Although Hermès is French… this house in Spain has got the iconic brand’s colour palette down to the T. It does not take much to transform a bright an airy decor and create a lush and moody atmosphere when the holidays roll around.

It took here what seems like a few burnt orange decorative pillows, a throw or two for good measure, five or six yards of silk ribbon, and a slew of boxwood and evergreen wreaths scattered in unexpected places to create a festive decor. And of course… a natural tree!

source: El Mueble

I don’t know if it is because I have 3 little munchkins running around my humble abode, but children room design always get me! (OK, I also get misty watching How to Train Your Dragon… but that’s another story!)

There is something quite whimsical about a child’s room. They do not see their decor as we do. Their comfortable bed with matching bedding is for them either a castle or a drifting raft where hungry sharks swim below. Their little colouring desk becomes, in a flash, an English Tea Room where dolls and stuffed animals attend with great ceremony.

As I look at the glossy pages of magazines and the beautifully curated rooms they present, I marvel at how far chilren room design has come. Long gone are the days or Winnie the Pooh (no offence Winnie, your books and movies rock!) wallpaper and marching bedding.

Colour schemes are vivacious and adult like, the textures are soft and curly but also sophisticated and rich. Themes have been left aside to leave the whole floor for ambiances with streamlined or moody decors. I could not be happier!!

And when all is said and done, and we, as parents, have gotten our design fix, I can only marvel once more at the fact that my children still think their eclectic, bohemian vintage inspired bedroom, still makes for a great space ship or camping tent! Let them keep that child heart as long as possible for spying on their “pretend games” is one of my most profound source of happiness!!

sources: 1. Two Ellie 2. Nuevo Estilo 3. Ikea Family Live 4. Krispix 5. Me Oh My! photograph by Ashlee Raubach 6. The Style Files 7. Scrubs & Pearls

Monday’s post got me a little nostalgic of my beach bum college years back in California when life constituted of a great tan, a little studying and a whole lot of surfing. Beach life was about the waves and the friends, but it was also about the style undercurrent that came with it and that never seemed to completely rub off of me.

Bright hues, soft forms and comfortable textures are synonyms of casual living. Bohemian at heart, guided by the waves and the global tide patterns, surfers are world travellers like few others. The juxtaposition of their travel memorabilia is what really bring this style together for me .

Earth tones and vibrant seashells are great basis of inspiration for creating a laid back and vivacious look.  Let nature be your style guru.

Don’t be put off with mixing colours and art in what will look at first like an in cohesive mix… soon a common thread of inspiration and intention will emerge making it come together.

Going back down memory lane, Kurt Cobain’s Nirvana playing in my yellow “waterproof”  Sony walkman, I remember the youthful and grey side of my beach bum years. Granny Chintz, found at the Salvation Army, was made into cool curtains and bedspreads. Daffodils (made to sew on kids knickers) were the decor of my “left by the previous tenant” melamine kitchen table, which I had hot glued on to make the whole matter less horrible. I don’t know if it is my upcoming birthday that is making me nostalgic or if the trend is here to stay, but I am rekindling in a big way with Chintz, pink, and all things bohemian. Totally rad dude!

sources: Sunrise Hossegor

After 7 months in my office … I have finally decided to get to decorating it! So far, I have been working on the end of an old desk, with no proper storage and no curtains in my westward facing windows. I guess I have been a little taken by sharing with you all the beautiful décor in other people’s home and offices to worry about my own. Well that’s that! Enough of looking with envy at well put together offices, this year I am attacking the decor of mine and it starts now!

Although my office is in an office building and not at home, I want to give it a homey feeling

Inspiration

My first step in any design projects is always to find inspiration. It is to easy to simply “get” pieces to fill the void, but at the end of the day, the look is just a miss-mash of stuff. I am a bohemian at heart, and my office will reflect that. Vintage and new will co-mingle in a gentle mess… just the way I like it.

Chair

In terms of seating, EXIT goes the standard pleather office chair on 4 wheels. There is no good reason to push myself to such drastic ends, I started my own business exactly for that reason… to be able to do things the way I see them fit. So, I found (in my neighbour’s garbage) a beautiful old office chair from the 70′s. You know the one with the five wheels chrome base and wooden arm rests? After packing it up in a leaf bag for a few days to make sure there were no mites of bugs of any kind, I brought it to my Greek upholsterer in Laval and had him cover it in white velvet with a nailhead detail along the back seam. The result is… gorgeous!!! Forget dark denim jeans on it though, it will stain, but hey I am ready to compromise for such a cool chair!

Moodboard

I LOVE moodboards!  I love them because they tell a story. They show what is going on in your life at this present moment and they are in constant evolution. I hung a large one behind my desk, but I might have to give it a little love with some spray paint or cover it in fabric (to add to my DIY list!)

Floral delicacy

Flowers! Any room anywhere is not complete without flowers. A plant will do too, but flowers are more decadent. Fresh or silk (nice quality please) they enliven a space and, I believe,  increase the happiness factor by ten folds. So flower it is.

Window covering

I found on sale a pair of grey linen drapes with grommets on top. Simple, casual, somewhat elegant… and a bit boring too. On my DIY project list I will also add to paint them with a quirky chevron print. All it takes is fabric paint, painters tape (the Green Frog one is great!), and a small roller. Oh and patience too as the taping will be the longest part. But that should give my curtains the pizzazz they need.

 The basics: 

Here are a few of the elements I already have for my office… a Saarinen tulip based chair, a GORGEOUS Leigh Viner “Cricket” fashion illustration whom I discovered on Bijou & Bohème’s delightful blog recently, 2 gorgeous lamps from Buk & Nola an Ikea red metal cabinet , a pair of vintage desk chairs that I had reupholstered, a few Hermès boxes just for colour (and because they make me smile!), A Royal Dux Cockatoo which I love (I named it Charlie, but don’t tell anyone!!) and a few red rubber buckets for storing all the odds & ends. (here is an Olioboard I made for the occasion)

What now? Well here is my shopping list: Bookcase, rug, proper working surfaces (I’d love to find a pair of old vintage doors to transform with a glass top), and plenty of additional storage for my magazine cutouts, my i-everything cables and wires, and all that jazz. The next few weeks shall be interesting. Will you follow me in the “Damask & Dentelle office makeover ” adventure?

Meet "Charlie" sitting proudly on my red cabinet and looking forward to nicer surroundings!

sources: Decor8, Pinterest, Rue Magazine,  the Style Files