A Quick Peek At My Humble Flat.

Given its Friday I thought I'd switch things up a bit and add a few photos of my own flat.  We found this place in early June of last year and moved in mid July. Situated in a picturesque little market village, our flat is the first floor of a converted Georgian Terrace built between 1819 and 1831. I know its a little sparse in terms of furnishings and decor, but these things take time. Introducing ones self to a place, finding a style that reflects not only you but your partner, getting to know the personality of the flat, its quirks and hidden gems, is like an on going conversation.  I still love coming home, and every time we find an item for the flat, be it an old glass bottle, a vintage postcard, or a porcelain rhino head, the place becomes more and more a reflection of us. We are still on the hunt for a coffee table, an arm chair and some shelving for all our books but as my mother often says "it is the hunt that makes it fun!". Hope you enjoy!

Rhino and some hat moulds on our bedroom window sill 

A collection of chotskies on my bedroom dresser

Vintage leather suitcases given to me by my mother for Christmas,
 made the journey back to the UK safe and sound!

Spare room fireplace mantel, cloggs in the hearth from my childhood,
 poppy print from famed Paris museum Deyrolle

Old dark room enamel mixing tray now used as fruit bowl
 and a bread box that was lovingly sent in two care packages from Canada

Vintage totem pole salt and pepper shakers from Vancouver,
 along side our ever growing cork collection....

View from our terrace, a meadow with two ponies and a donkey,
 my first friends in town.

Living room marble mantel

Living room mantel

Wooden carved animals from India, Shell casing from Brancaster Beach,
 cloggs from Volendam

Our new, much loved sofa! Perfect in every way!

Ostrich eggs in wooden bowl

Bedside table found second hand, paid £15,
 it is a before and after project in the making

Our new bed!

Our hallway with Percy the Rhino, and our expanding photo gallery

built in kitchen cabinet with hideous polka dot pink wall paper-
 currently on the hunt for a simple Japanese cherry blossom print

Ed's table and chairs shipped all the way from Canada.....

No Rest For The Wicked.

I am feeling a bit sleep deprived this morning. I am not saying its entirely my boyfriends fault, but his somersaulting fish routine is starting to get old. At the same time I have had many thoughts swimming around in my head, keeping me from a deep sleep. With this in mind I thought I'd focus today's post on rooms I can quite happily fantasize about disappearing to, curling up under the sheets of some of these beds, just like goldilocks and having a much needed rest. After said rest, I may treat myself to a bath, wrap myself in a borrowed quilted bathrobe, read a book, smell the roses over coffee, stare at a fantastic, vintage city map and then perhaps get back to work in my dream design studio. All in a morning's fantasy! Enjoy!

Perfect napping material! Love that foot board, the floor to ceiling windows and the drapery.
Image courtesy of Lonnymag

 

This room has such a calming effect I feel, with its soothing, muted tones, fluffy, down filled pillows in abundance,
and beautiful armoire wardrobe.  I also enjoy the glass wall in behind,
exaggerating the size of the room quite convincingly.
Image courtesy of Lonnymag

Very clean and again muted, but not cold, if anything I think this room feels a bit like cocoon!
Image courtesy of lonnymag

Smelling roses over coffee..... is this map not the most fantastic find?!
Image courtesy of Lonnymag

This feels like a luxury hotel suite to me, all the more lovely to nap in my dear!

I must have this bathroom. Three words- Jerusalem stone and Marble.
 This scanned photograph does not do the tiling justice. In print it is absolutely stunning.
I'd make the time for a bath everyday if my bathroom looked like this!
Image courtesy of ElleDecor

Design studio of the famed Interior Designer Bunny Willliams.
 Hard to find inspiration when you have every tile sample, fabric swatch and wallpaper at your fingertips....
And here I thought my mood board in my spare room was the beginnings of something great!
Image courtesy of Lonnymag 

Colour Lust

While still on the hunt for brass bathroom and kitchen fixtures to feature, I thought I'd add a burst of colour to your day! These photos make me want to pick up a paintbrush and go wild! If only my landlord wasn't so picky about the whole magnolia wall colour thing.... In other news I am changing around the rugs in my apartment, switching out a mustard and grey Aztec for a ruby red Afghan in the bedroom and vise versa in the living come dining! I will let you know how it goes, perhaps I'll show before and after pic's too! 

Not only is this a fantastic blue but its chalk board paint too, this makes me very happy!
Image courtesy of Design*sponge

Colour coded bookshelves.....
Image courtesy of ElleDecor

Daring no?
Image courtesy of Lonnymag

 Beetle Juice, Beetle Juice !!
Image courtesy of Lonnymag

Image courtesy of Lonnymag

Infatuated with this fabric colour
Image courtesy of Lonnymag

Now that is a mood board!
Image courtesy of Lonnymag

So perhaps not overly colourful but I had to add this because these wire chairs are my new obsession, along with anything wire, be it table, lamp, sconce, bookshelf, fruitbowl.......
Image courtesy of Lonnymag

A Couple More Visual Delights To Tide You Over....

Was snooping on Design Sponge this aft and came across a fantastic Italian flat owned by American Stylist, Annette Joseph. Had to share some photos as I think the style, casualness and over all loveliness of this home is very much in keeping with my previous post of visual delights! Enjoy!

Image courtesy of Design*sponge

Image courtesy of Design*sponge

Image courtesy of Design*sponge

Image courtesy of Design*sponge

Image courtesy of Design*sponge

 

Colourful, Bright & Inspired Interiors

I woke up this morning to the sun beaming in through my drawn curtains. I wish I had taken a photo, as everything was bathed in a beautiful shade of golden orange and it is rare to wake up to a brilliant sun this time of year, in the UK. Maybe quiet moments such as these are best kept to one's self, but  I've never been very good at keeping secrets. Anyway, I thought at least sharing the description would be a nice way to start off the day.... So here is a little post to all those quiet, private marvels. These interiors, with their simplicity, choice of colour, textiles, and overall composition perhaps will evoke a series of private, quiet moments for all of you.

I have always loved this house, featured years back in Domino Magazine, I will try and find a pic of the master bath which  is perfection.....
Image courtesy of LivingInc 

Can you imagine dedicating an entire room to cloths, shoes, hats and handbags? I had a mini fantasy of walking into such a room with a steaming cup of jo in one hand, the morning news in the other, cozy slippers on my feet and feel good music in the air. What a way to start your day...... Oh the luxury!
Image coutesy of ElleDecor

I very much enjoy the pairing of linens in this pic, the mixture of understated pattern in the sheets with a vibrant splash of personality for the bedspread. When I look at the making of this bed its like the visual description  of a good friend. Oh, and did I mention that brass lamp? I think it may just be the start of something big.
Image courtesy of ElleDecor

Perhaps not the most practical choice of fabric for a breakfast bench but I love how soothing it feels, a perfect backdrop for the gallery display of art and photographs.
Image courtesy of lonnymag.com

Loving the colourful display of mixed glassware, subway tile surround, grey grouting and chalkboard paint topped with wonderfully delicate hardware on the cabinetry.
Image courtesy of ElleDecor

 Rustic Dining Room
Image Courtesy of  Elle Decor

A stunning living room in a barn conversion
Image courtesy of M.elle Home Decor 

image courtesy of M.elle Home Decor 

 Home in the mountains
image from M.elle Home Decor

Cottaging in the Muskoka's
image from Sarah Richardsons' cottage

This is a fantastic take on what I like to think of as Modern Canadian Cottage style living
Image from lonnymag.com 

Casual, Understated but oh so lovely....
image from lonnymag.com