Could I Live without Colour?

I have been living in my present house for just about five years now. I now have the strongest itch to change the colour in my living/reception room. I loved the colours when I did it. And I still enjoy receiving good company in the space but now I want a change.

 

 

 

I have convinced myself that I want neutral colours in the space with only minor pops of colour. Take a look at the space and tell me if I am kidding myself. I do not think I can live without colour. I have no concept of it. But I want to try.

 

 

But I feel sure I must deliberate on the issue for a while longer.

 

 

I love the various pieces of furniture but I would like to scale back on the traditional and make a few contemporary design changes. I want a more transitional feel.

 

 

Now, I am not an interior decorator. I am an ordinary. But I could not bear to have a stranger tell me what my decorating style could/should be. I like to experiment, collect and get there on my own. But I feel I will take a bit of inspiration from all things India Hicks and an interior decorator called Lauren Leiss. Maybe also, I will sleep with photos of  Darryl Carter's rooms under my pillow. I'll be sure to take you on my journey when I embark on it.

 

Meanwhile, it's the weekend! Enjoy!

Go ahead, I don't mind if you share my colour love with your friends.
 

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Table Talk: Curious Silverware

My husband and I were invited to a friend's for dinner. Seated around the table were a mix of nationalities, mostly European. The usual polite pleasantries were exchanged ("yes, there was hardly any summer", "I hope it isn't a terribly gray winter", "how about that David Cameron calling the refugees 'swarms of people'...". That last met with dead silence). Isn't it true that there can be awkward little conversation lulls that make everyone totally self-conscious when you dine out? What is appropriate dinner conversation with hot button issues all over the media?  I have no solution for that, but I imagine dinner would be a lot more talkative with a few functional curiosities brought to the table.

 

To be honest, when I go to the flea sometimes I look at things and I am simply dumbfounded because I have no idea what I am looking at. So I bring you help in identifying a few curiosities and some inspiration for what to look for when you go antique hunting.

 

All sterling silver, of course: 1. A strawberry grabber- yes, grabber. 2. A dinner bell, obnoxious for certain, but think of the tickle you'd get from ringing it every time you want the Mister/Missus to attend to you. 3. A salt cellar which looks like it belongs on a Catholic altar; 4. A cheese scoop; 5. A crumb knife which can have no justification for its pretentiousness; 6. a 5 piece flatware set; 7. a tea caddy; 8. the cutest invention-- the cow creamer; and 9. an egg cup.

 

What will you hunt for this Fall?

Inspiring Decor: Aerin Lauder

I fell in love with this room four years ago. And I feel I will love it forever more.

 

I love Aerin Lauder's taste in home décor. That photo is a shot of her Wainscott Country Home. And I love her home and beauty collection too.  

 

 

I particularly like that each piece in her home décor collection is so focused and properly edited so that you can always find a throw pillow or two to mix/match and be offset by a lamp or coffee table tray.

 

 

Some of  my favourites: the circle weave raffia clutch; the blue shagreen picture frames and tray; throw pillows and Becher table lamp; and I am quite curious to know how that "wild lilac" lipstick will look when set against my skin.

 

Images from Vogue, Aerin.Com and Aerin Lauder's Instagram

Geithoorn

We went calling on the bucolic and idyllic Geithoorn last Friday and stayed the night into Saturday late afternoon. The magic is simply that the streets in this 850 year old town are actually canals connected together by bridges--like Venice or Bruges but far better! Far better because it's like walking into a Victorian pastoral setting. You have to go for yourself to believe it actually exists.

 

Thanks to Town and Country Magazine for the hint and nudge because we were only three hours away in Brussels and we knew nothing of this...this...well...it was almost an anachronism...like someone had painted it and put it there for our appreciation.

 

 

This is no town made about the tourists. It is lovingly kept by the locals for their enjoyment, life, existence. They are not even bothered enough to close their blinds or use drapes/curtains.The houses complement each other with their red bricks and thatched roofs, no one property owner tries to upstage or outshine the other. On a Saturday morning, the locals are busily going about their business, mowing their lawn, cycling through the village, dog-in-tow, to get to the supermarket, moving their sheep and letting the pony out to pasture. Yes, ponies. My daughter lost her ever-loving mind at the sight of the black sheep and matching pony. Can you even... you have got to go for yourself is what I am saying. 

 

A lot of houses are for sale---sadly, because the older villagers are dying. But because the villagers are smartly and intently determined to keep it a place to live (mainly), rather than a place for vacationers  and tourists, the properties can only be bought by people who intend to live there. If you have a spare 700,000 plus EURO hanging around you can get a summer/winter country home in Geithoorn.

 

Geithoorn is in actuality two villages, separated by a five km stretch of land---  Geithoorn (North)  is separated by land (and lake) from Geithoorn (South). You can rent a boat to do a tour or drive on the main road that connects the North to the South. You will feel as though you are leaving Geithoorn altogether in order to get to the other end of the village. Once you actually enter the mouth of either of the villages you must park your vehicle, for you can only walk along the canal paths, across the bridges that connect the pathways and the homes, take a little boat to tour the canals, or to traverse the lake to get from South to North or vice versa.

 

 

We stayed in the North. But I feel like the place to stay would be (South) Geithoorn where there are lots of restaurants to choose from and far more B&Bs too. This one below, in the heart of (South) Geithoorn, is actually on Air BNB.

It would be wonderful to go back at Christmas. Children would just have the best summer vacation there too.

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I Hate the Cold

 

I have the cold. And I am the world's biggest baby when I have the cold. I would love to be at this little cottage done up by Tom Scheerer. It looks beachy and warm. I feel if I were there, I shouldn't mind so much being surrounded by boxes of tissues, a giant bottle of Listerine and tall glasses of Theraflu. Check back tomorrow when I hope to be able to tell you about my lovely Friday and Saturday spent in Geithoorn, Holland.

The Venice of the North: Geithoorn

On the recommendation of Town and Country Magazine, I am off to visit Geithoorn today. I'll let you know whether it is as idyllic as the pictures suggest. I am going with my husband and the little one and we shall spend the night. Happy Weekend!

Thigh High Boots: How are You Wearing Them?

 

I do love that OTK boots are back on this fall/winter. But I always experience a feeling of hesitation when I see them in the stores. If I wear one, will I look trashy or like I belong in a gentleman's club? But I have seen some street style and catwalk looks that definitely reassure me that it is possible to look-- if not demure-- possibly dainty? 

 

 

 

My preferred approach would be to wear one with a skirt.

 

Maison Margiela Shortsleeved Chunky Sweater/Jumper: Farfetch.com;  Olive Green/Khaki Boots: Asos.com; Jeffrey Campbell Burgundy Boots: Nastygal.com; Dusky Rose Boots, Alice + Olivia Mini Skirt, and Tweed Colour-Block Skirt: Harvey Nichols; and Pink Pleated Coast Natalia Skirt: John Lewis.

Contemporary Art: Collage

Tavarua- Kifaru Collage

Tavarua- The Hunters and the Huntedn Collage

 

It cannot be a secret to any of my friends that I love African Art. Or at least, art inspired by the Continent or produced by artists from the Continent. Above, are collages I found on the Traveller's blog. I think the artist goes by Tavarua. Quite a well-traveled gentleman with an air of mystery, is how I think of the blogger. Mystery because you know so little about him, except his love for travel and appreciation of other cultures and the aesthetic eye with which he views everything. Check out his blog to view more of his collages.

 

Then I came to Vitshois Bondo's work. I know of Bondo's work because I am a longtime follower of Nomad Gallery's preferred artists. I am particularly intrigued by this installation. What do you think is happening there? Obviously, the artist is particularly fond of incorporating body parts into his work. Check out two images of his collages below. 

 Chaotic World, Vitshois Bondo

 

 

Emotion II, Vitshois Bondo

I am used to collages that are deliberately spontaneous compositions-- as in, usually the artist is intent on a chance arrival at the finished product.  But when I look at these two artists' works I feel like they sat down to paint a picture using the techniques of a collagist, no happenstance involved.

 

What ever the processes, I love them.

The Artist Aimé Mpane

What do you think? I saw this artist's work seven years ago and I had the tremendous urge to cry. It is astonishing up close. The piece I was viewing was the portrait of a boy whose head was surrounded/targeted by raindrops, splinters or bullets. It was the uncertainty of what I was looking at and the gruesomeness of what it could be that made be sad. Once you are able to climb out of the emotional pull of the piece you are able to appreciate the interdisciplinary talent that is Aimé Mpane's.  The portraits are carved with an axe.

 

 

Aimé hails from the DRC. I love all of it.

SUPERMODEL DAVID GANDY'S LONDON HOME

 Picture via David Gandy's Instagram

David Gandy invited English Home Magazine into his London home and what a good thing that was. Who doesn't want to see how a model snuggles in at home when they're off duty. It's even better when the model is the iconic Dolce and Gabbana favourite, David Gandy.

 

So what would you be curious about? Who designed his kitchen? What are his favourite sources for interior décor items?  That he likes both vintage and antiques? To be honest, all of the foregoing interests me, if say, we were talking about the home of Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge. But in this instance, who cares? We want to see the bed and bath, in the interest of fantasies and daydreams, right? 

 

 Images by Tim Beddow for English Home Magazine

 

It's all lovely and cozy but that tub looks like it is only made for one. And the bed is a bit snug, on the smallish side, even.  I feel my fantasies are constrained. See more details in the November issue of English Home Magazine.

Zebra Hides

Here I am happily munching away at my cardamom-saffron rice last evening while browsing Domino-- the great one that made interior design accessible to us ordinaries-- and I stumbled upon a most spectacular use of hide. I will tell you about the spectacular in a minute, bear with me.

But first I must digress. I had this hide, below, in my home office seven years ago. And now it's in the master bathroom of my home. Yes, my bathroom. Tile floors made so much warmer by the hide (and when we use the bath or the shower we throw down some Ikea floor towels on it).

I was scared to buy the hide at first because I thought (and this was eight years ago) if anything was clichéd in interior décor, it simply had to be a zebra/hide rug. But I still had to have one. A lot of decorators still love them, it seems.

When I got mine years ago, I had to seek inspiration on how to use one in my space. I found plenty.

But with décor, trends come and go. And this one, I thought, had passed. But people are still happily using their hides. Great, is what I say. While I was at Domino the other night, I came across a bunch of other inspiration. See the ones below.

And then....and then I saw the spectacular below on Domino!!!!

Mother of all that is clever!!! This is the home of one Lisa Sherry and Ron Royal. Brilliant. Do you not just love this use of the hide as a stair runner? It looks custom-made, right?  It isn't. It's actually three hides cut in half to form the pieces for the runner. So brilliant! God bless the internet and clever interior decorators!!! You can see more of their lovely home here.

Eye on Christmas

I still can't stop anticipating the Christmas holidays. It must be the weather.

 

Kohii Slow Coffee Makers. West Wing Home and Living

My husband drinks at least six cups of coffee each day. Nuts!!! I drink tea only. But I do know that coffee drinkers are serious about their machinery. I wasn't even on the hunt as yet. But I may have found the perfect gift. Who thinks about Christmas in October, you say? Me. Yup, I think food. I think decorations. I think of fun gifts to end all gifts. This, above, could be it. It looks experimental, complicated and completely bizarre---albeit in a fascinating way. Perfect for a man. That's my opinion and I am sticking to it.

Marble and Patina in the Kitchen

Do you see this picture? What grabs your eye? Nice kitchen, nice black subway tiles, yes, this is true, blha blah blha. GAH!!! Am looking at the patinaed table with the marble top. It's all I can think about, all I see. The picture is from West Wing Home and Living. But I do not know whether you can buy this table there. So I am thinking of ways I can recreate this lovely darling.

 

Having seen this kitchen, I feel quite sure that I want my next kitchen to have pale grays, some raw or patinaed wood, this table, above (obviously!!) and marble. For a while now, I have been collecting inspiration for my next kitchen and they all seem to follow a similar theme. I love the one below by Benjamin Dhong.

 

 

Also, look at the kitchen below photographed by Lucas Allen. So clean and uncluttered, yet it is not austere and disinfected. I love that marble island.

 

 

But let's go back to that table. I feel quite strongly that I must recreate it. I even feel that if I went to the Marchés aux Puces at Jeu de Balle I might find a Moroccan happily selling one in oak that could be converted to this. The paint job is no problem. But the marble. Now that's some homework to find the right, single piece. Cannot even think of buying that in Belgium. After all, this is the land of c'est pas possible and c'est trop cher.  

 

 

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Copy That: Australia's Fiona Richardson

Yes, I would stuff this ginger jar from One Kings Lane full of cookies and keep it on my nightstand next to this pile of books also from One Kings Lane. I like having dining room side chairs in a bedroom because they take up less space than a table and are ready surfaces for coats, magazines and easy to reach blankets. These chairs are at 1stDibs. The throw pillow from Etsy would stack up well against the Serena and Lily headboard but I would definitely do over the headboard in this fabric from Fabric.com. The little boy plaster bust, also from 1stDibs, could turn out to be creepy in the middle of the night but definitely sits well next to the leather-bound books on the night stand. You would also need to paint the walls a sooty grey to recreate the space. But such a calming sleep-inducing colour is hardly objectionable for a bedroom.

Incidentally, if you like gray spaces check out one of my favourite blogs, a perfect gray. 

Christmas in the Country

It's cold here in Brussels. And I have Christmas on the brain.

 Vogue has dubbed this the new dream destination wedding venue in the English countryside. Forget weddings, I'd want to spend my Christmas here. I already got married. But I can see me here eating goose and binging on plum pudding to stave off the Oxfordshire cold. This is Soho Farmhouse.

 

This country retreat comes complete with a deli shop, six restaurants, an ice rink, horses and a Cowshed spa. Right. A Spa you say? Sign up me and my tribe.

I can firmly say I would sleep well in either of these rooms. It would be a merry Christmas indeed.

Images from Vogue and Soho Farmhouse