Monday, February 7, 2011

California Style

A typical Kathryn Ireland California-style bedroom.



Meryl Streep's house in the movie "It's Complicated".



British but California-based fabric and interior designer Kathryn Ireland said recently that if you put Southern California and England into a blender, it would spit out Sydney. This could be why as a born and bred Sydneysider, I am drawn to to her colourful designs. I am also a convert to the Spanish Revival architecture often found in that area north of L.A. where she lives and works.

Recently I saw the movie "It's Complicated" starring Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin on DVD again. What I really loved watching it for the second time was being able to take in all the interiors of Meryl's typical Santa Barbara ranch home.

Yes, I am a huge fan of the lightweight timber houses such as the Queenslander and my weatherboard dairy farmhouse in the country, but there is something attractive about the heaviness of the solid brick rendered walls and curves and arches of the Spanish Revival houses, too.

Kathryn Ireland's new book about her house in the South of France is due out on April 1st - can't wait to see it!

6 comments:

  1. Love the bed its gorgeous especially dressed with those rich reds & greens its beautiful & what a lovely kitchen. Fab photos :)

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  2. All gorgeous photos. I'd be in heaven with a kitchen like that. There is something lovely about a brick home that creates a different feel altogether to that of my little weatherboard cottage. :)

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  3. The mix is perfectly understandable, as we have the English background of what was familiar in parent's or grandparents houses.... but we have the Californian climate.
    Lucky, most of us develop the confidence to do our own thing with this basis.
    Have to watch the dvd and take notice of the styling....thank you

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  4. Thank you for the tip on Kathryn's upcoming book. I will look for it. Have a great week!

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  5. Beautiful images!! "It's Complicated" is an all time favorite movie and I watch it often and wish that they would have an after when her kitchen is finished, too much HGTV I think:) I also watch "Somethings Gotta Give" and "The Holiday" just to see the houses.

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  6. Will put this on my wish list Catherine. Love the colour too.

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