We’re on the hunt for good garden furniture. I love the idea of a white wrought iron table and chairs with candy striped pink cushions and a floral parasol. These chairs here are a dream, and while we’re at it, why not add a few voluptuous goddesses to the garden, too? Now, all we need are grapes overhead and Puccini playing on the Sonos.
If I was choosing hardware for a bathroom or kitchen, I’d opt for brass. I love the juxtaposition of sleek marble or corian with brass taps. It’s rich and warm and unpredictable. I’m not much of a bath person, but this soaker right here, looks kind of lovely.
Charming tea towels are a must in my kitchen, the more whimsical the better. I’ve had the same batch of batik style ones for years. In Prince Edward County this week, I came across Kate Golding‘s quintessentially Canadian tea towels. There are sand dunes, water towers, loons, strawberries, heirloom tomatoes and sail boats, all hand drawn and hand sewn in Ontario. Take a look at Golding’s wallpaper collection, too. At local inn, Angeline’s, the rooms are covered in pine trees and lilacs.
I appreciate the fluidity of the same wood flooring throughout a home, but if I were feeling gutsy, I might choose a tile for the kitchen. I like the contrast, and the change in atmosphere a pop of print can create. There are so many options, that’s the dizzying part, but something simple and graphic would do nicely.
Just in case you thought three, four even, different prints was too much in one room, just look at this combination. One for the blinds, another for the curtains, and another for an armchair or an upholstered bench. Once you get going almost anything goes. The bar at Palazzo Margherita in Italy is an inspiration in its mix of painted ceilings, decadent wallpaper, graphic tile and textured brasserie chairs. Done wrong it can be dizzying, done right, it’s a dream.
Springtime cocktails are best enjoyed under a parasol. Sunbeam Jackie produces some of the best I’ve ever seen, made up of gorgeous fabrics from Liberty, William Morris, Barbara Brown, Marimekko and plenty more. The company was founded by artist couple Charlie and Katy Napier and their studio, a 12th century grain store, is based in Cornwall. It’s impossible to choose a favourite –– in fact I’d want a half a dozen of them, and a beautiful English garden large enough to accommodate them all.
Just look at this dreamy hallway –– the aqua walls, the leafy trim around the doors, the mirror, the runner, the chair. It’s all so romantic. Of course, now I’m wondering about the rooms, and what the mirror might say if I talked to it.
A room with honeycomb terracotta tiles and various shades of yellow is a lovely place to start. Bring vintage cutlery, large white candles, cream linen napkins, vino rosso and a huge ceramic bowl of spaghetti carbonara to the table, and the rest of the story just writes itself.
Forget the food, the feast is in the flowers and fabrics. With a table setting this magnificent, you could serve boiled eggs and your guests would be happy. I’m wild about the mismatched plates and table cloths, and all those flowers are simply divine. More is more –– don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
What a lovely kitchen this is –– the Farrow & Ball teal, (at least it looks like F&B) the herringbone floor, brass hardware and the double door glass windows. I like a kitchen where the appliances are hidden, and I always think of my friend Buket when I spot a sink window. “Dishes feel like less of a chore with a lovely view.” How right she is.
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