Is Anyone Else Loving Chrissie Jeffery's Home as Much As I Am?

As a longtime No Chintz shopper and fan of owner Chrissie Jeffery's interiors, I'm loving the latest Vogue Living feature on her Sydney home. And to add to the fun, the Vogue website juxtaposes the latest images with the apartment's previous incarnation in the magazine 6 years ago. This is the earlier article:

And here is how the home looks now:

The colour palate has changed from pinks and greens:

To predominantly blue tones. Some key pieces from the earlier shoot remain, such as the shelves in the dining room, but others have been altered, like the dining chairs which have been reupholstered and relocated:

The living room fireplace has undergone a change in colour, while the mirror above it remains, as do the two single armchairs:

The bedroom looks dramatically different, while retaining the chandelier and venetian mirror:

I uploaded images of the current magazine from the Vogue Living website, but unfortunately they are not able to be seen, so you'll have to buy a copy of the magazine.

Also, on the Vogue Living website you can participate in a survey as to which version of the apartment you prefer.

All images by Chris Court.
On another note, I've changed the look of my blog because I was a little bored with the header image. Hope you like it. x

Luxe for Less

I haven't blogged for a while, due to that worst of all four-letter words: work. But, even though I'm now earning money, I'm on a budget because I'm saving for something. So, I still like to bag a bargain. A few weeks ago, I found this cute two-handled pot, which looks great on the top shelf in the boatshed:

It was at the op shop, and was the first thing I'd found there for ages. Unfortunately, I think the word is spreading that vintage is good, so the op shop is no longer the treasure trove it used to be. Anyway, something about this vase caught my eye. Maybe the shape or the colours:

Then, when I turned it over, I saw the name "John Campbell" and the year 1934. I realised it was much older than I had first thought, so I bought it for $8. When I got home, I googled John Campbell and found out that it is a Tasmanian pottery and the pots are reasonably valuable:

Then, last week, I saw this piece of furniture left on the street in Glebe. I grabbed it straight away, deciding it should look good painted white:

Then I went to one of my favourite stores, No Chintz and found the perfect handle for it:

So watch this space for the finished product - as soon as I get a chance to paint it. While I was there, I grabbed a bundle of remnants for $4. I love these fabrics and will make some patchwork cushions:

At the Bottom of Our Street

We've just spent a few days in Sydney and while I was there I got to thinking about the idea of being a tourist in your own town. So I decided to try and see the sights I was so familiar with through the eyes of a tourist. Our boat was moored at the bottom of our street, and looks quite good against the local harbourside parkland :

And against the backdrop of the city skyline:

We've just refurbished the interior so here's a peek. We had the cushions covered in a charcoal- coloured Warwick fabric and I made a curtain and cushions from some striped fabric from No Chintz:

Coming ashore at the jetty, you stumble across Bellevue, a gorgeous Victorian house. You can just make out the boat through the trees:

And here is a view of the Anzac Bridge from the shady front veranda:

Bellevue is owned by the City of Sydney and was restored a couple of years ago, but remains empty. I love the way they maintained the 'rough luxe' look by leaving the internal walls with layers of peeling paint like a palimpsest:

And close by is a secret garden, lovingly maintained by our friend Tass:

Seeing your city as a tourist certainly makes you appreciate your surroundings. I thoroughly recommend it.

Thank you No Chintz

A few weeks ago I visited No Chintz in Sydney. While I couldn't afford the $100+ per metre for much of the fabric, I found the remnants basket and made some beautiful cushions. For ages I've experimented with several different cushion combinations for this seat and never been entirely happy with them. When I don't change cushions for six months, I know I've found the right ones. Hopefully these will be them. The fabric on the left is Designer's Guild:

I made this green and pink cushion over six months ago and from the minute I placed it on this chair with the vintage floral print one, they've stayed together in their cushiony perfection:

I've had these two for over five years. I made the one at the back from No Chintz remnants and the front one from the still-intact border of a threadbare vintage tablecloth:

These are also made from No Chintz remnants, the back one recently and the front one a few years ago:

Chic Cushions

Over the past few months, I've been re-covering cushions in a simple envelope style, generally using remnants from No Chintz in Sydney. These ones are a mixture of Amy Butler and other fabrics:


I've teamed these ones on the veranda with vintage fabrics from the op shop:



This one is patched together from Designers Guild remnants:


I recovered this op shop stool in Amy Butler fabric:


Recovering cushions has been an an easy way of changing the boatshed's look on a budget.

Fab Fabrics

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned the wonderful fabrics at No Chintz. Here are photos of Mandalay, in blue, in the bedroom of my friends, Ross and Christine. Christine is very talented and has made up the fabric into lampshades and panels, which I think show her great style and taste.

No Chintz

These are some material samples from No Chintz, a Sydney store I love. They're fresh, light and summery.