An Eclectic Apartment Sings Colour

Using colour in way to create a powerful statement in home, yet keep it 'real and relaxed' is not as easy as some may think. Inspired by its owners wide collection of art, the designers of this Sydney apartment have excelled in creating a colourful interior.

Spotted This Week - Vibrant art, an interesting interior, and two, simple gluten free recipes

I am sorry I missed this Wednesday's post, I have been a little bit under the weather so to speak, but feeling somewhat better and back on board again. I guess this is the nice thing about working from home, it is a little easier to take a break. However, in saying this, I do feel a great responsibility to my readers and sponsors and so getting back into the swing of things with a mix of art, interiors and food to inspire you over the weekend.

Pantoneview - Forecasting Colour & Design - 'Culture Eclectic', what is it and how will it influence upcoming interior trends?

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Recently I received an unexpected email from Pantoneview, offering me a complimentary one year subscription to their invaluable on-line resource. What exactly is Pantoneview you may be asking? It is an exciting website I will be exploring to bring my readers regular updates on the the latest trends and future forecasts for colour and design. So, lets find out more about Pantoneview and their current forecast, 'Culture Eclectic'

A Spanish holiday casa in Costa del Sol

I was browsing ideas for a friend who is renovating a casa in Spain and spotted this lovely home on the Costa del Sol. The owners have added sisal rugs and patterned kilims, at the same time allowing the beautiful patina of the terracotta floors to shine. The gentle blue tones remind me of the nearby sea and the mix of patterns and textiles add lots of interest. Most of the rooms have an ethnic quality about them, however the dining area is a tad English don't you think? The linen headboard in the bedroom is something I have been dreaming of for some time now and I am excited to say I have finally made one from scratch for my guest bedroom. I will be sharing the step by step, 'easy' instructions when I reveal the complete makeover at the end of next week.

Wander through this wonderful casa at your own pace and enjoy the tour...

Images/via

I hope you have had a great weekend and have enjoyed the tour.

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I should be Mopping the Floor

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No Minimalist Here

My Romantic Home

A Belgian artist's colourful home

Yesterday was spent at the Auckland gift fair and my head is spinning from all the wonderful products displayed. The day definitely had an effect on me as I seem to be drawn to objects d' art and excited to discover the home of Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave. Isabelle is an incredibly talented artist who specialises in paper such as this beautifully detailed costume of a 1760 Gilet below. An extremely talented and versatile artist, Isabelle's work has been commissioned by museums and covers various mediums from  paper and bronze sculptures, to paintings on canvas. If you would like see more of Isabelle's art please visit her website, there is a link at the end of this post.

Gilet D'Homme, 1760 - Created from paper - Photo by Rene Stoeltie

Painting  on canvas- Canape  - Photograph by Alain Speltdoorn

Isabelle is an avid collector and her travels have enabled her to fill her home with colourful and interesting pieces. Such a talented artist must surely be inspired by her collection of fascinating object d'art...

Layers of texture and pattern

 An avid collector of unusual pieces

This amazing desk is an art piece in itself 

 More colourful objects 

The black and gold letter press in the centre (top shelf), is similar to one I inherited from my mother. Letter presses were used to emboss letterheads or envelopes. The paper is placed between the press and the levered handle is then pressed down to emboss the paper. 

 Mixing patterns is a feature throughout Isabelle's home

 Sunlight filters through the cutwork of the curtains creating  pretty patterns on the floors and wall

 A red painted table compliments the colours of the painting

 Asian antique chairs, wonderful textiles and a lovely table top vignette, create an interesting corner

 Isabelle's cat looks perfectly relaxed in the colourful bedroom

Isabelle's Art

Images source: via

If you love colourful interiors you may want to view the following posts:
An eclectic West Hollywood home| Take one white sofa - accessorising with colour 

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I should be Mopping the Floor

Savvy Southern Style
Not Just A Housewife

No Minimalist Here

My Romantic Home

Eclectic Style & Colour In This West Hollywood Home

I'm taking a break from a complicated post to share an amazing interior belonging to Cuban born, Carmen Lopez. Carmen has been an avid collector ever since she left her home in Cuba and her current Spanish deco home of the past 23 years is a true reflection of her style. I always say, "a house is just four walls, but a home is what you make of it". Your home should be a reflection of your personality, life, travels, and Carmen's home is a truly a reflection of hers. You can read more about Carmen at the end of this post.

Photography - John Ellis.

I've been fascinated by Carmen's home and her wonderful sense of style. Not only does Carmen have a great eye for mixing colour and pattern, she also has some clever ways of displaying such as her jewelry collection and her fabulous silver display, although I wouldn't want to be the one having to clean it all that silver. 

We hope you've enjoyed this post, you can read more about Carmen's house and details of her paint and drapery colours  along with more more images at  Traditional Home.  

Interior Design by Grant Larkin

Recently I was excited to discover the work of Grant Larkin Interior design, a partnership of Elaine Grant and Matthew Larkin, I fell in love their very distinct sense of style. As an artist myself I was drawn to the fascinating artworks found in their interiors and I wanted to share a few of their designs that spoke to me.

 I love the central artwork, the boy on the galloping horse. The colour of the stripes in the seating perfectly co-ordinates with this work. The addition of the bold carpet reflects colours used in the adjacent painting to the right and some of the artifacts on display.

A simple fireplace made stunning by the addition of wide horizontal stripes. The light in this room is perfect, the painting above the fireplace almost reflects the flames.

 What a wonderful mix of pattern and style in this living area opening to the kitchen. A mix of furniture styles and colours that create for me an "Americana" look. Grant Larkin have managed to create a comfortable area with an eclectic retro look.  I am fascinated by this room.

The fabulous kitchen with its bold statement extractor housing.

Sometimes "Less is more". No artwork required in this dining area with a stunning window framing the exterior view. This interior is my personal favourite.

I love this collection of furniture, beautiful woods that compliment the statement painting above the sofa.

I have to say I just love the architectural design of this room, the beautiful windows with their unusual window panes. The eagle sculpture perfectly reflects the curves of the window frame.

I particularly appreciate how Grant Larkin create a wonderful balance without restrictions, they go "out of the box", and it's clearly important their clients possessions, whether a large piece of furniture, artwork or a small ceramic, each item has its importance in the overall design. Grant Larkin's designs are not just about an eye for detail, this company is truly sympathetic to their clients complete environment, both architectural, and aesthetic, right down to the finest details.

More of Grant Larkin's work can be seen at their website or at their Dering Hall site.

Note: Images above reproduced with permission from Grant Larkin, please do not re-use these images.

Lee

&

Poppy oxo

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - Inspiration from India, Interiors, Paintings, Food & Colour

Saturday night I went out with a girlfriend to see the movie, "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel". What a wonderful  "feel good film". The movie is set in Jaipur, India. I thoroughly recommend this comedy drama to lift the spirits and allow you to reflect on your lives.  If I had to make any sort of critique, it would probably be that it was a little long but I still loved every moment and there were some fun laughs.  The cast is predominantly British, Judy Dench, Bill Nighy and Maggie Smith are some well known names, alongside Slum Dog Millionaire star Dev Patel.

Of course when I think of India, I conjure up vivid colours, sari's, embroidery and Elephants so, today I'm abandoning my "neutral" brain and sharing some colourful Indian inspiration.

First take a look at a short clip of the movie to create that Indian mood ☺

I love the quote from the movie and applying it to my life right now...

There is an old Indian saying...It will be alright in the end, if it's not alright, 

then it is not yet the end! 

Paintings by  Namita Kapoor a contemporary artist living in San Fransisco.

visit Namita's website to see more of her colourful work "here", there is a distinct touch of "Bollywood" to her work.

Some fabulous Indian recipe's such as "Cheese balls in Tomato Sauce", from a great food blog called Pure Vegetarian. A delightful blog with the most gorgeous photography.

Click "here" for this recipe and see lots more wonderful vegetarian recipe's. There is also a link on their page where you can download and print out the recipes.

Bitter melons an Indian ingredient - photography from Pure Vegetarian

click "here" (or image above) to view my Indian Inspired Pinterest Board "A Taste of India", with lots more images. I tried out the new "60's" application in Picasa to edit this collage I created giving it a vintage feel. Original images are via Pinterest.

I once had a lot of fun with an Indian inspired dinner party for some friends in Abu Dhabi. I decorated the table with a gorgeous red and gold, sheer organza tablecloth. I bought gold rimmed glasses and spent two days creating some really lovely Indian recipes. I even printed some menu cards out. I think it was a really nice evening enjoyed by all. I'll have to dig out the recipe's to post... It's nice to have themed dinner parties sometimes, it helps create an ambiance.


If you love "colour" you may also enjoy a previous post on "Colourful Interiors" or you may want to check out my Pinterest Colour Inspiration Board. The images below are just a "taster" of the colour inspired images pinned on my board.

Image via Pinterest

Image via Pinterest

Lee oxo

&

Poppy