Morning - what an amazing weekend weather wise! We took the two bow-wows for a stroll along the South bank on Saturday and took in the three amazing food markets. Way to hot for Maud who refused to walk and had to be carried everywhere. On Sunday an early morning (very early morning) stroll across Hyde Park where Miss Maud swam in the Serpentine. Normally she just paddles as does Mungo, yesterday she swam like a proper Olympian - was so proud! Munngy being still a baby didn't follow he just kind of splashed around and barked!
And then of course there was the tennis, AMAZING.
Down to business. If you fancy creating a dream worthy interior that makes friends jealous and everyone's heart skip a beat listen up! The bad news first -Â it doesn't happen overnight. The good news once you've nailed it you're never want to leave! To create a dream worthy pad we have to get into our skins, dig deep into our souls and ask questions that stir memories because these memories are going to be our starting point for inspiration.
For instance:
Best interior - name it. Might be a hotel, someone's house in a magazine, a film, something in a video what rooms or room stand out? Jot down why.
Favourite style. Boho, classic, retro, glam, 50's 70's. Yes you can draw on all styles but if you had to whittle down which one or two what would make the cut?
Favourite interiors magazine and why? Elle Dec, Country Living, Vogue Living, Architectural Digest?
Best holiday destination and why. The beach, the mountains, on safari and why?
Theses questions will throw up ideas that have influenced you, maybe in a subtle way maybe in not such a subtle way - we don't need to replicate we just need to pinpoint what they are and use that as a tool for creating a room of your dreams.
For example for me the Ace Hotel's lobby in NYC nails a vibe I am particularly drawn too. Clubby, gentleman's drinking den, hip, edgy, well crafted. Fav holiday destination has to be the super quick trip to the hotel Colombe d'Or in the South of France. This hotel (unlike the Ace) is unhip as anything. The rooms feel like they were decorated in the 80's so kind of rustic and untrendy but the vibe is something that is unique. There in an emotion in this place which is hard to capture. Laughter, memories itâs something totally immaterial and impossible to capture unless you visit. Littered with works of art from Picasso, Matisse, Calder (they used to pay for their supper with their paintings) itâs the most unpretentious hotel I've stayed in. Nested in the Provencal hills, at the base of a beautiful hill top village St Paul de Vence you can wander out, potter around the village, drink pastis watching the gents play boules - the air heavy with the scent of pine. I'm stopping getting far too carried away, haven't even mentioned the amazing terrace the hotel has, eating out under fig trees under the stars late a night with the sound of crickets everywhere. Youâll see a zillion celebs but itâs so unpretentious canât bang on about it enough.
Can you see how with my interiors I draw from the old gentleman's club vibe, chuck in some hipster edge and leverage upon that laid back feel. Figuring out the answers to these questions gives you such a heads start in creating a room or rooms of your dreams.
A few images of the two hotels below. I tossed and turned before mentioning Colombe because if I'm being totally honest I sort of wanted to keep it a under wraps, this little bolt hole of mine. Figured however that was being beyond selfish and anyways the end goal is how to create dream worthy interiors, and the more I can pass on the passion and my influences the easier it is to go for it no?. These two places have certainly influenced the way I decorate, not totally but certainly subtlety. Enjoy
Beautiful, paneled, clubby, squishy love the Ace.
Another nook in the Ace Hotel, in the middle of winter or the height of summer its a refuge of comfort in one of the most exciting cities in the world.
Colombe d'Or and the pool hanging out by a Calder sculpture, what more can I say!
The bar is craved out of stone, stone walls, stone seats and its tiny, chapel like it takes maybe 7 people. Its incredible, a respite from the heat a snug little den where you can sip something ice cold with a plate of olives.
The terrace where breakfast, lunch and supper is served. Lets maybe not tell anyone else about it and keep it this amazing place to ourselves, kind of what to run over there sometime this summer just for a few days.
