My Backyard!

We have had such a crazy week trying to finish things off before the Easter break! I'm sharing a snippet of my new paving that was completed last week in my backyard. As you can see, I still have a lot of work to do...maybe adding some big pots with flowers to bring some colour into the garden. I also need some new outdoor furniture but good things come to those who wait! I'm so pleased with the job our pavers did laying the random sandstone. It has made such a huge difference to the yard as our old paving was a dark reddish brown clay paver so it's now so much lighter now. Well enough about me, hope everyone has a wonderful Easter break...Hayley is off overseas again, sourcing some wonderful things for Porchlight clients and I will be holding down the forte here! Happy Easter, Tracey xx

Look For Less: Selena Gomez

topshop.com $110

wetseal.com $6.50

forever21.com $9.50

forever21.com $9.80

Kasha $69

www.chineselaundry.com

Keep Up $89

www.chineselaundry.com

Dorm Room

As much as I do love the look of a gorgeous bunk room, I have found that bunk beds really are such a pain to make. Lately I have been preferring the look of a large dorm room with rows of single beds like the picture above. I love the lidded basket placed at the end of each bed - perfect for storing each person's clothes in. I personally would be much happier making these beds instead of numerous bunk beds.

image - cote maison via aged & gilded

Decorating A New Home {Over Time}

When I look at these images I love that they are all so casual and not overly decorated. I am leaning towards this more pared back look in our new house. I want it to be a home where we can relax and not be too worried about the white slip covered sofa when the big 1 year old {yes he turned 1 yesterday} Golden Retriever jumps up on it.

I am dreaming of faded denim fabrics on sofas, washed out florals and checks and stripes and mismatched pieces of cane furniture on the verandahs - not new cane - old mismatched cane collected over time. I will retain all of our Antique pieces of furniture which Brad & I have collected over the years. That's what I love about Antiques...they transcend fashion and trends, they are the pieces we hold onto and they are the pieces we pass onto our loved ones. I find I never tire of my Antique pieces. It's the mass-produced pieces I tire of very quickly.

This time round Harry and Brad have made me promise not to have the floors painted white. My obsession with keeping our current white-painted floors clean is all too much for my boys. All the internal walls will be painted my usual white but this time I think we might just sand back the old wide plank floorboards and apply an oiled, not glossy finish.

Everything about this house will be about living and enjoying and adding to it over time. I find that so many people {me included} rush into renovating or decorating a new home. I have learnt that you must live in a house for a period of time before you start the process of change....something my mother has been trying to instill in me for years!!

This time, I am going to take my time and enjoy the process of decorating the house which my children will call home for many, many years to come.

image 1 - pamela easton's home via creative homes, image 2 - deborah needleman's home via lonny, image 3 - via charlotte, image 4 - via charlotte, image 5 via lonny

Nursery Thoughts...

My friends keep reminding me that I have a baby's room to decorate. With approximately 8 weeks to go I decided last week that I needed to at least get a few things organised.

My few things ended up turning into a complete room scheme for our little bundle. It all started with the original joker water colour by Rupert Hamilton dated 1916 which I stumbled across at a little Antique store here in Brisbane last week. I then decided I would collect a few bits and pieces to work back with it to create an artwork cluster wall full of lovely colour.

From there I selected the watermelon coloured Brunschwig & Fils Ikat which I am having an old chair I have recovered in and a lampshade for a floor lamp will be made in the small patterned chinnoiserie fabric. I also have an old Eastern embroidered piece of cloth which I will have made into a little cushion for the chair.

Over the weekend I started to wonder what I would use as a change table so Harry and I made a quick visit to our friend Nick Wallrock on Saturday morning {the most wonderful European Antique store in Brisbane}. We purchased a lovely circa 1780 Swedish Walnut cabinet from Nick which will be perfect.

I plan to use fresh white bed linen for the turned white timber painted cot which I picked up on Ebay for a mere $57.00 {a new mattress will be made and it will be re-painted with a fresh coat of white paint} and a few little Etsy cuddly numbers will be hunted down over the coming weeks.

So I can now say to my friends...yes it is all under control, I am organised!! {Fingers crossed it will all be made in time!!}

I Love...

Every now and then I spot a room I absolutely love and this one above, as published in Elle Decor, is one of them. I think it's the lovely fresh colours against the all-white background, the dining chairs and the beautiful old marble fireplace which I love most!

image - elle decor via frolic via seesaw designs

Spring is in the air !

Can you feel it where you live ??? :)

Look For Less: Kim Kardashian

nyandcompany.com $89

Chinese Laundry Belt Style number: 425906

forever21.com $4.80

Chinese Laundry "Lucky Strike" $89

www.chineselaundry.com

Friday Flowers

A weekend full of time spent with Harry is what I have planned. I have worked many long and crazy hours this week so this weekend will be catch up time with my boys. Hope you have a lovely weekend. See you next time.

xx

Anna

Gorgeous Friday!

All of these outdoor areas make me feel relaxed and ready for the weekend! It helps that our backyard landscaping was finished this afternoon after months of planning and waiting! I finally have grass instead of dirt! I will post pictures once I have my outdoor furniture and I have prettied it up a bit! Hope you all have a gorgeous weekend! Tracey xx

images via espacio Living

Inspired By

I save so many images in my picture files to keep as inspiration for co-ordinating different colour schemes. It's often the combination of different colours in a picture or different products or different textures which can inspire me to put together a scheme for a client's home. I love the colours in these two product images above. The first image is from Jean Brown, a Brisbane fashion mecca, advertising some of their latest offerings {I adore the bangles by Paula Bianco} and the second image is a product editorial from House Beautiful. I just love all the wonderful colour and patterns and textures in these images. I find them very inspiring.

A Verandah Vignette

One of my lovely clients emailed me this photo of the windmill she just had hung above an old work bench she purchased from us a while ago on her verandah. Doesn't it look fabulous? She was telling me that she had to hang it in a spot where the children wouldn't brush past it because the blades on the windmill are obviously very sharp. What a wonderful idea for a verandah vignette.

Look For Less: Jessica Alba

Jessica Alba out and about in Los Angeles

Chinese Laundry Sunglasses (style 460203)

Victoria's Secret - Denim Motorcycle Jacket $69.50

Forever 21 (Twelve by Twelve) Floral Print Dress $39

Chinese Laundry "Hidalgo" (leather) $149

** FUN DIY PROJECT **

Buy chains from an arts and crafts store and wrap them around to get the same affect at Jessica Alba's boots!

Image of Jessica Alba from www.justjared.com

Beautiful Spaces!

Loving all of these spaces, created by designer James Michael Howard!

This balustrading is perfection and love the mismatched chairs!

What a gorgeous way to add something special to a blank wall or small space!

Looks like the perfect spot to put on your shoes before walking out the door! Gorgeous!

Smile

Today I stumbled across this great poster over at Made By Girl whilst searching for pieces for a cluster wall I am currently working on. Just thought I'd share it with you...

Look For Less: Vanessa Hudgens

Vanessa Hudgens at the 2010 ShoWest Awards Ceremony

Baldwin $69

(available in assorted colors)

www.chineselaundry.com

An Exciting Project

Sorry I've been missing in action since earlier this week however, I have been extremely busy installing a very exciting job we have been working on over the past couple of months. I cannot share any details of the project at this stage but I can share these 3 very sneaky photos. We have a few finishing touches to complete and then it will be launched to the public late next week. I'll do a full posting in the upcoming weeks about this project which we are thrilled to have been asked to undertake.

Look For Less: Chelsea Handler

Chelsea Handler Hosts Book Launch Party For

"Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang"

Scene Stealer $119

www.chineselaundry.com

The French Window

How gorgeous is this restaurant in Hong Kong called "The French Window" by architects AB Concept? So classic, yet so modern at the same time.

I think beautiful surroundings always make the food taste better!

Look at the fabulous Hong Kong skyline!
For more information on this gorgeous restaurant and the architects behind it go here.