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

Lost in a Sea...

Please forgive me for my absence from Palatial Living this past week, we received some sad news early Tuesday morning, my grandfather, my 'Pa' - George R Scott  [whom I often think of as the original silver fox - a real Cary Grant - suave, charming, handsome and slicked back coiffed silver hair] passed away close to midnight on Monday night. His passing is bittersweet but naturally for the best.

This week my inspiration has been lacking, I'm sure you can appreciate why, and I must say I have felt overwhelmed & almost lost in this sensation of mixed emotions - much like floating in this massive sea, I think that's why this image spoke to me. Peaceful but something else all together.

I was ever to grateful to have been able to spend this past Sunday afternoon with my Pa, holding his hand and taking the opportunity to thank him for being such a wonderful man & grandfather - the best a granddaughter could ever hope for.

 I have the chance to honour him tomorrow at his funeral service by reading and speaking part of his eulogy alongside my mum, my aunts, my cousin & my grandmother. .. this time next week I will be in China - timing in our lives is such a bizarre thing. The Ancient Greek philosopher Seneca said  [in not so many words] '...expect the unexpected - then we will not be surprised...'

Thank you for your patience - I am sure inspiration will find me again in an unusual way... it just might take a a short while so to share with you again.
So make sure you tell those you hold dearly - that you love them & tell them now - don't let the moment pass. The moment is what we have.

image via note to sarah, via patterson maker