Blog

  1. Indigo Blues

    I’m feeling a bit blue….an inky saturated indigo kind of blue.  Gorgeously daring and dramatic, I’m loving this moody hue in interiors right now.  Mmmm, maybe I’ve got a colour crush…..

    Indigo is one of the oldest dyes to be used in textiles and is said to be the purest of blues.  It’s a great colour if you want to create a bold impact or drama.  It goes with just about everything – deep enough for winter but also refreshing enough for summer, it looks great paired with neutrals and greys, woods and natural materials.  I’m seeing so much of it in traditional and tribal styles and patterns.  I think where we are seeing indigo at it's best though is in the bedroom – perhaps because of the calming and cocooning vibe it evokes.

    We are huge fans of Arent & Pyke.  This bedroom is taken from a Sydney terrace (featured in this months

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  2. Farmstay heaven

    Over the Easter/Anzac long weekends we took a 10 day break and had a proper old-fashioned family holiday. You know -  kids and dog into the car, long (ish) drive, zero visibility out of the car rear window, surfboard on the roof - a holiday where all you do is book a place to stay that's near (ish) a beautiful looking beach and let the rest unfold when you get there….

    Let me tell you - it was heaven. The best holiday I think we've ever had as a family of 5. Here's why…

    We found a gorgeous looking farmhouse in a gorgeous looking area of hinterland behind a gorgeous looking stretch of coast in the travel section of the SMH last year sometime. "Gorgeous" we decided and did the totally uncharacteristic thing for us of booking it straight away. We had no idea what we'd do when we got there or even what there was to do. We just knew that 10 days there looked like restful, beautiful paradise - GORGEOUS!

    With such a build-up of gorgeousness (and a pretty

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  3. Palm Fronds & Flamingos

    Maybe it was the burst of warm weather over Easter but my head has gone all Palm Beach.  I’m thinking tropical foliage, pink flamingos and pineapples - “Old Florida” in all its retro splendour.

    It’s a bright, bold (and dare I say kitsch) look.  Lots of lacquered bamboo (cane or rattan) teamed with soft furnishings in tropical themed motifs - think pink flamingos, banana leaf, exotic flowers and tropical birds.  You can add a dash of gold for some old world regency glamour (i.e. palm tree candlesticks or a pineapple lamp) and throw in a bamboo mirror (a la Billy Baldwin) for a touch of chinoiserie.

    Lilly Pulitzer’s signature pink and green is pure Palm Beach glamour.  Below is a gorgeous upholstered bedhead in a bold palm frond fabric with fuchsia pink piping - 

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  4. Easter Whimsy

    Easter has come around awfully quick!  Although I'm ok with that as it means I’m allowed to eat my way through a mountain of chocolate - any excuse for chocolate I say!

    Easter has such a lovely whimsical charm.  I think it’s all those colourful eggs and cute little bunnies.  There are gorgeous things you can do to decorate your home too and so many crafty-type activities for the kids (which means keeping them occupied during the holidays - hooray!).  Whilst on the hunt for some Easter inspiration I came across the pics below which I thought were too adorable not to share.

    This is a lovely take on an old German custom, the Easter Egg tree (Ostereierbaum) -

    DIY Easter eggs by 

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  5. Beautiful Walls

    I always get a bit excited about decorating walls.  There are just so many things you can do – paint them, cover them, create a gallery, hang a striking piece of artwork – or simply leave them exposed in all their raw glory.

    Sometimes a big blank wall can feel a bit daunting (I know, I'm staring at one right now...).  Paint is probably the safest and easiest option - afterall you can always repaint it if you don’t like it.  Wallpaper is more of an investment but the result can be absolutely stunning (there really are some gorgeous designs around at the moment).  We did a feature wall in our bedroom using Designer Guild’s Taisho Blossom – it’s the best decision we made for our home, our bedroom looks amazing (plus I got to squeeze a bit of pink into the space!).

    Below is stylist Fiona Richardson’s Melbourne home – she’s pushed the boundaries

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  6. Chair Candy

    I’ve got a thing for chairs - there, I’ve said it.   I’m building a bit of a collection too (much to my husband’s dismay).  Right now I’m on the hunt for a vintage tufted chair for our bedroom and I want to reupholster it in something fabulous - thinking velvet, thinking pink (sure hubby will be ok that…).

    Seating in the bedroom is such an indulgence don’t you think? A beautiful chair just seems all that more special in a bedroom.  They add that extra layer of gorgeousness to a room, not to mention comfort.  A cosy spot to curl up and read a book…a place for intimacy and quite…but sometimes (if we are going to be completely honest here) bedroom chairs are perfect for throwing your clothes on at the end of the day (when the wardrobe seems that bit too far away).  Practical yet beautiful, below are some bedroom chairs I’ve spotted this week.

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  7. Copper Accents

    I’m having a bit of a copper obsession at the moment.  Copper is the new black, it’s having its moment and it’s popping up everywhere – lighting, furnishings, kitchens, bathrooms ( I’ve even noticed a copper Kitchen Aid which now makes my red one look rather boring…).

    Copper is a brilliant material to introduce to your interiors. It blends perfectly with pretty much any style (vintage, classic, contemporary, industrial) and it has a warmth and texture that just can’t be matched by other metals. I think where we are seeing copper best is in lighting – there’s something just so gorgeous and timeless about it. 

    Tom Dixon’s Copper Shade is truly a work of art (I want one for my hallway!).  It looks amazing both on its own or in groups for a bigger impact -

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  8. Kid's Rooms

    I love kid’s rooms.  Even if you don’t have little people, you can’t help but get a wee bit excited looking at their rooms – they bring out the inner kid in all of us!

    We are finishing off our son’s bedroom so I’ve had the perfect excuse to scour the web for inspiration.   I’m not sure how much say he is going to have on the finished product (he’s only two…) although I can’t help but think of the wise words of style guru Megan Morton, Never let your kid not be part of it (you don’t want to be one of those people!)…a great room is one that is loved by the child and appreciated by the parent.”   

    I’m a big fan of Rachel Castle and this would have to be one of my favourite rooms of hers (do check out her bedlinen range).  The personality of the child shines through and it’s just how a child’s room should be - sunny, vibrant and just plain happy -

    This is a gorgeous nursery by photographer Danielle Trovato (I love the Marigold rug by Armadillo & Co too!).  The room is neutral enough that the child can add her own style as she grows –

    If you are ok with the dust (!), painting a wall in chalkboard paint can be a fun feature in a child’s room and a way that they can express themselves (but don’t be restricted by black, it now comes in a whole range of colours) -

     

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  9. Cosy Bedrooms

    It’s time to say goodbye to summer and hello to autumn...it’s going to get cold soon!  I’m not too sad summer is over though as I love a change of season (a change is as good as a holiday they say…) and besides, dressing up for the cooler months is so much more fun.  Not just me but my home too - especially the bedroom…

    With autumn officially here I now have the perfect excuse to roll out the rugs and throws and build my all important bedroom ‘nest’.  It’s all about the layers – chunky knits, crumpled linens and tactile weaves.  And don’t forget to keep your feet toasty warm with a thick woollen rug!

    This season we are seeing a lot more chunky knit textures in the bedroom.  The bed below is gorgeous and I just bet it feels like climbing into a big oversized jumper.  Can’t get much cosier than that!

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  10. Mixing Interior Styles

    “Vintage with a modern twist” - I’ve decided this is what I’m going to call my decorating style.  I like things old with a sense of history (oh how I love to meander around an auction house!) but I also like things new and contemporary.  So you can imagine I was quite pleased to read on the web this week that “blending modern and vintage décor can be sophisticated chic”.   

    Lately, we are seeing a lot more freedom and expression in homes with less restrictions on fitting into a certain “style”.  It’s all about mixing it up – patterns, textures, colours, metals and woods, periods of furniture, high-end, low-end.  No more matchy-matchy and stuck in the one era (hooray!).  I think the best way to sum it up though is it’s really about injecting all the things you love into a room and making it feel yours.  Below are some pics that show a whole

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