It has been a huge week for the contestants on The Block this week with 3 of the teams working on the largest areas for Living, Dining in The Block history. To complete these area's all the contestants are now in week 5 and finding their own breaking point of exhaustion. After being involved with the teams one on one and seeing just how real this competition is, I admit it is a journey of endurance of the mind, body and soul.
This week I had the pleasure of working with Courtney and Hans and as unsure as Courtney was about some of her choices styling this week, she was quick to commit when it came to ordering our stunning Aquaeous Seaspray rug by Katie McKinnon from the Rug Addiction Collection. A stunning looking young lady with a fun personality, Courtney is easy to talk with as we browse through my big suitcase of samples and catalogs. She was looking for color and immediately was drawn to the Seaspray rug for its fresh blue hues and this rugs natural flow of design.
Aquareous Seaspray Rug by Katie McKinnon
Inspired by the spectrum of shades along the shoreline of Victoria’s Bellarine and Mornington Peninsulas, the Aqueous Collection brings coastal seaspray blues and soft luxurious textures. Designed by Melbourne based painter and designer Katie McKinnon for The Rug Collection, this incredible soft and durable handknotted rug is a vibrant show piece. Made from fine Artsilk, Seaspray is available in 3 sizes and 2 colors and has just been released in a circle. Courtney and Hans have used a 250 cm x 350 cm in their space, with the perfect furniture placement. Little trick, see how deep the lounge seat are, well this can make a space look wider than it actually is, then placing a huge rug in this area gives both lounges a connection.
Paintings: Katie McKinnon Styling : Bee Czarnota Photographed by Suzi Appel at DOMO Australia.
Katie has exhibited paintings and sculpture in numerous group and solo shows, and in 2017 studied Contemporary Painting at the Victorian College of the Arts. Her work is part of private and corporate collections in Australia, France, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and North America, and has been featured on The Block, Postcards (CH9), The Style School, fashion and lifestyle blogs The Interiors Addict, Australian Design Review, Rebecca Judd Loves, Rochelle Currie, The Home Journal, Who Loves That, and in the publications Belle, Inside Out, Home Beautiful, Scoop, Artichoke, Mezzanine, HOUSES, HeraldSun, The Weekend Australian and Sydney Morning Herald, Adore Home, Jetstar and Virgin Australia in-flight magazines, and Australian Modern Home.
Katie has also released a range of limited edition giclée prints of her work, has designed a collection of NZ wool and art silk rugs for The Rug Collection, furniture, lighting and architectural hardware for Melbourne design studio VÄN OBJECTS, and in 2018 will release a textile collection of tableware, bed linen and accessories.
Paintings: Katie McKinnon Styling : Bee Czarnota Photographed by Suzi Appel at DOMO Australia.
After a decade spent living and working in Switzerland, Katie now resides in Melbourne with her partner and two sons. I can only describe Katie as an energetic, hard working ambitious woman, who has a love for life that rubs off on any one that has the good fortune of meeting her.
Katie and Rug Addiction wish to congratulate Courtney and Hans on their amazing win, with this impressive reveal of their Living and Dining. We would also like to thank you for choosing to use Aqueous Seaspray Blue Rug which is now being sold through The Block shop online store.