Interior Design

I've had a busy week trying to sort out more of my mothers furniture, my home currently feels like "The old curiosity shop" and I simply have to start moving things out so I can move forward.  Due to this extra work I had little time to post last week and missed out on my  regular weekly inspiration post so I've been rushing around the Internet the past few hours to find some great inspiration for you. I wanted to focus on a French theme today, interiors, food and even a fabulous brocante tour in France. French style is easy to re-create, it can be opulent or country depending on your tastes. I myself prefer a simple country look, probably as I have a small cottage with little space. However, I also love opulence and if I had larger rooms I may choose to bring some opulence into my bedroom. Whether you choose to have a small corner of  your home in this style or a whole house, I have sourced some images that should help you on your way... Images via:  1 |2 | 3 | 4 | ...

This lovely French home is in    Île de Ré on the French Atlantic coast. The  interior of this traditional French home is filled with lots of unexpected surprises and the garden has "real panache". A mix of both contemporary and antique furnishing and artwork, with twists and turns, each room has a completely different feel, I'm sure no one could get bored living in this fabulous home. Which is your favourite room? Image sources via Trendland We hope you've had a lovely weekend, were suffering the rain now in Auckland after our longest hot summer ever and I'm not looking forward to what might be a long wet winter :(.

I'm taking a break from a complicated post to share an amazing interior belonging to Cuban born, Carmen Lopez. Carmen has been an avid collector ever since she left her home in Cuba and her current Spanish deco home of the past 23 years is a true reflection of her style.  I always say, "a house is just four walls, but a home is what you make of it". Your home should be a reflection of yo ur personality, life, travels, and Carmen's home is a truly a reflection of hers. You can read more about Carmen  at the end of this post. Photography - John Ellis. I've been fascinated by Carmen's home and her wonderful sense of style. Not only does Carmen have a great eye for mixing colour and pattern, she also has some clever ways of displaying such as her jewelry collection and her fabulous silver display, although I wouldn't want to be the one having to clean it all that silver.  We hope you've enjoyed this post, you can r ead more about Carmen's house and det...

In a recent post  "Boring Beige, Never!" ,  I featured a fabulous neutral interior in an interesting  Manhattan apartment. Continuing to steer away from colour for a moment, this weeks inspiration starts with a great idea from "An Oregon Cottage", a plain drum lampshade has been cleverly upcycled using natural twine. With a little help from Pinterest, keeping to a "neutral" theme I discovered more crafty ideas. Some free labels from Vinnie Pearce a fellow Kiwi blogger, a few recipes with earthy colours but definitely sweet tasting and some inspiring interiors. Quick links to recipes and projects can be found at the end of this post. 1 2 3 4. Ferrero Rocher Brownies 5. Sea salted chocolate caramel tart 6. Chocolate & Cinnamon Meringues 7.  Free labels for your eco friendly home made products 8 9 10 Quick Links: 1. Upcycled Lamp from An Oregon cottage ... Instructions here 2. DIY sweater pillow how to by Brassy Apple... DIY instructions here 3. Great ide...

Sharing a pretty villa in Antibes... See more images of the villa and its garden at  JJ Locations