Styling Inspiration: Elephant Props

Do you ever fall upon a blog, website or creative space and instantly it connects with your aesthetic? Well, this very experience happened to me when I turned the first page of Sweet Paul's fall issue, whose inside cover was dedicated to advertising Elephant Props, a full-service prop house in Manhattan's Chelsea neighbourhood. Ran by Michele, a former prop stylist, and Patrick, a former set designer and builder, you can just imagine the visual delights within their prop house. Discovering Elephant Props was as exciting as winning the golden ticket was for Charlie.

read more "Styling Inspiration: Elephant Props"

{Orange}

This Bright.Bazaar guy is craving a little dose of orange in his life. Ok, maybe a bit more than a little! So there's only one thing for it folks, a triple helping of The Bright Stuff. From burnt hues to poppy brights, this colour is one of my all time favourites (I blogged about it's zing back in March). Kicking things off is a little combo of stripes and orange (1) which gives that home office some serious masculine charm. For uplifting and happy spaces I like the lighter, brighter hues (2, 4), especially those dining chairs (7) and the striped bench (8) in the breakfast bar. It turns out orange looks pretty darn good in a stripe pattern. That said, they're all tempting spaces for me, but it would be wrong not to pick a favourite or two, right?! I say: give me the artwork from that grey living room (4) and those hot orange stools (9) and I think my cravings will be satisfied. For now, anyway...

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

read more "{Orange}"

{Colour Cocktail: Multi Coloured}

After all the lovely comments about my multi coloured striped armchair earlier in the week, I thought it would be fun to finish the week off with a multi coloured cocktail extravaganza! Not only have we seen Miss. Bradshaw embrace the style in her old apartment, but also this has to be one of the easiest ways to add a confident punch of colour to a scheme. There's no need to paint or wallpaper, rather, pick up a statement accessory in your favourite multi colourway and you've got yourself a fun and playful space in an instant. Just check this look out in action below; the upholstered sofa and rug complete each space without anything extraordinary going in the rest of the room's decor. I'd like to add some more of this style to my apartment with that Jonathan Alder 'Ties' cushion. Do you have any multi coloured accessories? How would you use this colour cocktail in a decor scheme?

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11

read more "{Colour Cocktail: Multi Coloured}"

{Colour Cocktail: Grey and Orange}

Oooo this is another of my fave colour combos. Grey is to orange like lemon is to Diet Coke - they just go together with such ease. When these two get together for a decor party you know you're onto a winner; the results of their matrimony are just so satisfying. These two can be make a simple, subtle yet stunning statement as seen in the dining room below; or can form part of a structured scheme as seen in the home office. I've posted that home office before, but I couldn't resist including it in this post as well because - I'm not gonna lie - I'm a little bit in love with it! Have you ever decorated with this statement duo of colours?

Images (left to right, from top): 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

read more "{Colour Cocktail: Grey and Orange}"

{A Fun First Home}

Can you believe that this bright, airy, friendly and colourful home is one of those identi-kit houses that are popping up left, right and centre? The UK is full of bland, expansive housing estates with seemingly never ending rabbit warren-like roads of identical homes, and the reality is for many first time buyers that these are affordable option. So, to see this space from a brand new 'cookie cutter' house in California has really inspired me. Why? Well, at risk of breaching the copyright of a phrase that could well be under copyright by Simon Cowell, Ellie and Ed have really made this place their own (!). Ellie is a talented wedding photographer and bought this place a year ago with her man, Ed. It's inspired me to think about the possibilities that a new build can offer for decorating. I love that two thirds wooden panelled wall (1) as well as the yellow chairs (obvs), plus they've devoted a whole four walls to my favourite stripes (2) and all the while their colour choices are bold, brave and dramatic (3,4). A welcoming mix of industrial touches, rustic textures, flea market finds and confident punches of colour. Yum. You can see the whole tour of their home, here.

Apartment Therapy

read more "{A Fun First Home}"

{Green}

I've written before about my reluctance to decorate with green, and I've since decided to try and inspire myself into feeling warmer towards the colour, especially given its versatility and ability to set the mood of a whole scheme. To me, the green door (1) screams of a place that has a rustic charm that's also a friendly, welcoming environment, whereas the clashing animal patterns in lime and dark greens (2), and the bright lime hues of the dining table (5) are both examples that clearly state their owners' eccentric personalities and daring decor choices. These are all equally fab in different ways, but interestingly for me - given I normally gravitate to brights - when it comes to green, I'm all about the softer, darker and more moody hues, just like the tiles seen in the kitchen (9). How about you guys; which shades of green do you like?

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

read more "{Green}"

{Colour Cocktail: Black and Gold}

I'm so pleased it's Friday, aren't you? I'm in the mood for a weekend of relaxation and a touch of indulgence. There's no decor scheme more perfect for this than black and gold - it's the ultimate in luxe glamour. I feel like diving onto that couch below, cracking out my favourite escapist movies (Devil Wears Prada, anyone?!) and tucking into all my favourite finger foods (olives, lots of them). From this week's colour cocktail picks I'm really drawn to the gold scratch vase, and that taxi pillow is certainly interesting; I see something new in it everytime I look at it. Do you have a favourite piece? Well, whatever you do this weekend guys I hope you have a lovely time. A very happy Canada Day to all my Canadian readers, and as for all you lovely stateside dudes and dudettes, enjoy your July 4th celebrations! See you on Monday. x

Images (left to right, from top): 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

read more "{Colour Cocktail: Black and Gold}"

{Colour Cocktail: Pink and Orange}

This week two of the world's pop colour heavy weights join forces to make a cocktail so strong it could blow the roof of the house off. Ok, not really, but these are two very bright and very determined colours. Pairing them up should spell disaster, but done right these two vibrant personalities don't clash. In fact, they get on pretty damn well. And anything that featured in Domino is our friend, right? Thought so! Thanks for another fun week, friends. Have a fantabulous weekend and I can't wait to see you back here on Monday. x

Images (from top, left to right): 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

read more "{Colour Cocktail: Pink and Orange}"

{Rice: Fall Collection 2010}

I'm a huge fan of the fall season; the orange hues of the leaves, roaring fires and the more adventurous clothing fashions compared to the more predictable trends of spring/summer. It's not only in fashion collections where I feel fall designs are more interesting than s/s, it's for interior brands as well. Rice is no exception as this feast of warm brights and maximalist ideas demonstrates. My top three favourites have to be the inviting textiles, poppy melamine pieces and the multi coloured cooking pans. What would you choose from their new collection to brighten up your place?

Images: Rice

read more "{Rice: Fall Collection 2010}"

{Teal}

Until I started researching for this post I had never held Teal in a high regard. This wasn't purposeful, rather I just felt drawn to other hues more regularly. Well, I now consider myself fully converted because this set of images shows that it's an incredibly versatile colourway. From the insides of kitchen cupboards (1) and rustic shutters (3) to the anchor accent in a heavily patterned scheme (6) and then mixed in with a variety of other colours (7). Not bad, hey? My favourite has to be the kitchen cupboards option - simple but effective. Which is yours?

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

read more "{Teal}"