Room tour: A Country Bedroom

I wanted to share with a peek at my parent's house. I know you've heard me mention my Mum before, and since I am staying with her I wanted to share some of her beautiful home over the next few weeks. She has a very classic, Queenslander country style so although it's not too everyone's taste, I'm sure you can agree she has done a beautiful job.

 

First stop is the guest room. It features a pretty writing desk which is the perfect place for guests to rest their laptops and other bits and pieces.

 

 

 

The upper walls are painted in a soft dusty pink, and the tongue & groove is in sage green. She made the beautiful green ticking curtains herself.

 

The other side of the room has a double bed with a white cane headboard and an old blanket box.

 

It is such a welcoming space, especially with the view onto the verandah and out into the beautiful garden. While I'm here I'll try and share some more rooms, so if you like this Queenslander style, make sure you pop back!

 

 



Undersized Urbanite - Building your dream house!

Now, you might have noticed some little ads have popped up in my sidebar. I hope nobody minds but a special blogger asked if I could put up an ad for her, so I added a few more space so she wouldn't be lonely! If you're interested in advertising, see more info here.
 

 
 
Today I wanted to introduce to that special blogger. Her name is Christina and she's taking on a super fun blogging project for the rest of us to enjoy; the Undersized Urbanite. Remember the bloggers who participated in the I'm A Giant challenge and created their own dollhouses? Well they never kept it up, so Christina has volunteered herself to take on a similar challenge! The best part? This time you can actually win a prize!
 
I may be having a go at this as I have a dollhouse from my childhood hiding away somewhere, and it would be nice to actually make some progress on some 'renovations', since my real house isn't going well at the moment!

Some inspiration for you from some amazing dollhouses...

Chinoiserie Chic

Lonny

White Owl

 

 

 
The Undersized Urbanite isn't necessarily about expert dollhouse building, but just having a go and creating your dream house in miniature. Have a go, and visit Christina!

 
 

Travel with Me - Florence!

Well you might have spotted some photos from my trip to Europe when I shared a few photos of Rome. Today I thought I'd share a little more about Florence, the next stop on our adventure.
 

 
 
 Most of the cities in Italy have a dedicated pedestrian-only space through the city centre, so bikes are a wonderful way to explore (especially for bikes-on-streets-with-cars-phobes like me). We spent a full day riding around, visiting the many beautiful squares and streest of Florence.

 

 

Of course, a key stop in Florence has to be the Ponte Vecchio. Did you know this used to be a bridge of butchers, until the ruling family decided it smelled too badly, kicked them all out and created a bridge of jewellers? Nice landlord!

 

 

 
This is the only photo I can find of me inside the Florence Duomo (the correct name is the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore or the Basilicia of Saint Mary of the Flower) . The austere interior is such a suprise after the riot of pink and green marble on the outside. I think Hollywood Regency might have picked up a few tips on graphic patterns from this particular cathedral?!

Once you wander down the enormous hall inside, a surprise awaits you when you spot the incredible dome...

 
 If anyone has any questions about travelling in Florence I'm happy to share our experiences!

Pretty Styling: A Relaxed Formula

An interiors shot I never grow tired of is vignettes. I find constant inspiration in this small pieces of a space; they can inspire a new vignette or even an entire room.
 

Ellie Somerville via Halcyon Style

My favourite style of vignette is those that feel personal, a little unstyled...a little thrown together. The epitomy of style, but you can still picture the person that lives there, rather than a magazine or catalogue.
 


Cassandra Lavalle via Cherish Toronto

 
You can't go wrong with books; they are so personal to the owner and a small piece of art is always perfect.


 
It doesn't matter what style you have, a pretty vignette will make your home feel polished, personal and finished. 



Southern Living Idea House via Wishful Thinking


Did you do any styling on the weekend? I'm looking forward to styling a special clients bookshelves next week!



Feature Home: Melbourne Pastels

When I spotted this home the other day I felt it featured a style perfect for the Australian lifestyle. It feels stylish yet lived in and the pastel tones feel soft and cool on a hot summer day.

 The house is designed by  Hecker Guthrie.  I love the relaxed durable furniture selections, and that painting in the dining room is stunning!



 

Room of the week...Elegant & Urban

Thought I would share one of my favourite rooms today. This gorgeous room by Darryl Gordon is a lovely example of mixing patterns and adding colour, while keeping a space serene, elegant and sophisticated. The black adds the perfect dose of drama.

Darryl Gordon

I think the main reason I like this room, is the gorgeous Carnivale fabric by Christopher Farr. An all time favourite!

Giveaway! Homewares with Heart

A little while ago, Novica asked me if I would be interested in reviewing their website on this little ole blog. Rather than spend all the money on myself, I asked if I could get a gift voucher to give to all my lovely readers instead.


Novica.com says their mission is to create a home decor revolution. They want to give artists and artisans from around the world a global platform to sell their wares. They want you to know who you're buying from, and feel attached to the product and the hands that created it.

I love the concept...and I love their homewares. There really is something for everyone here, so first lets have a peek at what I received in the mail.

The gift came beautifully packaged in brown paper and ribbon...

 

And included information on the artisan, and a note from them as well...

And inside, were some beautiful handmade Christmas ornaments from India...

Papier Mache Ornaments

Come on, you want to go shopping now don't you?! To whet your appetite, here are some of my top homewares pics from the site (they have jewellery and fashion too).

 



A: Celadon Rhino   B: Aztec Plate
C: Applique Pillow   D: Lacquered Box
E: Beaded Basket

 



A: Gilded Mirror  B: Beaded Basket
C: Aztec Style Throw  D: Peacock Painting
E: Copper & Bronze Vase Sets

 

You can use Rafflecopter to enter the competition below and win yourself a Christmas present!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A kitchen with no bar stools

I have been getting the plans for the house finalised and while I am happy with the plan, I am having to revise my kitchen idea a little. I always assumed we would have bar stools at the kitchen island, like most kitchens.
 

Brunelleschi Construction

Looking at the space now though (it joins the dining room) I'm thinking we are better off with additional storage and not worrying about the bar stools. It is quite a narrow area, and bar stools will clutter the space physically and visually.

So, I've been looking for kitchens with islands designed without bar stools - it's harder than I thought!

 

House to Home

 


j witzel interior design




Now this option obviously does have bar stools, but I think it would look just as lovely without them, don't you agree?

 



Lonny Magazine

 

What are your thoughts? Have you ever had a kitchen without bar stools? I know I can live without them, because right now we don't even have an island!

 

 

 



Free Shipping on Tilly&Girl Prints & iPhone Cases

For a limited time you can get free shipping on any Tilly&Girl products on our Society6 store! Simply click on the link below and start shopping!

I want free shipping at Tilly&Girl!

 

 
 

 
The art prints from Society6 start from just $20 so they're the perfect piece for a gallery wall. If you would like a custom painting feel free to email me.

Not, don't forget! Two days only...
 

I want free shipping at Tilly&Girl!

 

 

My Christmas Tree in Shades of Pink

Well we put up the Christmas tree last week, and since I've been practising my phtography skills, I thought I would share some photos with you.
 

 

 

 

 

I had great fun this year making some decorations. The pink theme came about because I bought those gorgeous hexagonal lavender ornaments from Freedom after Christmas last year.

 

 

 

I bought some foam balls from Spotlight, and glued a white feathery wool around it to create these fluffy beauties.

This one is a special ornament. It's Murano glass which we bought in Venice on our trip this year. We always buy one ornament from each place we go.

 

These ones were the simplest to make. I bought cheap metallic baubles and papered over them with polkadot tissue paper. I love the way you get a shimmer of metallic pink through the white tissue.
 

 
 
While the tree is finished, the photograph is definately a work in progress. Now, I need to get moving on making some presents!