This is the first gardenia from my garden and it is so beautiful ....

My Vogue Living arrived today and the cover is absolutely delicious ...... I love the wall colour and the artwork!

I love the mercerised vase and silver pear together ..... just random but beautiful!

I found this waste paper bin for a client of mine at Magnolia ... it is for a home office renovation and it is fantastic .... love the chevron stripe!

spring has sprung here in Australia and actually I think summer has as well!  We are so looking forward to our summer break and the festivities of Christmas!  Have a great Thursday and a wonderful weekend!

best wishes always

M.A. the 2nd

I am so excited as my Imperial Trellis wallpaper in aqua has arrived!  I am actually using it also for a lovely client in  a home study and I have always wanted to use it in my studio .... it hasn't been hung yet just taped up .... I am too impatient to wait!

so I am going to use it on another wall in my office close to the Marie Antoinette framed poster ... I love the way it picks up the blue in the poster ....

this is the artwork I will use on the wallpaper ... they are antique lithographs and I am going to glass float frame them so that the wallpaper comes through ....

I always love seeing my pink chest in a picture as it is so vibrant and elegant ... I am in Brisbane at the moment and will have lots more to share ......

best wishes always

M.A. the 2nd

Dancing Queen and Delphiniums!

I am so excited with the onset of spring and in fact it nearly feels like summer here .... the delphiniums I bought recently were just gorgeous!

we have been so busy with the dance festival for Georgiana and having both the boys home ... it has been wonderful!

One of her dances was a Russian national dance and it was fantastic .... the whole group looked amazing!

Then this afternoon I was shopping and found this absolutely divine bottle of Pink lemon flavoured vodka!  Now I don't drink vodka except if it is in a French Martini but I just couldn't resist the bottle as it is so pretty!  Crazy I know but when I next have guests that like vodka then I will have it ready.  It has been a crazy but wonderful week and I  can't believe that Christmas decorations are all now out in the stores!

Have a great week!

I am so excited as my boys are coming home for one week .... 

we are planning so much fun ..... Dominic just turned 20 ....

Alex is back from America and I am going to cook up a storm .....

I so love having roses by my oven as I cook .....

we can't wait for the boys to come home .... I need to get cooking!!! Have already made up the beds and Georgiana is already saying they have to come to all of her dance festival recitals ... and so they will!!!

"Beautiful Interiors ~ Ana Antunes"

 

I just wanted to showcase today this most talented interior designer from Portugal ~ Ana Antunes!

I think I must have been under a rock as I have only just discovered her work after my friend Tonya told me! 

 

 

 

Ana's work is exquisite ... I love the freshness and with us just starting spring in Australia it is a perfect tonic!

 

Her use of Louis style furniture upholstered in gorgeous Designer's Guild fabrics, mirrored furniture, stunning chandeliers and fresh flowers is so beautiful!

 

I particularly like the use of floating glass frames on the delicious duck-egg aqua blue walls and the fabric on the Louis chair is a cut velvet from Designer's Guild.  Ana has used different patterns and textures on her upholstery and it works so well.

 

This is so perfect .... the lilac fabric on the daybed and the herringbone aqua rug ... I love the restrained use of pattern ... it is there but done so delicately ..

 

This selection of silverware and mercerised glass atop the mirrored cabinet is gorgeous .... and that blue .... perfect! 

 

Congratulations Ana your work is exquisite and is such an inspiration!  Thank-you!

 

Now I think I might just find a quiet corner and sit on this gorgeous antique daybed ...... and dream .... have a lovely week-end!

best wishes always M.A. the 2nd

all images and interiors by Ana Antunes of Home-Styling
www.home-styling.blogspot.com.au

Hurricane Isaac

 

Our thoughts and

 prayers are with the residents of New Orleans at this terrible time ....

 

Most epecially for our dear friend Karina and her family ..... please stay safe and we are with you in spirit .... you are so strong and will soon be back to your beautiful antiques and creating art after the havoc of nature ...

 

then the clouds will part, the wind will abate and the sea will calm and the sun will rise on a new day .... Karina we are thinking of you...

 

 

Take a Seat!

I am very excited as I just delivered this gorgeous French stool which I had upholstered for clients who own a dress shop and wanted them covered for their change rooms.  I had previously done drapes in belgian white linen with a panel of black linen with pink, black and white trim from Designer's Guild.  So I suggested we go with this fabulous black and white stripe silk also from Designer's Guild and then have contrasting pink piping!  Another client of mine is also using this black and white stripe and I will be putting her beautiful Parisian style apartment on the blog as soon as we are finished.

We are going to do French mirrors above each stool in both the change rooms.

Then I envisaged how stunning this beautiful Craig Waddell painting would look above the stools or anywhere for that matter!  Exquisite!

www.craigwaddell.com.au

Then another client and friend of mine had this delicate three piece antique Louis 16th style suite with fluted legs and ribbon detailing which we are incorporating in our designs for her formal drawing room.

We took it all down to the upholsterers on Friday so it is very exciting .... I love being in upholsterers workshops as it is so exhilarating to see old pieces transformed into works of art ....

The three pieces are going in with Dee's stunning Italian tufted settee which we are importing all the way from New Orleans from my friend Karina of www.karinagentinetta.1stdibs.com  This is just one of many of her exquisite pieces ....

So the three piece Louis suite will be done in Carolyn Quartermaine's French script fabric

www.carolynquartermaine.com

and Karina's sofa is done in a fabulous white muslin which we will put bolsters and other cushions on to bring it all together!  Dee is so excited as am I!!!!

So this week-end "take a seat", relax, read a book, sip a cup of tea and enjoy yourself!  Particularly if you are sitting on one of these beauties!

best wishes always

M.A. the 2nd

Spring!

Spring is just around the corner for us here in Australia and I for one can't wait ....... This post though is on "Spring" the restaurant which opened recently in Brisbane ....

I had the pleasure of dining there on our recent trip to Brisbane just before Design and Decoration in Melbourne and it did not disappoint!

I also just had to take some pictures of the bathroom as one must as I loved the use of the blue and white tiles and also the shape of the white tiles was fabulous .... raised edges on each side ...

The use of carrara marble on the table tops with white gloss painted and turned legs was so colonial as was the floor to ceiling white plantation shutters .....

Gorgeous calacutta marble on the main patisserie ..... delicate morsels ...... and my favourite in the restaurant was the banquette seating in blue and white stripe and the white linen chairs with blue piping!!!! Parfait!! I hope you have a great week ............ Bring on Spring!!!!

Chanel ~ Paris to Bombay!

Somehow I managed to secure an invitation to the Chanel Paris~Bombay fashion show in Brisbane two weeks ago ......

It was without doubt one of the most exciting events I have ever attended (not counting the fact that I have never been to any designer fashion shows)

It was held in "The Old Museum" in Brisbane and the attention to detail, the fashion, the cuisine was breathtaking..... it was a magical night and I had to pinch myself many times to think I was there..... everything was based on the Paris show to the extent that we all thought that the models were exactly the same .....

the scattered confetti was fresh rose petals and silver shimmer ... look at this table laden with flowers and delicacies ....

this is the lovely CJ from Chanel with Vicki and myself ....

the fashion was spectacular ... so classic Coco with the iconic Karl Lagerfeld's contemporary twist ....

we feasted on fabulous Indian inspired cuisine as we felt like we were in an Indian palace .....

so beautiful and so lucky to see it here in Queensland!