Wallpaper as a feature wall

A couple of rolls of Harlequin wallpaper arrived and I am considering how best to it. The pattern is quite busy and it may be best to cover one wall only so as not to overwhelm a room.


I wanted to ask you, what do you think of wallpaper feature walls? I love them but I know some people prefer all walls to be papered for continuity. What are your thoughts?

Clouds

I have been seeing clouds lately and not just because I have been looking up. In fact everywhere I turn I see clouds. You must think I have lost my mind but bear with me.


You see it all started when I came across this quick and easy DIY project via Kenziepoo that involved cutting a sheepskin rug into the shape of a cloud. Adorable! That is the DIY project I was referring to in this post. I have yet to give it a go but I will very soon.



I then came across these cake toppers by Etsy seller goldylocks and they brought a smile to my face.



And these decorative mobiles by Etsy seller The Butter Flying. I have seen the single cloud mobiles in the past and loved them but didn't realise there were mobiles hanging from branches available too.

Cute, right? But there's more..



Today I was over at Julie's blog Olive & Joy (which is becoming a new favourite of mine to read because everything she touches turns to gold. Check out her lamp makeover as an example.) and she wrote about a cloud dish she recently purchased. I followed the link to Paper Boat Press and found they create a few different cloud platter designs as well as cloud brooches.

That's a wrap-up of my cloud watching lately but I have a feeling I will be revisiting again as the clouds seem to keep following me around.

(Image 1 Lifeflix, 2 & 3 goldylocks, 4 & 5 The Butter Flying, 6 & 7 Paper Boat Press)

Vintage style bicycles

I still have bicycles on my mind and I have been saving my pennies. In my internet travels I came across Papillionaire, a Melbourne based company that builds customised bicycles and I was pretty much sold by their robin egg blue bike with cream tyres and front basket.



You can pick the bicycle colour you like, the model, the tyres, grip and saddle types and accessories and have it delivered worldwide. Is there anything you can't buy online these days?



A vintage style bicycle and cute outfit. That's how I would like to be getting about.

(Images Papillionaire)

Fashion Friday: Boots

I'm done! Assessments are finished and submitted for this semester and it feels wonderful. Now it is time to kick up my heals and enjoy the break. So, what do you have planned this weekend? I am hoping to watch Sex and the City. I must be the last person in the world not to have seen it yet.

I was wearing this outfit yesterday. It is chilly in the mornings and so out came the boots. The top is this dress tucked in to a black skirt.

I receive a lot of questions regarding the painting that is behind me in these photos. It is an aboriginal painting by artist Louise Numina. I was drawn to it because it has a lot of movement and rhythm in the leaves that radiate out from the centre of the painting and when I look at it for a long time I almost feel as though a 3D form will appear. The spot where it is hung receives beautiful light in the mornings which is why I take the photos here so you will be seeing this painting quite a bit. I hope it doesn't bore you.

Have a beautiful weekend!

Top: It's an ASOS dress
Skirt: Kate Hurst
Boots: A local shoe store
Necklace: A gift

Duvet

The Urban Outfitters duvet I wrote about a few weeks ago arrived earlier than expected. The ruffles are lovely but a bit creased and I bet it will be a nightmare to iron. I plan on NEVER ironing it. Ever. Nuh uh.

The 'froufiness' of the ruffles and the texture is perfect for a winter duvet. I still think it would look better paired with this bedhead though. Perhaps with a smaller sized bed so that it hangs further down the sides.

Colour inspiration

My apologies for the infrequent posts of late. I have had lots to do as well as a sick little boy to take care of. Once this week is over, things should settle down with all my assessments done and submitted.

I wanted to give you a little glimpse of what I have been up to. Above is a colour study I have been working on. The project involves drawing inspiration for a springtime colour palette and exploring the colours in each image.

Yellows, whites and pinks. These colours make me happy.

(Image 1: Japanese white eye and cherry blossom images from Flickr. Image 2: Basso & Brooke and Flickr)

Juju hats

I have long admired walls decorated with feathered juju hats which I have come across a few times in interior magazines but I have never known where to find them. You can imagine my excitement when Louise Bell of Table Tonic announced today that she is introducing 6 of these hats in various colours into her store. Have you seen her store yet? It is full of great homewares including Moroccan wedding blankets, Indian quilts, vintage suzanies and more. Do check it out when you can.

These hats make a great focal point in a room. I can imagine them hanging in a living or dining space or above a bed. They would look great against dark walls too, don't you think?

(Images Table Tonic)

Giveaway winner!

Congratulations AnastasiaC for being the lucky giveaway winner and a big thank you Jess and to everyone who entered this giveaway!

Fashion Friday: Balloons

What a wonderful week it has been. It started off with a sore head but I quickly forgot it what with all the lovely messages I have received as well as the beautiful moments I have shared with the people I love. And what better way to say goodbye until next week than with balloons for today's post. I bought them for my little boy today for no reason at all other than I can't wait to see the look on his face when he finds one in almost every room of the house.

Take care and have fun this weekend!

PS: I'm going to attempt a little DIY project this weekend involving the rug in these photos. If it all goes well I'll share it with you next week. Also, please don't forget to enter the giveaway if you haven't already. I'll announce the winner on Monday.

Coat: It's about 10 years old.
Tunic/dress: ASOS
Leggings: Sportsgirl
Shoes: ASOS
Necklace: From memory, I think it was from Diva? It is a few years old.

Wallpaper: The Ultimate Guide

I have been in a world of patterns lately working on an assessment exploring various pattern designs over the centuries. To help me with my research I picked up a copy of Wallpaper: The Ultimate Guide by Charlotte Adams.




The book covers some of the key wallpaper designers and manufacturers, the history of wallpaper which I found interesting to read and provides tips on how to hang wallpaper and calculating the number of rolls you will need for a job. The book is also filled with over 150 full page contemporary wallpaper reproductions some of which I recognised but many that I didn't.




Wallpaper has come in and out of fashion over time but between us, I really hope it doesn't go out of fashion anytime soon. I haven't figured out how to take it down yet and from what I hear, the process is a tedious one.

Have you hung, or removed wallpaper recently? I would love to hear about your experiences.

Lace

These lace items all need to go together in the same room.

Wallpaper: Catherine Martin
Pendant: bernabeifreeman
Chair: Louise Campbell

A clever use of black

It seems my latest obsession with dark walls is sticking around. I came across this stylish office space by interior designer, Autumn Clemons of design*dump and wanted to share with you.

This is the 'before' shot of the space:


And the 'after':




I'm usually the first to pick up a paint brush loaded with white paint when tackling a bare room but the use of black on the walls in this space is clever for two reasons, I think - 1. the black bookcases recede into the wall and the items on the shelves become the focal point and 2. the two-toned french doors and frame become a feature of the room.


The wooden floor and furniture looks great against the dark walls. Another interesting feature is the design of the floor that mimics the structure of the ceiling. A clever way of tying the room together, don't you think?

(All images design*dump)

Giveaway: SOC Chic Good Intention Necklace

Hello! Are you ready for another week? I'm nursing a sore head this week. I had a fall yesterday which resulted in a cut through my eyebrow, five stitches, a tetanus shot and a good story to tell. I vaguely remember asking the doctor "Doctor, will my eyebrow make it?". She did her best to minimise the scarring but I will probably be left with a visible scar through my eyebrow. Oh well!

Soc Chic Necklace Giveaway
I am thrilled to kick off this week with a jewelry giveaway from a designer with very good intentions. Jess of Jess LC and Makeunder My Life (you may have seen her stylish DIY chevron paintings?) has created a range of Soc Chic necklaces where 10% of proceeds of each sale goes to various charities. One ish and chi reader will win the Good Intention necklace from the Soc Chic range.

The rules
To enter to win the Good Intention necklace, simply leave a comment on this post by Friday, June 11th. Please do not enter anonymously, I will need a way in which to get in touch with you (feel free to leave an email address).

Win more necklaces!

The other Soc Chic necklaces in the range are being given away too! For a chance to win the others, simply hop on over to blogs above who are also participating in this giveaway starting today. Good luck!

Fashion Friday: Out come the coats

It is getting darker sooner and becoming more difficult to get a good photo with enough daylight. It is also getting colder which means it is time to bring out the winter coats. This week has been difficult for me. I found myself running out of time often and falling behind on a few projects but I did manage to get everything done eventually which was good. Unfortunately it means it has had my focus this week.

I'll try to capture a better photo of this necklace next time. It's a new favourite.

I hope you have a beautiful weekend! What do you have planned? I'm catching up with friends which I always enjoy. The forecast is rain here though and it has been for as long as I can remember. It has made me splurge on a yes-that's-me-underneath-that-polka-dot-and-frills umbrella. I'll have to show you one time. It stands out amongst the sea of black umbrellas.

See you next week!

Coat: Alannah Hill (a few years old)
Top: Kookai
Jeans: Joes Jeans.. again
Shoes: ModCloth
Necklace: ModCloth