London olympic luxury

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I am sitting here in Sydney full of Olympic Spirit …. no not in London !!! Tickets scarce and crowds crazy, so very happy to travel when London returns to normal. However should I be over there, I have decided that the Firmdale Hotel Group do have the most exciting properties to choose from …. and in all the right locations …. Covent Garden, Haymarket, Soho, Knightsbridge, South Kensington and my favourite Dorset Square.  What could be more divine than this Regency terrace overlooking a leafy square.

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Kit Kemp loves colour and plays with fabric in a very adventurous way.  Each property is unique … in fact, each guestroom is unique, from what I can see. She combines slick contemporary with traditional pieces and details, very brave indeed.

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Firmdale call it ‘fresh contemporary English style”.  I have to say that I have not always been sure that it all works but looking at the newest addition in Dorset Square I have been won over.  Either my taste has changed or I have taken time to ‘just get it’.

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I acknowledge they are quirky, however the attention to detail is exceptional, the furniture and furnishings are beautiful and I am sure the experience would be pure 5 star.

Dorset Square is where I would be staying … just a short walk to Marylebone High Street, an area I love with its gorgeous shops and cafes … oh so civilised compared to the rat race of Oxford Street not so far away.

Would love some feedback on any of the Firmdale properties ….

Mulberry autumn/winter 2012

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I love this fashion shoot by Tim Walker for Mulberry … I also love this wild colour !!! Fabulous in winter. Do look at the Mulberry Blog … it is worth subscribing to. Great way keep up to date.  I first discovered Mulberry in Harvey Nichols in London in the early 80’s and have been addicted ever since.  I am also a regular visitor to the Mulberry store in Westfield CBD which, by the way, has a very good sale each season.

Weekend woollens in the highlands

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Another wet and cold weekend in the highlands.  Whatever has happened to our sunny winter days and crystal blue skies.  My memories of winter are those of finding a sunny spot in the garden to sit with a tray … pot of tea, a slice of boiled fruit cake and papers to read … absolute bliss.  Not this year !!  I watch from the window as the first sign of bulbs appear under the trees and yearn for Spring.  Even our sasanqua camellias have rebelled with very few blossoms on show.  I am looking for a lot more colour with the Japonica’s.

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Instead we are cosying up inside with woolly blankets, throw rugs and open fires.

I do love the old fashioned check blankets and seek them out in antique shops.  I found some gorgeous ones at out local antique emporium that had come from Scotland … such interesting colours and so homely.  More than anything I love a blanket stitch edge.  Even more homespun !!

Cath Kidston does wonderful things with vintage blankets … she makes cushions with them and even covers wing back chairs with one or a number of check blankets in patchwork .  They look fabulous.

Maybe our cold wet winter will inspire some of these creative activities … in the meantime I will just bring out that scarf that I started to knit last year but didn’t finish. No doubt Monday morning will bring the sun !!

French style …. hotel lancaster, paris

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The Hotel Lancaster in Paris is without doubt the prettiest hotel in Paris.  An extremely chic boutique hotel …. is this not just exactly what one would expect when we think of Parisian style.

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I adore the simple, pared back elegance which allows the architecture to shine.

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This is the most sophisticated use of colour …. so subtle, yet only for the brave.  Shades of lavender, lilac and aubergine teamed with shades of grey, crisp white and hint of gold …. how divine !  Not as easy as it looks to achieve the perfect balance.

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I have always loved the tile and marble combination in a bathroom … somehow it creates character.  It is so much more interesting than head to toe marble which is an easier option by far.  How decadent to have your own dressing table and in the bathroom… only in Paris !!

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This interior is timeless … classic and contemorary all rolled into one. Their collection of artworks and antiques complimented graciously by the sumptuous colour palette and subtle attention to detail.

Having said all that, how inviting does that sofa look. Perfect for putting your feet up after a day shopping in Galeries Lafayette.

I knew I was going to fall in love with this hotel when I spotted those lavender grey striped awnings and gorgeous flower boxes.

Campo marzio …. a little touch of rome in sydney

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The history …..

in 1933 an anonymous Roman craftsman carries out his work in the heart of Rome

after the second world war the quality and skill of the campo marzio bottega becomes well known in Rome

in 1930 Italians are invited by the fascist government to donate their gold to their country to finance their country’s entrance into the war … gold disappears from pens

the problem is solved by Italian craftsmen creating pens with nibs built in murano glass … Campo Marzio has an example of these gems in its collection of vintage pens today

war forces the shop to the Prati neighbourhood and the market is transformed by the ballpoint pen

Campo Marzio survives the industrialization of the 60’s and 70’s

during the 80’s it moves to the Corso Vittorio Emanuele

in the 90’s it moves back to the Via di Campo Marzio joining the great Italian and international fashion brands … their name becomes their ‘brand’ expanding to every corner of the globe

it’s success and uniqueness of concept was recognized on the occasion of the Jubilee of the Roman Church in the Year 2000 producing a special collection of rare and precious fountain pens for the Vatican

the brand represents quality writing instruments, business accessories and leather items with a rare collection of unique fountain pen models collected over many years.

This is a success story, or a story of survival … so interesting yet rather poignant !!

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Think exquisite quality, colour, style and a little bit of fun.  The shop in the Queen Victoria Building is a find and I have it in my little black book !!

Christian liaigre … the detail

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I have admired the work of Christian Liaigre since staying in the beautiful Hotel Montalembert in Paris in the early 90’s.  This hotel interior showcased his style and attention to detail … it was also very glamorous in a subtle and elegant way.

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The next time I became aware of his work was when he combined with Herbert Ypma in the creation of a book about his latest residential projects ‘MAISON’. This book captures photographically every detail of some eight projects around the world … emphasising the consistency of his work but most importantly the appropriateness.

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I read where he believes in the old adage that there are no great designers, only great clients.  Never a truer word spoken. According to Ypma, Liaigre redefined ‘modern’ when a modern interior was white walls and blonde timber …. Liaigre worked with dark timber and masculine colour palette of creams browns and greys.

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This is how Liaigre chooses to live … on the left bank in Paris … his favourite period of design, the 18th century.  Unusual given his minimalist interiors. He does explain that the 18th century was when there was the most creation … how could they do so much baroque and yet keep it coherent.  He feels it is coming back into fashion and manages to blend the extremes with his contemporary pieces from his own collection. 

I love his work with a passion but am not sure I love this exact choice of furniture. What do you think.

Wimbledon weekend

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How will we ever go on after the excitement of Wimbledon is over !! Oh well not long till the Olympics and more London fever.

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The views of London in the full flight of summer are always soooo enticing.

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The uniforms by Ralph Lauren so very stylish. Unlike other years however, the players didn’t provide a lot of excitement in the fashion stakes.

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Blue skies at last after all that rain … what a wet and soggy summer England is having.  Thank goodness for the magical closing of the roof.  I do love scanning the crowd for famous faces and the fashion … well Kate and Pippa mainly.

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Strawberrries and cream are synonymous with Wimbledon.  This little selection of Wimbledon food equally as suitable for those watching the final at home.

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Serena Williams is now Wimbledon champion for the 5th time and what a fabulous match. My money is on Federer this evening but the Men’s final is only a matter of hours away !!!

By the time you are reading this … the 2012 Men’s Singles winner will have his name on the trophy.

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This week’s neutral palette

 

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I simply adore this bedhead …. it is a beautiful and elegant shape, classic, stylish and not over the top.  Quite often I do bedheads with bronze stud detail ….. it is simple and just enough detail. I do laugh when I see this style of woven wallpaper in showrooms … I inherited a sitting room with this paper some 15 years ago when it was not so fashionable and paid a small fortune to have someone strip it off.  My husband does remind me of this on occasions when we come across it looking fabulous.  I am always clever enough not to point it out but do secretly love it now …. particularly when used like this.

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What can I say other than I am very much looking forward to the weekend …. lingering leisurely over my coffee rather than bolting it down in haste as I snatch a few moments to rewrite my list of things to do and places to go.  I do however, make sure my hasty coffee is always a particularly good one. I plan my route around Sydney based on known, tried and true cafe’s both old and new. 

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Givenchy as always … the colour, the detail, the cut …. pure elegance !!!

Have a restful weekend.

Christian lacroix for designers guild

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The House of Christian Lacroix, synonymous with the flamboyant and glamorous world of Paris and London is led by creative genius Sacha Walkhoff. He has been second in command to Lacroix for some seventeen years yet this is their first home furnishing fabric collection …. and it just happens to be for Designers Guild.

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The first successful collection ‘Arles’ has now been followed by ‘Air de Paris’.  These collections comprise fabulous and adventurous fabric, wallpaper and accessories.

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I love Walckhoff’s description of the new collection as ‘ the story of many journeys …. the journey of one woman from Arles to her new home in Paris …. in the journey we pick up mementos en route and reference to iconic elements…’

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Designers Guild fabrics are available in Australia so seek out the Christian Lacroix collections for a touch of glamour.

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