In Vivid Colour

Infusing bright and vivid colour into a home is a very brave thing, don't you find? Choosing colour can be a little like choosing a husband - you want to be sure that you are compatible otherwise you're stuck living together for a very long time! If you do get the choices right however, then life can be full of excitement and bliss!
No Chintz seem to have the art of using and combining pattern and colour down pat - and I'm always so excited when they bring out a new range of fabrics and combinations as they never fail to leave me inspired and smiling. Like those found in these pics. Hope they inspire you to infuse some colour into your life...

Brooke and Her Brickmaker...

A big thanks to Brooke over at Velvet and Linen for including me as a judge in her Brickmaker Table Giveaway. Brooke was offered three divine Brickmaker tables to giveaway on her blog - and so she asked her readers to send in a photograph of a favourite room that they had designed that they felt could do with a Brickmaker! She received 170 entries in all - and us judges had to choose our favourite 5! What a mammoth task. Here's a couple of examples of the entrants. You can check out all of the finalists over at Velvet and Linen and vote for your favourites....

Dreaming of Wicker And France...

What about this divine chair from the new collection at Villa Maison! Just one peek transported me straight back to France - imagining long summer days lunching in the garden of a dilapidated chateau! Glass of wine in one hand - smelly French cheese and baguette in the other. Lavender lining the table. The smell of the Provencal breeze all around me....
Ah France.. I love you so...

Paper Wings...

Whilst I'm on the subject of all things gorgeous for children - I just had to share some pics from the summer Paper Wings range. Don't you just love these Paper Wings clothes - so theatrical and fun. It's little wonder that their creators (Michelle Fallon and Jason Gibaud) are ex-NIDA grads and spent the bulk of their career in the film industry creating the costumes for some big name films such as Star Wars! I'm waiting, with baited breath, for a women's wear range - as I've tried squeezing into my daughters Paper Wings pieces and it just doesn't seem to work at all!!!

Handmade Heaven...

I love things that have been made by hand. Where a person's two hands - their life and their energy - are behind their creation. Being a rather highly energetic person - I have to admit - that I find it quite a difficult thing to sit still long enough to see this kind of creativity through to fruition however when I do manage it, I find that a wave of relaxation and calm comes over me. After all, creating by hand is a meditation of sorts, don't you find...
Some such creatures of beauty are these Littlebillies. Former food stylist extraordinaire, Suzie Smith creates these gorgeous dolls completely by hand from her farmhouse in the Byron Bay Hinterland. She even knits their outfits to suit their personalities - and what funky outfits they are. Aren't they darling? You can check out her website www.littlebillies.com.au to see the range...



2010 Decorating Workshops...

COMING IN 2010...

Do you dream of decorating your own home but don't know where to start?

Then be a part of my Decorating Workshops in 2010 and build the confidence you need to create a beautifully decorated home for yourself.

Come along to the Little Cottage in Bangalow - my quaint studio workshop - and spend the day with me learning about colour and fabric, how to create mood boards and interior schemes and more. Each workshop is guaranteed to be a fun day, full of insider decorating info and loads of laughs.

If you are from out of town then you can stay at the Little Cottage - accomodation will be available for up to four friends in a self contained loft at the studio workshop or we can recommend one of the beautiful B&B's in the quaint and stylish town of Bangalow...


Email me with your info and we'll send you all of the details. Or go to the 'workshops' tab on my website in the next few weeks where you'll be able to make a booking.

So spend a day or two in beautiful Bangalow and have some decorating (and shopping and eating!) fun with me...

It's Sooo Hot....

It's just sooo hot up here at the farm that I'm literally melting away! Beads of sweat are rolling down my forehead and I'm dreaming of a swim at the beach. Which will have to wait - because, well, there's work to be done...
However, such heat has brought up the issue (again...) of a pool! How is it possible, I say (to my hubby, family and friends - or whomever will listen!!!) to live up here on a farm, surrounded by cattle and dirt and not a pool in which to cool off! Of course, hubby's reply is to raise one eyebrow and say - 'the beach is just down the road, why on earth would you want a pool?' However, I will not give up! Hubby are you listening? Pool, pool, pool -say it with me gals!
And so, I've employed the art of visualization to bring me one step closer to the goal at hand - and as such, today's post is of cool, blue swimming pools... Wish me luck....
Ommmm....

pics from CoteMaison

Remember This...

The day this issue of US Vogue hit the stand (with the beautiful Christy T on the cover) was the day that I first fell in love with grey. Now, grey and I are great mates! Love you grey...

Tales of a Sea Gypsy...

I know all of you savvy design types are up with all things Sibella Court - (and if you are not then be beguiled by her site www.thesocietyinc.com.au). Here's a little taste of Sibella's new theme for The Society Inc - Tales of a Sea Gypsy. There are no words for such beauty. Simply emotion. Prepare to be inspired...

Berry Days...

pic from cotemaison

I'm Thinking About Balustrades...

An issue has cropped up in my life of renovating and redecorating - that has to do with balustrades. And so, I'm on the hunt for pics of lovely and quaint styles of balustrades that will fit in with my old farmhouse. I've come across this pic - simple I know, but very achievable - kinda Caribbean but not overly literal. What do you think?


pic from cotemaison

Miss Beba...

Thanks everyone for your lovely emails regarding the Inside Out Christmas issue story that I styled - I hope that it's given you all some kids pressie inspiration. With that in mind, did you notice the divine Liberty Print cushions that featured in a few of the pics? The gal who is behind their gorgeousness is Giotta from Miss Beba - who makes all of her creations by hand. I am a total sucker for all things Liberty and so these cushions bring a very wide smile to my face. I first came across Miss Beba at Life In Style in Melbourne a few months ago - which is where these pics come from...

Remembering Paris...

The day always began with a coffee and a croissant at Cafe Flore on Blvd St Germain. There we watched the commuters making their way to work - and we lived vicariously and were kept bouyant by the energy they generated as their dainty shoes tapped on the sidewalk. We spent hours sitting there watching the world go by. After all, could there be a more beautiful world to watch than the one laid out before you in Paris. Ah Paris, until we meet again...

The Joy of Summer Colour

I'm stunned - I'm besotted - I'm completely in love with these divine pictures from the Malabar catalogue. Bring on the colours of summer...

Inside Out Christmas Issue...

Have you all checked out the new Inside Out Christmas issue? It's full of loads of beautiful and inspiring Christmas ideas for everything from present wrapping through to turkey stuffing. But best of all (not that I'm bias!) is the kids Christmas story that I styled and Prue photographed up here at the farm. Oh what fun did we have putting this shoot together... What with all the kids Christmas goodies, toys and clothes that piled into the farmhouse - it felt like Christmas had arrived in September! I'm sure you've all heard the saying 'never work with children and animals!' - well we had both!!! But they were a gorgeous bunch and such good sports. And Isobel the Spoodle (ever the model!) loved every minute of it...

pic from brocantehome

Lucy Vanstone...

One the most satisfying aspects of my job is being a part of the process of seeing very talented and creative people receiving the public recognition that they deserve. And one of those people is ceramicist Lucy Vanstone who is profiled in the latest issue of Country Style magazine which was styled by yours truly and photographed by Prue Ruscoe. Lucy is the kind of artisan that the Byron Bay area is renowned for - one who is driven by an honest and pure love of self expression, and one who puts creativity high on her list of priorities for her life. I've loved Lucy's work from the first time I laid my eyes on it at the markets in Bangalow - and since at her studio Wheel of Life in Brunswick Heads.
Check out this issue of Country Style to be inspired by Lucy's story...

Lazy Sunday Inspiration...

My goodness.... there's just so much beauty in the world - everywhere I look there is inspiration to be found. Enjoy!

p.s I'm sure that you'll all be happy to know that I did in fact make it to the beach for a swim this morning (even though it was a little overcast the water was warm!) and I've just finished an hour of yoga! Ah the joy! To celebrate, I headed to the Top Shop (a Byron Bay local) for a quick coffee... Could there be a more perfect way to spend a Sunday morning, I say?

pics from Toast and Anthropologie

Strangetrader and an Amalfi or Two...

Now I know that I keep harping on about how divine this time of year is in my neck of the woods - what with the water being warm and crystal clear and the days being long and all - but I really do just love the summer in particular because I get to crawl out of my night time hibernation and go out on the town! And last night marked my first official summery night out.

Of course, I had to celebrate - and so headed down to St Elmo's in downtown Byron Bay for a couple of Amalfi's - an orangey cocktail, filled with campari, a squeeze of lime and a few other goodies - and a chat with the girls. One of those girls happened to be Andrea Duff from Strangetrader - the wonderfully eclectic homewares/textiles/jewellery store that's taking Byron by storm - and I spent a couple of hours hearing about her travels through Italy, France and Turkey where she went in search of the beautiful things that are now gracing the shelves in her lovely store.

So taken was I that I headed to their website this morning for another Strangetrader 'hit' - and I found these snaps. Ah, how lovely to have an Amalfi on the Amalfi! But that will have to wait for another life time. In the meantime, I'll be living vicariously through Andrea...
Enjoy!

Happy Weekend...

May the sun shine and the roses grow... and the ocean be warm and the coffee be good. May I make my Sunday yoga class and may the kids not fight. May I sleep well - and may I wake early...
Ah - the weekend - may it be good!

Going Potty...

I'm in love with hanging pots and baskets at the moment after photographing a lovely little cottage here in Bangalow which was swathed in pink petunias in hanging pots. What a lovely way to decorate the outside of a house, I say. So inspired was I that I went back through my pic files and found these lovely photographs from the trip to Spain that I made earlier this year to celebrate my 40th. The Spanish are particularly fond of potted geraniums although on occasion you will see petunias and general potted colour. Hope these pics inspire you to get potting!

I've Been Thinking A Lot About Pools Lately....

Probably because it's been heat wave conditions up at the farm lately and although the beach is but a short drive - there is something rather tantalizing about having a breathtaking pool of water right on the doorstep. And so, I've been going through my pic files and I unearthed this little goody. I love this pool because the location it's situated in and the house it's attached to have a look and feel that's very similar to here. Imagine having this in your backyard! Oh yes, I like that idea. Now, I just need to convince hubby of its virtues!

Summertime....

And the living is easy....

We've been blessed with lovely weather up at the farm lately - and the ocean is slowly climbing to a comfortable temperature. Ah summertime - you're back... and I love you!

Orange Is The Happiest Colour...

...says the colourful Frank Sinatra. And of course I agree. Could there be a colour that enduces a feeling of fun and creativity quite like orange?

These pics are from the now no longer Organic Style magazine - a Rodale publication. Does anyone remember this gorgeous mag from about six years ago? I felt that it got the mix of organic info and gorgeous style just right. Oh, I wish it too would come back. Sigh...

Is Yellow The New Black?

I was first introduced to the virtues of yellow by my mother - who has been singing it's praises for years now. I admit, that at first I wasn't convinced. It was just too sunny a disposition to really strike a deep and long lasting chord with me. That was, until recently when I was asked to use it in the home of a client. Although at first, it was a little tricky to get my head around - within a few weeks I was well and truly hooked. Of course, it's all about choosing the 'right' shade of yellow - nothing too soft and sweet - and nothing too bright and bubbly. Like the yellow used in this lovely house. Don't you think it's just a perfect shade? And just the right amount. A touch of yellow, if you like. Yes, I love it!

pics from Country Living