I admire people who decorate with wild abandon, who break rules, (who makes them, anyway?) and who create spaces that make total sense despite the above. They have a certain daring, openness and sense of play that is reflected in the homes they create. I don’t know who designed this room, but I’d love to share an ice cream with him/her. The mix of wood and fabulous 50s furnishings, the richly patterned wallpaper and pictures and plate over top; it’s all so over-the-top, and yet beautifully deliberate.

We looked at a dizzying number of taps on the weekend. I start to lose my mind in those places, i.e. wonder if we even need a kitchen faucet. Or a kitchen. Do we? I’ve always loved old, brass taps –– it’s the English in me –– in an otherwise modern kitchen. Something like this unlacquered brass beauty from Waterworks would make the decision easy.

Wowza wee, just look at this fireplace. I love all the intricate mosaic, and the pastel palette of blues and pinks and greens. The mix of stained glass, brick and marble sends the whole experience over the edge. In the best way possible. Have I mentioned that more is more?

Ooh la la, polo players, crisp linens and an Hermes ashtray, to boot. What a handsome guest room this is. The racing green, the brass, and the rich mahogany wood, are all so preppy and chic. I wonder if we’re in the stately manor house of Lady Petunia Rosebottom!

Good golly, I love the canopy over this ice cream vendour at Bosco Cafe in Moscow. I picture a giant one, wide open over a delightful terrazza of Mediterranean pots, a whimsical wrought iron garden set and wildly overgrown vines.

“Homes that show the owner’s every love, affection and attention are always the best,” is what I read in an intro to the home of French ceramic artist, Marguerite Carbonell. Every nook and cranny –– the tiles in the bathroom, the bizarre sculptures in the garden  –– is infused with her creativity. I agree. It has to be personal. It has to be playful. And it has to show a little of the owner’s eccentricity, foible, whimsy.

Not much to say about this salle de bain, except that it’s bonkers gorgeous. Pink marble, old brass taps and faded mirror in which to admire all your lumpy, bumpy, beautiful lady bits. Sign me up. And bring me all the Vogues and all the Rosé. (So my drink matches the decor.)

This thoughtfully renovated 1870’s cabin, in the heart of the Marin County, really caught my eye. Cozy furnishings, charming textiles and wall-coverings, pops of natural wood, and eclectic art throughout, make it all so warm and inviting. The kitchen is a cook’s dream, and I’d love to flop about in that living room. Garden parties must be such a delight.

I was reading about the late, great antiques dealer, collector and trailblazer Christopher Gibbs this morning, and fell into a world of exquisite interiors, vintage djellabas, fine wines and star studded hippie parties. Gibbs died last year, but his place in 60s counter culture lives on. My favourite anecdote was from one of many of his legendary fêtes, this one for the poet Allen Ginsberg. Gibbs made hash brownies for his guests, including Princess Margaret, who ended up in the hospital with what the palace called, “severe food poisoning.” His home in Tangier (below) is so worth having a mosey around. Another world. And read his brilliant advice on decor and life over at House and Garden. ”I like things in their natural state — people especially,” he said with a chuckle. ”As life goes by, that’s what I admire. Objects and people that are unmonkeyed with, that are themselves, not trying to be something else.”