Surviving with only pink peonies

Well, here it is.

The last day of school before the summer holidays.  Much anticipated, has finally arrived.

Two months of little boys and their little friends running rampant here and at the beach.  Wet towels, grassy feet, and endless rounds of discarded clothing.

So pink peonies it is.

On my desk, and in my morning coffee spot.  I think I deserve two rounds of pink as they could be the last 'girlish' thing I see for months!

In store now ...

Here are some more vintage french house numbers I have in stock, enamelled in a pretty blue and white.  These are rectangle and are 10cms x 15cms.  The numbers I have available in this size are: 49, 58, 43, 63bis, 27, 28, 65, 10 and 56.  If you are after a specific number or size, let me know and I will add it to the list that I am sourcing at the moment.

What does the 'bis' mean I hear you ask?  In an address 63A Orchid Avenue, the french equivalent of the 63A would be 63bis.  Depending how many times more addresses need to be subdivided it would be numbered bis, ter, quater.

I just thought this one was so typically french I had to pick it up!

Sun is shining and weather divine here in Brisbane, spirits are high and so I am in a hive of activity to stock the Woolloongabba store.  Have a great day today whatever you find yourself doing.  

Jennifer x

Do I dare paint my wood floor ... Part 2

So, now we have done it, and as promised I have photos to share.  I am just amazed that it has worked so well.  Very pleased with the end result, and it still remains so functional for us!

As you can imagine, this back entryway area ends up being the logical dumping spot for school bags and assorted sporting equipment, as we come into the house.  And it also had a tendency to be quite dark. 

With the change to a white floor being so much brighter, now it just so lovely that I feel like I am 'stepping into the light'!  Such a change.

French vintage wooden coat rack from country fair in Normandy

I can't quite set aside practicality, just for looks.  

So I have installed a multitude of hooks, racks, hat shelves, and shoe baskets to store and hang everything that would otherwise live as a pile of obstacle course apparatus on the floor.  

And I purposely didn't install doors on the 'locker' style cupboards.  If I did, everything would land in front of the doors and not make their way inside to the hooks!

1950s french bamboo mirror

There are also different styles of vintage bamboo mirrors from France, which I have grouped together.  A couple needed new glass and the others still have their old and vaguely mottled patina.  Hung together like this they work really well for adults and growing children of various heights for a last minute check as they walk out the door! And to me I love the textural interest reflected down our hall.

This has been a drastic change for us.  Have you tried something that worked really well for you, better than you first thought?

Jennifer.
x

 {all images Vintage Finds}

Do I dare paint my wood floor white?

What do you think? Am I going crazy or could this work? Would you paint wood floors? Would you dare in a high traffic room?

I have decided to paint the wood floor in my bootroom white.  With the backdoor closed, our bootroom can be a dark space full of shoes and disorganised school bags and assorted other sporting paraphenalia.  Or put another way - it's full of our 'real life'!

I find it just amazing how white floors suddenly gives a rustic feel, but at the same time it is delicate and simple.  From what I can see, far from detracting from the hardwood floor, a painted floor actually emphasises it.  And I love the shadow-line space between the boards creating a subtle pinstripe effect.  

I have admired so many white painted wood floors for so long - from kitchens to bathrooms, hallways to bedrooms - and just never had the nerve to get out the paint and go for it!

What do you think?  You like?  Well ... we have gone ahead and done this, and I will post photos of the finished look in the next couple of days.

Are you about to embark on a big change at your place?  Do share ...

Jennifer.

French Bergères

French bergère chairs seem to be having a resurgence at the moment - and for those of us who squirrel away our antiques - our time has come that they are 'in vogue' again!  At the moment I seem to see them everywhere.....

I noticed that colourful design maven and fellow Brisbane girl Anna Spiro has them covered in a beige linen in her showroom full of bright and light.

from Absolutely Beautiful Things blogger Anna Spiro's showroom at Black and Spiro

And these look equally at home in the world of beige, white and wood, such as this newly built Spanish villa (via ArchiThings.Com).

I love my neutrals with a punch of colour and have just recovered mine, and am enjoying them so much now they are in neutral linens. 

I have recovered them with two fabrics - the front being a tighter weave and good fabric weight for constant use, and the back a lighter weave fabric to resemble an upholsterer's hessian.

What do you think?

Jennifer.

In Store Now ... Vintage Crates

I have some lovely vintage crates in store at the moment, from the new shipment from France.

Come in to Woolloongabba, have a coffee and say 'Hi'!  

Hope your week has started well ... Jennifer x

Le Salon du Chocolat

For those of you lucky enough to be in Paris or about to head to Paris - or those who just love chocolate so much you are willing to jump on a plane at very short notice! - Le Salon du Chocolat in Paris is starting today.

via le salon du chocolat

It’s the worlds largest event dedicated to chocolate! It's being held at Porte de Versailles (in Paris - not the Versailles that's miles away!) and would be a chocolate lovers dream......

However, if the airfare or timing aren't quite right for you, then here is a recipe for Chocolate Macarons to try wherever you are in the world!  David Lebovitz (chef, author, blogger and expat-American-now-Parisian) has shared his trials and tribulations in creating the perfect chocolate macaron and the resulting perfected recipe as well!

baking chocolate macarons, David Lebowitz

To my American friends in particular, my thoughts are with everyone who endured the effects of Hurricane Sandy. And in the aftermath and clean up - take care and stay safe. 

Jennifer x