Monday 29 October 2007

Moving House


This week my husband, my son, me and our two dogs are moving to our new house so please bear with me as my posts may be a little light on. It's an amazing thing packing away all of your treasured things into boxes. We have lived in this house for six years, we had Harry here and now it's time to move on. I really am finding it so hard to leave this house with all of the wonderful memories it holds. It's been such a great house and we have loved every single minute of our time here!! On the other hand I am pleased that we will be moving closer to my business and my husband's work and to Harry's school. I am also looking forward to our new project which is the renovation (on a budget) of an old 1930's art deco house so there is lots to look forward to!!

Friday 26 October 2007

Redecorating Mum & Dad's House








Over the last couple of months I have been helping my mother redecorate our family home. Now that it is mostly just mum and dad living in the house they felt it was time to redecorate and give the house a fresh new look. We incorporated all of their old Antique pieces and mostly just recovered and added new cushions and new lampshades throughout. We have just finished the lounge room so I thought I'd show you some pictures of the completed room. My parent's Golden Retriever, Gus seems to be completely at home leaning against their new white slip covered sofas - a very scary concept!! My mum wanted a very simple yet elegant look in this room and her love of blue and white was certainly something we had to consider so we opted for white slip covered sofas with her 2 French chairs recovered in a beautiful Ralph Lauren bulky patterned navy and white linen and cushions made in some old blue and white batik which mum bought overseas a few years ago. I have to say the chairs are SO beautiful and the room does look very elegant and refined. I'll post more images of the rest of the house as the project takes shape over the next few weeks so stay tuned.

Thursday 25 October 2007

Ulrika's Oxfam Cushions


I received another lovely reader email today from Ulrika in Monterey California. I just had to share it with everyone as below;

"Hi Anna,
Thank you so much for your wonderful blog! I moved from Sweden to Monterey, California last year with my family. During the past years I only had white furnitures, walls etc, the summertime in Sweden are really short so the light is really important. Since I started to read your blog I suddenly wanted colours. I have always been reading interior magazines but nothing compares to your blog! Today I recieved the pillows from Oxfam that you recommended. I love them so much! I post you a picture so you can see how good they look in our livingroom.
Best Regards,
Ulrika"

What a lovely email to have received. I was just so thrilled to hear that Ulrika had used some info I shared on ABT. The Oxfam cushions truly are a bargain at $6.00 each (cover only) and don't they look lovely on her sofa!! BTW - I just checked the Oxfam site to make sure they still had the cushions available and they are still showing as in stock.

Thanks Ulrika for your email!!

Wednesday 24 October 2007

Chiang Mai Dragon for Courtney





I found this beautiful shop via Pink Wallpaper blog (a gorgeous blog BTW) today - Hudson located in Boston. I'm sorry if I'm a bit slow my American blog friends but I just love the look of this shop and I had to post these images of this chair they had on their site for Courtney @ Stylecourt as it is upholstered in a fabric she loves - Schumacher's Chiang Mai Dragon. This one's for you Courtney!!

Bronwyn's Flowers & Books


Brownyn from South Africa sent me this GORGEOUS picture today of a vignette she created recently in her guest room in which she also has used pretty fresh flowers placed in vintage teacups (LOVE THIS DETAIL) and some of her favourite books and vintage prints. I absolutely loved receiving your email Bronwyn and the picture of your beautiful vignette was a real treat!!

Tuesday 23 October 2007

Flowers & Books

A couple of images above of some of my own flower & book vignettes.


Megan Samuels book & flower tablescape above. Image courtesy of Stylecourt.


Courtney's book & flower tablescape above.

When creating a tablescape or vignette I often find myself hunting around for beautiful books and fresh flowers arranged in vintage vases to throw into the mix and I notice I'm not alone. Courtney at Stylecourt often talks about her love of design books and has shown us on her blog images of some of her very own tablescapes where she mixes fresh posies of flowers with collections of her favourite books. Megan Samuels from Beach Bungalow 8 is also another flower/book lover and I just adore the picture above of her vintage silver jug filled with beautiful flowers and a pile of her favourite books. What things do you like to mix into a vignette or tablescape?

Pretty In Pink


My dear friend Annie sent me through this gorgeous picture today of the Mother's Day brunch she created for the girls in her family earlier this year. I LOVE the pink themed table - so pretty and so perfectly girly!!

Monday 22 October 2007

My French Life Update



















I am thrilled to be able to show you today some recent images Vicki Archer sent me of the absolutely beautiful country house she and her husband renovated in Saint-Remy-de-Provence in France. I have talked alot about Vicki's beautiful book, My French Life in the past which details their renovation journey and I am thrilled to annouce that the book was released for sale in the US 18th October, 2007 and is due for release in the UK late November, 2007. It was so lovely to see these candid pictures of the property. In the email Vicki told me that she is currently having a "white moment" so everything in the house is a little paired back and white - white flowers, white cushions etc. I'm just loving the whole thing but those iron daybeds on the grass under the shade of big beautiful tress in the first image is just so dreamy!!!

Friday 19 October 2007

Happy Weekend!


Well, what a week it's been! I thoroughly enjoyed being at Design*Sponge this week showcasing a little bit of design down under. Thanks Grace for having me! I posted the picture above of a wing chair covered in vintage Aussie teatowels (as featured in this month's anniversary edition of Australian Vogue Living) on my last post at D*S today - you can't get much more Aussie than that can you?!!

I would also like to send a big hug over to Victoria from Sfgirlbybay as her beautiful and much loved dog Cooper passed away yesterday and I am just so sad for her. I'm thinking of you Victoria!

Well, that's it from me this week. Thanks everyone for a lovely week. I'm looking forward to seeing you all next week!!

xo
Anna


Thursday 18 October 2007

Rug Love



I covet this rug. I can't tell you where it's from as I am hoping to purchase it soon but for the moment I am dreaming about it, wishing for it, can't stop thinking about it!!! It is actually an Argentinean hand woven rug!! I just LOVE the colours in it and I proclaim that this rug is my current obsession!!!

Wednesday 17 October 2007

Introducing Natalie Walton







Today I thought I might do something a little different. I thought I would talk about an interesting person I have only ever talked to over the phone and via email but one that has inspired me very much.

Let me introduce Natalie Walton, deputy editor @ Real Living Magazine who I was recently priviledged to work with on the feature article the magazine did on me, my shop & my home.

Natalie Walton is one very clever and creative lady. After studying English Literature at the University of Sydney, Natalie started a career in journalism and then completed her Master of Arts in Journalism. She says that her two passions in life are writing, first and foremost and since working in her dream job as deputy editor at Real Living her appreciation for home design and style has become as much of her obsession as writing. She says "I've always been a great believer that you can tell a lot about a person by their shoes. Well, since working at Real Living, I now believe your home says much, much more."

Natalie recently talked to me about her thoughts on style which I found so interesting and I have to say that I am in complete agreement with everything she said. Natalie believes that "it's not about how much you spend, but which objects you choose and where you put them. It's about mixing and matching." She also said to me "style is not about the size of your income but about having (or at least trying to develop) a good eye and having the confidence to choose what you love. Then you can't go wrong."

A couple of months ago Natalie's Art Deco flat in Bondi, Sydney was featured in the magazine and what a gorgeous flat it is and so beautifully orchestrated with bits and pieces collected from all over the place. Certainly her own style is evident in these pictures of her flat which she describes as "slightly bohemiam with a French twist." It is also quite clear that she loves colour - maybe she was my sister in another life!!

In her spare time, Natalie writes creatively and has, for the past 5 years, been working on a novel which she says has "been such a labour of love." Her dream will be fullfilled once the novel has been published and being an admirer of people who pursue their passions and who never give up on their dream life, I am sure she won't disappoint.

Natalie recently started her own blog - Daily Imprint - which she says she "wants to be a place where people can go for a hit of inspiration." I have been reading her blog for a little while now and I am certainly inspired by this multi-talented woman!

Thanks for sharing your story so far with me Natalie. I look forward, very much, to your book being published.
Styling - Megan Morton
Photography - Amanda Prior
Story featured in Real Living Magazine

Tuesday 16 October 2007

Jo's Etsy Store




I'm so much looking forward to the opening of Jo's (Desire to Inspire Jo) Etsy store where she will be selling her pieces of art. If these first few images of her hand coloured chair prints are anything to go by I think she's going to be one busy lady keeping up with the demand!! Can't wait for the store to open Jo!!!

Pigotts Store




Yesterday, on the Design*Sponge Guest Blog I posted about Pigotts Store in Sydney. I just couldn't resist posting all the extra pictures which Apryll Annie took for me of the store here at ABT today. I just love the beautiful bright colours in this store and as Courtney @ Stylecourt pointed out their ceramics are just devine!!

Monday 15 October 2007


My first post is up at Design*Sponge. Be sure to head over for the start of my week at the Guest Blog!!

Birthday Lunch









I know you are all probably so sick of hearing about my recent birthday but I thought I'd just show you some pictures of my 30th birthday party which I had on the weekend at Peppers Spicers Peak Lodge which is located 1 hour 45 minutes drive inland from Brisbane (where I live). 25 of my closest family and friends came and spent the weekend with us at the Lodge and we had a special lunch on Saturday beginning with drinks on the lawn (each girl received a handpainted parasol to use outside for the drinks) and then a sit down lunch inside in front of the fireplace. I decorated the table in pink, yellow and white with tin buckets filled with daisies placed down the centre of the table. We all had the most wonderful and memorable weekend. I am so blessed to have such a special group of friends!! I promise I'll stop talking about my birthday now!!!