Citrus spritz...

Though we're in the depths of winter here in Melbourne and my colour mood should accordingly be more muted, I find I'm still drawn to the summery goodness of the citrus tones. Something so refreshing and fun about them don't you think?

I'm willing the summer on already! Have a fab Thursday :)

Abbey x

Images via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7

New Vogue Living...

Got my hands on the new Vogue Living last night and it has a couple of great features I had to tell you about. First up, the very colourful and sophisticated Sydney apartment of No Chintz textile guru, Chrissie Jeffery. So many gorgeous fabrics - heaven for a pattern lover like me :) And if you head over to the Vogue blog here, there is a before and after from when her same apartment was featured back in 2005. Very different look but equally impressive.

And if that wasn't enough, a look inside the eclectic New York home of Jonathan Adler - filled to the brim with colour and quirk..

Ahh Vogue - always comes up with the goods :)

Abbey x

Images 1 & 2 by Chris Court and 3 by Richard Powers for Vogue Living

Colour 3 ways...

From room...

To tabletop...

To catwalk...

Abbey x

Image 1 via Elle Decor, 2 & 3 via Style me Pretty

A winning living room and a growing Chloe...

Hope everyone's had a relaxing weekend. Thought I'd kick the week off with this stunning living room. For me, it's a great example of understated elegance. The classic features such as the sofa, lighting and those divine faux bamboo nesting tables blend perfectly with the natural textures used for the flooring and blinds. The clear louvre blinds help to make the outside greenery a feature of the space and the bright cushions and chippendale chair finish the whole look off with some brightness and fun. Perfect!

And just because I know a few of you like an update on the progress of Mum and Dad's ever growing and much loved Newfoundland pup Chloe, here's some shots I took the other day (after she had thoroughly run herself ragged and would sit still for 2 seconds). She's getting huge!

Have a great Monday :)

Abbey x

Image 1 via Bazaar of serendipity blog

Weekend inspiration...

So glad the weekend is upon us! So far it's sunny skies in Melbourne-town so am planning to get out and about, starting with a lovely brunch with friends this morning. Some beautiful peonies to kick start the day...

Have a great weekend everyone!

Abbey x

Image via Pinkpreppylillylover blog

This week's love...

Now I'm fairly confident that if I tried to hang purses on my walls, put my favourite shoes in with the flowers and hang sparkly dresses from the curtain rods, my place would look more like the scene of a burglary than an artistic expression of style and fine taste. However, this is precisely what the creative team at 'The Coveteur' do. They step inside the homes and wardrobes of fashions influential and record the stylish details of their lives in a unique and creative way. Below are some pics from a shoot they did with Vogue staffer Sylvana Ward-Durrett. If you haven't already, check out The Coveteur here. I'm addicted!

Enjoy your Friday!

Abbey x

Photos by Jake Rosenberg for The Coveteur

Macaron perfection...

Being a huge fan of the delightful macaron I couldn't help but share these pics with you. This is the new Theurel & Thomas Patisserie in Mexico. The design is pretty ingenious - all cool white surfaces and Parisian style furniture with just the bright macarons providing the colour hit! Very clever and cool...

I have real admiration for the gifted souls that have managed to perfect the macaron. I'm a bit of a baker but I find they really are my baking nemesis! So tricky and temperamental. Sometimes they work really well and other times they are a near disaster and I can never tell why. Very annoying. Some tips I have found to be successful throughout my macaron trials and tribulations for any first timers are - leave the egg whites and almond meal out at room temperature for a minimum overnight (Aussie almond meal is quite moist) and use proper silicon baking mats....And if they work, marvel at your own extreme baking talent and prowess!

Abbey x

Images from Eclecchic via 2bydesign

You can just never have too many....

...gorgeous Morroccan pouffes! They are the perfect way to add a little splash of colour and texture to any room. I have them scattered around my place like confetti at the moment :) The coloured leather really contrasts well with my bright patterned fabrics. And even though I already have these ones below, I find myself still pondering which colour I should get next! I got these, and that blue cushion in the third shot, from the lovely Kellie who runs the beautiful online boutique Ada & Darcy.

Abbey x

Images by Abbey @ Gild & Grace

Some LA style...

Today I share with you some lovely shots from the portfolio of talented LA designer Hillary Thomas. I really love the way she uses bold colours and chic patterns yet retains an all over classic finish. To my mind - where the Upper East Side meets Palm Beach. Not an easy dynamic to get so seamlessly right I wouldn't have thought...

Hillary also has a gorgeous retail store in LA called 'Chic Shop' with an online option too. Some real treasures to be found! And just to round things out, a new blog called 'Happiness is...a pink foo dog'. From the title alone I knew I was going to love it :) 

Enjoy

Abbey x  

Coffee table envy...

You have probably all seen these shots before as they featured in Lonny and Holly Becker's fab new book Decorate. They are of the very bright and stylish home of NY designer Elizabeth Bauer (I posted about her store here). What I love most about this apartment - and let's face it, there is a lot to love - is the divine vintage lucite and brass coffee table. To me, it's perfection. And I fear it may become one of my life's many missions to get my hands on something similar...

So far, my searching has not been fruitful, however, if I ever find one (that I don't need to mortgage the house to buy), you'll be the first to know!

Abbey :)

Images from Lonny

Weekend inspiration...

This weekend my thoughts are on a couple of my best friends still gallivanting around Europe. Their texts report of shopping and heat and favourite Mediterranean cities...I coped ok with this for the first few weeks but I'm starting to waiver. Mostly I just miss them but I also can't help but get a touch of the green eyed monster when I get a text reporting "so far I have bought 8 pairs of shoes and I've loved Montenegro the best"...obviously I wish I was right there with them! Especially when it is so grimly cold and dreary here in Melbourne. It's probably also not helping my cause that when I think of what they must be up to, my mind conjurs up scenes like this one....

Oh to be soaking up the sun under one of these colourful umbrellas....Have a fabulous weekend everyone:)

Abbey x

Image from Pretty Stuff Tumblr

This week's love...

This week I am loving these amazing jade green themed photos. Something so whimsical about this shade of green - antique like...

Enjoy :)

Hope you've had a great week!

Abbey x

Images via - top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right

Peak inside...

...the very stylish New York home of model Jessica Stam. In love with that antique lucite coffee table and those lamps.The Moroccan doors outside her bedroom were left by the previous owner but I think they blend perfectly with her eclectic collection of pieces...

How I'd love gorgeous big windows like that pouring the natural light into my place :)

Abbey x

Images via Vogue Daily

Bright tabletop

Loving the gorgeous mix of colours on this bright and bold tabletop. The watermelon tones work so well with the bright yellow. The denim detailing around the vases is an unusual but cute touch and of course, can never go wrong with a touch of chevron stripe!

Abbey x

Image via DesignSponge

Knockout bathrooms

With so much decorating effort going into our main living areas, the bathroom can at times be a forgotten entity. Often bathrooms are very plain and neutral...however as these lovely images show, the bathroom can be yet another opportunity to get creative and colourful!

Abbey x

Images via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6