A Lovely Home

I have seen this bathroom around a lot on the web - you probably have too. Lucky for me (and you), I stumbled upon the rest of the home and it, thankfully, lives up to it's bathroom. Take a look...

I love the subtle blue/grey on the walls, the beautiful fireplace, the herringbone floor, the antique furniture combined with the more modern brickmakers coffee table, the touches of blue, the internal shutters ..... I could go on and on....

What a lovely, informal dining room. Notice the hexagonal floor tiles, the beautiful wall treatment and the oversized fireplace. The dining table and benches look like they might have been made from old scaffolding planks.

Entryway with a beautiful light-fitting

Notice the beautiful moulding under the staircase. I love how casually the pedestal and statue have been placed.

Sheet music adorns the walls of the music room. I love the mix of the rustic table and Louis XVI chair.

The gorgeous bedroom with amazing light fitting and corona....

... and some pretty details in another bedroom.

I hope you have had a promising start to the week.

Till next time

Sharon x

Source: here

A Pale Palette

I really, really do love furniture upholstered in paler colours... off-white, cream, the palest shades of blue, grey or sage... I have tried not to.... 4 sons and 2 dogs... you understand.... it isn't a particularly happy combination....but I can't help it.

I can't really show you my own pale upholstery .... 4 sons, 2 dogs... you understand... but I will show you some of my favourite examples. Enjoy!

Crinkled, wrinkled and comfortable - just the way I like it!

It works just as well in winter...

...as in summer.

It mixes well with patterns...

...and with leather.

So pretty!

So gorgeous!

So exquisite!

So sublime!

So .... I can't think of any more superlatives.

Wishing you all a happy week.

Till next time

Sharon x

Image source:  1. mmmarly (Tumblr) 2. Zsa Zsa Bellagio  3. Tumblr  4. Things that Inspire  5. Living Rooms 6. Decorpad 7. Particular Poetry (Tumblr) 8. Kikette Interiors 9. Decorare 10. DECOR  11. Marie Clare Italy 12. The Vintiquarian 13.  Decor de Provence

A wonderful break, now I'm back

With my family in Covent Garden, London

I won't bore you holiday stories or photos, but I do want to congratulate my American and British blog friends and readers on your wonderful countries. My family and I had such a fantastic time in both countries and everyone we came across was so friendly and helpful. My 15 year old son is having a hard time deciding if he wants to live in London or New York one day!

I actually got back more than a week ago, but have been having a bit of trouble getting my blogging "groove" back. Has this ever happened to you?  I am going to need some time to think of new ideas for posts this year. My brain is definitely still in holiday mode! But I have to start somewhere so in this post I'm just going to show you some random ideas that I like and perhaps you will like too. 

This is such a great look. It is perfect for hiding a less than attractive table and if you are short of storage, a basket placed underneath can hold all those things you don't want in the public eye. A very elegant and budget beating option, in my opinion.

This arrangement is the perfect solution for a guest room. If your guests require two single beds, instead of a double, you can just move them apart and put the table between them. Definitely more versatile that a double bed. 

The lack of any overhead cupboards make this kitchen feel far more spacious than it actually is. The demi-lune table flanked by 2 chairs works very well in this fairly narrow space - the perfect spot for a cup of tea or a chat with a friend.

I thought that this was such a clever idea, all you need are some glass vases and different sizes of rope and voila! Another budget beater too.

I love these overstuffed ottomans placed at the bottom of the bed. I can imagine having a cup of coffee here, a chat with my husband, the ideal place for the dogs to have a nap and if I need extra seating anywhere else in the house for an occasion, I could use these. Perfection!

I love, love, love this idea of using factory style doors and windows for a shower enclosure. It has so much more character than the more common plain glass shower surround.

And finally, what a great way to use that vintage silver tea set that has been gathering dust - to house your bathroom essentials - of course!

In closing, a big welcome to my new followers, and wishing you and all my regular (and irregular) readers a  New Year alive with possibilities!


Till next time

Sharon x

Image source: 1. Roses and Rust, 2 Tunmblr   3.  Tumblr  4. L'Ambience, 5. Tumblr 6. Tessa Proudfoot 7. via Providence Ltd, 8. Tumblr

Enchanted Gifts

My friend and über-blogger, Tina, from The Enchanted Home, has done a post inviting fellow bloggers to share some gift ideas. Go here for some wonderful inspiration.

We leave tomorrow to fly across the Atlantic so this will be my last post for 2012. 

Looking forward to seeing you  all in 2013.

Till then

Sharon x

Monday Musings - Why I'm not decorating for Christmas

I am not putting up any Christmas decorations this year! It's not a statement against commercialism or any anti-Christmas sentiment, it's purely because we are going to be away on holiday for almost the whole of December so there doesn't really seem to be any point. It actually feels a bit strange not to be thinking about what sort of look or colour scheme I would be choosing this year, not having that ritual of unpacking the decorations and deciding how to place things, and having the memories associated with hanging the decorations obtained from various travels. 

To be honest - it has me feeling a bit upside down! But, being a blogger, allows me to have a bit of fun and do some virtual decorating instead.

I've decided to keep it simple and natural with touches of red.

The stockings will be hung on the mantel ....

...Christmas cookies will be baked...

...the decorations will be unpacked and arranged...

.... presents will be wrapped with plain white or brown paper...

....and tied up with pretty red ribbons or twine...

...and delivered in person and on time....

...or maybe Santa can help a bit with this task!

The table will be set, fresh greenery with touches of red...

The wreaths will be hung...

 ...we won't neglect the outside...

 ...and doing it virtually means I can have snow...in sunny South Africa!!

...maybe even the dogs will be decorated....

And when you have a virtual Christmas, the dog can't eat the turkey!..

 

We will be sure to bring back some mementos from our travels.

But before we set sail for distant shores, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you, all my wonderful blog friends and readers, for your fantastic support of my little blog. It truly means the world to me!

I would also like to wish you and your families a beautiful Christmas filled with love and laughter.

Till next year...

Sharon x

Image source: 1. Blue Room Lady 2. Zsa Zsa Bellagio 3. Pinterest 4. Le Petit Chou Chou 5. Coffee, Pearls and Poetry, 6. Coffee, Pearls and Poetry 7. Zara 8. Tumblr, 9. A Spoonful of Sugar Designs 10. Odessa May Blog 11. Serenityyou.com 12. Annie Girl 13. Crush Cul de Sac 14, 15 & 16 Casa Decorada 17. Blue Room Lady 18. An Eclectic Pause 19. Casa Decorada 20.  Zsa Zsa Bellagio 21. Tumblr 22, 23, 24 Google 25. Tumblr