picture yourself in a boat on a river…
with tangerine trees and marmalade skies…
somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly…
a girl with kaleidoscope eyes…
i’m not sure if this collection of imagery makes me want to embark on a voyage across angry seas to previously unexplored lands…
or join the circus…
either way, they speak of summer & they call my name…
images via: anthropologie
lyrics by lennon and mccartney for the beatles
i’d make teepees essential interior accessories for one & all…
so not just for the kids!
happy hump day…
image via: my paradissi
what’s better than finding the perfect padded perch upon which to escape the maddening crowd?
why of course, it’s finding two… right next to each other, no less… his n’ hers, so to speak!
like these sophisticated beauties… {i adore pretty much everything about this room}
or this slightly more country-chic combo…
or indeed this delectable duo…
beyond presenting a beautiful retreat & a lesson in symmetry, each of these seating arrangements also offer up a solution to that age-old sofa cohabiting issue: sofarus-too-smallus {an issue that’s inching closer & closer to my heart with each passing day}
when i first started furnishing our current flat there were two clear purchasing priorities: a bed & a sofa… {in fact, these were the only two items to be ordered in advance of our moving in}… & whilst the bed wasn’t a complete no brainer, choosing the perfect sofa was an exercise in brain cell diminishment!
i agonised long and hard about what would grace our living room… it had to be stylish {tick}, it had to be super comfortable {tick}, but above & beyond all, it had to be positively gargantuan… i’m talking about a sofa big enough you could mount it on wheels & take the family on beachside vacations in it…
& so it was our extra-deep, 3 seater loft-style beauty was born… & for a good while it was heaven: me curled up one end with the laptop & him indoors curled up the other end with “sue 2″ {the name he christened his ipad}… & never the twain shall meet… two peas in interconnected pods… happy days, or so i thought…
what i failed to envisage was that, given time, the turf wars would inevitably commence & my chill out zone would be slowly invaded…
at first it was his seemingly harmless & somewhat tentative leg sprawl on the pretence of “stretching”… next came the leg stretch double act with both limbs in for the count & the “stretching” process progressively taking longer & longer & longer… &, finally, without so much of a glimmer of remorse, it was the full-body launch & swivel manoeuvre which not only extended way beyond the indisputable middle line {clearly demarcated by the meeting of the two sofa seat pads} but resulted in, more often than not, my being indelicately launched off the end of the couch to take retreat elsewhere…
and so it was the adjacent chair was acquired… after my initial misguided purchase of a vintage leather club chair {looks gorgeous, but only has the bum capacity for a field mouse}, our one-and-a-half seater ‘snuggler’ was swiftly installed… stylish & roomy with optimum tv-viewing position, it was, at first, a bloody good decoy… not a bad second option at all…
but alas, as the longing, sofa-envying looks of those relegated to it increased & the race-you-to-the-couch games gathered momentum, it became all too clear that the “not a bad second option” chair was never going to be more than that… & it would forever play second fiddle to the campervan couch…
so… long story short… just imagine the heartbreak {& hard-earned cash} that could have been saved had i forseen all of this and quite simply have doubled up…
let my lesson be your guide… it really is a case of twice as nice!
images via: country by mail, saint honore home, greige design
so, today’s nook is a space i’ve adored since i first clapped eyes on it on the cover of ‘sense of style colour and space’, a gorgeous book by australian interior designer shannon fricke
it is, at first glance, a somewhat subdued space… unassuming even, with its neutral palette and pared back furnishings, but take a moment to dig a little deeper if you will…
the greatness herein is due to the wonderful art of layering… layering, layering & even more layering…
yes, it’s a simple space, but there’s so much going on… can you see it? layers of tone, layers of pattern, layers of language…
there’s a rhythm of repetition that works its way from the floors to the walls, from the walls to the ceiling & all the way back again {& embraces pretty much everything that lies within}
it’s in the lines of the boards, the pinstripe ticking & the bench upon which it sits… it’s in the organic-shaped cut-outs of the bamboo pendant which, in turn, echo the frangipani’s foliage, the patterned rug & the cushion fabric…
floral themes also abound {in the artwork, on the cushion & of course in the fragrant centrepiece itself}… and circles too… can you see them? repetition, repetition, repetition…
meanwhile, a combination of simple, humble materials {wood, bamboo, ticking, etc.} & a nature-inspired palette work equally hard to harmonise & unite…
if ever a room reminded me of home, this is it… so much so that just now, for the briefest of moments, i was sure i could smell the faint scent of frangipani in the air outside my window…
happy sunday!
image via: the city sage
i just wanted to pop in briefly today to give a quick thank you for all who stopped by yesterday {& today} to check out my post on something(s) about me… particularly you ladies who took the time to comment {and to all the other bloggers who contributed too, you chicks rock!}…
you all made me feel like queen for a day! {gush}
which segues rather nicely into my next little announcement…
i apologise in advance if my posts over the next two weeks are a little lighter than normal: i have a super special guest coming to stay…
she’s a rather sprightly gray-haired maam who likes lashings of tea with a side of fruit cake… & she’s celebrating a rather big day on the fifth of june {how nice of them to dedicate a special bank holiday in her honour!}… can you guess who it is?
alright already, i’ll tell you… it’s my mum!
all the way from australia… first time on a plane by herself EVER & she arrives tomorrow! so proud of her & hugely excited…
so, must dash… some last minute supplies to grab & a quick sprint around the guest room making sure all is in order for her highness!
{oh, & off to enjoy the sunshine whilst it lasts!}
image via: the city sage
happy weekend lovelies!
for today’s ‘friday’s thoughts’ i’ve decided to mix it up a little & instead of relying on someone else’s words i’m going to use my own…
inspired by some lovely ladies out there in blog land, most notably theresa of InspirationCOOPERATIVE, i’ve committed to take part in a virtual cocktail party of sorts {for all the details & to check out the other blogger’s entries pop on over here}
so, here goes…
something(s) about me {ten to be exact, because i had to stop somewhere. though come to think of it, i really don’t like even numbers so, there, that’s fact number eleven!}…
phew, well that’s ten eleven less thoughts currently swimming around in my head!
catch you all here bright & early for sunday’s nook…
i’m not sure if there’s a name for my particular breed of ailment, but it generally seems to be that if there’s a conventional way to do something, particularly interiors-wise, then i take issue with it…
you’ve heard me go on about bedside tables before here, and now you can add shelving to my burgeoning list of bugbears…
with a few exceptions {which i’ll save for another post entirely} i find the bulk of shelving options are nothing more than a bit of a dull & often poorly-executed space filler… sorry, but a few ikea specials plonked on a wall in an orderly formation generally speaking do not excite me {and please don’t get me started on exposed brackets}
no surprise then that when i do see something just the teeny tiniest bit out of the ordinary, i’m drawn like the proverbial moth to a flame…
& here it is, my current obsession {no. 2,563}: box displays…
first up is what i like to refer to as “the one that got away”… i kicked myself {& occasionally still do} that i didn’t make these little corrugated lovelies mine… antique wooden cheese molds from pale & interesting make a sweet & novel shelving option for small treasures…
a step-up in size are these upcycled crate display boxes… & the more dings & dents & proprietory stamps emblazoned across the sides the better i say! perfectly charming in a craft room for displaying supplies…
& then there’s this: moving on up a notch in the glamour stakes are these lined lovelies… amazing how a bit of patterned paper or fabric can take a little ol’ crate from cheap to extremely chic… and this deepest, darkest blue backdrop makes everything inside pop!
old sh*t not your thing? {there you go laura, that one was for you!}
ferm living has a pretty modern option which will double-up duties by adding a wash of pastel colours to your walls… & these would be a particularly great option in a kid’s room as a sliding plexi-glass panel protects your displays from inquisitive little hands…
& finally, what i affectionately refer to as the grand poobah of box shelving, are these screenprinted lengths of recycled oak which have been lovingly reconfigured into shadow boxes by australian-based design duo bonnie & neil {watch out for my style-loving post on this couple coming soon}
all of this goes to prove that sometimes in order to think outside the box, you need to use the box itself!
images via: pale & interesting, french by design, design sponge, ferm living, bonnie & neil
what a glorious day today… sunshine, the scent of jasmine in the air & i dare say i think i can hear a lark somewhere {well, a bird of some description}…
if only we could have confidence this was going to last more than a day or two! nevertheless, i’m breaking out the colours of summer in my home this week…
thanks to the hugest bunch of peonies ever, i have three gorgeous displays of bloom in my home {it’s a close call between hydrangea, lilac & peonies as to my favourite blossom of all time}… & there’s a distinct run of pretty pinks, vintage blues & grey-greens taking hold…
doesn’t everything seem better when the sun is shining!
happy days…
so, you’ve heard of eye candy right? well these fabulous faceted geo rings from etsy trader a merry mishap are like candy for the fingers… & i want them all… exactly like in the photo!
i used to rely on my travels to beef up my jewellery collection {cheap, easy-to-carry keepsakes to remind me of my holidays}… but as my overseas jaunts get fewer & fewer, these days i have to rely on other methods for topping up my trinket box…
& etsy is fast becoming a firm favourite… there’s so much goodness out there to choose from, but for today i only have eyes for these…
image via: a merry mishap
