New Things at Black & Spiro

We received some gorgeous new things in the shop this week. In particular the white box side tables which we wallpapered in mismatching wallpapers for our next display and some gorgeous big blue and white ginger jars which I also ordered for our new display.

Pools From My "I Love File"

It has been such a hot Summer here in Australia so I thought I would cool things down a bit for my Aussie readers by posting some of my favourite pool images. The top image is my all time favourite pool and pool house which was featured in Elle Decor. The middle image is a new favourite which was also recently featured in Elle Decor and the last image I just love because of all the potted pink flowers.

New Ralph Lauren Home Collection

OMG - If you haven't already seen the new release Ralph Lauren Home Collection - Beach - then you need to visit the site now!! As always the experience is a jaw dropping, eyes hooked to the computer, devine, drop dead gorgeous, I wish I could have EVERYTHING adventure!! And the waves rolling into the beach with the beautiful music in the background - well what more can I say other than I'm dreaming!!

Gorgeous Things

Look at all all of these gorgeous things from Inside Avenue via Belle Vivre. They have lots more wonderful things on their website so take my advice - go and have a look!!

A Garden Party

I just love this idea for a night time garden party. I found this image on New York Social Diary a few months ago and I have been lusting over it ever since. I am celebrating my 30th Birthday later this year and I would just love to have a party like this!! I'll keep dreaming shall I??!!

Classical & Stylish

I just couldn't resist posting these images I found on one of my favourite blogs Dreamhouse Cammy. I have filed them away in my "I Love" file for safe keeping. I think I could live in a house like this forever and ever and I would never tire of it - so classical and stylish!

Collections - An Important Design Element

Day Birger et Mikkelsen

Day Birger et Mikkelsen


Coastal Living

Stephen Gambrel

When decorating I always love to scour my clients homes to find old treasured things which they have thrown into the back of a cupboard or drawer. I like to pull them out and place them in a collection on a piece of furniture like a coffee table, side table, sideboard or sofa table. And if a client doesn't have some goodies stowed away I often take them shopping to create their very own collection of things. A person's home should be a reflection of them not a reflection of me so even though I design their rooms and homes I do like to add a touch of them whether it's some old shells they collected years ago or old family photographs reframed, old books or even an old chair recovered - a piece of my client's life is always an important element of my design.

Fabulous Furniture

I love this pretty custom painted reproduction furniture from Minnie Peters which I found via Mteriors blog. Minnie Peters is a Dublin based company. The particular colours chosen and also the handles, I think, make these pieces so fabulous! Notice the flash of citrus yellow popping out from the inside of the drawers in the top image. Grange has a range similar to this but their colour combinations are more intense and bold.

It's the Weekend!!!

Finally, the weekend is here!! I'm going over to Straddie for the weekend and I was thinking it may be nice to have a beautiful lunch with some friends on Sunday at our beach house. Look at this gorgeous Hawaiian style table setting above - it has inspired me!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I'm so looking forward to having some time to relax with my 4 year old and my husband and maybe a long walk along the beach on Sunday morning to get my creative inspiration moving!!

Oh and just one more thing, I would like to thank all of you for your continued support and for visiting ABT!! Thank you also for all the wonderful comments you leave. I would love to hear from where you all come from and what inspires you so if you have the time over the weekend please introduce yourself and tell me what inspires you!


Thanks again!

XOXO
Anna

Grace's Bedroom

This is Grace's bedroom which I have just finished. Grace is a young teenage girl who loves pink so this is what I created for her. I am just finishing off a built-in desk unit which I have designed with pink and black patterned wallpaper sections so I will post pictures of it once it has been completed in a couple of weeks. She sure is a very lucky girl to be able to have this as her haven.

David Bromley

David Bromley paintings above from Tim Olsen Gallery

My David Bromley painting above "Poh" which I purchased from Jan Murphy Gallery in Brisbane

Today my design assistant Avril posted on her blog, Jane d'Avril about Australian artist David Bromley who is without a doubt my most favourite artist in the world. I have 4 of David's paintings myself and I would love more. The reason for all the discussion at Black & Spiro today about David Bromley is because Sally who is my dear friend and also my office manager at Black & Spiro is about to purchase one of David's beautiful paintings. She has been looking at them for over a year now and we think she has found "The one". I think she'll be doing a lot of nice talking to her husband tonight!! Good luck Sal - I really hope you get it. If you want to see more of David's beautiful pieces go and have a look at Avril's site and also some of the gallery sites I have listed above.

Swirly Curly Garden Furniture

One of my favourite haunts in Brisbane imports these wonderful French vintage iron garden chairs and tables and after reading Stylecourt's post about swirly curly outdoor furniture this week I remembered the gorgeous chairs I purchased for Black & Spiro late last year. I think we should try to get some more for the shop because I remember that we only had them in the front window for 2 days and then they were gone! Thanks Stylecourt for triggering my memory!!

Haymarket Hotel Opening Update

Earlier this year I posted about the much anticipated opening of the Haymarket Hotel in London. The hotel was due to open in March however, as with most large projects like this, the open date has been postponed to April. There are some new pictures though which have just been released of the hotel's rooms which I have posted above. Obviously a bright colour scheme was chosen. I'll keep you updated about the opening and I will post more pictures as they become available.

An Ethereal Dining Room

The beautiful dining room above is by Interior Designer Molly Luetkemeyer of M Design. Molly interned with infamous Designer Kelly Wearstler and has now created a name for herself with her fresh and innovative designs.

Photo above from M Design website which I found via Desire to Inspire.

New Designers Guild Display

Our new Designers Guild fabrics arrived today for our next display at Black & Spiro. The 2 above are my favourites. I will be posting photos once it has all been installed within the next month so keep checking back.

Please Can We Have One Mummy?

Devore Associates

I think my 4 year old son would love one of these but unfortunately we don't have the room. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a country weekend house with enough land to have your very own hedge maze - it looks like so much fun and maybe not just for the under 5's!!

Photo from Devore Associates via House & Garden via Stylecourt.

Another Fabulous Blog

Another fantastic blog I have just stumbled across via Pink Mohair is XT Decor Mag. The images above are my favourites on the XT site. Lots of colour and beautiful things everywhere on this site which has become one of my everyday reads!

I Love Fifi Lapin...

Fifi in Chanel

Fifi in Gucci

If you don't already know about Fifi Lapin then I am going to tell you she is the hottest little bunny on the catwalk this season!! If you love couture fashion then Fifi is the girl in the know!! Please go and have a look at her blog and you can even purchase your very own Fifi Lapin signed drawing in her etsy shop!! These are to die for. I am considering sending through some of my favourite runway fashion outfits so that Fifi can be drawn in them for me - I just love Fifi and I am so addicted to her blog!!

Casapinka Reminder

Just a reminder to you all to visit Casapinka. For all my new readers Casapinka is a blog which details the 1 year renovation of a house in America which I am helping decorate with it's owner Pink (don't worry that's just her alias - it's not her real name) from Pink Mohair. The catch is that Pink and I have never met and the only communication we are having is via email, telephone and postage. Now just to make something clear - Pink has her own very distinct taste and my job as her decorator is to make sure that she is making all the right selections and mixing the right sorts of things together to create an overall finished look. My part in all of this is not to completely push my tastes on Pink. I just give her my advice and suggestions, oh and I certainly tell her if I don't like something and it's completely up to her if she runs with it or not. She also presents me with a lot of things she finds and I give her my opinion. It's a lot of fun so please go and have a look at the site and who knows maybe you'll become addicted!!

Just to explain the images I have posted above - the top image is a picture I emailed to Pink a couple of months ago as an idea for her stairwell and just this week Pink found the mirrors in the bottom picture at her favourite flea market which she will arrange ad hock in her own stairwell. I think it will look fantastic - I can't wait for her to email me the pictures once she has finished it!!

A Black & Spiro Design Package

One of my clients came into my studio today to pick up her Black & Spiro Design Package. We offer this service to clients who want to project manage their own job. This service is great for clients who are on a budget yet want the concept of a Black & Spiro interior. This client loved our proposal and she's now off to start the re-fit of her home. I often ask the clients to email me pictures once they've finished so that I know how it all turned out. The picture above is the folder I presented to my client today.

New Lamp At Black & Spiro

We just received the new lamp above at Black & Spiro with a custom made lampshade which we chose to have made in a Gaston y Daniela fabric - I love to use pattern on pattern!!

Another Fashion Designers Home

I love this pretty house which belongs to Danish Fashion Designer Malene Birger. I have had this house in one of my "I Love" files for quite sometime now however, I was just looking at the beautiful blog Dreamhouse today and it was featured there and it reminded me how much I loved this house.

Photos courtesy of Dreamhouse.