30 March, 2012

Happy Weekend!


Yay it's the weekend....
For those of you in Australian Daylight Savings states - make sure you put your clock back 1hr - on Sunday morning 2am [or do it before you go to sleep on Saturday evening!] - even thought we lose our evening light, we get an extra hour sleep in and the mornings won't be so tragically dark when I get up at 6am!

What are you up to this weekend?
We have a few things on... we're picking up a pre-loved wooden cubby house from an Ebay auction I won for our little Isabelle - more pics on that project later - very excited. And I am so happy - I am having my gorgeous near 92yr old Grandma Sarah stay with us -  she hasn't seen our 'new-old' home yet and I am dying to show her what we have done so far inside and in the garden. And importantly - where I am going to spoil her rotten with her fave home cooked meals, pink champagne and cosy lie-ins!
Hope you have a great weekend!
Thanks for joining me this week at Palatial Living...
Enjoy,



image via tumblr, sororitysugar

Pattern & Colour Friendship...






A few images I recently came across that I often find myself drawn to pattern & print in shades of blue  - the regency geo design carpet/ rug & watercolour ikat interpretation and accents of orange - again in the post modern regency look upholstered chaise Louis, and in the fabulously fun & gorgeous illustrations by Alanna Cavanagh. I find tints & shades of Orange to be such a great joiner / accent colour - much like Pink and Green.
Plus I couldn't resist the prints by Alana Cavanagh and the 'Cavoodle' Cavalier x Poodle looking puppy - reminded me of our dear U.S based friend Jen and her dog 'Toby'! Don't you think Jen?!
What colour & print friendship combinations have you found yourself drawn to - no you're noticing what do you think they could be?
Drop me a line on a comment and let me know!
Enjoy,


images via tumblr scotchandstone, alannacavanagh, crushculdesac, prettystuff

28 March, 2012

Fave Blue Hues...


Just a few of my fave blue hue images I have added to my image library lately...
Not sure where I start but each them I adore - such as this sunrise making an Parisian apartment block glow, the premise of sewing with love and being in love - making things with our hands and giving them to those we love; displays and what treasures we may frame or wear on our dressers or self; an iconic stylish & whimsical Harper's Bazzaar cover with SJP over the NY Brooklyn Bridge; a beautiful collection of blue and white plates make for a 'domestic & historial' installation, and of course - one of my Grandma Sarah's favourite flowers - a little forget-me-not....
See far to many to edit so I had to have them all in the mix today!
Enjoy,



images via idanceinmythoughts, fre-ya, code play, tumblr, gingham and watercolours, carolinaconnecticuit, atmosphere, icameisawiconquer, seedeerperfeellouder, crushculdesac

21 March, 2012

Cosy Decor for Equinox & Autumn...

 Welcome to Autumn!
Autmunal Equinox for us Southern Hemisphere dwellers was officially yesterday 20 March - where the day & the night matched in equal time. Today is the first day where the day[light] will be officially shorter than the night. Following week after this on Sunday 1st April [April Fool's conincedently] will be the end of daylight savings for us in New South Wales [Sydney and surrounds].
So in light of the longer nights, and cooler weather upon 'us' I thhought I would share with you some fabulous ideas that I had found on how to 'Cosy' up some of your interior spaces - in the bedroom, with a charming 'cottage' like feeling! Which one is your favourite? Can you choose just one? I'm sure there's a cosy decor style that will suit you or you might make a fusion between 2 or 3 of the rooms.
Enjoy,

 Textural Tapestry
Add depth to a classic white-and-cream cottage palette by playing with texture. Here, an old rug remnant repurposed as artwork provides a rich backdrop for a caned white-painted bed frame, while crisp white sheets perk up when topped with a mix of toile and damask pillows. The simple matte finish on a painted side table takes on an elegant patina when topped with an ornate iron candelabra crowned with petite silk shades.

Pattern Play
Set a contemporary cottage mood with a tapestry of patterns. The key to this bedroom's fresh vibe is an eclectic mix of traditional and modern prints that don't take themselves too seriously. Upholstered in a seafoam-and-cream toile fabric, the headboard provides a timeless base for geometric sheets and an overscale leaf-motif coverlet. Graphic silhouette-style accent pillows deliver a whimsical exclamation point.

   Wall Perks
Wrap a bedroom in quintessential cottage character with a painted paneled wood treatment. Instead of the expected beaded board, run a strip of 1-inch-thick molding from floor to ceiling between a room's crown molding and baseboard, leaving a foot between each piece of trim. Paint the walls and trim the same color to achieve an-always-been-there look.

Flea Market Treasures
Well-worn, comfortable pieces serve as the backbone of cottage decor. With that in mind, distressed doors form the base of this flea market chic platform bed, while an antique mantel, worn and weathered, serves as a headboard. Oversize letters form an impromptu monogram above the makeshift headboard

Neutral Oasis
Soft taupe and cream toile fabric adorns the windows and headboard in this bedroom. An iron chandelier painted the same mocha color as the walls and a carved wooden mirror finished with off-white paint match the romance of the fabric.

Vintage Flair
Salvaged finds, such as a dressmaker form and a cake stand-turned-jewelry display, come to life against the backdrop of crisp white walls and bedding in this bedroom. A distressed blue chest delivers attractive storage and display space. An old wire shoe rack accessorized with a metal star and dried bouquets of flowers works in conjunction with shutters to turn the windows in character-rich focal points.


Sweet Folk PaletteTo achieve an country living folk look, this painted iron bed is piled high with red, white, and blue linens. A floral dust ruffle lays the foundation for the color scheme, while sheets in cornflower blue and white, a red gingham comforter, a vintage quilt, and plaid and striped pillowcases continue the theme. An embroidered "Home Sweet Home" pillow completes the sentiment.

Seaside Fresh
Evoke oceanside serenity with crisp turquoise accents layered on a sea of white. Shades of gray found on painted side tables, a striped floor rug, and a cotton throw keep this bedroom's bright palette from floating away.

Casual Elegance
A checkered quilt, used as a ceiling-high headboard, introduces instant vintage appeal to this master bedroom. The soft blue of the pattern in the quilt is echoed by chalky milk paint on a primitive armoire and a distressed finish on a curvaceous antique Swedish bench at the foot of the bed.


Mix Master
Cottage style is all about the mix -- not the match -- as illustrated in this bedroom, where damask-style curtains frame a bed dressed in a pink geometric-pattern duvet that's topped with an assortment of vibrant accent pillows. Vintage side tables and a curvy French bench keep the modern mix of patterns feeling comfortable and cozy.


Blue Boudoir

Layers of sky blue and white bedding lend this guest room a warm and welcoming air. A lightly ruffled bed skirt and the scalloped edges of a blanket introduce a simple sweetness that's echoed by silk lampshades and a dreamy sheep rendered in oil paints above the bed


images via bhg.com, betterhomes&gardens, tumblr, miiswallflower via daydreamer0207

19 March, 2012

Autumnal Gardening Glow...




The very hint of Autumn is here [in Sydney - southern hemisphere] milder nights are becoming more frequent, my robe makes more of an appearance in the crisper mornings, I find myself waking early morning a couple of hours before sunrise just to make sure our little 'Is' has the covers pulled up over her.
For gardeners - like 'moi' - it is the best time for some great jobs to get done before the much cooler months descend upon us...  On the weekend I started with trimming plants/ hedging and de-budding, as well as turning the leaves & soil on our yet to be constructed home vegetable & herb raised beds - affectionately known to our neighbours, as 'Zone 1'!Autumn is a great time to rejuvenate a garden for the new season and for next spring.
Take a look at the quick Autumn Gardening checklist [for large or small gardens] below for some good ideas to get done over the next several weekends!
Enjoy,

April is the best month to plant bulbs. Choose plump, fresh bulbs with
no sign of disease and store tulip bulbs in the refrigerator


Transfer fallen leaves to your compost bin.

Here's a quick checklist to get you started early so you plan out your gardening and social claendar - The tips below are an autumn garden task list that will keep your garden flourishing.
  • Autumn is the time to make new plants from cuttings. Take 10cm cuttings from hardwood herbs such as rosemary and bay or natives such as banksias, grevillea and coastal rosemary. Remove the lower leaves, dip cuttings into hormone powder and pot in small containers of premium potting mix. Keep just moist and shelter from strong wind and sun.
  • Trim hedges before the onset of winter to keep them compact and bushy from ground level.
  • Check your lawn and make sure any weeds you sprayed last month are dying. Repeat the treatment if necessary. Aerate the lawn with a garden fork and scatter lime lightly over it. This sweetens the soil after many years of lawn food application. Rejuvenate tired lawns with an autumn feeding to ready them for the onset of cool winter weather.
  • Gather fallen leaves, grass clippings, kitchen scraps and shredded prunings, and layer them in a compost bin. Turn periodically with a garden fork to allow air to circulate and feed organisms, and decompose the organic matter quickly. Don‘t overload your compost with one particular ingredient – maintain a mix. See the new Aerobin at garden centres; it makes excellent compost.
  • Earthworms are a sign your soil is fertile. When you add organic matter such as leaves and cow manure to your garden soil, you will attract earthworms, so there is no need to add more worms to your garden. The worms you’ve attracted with organic matter will add nutrients from their castings, and make tunnels. Check for borer damage on all deciduous trees, paying attention to the trunk at soil level. It‘s easier to check when trees are dormant and bare.
  • Don’t try to cultivate soil beneath large trees; you will only damage the roots. Make planting holes between the roots instead and insert small plants with tiny root systems that establish themselves readily. Bromeliads thrive under trees.
  • An old ladder makes a good support for climbing vines such as sweet peas. A splash of paint will give it extra impact in the garden or up against a wall.
  • Transfer the leaves that fall on your garden and lawn to the compost bin on a regular basis, otherwise they will smother your plants and grass.
  • Don’t rush to prune spent seed heads. They provide a wealth of food for birds that visit the garden. Magnolia fruit attract parrots who feast on their seeds.
  • Autumn is rose season, and they look gorgeous at this time of year. Choose the ones you love and order them from your local nursery.
  • If you have cymbidium orchids, they should be placed in full sunshine to encourage good flower spikes during winter and spring.
  • Divide evergreen perennials. Lift them from the soil, divide at the root and re-plant into well-conditioned soil.
  • Start a tradition by planting [red] poppies to commemorate ANZAC day [25th April - Lest We Forget].
Prune  - Give hydrangeas a ruthless pruning.

Disbud (choose one to keep) camellias for bigger flowers.

images via thegiftoflife, homelife.com.au, wikipedia, gardening australia, abc, photography by Andrew Lehmann,

16 March, 2012

Happy Weekend!

So happy it's Friday and the weekend will be upon us soon! The sky is getting higher here in Sydney as Autumn approaches us soon [in the southern hemisphere] we have equinox on Tuesday 20th and for the state I live in [New South Wales] our extended daylight savings comes to an end Saturday 31st March into Sunday morning.... nearly a farewell to summer and a warm hello to autumn.


I have had a number of posts ready to publish this week and each time the day has passed me by... hence a few catch up posts today - you might have noticed? 
It's been a little crazy in my 'Palatial' world at the moment and I must confess my focus and thoughts have been straying else-where - but not too far away! I promise. Just a few projects that have needed some serious attention! Now I cannot wait for some weekend time with my family - my little girl Isabelle, and husband 'Mr. Palatial', the 'Palatial Poochies' - with time on home renovation projects at our aptly named home 'Bundaleer' [a beautiful indigenous meaning for 'among the trees'] and celebrating my father-in-law's 60th Birthday! Yay!
So here's to your weekend for those of you who have some R&R planned... Thanks again for joining me this week at Palatial Living!
Enjoy!


image via the meet cute, tumblr, crush cul de sac, pretty stuff, sweet montant, isawicameiconquer

a few wise designer words...




 One of my all time favourite designers, with whom I grew up looking at glossy fashion magazines all his beautiful gowns and accessories, as well as trying to draw all his models from the Vogue magazines and pattern books - Yves Saint Laurent [YSL], with some poignantly wise words to ponder....
Enjoy,

--------------------------
images via crush cul de sac, etsy.com lilyunqiue, miss wallflower, stationary letterpress, sweet montant, tumblr

Grown Up 'Palatial Pinks'...






Couldn't resist these grown-up 'Palatial Pinks'...
It's not always about the colour of a little girl's room!
Enjoy,


images via sarah is cool, rrantiques, sweetmontana, tumblr, pinterest, crush cul de sac, Adirondack chair