Room Scheming

I would love to be asked by a client to prepare a room scheme around these two beautiful pieces above. They are simply breathtaking, in my opinion.

I could imagine an {almost} all-white colour palette with recycled European parquetry timber flooring and beautiful blue and white patterned fabrics on cushions and possibly on a couple of accent chairs here and there. I think I would use white slip covered sofas with frilled skirts {like the ones Joni posts}. Oh, and of course I would fill the room with blue and white ginger jars.

What would you do if you were given these two beautiful pieces to work with?

Woodblock painting by celebrated Australian artist Cressida Campbell and beautiful French antique mirror from Baran de Bordeaux in Auckland.

Flowers Flowers Everywhere

I for one am thrilled with the abundance of floral designs popping up here, there and everywhere. I have been collecting a lot of floral images lately as we are about to embark on a very floral inspired look at Black & Spiro in the coming months. This week I thought I would share with you a few images which we have been using as inspiration for our new look. Maybe they might help you to be inspired too.


Image 1, 2, 3 - Vogue Living - Photographed by Mikkel Vang, Styled by Christine Rudolph

Image 4 - Veranda Magazine - Photographed by Mick Hayles, Styled by Sylvie Becquet

That Bed Head

You might remember this DIVINE guest bedroom belonging to U.S. designer Krista Ewart which was featured in Domino magazine last year. I remember absolutely obsessing over this room and that bed head. Well, you wouldn't believe it when I tell you that on the weekend some of LA's top designers had a tag sale in which they sold off some amazing things. Fellow blogger and friend Megan Samuels from Beach Bungalow 8 was there. I loved seeing the photos she shared of the sale. But when I saw the Krista Ewart bed head in the photos I nearly fainted! I emailed Megan straight away and said that if I was there I would have strapped myself to that bedhead and not let it go. Megan emailed me back and said she purchased it. I can't believe how lucky she was!! She is going to put it in her daughter's bedroom and apparently Krista threw in the ticking stripe bed skirt as well. Gosh, I can't wait to see what Megan does with it.

There it is....and look at all of the other amazing things!! I would have been almost hyperventilating!

Megan with Krista Ewart and look at the bed head peeping through in the back of the photo.

Congrats on your fantastic buy Megan!! I wonder what Krista Ewart will do in her guest room now?!

Top image - Domino Magazine via Style Court, image 2 & 3 - Megan Samuels.

Before & After

Sideboard After

Sideboard Before

I recently came across this lovely old Puerto Rican sideboard which I purchased for Black & Spiro. The girls and I decided to have it painted in a very soft mint green colour. We just had the piece delivered into the store on Friday. We placed it in our front window display with lots of pretty old jugs and vases filled with fresh flowers on it. I was so excited as one of my lovely clients came in to see me on Friday afternoon to go over a few things for her new kitchen and she instantly fell in love with our new piece. It is going into her new kitchen and she plans to fill it up with her collection of old mismatched china. I think it will be so perfect along with her pale pink retro Smeg fridge!!

PS. Sorry about the terrible photos however, it's really hard to get a good photo through the front glass windows of the shop...

Friday Flowers

These pretty flowers are in our Black & Spiro window display at the moment giving the impression that Spring is near. I must say I am very much looking forward to a restful weekend. I will be back here bright as a button next week...

xx

Anna

A Silver & White Collection

Isn't this such a beautiful collection of simple silver and white pieces all collected together in a white cabinet. Are they Dahlias in that vase? They look so fresh and pretty.

Sorry I haven't been here much this week. Things have just been a bit crazy around here. I have got some beautiful things to share with you all but they may just need to wait until next week when things have settled down a bit {hopefully}. Hope that's okay...

xx

Anna

Image - Vogue Living

A New Favourite Room

To be greeted this morning with an email from my friend Courtney Barnes with this image attached of a room in Windsor Smith's house was truly exciting. I think I have a new favourite room. Windsor's house is featured in the just released September '09' issue of House Beautiful. I am busting to get my hands on a copy. I seem to be drawn to Windsor Smith's aesthetic time and time again. I could move right into this room tomorrow and not change a thing.

Photographer - Victoria Pearson for House Beautiful Magazine