Interior Design by Grant Larkin

Recently I was excited to discover the work of Grant Larkin Interior design, a partnership of Elaine Grant and Matthew Larkin, I fell in love their very distinct sense of style. As an artist myself I was drawn to the fascinating artworks found in their interiors and I wanted to share a few of their designs that spoke to me.

 I love the central artwork, the boy on the galloping horse. The colour of the stripes in the seating perfectly co-ordinates with this work. The addition of the bold carpet reflects colours used in the adjacent painting to the right and some of the artifacts on display.

A simple fireplace made stunning by the addition of wide horizontal stripes. The light in this room is perfect, the painting above the fireplace almost reflects the flames.

 What a wonderful mix of pattern and style in this living area opening to the kitchen. A mix of furniture styles and colours that create for me an "Americana" look. Grant Larkin have managed to create a comfortable area with an eclectic retro look.  I am fascinated by this room.

The fabulous kitchen with its bold statement extractor housing.

Sometimes "Less is more". No artwork required in this dining area with a stunning window framing the exterior view. This interior is my personal favourite.

I love this collection of furniture, beautiful woods that compliment the statement painting above the sofa.

I have to say I just love the architectural design of this room, the beautiful windows with their unusual window panes. The eagle sculpture perfectly reflects the curves of the window frame.

I particularly appreciate how Grant Larkin create a wonderful balance without restrictions, they go "out of the box", and it's clearly important their clients possessions, whether a large piece of furniture, artwork or a small ceramic, each item has its importance in the overall design. Grant Larkin's designs are not just about an eye for detail, this company is truly sympathetic to their clients complete environment, both architectural, and aesthetic, right down to the finest details.

More of Grant Larkin's work can be seen at their website or at their Dering Hall site.

Note: Images above reproduced with permission from Grant Larkin, please do not re-use these images.

Lee

&

Poppy oxo

Colourful Interiors - Mixing colour & Pattern

Just a brief post today but one that will definitely bring a bit of sunshine to your day. Colour can really impact our lives, making us feel happy or sad, warm or cold, however,  an eclectic mix of colour and pattern will always make us feel cheerful, who says you can't mix colour and pattern and make it work...

                                                                                Source: bhg.com on Pinterest

                                                                             Source: bhg.com on Pinterest

                                                                       Source: viciouslycyd.tumblr.com on Pinterest

                                       

                                                                       Lee oxo

                                                           &

                                                            Poppy

                                                          

                            

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - Inspiration from India, Interiors, Paintings, Food & Colour

Saturday night I went out with a girlfriend to see the movie, "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel". What a wonderful  "feel good film". The movie is set in Jaipur, India. I thoroughly recommend this comedy drama to lift the spirits and allow you to reflect on your lives.  If I had to make any sort of critique, it would probably be that it was a little long but I still loved every moment and there were some fun laughs.  The cast is predominantly British, Judy Dench, Bill Nighy and Maggie Smith are some well known names, alongside Slum Dog Millionaire star Dev Patel.

Of course when I think of India, I conjure up vivid colours, sari's, embroidery and Elephants so, today I'm abandoning my "neutral" brain and sharing some colourful Indian inspiration.

First take a look at a short clip of the movie to create that Indian mood ☺

I love the quote from the movie and applying it to my life right now...

There is an old Indian saying...It will be alright in the end, if it's not alright, 

then it is not yet the end! 

Paintings by  Namita Kapoor a contemporary artist living in San Fransisco.

visit Namita's website to see more of her colourful work "here", there is a distinct touch of "Bollywood" to her work.

Some fabulous Indian recipe's such as "Cheese balls in Tomato Sauce", from a great food blog called Pure Vegetarian. A delightful blog with the most gorgeous photography.

Click "here" for this recipe and see lots more wonderful vegetarian recipe's. There is also a link on their page where you can download and print out the recipes.

Bitter melons an Indian ingredient - photography from Pure Vegetarian

click "here" (or image above) to view my Indian Inspired Pinterest Board "A Taste of India", with lots more images. I tried out the new "60's" application in Picasa to edit this collage I created giving it a vintage feel. Original images are via Pinterest.

I once had a lot of fun with an Indian inspired dinner party for some friends in Abu Dhabi. I decorated the table with a gorgeous red and gold, sheer organza tablecloth. I bought gold rimmed glasses and spent two days creating some really lovely Indian recipes. I even printed some menu cards out. I think it was a really nice evening enjoyed by all. I'll have to dig out the recipe's to post... It's nice to have themed dinner parties sometimes, it helps create an ambiance.


If you love "colour" you may also enjoy a previous post on "Colourful Interiors" or you may want to check out my Pinterest Colour Inspiration Board. The images below are just a "taster" of the colour inspired images pinned on my board.

Image via Pinterest

Image via Pinterest

Lee oxo

&

Poppy

Colourful Interiors

As an artist I am not the "norm", if you look around my home I'm surrounded by neutral decor. However the wonderful thing is I can easily and quickly  introduce colour with the use of accessories enabling me in a jiffy to change the mood of a room.  Today I'm sharing some magical, colourful interiors to  inspire you.

 

Clever use of colour and pattern all add to a Moroccan feeling in this interior - Image via Hog Art Total

Image from Pinterest

This gorgeous room is from Gary Riggs Interiors. Purple is a vivid colour and not easy to use in a living area. However, mixed with  opulent gold, the neutral sofa and the purple painting, like magic it all comes together.

There is no mistaking Kaffe Fassett for eclectic colour - Image via Flickr

Another opulent  but more subtle combination of colour and pattern. The blue of the circular ottoman works wonderfully with the blue from the rug beneath - Photo source via Bonjour Girl Blogspot



In NZ right now these colours are so out there.  In fact my eldest son who works in the fashion industry turned up at my house yesterday wearing a pair of trousers the exact blue of the jacket above - This image is from Pinterest and traced back to "The girl with the popped collar"

Have a colourful day!

Lee x