Party Time ...

Gorgeous French inspired place cards from Pantry Press on Etsy.

I have a serious soft spot for red and white Baker's twine, brown paper and letterpress - and here they are all in one place! Lovely x

Hem ...

I am so excited to discover links to this exquisite site, Sandvoort, over at the fabulous Dreamhouse blog. The photos are all very simply styled but just sublime ... Take a look at the site, you will be gasping ...

Again, I am attempting to read Swedish - it's not as easy as I thought! With the amount I read/glance at, I expect to be fluent by the end of the year ... perhaps x

I think that the Swedish word for Home is Hem ... see, I'm getting there ...

Weekend ...At last ...

Happy weekend to all my blogging friends xx
I'm having so much fun so far - Reading your lovely comments brings joy to my day xx

Chair Love ...

The A56 chair, by Frenchman Xavier Pauchard for Tolix, is galvanisation at it's best.

Originally designed in 1956 for the bistro culture in France, this iconic design prevails today. It's success lies in both it's practicality and beauty.

I am always reading how people find them in second hand shops in perfect condition .... Now, I have been known to spend a fair bit of time rummaging around those stinky places, and I don't seem to have shared in the glory.... woe is me.

If you, like me, have had no luck in finding some under a heap of dirty mattresses ..... they can also be found at The Conran Shop.

The Fab One ...

The man is a god!!!

Of course I'm talking about Thom Filicia, interior designer from the fabulous show 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy'.

'Time honored classic simplicity and unexpected modern flair' is the vision for the company.

Doing a fairly good job, wouldn't you say?

I used to love Queer Eye, mainly for Carson's antics and seeing Thom transform those flea ridden bachelor pads from foul to fab. Unfortunately I didn't love it quite as much as my ex boyfriend who was borderline obsessed ... he loved camping it up, but was straight as a line. If he was gay, his decorating gene would have had to be more refined - tiger print is never classic simplicity or modern flair ...

P.S. I am upset at myself for actually posting a photo with a pool table in it ... but I think I can allow it just this once x

Country Charm ...

Yes, this might be the cutest house on the planet.

Owned by Angus Wilkie, an Antique dealer in the US, this is one of the most well edited interiors I have seen in a while.

Courtesy of the great one, I just had to share it with you xx

The walls seem to have been stripped back and then just left bare. The contrast with the glossy architraves is sublime. I think this works well in this small room, as it may look a little too shabby in a whole house...

Love that mirror...

This kitchen is built like a sailing ship I once went on called The One And All; I love how it is all fitted (even though I have previously blogged about loving an unfitted kitchen!), and the wood turns up the wall into the splash back. I'm not always a big fan of 'up' cupboards but these work because they are glass fronted - open ones would also look great.

Very thoughtful to build a little radiator under the sink so your toes stay warm as you wash up...

Black and white checker board tiles are always a favourite....

And once again, the ever faithful library pulls prevail....

The other side of the kitchen is red stair heaven... how brave in such a neutral interior but it looks just splendid with the black treads and without a railing...

But who really eats that many vegetables....?

This is the out house I think....those doors were surely put there to make us all jealous - just sublime ...

And if you look closely you can see that there is a little border of pebbles around the edge of the room....

That giant paper shade is glorious ...

And to top it all off he has a perfect dry stone wall in the courtyard, of course looking over a lovely rambling barn.... my brother once attempted a dry stone wall on my parent's farm - despite his very best efforts, it wasn't quite this good ...

Country heaven...

Seating dilemma ...

This

or this?

How about a combination of both ...?

Pop them into a gorgeous rural setting like this ...

Invite all your friends ...

Turn up the music ...

And you've got a party on your hands ...

Twig benches by Pinch and Hay Bale "Bailey" by Gustus

King Conran ...

Now here is a bar that I wouldn't mind frequenting ....

According to the extremely informative Conran site, The Royal Exchange, is a building opposite the Bank of England in the financial district in London. The bar and cafe of the same name, is in the centre and if this spectacular space wasn't enough, you can pop across the courtyard to Tiffany's for a bit of further inspiration ...

Fairly impressive ... imagine the bankers ...

Will add to my must-do-while-in-London list ...

Zara ...

The styling for Zara Home catalogues is consistently spectacular ...

These pictures are from the 2007 summer catalogue ... and remind me so much of the lovely studio apartment I lived in last year ...

I have such happy memories of being there even if my half glassed roof meant that during the peak of summer it was unbearable ...

The things we do ...!

Still Life ...

Photo courtesy of Sandra Lane

"We live in an age where unnecessary things are our only necessities"

Oscar Wilde

Eclectic Americana ...

I take you now to Napa Valley to the country home(s) of designer Ken Fulk.

I really don't think I need to say much here - it speaks for itself ...

rambly,

planked walls,

hay bales,

gingham,

pitched ceilings

and loads of white paint

Fittingly, the paint is Ralph Lauren 'Picket Fence White' - of course it is xx

P.S. Apparently the pool has a long shelf down one entire side so dogs can get in and out more easily - gotta love a man that builds a pool to accommodate the puppies xx

Thanks to House Beautiful for the photos

Tagged ...

I have been tagged by the lovely A-M over at The House That A-M Built

How very flattering ... thank you for thinking of me x

What were you doing 10 years ago?

The horrible thing is that I can't remember an awful lot of this year ...

I was 17 and in my first year of university studying Medical Sciences ..

I do remember feeling rather sick at Thursday morning dissecting classes ...

And I do remember this photograph being taken ...

Five items on your to do list today?
Today I had about 105 items on my list - I am quite a compulsive list maker you see ...

Follow up quite a few people with unmentionable diseases ... yes, ew, prepare some education on IV drugs (naughty non-prescription ones) for the lovely emergency department nurses, still at work - but sneak a look at flights to London for Christmas to see my sister, post a letter to my Grandma that has been in my handbag for a week - sorry G x and finally take my sheets off the washing line after 4 days

Snacks I enjoy

Do I have to choose just one??

More often than not ... an ice cold glass of Pepsi Max and a few squares of Top Deck Chocolate. Or if I'm feeling virtuous, crisp apple finely sliced up with Parmesan slivers (Oprah told me).

What would you do if you were a billionaire?

This one is easy. I would volunteer.

Last year I had the fabulous good fortune to be asked to go to East Timor to volunteer as a Nurse. It's a beautiful country that has been ravaged by invasion and corruption, and one of our closest neighbours.

So it was finally happening and of course, I decided to go.

I had just enough money to pay my rent for 3 months, and I have never worked so hard or in such challenging conditions in my life, but it was absolutely worth it . I am sure that the feeling of satisfaction I gained from helping those patients and training the local nurses was far greater than my impact on their lives. Even so, in a small way, I know I helped.

If I was a billionaire I would have enough money to take off and volunteer every year for a few months and help to get clinics built where they are most needed. I would love to be able to take family and friends with me too - we all have skills that are needed, even if they may not seem as obvious as those of a nurse. I have seen how much of an impact just giving your time can have. It is something that I will never forget, and hope to be able to do again.

Confusing that I love interior design so much as well, hey?

Believe me, I'm just as muddled ....

Where would you live?

Tricky ... I am fairly sure I would need a few different houses ... A big red shed (my brother the Architect student understands!) in the hills near my parents ...An apartment in Cape Town overlooking the coast for when I'm jetting in and out of Africa ...A warehouse in London when shopping and theatre is required ...And my yacht moored somewhere close by, with a Captain at the ready to sail me away on the next adventure ...

Blogs I would love to hear from ...

Brown Button - fun and wit at every post, Maison Luxe - interior designer and fellow puppy lover and All Things Blue - Scandinavian bliss x

Winter Bedroom...

Oh how I would love to snuggle up in here on a cold winters morning...

Hope it is not too cold where you are from today xx

Dream Props ...

Photos : Chris Everard

Some whimsy to start the week....

The phone box ..... dream prop in my eyes ..... I can't quite work out how it got into the middle of a field .... but it's oh so good!

And I'm not sure if the puppy is too happy to be wrapped up in that pretty scarf, but he does look damn cute in it xx

Happy week everyone x

Baa...

Lovely sheepies - lucky they have coats on....

Have a peaceful weekend everyone x

Thanks to Storegarden Country Living,

another stunning Scandinavian site I can't read....hee hee

Loft Luxe...

This is the fabulous warehouse that Country Home Magazine styled for their show home 2006.

I have warehouse envy......

That gigantic mirror is a spectacular find. And to make it even better they have hung that scrumptious black wreath in front.....and I love all the metallic pieces on the coffee table...

There is a bike hanging from the ceiling! The obvious parking space of course!

Lots of shiny elements to bounce through the light from that massive wall of windows.

And what a great fireplace - no mantle but a long low shelf for displaying all your props...

This kitchen is too good.

In my last house (the best house on the planet) I had unfitted units in a galley configuration, just steel and all open to the room. I also had a great table like this in the centre. It is a table that my brother Ben bought years ago to draw his architecture plans up on, but I stole it in anticipation that it would make the best kitchen island bench one day. It was made for my loft and worked perfectly.

It is now a drinks table outside in my parent's garden - It gets put to good use in the summer when it is warm enough to venture outside...

I didn't have a stunningly large bath sized butlers sink with a tiny mirrored tile splash back like this, but would love to one day. And the relaxed curtain underneath is perfect to soften all the industrial lines.

Galvanised iron in the bathroom is the best! Utilitarian materials used in unexpected ways is always a surprising design tool - works fabulously here, don't you agree?