Spacial Planning

I find that alot of my clients have difficulty with spacial planning. Whether you are working with existing furniture or introducing new pieces, it is always a challenge to get that balance and flow right.

On a visit this week, I wanted to demonstrate how much of a difference the slightest move can make...so I decided to rearrange my client's living room!

Here is what the room looked like when I first arrived. As you can see, everything seems a little disjointed and it doesn't really help when your windows are a different size! To anchor this living space I needed to create clear divides from the lounge and dining area.

And here is the finished product. By simply swapping the sofa's over so that I had the larger one under the window, I was able to make the windows less of a focal point. Each window now has a separate purpose (now that a chest has been put under the smaller one). Also, by bringing the sofa's closer together and having the coffee table now in front of the larger sofa, everything is better balanced.

For this room I will be introducing a green pallet with hints of aubergine that will lift the greens on the dark furniture and leather. I will also be papering the wall in a thick truffle stripe that will draw your eye as you enter the room.

I then did the same on the other side of the room. As you can see, my client thought that by pushing everything up against the wall she would create more space in the room. But in fact all she did was create the hassle of having to pull the table out every time they wanted to use it!

The key on this side of the room was regrouping all the of larger pieces of furniture so they all served a better purpose. By doing this, I was able to create an obvious division between the living and dining area which ultimately created more space overall. Here is the finished product...

Now all we need to do is dress the room with new accessories, artwork and wallpaper. Can't wait to show you the finished product!

No Boys Allowed

I am starting to notice a common food trend in my most recent posts so I have decided to get things back on track with some images of one of my most recently completed projects.

The brief for this client was to create a dressing room that would become a 'girls only' sanctuary - housing clothes, accessories, an impressive collection of shoes and a small section of dress-ups for her little granddaughter.

For this room I used a pallet of duck egg blue with accents of champagne and amethyst. I felt the room would need lots of different textures and patterns to break up the joinery when it came in so I decided to team this gorgeous floral fabric with a gingham that was then piped and buttoned with an amethyst silk.

To give the curtains a more tailored look, I used a double pleat heading and added a divine James Hare silk border.

My client was thrilled with the outcome of this room and says that her granddaughter loves coming to visit even more now that she has this special space to share with her grandmother. How adorable!

Dreaming of Paris

As I sit at my desk on a rainy old London day and start to feel that biting, cold wind come back through the cracks of the window again, I realize that it has almost been a year since I moved here!

This time last year though, I found myself in Paris...which is still my favourite city in the world, where I fell in love with design all over again.

I was reminded of this love when I opened my copy of the Australian Design Review this morning to find an article on this gorgeous inner city apartment located in the 10th arrondissement.

I am in love with this kitchen...so dirty chic!

The Folly

I have found a new London hot spot. Tucked away in the London Bridge area, this restaurant has been described as the 'city's secret garden'.

The interior of this place is my idea of styling...I love everything about it! Right down to the potted herbs on every table, the miss-matched fabrics and furniture and the terracotta pot pendants.

The restaurant also houses private dining areas, a deli, flower shop and garden lounge.

Now, for those who know me, I can't visit any restaurant without taking photos of the bathroom before I leave! I love the simplicity of this one and the way the lighting brings the curved tiles and metal objects to life.

To sample what The Folly has on offer visit them at:

The Colours of Carnival 2011

This time last year I was in Paris so I missed Notting Hill Carnival.

If you are not familiar with this iconic London event, it is the largest of its kind and has been running now since 1966 - transforming the streets of West London into a full-blooded Caribbean Carnival that attracts millions of visitors every year.

The streets were buzzing with free spirited dancers and rhythmic beats that had everyone in a trance.

So glad that I got to tick this off my London list!