Jan 27

Warm rooms and high ceilings

Posted in Architecture, classic style, elegant style, traditional home, Uncategorized, warm colours

You know my obsession with double-height rooms? I was doing a little research online looking for inspiration for if I could build a new house (yes, I am a busy woman but this was down-time at about 4:30 this morning), and looking at said tall rooms and saw this:

I really like that glimpse through to the hallway under the upstairs walkway, and the iron balcony overlooking the living room. I used to draw pictures of rooms like this when I was little – and I still love this neo-classical, luxurious style. And I LOVE that double-height room!

But it’s not just the architecture I’m drawn to; I’m a big fan of warm and cosy colours and comfortable rooms that envelop you. I like white walls in the right room but where you want a room to feel luxurious and ultra-comfy I prefer warmer shades like sands, tans, honeys and stone sort of colours.

Here’s another example:

I love all these warm tones with the rusts in the rug and also the fabrics; silk in the curtains and leather on the chairs. Add a little black and a little brass or gold and you’ve got a beautiful room that feels luxurious, grown-up and expensive!

Remember the house from the movie ‘It’s Complicated’?. It had that same warm and cosy feel but without the formality (above). The rusty reds add to the warm feeling.

Here’s another example (and another zebra rug!):

I really like how well taupes go with duck-egg blues.

But back to the double-height rooms, I realised when I looked through some of my photos that I seem to have a thing for tall stone fireplaces, too:

though I think it’s mainly the height thing that appeals to me. Here’s another favourite from Traditional Home:

The high ceilings and the connection between the two floors is definitely on my House Wish-List!

I’ll be away in Sydney all this week for the trade fairs and to check on a couple of projects so I’m not sure that I’ll be back until next week, hopefully full of new inspiration! So until then have a great week.

Naomi xx

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Dec 16

Wonderful Christmas House

Posted in Architecture, Celebrations, traditional home, Uncategorized

I’ve mentioned before that one of my favourite magazines for Christmas decorating inspiration is Traditional Home. I’m not really one for modern Christmas decorations (wreaths of coloured baubles and the like), and prefer a more traditional approach; really I have always been seduced by that luxury of lots of foliage, beautifully wrapped gifts, deep colours, twinkling lights in a dark room, crystal and silver..

but it doesn’t have to be red and gold, I saw some gorgeous white ornaments and decorations in Bed Bath and Table yesterday (all on sale too). I’d just like the white-laden tree to sit by a beautiful traditional rug in warm colours! Anyway, this home to me is perfect for this sort of nest-like Christmas decorating.

I’m drawn to the warmth of all that unpainted beautiful timber in the floors, doors and architraves, the stone and brickwork and the traditional furnishings. I love that all the natural materials are celebrated and not covered up – my mum would say it has integrity (we had a heated discussion on this topic when I wanted to use stone to cover dark brickwork on the outside of my parents’ house- mum argued forcefully that to cover her ‘good, honest brickwork’ would be to rob her home of integrity – yes, house talk is serious business! I’m still not sure whether ugly integrity is worth displaying..)

What a fabulous upstairs bedroom (above) – I’d love to sleep in a bedroom with a fireplace and a pitched ceiling line like this!

I do think when I look at this office how fabulous the bookcases would look painted grey! But don’t the timber shelves, traditional rug, brick walls and Christmas greenery go well together?

Have a wonderful weekend!

Naomi x

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Oct 10

Harlequin style

Posted in Colour Love, flooring, pattern, Uncategorized

I had an email from a reader last week asking if I had any pictures of rooms using colour and a harlequin design. I love getting requests like this because I have an enormous collection of magazines and clippings collected over many years and I often forget what’s even in my many boxes and folders and files! So, when I got this email it immediately put into my mind a house that featured in Traditional Home magazine a few years ago (along with UK Homes & Gardens, this has been my long-term foreign favourite. Domino and House Beautiful came later).

From memory I think the house used to be home to a circus group, and the new owners wanted to keep that spirit alive in their renovation and redecoration. That meant lots and lots of bright colour and pattern. I loved it and kept it because I love the sense of fun that this beautiful, grand house has, and although I probably wouldn’t live with it myself, I think the use of colour is great.

There’s a bit of harlequin pattern (above)! It’s basically just the diamond-shaped pattern worn by clowns in a traditional circus. I remember reading that the family who lives in this house eschews formal dinner parties in favour of popcorn and corndogs (which in my mind are what we Australians call dagwood dogs) – I think that is so fun!

I had a little hunt around for more harlequin-themed ideas. You can buy a chest similar to this one (above) new on ebay.

Love this classic black and white harlequin- patterned bathroom!

Dream stairway!

Isn’t this beautiful (above)? The grey and white-tiled floor looks like a harlequin pattern from this angle, though of course if you moved a little to the right it might just be square tiles laid in a chequered pattern! The French doors and shades of grey are a dream..

This is a slightly different take on harlequin, using triangles instead of diamonds, but the effect is similar (above).

I think I saw this framed artwork on etsy. You could do this with a scarf or blanket too, or make it yourself with diamonds cut out of coloured paper! So easy and doesn’t it look great framed in white (below).

Not exactly fun and colourful, butI loove this panelled timber wall with the large-scale harlequin pattern!

Have a great Monday xx

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Apr 8

Inspiring me today..

Posted in Colour Love, mix it up, Uncategorized

I know I’m not the only one running around like crazy today making the most of the last day of school before Easter holidays kick in! I absolutely love having all my children at home and am really looking forward to the time with them, but it also means two weeks of a more intense work/home juggling act! Hopefully this year I’ll be organised enough to do some of those Easter craft projects I always admire on blogs and in magazines.

But being a little busy doesn’t mean I’m not thinking interiors..today I’m loving:

This entire scene;

Molly Sims’ outdoor dining room; 

The pinks, greens and blues in this room;

Eclectic collections of beautiful things as in this room:

image credits: house and home, instyle, rita konig, trad home
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