*7+1* :: Lucy Feagins

Truth be told, all week  I've been pretty much giddy about today's installment of 7 Nerdy Questions + 1 Fill-in-the-Blank. (For a little background on 7+1 click here.) Each day there are 3 or 4 blogs that I absolutely *have* to read and The Design Files is one of them. I confess that when I started reading The Design Files in the spring of last year, I knew nothing about the Australian design scene, but Lucy Feagins, the voice behind the blog, changed all of that!

 

Each month, 25,000 visitors come to The Design Files. Lucy's flawless taste allows readers to enjoy looking at great design as well as reading interviews with the people that make it, and although not all of the design she covers is local, it is evident that Melbourne is the soul behind what she does.

Lucy lives in a little suburb north of the city centre in Melbourne with her boyfriend Gordon. She actually grew up in London but isn't ashamed to say that you'd never know it. "I feel very much Australian and have British accent to speak of!" she told me. Not surprising considering her family moved there when Lucy was only 13. With her amazing eye for styling and decor, I was surprised to see that her own house is really quite small. In fact, it measures a mere 3.5 meters across (11'5" for us Americans). But seriously, wouldn't you just die to live in a cute little green and white house with those windows and those quirky little details?

More of the house later... For now, here is our 7+1 with Lucy Feagins! 

Q1: What 3 sites do you visit regularly for inspiration via the interwebs?
A: Design*Sponge- not exactly a surprise... but truly, Grace is such an incredible inspiration to me and has been so supportive of my little blog!  Design*Sponge continues to amaze and inspire me everyday.  It just gets better and better.

Black Eiffel is another favourite. She has a really great eye and a superbly well-edited selection of goodies...

Oh MAN it is so hard just picking 3....!  But the last one I will mention is the Kate Spade 'behind the curtain' website which I can't get enough of right now–it is INCREDIBLE and I hope one day to have a business with such an incredible behind the scenes website like this!

Q2: What 3 activities do you do regularly that keep you inspired?  

A: Writing my blog is the number one activity that inspires me most, as it introduces me to such incredible talent all the time.  It has also brought some amazing people and new friends into my life... and new opportunities too.  I heart my blog!

#2 - I obsessively read interiors and design magazines - I buy so many and have an endless backlog all the time!  But somehow I just. can't. stop.

#3 - My dayjob inspires me everyday too.  I work as a set dresser in the film industry, finding props and furniture etc for TV sets... being out and about all the time fossicking through shops, interesting locations and Auction houses etc is constantly inspiring and keeps me in the loop with new products and trends.

Q3: What 3 books are on your nightstand right now?

A: The Architecture of Happiness by Alain de Botton, The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell (I know, I'm slow to catch on!) and You Can Find Inspiration in Everything by Paul Smith.

Q4: Where do your ideas usually begin? 

A: Usually they come to me when I have nowhere to write them down!  Often driving along in the car.  They'll often come to me in a flash of very ambitious inspiration–then I have to tone them down a bit and make them more feasible and achievable!

Q5: What was your last creative endeavor?

A: Well the blog is my ongoing creative endeavour I guess.... but aside from that, it would have to be some home DIY!  We just re-designed and paved our tiny back garden... it was VERY exhausting and truthfully,  it is nowhere near finished! All my side projects seem to go on forever!

The classic *before* picture.

And *after*... don't those straight lines make you sick? I don't think I'd do that well! :/

A unique flower she twit-pic'd for me called A Blushing Bride. *Gorgeous!
 

Q6: What were you before you became the *you* you are now? 

A: Well, whilst I was studying and finding my feet in the film industry I worked for many years at a huge craft/haberdashery superstore.  I worked every single weekend, all weekend, for 6 years!  I remember feeling very sorry for myself every Friday night knowing I would be up the next day for work at 9.00am!  I was very excited when the day came to quite my dayjob!

These days I work most of the time as a set dresser on TV series and TV commercials... and I have just started doing some interiors styling too which I REALLY love and hope to do more of!  And I have big dreams for the blog too... I just need  some spare time to get stuck into it!

Q7: What was the deciding factor that made you decide to be a stylist/blog queen? 

A: Well I am still a freelance Set Dresser / Stylist and part-time blogger.... But  I have just recently come to the conclusion that in 2010 I really should spend some time improving The Design Files and making it the best it can be! I would love to do a little less film stuff and a little more blog... just to balance it all a bit better.  And not feel constantly torn between the two!

*When I was 6, I wanted to be an air hostess.*

Right now if you head over to The Design Files, you'll see an amazing giveaway that is happening until December 24th. And, if you haven't already, be sure to subscribe to The Design Files' feed! :)

Some of my favorites interviews from The Design Files:

Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge (of course!)

Natalie Bloom (Bloom cosmetics)

Jeremy Wortsman (the Jacky Winter group)

Ghostpatrol

Jason Grant (style dir. for Real Living)

Kat Macleod (illustrator)