It’s raining, again. Last week it rained for a few days straight. We are spoiled here in Sydney….brought up on a diet of fresh air and sunshine. After day two of incessant rainfall, I had to get out of the house. Baby N tires of 10 years of collected toys in 10 minutes.

I did not have anything pressing beyond the usual housework / cooking / kids to do. So I decided to go to the Supa Centa (yes that is how it is spelled. It’s a bugger to find in the Whitepages if you don’t know this). The Supa Centa, as its name does not suggest, is a mall comprised of homeware shops. As we are still furnishing our house it was time not wasted, and it provided long stretches of undercover ground to wheel Baby N, with interesting windows for me to look at.

It is also home to fluffy foot stool, which I am patiently waiting to go on sale. If you could see my wardrobe you could see why FFS is a perfect fit.

Sadly FFS (hereby known as FO-fluffy ottoman- because FFS stands for something else too…..oh wait……okay FFS/FO will henceforth be known as TFS – The Foot Stool) was not on sale, so I admired her woolly glamour and kept charging along the mall.

This is what I saw:
1. In the window of Bo Concept

I want a day bed or chaise for our bedroom. Working Boy has his own study – that will be my office. I will sit, coffee and iPad in hand, and do all my writing and business. Office furniture is a tax deduction, no?

2.

There was an exhibition through the middle of the mall, called Workshopped. This made me feel cultured, and instantly turned me into the sort of person who goes to cool design events that no-one’s heard of. Go me.

3. In the window of Top3.

I really, REALLY love that lamp. The recent proliferation of logs, mushrooms, owls, deer and the like has revealed that I am somewhat of a woodland fan. I know, I didn’t have myself pegged as a woodland kind of girl either. Anyway that lamp is perfection. I’m just not sure it goes with the house…..although Baby N could do with a log lamp surely? (Decorator rule 1: when in doubt, put in the baby’s room).

4. Concrete table – Nick Scali

Would someone please buy this coffee table??! I love it. Concrete and wood. And cheap (for a coffee table). Unfortunately we need a larger one, and one that is NOT the same colour as our sofas) but I wish I could buy this one. I love a bit of industrialisation. This is also perfection. Table perfection, not lamp perfection this time. Just the right amount of industrial, polished, simple, unscratchable.

5. Side table – same shop as TFS – Contents International Design

As difficult as it is to find a large coffee table for our lounge room, it is ridiculously easy to find a great, round side table. They are everywhere. I saw at least 3 during my walk. I’ll have one for next to my one-day chaise but in the meantime I’m looking for one for the living room. The problem is they are ridiculously easy to find. How do I begin to choose?

6. Coffee table noughts and crosses

I like the idea of this on our (yet to be purchased) coffee table. However, and it’s a big however, at the moment I spend a not insignificant amount of time picking up my magazine off the floor and replacing them on our existing coffee and side tables.
Baby N : 53, Magazines & Shopping Girl: 0.
Baby N has a “thing” against things on tables it seems. He’s broken my lolly bowl. He pulls down and destroys every magazine. 3 out of 4 of my Kate Spade glitter coasters are missing. I don’t fancy adding “hunt for 1 nought and 2 crosses” to my never ending to-do list.

7. Trunks in window of unremarkable shop…..

I love a vintage trunk. Oh yes, I do. It seems the world loves vintage trunks too at the moment and there are many to choose from. Ideally I’d love to find an authentic vintage trunk…..but I’ll settle for chain store vintage if it saves me hours of trawling. Having something old and worn provides balance to all the new and polished…..though it should be said that the children are helping to provide the “worn” balance to the best of their abilities. They are adept at providing the “distressed” look to any piece of furniture you have. Going for the shabby-chic look? I’ll rent them
out to give the shabby to your chic.

After the trunks, things got a little strange.

We have a built in display unit that came with the house. I love it but I’m not really sure what to put on it. I know it needs some objéts d’art but we don’t have any. I came across this in Adairs:

I think our display shelf needs some random pieces. And what better for a random piece than a giant hourglass? The problem is that I think watching time slipping away will make me feel stressed. I already watch time disappear before my eyes (and also items on coffee tables) trying to get four children dressed, fed and out the door.

Also Baby N. I see shattered glass and sand everywhere in my future. Which makes me think actually a crystal ball would look amazing on the shelf. Adairs? Got any crystal balls?

Whilst doing a power walk through Oz Design Furniture, I saw these:

As far as I can tell these are mass produced shoe blocks. I just can’t even begin here. Shoe blocks? On display? Are people going to think I am an artisan shoe maker? No they are not. And if not, I cannot work out what message the shoe blocks are supposed to send. I would sooner put an actual pair of shoes on display (and trust me, if I can get it past Working Boy I actually will). Shoes can be art. Shoe blocks are just…….just……odd.

And finally this:

My sister did gymnastics and as far as I can tell, this is a mini vault for Baby N. I’m sure the designer thinks “ottoman” . I think “vault”. I see “Perth College gymnasium”. I hear “the music my sister did her year 9 floor routine to”.
This belongs in a baby gym, not in a lounge room. Sorry Oz Design.

So there you have it. I burned 153 calories on my walk and mentally spent $3852.

XOXO Shopping Girl.