Eclectic Style

It seems eclectic style is everywhere but I hope it doesn't get so trendy that we'll all be 'over it' in six months. I just love this quirky pink kitchen with ridiculously glamorous dining area in the recent issue of Living Etc.

Yes, it's busy, but what atmosphere and personality! I could just imagine sitting there with a cup of tea and having a good old chat.

What I love about eclectic style is that its not too self conscious. You can feel the spirit of the owner - not just the vibe of the store the furniture came from or the too careful placement of objects and matchy-matchy signature of a hired decorator.

Can't say too much, but there's an interesting feature in the next issue which goes into it some more....

More Xmas decorations...

I really love some of these festive decor ideas from Living Etc Magazine. Its great to see ideas for a modern interior, like the one with the orange chair with simple "JOY" letters on the hearth and hand drawn bauble on the pillar.

The simple idea of baubles on plain vase is nothing new but a good one to remember.

Festive Decor Inspiration

Each year its fun to come up with a new decorating ideas for the festive season. Here are some unusual and stylish concepts that have taken my eye. I love the oversize baubles hung over a small-ish table and the simple idea of a card or paper tree on a mirror.

Rethinking Open Plan

Just returned from a few days staying with my sister in law in Melbourne. She has just built a stunning new "East Coast American" style house in one of the bayside suburbs and we got to talking about open plan living areas.
In the past decade, all my friends who have renovated or built new have done the same thing - a combined family room, dining and kitchen, usually along the back of the house, be it a small inner city terrace or a more expansive home in the suburbs.

As I am planning a new living wing for my country house I am also contemplating how to combine these three important areas.
My sister-in-law, Paula, had the combined room in her last house and found it was too noisy if the TV was on at one end and you were trying to have a conversation in the kitchen. Somehow, because of building difficulties, she has ended up with the same situation in the new house and finds the big room a challenge also to decorate and keep tidy.

The advantage of open plan is that you can be a part of whatever is happening if you are stuck behind the stove. In my farmhouse the kitchen is in a separate room to the living room and I hate being left out of the party while I am cooking!
I am thinking that the solution is to have the option to close off the different areas and to have some sort of architectural separation to make the space seem more intimate.
Here are some houses that seem to have taken on that approach quite successfully.