Beautiful (and mostly white) bathrooms

(Image from The Stamford Wife http://thestamfordwife.blogspot.com/)

As my life returns to "normal" I have had to face the bathroom renovations again. It has been on hold ever since the arrival of our overseas goodies for the shop in August. I have been busy in the store as well as helping at the Sydney antiques fair. I must confess, my first point of call is more photos. I know, not a lot of action or dirty hands but it motivates and inspires me for the challenges that await. I hope you enjoy this compilation of bathroom images...

His and her showers with white (or off-white?) subway tiles. I definitely do not have room for two showers! But I love simple white tiles in brick formation. (Image source unkown) Again, the tiles struck me in this bathroom, they appear to be bevelled like our kitchen tiles. I also love the basin on chrome stand. This bathroom looks very English with the vintage style toilet and basin. I prefer chrome legs though. I like the simplistic mirror, it looks to be from the 1930s. There is no colour in this room, it could maybe use a splash of something... This bathroom has a near identical basin to the one I have bought for our bathroom. Rejoice, it looks great in this room, so it should work in my bathroom. Again, the classic pedestal basin looking good. I really like the soft blue, but I may go more neutral for the wall colour. Any ideas? Imagine having French doors leading into the bathroom...this is really gorgeous.

(Previous 5 images all from Katy Elliot http://www.katyelliott.com/blog/)

Classic white once again but with black details, reminiscent of the Art Deco period.

(Image from Griege http://greigedesign.blogspot.com/)

I think these last images decide it for me, white subway tiles it is (well, in the shower, our only tiled area at this stage). It is hard to go wrong with such a classic tile. And I love this neutral colour above. Again, if anyone has any colour suggestions, I would love to know.

Cupcake paradise at "Sweet Envy", Hobart!

Last week I had a joyful experience at the new patisserie Sweet Envy in North Hobart, Tasmania. Owned and run by ex Gordan Ramsay patissier Alistair Wise and his partner. I had a berry tart (it was very hard too choose, there were so many beautiful sweets) and a hot chocolate at a vintage painted table whilst admiring all of the beautiful cakes and pastries surrounding me. The interior is wonderfully decorated - in one window there are painted stepladders and mini-birdcages housing cupcakes (below)...so sweet! As far as I am aware, it is Alistair's partner who is responsible for the cake decorating. She does the most amazing wedding cakes I have ever seen. Perfectly presented cupcakes and from $3.50, they are hard to resist!

Fresh Spring additions

With the arrival of Spring we have introduced some new cushions to our soft-furnishing range... I love these linen cushions with 19th century newspaper script. Perhaps my favourite.

But these cushions are quite irristable with vintage French ticking in a soft blue. They are sitting contently on our French day bed. I see them in a baby boy's nursery or in a sunroom.

These cushions are made from vintage French linens. We will be bringing out some similar cushions made with blue detail soon.

Birdcage collections and an outside bath!

How whimsical are these settings? Does it make anyone else want to start a colourful birdcage collection or relax in a tub in the bush? Or is it just me?

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

(Images from http://bonnature.blogspot.com/)

Antiques make Cote de Texas' "Top Ten Design Elements" list

For all those people who have not read Cote de Texas Top 10 Design Elements from the 4th September (See http://cotedetexas.blogspot.com/2010/09/top-ten-design-elements.html) here are some of my favourite photos (below). The above photo is from one her newer posts but I thought it appropriate. Through many beautiful photos, Cote de Texas shows us how antiques can "make" an otherwise dull room. She even goes as far to say that a room for me, is not as complete, or as interesting, without some type of antique element included in its design.

This is one of my favourite rooms. I love the mix of antique chairs and the blue painted bookcase on the far wall.

The antique sofa in the room is a highlight! And Cote de Texas points out the Mora clock peeking in from the next room (she has great attention to detail...). A lovely room.

The French chairs with the blue monogrammed upholstery are antique, as is the Chinese coffee table. I think this room shows that you do not have to stick to one type of antique for example, French, but can mix periods and styles to create a more unique look.

Now we come to my two favourite photos which have made me walk around our store with different eyes. The two arm chairs to the left of this room have such beautiful lines and as Cote de Texas points out, how could anyone choose contemporary chairs over these?

And Donna, the lucky gal, bought this similar limed Swedish arm chair from our store earlier this year. It now sits happily in her small guest bedroom. And true to Cote de Texas' design concept, this single arm chair actually "makes" the sparingly furnished room.

Perhaps the best piece of advice we could take on board from Cote de Texas is this; when starting out, try to buy one big piece of antique furniture for each room. If money is an issue, then save up instead of settling. I waited years and years (15 to be exact) to be able to afford a Buffet a Deux for my living room. I used funds from my business to pay for it myself so that my husband couldn’t interfere!! Now that I have this piece, it will always be in my house – somewhere – and hopefully in my daughter’s house one day. And from my experience, this is spot on. It has been those antique pieces that I really had to consider, worried that I was spending too much, that I have never regretted. And these are the pieces that I am likely to admire and hold on to forever.

One of our customers is the new proud owner of one our favourite pieces from our last buying trip; this gorgeous c.1800 French Buffet a Deux. I am sure this piece will help to make her room and more importantly, be a piece that she will treasure forever!

Flowers now at the Drill Hall Emporium!

We are making use of a few of our vintage tin flower buckets out the front of the store with some fresh flowers available for sale. We are starting with a variety of coloured tulips and also some stunning oriental lillies...

Cire Trudon Candles

On my visit to Sydney last week, I couldn't help but be captivated by this shop window display on Queen Street Woollahra. It may bave been the carved oak angels but I think it was the French Cire Trudon candles with the famous gold labels displayed under French glass cloches. After this, I started seeing these candles everywhere! They are generally displayed under glass domes or bell jars (cloches)... These exquisite candles are made by the oldest French candle manufacturer, Cire Trudon. Claude Trudon was a merchant who opened an apothecary in Paris in the 1600s and became the royal candlemaker. Below is the candle shop that has been in operation on rue de Seine, Paris since 1643 - now that is history! And the ulitmate Cire Trudon candle? This 2.3kg, 700+ hour burn time La Grande Bougie candle housed in a hand blown vessel. A wicked indulgence at $695... (available at http://www.beckerminty.com/ ) But we only live once, right?

A visit to Queen St, Woollahra

A clock tower on the corner of an antiques store. So French... And speaking of French, Genevieve Lethu is a must visit store for the kitchen and the table. If you can't make it to 53 Queen St Woollahra, visit http://www.genevievelethu.com.au/.

Gorgeous flowers and plants are displayed at this corner florist. We had lunch at the cafe next door under a tree.

And of course I couldn't resist a spot of antique hunting. A little outside my price range though! I made do with a lambswool throw blanket from Moss River, instead. Then it was time for a hot chocolate at Bills...

Sydney antiques fair! And a French cafe...

I am sorry for the lack of posts of late but I have been in Sydney assisting at the AAADA antiques fair. One of the most unusual and decorative items I spotted is the wooden Eastern figure above. She is in a fantastically weathered condition. Needless to say, it sold on the opening evening.

The next day I enjoyed morning tea at a nearby French inspired patisserie - and overindulged of course...

My favourite corner...

This is my favourite little area of the store at the moment - it is in the "soft furnishings" room. We have chosen a very muted colour scheme in this room, where the Gustavian centre table happily sits in the middle and a French bibliotheque holds vintage eiderdowns (see previous post at www.thedrillhallemporium.blogspot.com/2010/09/few-of-new-old-pieces-for-store.html). And in one of the corners of the room we have created a little vignette based upon a collection of 19th century glassware and a pair of grey painted mirrors. These mirrors are quite stylish, I imagine them in a bathroom above twin pedestal basins (if only I had the space for such luxury!).

This early 20th century Venetian glass mirror is on the opposite wall. It is quite petite but it is very charming.