This week I got a lovely surprise in my inbox: the summer collection from designer Lauren Moffatt is now available. I'm not really a person who gets very excited about spring/summer fashion. Maybe because the season is just so short here. However the lovely patterned silk dresses, and those crisply tailored denim pants have me weak in the knees.

Check out the rest of the collection at Lauren's lovely website.

This week I headed down to Lightform to checkout their big showroom sale. The store will be relocating in a couple of weeks, and they are taking the opportunity to refresh all their showroom lighting. I thought I'd pop by to see what they had in store. And this is what I saw when I first stepped inside.

It is the Josephine pendant by Metalarte.

When I talk about delightful design, this is it for me. I just love that curvy shape. So this will go in either the office or the bedroom, depending on where it works best. I can't wait to show you when it's installed!

Two Door Cinema Club

This is a great band to start your Monday morning off!

You may have seen this mesmerizing ad for the japanese Touchwood cellphone.

It is so beautiful. It fills me with joy.

While we have working on the interior, spring's arrival means that we can start to look at doing a facelift to our home's exterior. I am trying to be proactive and get some project's underway as soon as the ground warms up, so we can enjoy the fruits of our labour this summer.

The exterior of the house really needs the most attention, as it hasn't been touched ever. So I'm keen to get it looking it's best, but it will need a lot of time and money to be done right. It will be an ongoing project for a couple of years for sure.

I don't know if you've ever had a formal introduction. House, Internet. Internet, House. Okay, that conifer is my biggest problem, and I'm going to start there. Not only is it big and ugly, it blocks the view to the house, and from the house. It drips all over the stairs and causes them to get really icy. It blocks any sunlight that we get in the front. And it's over grown roots have destroyed the front walk.

Here's the front walk. It's terrible, and this angle does it justice. It's like a whole extra step at the top and is a huge tripping hazard. So that's my next priority. Rip out that concrete and replace it. Also, those handrails are horrible.

Here's our porch urn, with my festive winter decor. I don't like the urn in particular, but I have no idea what you would put there. Any ideas?

Our front porch is nice and big, and we have our old patio chairs there right now. Eventually, I want to paint the whole damn thing too. The soffits are an absolute mess of peeling paint. But that will definitely not be a project for this summer.

Our offensive front door. My first quote to replace it was $8000. It's an awkward old size, and I don't want a builders grade metal door with a half moon lite, so I'm looking at alternates.

Take a look at this beauty though. Definitely a keeper.

You know I have a sarcastic sense of humour right?

Here's the back view of our house. Like most homes, it's not much to look at. That little niche on the left is where I'm going to have the compost bin.

This is the gap between the house and the garage. This is where I want to build a simple wood deck, right after we have that gross conifer removed too. Again, it blocks any afternoon sun we might get. Do you like the black lattice fence that's falling apart?

This is the northwest corner of the back yard. We will have a bed of plants around the perimeter, and grass where all the snow is. That is another offensive conifer. We think we have to keep it because it does give us a lot of privacy from the condo's back there.

And now here's our sad and scary little garage. It's original to the house, and is a complete wreak. It has no foundation, and is sitting on a wood deck. Totally safe. Plus it hardly fits a vehicle. And there a telephone pole right there that makes maneuvering into it impossible.

Another shot of the poor thing. Demo is going to be fun. Let me know if you are good with a sledgehammer!

Here's a shot of the crumbling dirt foundation. Oy. Vey.

Here's a shot of my first sketch to give you an idea of what we have in store.

I'm a big fan of tightly controlled colour schemes and I think it results in some pretty dramatic spaces. This all grey room is so fantastic. I love how it appears like a black and white print unless you look closely. This may look easy, but neutrals in particular have so many subtle variations in colour; you have to be careful to ensure that the undertones are consistent throughout. The other success of this interior is it's eclecticism, adeptly combining different textures, and shapes to add visual interest. There is not a lot of pattern in the space; in fact, most pieces are solid volumes of colour. The combination of the painted wood floor, nubbly wool rug, midcentury armchairs, industrial lamp, and wire pendant fixture is fab. Add the layer of patterned pillows, and a great collection of art and this room feels like a comfortable and personal space.

Space by stylist Lotta Agaton, via sfgirlbybay

Interiors with lacquered walls have be fast filling the pages of our favourite magazines this year. After years of high gloss lacquer finishes on furniture and kitchen cabinets, it seems designers have taken it to the next level, enveloping a room in the slick finish.

Steven Gambrel

As the finish is so striking, I think the best applications are partnered with a strong colour choice as well.

Room by Magdelena Aguilar via Nuevo Estilo

Room by Miles Redd, photo by Thomas Loof for House Beautiful

Room by MMR Interiors

Typically, it's also used in maximalist spaces, combining all sorts of finishes, colours, and textures to give the interior a real sensory overload.

William Waldron for Elle Decor

As much as I would love to do my dining room in this finish, it is a luxury finish, and does not lend itself to DIY work. Walls have to be hand plastered, possibly waxed, and then painted and sealed with several coats of glossy lacquer. It's the multiple applications that give it so much more depth than a standard gloss paint application.