Thai Beach Style

I love this look - I wish I could have it at home. The Thais seem to do it so well. From low tables and lounges in a bar at Sairee on Koh Tao:

To the Safety Stop at Mae Haad, also on Koh Tao:

This one is on Koh Samui:

And my favourite, an all white bar in Mae Haad:

I guess I just have to visit Thailand more often.

The Trip So Far....

In Paris now after a week in Thailand with my gorgeous sons, Dave and Mont:

Dave and I on a bike outside our hotel on the island of Koh Tao:

When I got to Paris, I went to the flea market at Vanves and bought these beautiful fabrics:

Today it was the flea markets at Clignancourt, which I didnt like as much. Found the ultimate bath but have no way of getting it home:
Will send more info on Paris and Thailand soon - having trouble with the AZERTY keyboard.

Au Revoir

Yay! I'm flying out on my big trip tomorrow morning. I'll be in Thailand for a week, so probably won't have much access to a computer, but in a week's time I'll be in Paris. First up, I'll be visiting the flea markets at Clignancourt and Vanves, so hopefully I'll be able to post lots of photos of beautiful things I see there. Also, I'll include some pics of the house where I'll be swapping. Before I go, I'm just posting some last-minute images of picture frames I found at the op-shop recently:

So Gorgeous

When I walked into the shop, I thought it would be full of the sort of textiles from Uzbekistan and Afghanistan I had seen so many times before which, though lovely, had not inspired me to buy them. But then I saw the Russian trade cloth, firstly in the edging and some of the patches in the wall-hanging:

Here are some closeups. The florals were so exquisite I thought I was going to faint:


Then I saw the quilt and loved the ikat-patterned silk:


But, when I turned it over and saw the faded red floral on the back, I knew I had to have it as well:

Before and After

PIcked up my chair from the upholsterer today. I think he's done a great job!

Pillow Talk

I found these vintage cushions the other day. I think they're fun and provide a nice contrast to the formal lines of the furniture.

I'm Loving...

Some recent op shop finds, such as my disco ball decoration:

Tea glass tea-light holder and 'Provencal' saucer::

Two green and white plates, vase and white bowl:

Two resources for my trip: 'Paris Chic and Trendy' which was recommended by sfgirlbybay (Thanks, Victoria, it's a great read):

And 'Moroccan Interiors', given to me by my lovely sister and Op-shopping partner, Kate (who I'll miss terribly):

Imagine These

A couple of weeks ago, I went browsing in a shop in Woollahra, Sydney, called Imagine This. These are some images of the beautiful pieces to be found there. It's way above my price range, but I'm a bit like Holly Golightly and Tiffany's - it cheers me up to know that such beautiful things exist, and that it costs nothing to look.

My 100th Post

Well, I never thought I'd have enough to fill 100 posts, but it seems I've managed to do it, one way or another. My trips to the Op Shop have certainly been more frequent since I've become a blogger. Over the last two weeks, this is what a total of $20 has bought:

A pink Italian bedspread still in its wrapper and a previously unused afghan blanket:

A patchwork quilt and a green check travel rug:

A white marble vase and picture frame:

It's been fun collecting all these and other items since last October. Now, however, I'll be having a rest from Op Shops because on the 9th May, my husband and I are house-swapping in Europe for three months. We'll be swapping for a week in each location: Paris, the Costa del Sol, Barcelona, Provence, Umbria, Berlin, Copenhagen, Stockholm and London. I was originally planning to give my blog a rest while I'm gone, but I've decided to attempt to post from the cities I'll be in. Not too sure how easy this will be, but I'll give it a go. So, from May 9th till August 2nd, my posts may become a little infrequent.But hopefully, I'll be able to offer some insights into the world of house-swapping. Thanks to everyone who's been kind enough to read my blog so far. Some of you have been really regular with your lovely comments. Hopefully I'll find something interesting to say from May 9.

Two New Things

I haven't posted anything for a while as I've been in Sydney for a few days and I'm about to go back again today. I'll be on a boat till Sunday, so can't post for another few days. Just thought I'd show a couple of things I've found recently. The chair is being reupholstered next week and I'll post an 'After' photo. The mirror - well, it's just gorgeous and one day I hope to have a whole wall-full of Art Deco mirrors.

A Boatshed Aesthetic

Just thought I'd share these images which, to me, capture the essence of a relaxed, seaside atmosphere without compromising on style. There are so many aspects which I love, I don't know where to start. In the images of the first house, on Water Island, east of New York City, I love the mosquito net, white cane furniture, flowers, shells, cushions, interior lining boards, exposed beams, wall-mounted china and mattress ticking cushions:






More of the same in this one on Sag Harbour, Long Island:

Then, the stressed walls, iron furniture and Louis-style chair in this gorgeous house in Cadaques, Costa Brava, Spain:



I think the common elements are the use of natural materials, the restraint in the use of 'seaside' elements, and the faded, slightly shabby patina of all three residences. All images courtesy of Seaside Interiors by Taschen.

Taking Liberties

This week, I decided to clean out my cupboard by liberating some of the material in it and constructing useable objects from it. So I made a throw and pillowcase:

Over the years, my mother used to bring back packets of patchwork pieces for me from London (thanks Ma), some from Laura Ashley:

And some from Liberty:

Speaking of Liberty, I was visiting an upholsterer this week about a chair I'd like him to recover (more on that in a later post), and I noticed he had a pile of Liberty fabric he'd just taken off another couch he'd recovered, and was just going to throw it away. Now I know that Liberty fabric is not exactly the most sought-after brand, but I couldn't stand to see it wasted. So, uncharacteristically, I took the 'liberty' of asking him whether I could have the scraps. He looked at me as if I was a bit weird, but he let me have them. I'll put them to good use sometime. The only problem is that they're now taking up the room in my cupboard which I'd just cleared out!

This photo is not really showing much, but yesterday afternoon when I took it the water behind it was just so beautiful:

Anyway, I quite enjoyed liberating all these fabrics from either the cupboard or the bin, even if they are a little old-fashioned.