I found these beautiful images on a new blog called Bright Bazaar …they are part of The White Company‘s Spring/Summer catalogue….I love them….the styling is absolutely gorgeous and the look is simple and fresh ….
image via Bright Bazaar
Can’t you feel the cool breeze in this image……..the smell of the sun on fresh laundry….there is nothing better!
image via Bright Bazaar
I want to rush out and have new curtains made, paint all the walls white and paint all my furniture!Oh well, I suppose that is what inspirational image are for…to make is see things in a different way……
The nail salon I am working on with my client is almost ready to open and my client’s staff has started to arrive for training. The contractors have moved out (and the mess along with them!) and the cleaning crew are due to start tomorrow so I am off with her on a shopping trip for all the accessories we will be needing for the final touches….I have chosen a gorgeous wallpaper for two accent walls and last week my client purchased a really pretty chandelier which has now been installed above the reception…it is still hanging a little too high, so I am on the hunt for some matching chain to extend the existing chain which will drop the height by at least half a meter.
Once the wallpaper is up, we will install the sofas, cushions, stools and artwork. My client has been buying her salon products for the last week or so and things are looking really organised and professional….the salon opens on the 8th May and guess who gets to be a guinea-pig for a few treatments? I can’t wait…..
I will be posting pictures as soon as I finish styling and accessorising the shop……
image via beautifulism blogThis gorgeous image is from a lovely blog I found recently called Beautifulism and this fabulous house featured is the home of Spanish interior decorator Eva Martinez….this veranda ticks all the right boxes for me…colour (grey again), texture(note the roof) and pattern(subtle stripes) and as for the image on the far wall…..I could happily move in right away….the other thing I love about this house is that everything has a patina of age and use, and it all blends so beautifully. I sometimes feel that very contemporary homes have no soul because everything is new and shiny and perfect….there is a lot to be said for a bit of peeling paint and things which have been used well.
I found this vision of beauty on House of Turquoise blog today……I LOVE the Kelly Wearstler wallpaper combined with the really ornate and detailed mirror…..just gorgeous and fresh for spring….
image via House of Turquoise
The cool colours are perfect for the long, hot and humid days which I know are coming this summer in Dubai….we regularly experience temperatures of up to 49 degrees in July and August and this will be my 12th summer! I cannot believe it myself!
A couple of weeks ago I was helping a friend(C) source products for a commercial shoot she was working on…her job is to source and find items which the producer needs to set up the shoot ……I sometimes help her when she has a tight deadline.
Dubai is a large and very sprawling city and two people can obviously cover the city a lot better and faster than one…we meet in the morning and she gives me a list of items I need to collect , some cash and off I go…I really enjoy it and it is not unlike sourcing items for a decorating project….just a LOT more rushed!
The last time I was sourcing, I had to pick up some Shisha (sheesha) pipes for my friend C. I took these pictures to show her what I had found and to allow her to decide if she liked them or not…this incredible shop is in a suburb called Satwa, and is filled with the most amazing little stores….like a bustling market place in Mumbai or somewhere in Hong Kong. I love shopping there and finding little treasure troves like the Sheesha shop….there are also a lot of fabric shops, tailors, upholsterers, general stores, car detailing stores, electronics, mobile phone stores….I am sure you get the picture!
Shisha pipes are used for smoking different flavoured tobaccos…..the smoke is cooled and filtered by being passed through water. The name comes from the Persian word shishe , meaning glass and this practice is enjoyed by the majority of Arabs in this part of the world and a lot of expats too…..I personally don’t enjoy it (I also don’t smoke ) but many of my friends love relaxing after a tough day with a Sheesha…..it’s a very sociable way to unwind with friends at a cafe or restaurant and most restaurants with outdoor facilities offer Sheesha. I must admit that even though I don’t enjoy the Sheesha, I do love the smell of the different tobaccos…..it is a scent I will always associate with the Middle East and my time here.
Shisha pipes
I think they are so pretty with the jewel colours against the light. This shop in Satwa was amazing…full of the most interesting things…I will definitely be going back to have another look around.
A Decorator's Notebook 