Thoughts for today.....

images design sponge, domino, a perfect grey

Living Room

I think I'm happy with this side of my living room for now.

Before :

After :

Not loving the ugly cords, going to have to sort that one out!

images my first little place

A decision made!

So I think I have made it quite obvious how much I loved my Byron Bay holiday (just a little!). I have decided that I am going to buy a house there! Yes, this maybe what many a people say particularly after they've had great holidays but I am being completely serious. The fact that I have been to Byron many times before and it is only 1 hour from where I currently live, it's not a huge stretch.

It may not happen today or even in the next couple of months but it will happen. I'm excited. I think this is somewhere I can really call home one day and in the meantime have more little getaways and spend time with friends.

So now I can start to dream (plan) about how my first little Byron home will look.

To start here are some snap shots of a couple of houses I stalked while there that I found just gorgeous and ideal for the Byron lifestyle.

images my first little place

Blogger Home : Ish and Chi

Today I want to welcome the lovely Viv from over at Ish and Chi. Viv has renovated her home and I asked her some questions about how she created a beautiful space for her and her family. I hope you enjoy.


What is your occupation?
Designer (etsy store: www.ishandchi.etsy.com), IT Lecturer, Project Manager, and design student. Phew!


Viv's ish and chi studio

How would you summarise your style?
I haven't quite worked this out yet. I do enjoy mixing new with old, antiques, vintage pieces, colour and pattern. I have been told my style is feminine and sophisticated.





Where did your passion for interiors come from?
I really fell for interior design and decoration when I purchased my cottage style house and renovated it. I had always loved pouring over interior magazines but it wasn't until I was able to put ideas in my head into practice that I had found I had a real love for it and I'm now studying interior design and decoration.



Where do you find your inspiration?
Anywhere. I have been stuck in a creative rut lately and so I found myself venturing outdoors to take in my surroundings and clear my mind. I have an idea in my head now that I would love to try involving combining something quite feminine with something in it's raw natural form. Fingers crossed it turns out as imagined! Other places I look for inspiration are design and fashion blogs, interior magazines, my design teachers and feloow students. I am in awe at the things my classmates have created!



Best and worst thing about renovating your own place?
The best thing about renovating my home is that it is old and full of imperfections. Rather than stressing out over fixing cracks I just say it us part of the home's character and turn a blind eye. It also gives me the courage to experiment without worrying about ruining 'perfect' walls. The worst is that the home had been renovated many years ago and well before I purchased it with some parts thrown together rather roughly. During the renovation areas of the home had to be fixed which I hadn't expected but it all came together nicely in the end I think.

Favourite places to shop for the home?
At the moment I have purchased all of the big pieces for my home and I am looking at accessories and artwork although I do plan to replace some furniture in the near future. eBay is great for second hand furniture, inexpensive and vintage wallpaper and artwork, especially the contemporary aboriginal artwork I'm loving at the moment. Etsy is great for cushions and other homewares. I also love stores such as Table Tonic www.tabletonic.com. Anthropology and Urban Outfitters, La Maison www.lamaison.net although I am only window shopping at the moment but have my eye on a few things!



Your most treasured piece of furniture you have bought, were given or found and why?
The red setee in my sons room. It has memories of me picking it up and finding it didn't fit into my car, having to sit on the side of the road waiting for a friend with a bigger car to rescue us, painting it before my son was born, finding it suited the circus wallpaper in his room well, nursing my newborn son here, sleeping on it during the nights he was sick and wanted his mum nearby (it is not very comfy!) and also sitting here talking with my son about the elephants, clowns and horses pictured in the wallpaper. I love this old chair and memories associated with it.



What makes a house a home?
The people in it and the memories collected over time.



Viv also has a feature on her blog called Fashion Friday which I love. Viv, you have great style!

-->

Thanks for chatting with us Viv and letting us inside your gorgeous home xx

images ish and chi

The holiday is over

Yep, I'm back! Am I happy to be back from Byron Bay? No, not really!! The idea of moving are being seriously thought out at the moment.

But for now, I wanted to share just a couple of things about Byron Bay. Byron is full of really lovely people who are so friendly and relaxed. People will actually smile at you as you walk down the street, what a novelty! The houses are divine little weatherboard cottages set amongst green, tropical gardens or facing the beach. The food is fresh and organic. Many alternative natural medicine's, you can get massages galore.
There are so many wonderful things to share but these are probably my favourite things.

The food in Byron is amazing, so fresh and so much flavour. Seriously every meal we had was fantastic. If you head to Byron I highly recommend you eat at :

The Balcony

Sit inside or out on the balcony over looking Byron's main streets. Great food and wine and if you love tapas, you'll love it here.


One One One
1/111 Jonson Street, Byron Bay
All food is local and organic. Must try the buttermilk pancakes and the omlete. Great atmosphere and really friendly service.

Bohemia @ Byron
1/95 Jonson Street, Byron Bay
Again fab pancakes! Really great atmosphere again. Great place to grab a coffee and sit on the lounge with friends.

Fish Heads
You can't come to Byron and not have fish 'n' chips right? Well get yours at Fish Heads. You can either dine in at their restaurant on the beach or get take away. Very yummy!

The shopping is also great in Byron. You're not going to find any big chain stores here, only beautiful little boutiques for the home, fashion and jewellery and of course surf shops. I would recommend you stop by :

Red Ginger
You have to go here! It is such a gorgeous shop and you can even get some Yum Cha and sit on a little stool to eat. But my favourite thing about this place is the great little things to buy for your house, lots of cute gifts, books and even some chinese medicine. Such a source of inspiration.

Spell
I've recently posted about it, it's just a must go.

Sweet Papillon
Gorgeous jewellery and clothing with a few bits for the home. I will post more about this place soon. Love it.

Finally is the beaches where you would spend majority of your time, even in winter. Some of the best beaches for surfing or just sitting and relaxing at in Australia are in Byron.

images my first little place

Chair love

I've spotted this chair at a nice store on Fletcher St, Byron Bay (can't remember the name). I am very tempted to get one for my balcony and it's a bargain at $170.....mmm couple of more days to think about it.

And this would be great in my sister's house but we'd have to wait until my nephew is a little bit older - he would trash this!

images my first little place

Byron Bay : Spell

My little holiday to Byron is going beautifully. I love not having any restrictions on time, there are so many beautiful things to see and there are some really lovely people here. It's a strange thing to go into shops here and people actually talk to you, I like it.

Today we hunted down a store we had heard about called Spell. I wanted to share it with you because the space was great and I really liked the way it was set up. Oh and their jewellery pieces are divine.




These necklaces are gorgeous as seen below on Sienna




Spell was started by sisters Elizabeth and Isabella. They design and hand make the pieces which have also had a celeb following to the likes of Sienna Miller!! They stock Spell's iconic native American inpsired adornments, as well as the label's fashion and footwear range.



Spell is a must see if you are passing through Byron.

If you can't make it to Byron, you can check out their on line store and blog.

images my first little place

Inspiration : Marie Nichols

I love being apart of this blogging world! I've had the opportunity to meet lots of wonderful new people, even if it's via a computer who share a love {or obsession} of interiors too. So I decided to get to know some of them a little better and do a series that I can share with you. These bloggers have great style and I find them really inspiring. They've also done renovations and/or some decorating of their own places.

The first is the very lovely Marie Nichols over at Whole Lotta Lovely. Some of you maybe familiar with Marie's very inspiring blog but you may have also seen her and her work pop up in a number of publications.

Marie and her partner Simon in their Paddington living room

What's your occupation?
Interiors Stylist

Can you summarise your style?
I really struggle defining my own style. I love colour and pattern and anything that's vintage. That said there is so much modern design I love too especially if it has a 50's feel. Eclectic, that's how I'd describe my style! Oh and always evolving! When it comes to choosing a home I don't think I could ever see myself living in a modern home. I love old places with a bit of character.


More of Marie's Sydney apartment {loving the yellow}

Where did your passion for interiors and styling orginally come from?
I have no idea! From the age of about 14 I decided that I wanted to be an interior designer. I loved making things look pretty, "play at house" and generally putting my stamp on a place {at the age of 10 that meant painting my bedroom ceiling rose pink..I wouldn't recommend it!}


No rose pink ceiling here but am really liking the use of red in her bedroom in Sydney


Where do you find your inspiration?
I find inspiration evrywhere. All the obvious places, magazines {both from home and abroad}, books, blogs {which have opened up a whole new unimaginable world of inspiration} but also random things I see when I'm out and about can spark an idea for a new colour combination or a "theme" for a scheme.

Best and worst thing about renovating your own place?
Best is the feeling of "I did this" making something how you want it and sitting down after all the hard work is done and knowing that you made your home yours. Worst is if you don't have a huge budget for tradesman {who does!} and having to do it all yourself while holding down a full time job. Long days = very tired couple! But it's all worth it in the end. I'm also ridiculously impatient and want to do the "fun bits" rights away. Who actually enjoys sanding down paint work or smoothing over cracks in the ceiling when there are cushions to arrange!


Now to her bedroom in her home in London which she and her partner renovated with much love

Favourite places to shop for the home?
Ebay, second hand stores and flea markets. It's the thrill of the hunt for a new piece and not realizing you need a new armchair until you see it. I think a home should evolve so I love that you can't just buy everything at once, you have to build the items within your home too. But I also love

UK
Baileys Home & Garden www.baileyshomeandgarden.com
Re Found Objects www.re-foundobjects.com
Caravan Style www.caravanstyle.com
Anthropologie www.anthropolgie.eu

Australia
Empire Vintage www.empirevintage.com.au
Industria X www.industriax.com.au
Junktique www.junktique.com.au
Doug Up On Bourke www.douguponbourke.com.au



Your most treasured piece of furniture you have ever bought?
Is probably the antique mirror that Simon bought me a few Christmas back. I know technically I didn't buy it but I love it!

Why did you decide to move to Australia?

I'd always wanted to try my hand at syling in another country, somewhere new and inspiring. Plus I love Australian magazines so Sydney seemed the obvious choice. Life in London got a little boring so we decided to pack up our bags and head for the sunshine.


The bathroom and bedroom from Marie's London home

What are the big design differences you find here in Australia compared to the UK?
Overall I think it's pretty similar. The UK seems to have a lot more "Chain" high street stores (sim to Country Road) where as in Australia there are a lot more smaller independent boutiques and makers. Which is great and I love discovering new talented makers.


What makes a house a home?
The people you share it with, and the amount of "you" you put in it.



There are many more images of Marie's beautiful work on her website, be sure to go and have a look at www.marienichols.co.uk

Thank you so much Marie, it has been lovely chatting with you
xx

images marie nichols