Trend Alert! ...Colour: Coral

Branching patterns and sultry orange-red hues inspired by the undersea world are making a splash from runway to tabletop.

Trieste linen-polyester by Manuel Canovas from Cowtan & Tout. Available to the trade only Washed Canvas cotton by Ralph Lauren Home.
One-shoulder silk dress by Lanvin from spring 2009.

Coral Torquay earthenware dinner plate by Mottahedeh.
Sea Fern Lamp from Horchow
Corallo glass-mosaic panel by Marco Braga for Bisazza.

Fabrics - Assorted & Trieste linen-polyester by Manuel Canovas from Cowtan & Tout. Available to the trade only

Colour Trend Alert - CORAL -

One of my favourite colours for both fashion and home wares/ decor would be Coral, it comes in tints and shades of tangerine to ruby-esque. And is fresh, striking as well as traditional & contemporary all at the same time. As a high chroma value hue -it an exceptional accent colour for a room or space, and in fashion it particularly works well on olive toned skin (which is maybe why I love it so much!).

Coral as a shape - It would also be one of my favourite natural shapes / design - Coral or also can be known as Sea Ferns - instantly adding an organic, sometimes coastal and occasionally graphic feel to a piece or room, and as a shape-graphic style can lend itself to be coloured-up in other hues as equally as well - creating very diverse atmospheres within a space.

Images from Elle Decor

Today I Want To ...

Today isn't just another day. Today I'll create something beautiful. ... and I am starting right here!

Images from vi.sualize.us

What Design Style Are You?

I recently came across a great article in the Sydney Morning Herald and fun style quiz I thought I would share with you... take a look.

Are you a retro bohemian or a sleek minimalist?

Find out your design style with our quick quiz, then read on to discover how to get in touch with your aesthetic side. When it comes to decorating, it pays to know your inner stylist. Especially since your two best friends seem so effortlessly intimate with theirs. Without hesitation, Anna, for example, gravitates to dark, rich colours, exotic pieces and vintage finds with an intriguing history. Julie, on the other hand, is chic yet sensible, hates clutter and fills her home with understated elegance and strategically positioned heirlooms. To confound you even further, both seem to innately understand how to accentuate their style with mood lighting and colour, while the only thing you can be sure of drawing attention to in your home is a hotchpotch of disparate ideas and general mess. For better or worse, our homes are an extension of who we are and an expression of personality.
But pop culture philosopher Alain de Botton, author of The Architecture Of Happiness, has a much deeper assessment that gives hope to those of us still trying to sort out just what our sofa says about us: "What we call a beautiful house is one that rebalances our misshapen natures and encourages emotions which we are in danger of losing sight of . . . we respect a style which can move us away from what we fear and towards what we crave.
" It's a comforting thought that we all aspire to live in harmony by surrounding ourselves with beauty. But, still, how do we find that style we so "respect"?
Or, put simply, what kind of wall clock will get us ticking? The stainless-steel industrial disc, sans numerals? Or the post-modern, acid-yellow cuckoo clock? Award-winning interior designer Andrew Parr of SJB Interiors (sjb.com.au), urges us not to be coy. Take a bold approach, he advises, as this will present a style template. "Make a decision to be monochromatic, contrasting or loud and vibrant and remain true to this general vision," he says. "Observe items that capture your imagination and remember them in your compositions.

Try to mix polished against matt, rough against smooth and, finally, observe how simple repetitive items or groupings make maximum impact." Sought for her calming "modern style that is not too hard-edged", interior designer Lisa Stein (lisasteininteriors.com.au) says it's a matter of getting focused. "Think about how you already live and dress, what colours you are drawn to, what shapes in furniture you like and what textures bring you comfort," she says. She also suggests you start filing magazine clippings and to make a mental note of favourite items already in your house. "These can form the basis of a whole new look," she says. It's about eliminating the ho-hum and accentuating directional pieces. "You can't go far wrong with a warm, contemporary look that can be embellished and mixed up with antiques or family treasures," Stein says.

Of course, having an eye for style is made better with experience but if you are just getting started there are four main decorating themes to choose from. Winning the popularity contest is modern - think clean lines, solid colours and designer-labelled furniture. This look has industrial chic and sanitised minimalism at its extremes but somewhere in the middle you'll find a softer option perfectly suited to busy lifestyles.

Traditional is an aesthetic usually built around historical elements like antiques or reproduction furniture. These are stocked at top-shelf retailers and include sub-styles like French provincial, country or romanticism. Then there is retro, which borrows from mid-20th century modernism but includes Scandinavian design, 1950s tiki and pop art. Hardest to define but equally enduring is ethnic or bohemian. It's a style that takes cues from the well-travelled collector. Asian, African or South American influences are obligatory - it's the Lonely Planet answer to interior design.

Luke Harrison, general manager of the International School of Colour and Design, says the quiz will categorise readers into one of five groups: sleek new earth, Hamptons white wash, New York loft, sophisticated retro and nostalgic nest - intriguingly, the leading trend. According to Harrison, its popularity is a sign of the times. "People don't have the budget these days, so we have to be more creative in our choices and personalise a look," he says. "Nostalgic nest is the style you can't buy from a shelf. You have to mix the old with the new. It's the most individualised of the all the groups." Sounds like at the end of the day it's all up to you. But don't forget, stay focused and don't be afraid to branch out . . .

To find out more about your style or discover more about decorating to suit your own style, the International School of Colour and Design is holding a free Personal Style Discovery Workshop on March 21 from 10am to 1pm. Bookings essential, phone 9114 5988. See iscd.edu.au

Take the test of discovery
1. Which items would you most likely accessorise your home with?

a Sea shells

b Key designer pieces

c Artefacts from travels

d Items inspired from nature

e Lots of pieces inspired from the past

2. Which of the following activities would you ideally like to do?
a Walk on the beach
b Dress up

c Make things

d Anything outdoors

e Shop for antiques

3. Which colour would you most likely find in your home?

a Neutral palette

b Metallic palette

c Warm palette

d Earth palette e Cool palette

4. Which of the following movies would you rent first?

a Something's Gotta Give

b Lost In Translation

c The Notebook

d An Inconvenient Truth

e Casino Royale

5. Which colour are you most attracted to?

a White linen

b Charcoal

c Coffee bean brown

d Rainforest green e Ripe cherry red

6. Which of the following best describes where you buy your clothes from?

a Department stores

b High Street boutiques

c A mix of places

d Eco-friendly/socially responsible retailers

e Shopping centres

ANSWERS Mostly As: Hamptons White Wash
You don't live by the sea, you live with the sea. You like a calm and balanced environment. Your home is treasured and a temple to all you love. You fill it with loved memories, often with pieces that have a story to tell. You love details (sea shells, raffia) and you create your home to be a central meeting point - an environment for people to come together and spend time. Rooms go beyond their initial function (eg, the kitchen is used not only to prepare food).
Hamptons White Wash

Mostly Bs: New York Loft A global trendsetter.

You believe the built environment is more spectacular than the natural one and you're hooked on architectural detail. Your style remains distinctive, yet ever-evolving and true to your own self - you don't buy off the shelf. High ceilings, open-plan, rich and luxurious are key components. You pick up on trends but integrate them into your life. While you enjoy the finer things in life, you fill your home with loved memories and key pieces collected over time. A balance of function and excess.

New York Loft A global trendsetter.

Mostly Cs: Nostalgic Nest Like a bower bird, you collect bits and pieces. You are earthy, sentimental, individual and your home is rich with detail. You treat your home as a gallery filled with happy memories, photo albums, unique souvenirs from travels and your own made treasures. Displaying your true self on the walls, your collection tells a story. Spending time away from the home - outdoors and exploring - is just as important as spending time in the home. You are not concerned with what your neighbours' homes are like: you are true to your own style.

Nostalgic Nest

Mostly Ds: Sleek "New Earth" You love the outdoors and bring that into your living environment. The technological side of the environment is considered. You evaluate trends and bring those that complement your lifestyle into your home.

Sleek "New Earth"

Sleek "New Earth"

Mostly Es: Sophisticated Retro - You recognise and respect good design from the past and present. You pick up key pieces over time and enjoy making them work together. While you are aware of innovations, you do not necessarily follow trends. As you are both confident and authentic, you have been collecting pieces for years and you display them with pride in abstract ways in your home.

Sophisticated Retro

This quiz was developed by the International School Of Colour And Design to show people the various styling trends available to them. It is not a determiner of a definite style but is intended to open your eyes to the manifold different decorating styles. These five decorating styles are the most relevant for our current lifestyle.

Article by Susan Redman - February 26, 2009 SMH

For more images visit this link - The Five Key Design Styles - Images from SMH & ISCD

Easter Table Setting

Happy Easter...

It's Easter Sunday and we've invited over our dear friends, Greg & Amanda and their little 8 month old girl - Sophie, for an Easter Sunday Lunch. With all good intentions I had aimed to make a decorated egg stem tree - just as I had posted some few days ago - but unfortunately work has been incredibly chaotic - maybe next year!

So for a table setting had to make do and decided to keep the look autumnal and tonally cohesive, so here with some foliage - Grandiflora magnolia 'Little Gem' leaves and White flowering native heather plant that produces these blue berries (that are actually more like a rose hip in their hardness) rustically housed in a aged pedestal urn [that was actually one of the table vases from our wedding some near 5 years ago now]... beneath the urn I scattered several heavy glass votives filled with creme brulee scented tea lights & around them some gold wrapped tiny chocolate eggs sit like little jewels.

- Easter Sunday Lunch Menu -

Entree - Garlic & White Wine Prawns, served with Crusty Bread

Main - Seafood Paella with Black Mussells & Saffron Paprika Rice

Desert - Individual Rhubarb, Apple Cinnamon Custard Pies served with Forrest Berries &Vanilla Bean Ice Cream dusted with Icing Sugar.

Voila & Bonn Appetite!

A Hoppy Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!

I received a lovely Easter present from a friend on Thursday and have tried not to eat it before I could share some images with you!! It's a very cute White Hoppy Happy Easter Bunny accessorised with a pink ribbon & pearly pink eyes! Really the bunny is a delicious soft sweet ginger bread cookie (approx. 25cm high) from the talented designs of Nadine Ingram of Cookie Couture. For other holiday themed or special occasions that deserve one of Nadine's scrumptious cookies visit Cookie Couture.

Hope you have a lovely Hoppy Happy Easter!

Enjoy. S x

Image of Easter Bunny Cookie - Cookie Couture , taken by Verandah Home & Garden Living Solutions

Wishing you Well...

I am signing off over the Easter break - I'm not sure about you but I am really looking forward to several days off in row - very grateful!! I hope to post for Easter Sunday and will see how our lunch hosting goes... we have a number of family & friends events over the several days, one in particular we're having some very dear friends (& their little 8month old girl Sophie) over for Easter Sunday lunch where my husband & I are tag teaming for the menu - him for entree, main and me for desert + setting up!

Here's to wishing you well over Easter - with your family & friends, if you're driving away - please stay safe - rest & please don't speed, it's all worth it when you get there all together...

Happy Easter! Be back with you really soon - Blessings, Take Care & Enjoy. S xxx

Image from Martha Stewart

Easter Stems...

What better way to bring family & friends together over Easter - than over the dining table sharing food, laughs and memorable moments... especially under this stunning decorated 'tree' with personalised Easter eggs! Here blown eggs have each person's name inscribed with a wax resist or using vinyl stickers, then dyed (with egg / food dyes) and the wax or sticker is removed - with a fine needle - thread through ribbon, nylon line and add a few beads and hang from the pussy willow or blossom branches already placed in a sturdy vase... leave a few plain dyed eggs at the base of the 'tree' and light scattered candles for a dappled effect. So special & so pretty.

Image from & For more details on this project & more please visit Martha Stewart

April Colour Society Meeting... Absolute Abstract with MO

Last night I attended the April Colour Society [NSW chapter] meeting at the Graphic Art Gallery, located in Bondi Junction [Sydney NSW], and was hosted by the owner and celebrated artist Martin Ossener, and his daughter Barbara Ossener - also an accomplished artist. So I thought I would share a view images of Martin's works, and a little background about him, with you... I hope you enjoy them as much as I did last night.

Midnight Construction, 2001 by MO

Blue Landscape,2008 by MO

Yellow Landscape, 2008 by MO

Yellow Unikum, 2008 by MO

Action Painting - Birth of Red, Black & White c. 1960 by MO

Red Unikum, 2008 by MO

Black Force Tries to Catch White Ball , 2008 by MO
The artist - Martin Ossener AKA 'MO'

ABSOLUTE ABSTRACT ART BY MO [Martin Ossener]

Abstract art has a special place at the Graphic Art Gallery. Martin, the owner, is an abstract artist himself who studied abstract art in Europe in the 1960s. He paints under the name MO and is highly successful. His art hangs in many modern homes, units, offices and boardrooms in Australia and Europe.

An exclusive exhibition of abstract paintings by German artist MO is currently on show at the Graphic Art Gallery in Bondi Junction. MO's abstract paintings are free of any objects or forms, as we recognise them in the real world. Space and perspective are created through the movement of colour, lines and forms. Based upon the theories of ACTION PAINTING or ABSOLUTE ABSTRACT ART original forms are invented throughout the progression of each painting. The artist works to an inner harmony, similar to a composer writing a piece of music. MO's creations seem to travel beyond the painting's border, into the unknown, into eternity. The viewer has to use all their imagination to follow these forms into the depth and space of MO's paintings. From an early age the artist sought the unknown. To paint in pure abstract style was a natural succession. "It is difficult to step out of the conventional, the known. It is the joy of venture, it is the danger, the risk, which forces one to think." MO studied abstract art in Germany with Professor Ralf Cavael, a friend and associate of Kandinsky, who is recognised as the father of abstract art. MO is the artist name of Martin Ossner, the founder of the Graphic Art Gallery. Besides his most recent paintings, there are also some rare 1962 action paintings for sale. When you visit the exhibition, you can make a personal appointment to see Martin. He can explain to you everything you ever wanted to know about abstract art.

Images from Graphic Art Gallery & Colour Society Australia - NSW newsletter

Gorgeous Lace & Patterned Eggs for Easter

Today I found some easy & fabulous Easter decorating projects you can do at home with inexpensive resources - eggs, left over ribbon/ lace/ masking tape or vinyl stickers, and food dye stuff... all details for these and many more fantastic projects can be found on Martha Stewart - the ultimate in holiday projects - decorating & entertaining...

Gorgeous Lace Eggs... This Easter, take hard-boiled eggs to new heights by embellishing them with lacy patterns. Once the eggs are dyed and dry, pile them in a large bowl to use them as a centerpiece.

Tools and Materials - Eggs, Standard egg dye, Rubber bands, Inexpensive lace trimmings or scraps from a worn tablecloth or curtains, Scissors, & Foam board fitted with flat head pins.

Lace Egg How-To

1. 1. Cut lace into strips long enough to wrap around eggs and still have extra to form a sash for holding.
2. 2. Wrap eggs, securing lace with rubber bands. Dye eggs according to dye package instructions. Lift out, cut off rubber bands, and unwrap lace. Let dry on foam board fitted with flat head pins.
3. Resources - Inexpensive lace trimmings can be found in fabric stores.
   

Why don't you packaged & present your decorated eggs like this - above!

Stencil / Resistant Eggs... With stencils made of waterproof vinyl adhesive tape and cut-out shapes, you can create perfectly rendered patterns on your Easter eggs. Make plaid, polka-dotted, punctuated, or monogrammed eggs, or create your own designs. Any color that you cover with tape will remain unchanged throughout the process. The instructions below are for creating the plaid/check egg.
Tools and Materials: Eggs, Food coloring, Waterproof vinyl adhesive tape, and stencils. Burnishing tool (available at art-supply stores), Small bowls, Paper towel.
Stenciled Eggs How-To:

1. Start with a white egg or one dyed a pale color. Band the egg twice lengthwise with a 1/4-inch-wide masking tape, repositioning as necessary to get a tight fit. Firmly rub the tape with your fingernail or a burnishing tool so that the dye can't seep underneath.
2. Dip egg into dye, raising and dipping until the color deepens as desired. Blot egg with a paper towel. Let dry ten minutes. Remove tape.
3. Band the egg's width with tape at its widest point, then repeat to make smaller circles around each end. (Try alternating wide strips of tape with narrow ones.) Burnish, dye, and dry as before.
4. Remove tape. If you used a raw egg, carefully blow out contents.
   
   

Images from Martha Stewart Living

Easter Topiary Ideas...

I love this simple, fresh subtle Easter vignette. What a beautiful, delicate & subliminal way to bring the an Easter egg theme through a shaped hyacinth style topiary in a white lattice style vessel, with some small quail eggs resting on top of a few favourite stacked books. You could try this with another shaping large bloom or an evergreen foilage plant. Very pleasing indeed!

Image from Martha Stewart

Botanical Eggs... An Easter Inspiration

Top. An enchanting rustic botanical Easter vignette.

Centre Image - Fresh, fragrant, bright Easter table setting - A simple brown paper lunch bag cut into the shape of a basket , then the Jonquils are set in a small vase inside the bag - allowing them to stay fresh and be held up.

With Easter fast approaching at the end of this week - two very significant religious dates on the Christian calendar - Good Friday & Easter Sunday. We are reminded - particularly through Easter Sunday - with the symbolics of life, newness and re-birth. Easter for us [my husband & I] is a time of some sadness, gratefulness, forgiveness, happiness and love - shared best with our families & our dearest [inner sanctum] of friends. Easter colour -wise is traditionally of bright sunny colours filtered with pastels some would say reminiscent of the Easter Parade movie with Judy Garland & Fred Astaire floating about - made perfectly in the technicolour of 1948 making the colours even more saturated, some of the corsages & millinery even Patricia Field of STC [a very fave show of mine] would love for Carrie! Easter - a parade - with bonnets, the Easter egg hunt, more chocolate eggs, rabbits, baby chicks, seafood, sharing your table & meals with loved ones... What does it mean for you?

This week I am inspired by beautiful [and fun] decorating ideas for our home and guests... Here I found these gorgeous Botanical inspired decoupage eggs that I had to share with you - here using different sized eggs from chickens (mostly medium size), ducks (larger size), and quails or pheasants for the more petite end! I particularly love the top image - a little botanical rustic Easter vignette - where printed paper images of the butterflies have been used and only partially stuck down on their bodies allowing their wings to be 'floating' free - giving the illusions that they have - in that very Milli-second - rested on the curve of the egg... quite enchanting.
Why you try to decorate some blown eggs this week with your favourite wrapping paper. For more super great tips on craft & decorating projects be sure to visit Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy x



Images from Martha Stewart Living

Ohhh The Weekend... Come to Me!

I am not quite sure where the week has gone...it seems a little of a blur, and I can't wait for Friday evening to come around, some bubbles & a cheese plate to chill out under the pergola tonight, and for little sleep in tomorrow morning! I just love the images - above - from a great seat looking out to the garden through to the lilac wisteria arbour... just as the lilac wisteria that had grown at our home in Breakfast Point.

This weekend in New South Wales we say good-bye to Daylight Savings [until 4 Oct later this year] ending on Sunday morning 3am - where the clocks go back 1 hour. So an extra sleep hour for Sunday morning & less darkness to get up with! So here's to your Friday evening - be it a pizza night, a toasted sandwich night, or out on the town with friends! Happy Friday & Welcome Weekend! Enjoy - S x

Image from House Beautiful

Still Raining....

It's still raining here in Sydney.... the forecast indicates maybe until Saturday evening....Sending my thoughts & prayers to those living in the Northern parts of New South Wales ,who are experiencing flash floods along with some serious rain deluge & water damage... Take care in the rain. S x

Image from visual-ize us

[New] Favourite Palatial Home...

I have been snooping around on the real estate websites [again] and found this gorgeous home and had to share it with you - I also remember seeing this home featured in an issue of Inside Out Magazine - from last year, of one of the founders & owners of 'Print Dolls' - who is Alice Flynn, which you can see in the top image - a black & white banner - which is actually the bus stop roll that used be used on buses...

A bit about the home - excerpt from Belle Property....

Designed by Marika Jarv, one of belle magazine's featured up and coming architects this stunning one year old home in a fashionable beachside suburb features soaring ceilings and a plethora of windows to perfectly capture the light. enjoy quality living set high on 697sqm parcel of land with leafy panoramas, a favoured north aspect, cul de sac location, close to careel bay wharf, beautiful surf beaches, and Avalon’s popular shopping village and cafes.

Accommodation: with northern light flooding into the vast open living area that flows through bi-fold doors to one of two private entertaining decks in merbau timber. three bedrooms, main with white mosaic tiled ensuite and walk in robe, two with built-ins, and seamless caesarstone kitchen includes extra omega gas stove top and extra wide (900mm) electric oven and large island bench for ultimate socialising.

Features: built to meticulous designer standards with an emphasis on simple,clean lines throughout to create a light and airy atmosphere, details include custom designed lighting and doors,laundry with built in storage, magnificent blackbutt floorboards, rainwater tank, double auto lock up garage with workshop and high ceiling space to fit all your sporting toys.

Those wishing to make an offer can contact Belle Property... Enjoy!

Images from Belle Property

Note - Edit Correction: Thank You to Alice Flynn of Print Dolls for emailing me about this post 28/12/09 - my apologies to Alice - as this is Alice's home that featured in Inside Out Magazine & Belle Property, and not Marika's, as originally posted.

Today it's Raining...

Here in Sydney it's bucketing down today the forecast is for a few more days of heavy rain ... hope you have your brolly! Stay dry & drive safely x

Image from visual.ize us