shiny bright and new {again}

Marie Claire Maison

I love love love bright, mis-matched painted furniture. It's so happy and feels homey and loved. My dear mama drove up with a boot-full of random chairs saved from a sorry fate so that i can sand and shine em up for my living room! Still can't decide which colour way i'll choose... isn't this a lovely room above? Love the big cushion by the fireplace too.

*thrifty* + *nifty*

Aren't these apple crate shelves clever? I got the tip from a thrifty friend who shops only on ebay and at flea markets... if an entire wall isn't for you, perhaps you could use the crates traditionally as pull-out drawers, or perhaps just one like a shadow box beside a bed to stack a couple of books inside of. Anyhow, a quick browse on Apartment Therapy gets you thinking about decor in a green-friendly way. Tins as flower pots anyone? Yes please! These images are definitely going into my living room scrapbook... 

{dress up time}

Hello there, just dropping in a little sunday post. been working hard all week and having so much fun learning about everything that goes into costuming a period drama! I can't go into too many details until it airs, but i've learnt so much about the fabrics, the trimmings, the cut and draping, the dressing and maintenance - not to mention the creativity - that goes into a production worthy of the BBC. These are just a couple of snapshots from a delightful little home-shop where people in the know can get original victorian collars, buckles, ribbons, buttons, shawls and so much more! a true aladdin's cave.

{record the day}

Ah ah ah! I love love love this blog by Lobster & Swan - Record the Day - showing page after page of these beautiful inspirational scrapbooks! These four photos capture my two favorite interior styles (and of course they're contradictory) - ethnic, hot colour, pattern and layering - and pale, calm, many shades and texture. Unfortunately I still haven't decided which way i'm going and I'm worried i'll end up with a watery inbetween no mans land. But meanwhile, I'm going to pour over these lovely lovely lovely collages. Amazing.

The image above is a lot like my living room - i even collect vintage buttons!

Coarse linen, smooth cottons, raffia and rush and antler. Calm indeed.

clarendon cross*

Last week I spent a day exploring and browsing my relatively still new neighbourhood, and found my way to Clarendon Cross - the sweet yet rather chic heart of Notting Hill. Though pricy, The Cross - a well established boutique - was delightful. I loved their Mexcian theme and especially fell in love with these super soft wool colour-saturated cushions (below)!

My own images of The Cross

I then popped across the road to Sumerill & Bishop - a French kitchen shop full of luxurious goodies like fresh table linens, cotton-lined woven baskets and horn salad spoons.

Summerill & Bishop

Lastly, I was lured across the street by a sweet little terrier to Myriad - an eclectic, eccentric interior design shop selling a medley of french antiques with genuinely, fabulously odd finds without categories - such as a chair beaten into shape from an old red car bonnet. It was here that I found my new 50s sofa. It's well worth a visit if you're ever in West London. Thank you Clarendon Cross!

{stanborough house}

I went home just for this weekend to find the garden bursting with colourful peonies, roses and foxgloves, a robust looking herb garden and a ripening vegetable patch waiting to laden the kitchen table with broad beans and fresh basil. Yum! All in all, Stanborough was a lovely, sunny retreat from London (much helped by mum and her cooking and motherliness of course). Mum and her boyfriend Pete have been working hard on the house and garden to bring it up to scratch before they open up the place (as a B&B, retreat, local venue for theatre, live music and courses) this autumn and it looks likes it's paying off!

I love all the potted plants on the steps and the painted benches in the backround are a new, elegant addition.

The herb garden above and mum's clever bamboo pyramid for her sweet peas.

Peonies are one of my absolute favorite flowers, and i'm loving the different shades of pink with the odd smattering of summer yellow in these beds at the front of the house. So beautiful.

blog of the month

And this months blog is.......... M.A. BELLE! Lovely Michelle of Rubie Green (based in America) is such an inspiration. Creating fresh, bright and bold fabrics and bed linen, it's no wonder Michelle has been featured in many an article including most recently a spread on a her beautiful home. I'm still trying to decide how I want to use the luscious East Village fabric in raspberry - my first instinct was to cover a whole armchair in it! But now i'm keen on using it in smaller doses such as the seat upholstery below or scatter cushions. It's just so joyful! Check out her blog which includes Michelle's inspirations and updates on new products and photo shoots.

A photo featuring a Rubie Green douvet cover in pale pink East Village. All images courtesy of M.A. BELLE and Rubie Green.

{summer lusting}

To me, these lovely photos all say summer summer summer! I'm afraid I've collected them over some time and stupidly didn't note their sources, so if anyone recognises them do let me know so I can faithfully link them up. Now, I shall have to go and fill a woven basket full of crusty bread and artichoke hearts, lie outside my white clapboard beach house on a Moroccan rug in an ikat dress before retiring to my beach tipi for a siesta. Anyone with me?

ancient places

I took RoRo to one my favorite churches - Santa Maria in Trastevere, Rome. These are the things I treasure about this beloved, ancient, sacred building.

1. The outside wall consists of Ancient Roman graffiti samples - carved into stone. Now those are some dedicated youth with a message! And there are some beautiful patterned pieces too.

2. Walking across the square at night, the fountain babbling, the cobbles quietly gleaming, the piazza to myself, if only for a moment.

3. The Byzantine mosaics. One on the facade, another breathtaking one above the altar - azure blue, saintly gold and pasture green.

4. The kitsch statue of St. Anthony - Saint of Lost Things. The mountains of tightly folded messages and pleas abundantly rained all about him, flowers and tokens of respect scattered lovingly.

If ever you have the chance to visit dear old Rome, this church is well worth a visit and hardly off the beaten path. I love the occasional illustration carved into these marble slabs - look out for the odd crude anatomical reference - the Romans were notorious for small boy humour...

However, I can't write this post and leave out the most magical church i've ever experienced in Italy - the chiesa di Viterbo - located in the almost entirely medieval natural springs town of Viterbo just outside of Rome. The floor is made of rough mosaic chips, the lofty ceiling of raw beams with gothic writing in black and gold, the pews as plain as can be. One could almost imagine it has been this way since it was first built. Viterbo being one of those high up hill towns, the views from the church onto the village gardens below is a sight to behold. This photo doesn't do it justice!

just a few of my favorite things*

A mini photo essay of things that have leapt off the page at me today - kitchens, miss golightly and the delightful photographer ngoc minh ngo. I've gone interiors mad lately, partly because i'm free of all big attention grabbing commitments right now, and it is only then that one can justify pondering paint charts and curtain poles. Well. Ish. A little more light hearted frippery for the soul...

i'm dreaming of a white...

Gabriel and I have been salivating over these two Alice Temperley beauties. The first one is mine!!! We found the collection to have a shape to suit any body type, whist still managing to keep the romantic lightweight detailing Temperley is renowned for. I personally love it when there's a simple, strong neckline, with a long skirt that skims the hips (like top one!!!) We browsed the Vera Wangs too, but found them rather depressingly heavy looking, so it's Temperley all the way peeps...*

colour me beautiful

Even though it's absolutely bucketing it down outside, i'm feeling surprisingly colourful today. The best advice I ever received about colour was from my grandmother. "A little bit of yellow goes a long way" and "If in doubt, look at nature for the best colour combinations". She's been right every time...

I couldn't download this image as saturated as it is originally, but these are bridesmaids in the most beautiful wedding that can be found at the link below.

Images via Cox & Cox, House Beautiful and Oh, Hello Friend.

*tea time*

Rachel Ashwell

I handed in all my work today and I'm free as a bird! I've long promised my friend Gemma a birthday tea party, and considering it was due last September she's been very patient. On the bright side, there's a good chance it could be sunny and resemble something like the above! Just need to add the necessary tumbling towers of scones and the mountains of thick clotted cream and home-made jam and bingo! A summer high tea. Don't forget the Pimms now...

*pure breds*

Just been craving a bit of a kitchen overhaul + read the latest issue of World of Interiors. Dangerous combination, for as you can see these hand-joined, hand-carved, solid wood pedigree English aristo-kitchens are all you could want from a clean, country hearth. However I must say that the green cupboard with yellow ceramics below is a welcome injection of colour. I love grey as much as the next person, but come on! Anyway, hope you get a kick from them too...

Kitchens by Plain English