Decor

colour blocking

July 19, 2021

It would never occur to me to mix these two colours, but I love them together. It was a trip to Morocco that inspired the home’s palette. The pink is Dulux Morocco, and the green is Dulux Purslane. The pink appears throughout the house, as does the green and pops of creamy mustard. It’s bold and daring. I can only imagine how warm and decadent it feels to be surrounded by such rich colours. White walls have always been my personal preference. There is quiet in white, there is possibility in white. That said, I do love this house. Marakkech meets the English countryside. An alter ego one might say.

vanity

July 16, 2021

As a little girl, I had one those dressing tables with a fabric skirt. My Mum had one, too. We both had a hairbrush and mirror set; hers was in antique silver and mine was in French Ivory. I never used it, but it did make for a fancy display. I also had this perfumed powder that came with a pale pink puff that I used to smother all over my face. That felt fancy, too. I used to love those scenes in old movies of women primping in the mirror. These days, it’s a flick of mascara, hair in a knot, and we’re out. No one spends an hour getting ready anymore. But back then it was an art form. The cocktails, the Crepe de Chine robe, the 1950s jazz tunes in the background; it all seemed so glamorous. I think I was around 11 or 12 when my Mum replaced my dressing table with a desk. The desk was a lot more practical. I did my homework at that desk and listened to Chris Tarrant on the radio. I still have the hairbrush and mirror set though. It even has my name engraved into it.

Liv a little

July 15, 2021

I love these prints from Sydney illustrator, Liv Lee. Think Grecian vases filled with Tulips, Chrysanthemums and Cherry Blossom. There are also bananas, raspberries and big white flowers that look like fried eggs. Her style is playful and light. There’s such humour and joy in Lee’s work.

around and around

July 13, 2021

The facade of the spa at Quinta Da Comporta.

Beautifully-crafted, original woodcut prints from Tugboat Printshop.

Tawny Chatmon’s multi-layered portraits.

Arabella Lennox-Boyd’s heavenly Oliveto garden.

The colour rich world of Ghanaian-born artist, Kojo Marfo.

Robert Montgomery’s stunning billboard poems, paintings, light pieces, fire poems and woodcuts.

copper

July 9, 2021

When I think about copper pots I imagine dozens of them lined up against a duck–egg–blue peg board  à la Julia Child. I read that most of Child’s pans came from E. Dehillerin in Paris. Just imagine, an entire set of pots in that opulent pinkish hue. Masami Mizuno handcrafts his copper pots and pans from a single flat sheet of metal. They are gentled hammered for a beautifully textured finish. Each pan has a solid brass handle.

around and around

July 6, 2021

Ceramic canvases from artist, Roger Herman.

Protea grower, Diane Roy.

Citrus garden wallpaper from Schumacher.

Beet and celeriac cakes.

Robert Rispoli, “the artist who reinvented the fresco.’

knock on wood

July 5, 2021

I love to see wood in a home, the more varieties the better. If one is ever in doubt about mixing Walnut with Oak and Maple, just walk through a forest. Elise Mclauchlan’s hand-carved pieces –– Maple milk jugs, Walnut cutting boards, and Oak bowls –– are beautifully understated. There’s no piece in this B.C. based maker’s collection that I wouldn’t want to see in my home. Have a peruse of her work; it really is a breath of fresh air.

Around and around

June 30, 2021

Giles Newman’s exquisite wooden spoons.

The beautiful, organic vessels of Leza McVey.

The gardens of  Fernando Caruncho.

Elizabeth Mayhew’s fabulous cake designs.

Erdem’s Antibes kaftan.

The work of Japanese paper craftsman, Hatano Wataru.

petal pusher

June 28, 2021

Cassie Byrnes‘ clothes are walking works of art. Think large canvases covered in bold abstract shapes, high wattage florals and lush, leafy greens; now turn them into summer frocks, skirts, scarves and tops. Who doesn’t need “lounge shorts” splattered with plump tomatoes or a field of tulips on her back? Byrnes is so prolific. Anthropologie, Google, Nike, Häagen-Dazs, Microsoft and Penguin are among her many clients. There is joy in her designs, and a love of colour and nature sings through everything she creates.

around and around

June 23, 2021

The work of land artist, Chris Drury.

Alessandra Sanguinetti’s images of sisters on a farm in Buenos Aires.

Artist, Robert Nava’s childlike imagination.

Monogrammed towels and decoupage.

The perfect boiled egg.

A tiny copper clad home.

Children playing by Hiram Maristany.

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