Friday Fun: Travelling the World of Interiors

I’ve always been fascinated by interior design from different countries. In an ideal world, I’d want a house or two on each continent, decorated in the traditional style. Is that cultural appropriation? Well, I certainly would feel more at home in any of these environments, rather than that same bland magnolia or silver decor that I so often see in houses for sale on Rightmove.

Indian-inspired interior from Architects’ Diary.

Moroccan blue and white will always undo me, from Pinterest.

Not sure where in the world this is, but it seems faintly Sri Lankan to me. From sacred-dwelling on Tumblr.

Chinese bedroom you can order from 3D Export, apparently.

The minimalism of Japanese traditional homes, from pufikhomes.com.

Dining room in Bahia, from planete-deco.fr seems fairly simple, traditional.

But then there is also the prospect of modern Brazilian decor, especially against that backdrop. Studio Arhtur Casas, from archdaily.com

Friday Fun: Turquoise to Lift the Spirits

When life and all those around you give you the blues, you can respond with a similar but much more cheerful shade of aqua. Turquoise is a mood lifter for me, hopefully for you too!

You can go the full turquoise paint treatment, as in this room via Architectural Digest.

Or a mere accent of the colour on your tiny balcony, as shown in Designrulz.com

It looks fresh and fun combined with red in a child’s room. From Pinterest.

Or quite classical with white sofas. From Impressive Interior Design.

This reading corner would keep me cool on the warmest of days.

But it’s at its best when you combine with a seascape. From Southern Studio.

So that it melts into the view, as in this house on the Turks and Caicos. From House of Turquoise.

Friday Fun: How I would furnish my house if I could…

Today’s escapism is more down to earth – pieces of furniture that I would like to own some day and that could really take my home decorating style up a level. As you can see, I have rather eclectic tastes, so they might not all go well together!

Modern Italian bookcase design – for an endless space, from archiexpo.com

Memories of balmy evenings sipping cocktails – British colonial style may be problematic in origin, but it does look lovely. Photo credit: Tom Harper.

Scandinavian sofas and that ceramic stove, from Dmarge.com

One of my favourite collections (Naturaliste) from one of my favourite shops in France: Maisons du Monde. Just like a museum.

That large white display cabinet has been on my radar for the longest time. I wish I’d bought it when I still had the chance, at Maisons du Monde.

Dining table for long dinners with friends, from estiloydeco.com

 

Friday Fun: Open Windows

Hmm, I wonder why open windows and escape are top of my mind at this moment in time… Here are some houses that really do not need escaping from, to keep you relaxed and dreamy.

American East Coast glamour, from coastal-decor-do.com

Is that your home office I spy over there? From infashiondaily.com

Luxury spa in Tuscany, from allure.com

If you do make it onto the terrace… from lonny.com

Garden gates are an old passion of mine, from mydesignchic.com

Arched patio doors – so elegant! From neninhomedecor.win

 

Friday Fun: Unusual Gems

OK, gems might be stretching the truth a bit, but certainly some quite unique architecture or setting or both…

Who doesn’t want an indoor swing or hammock or whatever you call this thing? From couturebreakfast.tumblr.com

I assume there is no one opposite to look in on you? From decoraiso.com

You too can experience the feeling of being burnt alive at the stake, from houzideaz.com

Not quite sure where the rest of the house has gone, but this looks like a nice pool house, from livingxdesign.wordpress.com

Traditional architecture in a stunning location – unless you suffer from vertigo! From myluxepoint.com

Friday Fun: Staircases to Heaven

You know by now how obsessed I am with beautiful hallways and staircases that entice you upstairs with the promise of heavenly delights to come…

Champagne and … is that pot to tempt you? From Archzine.fr

Bit of a mish-mash of wallpapers going on there, but that parquet is to die for! From Elle Decor.

Tiles and intricate metalwork – my idea of heaven! From maisonsybilles.canalblog.com

Perhaps a little too classical, but I love the colour here. From postcardsfromtheridge.com

Almost monochrome simplicity, from greigedesign.com

Last, but not least, this relatively unrestored chateau has a staircase in very good nick, from sfgirlbybay.com

Friday Fun: Simply Too Cute…

Today I offer you a hodge-podge of cute decorating ideas, which make me dream and wish myself somewhere far, far away…

Adorable conservatory ideas, from Pinterest.

The perfect little patio, from joliplace.fr

Cosy bedroom and reading nook, from itsallaboutlappy.com

Apparently, you can build one of these swings yourself, from diyartsandcrafts.com

I have to admit I rather like the safari style, even though it harks back to colonialism. Luxury safari lodge from travelandtradesouthafrica.com

Friday Fun: Sit on the Porch and Read

And why wouldn’t you, with porches like these?

Apparently, they sit on the porch a lot in Alabama, from Country Living.

Another Southern beauty, from blesserhouse.com

More of a floating mooring deck than a porch, but aren’t the surroundings just divine? From fairyqueentravel.com

A classical feel to this completely closed off extra room porch, from mobilebaymag.com

OK, I admit this Ontario porch is more of a veranda, from House Beautiful.

More of a conservatory than a porch, but whose conservatory has ever looked like this? From planetedeco.fr

For those with smaller budgets, a little scandibloglovin.

Friday Fun: Home Offices Galore

Although some (OK, most) of these home offices don’t have nearly enough books stored in them, I could easily remedy that.

You can fit a little desk anywhere… if you have an ornate staircase, like in Elle Decor.

Home office in a garden shed with a porch – yes! From myfavoriteandmybest.com

The one with the view – but perhaps too much glare for a laptop! From Real Simple.

Windows, windows everywhere – perfect for daydreaming, maybe not so good for screen glare. From Fieldstone Homes.

How about books instead of decorative objects on those shelves? But you’ve got to appreciate the window seat. From The Wow Style.

The one with the magnificent view. I’d probably never be able to concentrate enough to get any writing done, from USM Modular.

Truly quirky window treatment but the darker furniture here prevents too much glare, from Skylab.

And if you prefer darker, older colours, check out this townhouse renovation in Brooklyn, from Rock My Style.

Friday Fun: On Not Getting Envious

I’ve barely been using my home office lately. Of course, that has nothing to do with being away or being busy at work and with the children. I’m sure it has everything to do with the decor! So this week I don’t want to get too envious and will show you studies which are Instagrammable but probably not all that comfortable or practical.

Scandi chic but who wants to sit on bar stools all day, from Lundagard.

I actually have that chair (ideal for rocking and reading, not so much for working on the laptop, I think). But where can I get those super-high ceilings and huge windows? From Brainbox.

Sometimes all you need is a looooong desk, and a ladder of course, even if you can reach the top shelves quite easily! From Salon.ru

I could certainly do with a workspace going around two walls of the room (as long as there’s still plenty of room for bookshelves). From Design Sponge.

This one must be Italian – the handbag, the bust, the floor and the uncomfortable chairs lead me to this conclusion. From Pinterest.

Equally elegant, but much more comfortable, but not enough space for books, from Scout for the Home.