À Bientôt

We're off to speak pigeon french with Scottish et Australian accents to angry Parisiens, drink café au lait and hopefully not buy anything that won't fit in our hand luggage (Ryanair)...

Many thanks for the suggestions on my previous Paris blog post and on twitter...much appreciated. Thanks to you and some famille, we have a (very) loose itinerary and even looser dinner reservations, other than that we're just going to soak it all up and in the immortal words of Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, 'fly by the seat of our pants'.
No doubt I'll take beaucoup de photos, tweet a lot and then post a little something upon our return...

...but for now, au revoir mes amis x

photography by Irene Suchoki

MyDeco Design Democracy Award (Nomination)

Yeah...Ok...Bye has been nominated for a MyDeco Design Democracy Award!

The next step is a tricky one...I have to state what 'Design Democracy' means to me...

For me, its a little confusing and a little contradictory but I think 'design democracy' is the fact the everyone has the right to an opinion on design. In terms of the way you decorate your home, I think design is very much a democracy; the decision of how to decorate, is yours to make. Personal taste can make a house a home and as a consumer you are both, the designer and the client.

Magazines, fashion, and design blogs, should be used as tools to inspire, not dictate your view of what is 'cool'. There is no right or wrong answer. If your heart skips a beat when you see the latest collection of Farrow & Ball glossy paint colours, IKEA's Saralisa printed fabrics or Bisazza's glitzy mosaics; by all means, go forth and create!

I think that aspiration and society have a huge influence on domestic decoration. Your home is a projection of how you would like your lifestyle to be viewed by others...but that's a whole other blogpost.

As a qualified Interior Designer, I won't deny my training, and say that everyone is a designer. I think qualified designers, be it interiors, graphics, products, furniture, fashion, or even architecture, approach design in a different way but in your home you can do whatever makes you happy.

I post images and products that inspire me as both, a designer and a consumer on my blog. Images that make my heart skip a beat, products I'd be ecstatic to receive as gifts (or be able to afford). I don't preech or dictate what others should like and I'm open to constructive comments, good or bad...how you take it is up to you...after all...it's democratic!

My advice is: Open your eyes, change your perspective, look up, every now and again, when you walk down the streets you know so well at eye level, and...vote for me, but only if you want to of course...(voting opens on 1st August so i'll post a link then)

Thanks x

image: looking up in The Guggenheim, NYC, designed by the legend that was Frank Lloyd Wright

Ceramic throw-aways

...saving the planet, one reusable, ceramic, foil dish at a time...

by Lorena Barrezueta

Sun, Sea, Sangria

The Balearic Islands in the Mediteranean, have an unfortunate reputation for being saturated with British sun-seekers, keen on drinking as much beer as possible, eating full English breakfasts, sowing there seed, and generally disgracing the nation for 3 months over the summer. There is a reason, however, why this pocket of the world became so popular in the first place; the breathtaking mountainous scenery and the stunning turquoise sea (not to mention the food, people and, pretty much, guaranteed sunshine).

I haven't given up on these jewels of the Med and certainly wouldn't turn down a week or so at one of the very cool exclusive spa resorts like Son Gener, Mallorca.

For more information: Son Gener

Partition bookcase

I love a bit of multifunctional design in a home.

The open plan space in this graphic designer's home in Sao Paolo has me itching to take up Portuguese but the floating chunky bookcase clinches the deal...

Architect: Isay Weinfeld, Photography: Nelson Kon

source

365 days ago today...

...the sun stayed out from behind the clouds just long enough for me to walk arm in arm with my dad, through 98 of our most treasured family and friends, who had travelled from near and VERY far, to marry the man I love.
Then it rained.
Then the sun reappeared and we all drank champagne and daiquiris, laughed at the speeches, ate halibut & cheesecake, danced the longest and most awesome Strip the Willow and almost set fire to a small village on the outskirts of Edinburgh with thai lanterns.
I'd do it all over again in a heart beat...including the last 7 years with my now-husband...
Photography by Paul of Raeburn & Hamilton
For more on our wedding have a look here and here

...for the coffee table...

I've always had a fascination with all things behind closed doors. Maybe I'm just nosey, but it is so much more interesting to see how people act or live without a smile painted on...or their household looking pristine for visitors. Maybe that says more about me...?

In this book, Julien Claessens chronicles the work of fashion designer, Olivier Theyskens from behind the scenes with his beautiful photography....

The Other Side of The Picture, is available from Assouline.

Artist's Home, Sweden

Does anyone else feel inspired to rip up any carpets, get the masking tape out and start painting the floors??!

Source

Cheeky Wallpaper

Hand-printed in Brighton by Dupenny, these wallpapers are inspired by all things vintage...but always with a sense of humour. Hang it in your 'downstairs loooo' and invite the mother-in-law round...


Housewives, Burlesque and Time for Tea available here

Table Envy...

source

Topshop Autumn/Winter 2010

I know it's (the height of) summer and you probably don't want to, but, close your eyes and imagine a crispy October afternoon...now look at these beayyooootiful coats...and shoooes...and that bag!

Coming to Topshop soon!

Sourced via Marie Claire UK

Partners & Spade

The creative duo of Andy Spade and Anthony Sperduti have a talent for developing uniquely powerful brand experiences. They opened their studio, Partners & Spade, in lower Manhattan in 2008.
Partners & Spade, helped launch US brand, J. Crew’s first-ever menswear shop, known as the Liquor Store, at West Broadway and White Street in Tribeca. They converted this abandoned tavern into an upscale men’s clothing shop without losing the strong original identity of the site.

Their website, alone is worth a visit.
All images from Partners & Spade

Stair Art

British architect, John Pawson, is a master of minimal, clean, multifunctional, design.

He also has a bit of a thing for stairs...as do I. His monochrome sketches are available to purchase and hang (straight) on your (very clean) (and preferably white) wall.

Via dexigner

Paris

I'm asking a little favour...

For our 1st anniversary my husband and I have booked a (very) short trip to Paris this summer. Time is tight and eating times and shopping slots are filling up quickly, as we plan our trip. I have been a couple of times before but it will be my husband's 1st visit (apart from the Paris Bar show) and we are also meeting my father-in-law, who will be visiting Europe from Australia.

We're already looking forward to Sunday brunch at Le Fumoir, bellini's at Harry's bar and checking out Jean Paul Gaultier's apartment design for Elle Decoration as well as the usual Eiffel Tower and Louvre visits etc...

Any suggestions for bars, markets, shops & galleries, off the beaten track would be massively appreciated. My husband is a massive comic book fan, so any cool french comic stores would earn me extra brownie points!

Please leave a comment or drop me an email...thank yoooou x

Image credit

Ochre

I love this Miami bedroom with it's beautiful fully upholstered bed and fantastic bespoke glass pear drop chandelier by Ochre. (specified by Alison Spear). Simple but indulgent.

via Ochre.net

French country house

It can't just be me who presumes that every house in rural France is owned by a hippy artist? Hippy artists wearing beige linen, painting in their rustic, fully glazed studios with vines growing on the inside and cats lazing around soaking up the sunshine...taking short breaks for a cigarette and a strong, black, freshly brewed coffee or a lunch of crusty bread with tomatoes with basil picked from the garden... it's just geography...surely?

via home-designing.com