Happy Weekend!

Yay It's Friday... gosh you would think I had worked this week - but working this 3 day thing this week with our national holiday falling on Tuesday and also having Monday off - I could really get used to this!!
So there's nothing like a gorgeous pool with a view...It's forecasted to be another warm but pleasant one this weekend [here in Sydney] reaching about 27 degrees. I would like to be dangling my feet in the water but it would seem that we have a number of 'house' jobs to do with a bit of a working bee tomorrow that covers inside & outside - from relaying garden lighting, to replacing garage sensor lights [so I don't trip down the stairs!], to hanging hooks up for tools & finally hanging my [birthday] mirror in our family room, oh and painting the nursery! Yep there's a few things to do...

Thank you for following me this week, be sure to let you friends know that they can also follow through 'Google Follower Network' click-on the right side of this blog, or through facebook networkedblogs super easy to join up!
Happy Weekend! Enjoy S x

Happy Birthday....for Brent!

This post today is for our very funny, very wonderful & very talented dear dear friend, Brent - who's birthday it is today!! Wishing you a very Happy - Happy Birthday today, and for many more to come! Enjoy xxx

Image from Mikkel Vang

Great Print Ideas for The Little Ones...

Bedtime Bus Roll

Made With Love

Family of Birds

Customised Birth Print

Quiet the Baby's Sleeping

Alphabet Eye Chart

Thanks to another Babyology newsletter, the gorgeous blog 'The House that AM Built' about her quest to find a decal for her son's room, and traipsing through Etsy.com I came across these fabulous Children's art prints by 'My Sweet Prints'. 'My Sweet Prints' is by talented Graphic Designer, Illustrator and stay at home mother - Janette Baker. She began her Etsy store - MY SWEET PRINTS - as a way of maintaining her creativity, whilst at home with her son. According to Janette's profile blurb - MY SWEET PRINTS was created from a passion for design and illustration, interior design and kids prints and patterns. And specialises in original and customised art for the home, nursery and the heart. Designed to capture the imagination and become a treasured keepsake for your family or someone special.

Here I have found a number of prints that I would love to have in the nursery... I am particularly in love with 3 of the pieces, 'Customised Birth Print' , 'Made with Love', 'Bedtime Bus Roll' [clearly inspired from my love of 'Print Doll's' work. So hard to choose... which one would you go for?

Images from My Sweet Prints

Mid-Week House Snoop...A Real Fave Spot!

This would have to be one of the most coveted spots & homes on Sydney's Northern Beaches - Pittwater - located on [Palatial] Delecta Avenue, Clareville [Beach]. I just adore this street where the majority of the homes back directly onto Clareville beach and are a short walk to a picnic & bbq facilities. On weekends the kids often exciting splash & swim up to the Water Kiosk Cafe Boat that sails into the beach selling coffee, drinks & ice creams etc. I just love this house, the style, the colouring, the position - the list goes on... And should that money tree decide to sprout a few leaves in my yard I would be calling the agent and moving people right now!

AGENT'S BLURB.... CLAREVILLE NSW - 18 Delecta Avenue
An absolute beachfront location on the sands of Clareville Beach. This exquisite and unique architect designed all seasons beach house is a relaxed haven that leaves nothing to the imagination in the quest for luxurious living and effortless entertaining.
Magnificent Pittwater vistas stretch north to Lion Island
A showcase of understated elegance, style and sophistication
Peacefully placed in the area's premier beachside cul-de-sac
Nestled on 609sqm expertly manicured level gardens
Expansive living and dining spaces warmed by an open fire
Seamless flow to a vast covered beachside entertainers' deck
Two living spaces on the upper level plus deck with views
Timber kitchen with European appliances, stylish bathrooms
Wide hallways, high ceilings, styled in relaxed beach-themes
Double lock-up garage, timber flooring, plantation shutters

Images from McGrath Real Estate - Northern Beaches Listing

Happy Australia Day!

Happy Australia Day!

Hope you have a wonderful day, whether your an Aussie on national soil, or abroad across the seas, or in our wonderful country travelling & visiting - have a fun time over our National holiday! Advance Australia Fair! Enjoy x

Images from Mark Newling

Wall Coverings...For the Boys!

Catherine Martin's 'Circus' and 'Stripe' in Cherry Red/ White for Porter's Paints.

Catherine Martin's 'Circus' and 'Stripe' in Navy / White for Porter's Paints.

Catherine Martin's 'Alphabet' and 'Stripe' in Celery Green/ White for Porter's Paints.

If you're like me and prefer to primary & secondary colours like Navy Blue, Cherry Red, Celery Green with White for little boys nurseries & bedrooms, then you'll love the range of wallpaper and floor rugs from Renaissance lady - film set, production & costume designer Catherine Martin, of 'Moulin Rouge', & 'Australia' fame. Both Porters Paints & Designer Rugs have carried these lines for about 2 years now - so although they're not 'new' on the market they are stayers & therefore becoming 'popular' classics through children's' rooms here in Australia and abroad. Research suggests children respond better to vivid hues, Catherine’s range of wallpapers are the perfect thing to team with simple furniture for a truly beautiful effect. And the fantastic thing about the wallpaper is that you won’t need very much in the way of decoration either – the prints on the wall/s [and floor] are all the decor you need once teamed with simple furniture pieces and a few favuourtie books & toys! I have always loved them especially the 'Circus' them - even my fear of monkey's doesn't put me off!

And more recently, since being pregnant & due with 'baby' in early May, I have been on the look out for stylish nursery decor that I can A) add to later - since we don't know what we're having, and B) can carry through some distinct decor ages from baby to toddler and little [school] boy... Here, I think Martin's range does just that. I am leaning towards the 'Circus' Navy / White with accents of red through prints, bunting & toys, this - should we have a little man grace our home! What do you think???

Also check out Viv's post on her Little Boy's Nursery on Ish & Chi here she used Catherine Martin's Circus wall paper in Red/ White as a fabulous feature wall, and accented with Red & white pieces. She also has a fabulous Etsy store too, and was featured in Real Living mag Nov 09 issue! Now to explore some options for little girls....

Images from Porter's Paints & Designer Rugs

Friday Flowers... With Thanks!

Happy Friday! Thank you to all of you who have been checking in, following, and sending me lovely emails & comments at Palatial Living.... My image today is courtesy of my fabulous sister, who sent me a link for this lovely Garden & Interiors store 'Dee Puddy - Garden & Interiors' based in the UK. I love these hand made porcelain gift tags... there are also similar ones I found on Esty as well - make sure you take a look!

This weekend I have made into a looong weekend - with our national holiday on Tuesday 26th Jan aptly called 'Australia Day' , I am taking the Monday off too! So after a quite a busy week with 'Verandah' and helping a couple of my lovely clients, this weekend I am looking forward to relaxing, swimming at the beach & catching up with family & friends, and maybe popping down to Canberra for the National Gallery's exhibit 'Masterpieces of Paris' from the Musee' d'Orsay - this exhibition was travelling to Australia when I was in Paris - so I missed it there!

So if you're in Australia or your an Aussie abroad, away from home, I hope you have a wonderful 'Australia Day' inspired weekend...otherwise I know you will have a lovely weekend anyway! Take Care & Enjoy! S x

Image from Dee Puddy

Colour In Kitchens...Why Not!

Add a large piece or wall art into your kitchen / dining space and extract the colours from this to get your inspiration - then accessorize with the accent hues!
Taking the warm wood grain orange from this timber veneer into the rest of the kitchen makes for a stunning complimentary wall colour & accented accessories.

Shots of high chroma colour can make a White kitchen fun again... especially when you add the bunting element! You can make bunting from cutting triangles of your off cuts of your sewing fabric, cheap remnants and attach to ribbon, webbing tape or bis binding, or cheat & by it through decor places such as the UK's 'The Cotton Bunting Company' or Etsy online.

A Chalkboard wall for all your messages, shopping lists and to-do's - smartly teamed with white & cherry red for a sophisticated industrial look. Chalkboard paint can be readily bought from your local hardware store [in Australia - Bunnings or Mitre 10] or paint stores [Porter's Paints etc]

Striking - tipping normal the balance from all white kitchens to majority black charcoal with white & citrus yellow.

Injection of colour through Yellow decor accents against white

White & Neutral Natural Tones - simple fresh harmony.

Today's post is inspired by my lovely Verandah client, whom I am catching up with today to discuss her dining-lounge room window treatments & some colour options for her newly renovated kitchen splash back.... So for the past few weeks I have been digging deep into my image vault and researching open plan living spaces with plantation style shutters and blinds, and colour [usage] in kitchens & all things related. Here's a few I found that I you might like...so many hues to choose from - bold & bright to soft & feminine, don't forget that even with shades of white - natural & neutral hues can be blended to create a great palette! Enjoy x

Images from Living Etc & House Beautiful

The Power Of Turquoise...

Various shades of Turquoise & Teal, with hues of White & Natural Straw make for a contemporary, fun space.

Wallcoverings from 'York' - If you have enough pattern in a room, add texture and shimmer with glass bead encrusted or crystal embedded papers like those from York

Paint the room a bold, fresh yet calming colour!

Rooms to inspire - using the 'colour of the year' as confirmed by 'colour authority body' Pantone, here are some great ways to bring Turquoise (15-5519) through your interiors. Turquoise is great hue to do this as it's colour meaning is about - Love, healing, generosity, emotion, feeling , the unconscious , intuition, individual responsibility .creativity , communication, self reliance , independence. This color has more to do with feeling and creative expression than with rational thought. A mix of blue and green, turquoise has a sweet feminine feel while the darker teal shades add lively sophistication.... Enjoy!

Images from Elle Decor

The Works of Saul Bass...

A collage of Saul Bass' graphic film titles - his signature graphic style was hard not to miss.
Bass' movie poster design for Alfred Hitchcock's classic 'Vertigo' and one of my favourite films, with Jimmy Stewart & Kim Novak.

A more contemporary film but none the less in the familiar signature graphic style that is Bass' - 'Burn After Reading' a black comedy movie by the Coehn brothers - Joel & Ethan, starring [amongst others] George Clooney & Frances McDermott, I really enjoyed this movie - hire/ download it if you can.
Movie poster - 'Anatomy of a Murder'...

Movie poster - 'The Man with the Golden Arm'.


Last week I posted fabulous & favourite quote from Saul Bass - 'Design is Thinking Made Visual'. I love this quote so much that I also wanted to share more of Saul Bass' work in particular some of his film title designs [movie posters]. I have always loved poster art from [gallery] exhibition posters, to vintage advertising posters and film title design posters - such as these [images above]. Saul Bass would have to be undoubtedly the master of film title design in the 20th Century - his graphic style became signature through the 1950's through to the 70', and graphic corporate logos and are easily recognisable...

SAUL BASS (1920-1996) was not only one of the great graphic designers of the mid-20th century but the undisputed master of film title design thanks to his collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock, Otto Preminger and Martin Scorsese.
When the reels of film for Otto Preminger’s controversial new drugs movie, The Man with the Golden Arm, arrived at US movie theatres in 1955, a note was stuck on the cans - "Projectionists – pull curtain before titles".
Until then, the lists of cast and crew members which passed for movie titles were so dull that projectionists only pulled back the curtains to reveal the screen once they’d finished. But Preminger wanted his audience to see The Man with the Golden Arm’s titles as an integral part of the film.

For more on Saul Bass - please visit Design Museum

Images from All Posters

Fab Find... A Stylish Way to Show Your Family Tree

'Birds of a Feather'

' Slice fo Life'

' Ripples in the Pond'

' Proud as Peacock Tree'

' Minimalist Octopus'

Since we have been on the hunt for nursery related items lately I have subscribed to many fabulous 'baby' orientated forums, website newsletters and blogs... And without turning Palatial Living into a 'baby forum' there are some items I have come across recently that would transcend the baby/ child arena that lend themselves more to stylish offerings for individuals who seek an alternative to the mainstream for their families or themselves, and so I thought I would post things along the way that I know stir my senses as they may yours too... with or without baby!

I have always been interested in my family history, genealogy - the 'ole family tree', and more so when I got married looking towards my husband's family, and now more recently starting our very own immediate family tree... Here I have found a great modern, fun & stylish way to present your family tree - through [Babyolgy e-newsletter] the U.S company 'Me & My Tree'! And the best thing for us in Australia - yep they ship here too - yay! They come flat packed/ unframed so you can choose how to mount & frame your family tree art! What a great way to show your family history. I just love the graphic style, and am torn between the 'proud as peacock', the ' minimalist octopus', and maybe 'birds of a feather' or 'slice of life'..!!

What do you think? Which one would you choose?

From the Babyology E-Newsletter
The family tree never looked so good.
Turn your family tree into a piece of modern art with a superb customised chart from My Tree and Me. Describing their business as ‘modern genealogy’, My Tree and Me has created a number of non-traditional family trees to illustrate family connections.
The bold ‘Slice of Life’ chart shows seven generations in a way that truly is modern art. On a smaller scale, but equally eye-catching is the ‘Ripples in a Pond’ chart. Both are available in bright or neutral tones. The ‘Minimalist Octopus’ and ‘Proud as a Peacock’ charts are visually more intricate but nonetheless striking.
The My Tree and Me website also lists some helpful links for researching your family history. I think a family tree presented in this way would make a fantastic gift for grandparents.
Prices range from US$55-95 for customised charts and between US$48-70 for DIY charts. My Tree and Me ships to Australia.

Images / Text from Me & My Tree, and Babyology.

Happy Birthday... To My Mum!

Mum, this post is for you... Just as the Peonie - you're feminine, have many layers that seem to sit so well together, are vibrant in many 'colours' of the season, are strong, and always admired. You always check out my posts on Palatial Living, if not, than almost everyday with your email comments of encouragement, or how I might have inspired you with another of 'my ideas'...

Thank you for being so supportive & making every effort, you know how, to help me get there...Wishing you a very Happy Birthday for today, looking forward to our lunch together! I love you very much! S xxx

Image from vi.sualize.us

Daring Colour & Flowers for Friday...

Happy Friday... I needed some visual 'pick-me-up' for the end of the week, I've been battling a miserable ear ache, and what better way than this fabulous image showing a daring dash of vibrant candied pink fuchsia wall, teamed with off-white wainscoting, accents Black & Grey, and a favourite of mine -a Blue & White pattern belonging to a handsome Ginger jar housing soft pink blossom stems! I think Anna, from Absolutely Beautiful Things would love this too!

How about you - do you dare to add some colour to your home this weekend?

Thank you for making Palatial Living your inspiration zone this week! Enjoy your weekend - see you next week! S xx

Image from House Beautiful - via Tammy Manet, Flickr

Quote...of the Day

One of my favourite quotes, from one of my favourite Renaissance men - graphic designer/art director/ filmmakers - and overall one of the most influential people in design- in the 20th Century - Saul Bass.

Image/ Quote - by Saul Bass (1920 to 1996) from Vi.sualize.us

House Snoop... Bury St Edmund's 'Little Park'

One of my bigger fans of 'Palatial Living', my sister - Felic, who lives in London & travels to Bury St. Edmund's from time-to-time with her fiance, Alex, to visit his family [who live there]...Felic loves my regular 'House Snoops' spot that are of homes around Sydney, and parts of Australia and across the Tasman - usually up for sale or auction, or sometimes my own nosiness! So she kindly sent me some of her 'House Snoops' from her walks around this very pretty & Palatial part of the world. For me these images are such a nice 'visual cooler' to look at, as for the past several days in Sydney we have been sweltering with 38 degree (98-102F) plus days, and not much different in the evening! I love the freshness & crispness, and I can almost hear the quietness of the snow... a nod to all my friends in the Northern Hemisphere- stay warm! Hope you Enjoy! x

Images from Felic