Quintessential Vintage

While out and about last week I popped into Quintessential duckeggBLUE in Rozelle. What a fabulous shop! It's stocked with fab vintage things, antiques and industrial finds.


As I am on the lookout for some wallpaper I flipped when I saw these hand screenprinted pieces (below) from England. I had seen this wallpaper featured in a few magazines ages ago, but hadn't seen it in person before. It's so gorgeous, but at $300 per drop I don't think I'll be getting any too soon. I'll just have to keep hanging around the shop drooling.


In case you are thinking my photos are a bit dodgy, they were all shot from the hip.

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I *Heart* Fridays: I *Heart* Trove Wallpaper

Oh my goodness I gasped when I saw this most divine wallpaper from Trove! It's the colours and painterly quality of the patterns that make it a standout for me. I can't begin to tell you how much I love it.


The design above looks like hand painted vintage silk. I imagine an immaculately groomed woman in a fab 50's style dress - full skirt, cinched waist and folded detail - when I look at it. So gorgeous!


You might recall that I'm looking for wallpaper to use in our bedroom... Oh I'd be a happy girl if it was Trove wallpaper.

Happy Friday!

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Vintage Florals

I've added to my collection of vintage tablecloths with these lovelies which I picked up for between $2 and $5 each. There's something about vintage florals... we are repainting the inside of our house soon and I'm considering painting and/or stenciling some retro floral motif on one of our bedroom walls. I have Lena Corwin's book Printing By Hand, and Lotta Prints by Lotta Jansdotter, which are great inspiration for this potential project.

I'd really love to use Orla Kiely's teal Flower Blossom wallpaper (below), but I can't seem to get hold of it here in Australia. I'm looking into it and I'm still pondering what to do. I need to do some more research on wallpapers, but I am so smitten by this one that I can't get past it. Do you have any ideas or inspiration on painting/stenciling walls or links to cool wallpaper you'd like to share? I'll post again on this topic when I have some inspiration images to show.

Image source (this image): Orla Kiely

Update: Thanks to Barb who reminded me (in her comment on this post) of this fabulous use of the wallpaper in Anna of Door Sixteen's vestibule.

Image Source: Door Sixteen

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I *Heart* Fridays: I *Heart* Anthropologie

I wish we had Anthropologie stores here in Australia. I SO love their products. If you're unfamiliar with Anthropologie, they are a US chain similar to Country Road, but only in the sense that they are a big retail chain with stores in all the major shopping malls and shopping destinations. Also like Country Road they do homewares as well as fashion. But that's where the similarities stop. We have nothing that compares to Anthropologie here. Their style is mostly a mix of ethnic and retro inspirations: a riot of detail, colour and pattern. My friend Shauna lives in LA, a few minutes walk from the Anthropologie flagship store - I'm so envious. Their window displays and in store merchandising are reported to be very innovative and amazing. Shauna and I often email back and forth while looking at Anthropologie online, sharing our finds and gushing over particular pieces. The clothes, the shoes, the jewellery, even the shower curtains are unlike anythng we that's available here. And mostly I think things are reasonably priced.

I really *heart* the level of detail that goes into everything they sell. And their website is gorgeous. I've complied a few montages to show you some things I love.




I am particularly coveting this Orla Kiely Flower Blossom wallpaper. I would LOVE to use it in my house.


Visit the Anthropologie website to see all the lusciousness.

Happy looking and happy Friday!

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Inspiration and I *Heart* Fridays: I *Heart* the work of Catherine Martin

I have to admit to a design crush on the work of Catherine Martin, and also some degree of professional envy. I absolutely love her amazing new ranges of wallpaper created for Porters Paints and rugs for Designer Rugs. Catherine has created 4 ranges: Australiana, Chinois (derived from the Chinese and Japanese influences on 1930's Darwin), Lace, and a Children's suite. I *heart* that she has created a range that is uniquely Australian and very different to anything else on the market. You'll see that some of her designs are quite structured and formal yet they also manage to look contemporary. Her colour palettes are just beautiful and she has a wonderful way of combining pattern. Just check out the hallway of her home - all that monochromatic pattern on pattern... I love it! And I would have her daughter's room in a flash - those stripes, florals and circus patterns all combine to create a visual feast. So many designers have interpreted the circus theme in the past, but to my mind, none as successfully as the fresh spin Catherine has put on it.

My professional envy... well she has an impressive career as the costume and set designer on a number of films including the visually compelling Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge, and the soon to be released epic Australia. And now she is living my professional dream of creating pattern and design for interior decoration and homewares. I can't wait to see the manchester, soft furnishings and a tabletop range which are next on her agenda... *big sigh*

I hope you enjoy these images as much as I do.

Happy Friday!

Image Source:
Top: Vogue Living and Home Beautiful magazines.
Rugs: Designer Rugs

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