Fabric Deja Vu

I knew I had seen that gorgeous Christopher Farr fabric before when I opened up my copy of this month's Vogue Living and spotted those beautiful chairs on the cover by designer Darryl Gordon. When I stayed at the Haymarket Hotel in London last year that fabric was used by owner & designer Kit Kemp en masse in the foyer of the hotel. It's such a fresh and vibrant fabric and looks so beautiful on those chairs on the cover of VL. I thought I would show you a few photos I snapped last year of the fabric and how it was used at the Haymarket.

Image 1, 2, 3 - Anna Spiro, Image 4 - Vogue Living

The Hart

The Hart Lodge in Tauranga Bay of Plenty New Zealand looks like it would be a beautiful place to visit and if you were feeling a little extravagant you could fly in on your own helicopter and land at the property's helipad. If only I could flit off over there for a few days. That would be nice!!

Take Me To Rome

And let me stay at Portrait Suites owned by the Ferragamo family. I love the shoe artwork which hangs throughout this dreamy Italian Townhouse. Did I mention it is perfectly located right above the Ferragamo store on Via Condotti?!

{And Finally} London...

I was only in London for one day and one night but that didn't stop me...even though it was at the end of my long trip I managed to squeeze lots into my short stay. One thing which was on my must do list was the Notting Hill Markets. I think I must have been one of the first people to arrive at the markets on that rainy Saturday morning but wow, I'm so thrilled I was as I picked up some amazing things and it wasn't long until the crowds started to fill the street.

In London I stayed at the new very stylish Haymarket Hotel which was designed by owner and Designer Kit Kemp. I must say this hotel was one of the most wonderful hotels I have ever stayed in. Not only was it absolutely beautiful, the service was like no other and the staff were so lovely and so kind and absolutely nothing was too hard. When I arrived at the hotel I was given an upgrade to a junior suite {at no charge} and when I asked if I could get a late check out at 6.00pm the next day {which I was more than happy to pay for} they granted it at no charge. Wow, what an end to my trip away. I absolutely LOVED this hotel and I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting London in the future as I personally wouldn't stay anywhere else!! If you live in London and don't need to stay at the hotel I would recommend visiting the Haymarket for afternoon tea which they serve all around the beautiful foyer...so gorgeous!!

All images - Anna Spiro 2008

Charlotte Street Hotel

Loving the pretty blue and white colour scheme chosen for this guest room at Charlotte Street Hotel in London!!

Beautiful Villa Feltrinelli

Now this is definitely a place I would love to visit one day. Villa Feltrinelli sits on the shores of Lake Garda in the beautiful village of Gargnano in Northern Italy. Dating back to 1892 the villa was meticulously restored in 1997 and is now offered to travellers as a luxury hotel. By the sounds of it - Frette bed linen, croquet and tea on the lawn, a picnic for two on the property's wood-paneled boat, laundered linen arriving back wrapped in tissue and tied up with silk ribbon with a sprig of lavender - I really don't think I would ever want to come home!!!

All images via Trip Advisor

Snapper Lodge

This is Snapper Lodge located on the waters edge in Newport, NSW, Australia. With it's own jetty and sandy beach, this rustic house was originally styled by an artist and certainly has a very unique, bohemian look. Snapper Lodge is available for holiday rental and if you feel like you may have seen this house before, you probably have. It has long been a favourite of stylists as a location for fashion/design shoots and also has been featured in several leading design magazines over the years. I think it's gorgeous and it would certainly make for a wonderful party or dinner party venue!! The house is available for rent through Contemporary Hotels Australia.