What an imaginative way to decorate a door. From afar, the doors to Eataly, Paris look like they’re covered in dried oranges and walnut shells. I love the way the baskets are arranged; there are even a few pots and pats in the mix. People’s creativity never ceases to amaze me. This is festive, rustic, and utterly decadent.

I understand that a maximalist decor isn’t everyone’s cup of Darjeeling. But you can’t not appreciate the sheer richness and whimsy of Rita Konig‘s designs. Konig describes her taste as “classic English, with mongrel influences barging in.” She’s a “magpie,” and wants to be fresh and modern, “to create and not just re-create.” This room, with its upholstered cornice, scalloped headboard, and gilded mirror is traditional, and yet thoroughly original. The mix of fabrics is daring, and there are just enough pops of pink. Konig’s advice on how to explore colour and texture is “to go in carefully and turn the dial up in increments..” Start with white walls, she suggests. “And bring in colour in small ways with a pink lamp or pink bed linen, and pink upholstery, too. Then add a Moroccan rug. You don’t need to paint a room to be colourful. It’s a bit like cooking – you add in flavours.” The pomegranate print all over the walls and drapes (this is Konig’s guest room) is by Schumacher. Have a walk around the rest of her County Durham house –– it really is a delight.

“What could be more magical and fascinating than transforming simple cardboard into a piece of art?” So suggests Noelle Rigaudie, an Aussie artist who fashions furniture, frames and murals from this very quotidian material. “Cardboard being resistant, yet light, flexible and easy to handle allows for great manipulation of its function.” Rigaudie grew up in France, and as such was influenced by the grandeur of French antiquities. There’s something irreverent about the idea of a sleigh chaise, an ornate gilded frame, or an empire table made out of lowly cardboard. I love it. And so might you. Have a gander.

I came across this image today (below) and the work of architect and furniture designer, Pierre Yovanovitch and I was swept away by the beautiful, organic forms that travel through his designs. There’s something very warm and natural about his interiors, with a definite sense of whimsy and play. Have a look at his furniture designs; I’m kind of bonkers about this table and his fabulous Mr. Oops chair. I watched this lovely short film about his Provençal home –– the colours and mood are lovely –– and it was interesting to hear him talk about the experience of designing a home for oneself versus a client. “There is a kind of ambiguity in the projects we do for ourselves.” His home is filled with what he calls, “incidents,’ a painting or an object or a perspective that creates an opportunity for surprise, tension and imperfection. He works with artists and likes to give them freedom to express themselves. His ceilings are covered in drawings, and for the little chapel on his property he asked his friend to Claire Tabouret to paint a fresco. “Working with artists is pretty wonderful. It enriches simple architecture.”

Roses are a classic. I don’t often buy them, but when I do, I cut the stems down really short and heap them together in a low vase. That’s how they look best, in my view. I yank all the leaves off, too. I love this colour, peaches meet caramel. And I love the vessel the flowers are in. A classic bloom is given a modern twist.

Attic rooms are so cozy. While a sloping roof can pose challenges (especially for tall people) they do add interest and intimacy. I like the idea of a guest room, a writer’s nook or a dress up closet for one’s ballgowns and feather boas. House Beautiful offers lots of creative ideas for attics. This little room –– spartan and yet warm –– is delightful.

What a fabulous kitchen this is. Everything from the ceramics, to the tiles, to the wooden spoons and woven baskets exudes charm. I love the pea green cabinetry. This is a kitchen where calamari get fried and eggs get served en cocotte. Invite me over, please. I’ll do the dishes.

I stumbled upon images of the Spitalfields home of actor and teacher, Rodney Archer today and I was a little captivated. Textile patterns line the walls, and every room is chock full of bric-a-brac and antique furnishings. A lovely fireplace, painted gold and Prussian blue, sits in the living room. The mantle once belonged to Oscar Wilde, and Archer brought it for ten pounds from the workmen renovating Wilde’s former Tite Street home. Archer died in 2015, and I’d imagine the home and its contents have been sold on. In a short film, made in 2010, Archer speaks lovingly about the house and the neighbourhood. Of Spitalfields Archer said, “there are still people making a lot of noise, it’s still a bit rowdy and rough, which is what attracted me to the area in the first place. There are still prostitutes in alleyways and there are still alcoholics and glue sniffers. So despite all the fashion and the new British art that has moved in here it still has a bit of grittiness from the 19th century.” Of the condition of his early 18th Century home when he bought it, Archer says, “everything was painted turquoise blue and it was an Indian cab rank and there were pictures of Indian film stars all over the panelling.” For Archer, the home was an ever-evolving thing, a bit like a marriage. “The house has its own character, and I have my character. The house is saying, ‘I want to remain like this, but you can change it a little bit. But I still want my personality and you can still have yours.'” Have a gander around. There’s so much atmosphere in the photos, I can only imagine what it was to visit.

I did a little spin around some L.A. real estate listings today, because pourquoi non, and I came across this lovely 1929 Spanish revival located in silver lake. Whitewashed and airy, it has such a lovely feel. I love all the stone tiles on the floor, and that charming stone fireplace. The garden looks gorgeous, positively Mediterranean. When are we moving in?