The White House Daylesford...

Hello again :) I know it's been ages since my last blog I sincerely apologise for that. I hope you're all well :) I've moved house and I'm currently busy renovating and decorating my new bedroom. I'll post pics when I'm finished if it turns out how I picture it in my mind hehe. The look I am trying to achieve is inspired from Claudia Strasser's The Paris Apartment book. Needlessly to say I am going to town with the girly goodness! ;)

The reason for this blog is I received my copy of the july/august issue of Vogue Living and I was so thrilled to finally see the stunning weekend cottage of one of my favourite designers, Mz Lyn Gardener.

6 months ago, after featuring her gorgeous home and vintage store, Empire Vintage in Melbourne, I received an unexpected, lovely email from Mz Gardener telling me the exciting news of her new country cottage she was renovating at the time.

This cosy weekender is very different from her girly chic warehouse apartment I'm sure you're all familiar with and adore as much as I do, but equally as beautiful. Mz Gardener has successfully catered for both sexes by going for a more industrial vintage look. Most of the items were purchased either at flea markets or salvage stores.

The library has one wall covered in a handpainted wallpaper by Deborah Browness, depicting rows of books. A very clever use of a small space.

I especially love the kitchen with it's open timber shelves and blackboard wall.

No Gardener home would be complete without her signature clawfoot bath :)

Simple but very enticing. I love those white shutters!

An old garden shed was converted to seperate guest room.

I absolutely love it! It's the perfect mix of city meets country and old meets new. I'll definitely be adding The White House Daylesford to my list of places to stay. Thank you Lyn for creating such a treasure for us to enjoy :)

For more information on the renovation and beautiful pics you can visit Mz Gardener's website or buy the July/August issue of Australian Vogue Living magazine.

Christina Re's China Doll...

This is a classic example of the wonderfully eclectic, vintage style I'm leaning towards this year.

Christina Re is a super talented stationary designer from melbourne Australia. I actually used some of her stunning papers to make my 30th birthday invitations a few years back.

Her gorgeous home is featured in this months Australian country home ideas magazine and was also featured in one of my favourite books - Madison Living.


Just as the magazine states, I LOVE her harmonious fusion of oriental and european vintage and contemporary pieces.

Mixing the old with the new has never looked so chic.




Bold patterns, contrasting colours yet everything looks simplistic and uncluttered.




(please click the images for a much larger view)

Christina states her home is a work in progress and will constantly evolve the more she travels - words to live by :)

Of course the pink tufted armchair is my favourite piece and this particular image with the red birdcage and black side table is an absolute winner!

(please excuse my dodgy scanning hehe)

^^ LOVE IT!

The gorgeous woman herself :)

love her dress!



This home is such an inspiration to me, I simply can't get enough of it.


Christina Re.

New Book Alert and a Christmas giveaway!

Aussies, Hear ye! Hear ye! A fabulous new book has just arrived on the market that ALL Aussie francophiles should own. This beautiful handbook is filled with all the French food, wine and design places you need to know about to live your best French life in Australia.

With an abundance of glorious colour photo's, this book will become your new bible. This book would also make a wonderful gift for travellers.

If you have a French based buisness in Australia and you'd like to be featured in future copies you can email your details here!

Once again sincerest apologies for my poor photography but the images in this book are divine.





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To coincide with the worldwide release of "Australia" as well as being the season of giving I thought I'd put together a little package to give away with a distinctly Aussie flavour :)



Australian Vintage Living by Bronnie Masefau is definately a favourite, the large glossy photo's are filled with colour and detail.



This book is filled with wonderful vintage inspiration.




Mz Masefau's home is absolutely beautiful.

Plenty of eye candy for the girly girl in all of us.

I also thought I'd include a very popular stocking filler for most country loving Aussie's, The Australian Country Style calender 2009.

The images are simple and beautiful. This calender wont be a bold statement but a subtle sweet accent.

Of course I'm definately including a copy of this new fabulous book.

And for a little added extra I thought I'd throw in this little sweet Koala Christmas ornament

He's tiny but he looks real! Well I think so anyway lol.




No matter whether you are in Australia or Siberia if you would like to win these wonderful items just leave a comment with a link to your blog and I'll draw a name out of a hat on sunday.

GOOD LUCK!



p.s Happy Thanksgiving my American blogging pals!

pp.s Brooke, I received my bottle of Cote Bastide bubble bath the other day and that evening enjoyed the best soak of my life :) Thank you!

Pretty Vintage Apartment #2....

Many Aussie's will immediately recognise this heavenly space as it's been featured numerous times in various shelter magazines and television commercials. I am always thrilled when I discover styled variations of her feminine paradise. I've also posted a few times, here and here about this former mattress factory turned amazing warehouse apartment and famous store owned by the Vintage queen herself, Lyn Gardener.

This bed/bath, I would have to say is just about every girly girl's dream! I can only imagine how spectacular it would look at night with a log fire, dim chandelier and candle light.



This is a very non pretentious home with plain white painted brick and exposed plumbing and yet all Lyn's lovely preloved treasures make it fit for a princess.



I've seen a few different shots of this corner but I hadn't seen this one of the armoire doors open exposing Lyn's divine collection of vintage linens.

A very basic but beautiful kitchen. Perfectly functional.

So inexpensive, who says you need to spend an absolute fortune to create a pleasureable workspace? I suppose in a large open warehouse space you could get away with such simplicity however in my 70's red brick perhaps not lol.

That sumptuous daybed looks ever so inviting. A glass of wine, a Jane Austen novel and I'm set!

Again, it's alluring pretty accents such as these that transform an ugly old toilet block.

(All images were taken by Mikkel Vang)

Obviously the key here is to have a completely blank canvas and allow your worldly possession's to come alive.


Thank you Lyn for yet another spectacular tour :)

I hope you enjoyed apartment 2. Apartment 3 will follow tomorrow and it's something a little different ;)