Make an Entrance...

Your front door is the first impression for visitors to your home. It's therefore vital to make an impact. Most grand homes have beautiful front doors, often double doors (a favourite of mine).

There are some simple things you can do to update the entry point to your home:

• Paint - high gloss works well for exteriors and looks more glamorous than a flat paint;
• If you have the space, place urns or beautiful pots either side of your door;
• Don't forget hardware - there are beautiful options available in handles & door knockers; 
• A high quality doormat (consider one with a black border or geometric pattern for a classic yet modern look) will finish your doorway off perfectly.

Images: My house my garden; Eden Rose, At home in the country jill; In Style.

Dragonfly

A couple of years ago, I drove past a beautiful boutique/florist in Queens Park/Bondi Junction (corner of Newland & Birrell streets). With it's signature aqua & white facade plus gorgeous homewares and flowers on display I had to take a closer look.

Owner Lisa Mattock is now a great mate & we have worked together on events many times since then. Her skills as a floral artist are breathtaking.

I called in today & thought I would share some images of the store...Lisa has a great eye & it's always a delight to be surrounded by her beautiful things.

Dragonfly, Inspired Exteriors and my business, Love Style, are collaborating on a very exciting project in the coming months. Stay tuned for more details.

http://www.dragonflyfloraldesign.com.au/

xxx

Brilliant Affordable Headboard Idea

Genius idea - Decals & Stick Ons as headboards. Affordable AND they won't damage your walls.

What a fun & quirky way to frame your bed. Have fun with colours - you might want to consider painting the wall a bright colour for contrast or the other way around - paint the wall white and let the decal jump out.

The top image is from Urban Outfitters,

The geometric trellis pattern on the pale yellow wall is from: http://www.roommatespeelandstick.com/walldecals/trellis-wall-decals.aspx

The really cute monogram headboard is by ShaNickers on Etsy.com

http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.88029025.jpg

The glam white on pink ultra chic headboard is by Blik Wall Graphics http://www.whatisblik.com/blog/2009/10/09/nessa-in-whiteby-turquoise/

Most will ship to Australia, so you have no excuse not to dress up your bedroom...

Yours in style,

x

An inspiring quote

This is going to be my new motto. I absolutely love it.

I just found it on a great site for sourcing wall art called DeviantART. It's funky, unique, inexpensive and a great way to decorate your walls...

The best sections are 'typography', 'collage' and 'people'.

They will frame the prints for you too...

Image: http://www.deviantart.com/print/379983/?itemids=102

Fab Finds at Life Instyle

As promised, I wanted to share some of my favourite finds at Life Instyle last week. There are always gorgeous new items for the home to be found there, and this year the highlights were:

Beautiful home decor from South Australia's One Rundle Trading Co, including these chic trunks. http://www.onerundletradingcompany.com.au

Escapulario's fashion accessories

Very cool fair-traded, hand-crafted brass jewelry from Brass Mafia, including this ring, http://www.brassmafia.bigcartel.com/

Belles & Whiselle's modern note cards and invitations (which can be personalised at an additional cost) http://www.bellesandwhiselles.com.au/

Chic purses and cuffs from the Pratten sisters in cow hide & eel skin http://www.pratten.com.au/

Delicate handcrafted paper works & gorgeous framed bus scrolls with beautiful (and fun) wording from Almond Tree Designs, including this 'A nice drop' bus scroll, which will add character to your home in an instant http://www.almondtreeframes.com.au/

Fun, colourful chairs from Paprika & Lime www.paprikaandlime.com

Plus,

Exhibit Interiors eclectic pieces http://www.exhibit.net.au/ ;

Mandalay Design's always gorgeous rattan pieces for the home http://www.mandalaydesigns.com.au/ ;

All well worth checking out...

xxx

Dressing Tables

There is something very ladylike about dressing tables.

I always think of my grandmother sitting elegantly at hers, applying her hot pink YSL lipstick to match her freshly manicured nails.

Getting ready at a dressing table just makes you feel more glamorous...

The reality of urban living these days is that often our living space is reduced so a dressing table can seem a luxury, however they are a great way to add extra storage and reduce clutter in a small area. Plus there are lots of slimline versions available nowadays if you are limited on space.

I have some beautiful dressing tables available to buy that can be custom painted, as well as pretty stools and mirrors to match. Email me for pricing and further details.

Images: Google

Life Instyle

Life Instyle Sydney starts today & I am super excited!

It's my favourite trade show because they attract the most stylish exhibitors meaning everywhere you look there is something gorgeous.

Stay posted for my finds.

x

Image: Life Instyle website

Doveton Kay

Last night I was a guest at the most divine home in Sydney to celebrate the new shipment of furniture for gorgeous Double Bay boutique Doveton Kay.

I worked with Doveton Kay last year on their launch & adore the store owner, Shelley Madden.

The new shipment is divine - exotic finds sourced all over the globe that are ultra chic.

Check out http://www.dovetonkay.com.au/ or stop by the boutique at 10 Transvaal Avenue, Double Bay on your travels.

Image: Doveton Kay

A Modern Exotic Look

Adding a touch of the exotic can add excitement and fun to an otherwise boring room.

A chic (faux) zebra skin rug (we're animal lovers at Love Style) or a pair of antler's horns as a table centrepiece will liven up your space and give it a designer edge. They're both right on trend & will add punch to a room in an instant.

Alternatively, some gorgeous upholstered animal print stools as in the above image look stunning.

A word of warning though, don't overdo animal prints - keep them to a minimum and use them as an accent and you'll achieve the right look.

Olivia Palermo's Stylish Apartment

Photos by Karin Kohlberg

This is the gorgeous apartment owned by The City's Olivia Palermo.

The images are from NY Post's Page Six Mag: http://www.nypost.com/pagesixmag/issues/20080720/Living+Socialite+Olivia+Palermos+Sweet+Spot

and there is a great accompanying article.

Olivia had the assistance of her mother, a New York Interior Designer, to pull the look for the apartment together.

"The zebra-print rug is a bold statement, but taking risks is more fun", says Olivia of her prized walk-in closet.

I couldn't agree more.

How to Choose the Right Paint Colour

One of the best ways to update the look of any room in your home (or any piece of furniture) is to give it a fresh coat of paint. Paint is relatively inexpensive, fast & can make a dramatic impact.

But how to choose the right colour?

ASK YOURSELF HOW YOU WANT TO USE THE SPACE

With all the advances in technology, it's now possible to find virtually any colour you can dream of. The best way to narrow down these options is to start how a professional would - by sitting down and assessing what you want from the space. That is, how you intend to use it in the future, what has worked in the past, and most importantly what hasn't.

CREATE A MOOD BOARD / INSPIRATION FOLDER

From there start a mood board or a folder to collect anything that relates to your chosen theme, plus anything else that inspires you. Use magazines, the internet, books, scraps of fabric - anything that connects you to the theme.

And don't forget about colour psychology when selecting a colour - colour has the power to affect us on a physical and mental level, so choose the right colour for the purpose of the room. You can google colour psychology to find out more on this topic.

BUY SAMPLE POTS & DO TEST PATCHES

This is the most important step. Once you have chosen your colour/s, take the time to buy some sample pots and do some test patches (generally 1m square will give you a good indication). Paint colour changes according to the light conditions so it's important to see the colour at varying stages of the day in both natural and artifical light.

USE THE RIGHT PAINT FOR THE RIGHT AREA
Your friendly paint supplier will be able to advise you on this, but it is another important step to get right. Don't use a bit of leftover pathway paint on your ceiling for example. The finish just won't look right, and you'll end up having to correct it down the track.
Gloss or semi-gloss look great on trimmings & features.

SUPPLIERS

Some great paint suppliers to try:

http://www.porterspaints.com.au/

http://www.coveredinpaint.com.au/

and of course, http://www.dulux.com.au/

Be adventurous with colour, and have fun! Good luck!

A Simple Table Setting

This a simple table setting I designed for one of my dearest friends for her birthday. It was a beautiful Summer day and the beach house setting overlooking the water was the perfect venue.

FLOWERS
I wanted the tables to look fresh, natural and very pretty - as though the flowers had been picked fresh from a field that morning. I chose a combination of pale pink roses, pale orange roses, pink snapdragons, green ivy berry & stems of white snow berries & leaves. I love a mixture of berries & flowers. The colour scheme of orange/peach & pink also worked beautifully.
For the flower vessels I used a collection of single bud cut crystal vases & glasses in different shapes & sizes (many of which were my grandmother's, adding to their beauty). I found something like 40 vessels of varying shapes and sizes in the back of the cupboard (think small jugs, shot glasses & miniature vases).

PLACECARDS
The placecards were simple textured white paper with glossy orange ribbon tied across the top & names written in chocolate brown ink. Placecards are an important addition to any table setting as they make your guests feel welcome & special.

TABLE RUNNER
And finally, the table runner was hessian from Spotlight which had been sewn down each side but with the edges left 'rough' to follow through with the natural theme.