Loving: Greg Natale for Porter's Paints wallpaper

I get a lot of press releases in my inbox, but I couldn't resist this one from Porter's Paints who have teamed up with celebrated Australian interior designer Greg Natale to create cool-as-a-cucumber wallpaper as part of the Porter's Paints Stripes collection (handmade right here in Sydney). The real question is Which One? You will find Greg's designs in the Porter's Paints online store from early December 2012. Read more about Porter's Paints here on Bondville.

Image: Porter's Paints

Baby Bondville's Doll Nook

We are moving house next week and as I've been starting to pack, I thought I would take a few photos of some of my favourite corners of our house.

It's an amazing space - an old Federation house with high ceilings and detailed plasterwork, Federation regulation colours (cream, green, burgundy), leadlight windows and a gorgeous garden. We are going to miss it a lot, but are looking forward to our new tree house, right on the edge of a national park.

This particular corner is my little one's doll nook, above a built-in desk. I covered the cork board with wallpaper (Bholu's Majorie Duck by Porter's Paints), and leaned against it a framed Suzy Ultman print. The ragdoll is Harriette from eeni meeni miini moh and the sweet Japanese doll was made using a new sewing kit by the red thread (to be released online in March 2012). I'll have to see where I can fit the lovely wallpaper in our new place.

Image: Steph Bond-Hutkin

Your 5 Favourite Posts of 2010

Last week I was compiling your favourite 5 posts of December 2010 for the Bondville newsletter the and thought it would be fun to see what your favourite posts were for the whole year.

You all loved the For Kids category - by far the most popular section on the site. Some of the bigger posts from the last few years were still extremely popular - the tissue paper pom trend (still going!), the Australian cupcake directory, Kristen Doran's matryoshka doll craft panel fabric (another trend that's still strong) and the opening of Donna Hay's general store.

But let's look at what you loved from new content that I was writing in 2010 while managing a new baby and a toddler. Here we go!

1. Bondville Big Girls' Bedroom: with a new baby it was time for our big girl to take over the guest room, and boy did she do it in style with a divine new quilt from Nanna and tissue paper poms (again!) hanging above.

2. Bondville 3-year-old Birthday Party: my big girl's pink extravaganza for her 3rd birthday. Everyone loves a party pic or two!

3. Hip Products: MOZI Cockatoo Lamp: I'm glad that you all love cockatoos as much as I do. I'm kind of obsessed. Which is why this lamp from MOZI is perfect for me.

4. Lara Cameron For The Wall Sticker Company: Last year The Wall Sticker Company were clever to partner with some amazing Australian designers and release limited edition wall stickers using their designs. I love Lara's birch tree design translated to wall art.

5. Hip Products: Bholu Wallpaper: Another clever company collaborating with Australian designers (and I'm all about that) is Porter's Paints who last year released a fantastic selection of Bholu-designed wallpaper for adults and nurseries. I have a small corkboard in our baby's room that I covered up with Majorie the Duck wallpaper in papaya. It's gorgeous.

Loved your picks! Let's see what 2011 brings us.

Steph

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Hip Products: Bholu wallpaper

Welcome news for lovers of good Australian design with a conscience - uber-cool lifestyle brand Bholu has teamed up with Porter's Paints to release a divine range of wallpaper for littlies and grown-ups under the “ Designers for Porter’s Paints” series.

Designed to mix and match with the label's homewares and children's range, the designs feature the signature bholu ‘Nimboo’ swirl and characters such as ‘Mavis the Monkey’, ‘Frederick the Elephant’ and ‘Marjorie the Duck’.

For those not in the know, Bholu is a fair trade company based in Australia that works with communities in India to produce gorgeous homewares. Part proceeds go back to these communities as well as funding for education facilities and other programs for underprivileged children.

Check out more images of the new collection on the Bholu Facebook page. Bholu wallpaper will be available at Porter's stockists from February 17th, 2010 (call your local stockist for more information) around the world.

Read more about Bholu on Bondville here.

Images: Bholu

Australian Artist Spotlight: KT Doyle wallpaper and textiles

KT Doyle is a successful exhibiting artist who has recently made the move to commercial product development of environmentally-sustainable textiles, wallpaper and print artwork. KT won a Creative Sparks grant from the Brisbane City Council in 2008 to develop a range that sits at the junction of art, craft and design - beautiful pieces with depth and story that could live equally on a gallery wall, or covering your favourite chair.

You may have noticed KT's most recent work in the window of SPACE Furniture in Brisbane where she collaborated with Porter's Paints for Moooi to create a still life display window - much like the Dutch masters' - in 3D. The Falling Leaves design is gorgeous, as you can see above.

KT offers commissions, and a growing collection of limited edition original works on paper. Wallpaper and textiles are now offered commercially - contact KT directly for more information. And if you didn't catch KT at the great Pecha Kucha event in Brisbane last week, you can check out the slides about KT's Creative Grants journery on her blog.

Images: KT Doyle