Lime and yellow sorbet

The light gets brighter, the air is lighter and so it seems is our mood. We shall be updating the shop in March and will be getting ready for Easter time.
There will be some bright cushions in colorful cottons.

And some beanbags filled with natural rubber.

We shall also have the cutest little sofa in duckling yellow.

We are already adding some muted greens at home.

We are also adding some fresher touches to clients' homes,

even hotels, as with this beechwood console table painted yellow with water based emulsion.

Yellows and lime are so full of life. Do you dare use them at home?

Kate Tempest prints

Hello,

I would like to share with you a beautiful website I came across today. It trades in framed vintage children's prints. If you love old prints and are looking to decorate a child's bedroom (or indulge a childhood phantasy of yours) then this is a magic little place.

Excellent taste, too. Not too much sugar, not too pink, if you see what I mean.

Alice in Wonderland, Babar, Winnie the Pooh and many beautiful, heartwarming characters from all along the XXth century are awaiting you.

So why don't you stop by the Kate Tempest website You are in for a treat.

Paris, dear...

Hi!
What a beautiful trip I made this morning!
It all started when I stopped by Alicia at Posie Gets Cozy who has just made a most dreamy, flowy tunic/ dress!
I admire this lady so much!..as I do with all the creative ladies that I call my Sisters in Style. All, creative beings with some original voices that are particularly dear to me. Let me also say that Alicia also runs a shop and that it was a delight shopping from her at Christmas.

Following a link, I happened upon Omondieu! that had me hooked immediately! Not in a pretty sort of way, but with beautiful writing that reminded me of me some twenty years ago.
While there, I had a look at the hotel LeWalt, showcasing the work of local Parisian artists in an interesting way.

I then stopped by the Shakespeare&Co Bookshop where I found a link to pictures from a film that I love, called Before Sunset.

Very romantic, very Parisian. There is two of them; Before Sunrise and Before Sunset. I liked the first in the series most, but they are both singing the beauties of Paris, so worth seeing if you are a francophile.
It was just a fine little tour!

Easter Bunny Swap 2008

Isn't it lovely that we are entering Lent? Spring, Easter...Beautiful times to look forward to, not least for allowing the creative juices to flow again, along with Mother Nature's awakening. So, I was so pleased to see that M&Co is hosting an Easter swap. Swap items must be handmade or partly handmade, so think and act with gusto and inspiration!
Have a look and join here.

New kelim collection

Pure wool kelims, made in the 1930s and 1960s, stone washed, without chemicals. Meticulously reinstated to their original beauty. Priced at Euro189/m2.

Enjoy the Valentines

There is so much vintage love around, that I could not resist those beautiful little books.

This one, called Vintage Valentines is appropriately red and sweet.

Isn't she beautiful? Just like love. From Taschen, Valentines: Vintage Holiday Graphics

The 50s are so innocent! I love this vintage love book, appropriately called
Greetings With Love: The Book of Valentines (Architecture)

Enjoy!

A Royal Household

Prince Paul and Princess Marie-Chantal (nee Miller) live in London with their four, and soon to be five children. As with their R.H. King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, they keep a low profile, although Marie-Chantal is an international style icon.

The Princes live in London and this is their new home. Over the den mantel, a picture of Marie-Chantal painted by Andy Warhol.
The kitchen is spacious, yet warm and inviting. Yellows and creams, copper and black anchor the room in a very stylish manner.

Their home, far from being grandiose, is a tribute to timeless good taste.One would imagine that a young upper class couple lived here, if it weren't for the family memorabilia that are districtly displayed.
As Marie-Chantal says, the children know that their grandfather was King,and that their aunts reign in different European countries, but they do not talk much about it. In true royal style!
(All photos Life and Style magazine)

New photos from our work

And here is one of my little helpers!

Spring, oh Spring where are you?

Is Spring here yet?

I look forward to filling jugs with spring flowers and hanging fresh and cheerful curtains.

Or maybe not yet?

(All photos from the Cath Kidston Spring catalogue)

New Designers Guild fabric and wallpaper

I would have loved visiting Maison et Objet in Paris, as the wonderful Ronda of All the Best did (read her post here). I've never felt like a child in a candy shop, perhaps because I never missed candy. But, blame it on my mum who used to make all my clothes and hers, and my late grandmother who loved sewing, there is a thing about thread and fabric that spell b-l-i-s-s to me!

I wasn't left without consolation, though. The national representative sent me the new fabric and wallpaper books, which was great.

I stock Jane Churchill, Ralph Lauren, and my specialty, Designers Guild.

The people who can actually a.afford and b. have the education and taste to support such choices, aren't that many in this part of Greece. Apart from another retailer who stocks Anna French and Liberty, we offer the best in designer fabrics and wallpapers. (Click on images to enlarge)

Here is a preview of the new Designers Guild range. The collection is called Florimund, and it's not yet on the DG website. So, unless you stock DG, remember, you saw it here first! Isn't that what the self-promoting say?

I love that eau de Nil color; not blue, not green. So chic! Especially in the corridor and stairwell. Exquisite.

Here are some more photos. French inspiration everywhere.

Golden shadows.

Exquisite silk in powder room pink.

This spells feminine and happy to me. I love Guild's interpretation of classic roses.

I love bamboo for walls. Emily Todhunter of Todhunter-Earle also makes a great bamboo print. You can see it here.
Can you imagine this at home? Pink and gold, and sunshine. Love it!

Je vous offre...

Une fine enveloppe croustillante, une forme ronde, légèrement bombée, de belles couleurs châtoyantes et un coeur moelleux...

Seulement quelques grammes pour mettre nos sens en émoi...

Cette boîte se compose de:
- 2 macarons Passion Chocolat au Lait
- 2 macarons Caramel Fleur de Sel
- 2 macarons Chocolat
- 2 macarons Rose
- 2 macarons Pistache
- 2 macarons Vanille

e thé vert Sencha doit son nom à la région de Chine dans laquelle il est cultivé. Comme tout les thés verts, il est à la fois moins fermenté et moins tannique d?un thé noir ; son goût est plus astringent et sa couleur beaucoup plus claire une fois infusé. Le thé vert Sencha permet de révéler les arômes subtilement melés de l'amande, la cardamome et le jasmin. Felicitations mon petit bebe!

F has just received her first diploma in English.

2008 weblog awards

I have been quite sad with recent events, even depressed by these news. So I surfed for awhile and found that the 2008 weblog awards are on. You can vote till January 31st, so hurry. I did cast my vote, and I must say I was delighted to see some nice websites (plus some less than nice, but they don't count because I do not bother).

You may want to know that some familiar blogs are among the finalists.
In the Best Art or Craft weblog category there is Apartment Therapy, Angry Chicken of Bend-the-Rules Sewing: The Essential Guide to a Whole New Way to Sew which I have ordered and I am eagerly expecting, Not Martha (clever title, rather plain both in content and appearance, but a nice try) and Posie Gets Cozy.
I actually voted for Posie, and Iwould vote twice if I could. Alicia is generous, offering tips here and there. She writes beautifully, I love reading her posts. She never just throws things in. She has a rich soul and is not afraid to put it on paper. And the photography is beautiful, artful yet cozy. I love stopping by every day. Oh, and did I mention that my Christmas cards this year came from her shop? She is just great to do business with.

There is also Design Sponge in Best Designed weblog.
I was surprised to find that in best photography you can mostly find food blogs! My favorites are 101 cookbooks and Smitten Kitchen. Oh that key lime cheesecake recipe!
Food blogs by the way have an award of their own. My favorite is Gluten-free Girl, an old favorite and author of Gluten-Free Girl: How I Found the Food That Loves Me Back...And How You Can Too . But the discovery of The Pioneer Woman Cooks was a very pleasant surprise, so I had to vote for her. Step by step, photo by photo, you just have to visit this blog.
You can pick and choose by clicking here.

Fresh and happy home

This is home to the family of interior homeware company Rice, as published in the February issue of Living etc. I am eyeing this kind of lit du jour for my office. Ikea has one for 99 Euros and I can put one of our super comfy mattresses. People are usually shy with color and pattern when it comes to small places. I am all for color and pattern in small places, as long as they are tastefully combined. This guest room proves it.

Here is the family in their Danish home.

The kitchen units are from Ikea as is the tap. I have been looking for "shower" taps. They invariably cost about 500 Euros and upwards. This one from Ikea costs c.270Euros, which is half the price. It does look quite high going, though! I think I may opt for an olde English tap instead.

Not my cup of tea. Those people are not shy when it comes to using heirlooms. If you love it, I suppose...

This is the playroom and office. Difficult mix. It is a home office, of course, in which case it is better to have the kids playing around and checking on them.

Love the lampshades. They look like Rice plant workers to me!

And here is a photo of one of Rice's treasures. White with splashes of color. Beautiful bedspread!

(Photo from The Style Files)