Thanks to Collette Dinnigan revealing some hot spots to visit in France one stood out the most "Chateau Robert" to visit the website go to www.chateaurobertfrance.com the chateau is gorgeous and available to rent. I'm off this week-end to Melbourne to finalise my Xmas buying for lily-g its hard to believe that in 3 months our Xmas will be in store not that I'm complaining its definitely my favourite time of year. Have a great week-end and see you all next week x
Our new Hampton lights are stunning, great over a dining table or a set of three above the kitchen island bench, hopefully they will be put up on display at lily-g next week.
Just thought I would post some of my "I love White" images. Creating an all white colour scheme using textures of painted white furniture rubbed back to reveal aged timbers, adding silver pieces and white linen loose covers, white shells in bowls or clusters of coral, creates the most beautiful of interiors. My favourite Scandinavian blogs are so clever in creating this look that keeps me so forever inspired.
How stunning is this room with the iron day-bed, the chandelier, the scalloped edge coffee table and the stone coloured wall. For us Aussies Porters Paints has a colour called "Icelandic stone" which I use alot in my decorating and is very similiar to this wall colour.
I found this image in country home edition and I just loved this collection of all neutral buttons, my three year old would have a great time going through those buttons!
Just thought I would show the other part of the room, to the left must be where the children sit, doesn't it look so homey and welcoming!
Well I just love this picture from country living magazine, I wonder if they have 5 little children. I'm a mother of 6 children 3 are my own and the other 3 are my gorgeous step children who live with me full time as there mum died in a car accident. My son is 18 and my youngest is lily who is 3 (I named my shop after her lily-grace) but most of our kids are 13 and older and on a good day I will tell you how wonderful they are and on a bad day well I better leave that blank after all they are teenages!! but in all honesty I'm so lucky and looking at this picture puts a smile on my face but I am glad I don't have 5 toddlers! not at all good for us mum's keen on decorating with white. Have a great day my bloggging friends.
Its rainy and cold in Queensland so I thought I would post some of these gorgeous beach house images, It's hard to see the beach letters on the wall but doesn't it create a fun relaxed look, and image your study with this view and of course I love the touch of blue!
I have posted this home before (British H&G) but the fabric has just arrived to make cushions for our summer look and it was perfect timing for our apple green commodes arrival!
The photo is not very clear but this apple green commode is part of our summer display I'm planning at lily-g, mixed with the oak timbers it add a touch of colour and is a real statement piece.
Ill post a better image when it arrives in store
I'm not quiet sure what to do but a very big thank you to Villa Anna blog and the house that a-m built for voting me my true Aussie blogging friends!
well I may not be able to vote them back but I visit them both daily even if i don't have the time at work, I sneak on my computer for a quick peak I just adore them both, a-m in real life is as funny and kind hearted in real life, she always puts a`smile on my face and Anna I haven't yet met but I hope to one day soon as I can imagine the three of us wont stop talking!!!There are so many blogs I love but my never miss a day blogs are:
Paris apartments
vosges paris
colonial east
simple things small joys
something white
Camilla at home
I'm sorry if i missed others because if i had more time I would visit you all xxxx
The combination of these beautiful materials epitomizes the look and feel of french country living, the look is cutting edge contemporary with a softer edge, yet to me is stylish may-be a Little to sparse for my liking but so easy to add your own personal touches. I have always loved a neutral colour scheme especially enriched with textures, metals and woods. The images sourced from the latest house and Garden (British edition) features France (MY favourite topic) I loved the article on visiting France, owning a home, I was amazed how affordable it was for us Aussies to own a home in France but the problem is the 24 hour flight!!!! and the no -long term visa oops...and no money to spare!
Part of our new collection at lily-g. The Riveria Maison collection will be in-store over the next few weeks I'm just loving the coastal long Island look that so suits our climate and lifestyle. I'm even more excited that finally we have a out-door chair that is completely weather proof to handle the harsh Australian sun but still giving you the Long Island/French coastal look.
I'm looking to create a display at lily-g with this gorgeous wall-paper, at the moment i'm upolstering for a client a duck egg blue chaise in a smooth velvet, we have a gorgeous silver sideboard that would complete this look.
This limited edition print from Florence Broadhurst is absolutely stunning, I find a lot of her papers very retro but some of her papers are truly very special.
I just love the wall of portraits, the double chandeliers, the long french farmhouse table washed washed in blue. One day when I build my country house I want a very long table like this one I just think they look great!
I love the simplicity of this room, especially the use of of old trunk as a coffee table. I have just returned from buying furniture for our store and I have purchased lots of beautiful pieces, raw oaks, linens and grey washed furniture was definitely a look that stood out can't wait to post you some images.
My posts have been a little slack lately and sadly I haven't even had time to visit my favourite blogs. I have been flat out with interior design work, our shop has been very busy and I have been away on lots of shorts trips buying new stock for Xmas and the summer months. It sounds incredibly exciting but I miss spending time with my Kids especially Lily who is only 3 I'm suffering mummy guilt big time, lucky with 5 other brothers and sisters and a very fun daddy she hasn't suffered...I think its me who is suffering. Any-way I'm off this week-end visiting some furniture suppliers to find new exciting pieces for our store, I just love this sideboard so fingers` crossed I find a gorgeous piece like this one!
I love collecting pewter and beautiful linen, pewter is so easy to care for and the pieces have such a timeless appeal.
Sadly my fashion blog has taken a back seat but with our gorgeous summer clothes arriving at lily-g there is just so much to show so tonight I'm fashion blogging, to visit my site go to http://www.lily-g.com.au/ and go to blogs. Oh and I'm seriously dieting too that's the hard part about selling fashion when all these gorgeous clothes arrive and I eagerly try them on only to not be able to do up the zip....so depressing any-way I spent the week-end with a Monk (Yes, believe it)I have been very stressed lately, put simply I take on way to much, my interior business is a full time job, but my retail business in both fashion,furniture and home wares is just as much work, and I wont mention the paper work or my six kids. So my meditation course was a way for me to learn to relax and keep a healthy mind and focus, I can't tell you how much I learnt and I was surprised by there modern way of thinking. I am naturally a very positive person and rarely jealous as I thrive on peoples success, to be honest it's what drives me, but the course helped me to understand the actions of other people, when some one is bragging about them selves we should simply understand its just there lack of confidence and need for reassurance.It also taught me how to let go of things that bothered me but really wasn't worth storing for so long, on my first meditation my mind was racing and I wanted to scream, the second one I nearly fell asleep with boredom then I wanted to burst out laughing because some-one pasted wind (boy was she relaxed) and finally I started to get it and it started to work...of course that's till I got home and saw dirty dishes in the sink and mess.
In Australia, Formal dining lost its popularity to a more open plan area where the more formal table was not in its own separate room but more part of the main social area, This was largely due to the fact that so many new homes were being built, land size reducing and space was more used for Theatre rooms, more bedrooms where children no longer share there rooms etc..I also have my formal dining in my main area because I simply did not have the room but I have always loved a more casual lifestyle. But there is something very special and intimate about a formal dining room I would love to build one in to my next home but one wall would have to be full of glass french doors so it wouldn't have a closed in feel, definitely a chandelier and how simple full length curtains which I love, this room decorated by Kimberley Seldon is very elegant and stylish.
Another new piece at lily-g our large trunk would make a fantastic coffee table just add a sheet of glass on top for practicality, best toy box ever and a great window seat too!
I'm just loving this gorgeous cutlery range due in store in 4 weeks time. Oh so stylish and vintage, stainless steel for easy cleaning and longevity, sold as a set of 4 pieces makes this set perfect to collect. This collection is on my wish list and will be added to our on-line store.
Tomorrow I'm going to post some blue images but I have recently cleaned out my Files so I'm off to find some new ones, I'm about to make a slip cover for my wing back chair in the same blue as this chair but I'm thinking of piping it in natural linen colour rather than white? still thinking about that one!
To all my lily-g friends you just have to visit Villa Anna's blog because she has the most divine, gorgeous images ever!! I'm in blue heaven at the moment some of the images are from gorgeous blogs like "Cote De Texa's" and "Dream House"always worth a visit, thats it, I'm off to find some blue images too!
Even though I should be saving all my pennies for the markets in Paris i just had to buy this beautiful old style french iron lamp for my lounge room, I'm trying to get my house finished, going very slow...I haven't posted my bedroom yet because aside from my bed there is nothing to show...Oh except a few rolls of wall-paper eagerly waiting to be hung!!
I'm loving birds at the moment and was drawn to this picture found in an Country style mag, I just love the sketch too and the kikki-K white pencils..... (even if you dont use them they do look great!)
Just a home snap I was about to frame and decided to show you my girls, lily (the little one) who never stops making me smile, Alexa (the blonde one) who is like her Dad and such a special girl too and my Jess who looks like me, acts like me and loves the same things as me we really are best friends.
Our coffee/tea cannisters have been a a huge hit at lily-g ($65 as featured in country style magazine) just letting my customers know they will be back in stock next week. We are busy setting up on-line shopping we have a huge country customer base that we would like to service, we will be selling wall-papers, homewares, jewellery,gifts,furniture and lots of accessories, it will take us a few months to have this service up and running but I'll keep you updated.
The famous "Laduree" I know I should have heard about these delicious Macaron's before but I must confess I had not a clue, not until a friend wanted to frame a beautiful lime green "Laduree" table mat to hang in her home as a memory of her trip to France and Paris Breakfasts amazing blog did it inspire me to look further into these delicacies. It made me think, what a great idea to frame menu's etc... of famous restaurants or special places like Laduree, or the drink menu at the Ritz (not sure if i can afford to eat there so the drink menu may have do) really any menu that was a special experience of your travels, displayed on a wall. I have never tried a Laudree macaron so I'm more impressed by the beautiful designed interiors, the packaging and the pretty colours, to think a patiserrie which started in 1862 and attracted parisian high society to its tea`salons has so much history and still in business today, I just love Paris!
I seem to be making quiet a few inspiration boards for my clients at the moment, we can frame them in beautiful antique frames, even cover the cork in fabric and then frame it, also using white or coloured cork. Lately I have been lining them with left over wall-paper from jobs which looks great too, I'm working on several at the moment and will post you so images. I love all these rooms especially the pink one from "Ruthie Somers".
