​ Nature's Little Gifts

​When I'm asked where I get inspiration from I always reply - by looking up. Nature has a way of showing me how to put colours together. Hey it's been doing it al lot longer than I have.

Take for instance this phenomenon that often happens when the sun shines through a darkened sky. The colours take on a whole new look. As they say in the design world - they pop.

Don't be afraid of the dark.

​White on black gives a 3D effect

​Black with highlights of gold becomes vibrant

​and jewel colours sing.

My favourite staircase Girl With a Pearl Earring by Chippendale and Morris at The Stencil Library

Peeling Paint on Grand Rue, New Paint in the Nursery

The weather here in France is fabulous, a real Indian Summer however it's not conducive to decorating which is what I am doing at the moment. My little French granddaughter will be born before I get back here so I am getting her nursery ready. Here's some photographs Harvey took of a house in the village. Shabby, not chic but very, very beautiful.

Make Your Kitchen Float

Here's a little trick you may want to try. Paint your kick boards below your kitchen units the same colour as the wall and it will appear to float. I discovered this when I painted my kitchen recently.

Annie Sloan - A New Way To Decorate

Do what I did and follow this link to Annie Sloan's website. If you want to buy paint, fabrics, furniture etc and be given some professional advice then this is the place to be. Enjoy!

This Is Why I Only Use French Paints

Well can you blame me?
These from Maison Decorative in Marseilles. Visit their site, it's a visual delight.

Now Pay Attention - Plaster Stencils

Last Friday I went to back to school. Well not exactly, I went to my lovely, talented friend's home/business - The Stencil Library and Helen taught me to stencil with plaster. Above is one we made earlier. It took all of 5 minutes to learn (we ate cake and drank coffee for the rest of the time) and if you want to try it then go to Helen's fab blog - Design Inspiration as she has very kindly put instructions on there just for you my friends. There's pictures of me being taught as well - always good for a laugh.
My stencils below are being used to apply a plaster relief pattern to two pillars and a ceiling in my cottage.
All shall be revealed when it's done.

Help Your Shelf

No I haven't got a speech impediment, this is what this site is called. Shelf is a shop in London and they sell this great variety of letters for your walls or whatever you want to put them on.
Just click and drag your selection and add to the basket. So simple!

Tah-Dah - Here's The Paris Apartment Makeover

BRINGING IN A BIT OF DRAMA WITH BLACK

OK so here it is - the makeover of Charlottes apartment in Paris. Marks out of ten please. CLICK ON THE IMAGES FOR A MUCH LARGER VIEW

DECALS I MADE MYSELF FROM SELF ADHESIVE FLOCKING - THE CANDELABRA WAS A NIGHTMARE

CHARLOTTE'S FAVOURITE ROOM!

REDRESSING THE SOFA. THE LIGHT SHADE SITS ON THE BOX SEATING WAITING FOR THE ELECTRICIAN TO ARRIVE.

CHARLOTTE'S CHILDHOOD TREASURES NOW ON DISPLAY IN HER POPPY COLOURED HALLWAY

FROM DRAB TO BRIGHT - WITH THE AID OF DESIGNER'S GUILD MOSS AND BLACK

Huge Savings on Furniture

Want some new furniture but can't afford it? Then go and buy some life size decals from Design Delicatessen in Denmark. Pretty effective I think.

Siecle Colours and Bikes

The Dutch are so clever when it comes to presenting their products. Siecle is a paint company that also sells clogs and bikes which can all be painted in their paint colours. How clever is that?
I want to put my paint in a lovely wooden clog when I'm paint Ghost stuff. I just love that image that makes spilled paint look beautiful.
Go and pay a visit it's a delight as a little lady flies about the screen finding stuff for you.

Create Your Own Print Room

I featured my friends at The Stencil Library the other day and was so pleased you liked what you saw.
When I was visiting Helen last week Chips, her clever artist husband, came into the house with this new Print Room Stencil. What I saw was a board with the stencil applied but no images in the vignettes. Chips explained that you could put your own pictures inside each one.
Yesterday I visited Helen's blog and there was the Print Room finished. Wow, I can think of so many uses for this. I told you they were clever didn't I?