Weekend Get Away...In the Mountains.

Look what I found... a weekend get away, Amberley Cottage located in Sydney's Blue Mountains in a favourite area of mine, Blackheath.

Amberley Cottage - Blackheath, front drive & path.
Dining Space

Wine & nibbles on the front verandah

Guest bedroom

Guest bedroom

Fully appointed kitchen

Cosy living room with slow burning wood fire

A sunny spot to catch up on reading

Garden breakfast in the rear yard.

This stylish cosy cottage has been decked out with all the mod cons and trappings you'd expect from a newly renovated home...or a luxury weekend away. It has a fully appointed kitchen - perfect for romantic dinners, or a full house with friends away - deck of cards, a few boards ad bottles of wine! Not to mention the slow burning wood fire in the corner of the living room, and the back garden table ready for a sunny breakfast....

Can we go now? The best news is you can! This property is listed on Stayz.com.au for mid-week or weekend accommodation... I'm there!

Amberly Cottage, Blackheath - Images from Stayz.com.au

Mid Week House Snoop...Stunning Elegant Home.

Where do I begin to introduce another 'Killara' find this week for Mid Week House Snoop? This home is simply breathtaking - the frontage and driveway had me on the opening image for the listing... This home is both elegant & modern with a nod to it's 1890's character and style, it would be one of the top homes in the suburb with a price guide in the millions x 3 and above. I particualry love the colour schemes through out the home - take a look...

Frontage of the Northcote Ave home...
Formal Entry way Front lounge room

Well appointed kitchen

Master bedroom

Open living & dining room with oversize picture windows to the rear yard

Full size tennis court...shown here at dusk looking back up to the house.

For more information or to contact the property agent visitt this link

Images from Domain.com.au

Stylish Cottage mixed with Pattern & Colour...

I love this 'cottage' located at Seaside, Florida [US] owned by Barbara Baekgaard, who also has a successful accessories line called 'Vera Bradley'. Just like her accessories line her home is a splendid mix of pattern and full of colour. Take a look - you'll see what I mean, and why I like it so very much... Enjoy!

Side Frontage of the cottage - Barbara greets her daughters.
Living Room, Fabric: Gorgeous patterns by Tyler Hall

Kitchen: Hinson wallpaper, and Pottery - Andrea by sadek

Bedroom: Wall paper by Thibaut - Wallpapers & Fabrics

Covered in Porch makes for a renovated Bathroom: A vintage pedestal bath tub was rescued and painted apple red, teamed back with red gingham curtains.

Bedroom: Pattern & Colour subtly mixed - Floral, Checks & Stripes in Reds & Blues

Verandah: Fabulous fabric upholstered swing lounge [& bedroom wall paper] - Fabric & Pattern by Thibaut Wallpapers & Fabrics. Check fabric - Camden Cotton Check - on bamboo arm chair by Schumacher.

Images from Country Living

Happy Mother's Day...

Happy Mother's Day! It's My Very 1st Mother's Day & I am awestruck... completely besotted with my sweet precious baby girl, Isabelle - who is the reason I am a Mother! Isabelle is also the first grandchild on both mine and my husband's family sides - so it is a HUGE Mother's Day in our families for me, the new grand mothers, and the now great grandmother, and also a great great grandmother - Caroline who is 108yrs old in September this year! Isabelle will be the 5th generation on my mother-in-law's side! Whoa!

So it's a BIG Happy Mother's Day to my lovely Mum, Margaret - a first time grandmother; my wonderful mother-in-law [also] Margaret - and a first time grandmother, my Grandmother's & my husband's Grandmother - all now Great Grandmothers; and my husbands Great Grandmother now a Great Great Grandmother!

So whether you have children or not - where ever you are give thanks to your mum, or the person that has been like-a-mum to you, be it your mother-in-law, your grandma, your auntie, your foster mum, your sister, your godmother or a family friend. It doesn't cost much to give them a hug, or make a phone call or make them a cup of tea or coffee... it all counts. Enjoy the day! xxx

Image - One of my 1st Mother's Day cards from my lovely sister-in-law.

A Special Mother's Day Brunch...

Mother's Day Brunch table decor

Meet Our Isabelle - 2 weeks old, we're all under the Isabelle spell!

Call me crazy or call me smart - but I thought that being my very 1st Mother's Day this year, and my Mum & Mother-in-Law's 1st Grandmother's Day - with our [terribly gorgeous] 2 week old little girl - Isabelle, that I would hold a Mother's Day Brunch at our place under the pergola in the garden... It made perfect sense - everyone could come to us, which included my mum, my mother-in-law and my grandmother-in-law and the boys could cook and serve it all up for us! Did it work... it sure did and was a truly lovely memorable morning shared with my baby daughter who made my [first[ mother's day possible! Here's a few pics of the decorations I put together & a pic of our little Isabelle at only 2 weeks old and not yet at 2.5kgs [5.3llbs] here!

The decor consisted of some beautiful local pink proteas as an arrangement next to the orange juice pitcher [also my fave milk jug] on one of the tea towels I picked up at the Cath Kidston store in Convent Garden, London when I was there last year - whilst pregnant with Isabelle - I thought the colours were fabulous for the brunch and fitting for when & where I bought it!

To all the mum's, mummies [mommies], mummas out there I hope your Mother's Day was special too! S xxx

Images by Verandah Home & Garden Living Solutions

Friday Flowers...Special Delivery.

A vignette of a dozen vased Pink Tea Roses for Isabelle, combined with special glass & china pieces and shells - from so many different people & places - my husband's grandmother, a good friend, some travel finds and a birthday! I often think that the best displays are often gathered over time and from many different people & places.

Happy Friday! Friday Flowers have become a regular feature on Palatial Living for some time now... but lately they have become very special since we have so many lovely blooms given and sent to us for out sweet little newborn girl - Isabelle. This Friday I thought I would share with you the stunning Dozen Long Stem Pink Tea Roses that my sister, Felic & [new] brother-in-law, Alex aka Auntie & Uncle sent to Isabelle this week - her very first 'Roses Only' delivery and I am sure the first of many more to come!

Here's to your Friday Happiness and your Wonderful Weekend ahead... Thank You for stopping by at Palatial Living this week, and for all your lovely comments & kind wishes for our little Isabelle! Take Care & Enjoy, S xxx

Image from Verandah Home & Garden Living Solutions

Grown Up Chalk Board Wall...

I thought this was a fantastic 'grown-up' take on using the black chalk board paint on an entire wall in the kitchen - in a fun & stylish way. By keeping it simple with colour blocking - just using black & white - even with the white chalk doodles on the wall, makes this space work for big kids & little ones! To add 'colour' to this space add 1 colour - a high chroma or high value colour - like Sunny Yellow, Candy Pink, Kelly Green, Apple Red, or Tiffany Blue to make the space 'pop'! I think all my friends with toddlers would appreciate this chalk board wall - or would it encourage all the other walls to have 'art work' on them??!

Image from House Beautiful

Mid Week House Snoop... A New Home on an Old Street.

Stunning frontage... Cape Code style, sympathetic styling & colouring to its environment; with a front fence & gate, and a nice driveway is on my wish list!
Gorgeous proportions for this 'formal' sitting room complete with a jet master fire - perfect any time of the year [another tick on my wish list]!

High ceilings & tall /wide picture windows always grab me - this bedroom opens straight onto the level lawn and lap pool.

Double fireplaces - here's the 2nd one - located in the open plan living / dining room, with easy care timber flooring throughout.

I fell in love with this brand new 2 storey home located on Sydney's North Shore, on one of Killara's best streets - Stanhope Road. I particularly like this new build because of it's architectural style, colouring and format is just so sympathetic to it's space & surrounding neighbours - structures - some which & who have been on this street for over 80 years - this is incredibly important especially with a new build. What grabs me [personally] is the front fence & gate - I have always wanted one - the high ceilings and the cape cod style frontage with chimney! Fabulous...

Images from Domain.com.au ; Property Agent - Century 21

More Bathroom Bliss...

Continuing from my previous post on my fascination with blissful bathrooms here are a couple more that stand out..I'm sure you will agree.

[above] Luxurious Happiness - with A gold yellow & white stripe tiled effect makes for a stunning dual sink & mirror area.
[above] Sunny Fabulous - Wide painted stripes from floor to wall to ceiling - continuing the stripes and colour onto the ceiling in this direction makes this space appear much larger with a striking visual effect. Keeping the fixtures and accessories white & a touch of walnut/ teak timber allows the space to remain uncluttered and clean even with the stripe pattern. Makes you rethink sunny yellow as a paint colour...

Elegant Contrasts - using framed prints in a grid-like pattern allows this bathroom to appear more like a dressing/ sitting room where the upholstered winged armchair, and open shelves can sit comfortable not appearing out of place, whilst adding a classic charm.

[above] Where's the bath? Cleverly tucked into the corner of this room is a pedestal foot bath, this could be the only clue that this room is privy to bathing, dressing and maybe also sleeping!


images via House Beautiful & Traditional Living

Bathroom Bliss...

Sophisticated Candy Store

Botanical Colour.

Calm, Serene, Blue charm.

Seems I have been spending a lot of time cleaning, washing, & bathing lately it's only natural that I have been looking at both bathrooms & laundries! This time it's bathrooms... but blissful, gorgeous bathrooms - and some with a colour punch, as here in these images, and some with a more serene approach [in another post to come]... I do adore a splash of colour - the bathroom [at top[ reminds me of some Thomas Sabo charm packaging or something from a wonderful lolly store! Have you popped some colour in your bathroom/s?

Images from House Beautiful