Tchotchke Around my House

Our house is small but cozy, colourful and happy and most importantly it is the place we love coming to at the end of a busy days. A house is not a home if it doesn't contain those seemingly useless things and tchotchke. Everyone has them. I try to keep mine at a minimum. They come from my travels, thrifting expeditions or dear friends. Here are a few of them and what they mean to me:

These little houses are miniature replicas of houses in Zagreb's old town. It is where I grew up and they bring me back to the days of my childhood.

These HAPPY letters were a gift from one of my dearest friends. The "P"s are top heavy and keep tipping sideways and falling down, hence their upside-down position.

Puyi plate is from the local Toronto store (Teatro Verde) I was attracted to it by the fact that it depicts a portrait of a famous historic personality in a fun and modern way. The bather is actually a whistle and it comes from a cool store in Melbourne, Australia.

Nadia Tan is one of the designers whose work we used to carry at Freedom Clothing Collective. She made this ship using paper, super tin rope and fabric. You can see more of this talented girl's work on her website Little Projectiles

Living in an old house doesn't come without its challenges, one of which is the lack of storage.
I have sourced some vintage suitcases that sit on top of armoires and under the bed.

Tex, the orange deer is the best thing I ever spent my art money on. It lives on my dining room wall crowning the art display that constantly keeps changing and evolving.

Art is not just for serious spaces. This wall is in the corner of my kitchen and features works from various local artists, a framed concert ticket, some Tasmanian art market finds, framed book page and my husband's son's drawing of his dad playing golf.

My favourite of the magnets is the game of tic-tac-toe that I got a MOMA in NYC. There are some other NY souvenirs in the mix along with some magnets I got gifted by my Croatian friends.

My latest obsession is creation of concrete planters. These are my prototypes and hopefully there will be more come warmer weather when I can work outside.

This is a snapshot from my medicine cabinet. I love seeing these silly figurines when I walk into my bathroom. I use the vintage porcelain sauce dish to store my hair accessories.

Last but not least is the ampersand sign I got at the Brooklyn Flea Market a couple of years back. In sits atop a mirror frame in my living room. You may recognize it from some of my furniture photos.