feel I should perhaps make a copy of every single image on her site just in case. Irrational? Possibly.

Above are some images of her recent work... the detail, the colours, the textures.... ahhhhh. The handcrafted elements are like an incredible at installation...

Visit her website! (Especially if you're planning a wedding, party, kid's party, barbeque... any event at all that requires a little creative inspiration - You won't be disappointed!)

print round-up

Mirka Moira's home/studio - Inside Out July/Aug 08

Mirka Moira at Tolarno in Melbourne, underneath one of her beautiful artworks
which adorn the walls of the restaurant - Inside Out July/Aug 08

Inside Out - July/Aug 08
(Inside Out just can't get enough of those those distressed rendered walls can they?
beautiful shot though - perfect prop styling and dramatic lighting.)

Real Living features the home of Sydney photographer Franciska Rauwenhoff - July 08 issue

More from the home of Sydney photographer Franciska Rauwenhoff - Real Living July 08 issue

A little round up of my favourite shots from a handful of the latest mags/publications... Inside Out peeks into Mirka Moira's beautifully cluttered home - she's such a fantastic, engaging, quirky Melbourne character... and as you'd expect her home/studio is brimming with beautiful colours, fabrics, eclectic ephemera and hundreds of books... gorgeous.

Real Living's current issue is also one of their best yet I think... My favourite pages include a great feature on kitchens and bathrooms with some beautiful (and achievable) ideas... and shots of a stunning home belonging to Sydney photographer Franciska Rauwenhoff and her family.

Finally I received my copy of Lena and Maria's Lines and Shapes vol. 2 today. Believe the hype. It's truly beautiful - these are two very talented ladies. The images and layout are so well balanced... I especially love Rebecca Thuss' and Patrick Farrell's kooky pink/white/brown food styling... Who knew melting ice cream blocks could look so good? But then, those two can't put a foot wrong in my book. (if you aren't familiar with Rebecca Thuss' incredible body of styling work for Martha Stewart Living you better check it out right now over here.... you won't be disappointed.)

ThussFarrell for Lines and Shapes Vol. 2

ThussFarrell for Lines and Shapes Vol. 2

Meg Mateo Ilasco for Lines and Shapes vol. 2

Vogue Living May/June

My favourite shot this issue - so stylised... love the limited colour palette too. Can't go wrong with black/white/red.

More red spots here, in the form of 'Growing/Falling' wallpaper by Ilias Fotopoulos. I love the gradual dissipation of those tiny dots into nothing... beautiful, brave and unique.

Both shots above are from the stunning Bachelor-pad of famed New York interior designer Thomas O'Brien. I'm sure I've seen this exact spread before... must have been in an international mag. Oh well... still gorgeous.

This shot from a feature on the Sydney home of Interior Designer Michael Bechara

The latest Vogue Living arrived at my door yesterday... this issue is all about polka dots and spots - on everything from fabrics to wallpapers (love it!), Aussie expats with extravagant homes in France (gorgeous yes, but 'bohemian'... not really), and Sydney-siders with just a tad more money than taste (yes that means you Justin Hemmes).

This issue is a smidgen(?) less exciting than usual... generally the features drip a little too much $$$ , whereas I tend to prefer a bit of balance by inclusion of the odd creative, eclectic, vaguely attainable-looking interior. ANYWAY can't be too scathing... it's still choc-full of the eye-candy we've come to know and love from Australia's best interior magazine.

One of the best shots in this issue... this little image was hidden way up the back in the social pages. It's taken from the opening of Hub's new-ish store in Sydney, and features a pom-pom installation by Sandra Foti. I want one!

Brunswick Bound

Brunswick Bound is no secret to the Northsiders of Melbourne... Susie and Rob Arambasic opened this great bookstore in Sydney rd, Brunswick in June last year, and its quickly become a firm favourite. It's the only bookstore of this calibre in the area (the closest similar options being Readings in Carlton or Brunswick st Bookstore in Fitzroy).

Susie and Rob both surprisingly come from backgrounds in the financial sector(!), but have always harboured an ambition to open a bookstore like this. They've got 3 kids, and have lived in Brunswick for 12 years.. so when the opportunity came up to lease this generous space on Sydney rd, they jumped at the chance to realise their dream!

Brunswick Bound ticks all my boxes - a great selection of books, (a particularly great design section), a couple of comfy chairs to curl up with your favourite finds, friendly service and a fantastic fit-out. Love that counter-top! Susie and Rob's good friend, architect Christie Petsinis helped them out with the interior design of the shop, and that fantastic counter was her idea.

But the icing on the cake is the gallery upstairs, which regularly exhibits the work of local artists. Actually, apparently it's free for artists to exhibit there. How great is that? This large, sunlit space above the bookstore is managed by Melbourne artist Arlene TextaQueen. She curates the exhibitions, and puts on an afternoon tea party for each new opening! What more could you want?

Brunswick rocks. :)

Brunswick Bound 361 Sydney Road, Brunswick 3056 ph. 9381 4019 Open Mon-Sat 10.00am-6.00pm, Sunday 11.00am-5.00pm

Julien Valee

Stills from an animation made for Black and White (a division of Montreal ad agency Bleublancrouge.)

Custom image for manystuff.org - created in response to a brief set by Manystuff, questioning the relative roles of the computer and hand-made processes in design.

If I spoke better French, I would know more about Julien Vallée. As it stands, all I know is that he's a graphic and motion graphic designer based in Canada, and he does some super-cool stuff with paper and cardboard. I hope you'll excuse the sketchy details and settle for a peek at these gorgeous pictures from his website, and the FANTASTIC little video he made for Black and White. His many talents include:

1) Incredible animation combining computer and in-camera animation techniques:

animation made for Black and White (a division of Montreal ad agency Bleublancrouge.)
via notcot.org and viacomit (and lots of other places)

2) creating fantastic 3D models from cardboard and paper:

Cover for Grafika - the 2008 Quebec annual graphic design studios guide

Custom images for manystuff.org

3) ...and displaying large collections of items in neatly ordered patterns:

Cover for Print magazine

This mag cover was also Published in Tactile - High Touch Visuals (A book from Die-Gestalten - Berlin - 2007)

Wow! I love this combination of hand-made elements with computer-based techniques!
Or perhaps I am just obsessed with paper.

hmm. I worry this blog is in danger of becoming all about paper and fabric... ;)

Inside Out magazine - May/June Issue

Inside Out 'in store' furniture round up

Australian Stylist Sibella Court's New York loft

Sibella Court again

Li Edelkoort's restrained Parisian warehouse apartment

Haven't even had a thorough read yet... but I always feel a sense of urgency to post my favourite pages from the latest magazines the moment they hit the shelves. Actually, I was mildly irritated because a colleague at work bought her current issue of Inside Out this week and had it sitting on her desk BEFORE I'd even received my subscription copy. The cheek of it! I had to avert my eyes from her desk for a whole day until I got my own :)

Anyway... This issue its all about busy, eclectic interiors... and people to be jealous of. There's Australian stylist Sibella Court's gargantuan New York loft filled to the brim with with antiques and kooky ephemera, Supermodel Natalia Vodanova's lavish New York pad, trend forecaster extraordinaire Li Edelkoort's stunningly minimal Paris warehouse... to name only a few. It's all stunning, of course... in an infuriatingly perfect way!

Must quibble on one teeny thing though. There is also more than one interior in this issue which prominently features those vintage tram destination scroll signs. (and when I say prominently, I mean, fills up most of a full page photograph). You know the ones I mean. Seriously. Twice in one issue? Come on people.

Andrew Egan's New York apartment

maps x 3

Oberg White, 2006 by Ian Hundley

I got some lovely comments about my illustrated map for the Gertrude st Shopping guide... and it got me thinking about maps in general. Don't know why but everyone seems to love a hand drawn map. Seems I'm not the only one.. here are 3 more nice examples...

ONE
Brooklyn based Canadian artist Ian Hundley makes amazing quilted artworks based on Maps.

Bray Lake, 2001-2006 - by Ian Hundley

Neuringe Red, 2003 - Ian Hundley

TWO
Paris-based photographer Ami Sioux' is the author/photographer of REYKJAVIK 64°08N 21°54W - a book in which she asks 50 people from Reykjavic, Iceland to hand-draw a map leading to a special place in their local area. Sioux then follows their directions, finds and photographs these secret places. The book documents each map alongside the resulting photograph. Great little concept, and more books are planned for Paris, New York, Berlin and London. Available from Scintilla Ltd.




and THREE
Did you all see this gorgeous illustration by Lena Corwin for Elle Decor Magazine (Lena recently posted this photo on one of her contributions to BlueLines). I love it! I would like my shopping guides to look more like that. One day in my dreamland perhaps I can commission gorgeous illustrations from Lena for this site. yes please.

Image - Lena Corwin

(Also... just spotted Matthew Picton via MocoLoco, if you haven't had enough already)

Anyone got anymore? Let me know :)

Interview - Natalie Walton

Feels silly to say it, but every once in a while I come across someone that I just find myself really inspired by and drawn to (in a professional sense of course!). It doesn't happen often but when it does it re-energises me, fills me with new ideas, renewed motivation - and even longer to-do lists! At the moment, that someone is Natalie Walton.

I was so excited to read Natalie's fantastic guest blog on Design*Sponge a few weeks ago... It was wonderful to see some great Australian content reaching international readers! Of course I immediately checked out Natalie's own blog, Daily Imprint, and became an instant fan. It's no surprise that I find Natalie such an inspiration - as deputy editor at Australian magazine Real Living, she makes a living out of inspiring others.

Natalie's favourite Real Living cover - love those colours, and that Noguchi lamp on the dresser...

I admire Natalie's ability to successfully juggle so many creative endeavours - constantly tackling new challenges at work, sharing daily bursts of inspiration on her blog, waking up an hour earlier in the mornings to work on her novel(!!) - talk about motivated!






Real Living feature on Natalie's renovation of her own apartment in Sydney - gorgeous pictures and an amazing transformation on a very tight budget!

Read on for one of my favourite interviews yet! I particularly love Natalie's description of the creative people that inspire her - simply, 'women who are living the dream'. Now that's something to aspire to!

Tell me a little about your background - what did you study and what path led you to what you’re doing now?

Writing has always been a passion of mine. So too has reading – obviously, they go hand in hand. I never really knew “what I wanted to be when I grew up” but I knew it had to be something to do with these two activities. I studied English Literature at university and it seemed logical to put a practical spin on what I’d learnt, so I went on to complete a Master of Arts in Journalism at the University of Technology Sydney. I started out as a financial reporter – of all things! – and slowly worked my way through the ranks to get on a title that I could be passionate about – interiors. In one of my many moments pondering what direction to take in life during my late teens, I actually considered becoming an interior designer. On reflection my job strikes the perfect balance.

Working at a gorgeous interiors magazine seems to be what many people would consider a ‘dream job’! Is it a dream job in reality? Was it what you always wanted to do? Has it lived up to your expectation?

Interviewing creative and passionate people; writing on topics I’m interested in (eg, how to buy art); travelling to other cities and documenting my experiences; reading interiors magazines; brainstorming feature ideas; trying to make the best magazine possible – of course it’s my dream job! I never had one particular concept on a pedestal as being my “dream job” but I knew it had to meet certain criteria. And this role definitely ticks all the boxes.



Above - excerpts from Natalie's recent travel feature on Brisbane - I love the personalised feel of these stories... also love seeing her husband Daniel in these shots!

What's the best thing about your job?

All of the above!

And the worst?

Not always having the time or resources to achieve all the ideas I have in my head – but then that’s also part of the thrill. There’s always a race against the clock – and budget!

What does a typical day at work involve for you?

Every day is really different and that’s what I love about this role. So often in previous jobs once I’ve learnt what I needed to know a certain level of boredom has crept in. Whereas this has yet to happen at Real Living – there’s just no time! But, generally speaking, I research feature ideas, write articles, help organise photo shoots, read proofs and make corrections to ensure we’re putting the best possible issue out, help devise a schedule of which features will run when, plus a million other things.

What are you most proud of professionally?

Being deputy editor of real living which is put out by Australia’s largest magazine publisher – ACP Magazines.

What would you say defines ‘Australian style’ (in architecture/interiors)?

There is a casualness and relaxed nature to Australian style. And I think we often shirk away from saying this as if it means that our style is insignificant. In fact, I think it’s the perfect blend of British (fashion forward and edgy) and American (classic and conservative) style.

Where do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration in people who are passionate and enthusiastic about what they do, especially when it’s in a creative field. But I recognise that not everyone can have an “interesting” full-time job, but if those people don’t have some outside interest – whatever it is: birdwatching; photography; vintage car restoring – then they’re not people I really want to be stuck talking to at a barbecue. Above all, I want to learn. If I’m not learning, I’m bored.

Which designers, artists or creative people do you look up to or are you inspired by?

There really are so many. That’s why I’ve got a blog dedicated to them! I look up to people who work on a smaller scale – such as those I featured on my recent guest blog at Design*Sponge (Real Living editor Deborah Bibby, Dumbo Feather publisher and editor Kate Bezar; interior stylists Clair Wayman and Megan Morton; interior book authors and editors Karen McCartney and Shannon Fricke; illustrators Kat Macleod and Emma Magenta; and “creators” Jodie Fried of Bholu, Kristina Karlsson of Kikki.K, Marnie Goding of Elk Accessories and Virginie Fontes of Honey Bee Homewares and Toile a Matelas) – basically women who are living the dream. On a larger scale I love women who seem to have no fear: Vivienne Westwood, the late Isabella Blow, Anna Wintour, Coco Chanel, Gertrude Stein, the list goes on. As for men, I’m in love with Ernest Hemingway, F Scott Fitzgerald, TS Eliot – I can’t seem to move beyond the modernist period.

I read that you are writing a novel! I don’t know how you find the time! What can you tell us about this ‘labour of love’?

I wish I could finish! I’m so ashamed to admit that it’s a project that’s been going on for more than five years now. But during this time I’ve moved countries, travelled around Europe, got married, had a miscarriage, fallen pregnant again (fingers crossed, I’m now 28 weeks’ pregnant), changed jobs more than four times and started a blog. Excuses? I’m still trying to work that one out. When I’m being good I get up at 5.30am and write for an hour in the morning, when I’m being bad I don’t. At the moment I’m bad – but I’m hoping to finish it – I’m SO close! – during maternity leave. It’s taking so long because, to me, how something is written is just as important as what is written. Every word is there for a reason.

What are you looking forward to – professionally or personally?

Professionally, I’m just focussed on getting all loose ends tied up before I go on maternity leave in June. Personally, the birth of my first child… and getting that novel finished.

And to steal one of your own interview questions(!) – what five words best describe you?

Passionate, impatient, indefatigable, knowledge-hungry, word addict.

Sydney Questions –

What/where was the last great meal you ate in Sydney?

I believe meals made with love are the tastiest – so home-cooked meals (when someone else is doing the cooking) are the best. But I still can’t forget the first time I had zuppa di cozze at Gelbison in Bondi; spaghetti arrabbiata with crab at North Bondi Italian Food and every cheese and cherry strudel I’ve eaten (many!) at the Gelato Bar in Bondi – yes, it counts as a meal to me.

Your favourite bookshop in Sydney?

Ariel in Paddington for making the rest of the world seem that much closer. And second-hand bookshop Gertrude & Alice in Bondi for filling my shelves.

Where would we find you on a typical Saturday morning?

I love Saturday because it is “my” day – my husband works – and so I try to fill it with quality “me time”. I start almost every day with a walk down to the beach (used to be a run but the bump is a bit in the way at the moment) then I read the Saturday Sydney Morning Herald, clean the flat (that part I can do without) and write my novel – bliss!

Sydney’s best kept secret?

The Museum of Contemporary Art. I’m not sure what the attendance figures are like at the moment but there was a time when it was struggling to get funding and there was talk of it closing down. I’m so happy it didn’t and wish more people would check it out (not just tourists) because to me it is the best way to give my brain and imagination a good shake up and super-charge of creativity.

below - excerpts from Natalie's travel feature for Sydney and Melbourne.

Natalie's next challenge is just around the corner - she's expecting her first baby in the coming months! Good luck and congratulations Natalie :) It's just the start of another exciting chapter...

Maira Kalman

All images in this post unless otherwise specified are by Maira Kalman - for The Principles of Uncertainty column (The New York Times).

Maira Kalman is an illustrator, author and designer living in New York.

The more I read, the more things I like about her. These things include:

1) She's prolific, and her work is fantastically varied. (that's 2 things actually)

She's written and illustrated a number of children's books and other publications, designed and illustrated various covers for The New Yorker magazine, designed fabric for renowned NY fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi, designed textiles and accessories for Kate Spade, designed sets for the Mark Morris Dance Group, and has also designed a range of clocks, umbrellas and other high-end accessories for the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Phew.

3) There's something incredibly engaging about her painting style.

Maybe it's because each illustration tells a story. Thoughtful handwritten observations accompany her detailed, vibrant and slightly naive renderings of everyday life. She gives the most simple of subjects a life of their own... and she paints everything - portraits, landscapes, still lifes, and food. I really like the food pictures actually.

3) She looks friendly

photo - Rick Meyerowitz, via Inspiration Boards Blog

see?

During 2007, Maira Kalman was responsible for a fantastically popular illustrated column for The New York Times, entitled 'The Principles of Uncertainty'. You can view this brilliant collection of works here on Kalman's New York Times blog. It's so worth a browse. I love January for the words about the sun exploding ('Knowing that, how could anyone want a war? Or plastic surgery'?), November for the wonderful snippets of Paris, and please go all the way back to July for the old people who have difficulty walking. (Jess Leski are you reading? You would LOVE July.)

A selection of illustrations from this column have also been published in hardcover.

ALSO weirdly enough I was just hunting around for an interview with Maira and there's a great one here that was just posted this week! Fantastic.

'My secret for drawing is not a secret. It is sitting down and drawing. I do the best I can which means I try not to do it right but just to do it as I feel and as I see.' - Maira Kalman (via the newly bookmarked Inspiration Boards blog).

Japanese Books

Selected pages and front cover of one of my favourite Japanese books. It's about paper craft and collage, it's published by Pie Books, and I have no idea what the title is(!) but the ISBN is 4-89444-471-2.

Japanese books are one of my few internet shopping indulgences... occasionally I'll order up big on Amazon Japan or Yes Asia... and the thrill of receiving that package and flicking through the pages of perfectly styled photographs, carefully selected paperstock, beautifully sketched diagrams and indecipherable kanji just gets me every time!

I can't put my finger on why these books are so seductive (especially given that I can't read a word of Japanese) but I'm not the only fan! Crafting Japanese is a great resource for selecting and buying Japanese books... a vast number of contributers post images of their purchases with the ISBN numbers here, which is the easiest way to track and buy these books if you don't read Japanese. There's also a pretty good selection on Flickr... try searching for 'Japanese Books' or 'Japanese craft'.

Most of the books in my little collection are craft project books with beautiful shots of handmade bags, purses, cushions, baskets, printed fabrics or papercrafts... and gorgeous sketched diagrams to accompany each project. These delicate, hand-drawn little diagrams are usually enough to work out the construction of each item. But if you're not handy with a sewing machine (or if, like me, you're just a little short of time and motivation!) the photography and prop styling in these books is so stunning I guarantee they'll still be an inspiration! If craft isn't your thing, there's also a wide range of inspiring interiors and travel titles - for a kooky Japanese take on subject matter like shopping in Stockholm or Parisian kitchens! (images below)

above - cover and pages from 'Paris Kitchens', ISBN 4-07-24600-7

above - cover (top left) and pages from 'Lotta Jansdotter's Travel Style', ISBN 4-07-244191-0

Oh, and did I mention that most of these Japanese books are usually surprisingly cheap? Seriously... I don't think I've ever paid more than AU$30 for one. Best to order a few at a time to save on shipping though... (not that you'll need my encouragement).

Paper Alphabet

I love unique typography and I really love paper.

unique typography + intricate paper crafting = Sonya Dyakova's Paper Alphabet

Sonya Dyakova is associate art director at Phaidon Press. Her beautiful Paper Alphabet featured on the cover of their publication 'Sculpture Today', and immediately caught the attention of the design world. Wallpaper* Magazine awarded it 'Best Typeface' earlier this year in their annual Wallpaper* Awards.

It's the perfect balance - uniquely hand-made, yet precise and uniform. I love the sense that three dimensions are springing out of the flat page. I love how the shadows cast by each raised shape play as much a role in outlining each letter as the paper itself. I love that it looks like an architectural model. I love it's right angles. I love white on white. aaahhh.

Wallpaper* (Feb '08) called it 'a blast of analogue... in a world of digital slickness'. Couldn'ta put it better myself.

ps) found some some more paper alphabets while scanning the web... the blue folded version is by Lala Ladcani.... the other is an image I think I spotted on fffound?? oooh I'm loving all these shots...

Vogue Living Love

My love affair with Vogue Living continues... these lovely shots from the March/April issue.

Love those prints on the wall... the ochre yellow with black and cream is such a great combination...

Lydia Pearson's home - beautiful combination of patterns and colours...

Shots from the London apartment of Pippa Holt. Love the kooky collectibles and bright hues against crisp white...

More from Lydia Pearson's home... again lovely brave bright colours...

Top 5 Bookshops

Melbourne is bursting with brilliant bookshops... it was hard to whittle it down to 5. Actually I felt like stretching it to 10 at one stage but that wouldn't be much of a shortlist would it?

The following 5 are my favourites for design/art/architecture browsing. (And I do a lot more browsing than buying). They all also have a great selection of magazines, as well as fiction, kids stuff etc etc.

In no particular order:

Metropolis Bookshop - Level 3 Curtin House, 252 Swanston Street, City
Open Mon - Thurs 10am - 6pm, Fri 10am - 7pm, Sat 10am - 6pm, Sun 12 - 5pm

When Metropolis moved from St Kilda to Curtin House in the city I was convinced it was a crazy idea and would never take off. I mean... no foot traffic... no late night trading. I used to drive down to Acland st with my Mum and browse after work... we were devastated when they finally closed. BUT I stand corrected! It was Metropolis that really kick-started the regeneration of Curtin House... a string of painfully cool businesses followed suit, and these days Curtin House enjoys legendary status amongst most Melburnians. Anyway, aside from its location, Metropolis is a truly GREAT bookshop, the space is airy and stunning, the selection of books, magazines and now music is second to none, the staff are super friendly and more than happy to let you browse to your hearts content... just take a good deep breath before heading up those endless stairs.

Coventry Bookstore - 265 Coventry st, South Melbourne

I just wrote about Coventry Bookstore in my South Melbourne Gift Guide... nothing new to say really... Just a gorgeous little bookstore... particularly good for pretty interiors books (not so much pure architecture)... friendly staff and a really warm, inviting interior.

Avenue Bookstore - 127 Dundas Place, Albert Park

Let me first say that the Avenue Bookstore has one of the best selections of any bookshop in Melbourne... you could easily lose a whole day there browsing the shelves. The new-ish section up the back is devoted entirely to the art/design-y books, and really does offer such a feast of beautiful publications you'll be spoilt for choice. HOWEVER i cannot write about this wonderful shop without mentioning an awful experience I did have there last year that has honestly marred my opinion of this shop. To cut to the chase, I was browsing for quite some time in the graphic design books section, and felt inspired to jot down the titles and authors of some of my favourite finds... (not, of course, being abl