It's not easy being green

So far this year, I have really been getting into yellow, but I also love this vibrant green. I have a fireplace wall in a bedroom which would be perfect for wallpapering, but it isn't straight and my decorator doesn't allow me to paper it. But something like a panel of these wall stickers would still work well and wouldn't accentuate the curve of the wall so much.

I love that this is essentially an all-white bathroom, but a few touches of green just make it look fresh and cheerful. Revisit this post if you would like more wall sticker inspiration.

Picture via Easy Living.

Scooterworks and vintage hairdryer lamps

Last night I went to Scooterworks, my new favourite bar/cafe. It started off selling scooters, until the owners bought a 1957 Faema espresso machine to serve coffee to their scooter customers. Their solitary coffee machine acquired a loyal following, and now it is a full-blown bar/cafe which has moved its scooter premises to another part of town. I'm pretty tame so I had a hot chocolate - but it was proper and delicious Italian hot chocolate. The cafe is decorated with stylish vintage scooter and Italian memorabilia like the Vespa sign above.

If you look closely you can see that at the very back, there is a lamp which is made from a vintage hairdryer, the type you sat under to set your 1980s perm?

Originally I wanted this to be a whole post about vintage hairdryers repurposed into lamps (it's not always wise to share favourite coffee shop secrets - I need to get a seat) but I couldn't find many images. Does anyone know what the technical term is for one of these hairdryers-on-a-stand, because I'm sure that's what was holding me back from any great image success. Still, I was pleased to at least find this one. I think it is one seriously stylish lamp.

If you are interested in other lamps which are made from non-standard shades, check out these brilliant birdcage chandeliers and 'typelighters' (ie typewriter + light, but I suppose you all knew that). There are lots more ideas for repurposed lamps here, where I found the above lamp, which include using old Hoovers, cake stands and galvinised steel buckets.

Scooterworks is at 132 Lower Marsh, London, SE1 7AE. It is actually a great little street, with a fantastic Cuban restaurant called Cubana, and lots of vintage shops.

Scooterworks Cafe photos via Scooterworks Flickr set.

Five Friday Faves

Although mentally I have moved on to spring, I love these winter images.

Love the idea of 'deskscaping'...

This bird and cloud image is exactly the kind of illustration I like.

Something fun - this time an embroidered text message.

I never thought I would love a photo of a pink suitcase.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Photo via Coco & Kelley.

Piano possibilities

Recently I have been thinking about taking up the piano again. I wasn't very enthusiastic first time round (I had many years of reluctant lessons as a child) but am curious to see how difficult it would be for me to resurrect my skills and give it another go. I really like the idea of having friends sing around a piano.

Or, as I often start things, and lose interest quickly, perhaps I can just look...

Photo via Flickr.

Etsy piano card.

Polaroid transfer from She Hit Pause.

Piano print from Emmalynne.

Piano print from JC Ritchie.

I was inspired to write this post by this brilliant public project in Sydney, which I saw at Pia Jane Bijkerk's blog. The first photo also comes via Pia Jane. I'm also taking part in Hooked on Houses Friday blog party - today's inspirations include a fabulous look at some 1950s' decorating books.

Disco globe

I know I should be saving this for my Friday faves post, and recuperating from my design fatigue (tomorrow I will share the reason why I have it) but when I saw this disco globe I just had to share it straight away. As my mother would say, it is fabulous.

Photo by Chema Modez via Beach Bungalow 8.

Style resolutions: Anne from The City Sage

I'm thrilled to round off this week with the lovely Anne from The City Sage. She is one of the friendliest bloggers you'll (n)ever meet, and her blog showcases a perfectly curated mix of fashion, interiors, recipes, beauty products and more besides. I have been loving her Blogger Book Love series, and I don't know how she manages to come up with so many fantastic ideas day after day. I'm so pleased that she hasn't succumbed to design fatigue (I have - more later) but still found the time to give such thoughtful and detailed answers! I love her collection of unframed art below. Anne's home is somewhere I would very much like to visit - I especially love this corner, in fact, it was her renovated lamp which inspired me to paint my coffee table (not yet revealed to an adoring public, because I am slow....and not quite finished.) One of the things I have loved the most about this series is seeing into bloggers' homes.

Thanks Anne for sharing your fabulous finds with us!

Style resolutions: Anne from The City Sage

1. What was your favourite design find/achievement of 2008?

My favourite design find of 2008 is a set of vintage Bertoia side chairs. We were fortunate to have received some money for our August wedding and I wanted to invest in something that we would actually use, but that we would also have for a lifetime. The original plan was to buy them new, but I happened to find some pre-loved Bertoias online and felt really good not only about owning a piece of history but also about consuming more sustainably by shopping vintage. And to me they are so iconic that they will always have a place in my home no matter how my style might evolve over the years.

2. What are your style resolutions for 2009?

My biggest goal this year in terms of home décor is to finish several projects that I've started, and to make the most of things I already have before adding new items to the mix. For example, right now the walls in our apartment are totally bare. I have a terrific collection of photography, antique maps, and vintage fashion prints that I've gathered---but it's all sitting unframed in my closet! I also have chairs that need refinishing, lamps that need rewiring, the list goes on.

But the good news is that answering these questions inspired me to put up the curtains that I dragged across the country when we moved last summer. Finally!

When it comes to fashion, I think I did a great job last year of honing my wardrobe really carefully and only buying things that I knew I'd want to wear for years to come. My biggest fashion purchase in 2008 was a pair of black Chanel ballet flats (I saved for those babies for months!) and I now wear them almost every day. In 2009 I'd like to continue that trend of wisely spending (cash, not credit!) on the classics. At the top of my list for this year? A Burberry trench, followed by the perfect pair of dark, slimming jeans. And if the economy miraculously turns around, a Chanel 2.55 and a pair of perforated Lanvin flats. Hey, a girl can dream!

3. Which style blog(s) will you be reading in 2009?

Phew! This is a tough one. I have about fifty or sixty blogs that I read almost every day, and I'm constantly in awe of the talent out there. Some all-time faves? Even Cleveland for a brilliant, eclectic mix of 'made you think' cultural observations, Cupcakes and Cashmere for inspired 'runway to real world' ideas, and Bloomacious for my celeb style fix. Some that I've discovered more recently and that I encourage everyone to explore: Just Fashion.Art.Design for smashing fashion, Head Over Heels for the best interiors you've not yet seen, and 2 Days in the Rain for a tightly edited taste of everything.

Style resolutions: Nicole from Little Brown Pen

With only a few days to go until January is over, I'm delighted to have a few more style resolutions still to share, even though we're moving past the New Year and into spring. Is spring in the air where you are? Yesterday it was bright and sunny here and I even saw some snowdrops on a much-needed visit to the countryside.

Today's interview is with Nicole from Little Brown Pen. I'm currently quite jealous of Nicole as she is having a short sojourn in Paris, and is regularly documenting many different eclair encounters... I love her Etsy shop which sells cute PDF templates so you can print your own stationery, like this Valentine's card.

I'm currently sharing Nicole's love of yellow and am inspired to do a little illegal fly-posting by this recent post.

Thanks for taking part, Nicole!

Style resolutions: Nicole from Little Brown Pen

What was your favourite design find achievement of 2008?

I adore Etsy and many of the talented sellers there. I spend hours surfing through treasuries and discovered some things that truly make me happy every time I look at them. The more handmade/handcrafted items I bring into the home, the more I never want to purchase anything from a big box store again. When we packed up everything for our move to Paris, I had no problem parting with my West Elm tables and Crate and Barrel dishes, but spent an inordinate amount of time wrapping and protecting all of my wonderful etsy finds. You can see a few of them here.

What are your style resolutions for 2009?

When we get back to the US in April, my plan is to make good on my resolution to live a zen existence. I am a minimalist by nature, but still seem to acquire things I don't need. Since I am living with about 10% of my possessions here in Paris, I am certain that I can do it. I want our new home to be free from clutter in every manner possible, and will strive to only allow the things we love pass through the front door.

I'm quite inspired by modern design and small space living. I subscribe to the "less is more" approach and find that practicing it is quite freeing.

Which style blogs will you be reading in 2009?

Oh, I am a blog junkie. There are just so many. It's really the combination of reading all of them that inspires me. Suzanne of S.Hoptalk will post something pink, then Ez of Creature Comforts posts something deliciously pink and suddenly I am in the mood for ... pink. I may like a scarf that Traci of Bliss posted as part of her I Heart Monday series and then see a similar scarf in an Etsy treasury. I love to read about each person's finds and inspirations, and I can't go to sleep at night unless I have checked up on all of my favorites.

Shop RE

If there's one shop which I know is right up my street, without having been there, it is Re, based in Northumberland. It is based in Corbridge, which is one of the prettiest villages I have ever been to, and I usually visit a friend in nearby Newcastle at least once a year. Visiting this shop is definitely on my agenda for my next trip north.

Luckily, they do have an online catalogue, so I can still peruse their wares. Their stock is a great mixture of vintage finds, and carefully crafted and chosen new picks. These are some of my favourites:

Cotton dishcloths with a relief of a British map.

Vintage jelly moulds.

Metal fretwork shelf. I love the display of vintage baking trays - sadly out of stock.

Vintage leather tape measures.

Vintage spirit levels.

I'm thrilled to have found a UK stockist of red and white bakers' twine.

Ceramic double hook.

Vintage 19th and 20th Century cake stands.

Silk-covered flex for the very particular among us, but I am definitely tempted to use this.

Tea of the week: Pret a Portea at the Berkeley

If there is one location in London where I suspect you won't find many men, it is at the Berkeley Hotel's Pret a Portea. With a collection of biscuits inspired by the fashion collections, and teas served in Paul Smith china, it would take a brave (or cajoled) man to endure what is ultimately a girlie delight.

They have just introduced the option of home delivery; wouldn't it be exciting (and extravagant) to have a box of biscuits delivered on this pink and green Vespa.


I love how the front of the Vespa says 'Let them eat cake.'

Afternoon tea at the Berkeley Hotel, from £35.

Five Friday Faves

Love this grey wedding dress.

Another gorgeous image of a gallery wall, via Apartment 34.

Ok, not to put too much pressure on you all, what with the weekend beckoning. But a straw poll please - who knows anyone, apart from Rachel, who makes homemade red and blue sugar sprinkles, then goes into Illustrator to design tiny inauguration flags, just to decorate a cupcake? I'm still reeling (in a good way, Rachel, lest you think otherwise.)

I love the look of everything for sale from this Tine K Home catalogue.

This reminded me that I need to buy another Lumie bodyclock as a matter of urgency. Mine has served me faithfully for many years, but it has now broken, and I just can't function in the morning without it. It is horrific to be jolted out of my sleep by a vicious alarm, when I could wake up naturally...

The weekend beckons

I have had a rather exhausting week, which explains the lack of blog inspiration. I am looking forward to the weekend, so that I can sleep. It is raining here, and it's cold, and there is little to inspire me to go outside.

All I want to do is stay at home and make cabbage gratin.

And lounge around in flannel pyjamas.

Stay in bed and watch the West Wing (I'm still on series 1), under a cashmere throw.

With an ever-trusty hot water bottle at my side.

I have a fireplace in my bedroom, so if I was able to light it I could feasibly stay in bed, read books and not move at all.

This isn't mine, and it isn't that cosy - but it's so pretty I thought I would include it (I'm starting to feel my mood lifting already.)


I could read a book in the living room, snuggled up on a sheepskin rug.

My own style resolution: get a chimney sweep to examine my fireplaces this year, so that lighting a fire might become a possibility for next winter. I would love to have a real fire.

I have managed to put curtains up, after a very lengthy hiatus, and so it really is quite cosy in my living room. I have been working on making some improvements, and hopefully will take some photographs this weekend which I can share. I will be back at some point over the next few days to share my Five Friday Faves. I'm also taking part in Hooked on Houses' Friday Blog Party - take a look.

Bottom three images via Living Etc.

Wednesday workspace: Altius Architecture

I've been storing this one away for weeks, waiting for the right moment. I wish my magazines were so organised.

Altius Architecture, via Desire to Inspire.

Tree for Joy

I can't get enough of tree photographs, especially if they are of a solitary tree, black and white, taken in winter and somehow involve a Polaroid camera. Here are a few quick Etsy picks which fulfil some of those criteria. Do you have a favourite tree? I have a favourite tree on the local common, which I am lining up to play a significant role in some life event, whether it's having a party beside it, writing about it, or making a collage from all the photos I have taken of it.

Images of Beauty

Nature Mandalas

Magnusfoto

Scarlet Beautiful 2.

Tea of the week: an Inauguration tea party

Yesterday I hosted an afternoon Inauguration tea party. It was lots of fun - I loved being quizmaster of an Obama quiz - but we left it too late to take many photos.

In the end I didn't worry too much about having an American theme, or basing the menu on Obama's favourite foods, and just was grateful that friends offered to bring food so I didn't have to make it all. My friend Bridget made homemade bagels with smoked salmon (there are none in the photographs as they were all scoffed in no time.)

I made this Rocky Road, from Nigella's Christmas Rocky Road recipe - they were delicious but very rich - it should be cut into very small pieces.

I took Polaroid photos of the guests and stuck them on the door, so they could remember each other's names.


I borrowed two cake stands, inspired by Rachel's obsession with cake stands.

Another friend, Stephanie, made a delicious chocolate cake, and Malini made some very popular carrot muffins with cream cheese icing.

A special thank you goes to Jon and Emma, who came round to my flat in the morning for an hour and a half to help me tidy up and get things ready. They went home to get changed, and when they came back, Emma told me off for having found the time to tie ribbon round some books (a last-minute touch) after they had slaved all morning! Somehow I thought I would get everything ready in time, but I don't know how I would have done it without them.

I have had this piece of ribbon for years, waiting for something special to do with it. It is from the department store Brown Thomas in Dublin, and has a quote from James Joyce on it.

Are you planning to do anything special for Inauguration Day? Another friend of mine is going to a party on Tuesday where they are eating chilli (maybe even Obama's own recipe) and watching the tv coverage, but that will work in the UK because of the time difference.