day~dreraming

After nearly a month away from Palatial Living it feels like I have been in a daydream away - but no I have been madly decorating & renovating our 'new' old home we bought and moved into in mid July this year! How time flies - whilst paint dries, leaf litter is moved, mulch is laid, curtains hung and furniture moved around! Now I feel like I need at least a few weeks away from the paint brush! But I must say it feels like an addiction - I might have one or two nights off from doing something and then I get restless again and get back into it or much to my supportive loving husband's dread - start another project on the house! Ha ha!

This weekend is my last full weekend home before I jet off again for a week away in Hong Kong & China visiting trad fairs and sourcing new products - but for fashion accessories, jewellery, hats, scarves, bags and footwear for my [day-time gig] as a Group Brand Product Developer/ Designer for a fashion company here in Sydney! So I am planning to get into the garden with my husband who is leading the way - I drew up a garden design & landscaping plan for all the 'room zones' we want to create... very exciting. 

So as I get some more time I will post pics of all the different things we have - so far - accomplished at the house, including my bathroom refurbishment - that blew me away!

So for now I will enjoy a little daydream with a coffee and see you soon. 

images via pretty stuff, ys voice, crush culdesac 

August - Hi There!

Oh My It's August already!!

Australian Country Style - brings August to life - I feel like

I am already at home here - featuring Sara Slim's home & yard
in Bowral - Southern Highlands NSW. Sara is a former ISCD

student and stylist /business partner with Megan Morton



Hi There! Yes it me - Sarah from Palatial Living! Some very lovely & kind Palatial Living fans emailed me over the past several weeks to see if I was still alive and keeping Palatial Living going... the answer is YES, and YES!

I have been away for a bit due to a number of what felt like massive life moments going on! Some of you know that my gorgeous, handsome wonderful grandfather 'Pa' passed away towards the end of June, then I set off for a work sourcing & development trip to China & Hong Kong. And of course whilst in the midst of all of this we found and bought new 'lovely older' home! So whilst my grandfather's funeral occurred we were in negotiations for the house, then when I was away for work we were in the settlement process and when I got back we had settled and had to pack up in 2.5weeks and get out previous home tenant ready! Whoa - what a ride the past 4-6weeks have been - hence why I have not been around to be able to give you inspiration, decorating projects and tips n'tricks!

But what is exciting is our lovely new old home located on Sydney's Upper North Shore [one of my all time fave spots you will know form Palatial's Mid Week House Snoops!] - and all the things I am going to get to do to it to rejuvenate it and make it ours.... We have a coveted Northerly Aspect - with Sun from the east over the north to the north-west all day - a perfect aspect for Sydney siders. This also helped inform of the paint colour choices I made. We have already started with painting [in 2 days might I add with a handful of family & family friends along]. We managed to paint 2-3coats on the double brick cement rendered walls - the hall way & entr7y way and also the Dining/ Lounge room in 'Buff It' full tint [Dulux], the Kitchen, Family / Casual Living space in 'Hog Bristle' 1/2 tint [Dulux], our little girl's room in 'Tea Party' 1/4 tint [Dulux] which looks like a gorgeous soft pink marshmallow hue, perfect for a little girl! Then we tackled the master bedroom and it came up beautifully with 'Grand Piano' full tint [Dulux] and in the Office we have a fabulous feature wall with tongue & groove timber panelling that I painted in 'Linseed' 1/2 tint [Dulux] and it all take advantage of the variations of light through the day and compliments our furniture & soft furnishings.

Interior Paint Colours

Master Bed

     

     Bathrooms 1 & 2 - with white tile

      

    Entry-Hall Way & Lounge Dining Room

   

Bed 2 - Isabelle's Room

  

Office Feature Wall - Tongue n'Groove Panel

   

Trims | Doors - Ceiling & Cornices

Exterior Colour Scheme

Guttering | Part Driveway & Side Gates| Accent Trim Verandah & Front| Yard Fence

Accent Trim on Drive Way |Side Gates & Front Fence

Facier| Eaves | Window Trims & Frames - Highlight Gates & Fencing

Not to mention what a difference a coat of white paint can make where we have almost finished changing the mid tone timber stained skirts and apricot cream doors, door frames, window frames and other trims - wow what an amazing difference! A few new knobs & door handles here & there in brushed chrome & voila such an 'instant' change already without even going to the floors! That's next on the list! So stay tuned I will be updating you on my home renovation projects as they get done.... but at the moment we're still unpacking a few boxes too!



Our beautiful park like back yard - untouched - full of 40+ year olf camellias,
azaleas, agapanthas, clivias, a few spotted gums, turpentines & Japanese maples.
I have big plans for this gorgeous light filled yard - to
create lots of garden rooms with mass plantings.

So now my life seems to be a little bit more on track - I promise to be back online posting on Palatial Living - oh how I have missed you all!

Enjoy,

images via [1] Australian Country Style August 2011 issue [2] Sarah Verity - Verandah Home & Garden Living Solutions

Friday Flowers...

I'm so glad to be back home after my trip overseas to Hong Kong & China mainland visiting new suppliers. It was such a full on trip but really successful. I am now looking forward to a 'normal' weekend at home!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend.... I look forward to bringing you more inspiration on Palatial Living next week, especially now that I am back home!

Take care,

image via matchbook magazine

Off & Away... for a bit.

Just a quick note to say that yes I am still alive & around! Although you may not know it from my lack thereof of shared inspiration, mid week house snoops, colour design tips & tricks, fab decorating projects - need I go on for what I have been depriving you of!

The saying ' when it rains it pours' that is my life for the past little bit for both family and work life!

So as I write this post - my lovely 1st fur baby Lucy, my Cavalier King Charles, lovingly sits on my lap her head hung over my typing arm... she knows something is going on! And she's right - I am off tomorrow on a plane for a work sourcing & development trip to Hong Kong & many China based cities, with 10 fuelled days of meetings, showroom & factory visits and several flights to throw into the choatic mix... It's a great opportunity & one I have been working towards for a number of years now - so like most things that present themselves to me - I grabbed it with both hands!

So over this time away, I will have limited access to emails let alone ability to post blogs on Palatial Living...

So it is here that I bid you adieu for now til my return when I really really hope that things start to settle down for at least a week or two til my next big project that I am DYING to tell you all about... but stay tuned!

Take care & please join me again at Palatial Living towards the end of June when I am back home in Sydney!

images via oatterson maker, pretty stuff via ysvoice: Flower Boat - Dal Lake, Kashmir, India 1996

by Steve McCurry, mary kate steinmiller bracelts via coveted