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

A sense of place ...

Of all the reasons one can fall in love with France, and Paris for that matter - wine, cheese, countryside, and so on - one in particular for me is the emphatic sense of place.   Remarkably in this age of architectural homogeneity, once you arrive in France you know exactly where you are.

Street Cafe, Regatta Hotel

Here in Brisbane in October, with all the jacaranda trees in bloom, once again you have that strong sense of place.  It's hard to find a street or vista that does not have the purple blossoms in a scattered view!

Walter Taylor Bridge, Indooroopilly

Purple lace on the white lace of hundred year old buildings; purple riverside vistas.

Street Cafe, Regatta Hotel

Or even brightening our suburban views, it truly is every where to be seen.

I must admit it was many years before I appreciated how gorgeous the city looked in full bloom.  I first became aware of the purple flowers in October as meaning I should be in a library studying because end of year exams were less than a month away~! And it took many years for the association with exam nerves to go away!

But go away it does, and now I just enjoy the month long display of purple and the wonderful spring weather.

Hope your week has started well!

Jennifer x