Butcher's Block

I love this image I found over at Nibs blog of John Derian's old butcher's block in his house in Provincetown, Massachusetts.  We have been very lucky this year to come across 2 of these wonderful old butcher's blocks.  One came from an old butchery in Toowoomba.  Each one sold within the first few days of them being in the shop which obviously shows how rare these wonderful pieces are.  I wish I could find another one for our kitchen at home.  I also love the idea of using them as a side table placed between 2 sofas with a big gorgeous lamp placed on top.

image John Derian's home by eric boman for american vogue living

More Photos

I thought I would share a few more photos of our back bedroom display at Black & Spiro.  I love, love, love the embroidered cushion we just added to the bed today which arrived this morning along with a few more.  They are all one-off cushions. 

And here's a photo of the curtains in the room which we made in a blue and white lattice design fabric.

Hope everyone is having a fabulous day!!

xx

Anna

PS.  Stocks of our beautiful pink love heart cushions are going down in our online store.  We only have a few left so if you want one make sure you click HERE to purchase!  They are truly divine!!xx

Random Snippets

I arrived home last night to this arrangement of flowers from our garden on our fireplace mantel.  A little fairy had been to visit.  Gosh they were a lovely surprise.  As I've said many times before, there's nothing like flowers to bring a smile to my face...

I thought you might like to see some photos of our new bedroom display at Black & Spiro which we have just finished decorating.  It's so nice having our back rooms looking beautiful again.



We've also had an influx this week of some beautiful new cushions and a few vintage treasures which is always very exciting but they don't seem to last long!!

This vintage blue and white lamp is one of my favourite pieces at Black & Spiro at the moment.  I found it covered in dirt at an auction a few months ago.  You couldn't even see that it was blue and white.  We wiped it back to reveal this beautiful vintage lamp base...divine!

Summer Is That You?

I am usually more of a Winter girl but I must admit I haven't really enjoyed Winter this year.  I have no idea why.  I am so excited about this coming Summer.  Maybe it's because I've been working really hard or maybe it's because our weather here in Brisbane this past week has been a bit warmer.  Whatever it is, I just keep dreaming about long Summer days at the beach.

With all of my thoughts turning towards Summer I couldn't help posting this image today.  It's very Summery.  It is a room I have loved for such a long time.  I love how layered and thrown together it is.  It is a great example of blue and white done well, in my opinion...not too fussy and not too contrived. 

Actually Jennifer over at Peak of Chic wrote a very interesting post this week about decorating with blue and white.  I am in complete agreement with her.  As she says 'I feel as though there is blue and white...and then there is blue and white!'  

Click HERE if you would like to read the post...

I'm taking a few days off from the blog.  Hope to be back mid-next week!
xx
Anna

image via vacation homes book

Things on Tables

You may wonder why I seem to have an obsession with lovely things placed on tables and chests and mantels.  I think it stems back to watching my mother arranging flowers and shells and paintings and books and bits on tables around our house and our beach house growing up.  I remember thoughts going through my head whilst she was playing around arranging things like - 'What on earth is she doing that for?  What's the point?  She is weird.'

But it seems that for some very strange reason I too now love moving things around on tables.  There is something so therapeutic about it.  I love it.  I love seeing a table in a house against a wall or behind a sofa which has so much stuff on it.  It is so interesting and really shows personality and a love of beautiful things. 

I recently came across this painting above on Pinterest by Elizabeth Cummings via Brabourne Farm blog.  It is so beautiful.  That's how I want my tablescapes at home to look.  Filled with interest and imperfection and love.

 

Talking about tablescapes I thought I would post this one above which sits in our front window at Black & Spiro at the moment.  With all that has been going on with the online store I feel like Black & Spiro has been a bit neglected of late.  Gosh it's hard juggling everything!

Oh well, all you can do is try I suppose! 
xx
Anna

For a Good Cause

Getting the word out seems to be one of the biggest things I can do with this blog.  Today I would really like to help Cate Farrar from Multicap.  Multicap is a disability services provider supporting people with multiple disabilities, complex behaviour problems and their families in Queensland.  She needs to get the word out about this charity luncheon being held next week.  You see they haven't filled enough tables for the event and they really need some bookings so please, please, please if you aren't doing anything next Thursday 11th August why don't you book a table, take a group of friends and enjoy what I believe will be a very interesting debate!!

Tickets can be purchased online HERE...

xx
Anna

Winter Hues

I loved seeing the pics Heather from Habitually Chic shared last week of her new apartment.  I particularly loved these 2 {above and below} as the colours reminded me of our Winter Vignette.

The beautiful photo below has been saved in my inspiration files since it appeared in Trad Home a while back.  Again the colours remind me of the colours I chose for our Winter Vignette.

Talking about our Winter Vignette, I was so excited that Loni mentioned our new store in her latest issue of Adore magazine.  Thank you Loni for your tremendous support!! Oh and what a fantastic issue it is!!  If you haven't already read it then click HERE now...xx





PS.  I had a reader ask me what's hapenning with our Black & Spiro website.  I am working on that too.  It will be the website where we feature our portfolio of design work.  Fingers crossed it will be up again before Christmas.  We are just finishing off getting some of the houses photographed which we have worked on over the last year or so and as other designers would know it is so time consuming getting jobs photographed!!! xx