Glimpse of Style

Drawing @ St Agnes

2012-01-17T14:06:00.000+11:00

Yesterday Ispent the most delightful day with my sister here...

...at the stables at St Agnes Homestead in Kyneton...

Learning to do this...

...that is, I was learning how to draw with pencil and inks. The above images are of the beautiful, nature-filled artwork by the very talented, very lovely, and very inspiring artist Sarah Gabriel. I cannot remember the last time I have felt so totally immersed in what I was doing - the hours just flew by! Such a lovely way to spend a Monday.

Not only was Sarah very inspiring, so were our lovely surrounds. Here's a few more images of St Agnes Homestead:

I very stupidly forgot to take my camera and so have to use these images from St Agnes and Lauriston Press for this post - my sister did however take many lovely photos. I'll repost or link to her post when her photos are up, in the meantime these will have to suffice. Note to self: Keep your camera in your handbag at all times! Now that's a good new year's resolution.

[Images: 1 & 5-9 - St Agnes Homestead; 2-4 -Lauriston Press]

My kind of bookshop

2012-01-10T19:09:00.000+11:00

The Whistling Fish Bookshop and Cafe in Robe, South Australia is my kind of book store. It's the antithesis of the hulking great chain store - it's in a small seaside town and it's quirky, individual and rustic...

There's even a 'review table' where the hand picked books are "honestly and lovingly critiqued" - you can see the review tags tied sweetly around the books:

And of course there's a cafe to while away the hours...

Now if I could just find something similar in Melbourne I'd definitely become a 'regular'!

[Images: The Whistling Fish Bookshop and Cafe]

P.S. Apologies for going AWOL - December and January are usually the busiest time of year for me work-wise and so the blogging had to take a back seat. I'm definitely looking forward to doing much more blogging in 2012. So, belated Christmas wishes and happy new year to the very few readers I have left!

A gallery and garden visit

2011-11-11T16:41:00.001+11:00

This weekend my big sister and I are having a weekend away - the main reason we're hitting the road is to take in the Australian Modern Masterpieces exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ballarat. Some of my favourite artists are on show at the exhibition - Grace Cossington Smith, Margaret Preston, Nora Heysen.

Jeffrey Smart's 'Truck and trailer approaching city', 1973.

While we're up that way I also intend to visit the Lambley Garden and Nursery, just north of Ballarat. I have been longing to visit this garden for two reasons: (1) the stunning dry garden; and (2) the artwork of Criss Canning - her husband owns the nursery/garden. As the pics below show, the garden is nothing short of stunning...large drifts of plants punctuated with colour:

And the veggie garden is not too shabby either...

And equally as stunning is Criss Canning's flora themed artwork:

I'm hoping to pick up a copy of Chris Canning's book when I visit Lambley Nursery and Garden:

Apparently the weather is going to be quite lovely and Spring-like too, so hopefully we'll have a great time exploring. Whatever you're up to this weekend, I hope you have a good one.

[Images: 1 - Art Gallery of Ballarat; 2-12 - Lambley Nursery]

Mirror love and indigo infatuation

2011-11-04T11:14:00.000+11:00

Thanks to this fabulous post by Mr Jason Grant I am now besotted with the mirror in this pic - I want to jump on a plane, head up to Sydney, tuck this mirror under my arm and bring it home with me. I think it would be perfect for our new house...but there's just a couple of things stopping me: (1) we have a lot of rebuilding to do before I can even start decorating; and (2) I don't think the flight attendant would let me put this mirror in the overhead locker as carry on baggage.

Actually, the whole Small Spaces store looks fabulous and I think I'd have a hard time containing myself to just buying the mirror! Can't we have a Small Spaces off-shoot in Melbourne please??

Small Spaces, 674 Bourke Street, Redfern.

Also, given the other things that have recently taken my fancy for the new house, I think there's going to be a fair smattering of indigo in the new house:

And because I'm all over the shop at the moment thinking about the endless possibilities for our little weatherboard house in the country, I'd like a bit of wall panelling too!

P.S. Normally I am fastidious about attributing the images I use to their owners, but unfortunately apart from the top two images from the very lovely Small Spaces, I have had these images tucked away in my archives for quite a while and I can't recollect where they originated from. My apologies. And please, if you know where they're from let me know and I'll pop the links in the post.

The magic of Marco

2011-10-29T22:14:00.000+11:00

The older I get, the more I come to believe that I'm a traditionalist - I love a trend as much as the next person, but in my own home I veer more towards a more classic, timeless style. Perhaps that's why I'm so enamoured with the very classic, very beautiful work of Sydney based interior designer Marco Meneguzzi Design - he describes his style as being influenced by Belgium and he believes in a 'relaxed elegance' which complements the Australian lifestyle. The examples of his work shown on his site attest to this refined approach:

For more gorgeous examples of Marco Meneguzzi Design check out their website (much better images available there).

[All images from Marco Meneguzzi Design]

Cafe: Two Bob

2011-10-21T17:41:00.000+11:00

Melbourne has a heavy sprinkling of semi-industrial style cafes, so it's a refreshing change to see this new cafe in Clifton Hill that's influenced by Scandinavian style. Two:bob cafe looks like a really nice and airy place to hang out for coffee and lunch. I'm definitely going to give it a try next time I'm in that neck of the woods:

Two:bob Cafe, 270 Queens Parade, Clifton Hill (Tue-Sun 7am-4pm)

For more Two:bob Cafe information and images check out the ever-fabulous Broadsheet (definitely my go-to source for what's happening in Melbourne)

Eat: Cliffy's Emporium

2011-10-18T11:19:00.000+11:00

My husband and I are heading up Daylesford way tomorrow to do a final inspection on the new house before settlement next week. After we've performed the necessary duties I've put in a request to have lunch at the local institution, Cliffy's Emporium:

Weather wise it's going to be a beautiful day tomorrow, so I hope we score a table outside.

Of course, I'll have to pick up some local produce while I'm there.

Don't you just love that colour blocking!!

[All images from Cliffy's Emporium]

Sofa so good

2011-10-17T14:03:00.000+11:00

Starting to think about sofas for the new house - none of these Molmic sofas fit in with my intended decorating scheme, but I really like them nonetheless:

House: Brighton

2011-10-12T11:06:00.000+11:00

Reading through the local real estate mag I came across this bit of contemporary gorgeousness in Brighton that's currently up for sale. It's slick and streamlined and screams 'high quality' in both its layout and finishes. I wonder who will be the lucky (wealthy) person that gets to snap up this bit of prime real estate?

[All images from Buxton]

Stay: Close to home or further afield

2011-10-10T16:04:00.000+11:00

Surfing the internet when I should have been working (hey, I'm allowed to say that because I work for myself), I happened upon a B&B close to home (only an hour or so from Melbourne) and a boutique hotel much further afield in the UK. I'd like to stay at both these fabulous places.

Close to home...Mollisons in Kyneton:

And further afield...The George in Rye, UK:

All the rooms are quite gorgeous - I'd have a hard time choosing!

[Images: 1-9: Mollisons; 10-20: The George in Rye]

Today I love...

2011-10-06T18:59:00.001+11:00

Pretty flowers all in a row @ Natural Art Flowers:

The Iva tote shopping bag from Fabric and Handle:

(If you're quick you there's still time to enter the giveaway at Marion House Book to win a tote bag from Fabric and Handle. Skip on over there now.)

The lovely little blue jug on the left, from Aeria, has really taken my fancy:

These beautiful illustrations by the very talented Nigel Peake - I am so enjoying perusing his 'In The Wilds' book at the moment. It's such a gorgeous, whimsical take on nature and structures:

House: Chewton Charmer

2011-10-03T09:54:00.000+11:00

If we hadn't already bought a little weekender, I'd seriously be thinking about this cute miners cottage that's up for sale at Chewton (just outside Castlemaine in the goldfields region of Victoria). I love how the owners have stayed true to the cottage's roots while at the same time giving it a very contemporary feel...

See the link here while it lasts.

[Images: Waller Realty]

The Afghan Tea Cyclist

2011-10-02T18:07:00.000+11:00

Well it's patently obvious that I don't read Broadsheet Melbourne often enough (or get into the city often enough) - I missed the T2 Afghan Tea Cyclist! I would have loved to have seen this little piece of Afghanistan making its way through the city streets, distributing samples of the new T2 flavours from Afghanistan, as it did last week...but I didn't even know about it until after the fact. Notes to self: (1) read the Broadsheet daily; (2) get thee into the city more regularly (and not just for work meetings!!). Here's what I missed right in my own backyard:

[Images: Broadsheet Melbourne]

Eat: Wombat Hill House

2011-10-01T11:15:00.001+10:00

Kicking back this morning, reading the weekend papers (whilst eating French toast and sipping on my green tea) I came across a great little article in The Age newspaper about the newly opened Wombat Hill House - a cafe and store situated in the Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens at Daylesford. Alla Wolf Tasker, the owner of the renown Lake House at Daylesford, had the foresight to transform the derelict caretaker's cottage at the gardens into a gorgeous cafe and store. I've cut the article out of the paper and a visit to Wombat Hill House is now on my 'must do' list once we settle in to our weekender in the area. There are so many great things to see and do in the area, but first we need give our very rustic and rundown weekender a good clean up before proceeding with major renovations. Hmmm, it might be a while before I get to have a leisurely lunch at Wombat Hill House!

[Image: The Age]

To find out more about Wombat Hill House and to see some beautiful images of the cafe, store and botanic gardens, go to the Wombat Hill House site.

Art: Paintings + Plates

2011-09-27T18:28:00.000+10:00

I adore the very clever and very beautiful creations by Bruce Wayland and Marcello De Simone of Little Owl Design - I'd love this one for over my fireplace:

Or perhaps this stunning image of dahlias:

Both pieces are sold and alas, Little Owl is far, far away in Amsterdam.

If you're interested, you can check out more of this amazing art at Little Owl Design.

[All images from Little Owl]

Afternoon delight

2011-09-26T17:32:00.000+10:00

My lovely friend Jen celebrated a significant birthday on the weekend - she saw in the momentous occasion by having a Spring Garden themed afternoon tea for 20 or so of her girlfriends at my place. We had such a wonderful afternoon, filled with champagne cocktails, cups of tea, soft fluffy sponges, magnificent macarons and more....

The centrepiece was definitely the amazing white chocolate mud cake that my sister organised as a birthday cake - she capped off the cake by decorating it with some lovely little violas...

A bright outlook

2011-09-16T18:57:00.000+10:00

Nothing like a bright door on a great little cottage or shed to brighten your outlook...three perfect examples:

[Image from Stayz]

[Image from Content Agency]

[Image from here]

Have a lovely weekend.

A certain charm

2011-09-15T12:30:00.002+10:00

This gorgeous apartment was created by Boddam Whetham Architects and it features in the 'Before & After Special' booklet that accompanies the October issue of the Real Living magazine. It's a simply beautiful clean, uncluttered space. My favourite features: (1) I especially love the dining bar up against the window. It's a terrific idea when you're tight on space; (2) the steel internal doors really add character to the space; (3) the unique bathroom pedestal (custom made) and basin.

You can click on the images for a closer look, or pop on over to Boddam Whetham to view the images of this and other beautiful architectural projects.

[All images from Boddam Whetham]

Pearl Beach beauty

2011-09-08T10:39:00.001+10:00

This lovely Pearl Beach (NSW) house featured in the latest issue of House and Garden - I really like the both the exterior and interior paint colours and I'm trying to convince my husband that we should use similar colours on the house we've just bought. He wants to go all white on the exterior. A bit boring if you ask me.

The other amazing thing about this house...the family also let it out as a holiday rental! If you're interested you can find more information here.

Anyway, on to the eye candy (click on any of the photos for a closer/clearer view)...

The dark, dramatic exterior...

The light and airy interior...

The house renovation was designed by Connor and Solomon Architects.

[All images from Stayz]

Bookish

2011-09-05T11:55:00.000+10:00

It's so good to see a bookstore opening rather than closing down - and quite a stylish one at that! So heartening to read in my fave online newspaper 'Broadsheet Melbourne' about the opening of Embiggen Books @ 197-203 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. You can find out much, much more about this bookshop here and here. I'll definitely be wandering down Little Lonsdale Street for a visit on my next foray into town.

Of course that would entail a visit to Design Dispensary too - just down the street at 322 Little Lonsdale.

[Images: 1- Broadsheet Melbourne; 2 - Design For Use]

tropical gorgeousness

2011-09-02T11:58:00.000+10:00

Don't get me wrong, I like Dinosaur Designs, but it's only since I saw these images on the Mr and Mrs Smith blog that I've really, really wanted to own some of their homewares - their Coral Sea collection screams 'tropical summer', particularly when you see the way it's been styled at the Mr and Mrs Smith morning tea:

[All images from Mr and Mrs Smith]

A bit of greenery for the first day of Spring

2011-09-01T14:28:00.000+10:00

A garden post to celebrate the first day of Spring here in Australia...it's here at long, long last! If the weather is good I'm looking forward to doing a bit of weeding and planting in our neglected garden this weekend.

While trawling through some of the images I've got stored on my computer, it's only just become apparent to me that I have a thing for houses covered in a bit of greenery:

"A love of gardening is a seed that once sown, never dies."

Gertrude Jekyll (1843 - 1932)

[Images: 1 to 3 - Country Living; 4 & 5 - Emily Followill; 6 & 7 - Kay & Burton]

Proud owners

2011-08-26T12:24:00.000+10:00

After six months of searching for just the right property at just the right price, I'm excited to say that my husband and I are now the proud owners of this little country weekender:

It needs a truck load of work to make it habitable, but it will be so good to have a 'project' like this to keep us busy. The first thing that will be going is that ghastly pinky purple trim! Now comes the hard bit...waiting for 2 months until we take possession of the property. But in the meantime I'll be plotting and planning and I'm looking forward to tracking our progress on my blog.

Tiles: Graphic goodness

2011-08-26T11:02:00.000+10:00

My love affair with tiles continues. I spotted these tiles at Aeria a couple of weeks ago and I'm still taken with the colours and graphic designs of the 'WPF opulent tiles' (as they're described on the Aeria site):

[Images from Aeria]

Art: Jude Rae

2011-08-24T11:54:00.002+10:00

I am in awe of the beautiful oil paintings of utalitarian objects by Jude Rae. The composition of the objects shown in stark simplicity infuse the objects with an innate elegance:

Jude Rae's work will be exhibited at the Jensen Gallery in Sydney from 8 September - 8 October. I must organise a visit to Sydney - I dearly want to see these amazing works first hand.

[All images from Jensen Gallery]

Unusual divider

2011-08-23T13:52:00.001+10:00

Look closely at the room divider behind the armchairs...

It's unobtrusive but it still cleverly defines the space:

Timber and twine - an interesting and textural take on defining a space:

You can click on the images for a closer look, or head over to Sam Crawford Architects site for these and other beautiful architectural projects.

[Images: Sam Crawford Architects]

Divine repetition

2011-08-17T11:00:00.000+10:00

I received this beautiful Lila Ruby King card from my friend Dot yesterday - I'm in love with the pattern that's created by the repetition of the bird...

Up on the inspiration board it goes! You can check out more of Lila Ruby King's goodness here.

[Image: Lila Ruby King]

Of tiles and catch ups

2011-08-15T16:56:00.002+10:00

I had such a lovely 'catch up' with my girlfriend Alex on Saturday. We met in South Melbourne as we both wanted to check out the tiles at Aeria. I tell you, there are so many beautiful tiles in that one shop! I fell in love with these encaustic cement tiles (the ones on the left) - we're thinking of using them when we retile our front verandah shortly:

I also loved the plain encaustic cement tiles - such beautiful washed out colours:

The plain tiles look quite nice when an assortment of colours is used together:

Then we popped around the corner to St Ali's for the totally delicious pear and coconut bread paired with the best latte I've had in months. I seriously wish St Ali's was my local cafe. Unfortunately, I have to drive about 8 kms to get there!

Then we had a bit of browse around South Melbourne and fortuitously stumbled across (only because the car happened to be parked across the road) the recently opened Warehouse 8 @ 216 Coventry Street. Lots of vintage, industrial, provincial and depression era furniture here:

Their site has lots of information about the items in store - you can check it out here.

[Images: 1 to 4 - Aeria; 5 - Breakfast Out; 6 - Warehouse 8]

Design: Penny Farthing Design House

2011-08-11T22:13:00.000+10:00

Everything for sale on Penny Farthing Design House's site looks so gorgeous it truly makes it hard to decide what you'd like to buy. Beautiful prints/canvases, beautifully styled...

Click on the images for a closer look, or you can check out all of their gorgeous wares on their site.

[All images from Penny Farthing Design House]

Create: Shibori

2011-08-05T10:28:00.000+10:00

My sister Jacky is a big fan of shibori and I can definitely see the attraction...so I thought she (and others) might be interested in the gorgeous work of Karen Davis and Pepa Martin of design studio Shibori. The beautiful, subtle blue and white effects of the traditional shibori style are given a contemporary twist by this fab duo. Their site gives a peek at everything from the shibori process through to projects and collaborations. They're even producing a book titled 'Shibori in the 21st Century' which is due to be released in October. I'll be keeping an eye out for that one.

Here's some of Shibori's work:

The shibori process applied to leather:

These shibori curtains at the Beresford Hotel, Surry Hills are pretty amazing:

They've even created shibori walls! Obviously the possibilities are endless for this talented pair:

[All images from Shibori]

Art: A thing of beauty

2011-08-04T12:39:00.000+10:00

I loved this picture in the latest issue of Inside Out so much that I've torn it out of the magazine and popped it up on the wall in my office for instant inspiration. That bird is simply amazing! It's the 'Bird in Flight III' limited edition print by Beth-Emily from Signed & Numbered. Mmmm, think I might have to do a bit of online shopping :)

Place: Manly

2011-08-02T20:17:00.002+10:00

Gourmet Traveller's recent 'Insider's Guide to Manly' definitely put Manly on my 'must do' list the next time I visit Sydney. Here's why:

Some swanky shopping at Mr and Mrs Smith:

And more goodies at Neck of the Woods:

Coffee seated here at Three Beans:

Dining with a great view at Manly Pavilion:

Do you have any Manly favourites?

[Images: Gourmet Traveller]

Another tiled wall

2011-08-01T18:31:00.000+10:00

Behind the crisp red door of L'Atelier de Monsieur Truffe (new cafe & chocolatier) is yet another example of a great tiled wall - I haven't visited this cafe yet (it might be very dangerous for my waist line) but I will sooner rather than later. Maybe I ought to make it my mission to visit every gorgeous tiled wall in every eatery in Melbourne!

L'atelier de Monsieur Truffe @ 351 Lygon Street, East Brunswick.

[All images from my favourite online newspaper Broadsheet Melbourne - a must read for all Melbournians]

Blue and white ceramics

2011-07-31T13:34:00.000+10:00

Behold the gorgeousness of Sue Binns' blue and white pottery. Unfortunately it's currently only available in the UK. If I ever visit the UK again I am going to track down this luscious pottery and bring home a piece or two...

[All images from Sue Binns Pottery]

Love: Tiled walls

2011-07-27T14:41:00.000+10:00

A very recent obsession of mine...tiled walls. Two lovely local examples (click on the pics for a closer look):

Ernest V Cafe @ 432 Glenhuntly Road, Elsternwick (I had a fabulous middle eastern style winter salad there a couple of weeks ago):

A newish cafe, Pour Kids, in Winter Street, Malvern - my husband was working nearby recently and we popped in for a coffee. The black & white tiled wall looks great with the bright yellow coffee machine:

Do you know of any other lovely examples to share?

[All images from Broadsheet Melbourne]

Shop: Montreux pop-up house

2011-07-26T17:57:00.000+10:00

Montreux, a great homewares store in High Street, Prahran, isn't just having a pop-up shop, it's having a whole pop-up house for one week only! I'm going to drop in tomorrow afternoon to get a fix of all things antique, vintage and industrial.

A beautiful bedroom image from Montreux's warehouse space:

[Images from: Montreux]

Place: Wellington

2011-07-25T12:05:00.000+10:00

Last week I spent a few rainy days working in Wellington - that didn't stop me from exploring...up to the Botanical Gardens in the Wellington Cable Car, a walk through the beautiful gardens (it was worth walking in the pouring rain just to see the most magnificent magnolia tree I've ever seen in full bloom). An added bonus: I had the gardens all to myself! Then I meandered down Tinakori Road, and browsed through Millwood Gallery whereupon I purchased the fabulously illustrated Wellington Book:

And now I'm back home in similarly wet and windy Melbourne!

[Images from The Wellington Book]

Beautiful frames for beautiful art

2011-07-20T13:29:00.004+10:00

Fine art frame fabrication by United Measures (based in Melbourne of course) - lovingly crafted frames that are art in themselves...click on the images for a closer look...

[All images from United Measures]

Shop: Going Going Green

2011-07-18T15:41:00.000+10:00

Problem: I need some new pots and plants for my front verandah. Solution: Drop by Going Going Green someday pretty soon (a great inner city nursery). Problem: Which gorgeous pots do I choose? The green ones below are winning the race so far.

Other great stuff at Going Going Green that's worth a look:

[All images from Going Going Green]

Eat: Golden Fields

2011-07-17T16:06:00.000+10:00

Chef Andrew O'Connell's new asian eatery, Golden Fields, @ 157 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda - a simple well-thought through decor and inspired asian cuisine:

[All images from Golden Fields]

Friday far away: Lizard Island

2011-03-25T22:10:00.000+11:00

Being inundated with work at present means that I'm dreaming about lolling about on daybeds in tropical environs with a good book in hand and no internet. Lizard Island in Queensland fits the bill perfectly - I could look out onto the deep blue sea all day long. A girl's gotta dream!

[Images: Lizard Island]

Tank tops

2011-03-18T21:19:00.000+11:00

My local fish & chip shop looks nothing like Tank Fish and Chippery in Lygon Street, Carlton. It's pretty swish. Mind you that's probably a good thing for my waist line because if it did I think I'd eat fish and chips a lot more often. Totally loving the blue and white tiles and great light fittings.

[All images from Australian Interior Design Awards]

Monday shop post: Red Hill House

2011-03-14T11:46:00.000+11:00

I haven't done a Monday Shop Post in a long, long time...I must get back into the habit, but in all honesty, shopping is not on my radar much at the moment. Just trying to get through a backlog of work.

Whenever I make the trip down to Main Ridge on the Mornington Peninsula to visit my friend Harry I try to find the time to drop in to Red Hill House in Red Hill (of course) - although it's only open on weekends and it's not situated in a row of shops but rather it's right next to the farm equipment and produce yard! But it's a lovely little shop, with an ever-changing array of goods so it's usually worth making a pitstop. Here's a taste of what's in store at Red Hill House:

[All images from Red Hill House]

Why Wye?

2011-02-27T15:49:00.000+11:00

Answer: Because it's a million miles from the big city lights of Melbourne and it's got The Wye River General Store - the quintessential beach cafe.

The cafe might look a little bit on the plain side...

But it's situated right on The Great Ocean Road in a fabulous location where the river meets the sea...

Cute and colourful

2011-02-25T18:21:00.001+11:00

Aren't these hand-embroidered Moroccan bags just the loveliest thing for a late Summer fling...

They're available from the incredibly verdant Julian Ronchi Garden Design, High Street, Armadale...

[All images from Julian Ronchi Garden Design]

A gift of ginger lilies

2011-02-16T22:35:00.000+11:00

The house smells lovely at the moment. I put my key in the door, open it wide and the scent of ginger lilies greets me. My lovely friend Chris, who I go walking with nearly every Sunday morning, gave me these ginger lilies from her luscious overgrown garden. I just happened to comment on how great her garden smelled because of the ginger lilies, and before I knew it she'd whipped out her secateurs and cut a few stems for me. Then she grabbed her garden spade and dug out a whole plant for me to take home for my own garden. Don't you just love it when friends do stuff like that. So sweet. Such a pity though that the cut stems had to go some place distinctly unglamorous like my kitchen bench right next to the kettle!! The upside is, it currently feels like I'm making my morning cup of tea in the tropics :)

And to round things off in the flower stakes in my house at the moment, I just had to take a photographic record of the beautiful phalaenopsis orchid my husband gave me for Christmas. I am notoriously bad at keeping house plants alive, so I'm quite chuffed that he thought to buy me something that is relatively indestructible. But just in case I do manage to kill it, I thought I'd take a pic to show that I at least kept it alive for a couple of months.

I hope your home is filled with lovely flowers too.

Two white homes

2011-02-14T11:09:00.000+11:00

I could seriously move into either one of these homes interior designed by Pamela Makin of Les Interieurs and I wouldn't change a thing. Beautiful, serene beachside spaces:

Home No. 1:

Home No. 2:

[Images: Les Interieurs]

Today I love...

2011-02-09T19:30:00.000+11:00

Tripping around the internet this week, these are things that have caught my attention...

This striped twine from Flora and Ceres:

This vibrant rug at Lindewarrah Milawa:

Sibella Court's fab new online store that everyone's talking about:

This kangaroo paw cushion would be perfect for my sofa:

Some Valentine's Day inspiration:

[Last 3 images from Blue Caravan]

Quite a mixed bag isn't it!

Monday shop post: Sidetracked Depot

2011-02-07T17:07:00.003+11:00

Just like you should never judge a book by its cover, so you should never judge a shop by its window front! Travelling back home from our recent holiday on the New South Wales central coast we made a quick pitstop at Bowral...I'm ashamed to say that we drove right past Sidetracked Depot. At the time I thought it didn't look like my sort of shop, but I definitely regret that now after taking a squiz at their site and seeing what lay beyond the window front! Oh well, maybe next time.

[Image: Sidetracked Depot]

Textiles: Indigo

2011-02-06T11:16:00.000+11:00

I love how blogs bring amazing things to your attention - I was reading this lovely post over at one of my favourite blogs, Cabin on the Water, and Tricia Rose made reference to the Gallery Kei website, so with a simple click or two I popped over to their site and came across these gorgeous indigo textiles!

Anyway, I just know my sister Jacky would love these indigo fabrics so I just had to post these images especially for her. Seeing these Japanese textiles, I can completely understand her fascination - such amazing handcrafted beauty...and all from the Kei Gallery in Kyoto, Japan:

[All images from Gallery Kei]

2011-02-05T00:01:00.000+11:00

Bison ceramics + beautiful flowers = gorgeousness

And my own much loved little Bison droplet vase:

Have a lovely weekend wherever you may be :)

[Images 1 & 2: Bison Ceramics]

A warm white home

2011-02-03T17:10:00.000+11:00

I'm drawn to the combination of clean spaces, warm white walls and honey toned timber in this home respectfully renovated by Pidcock - Architecture and Sustainability...

[Images: Pidcock - Architecture and Sustainability]

Garden: Taking over the house

2011-01-31T19:40:00.000+11:00

I simply adore overgrown gardens - I love the way the ivy has literally taken over this house...

[Images: Kay & Burton]

Pretty: Magnolia Square 'Look Book'

2011-01-29T18:23:00.000+11:00

Love this little 'look book' from Magnolia Square pop-up market - it definitely whets the appetite. The market is on in Melbourne again from 3 to 6 March. I have the date circled in my diary!

[Image: Magnolia Square]

Holiday pitstops

2011-01-28T21:42:00.001+11:00

Winding our way back home from our recent holiday at Hawks Nest in New South Wales we made a few pitstops along the way, taking in the gorgeous rural scenery...

There was a leisurely lunch at Berowra Waters - we took the ferry to the other side for lunch at the marina:

We stopped at Leura in the Blue Mountains to marvel at The Three Sisters and take photographs along with the hordes of tourists:

Whilst in the Blue Mountains we also stopped to peer through the fencing to sneak a peek at the beautiful old Hydro Majestic that's currently closed for major renovation - it's due to open in 2012 and I've promised my aunt that we'll return to enjoy lunch there next year:

We stopped for coffee at Berrima and went for a walk to look at lots of pretty gardens and cottages:

Then we stayed overnight at Gundagai (roughly halfway between Sydney and Melbourne) and while I can't say there was a lot to take in at this very small town, the old timber railway bridge, which is no longer used, was a pretty sight. For some reason it reminded me of the railway line in the movie 'Stand By Me'.

And to think, if we had have caught the plane we would have missed all that and more!

Reading: Covetables

2011-01-27T16:46:00.000+11:00

Recently a lovely houseguest, Gaye, gave me this book as a hostess gift:

The book, Covetables, is gorgeous - it makes me want to visit France all over again **sigh**

In 2008 two Australian designers moved to a farmhouse in a small Dordogne village - and this is their story, told in snippets and accompanied by quintessential images of rural France...

A truly charming read that's easy to dip in and out of. Thank you Gaye.

[Images: Covetables]

And somewhere to stay...

2011-01-26T13:47:00.000+11:00

While I'm thinking about my forthcoming visit to Kyneton, if the day trip extends to an overnight stay, Apartment 61B would be a lovely place to stay...

[Image: Macedon Ranges Interiors]

If you've been to Kyneton, do you have any 'must see' or accommodation suggestions?

The best tree

2011-01-26T10:13:00.001+11:00

Being a book lover, this was hands down the best Christmas tree of 2010 for me...so cute and so clever! Inspiration for next Christmas perhaps.

[Image: Victoria Alexander]

Piper Street is calling my name

2011-01-25T22:58:00.000+11:00

My sister recently visited Kyneton and raved about Piper Street in general and two places in particular: The Stockroom and Lauriston Press...

The Stockroom, located @ 96-98 Piper Street in an old butter factory, showcases a diverse range of Australian artists, makers and designers:

The Stockroom is also currently holding a terrific Flood Aid Auction on Saturday 12th February - lots of beautiful art and objects up for grabs and all for a great cause. If you're interested you can check out their site for more details.

Also in Piper Street (@ 37B) is artist Sarah Gabriel's studio / shop, Lauriston Press:

Just a few other enticing reasons to visit Kyneton:

Kabinett - a fabulous shop @ 66 Piper St specialising in beautiful vintage wares (check out their site to see their great range
Annie Smithers Bistrot @ 72 Piper St for beautiful fresh, locally sourced produce
Inner Biscuit @ 34 Piper St for divine biscuits, cakes and coffee
Little Swallow Cafe

When things settle down workwise, I think I'll to head off to Kyneton for a day trip within the next few weeks. Any other recommendations? They'd be much appreciated.

[Images: 1- The Age; 2-10 - Stockroom; 11-17 Lauriston Press]

Home again

2011-01-21T22:06:00.000+11:00

What day is it again? I've had a blissful 'internet free' two weeks away at Hawks Nest (on the Sapphire Coast in New South Wales) - we rented a great big gorgeous house with three other families and spent copious amounts of time talking about life in general, making daily feasts, playing 'lifeguard' to the kids in the pool, drinking G&Ts, reading books, newspapers and trashy mags etcetera etcetera. So hard to come back to work!

Plating up

2011-01-04T23:13:00.002+11:00

Cleaning out my picture files I realised that I have quite a few shots of plates as a decorative wall feature - whilst I think this look is quite traditional they do look very nice. But I know that I just couldn't commit to nailing a large number of hooks on my wall to hang plates. You'd have to be pretty sure that you loved the look and that you knew what you were doing when you nailed those hooks! So, I think I'll just clean out my picture files and enjoy these pretty pictures instead...

[Images: 1 - Janne Peters; 2 - John Jacob Interiors via My Notting Hill; 3 & 4 - Living Etc; 5 - Margot Austin; 6 - Michael Del Piero; 7 - Phoebe Howard; 8 - Unknown; 9 - Sarah Kaye]

Timber splashback

2011-01-03T14:05:00.000+11:00

An unusual timber splashback...a nice feature in an otherwise plain kitchen:

[Images: Philip Building Group]

Oh...Olio

2010-12-31T11:57:00.000+11:00

I must have walked through the very beautiful Block Arcade and on to Block Place hundreds and hundreds of times in the past twenty years or so...how is it that I never even noticed Olio Cucina e Trattoria @ 32 Block Place? Just shows how sadly lacking my observation skills are! But next time I stroll through Block Place I'm going to stop, look around and grab a coffee or meal at Olio....

I love the red geraniums, brightly painted stair rails and the use of colanders and tomato tins as lightshades! Goes to show that great style doesn't have to cost the earth.

[Images from Georgeous]

Merry Christmas to one and all!

2010-12-24T18:16:00.000+11:00

Wishing all those who pass this way a joyful Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.

[Image: Country Living]

Signing off for the year and looking forward to posting more in 2011 and visiting all my favourite blogs.

All the best for the festive season!

Fleur-ishness

2010-12-22T22:44:00.000+11:00

Just a little further along from the Rose Street shops in Armadale, if you follow your nose you will find the sweetest, freshest blooms at 'Fleur' - a gorgeous florist with a white backdrop that lets the flowers shine - compliments of the wonderful Fleur McHarg. If only I lived within walking distance, I'd buy my blooms there every week...

[All images from Fleur]

Country idyll

2010-12-16T16:46:00.001+11:00

One of the nice things about Melbourne is that there are some really lovely places in the surrounding regions that are only an hour or two away, and just perfect for a weekend getaway. Take very recently opened 'Twigs on High' luxury B&B accommodation in Trentham, situated between Woodend and Daylesford (two perfect getaways in their own right), it's described on the site as 'luxe country', and looking at these gorgeous pictures I can understand why...

Want to stay at Twigs, then check it all out here.

P.S. Please excuse my absence from my blog the last week or so, while I wish I was somewhere very lovely like Twigs, I was actually in Wellington, New Zealand work. Not quite the same thing!

[All images from Twigs]

Turning decorations into cards

2010-12-06T14:56:00.000+11:00

The weekend was a whirlwind of Christmas shopping, Christmas celebrations and Christmas card making. I took these Polli decorations...

And turned them into these simple but sweet Christmas cards...

Thirty or so Christmas cards now written and posted - one Christmas task down and only a trillion to go! No wonder they call this the silly season.

Villa in the Huon Valley

2010-12-02T11:31:00.000+11:00

The latest issue of Australian House & Garden (January 2011) has a lovely feature on the B&B retreat, Villa Talia located near Cygnet in the Huon Valley, Tasmania. It looks very, very appealing from the front hallway...

To the magnificent vista...

And everything else in between...

I've always wanted to do a road trip around Tasmania, and when I do a stopover at Villa Talia would be quite lovely.

[All images from Villa Talia]

Great colour combos

2010-12-01T15:11:00.001+11:00

Interior designer Camilla Molders is certainly not afraid to use bright colours to make a statement in a home. I love these colour combos she has used...

Orange and pink:

Turquoise and red:

Black and citrus colours:

You can see more of Camilla's gorgeous work here.

A fine use of chairs

2010-11-30T14:06:00.000+11:00

I think that this beautiful home has used chairs in a way that really shows them and the space to their best advantage. What do you think?

[All images from Robert Mills Architects]

Today I love...

2010-11-27T09:09:00.000+11:00

These fabulous budgerigar paintings by artist Ben Quilty:

The new towel range from Aura Home - I'm thinking of the spot towels (second image at front) for my own bathroom:

This great book from Mary Randolph Carter (it's on my Christmas wishlist):

[Image: Amazon]

These prints from Southwood Home - green being my favourite colour, I especially love the 'Eat Your Greens' print on the far left:

Speaking of green, I think these green tiles are pretty gorgeous too:

[Image: Hecker Guthrie]

And also this glass and ceramic collection - simple but stunning:

[Image: Martha Stewart]

And finally, who could go past a great shell collection like this:

[Image: Martha Stewart]

Wishing you a happy weekend.

A dreamy home

2010-11-24T19:01:00.000+11:00

Today was a big day filled to the brim with client meetings, so I'm lucky to be able to string a sentence together at the moment.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so these pictures of a dreamy Melbourne home by Robert Mills Architects and interior designer Louella Potter will have to suffice for a post today.

What I love: great use of aboriginal art, interesting lighting, great use of texture, a relaxed living space...

[All images from Robert Mills Architects]

Two cafes to try

2010-11-23T11:32:00.000+11:00

Thanks to Catherine (v. cool Melbourne blogger and inveterate traveller) at the brilliant Point of Difference, I've just become aware of two newish cafes that I want to pop in to and try a.s.a.p. Just flagging it here in my own blog so I don't forget!

First up, Friends of Mine, 506 Swan Street, Richmond:

And secondly, Sissi's, 1290 Malvern Road, Malvern:

[All images from Point of Difference]

Monday shop post: Papyrus Design

2010-11-22T11:11:00.000+11:00

As Christmas nears my thoughts turn to stationery believe it or not...you see, I like to make Christmas cards for my nearest and dearest - not everyone on my Christmas list, just a special few. And of course I need supplies for my Christmas card making adventure. The two places I like to venture to in order to pick up paper, envelopes etc. are Rock, Paper, Scissors and Papyrus Design. The latter has the most gorgeous range of paper-related 'stuff'. Here, take peek at Papyrus Design:

Stationery sets and albums:

Tags and card sets:

Pencils in all the colours of the rainbow:

And pens too:

Plenty of goodies for the kids:

Beautiful leather goods:

Bookbinders notebooks and albums:

More cards and books:

Rows of exquisite wrapping paper:

Decorative ribbons by the metre or the roll:

Paper by the sheet and fabulous stickers to adorn gifts or envelopes:

And to top it all off, a gorgeous chandelier hanging in the corner:

Conveniently, both Rock, Paper, Scissors and Papyrus Designs are located in High Street Armadale. I'm looking forward to taking a trip to both shops this week to pick up my Christmas Cards supplies. Now if I could just get my Christmas present list in order I'd feel just a little bit more organised.

[All images from Papyrus Design]

How delightful

2010-11-19T17:24:00.001+11:00

How delightful would it be to stay at the Red Brick Barn for the weekend?

Ninety minutes or so up the highway from Melbourne is the town of Castlemaine and nearby the smaller town of Chewton - my father actually lived in this town for a time when he was a little boy. Anyway, two Melburnians (Glenny Eastwood and Daniel Burgermeister) have created the oh so beautiful Red Brick Barn guesthouse in the goldfields town of Chewton. Can you believe that this gorgeous guesthouse is only 3 years old? It's a testament to Daniel and Glenny's keen renovation and recycling skills.

You can click on each of the following images for a close up:

You can find out more about Red Brick Barn and see more beautiful images at their website.

[All images from Red Brick Barn]

Porcelain prettiness

2010-11-18T16:36:00.002+11:00

Just a little bit of Melbourne gorgeousness today thanks to the talented duo Angus and Celeste - their wares will be available at the Magnolia Square market early December and I think one of their porcelain botanical vases would make the perfect Christmas present for a special someone I know.

Angus and Celeste also create bracelets, rings, brooches, wall tiles, earrings, scarves, belts etc.:

[All images from Angus and Celeste]

The giveaway goes to..

2010-11-16T17:11:00.001+11:00

Image: Brian Yates

Thank you to those lovely readers that left a comment and participated in the giveaway. Unfortunately I only have one of magazines to give away, I'd love to give you all these gorgeous Christmas magazines! I used the old fashioned way of selecting the recipient, i.e. by drawing a name out of the hat (my summer straw hat in fact)... and the magazines go to:

Heather

Heather, all you need to do is email me at glimpseofstyle@gmail.com with instructions on where to send the magazines and I'll pop them in the mail a.s.a.p. I hope you enjoy them and they give you lots of ideas for the festive season.

300th post giveaway

2010-11-12T19:11:00.000+11:00

Oh hello, sorry I've been MIA this week - honestly I just can't keep up with the amount of work I have at the moment and by the end of the day I'm dog tired and can't scramble together a coherent thought or two to pop into a post. Perhaps next week will be better.

Anyway...I can't believe it, I've finally managed to make it to 300 posts (and 200 followers!!) on my little blog. It's taken me almost two years...some days I've had a million and one things I'd like to post and at other times I've gone for weeks on end without even a smidgeon of inspiration. So to make it to 300 posts feels pretty damn good.

Of course I just wanted to say 'thank you' to all those lovely, lovely people who take the time to read and follow my blog. As a person who predominantly works from home, some days blogs provide me with a window to the world when I'm feeling a little bit isolated, and of course I am often so, so, so inspired by what bloggers make, see, do, say, feel etc etc.

To celebrate reaching 300 posts I'd like to give away to one of my readers a set of three Christmassy magazines:

Inside Out's Christmas edition filled with lots of fabulous festive ideas:

Real Living's December Christmas themed issue:

House and Garden's December Christmas themed issue:

Happy to send these anywhere in the world, wherever your postbox may be. All you need to do is leave a comment before end of the day Sunday 14th November.

Monday shop post: The Assembly Hall

2010-11-08T19:01:00.001+11:00

Pretty busy, so just a quick shop post today.

I ducked into this lovely little shop the other week when I was over in Williamstown visiting my friend Alex - it's down the far end of Douglas Parade, but well worth the trek. The Assembly Hall is a beautiful shop is filled with gorgeous homewares that had me just itching to buy something...

Can you see the Vivienne Westwood union jack hanging over their counter in the above picture - I've not seen one 'in the flesh' before and wasn't that taken with them, but I honestly have to say it looked amazing - the pictures here don't do it justice:

Anyway, there's lots of unique pieces of furniture, cushions, quilts, lighting etc to be drooled over at The Assembly Hall:

Definitely worth a repeat visit next time I'm over that way.

[All images from The Assembly Hall]

Wallflowers and other beautiful creations

2010-11-04T17:08:00.000+11:00

The Melbourne based design company Skapa Bilda creates the most beautiful objects and installations using a variety of media, but predominately paper and fabric. I think these wallflowers are absolutely amazing - such a gorgeous colour combination too:

Other amazing paper creations include this exquisitely wrought necklace:

A set of handmade bespoke thank you cards:

And things aren't too shabby in the textile creations either. I'd love one of these pillows - they look so fresh and summery:

Or perhaps one of these beautiful, earthy quilts:

Many more divine creations can be found at Skapa Bilda's site. They're such a clever bunch.

[All images from Skapa Bilda]

Polli decorations

2010-11-03T22:39:00.001+11:00

Soaking in the bathtub and reading the Christmas edition of Inside Out magazine, I thought these Polli Christmas decorations were just plum gorgeous (and very reasonably priced too). I'm going to order a set of decorations to use as swing tags on my Christmas presents...I just have to decide which colour: red, yellow or blue?

Only $19.95 for 30 decorations and six metres of red twine, and on top of that they have free Australia-wide shipping. How good is that! Now if I could only make the rest of my Christmas shopping that easy.

[Images from Polli]

Today I love...

2010-11-02T22:23:00.000+11:00

Today I've been thinking about how much I love a bit of quirkiness in a cafe, for example:

I love these books stacked around the display cabinet at Mr Tulk cafe at the State Library of Victoria (so named in honour of the first chief librarian at the library). Mind you I'd be very tempted to pull out a book or two just to find out what's what.

Or how about these stools made from recycled road signs at Three Bags Full in Abbotsford:

And at The Commoner in Fitzroy... why keep your utensils in the kitchen when you can hang them on the wall!!

And you can forget about the piped in music at Gingerlee cafe in Brunswick East when they've got their own record player (now that's a trip down memory lane!):

Of course, no matter how cute and quirky a cafe is, it has to have good coffee! Do you have any favourite, quirky cafes in your neighbourhood?

[All images from Breakfast Out]

Monday shop post: Nyary 604

2010-11-01T14:52:00.000+11:00

Nyary 604 is named after its owner Peter Nyary and its location on High Street, Prahran - it's a very smart store dealing in antiques, furniture and homewares. Whilst I have driven past numerous times, I haven't stepped foot in this beautiful store, mainly because most of the items are quite expensive and beyond my budget, but I am lusting after (a) the stool in the window; and (b) the cloisonne jars on the table in the second pic. Anyway, here's a bit of eye candy from the store:

[All images from Nyary 604]

An unearthed house

2010-10-31T10:07:00.002+11:00

Driving through Port Melbourne yesterday I spied a lovely little terrace house seriously stripped back whilst being renovated by Unearthed Developments, which lead me to thinking 'I wonder what other work they've done in the area?'. I quickly took note of the web address on their sign and later sat down at my computer to check out their website - there are only a few examples of their work shown on the site, but one particular house really caught my eye.

Crisp white spaces, numerous large windows and doors to bring the sunshine and the outdoors in, classic yet contemporary. Take a peek:

(Note: You can click on each of the images for a larger / better quality photo or pop over to the Unearthed Development site)

[Images: Unearthed Developments]

Book love: One

2010-10-28T20:51:00.003+11:00

I've been away working interstate this week and haven't been able to post, but one good thing about being away was that while waiting and waiting for my delayed flight last night I had plenty of time to peruse the bookshop. My favourite pastime (perusing bookshops that is, not waiting for flights!). In the airport bookshop my eyes instantly fell upon the beautiful cover of 'One: Living as one and loving it'...

'One' is "celebration of individuality and life" and it is one of the most beautiful pictorial books I have seen in quite a long time - right up there with Sibella Court's Etcetera. I quickly handed over my hard earned cash at the register and I'm now looking forward to devouring both the images and the text of this gorgeous book. Victoria Alexander writes in such a beautiful, prosaic manner. It's very engaging. Best of all, Victoria Alexander has an amazing pictorial blog - this is just one of the lovely images that's both in her book and on her blog. Well worth checking out both the book and the blog!

[Images: 1 - Murdoch Books; 2 - Victoria Alexander]

Pinched and a pop of colour

2010-10-22T11:23:00.005+11:00

See these flowers...I must confess that I pinched them - out on my daily walk with the dog there was a feast of colourful flowers hanging over neighbourhood fences. I just couldn't help myself. Lilac, rhododendron, blossom and geranium: a beautiful spring bounty...

And, a new 'pop' of colour for my bathroom. I usually veer towards neutral colours but when it came time to buy some new towels for the bathroom last week I surprised even myself by choosing a strong green colour. I think it adds a nice lift to the otherwise neutral bathroom...

AIDA - A feast for the eyes

2010-10-19T20:19:00.000+11:00

My lovely friend Alex urged me to take a look at The Australian Interior Design Awards site - she described it as pure interior design heaven and of course with a recommendation like that I wasted no time checking it out. Now this turned out to be both a good and bad thing - good in that the AIDA site contained some of the most beautifully designed homes and commercial properties that I 've seen in a long time; bad in that I wasted more than a couple of hours just drooling over the pics on the site. The interior design projects nominated and awarded over the past six years are definitely inspirational...one of my favourites on the site would have to be the following Sydney coastal home interior designed by Hare + Klein Interior Design - it's just a lovely, relaxed style:

Now I might be very late to the party and everyone else knows about this gorgeous site, but if you haven't checked it out and you've got a spare hour or two I'd definitely recommend checking out the Australian Interior Design Awards site. Gorgeous!

[All images from Australian Interior Design Awards site]

Monday shop post: Kyo

2010-10-18T12:34:00.003+11:00

Sunday...stormy one minute, then sunny the next. It's like Melbourne can't decide whether it's winter or spring at the moment. It was in the midst of such undecided weather that my husband, son & I set out to make the trek down to the coastal town of Ocean Grove (about a two hour drive) for 'Oktoberfest', an extended family get-together that celebrates no less than seven family birthdays that occur in the month of October. I pleaded with my husband, "please, please can we head off just a little bit earlier in the morning so that I can stop in at Kyo in Ocean Grove".

Well, despite good intentions we just didn't have the time to make a quick detour to Kyo! So, I've decided that I'm going to have a to make special trip down to Ocean Grove to spend a couple of hours trawling the aisles of this massive warehouse that carries an unusual mix of Argentinian, Chinese, Indian, Japanese and Moroccan wares. Here's just a taste of what I missed out on (or thinking positively, a sample of things I can look forward to seeing):

And a few of the things I spotted on their site that I particularly like...

A safi ginger jar - beautiful design & colours:

A Chinese hat box with a lovely floral design:

I could perhaps imagine a couple of these storage chests lined up together in my hall - they might make a nice hall table:

And a Rajasthan vintage textile pack for my sister who does all sorts of wonderful artistic things with textiles:

[All images from Kyo]

Where have I been?

2010-10-16T19:50:00.003+11:00

A couple of weeks after I arrived home from Washington, my husband and son and I took off for a holiday in Thailand for a few weeks. Bliss! But it seems like an eon ago and I'm already itching for another holiday (obviously I'm greedy with a capital G). I've been back a couple of weeks but I've been so busy with work I've barely been able to scratch myself, hence the lack of posting. But I'm back on deck now and looking forward to getting back into the swing of posting.

Washington was work, work, work and not much else (but a great job & lovely people to work with), and Thailand was so very, very relaxing coming off the back of the U.S. trip. The highlight of the trip for me was a visit to the flower market in Chiang Mai and I thought I'd share just a few of the snaps I took to savour the memory - it was a riot of colour and scents...

See you soon

2010-08-12T20:13:00.000+10:00

I've unexpectedly been asked to head to the U.S. for work (Washington DC) for the next couple of weeks, so my little blog will be unattended. But I'll be back soon, so please drop by again. Lee :)

Image from here

Searching

2010-08-11T20:56:00.000+10:00

In my narrow hallway is a tallow wood hall table made by my husband over 15 years ago. The lovely little shoe lasts that feature in my blog header used to sit on this table...

And whilst this table is quite serviceable and I love the fact that my husband made it with his own two hands, quite frankly I am tired of it after 15 years. I want to inject a bit of colour into our narrow, dark hallway. There are no drawers in our hall table - I want drawers. I want rustic, and I want green. Not a deep, dark green table, cupboard or chest, more like a sea foam green, a light apple green - something that looks fresh. I want something that looks like these:

So, I am searching, searching for that elusive hall table that is in the perfect shade of green, that has just the right amount of 'oldness' and that has two or three drawers. Wherever I go, I search for MY table - I will know it when I see it. I just know it will show up one day. In the meantime, I am prepared to wait.

[Images: 1 - me; 2 - Steven Randazzo via Brabourne Farm; 3 - First Option; 4 - Indenfor; 5 - NY Times; 6 - Wisteria; 7 - Real Simple]