mix and not necessarily match...

wooden panelling finished in a stunning blue, with a mixture of fold up chairs and floral prints.

Not the faint hearted!! a different floral wallpaper for every room of the house. In fact the first room has at least 3 x diff. wallpaper designs!!!

Orange/yellow velour sofa, turquoise touches, pinks & stripes... potentially my idea of hell BUT this works really quite well.. To pull this off white walls and neutral floor colouring a MUST!

This is my favorite image - probably because of the Indian influence. A mixture of block printed and patterned fabrics created a warm and cherry space.

Today is all about trying new things and in the process not thinking too much about it...These images show you how mixing various styles- colours, textures, vintage with new etc etc creates great spaces..

I've tried to conjure up a sense of cheeriness too!

There is nothing sober about any of these rooms...and best of all it doesn't matter if it is pouring with rain or blowing a gale outside because being holed up in any of these rooms would keep you smiling!!

All images re blogged from Maison Bo heme.

take me away.........2

It has been a while since the first 'take me away' - Remember Filicudi, the island of the North East of Sciliy ? Have another look if you can not remember...AMAZING!

Anyway, with this in mind, I thought I would whisk you away to Mexico and to Cuixmala.

This estate takes sumptuous to a new level and I imagine that every moment is truly magical here...

This legendary estate of 25,000 acres on its own 3km private beach belongs to Sir James Goldsmith and his family. The simple philosophy of Sir James was his wish to share with others the unique experience his family have with Cuixmala, in particular focusing on their dedication to the preservation and protection of the natural environment.

As you know, I adore the use of colour in Mexican interiors, and Cuixmala's use of colour is sensational. Like so often white is used as the backbone to the rooms and then colour is used to create a striking and incredible finishing touch.

Look at the window frames, look at the use of coloured woods to create tables or interior features...

The lushness of the surrounding landscape, the sensational blue of the sea and the sheer luxury of Cuixmala is something to be dreamed about and for the lucky few, perhaps even a reality!

I am off to dream...

For further information visit www.cuixmala.com - I'm loving the soundtrack also, have a listen!!

incredible india....

I am back!

My trip to India was incredible and in the coming days I hope to share with you a little of what I have been up to...it was a fleeting visit but a lot was achieved! I have found the workshop where I will produce my prints, I have instigated the process of making the block prints and fingers crossed in a couple of weeks I will have the first samples !!

Rajasthan oozes vibrance with senstational colours, smells and an energy like no other... all the people I met were so friendly and eager to assist and passionate about their country..India is certainly buzzing and there is something highly addictive about this wonderful country...

on my way.......

on my way....to the land of:

colour

block printing

markets

Sorry for the absence - I am back now, having moved house, put my life in storage and upped sticks leaving my beloved Argentina behind.......Ohhhhh, how I hope to return there soon BUT it does depend on a couple of things - lala moon's success being one of them....

Soooo with all this said & done...It is one giant step into the unknown; with a flight to India next week to get the ball rolling & the launch of the website imminent. All VERY exciting BUT very daunting!

To whet your appetite and to inspire here are some images of the things that I will exploring further in Rajasthan...

I have my block print designs ready to go and I can not wait to see these techniques being practiced & I can not wait to get exploring the markets - to have my senses awoken to the rich, exotic and truly exuberant 'India'.

Images courtesy of Elle Decor India, Pacific & Rose & flickr.

ideas...coloured stairs

Ikea runner

mexican stairwell

coloured stairs with matching stripe

Mediterranian influences

Pale colours

Have you ever thought about coloured stairs? You can use carpet & rugs, paint and even tiles to create a striking effect.

Take a look at these ideas..

i) Multi-coloured - The runner came from none other than Ikea..& as if you hadn't guessed, the vibrant painted stairwell was captured in Mexico.

ii) Single colour with a co-ordinating wall stripe really makes this space

iii) In the Mediterranian the use of colour has been around for centuries.

iv) Pale Blue - Colours which are altogether more subtle work just as well.

the sky is the limit....

image courtesy of Getty Images/ Kathleen Campbell

image courtesy of Getty Images/Keith Dannemiller

image courtesy of Getty Images/ Keith Dannemiller

image courtesy of Getty Images/Jeremy Woodhouse

Image courtesy of Getty Images/Jeremy Woodhouse

Colour, colour, colour - it needs little explanation and speaks volumes without the need to mutter a word.

These images all from Mexico show how anything goes really! The use of vibrant colours somehow lifts the spirits of all around and creates a warm and inviting feeling.

I particularly like the pink and red - you need to brave to pull this off but as the other images show with a little imagination the sky is the limit...

All images courtesy of Getty Images.

wish list.... JADEtribe

Okk so today I am feeling a little blue :-(....Sooo, I thought I would find something to blog about which was 'V'IBRANT to try and lift my spirits!

Wollahhhh, I think I have the ultimate pick-me-up - JADEtribe an amazing range of accessories by Kimberly Hartman

Her accessories are fashioned from multi-cultural, handmade tribal textiles and are personal forms of art and expression.

Her style is a little bit beach-y, a little bit bohemian jet set... and 100 percent natural and ethical which is refreshing in itself.

As her website writes - JADEtribe is the true embodiment of fashion with a conscience. Whether it’s the handbag repurposed from hand embroidered baby carrier cloths, or the hand braided jewelry that jingles, or the organically dyed and hand loomed traditional textiles, each element of JADEtribe carries in it a piece of Kimberly’s heart and a piece of the hearts of the women in Cambodia, Laos and Thailand whose lives have been improved by making it.

I have fallen in love with these images BUT the bad news is there is little info available as to how to get hold of the items... I feel like a little girl in the sweet shop but without 1 dime to buy anything :-(

Oh well... Alll I can do is direct you to the website, where there are listings of all the places that stock her beautiful things...

Happy hunting....

blue green, green blue.....

Blue with green or green with blue??? It does require you to play a little with your imagination.... but try it! You might like what you discover.....

Here are a series of images which combine blues and greens - the tones are different and some are more striking, others more modest... There is the overwhelming sense of nature, the blue representing the expansive seas and the green, vegetation..

Get experimenting!

Images taken from penick, Australian magazine Country Style, shannonfricke and decor pad.