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*UPDATE* I won!! My lovely new chair, which now has to find its way to Hong Kong from Sweden (minor detail)...yay!

I'm thinking of bidding on these 1940's Carl Malmsten armchairs....only 6 hrs and 25 mins to go until I know whether they'll be mine or not! ~ if I decide to make a bid, that is...

I'll keep you posted ;)

Holding a Summer banquette with all my family and friends, with tonnes of great food and wine!

I love stripes. Simple as that. To me, they are a design classic that never date, and work in almost any situation. I love them wide, I love them narrow. I love them for curtains, I love them for upholstery. I love them vertical, and I love them horizontal. I'm especially partial to a pinstripe, or a mens suiting stripe. I would almost put stripes on everything if I didn't hold myself back. Here are just a few that I particularly like...


Schumacher, Olivia Stripe -Aqua

Lee Jofa, Oxford Stripe - FD561

Lee Jofa, Matt Stripe - Esspress

Highland Court, 31377-30

Highland Court, 31380-639

Highland Court, 31738-587

Kravet, 24629-3

Kravet, 25863-616

Kravet, 26585-716

Kravet, Bibendum Silk - Melon

Kravet, Bolero - Bronze

Paul Smith for Maharam, Bespoke Stripe - Navy

Paul Smith for Maharam, Dandy - Pewter

Paul Smith for Maharam, Syncopated Stripe


Kravet, 23866-316

Luna, Queue - Dapper

Schumacher, Scintillation - Ermine

If you have a cool AUD$1.7m to spend on real estate, check out this amazing apartment in Collingwood - just on the outskirts of Melbourne's cosmopolitan CBD. 'The Kiln', c. 1862, is designed over 5 levels, including underground parking and balconies with amazing city views.
Not sure if you can see the photos clearly, but the ceiling is an amazing barrel shape and the whole space has so much character. Now if only I could find something equally unique in Hong Kong...and find a few spare dollars.

The work of Argentine born artist Lucio Fontana first came to my attention when I flipped through the new book on Belgian antiquarian extraordinaire, Axel Vervoordt (see first image). His most notable work features painted canvas with a series of blade cuts, which, as you can see, gives an interesting extra dimension to them. He has pieces in the permanent collections of the Moma New York, and the Guggenheim. And if I'm lucky, mine also one day....

From "Axel Vervoordt: Timeless Interiors" by Armelle Baron.

Another Axel Vervoordt interior, on the cover of the Assouline published "Axel Vervoordt, the story of a style" by Meredith Etherington-Smith.

An interior by Veere Grenney, left of the fireplace.

Spacial Concept, Expectations, 1959. From the Guggenheim collection.

Spacial Concept, Expectations, 1959. From the Moma NY collection.

I told you I was smitten! Hope you find these images as beatiful as I do!

I've had a few friends from here leave for Old London Town lately, so its been on my mind a bit. Perhaps that's why I've been buying more UK decorating magazines lately, or perhaps its because all the US ones keep folding? Either way, I was flipping through a copy of 'The World of Interiors' and stumbled upon the London townhouse of the New Zealand-born decorator Veere Grenney (ex director at Colefax & Fowler). I am smitten. It has so many elements that I love in a home - i.e. a great mix of furniture, fabrics and colours - and the building itself has such great bones. I love that he has been able to bring in so many different styles and periods and make such a harmonious atmosphere. Hope you enjoy!



A 1930's Jansen chandelier hangs above a Grenney designed table and a set of c.1790 Viennese dining chairs. "Temple" fabric, a Grenney designed homage to David Hicks, lines the walls.


Two Robsjohn-Gibbings armchairs in the living room flank a Regency period table. The mix of furniture and styles in this room is fabulous. Those drapes and the cabinet (left side image) mixed with a big ottoman, parsons style -ish coffee table, travertine fireplace and sisal carpets is sheer genius. It's modern, but its homey at the same time.

The Jansen desk was actually made for Billy Baldwin in the 1950's. To die for. And I'm loving the wall colours here too.

A bedroom thats much more traditional looking than the living space, but not too stuffy or formal. Another Grenney designed fabric, Ferne Park, is used to dress the four poster bed.

Everything in this home says to me - modern English at its best. I highly recommend you check out his website - there are some amazing photos of other projects that are also jaw dropping. Or, I could be tempted to do another post. I'm that smitten.

Images from 'The World of Interiors' UK edition, March 2008, photography by Fritz von der Schulenburg.