Sophisticate…

When it comes to interiors, I favour character and charm over sophistication and class, but every now and then, I find a home that has me rethinking these principles. I start visualising my simple Ikea furniture, replaced by expensive tailored pieces, lush carpets and valuable art. I recently came across Suzanne Kasler’s home on Architectural Digest and started visualising myself sauntering around this space. The exterior view is my favourite – I can practically hear the trumpets just looking at it!

Is it your cup of tea?

Images via Architectural Digest

Purple and beige… gotta get me some!

Can you hear that? That’s the sound of trumpets and a marching band announcing the arrival of summer! The sandals have been dug out of the dusty recesses of my cupboard, the jumpers have been shoved towards the back (don’t quite trust the weather to pack them away just yet) and the exposed flesh has been buffed and waxed! Now all I need to do is stock up on some summer clothes to get me through the next few months. Top of my list is a whole bunch of beige and purple goodies. This is definitely my favourite colour combination for this season!

I’m off to Portugal over the weekend to overindulge in sun, sea and cocktails! I might be popping in to say hi every now and then (if I can tear myself away from the pool), but I will certainly leave you in good company!

Click on the image to go to its source.

Shutters on the Beach!

I don’t often do blog posts about hotels (I know I have mentioned my dislike of the impersonal and generic spaces once or twice before). In order for a hotel to truly impress me, it has to be unique or have rooms that feel and look nothing like hotel rooms at all. Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica fits this criteria well. The rooms look so homely and inviting (fireplaces in hotel rooms… oh the glamour), the beds look as comfortable as clouds, the colour scheme is calming and serene, the location is beyond spectacular and I have even fallen in love with the logo!

What do you expect from hotel rooms? Are you an all-luxury kind of gal or do you just need somewhere clean to lay your head?

All images via Shutters on the Beach

A place to muse…

A while back, I started to notice that my inspiration folders were filling up with pictures of benches. Benches outside landmarks, garden benches, benches in the dining room, entrance hall, living room, bedroom. I have no idea where this obsession came from or even why I have it but it seems like a good thing to go with… so I’m going with it!

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My Fair London – The Suburbs Part Deux

Tourism is good… tourism is good… this is the mantra that I keep playing in my head as the Olympics and Diamond Jubilee fast approach. It’s not easy being a Londoner during this chaos (my train company sent me an email helpfully suggesting that I might want to walk to work during the next coming months as most trains, tubes and busses will be cancelled or delayed… well you can bet that I have a few choice words to say to them)! So it goes without saying that I have been avoiding the woes of public transport on the weekends and seeking solace on foot. Here’s a couple more snaps from the other side of my neighbourhood.

All images via Wishful Thinking