Showing posts with label french style. Show all posts
Showing posts with label french style. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

A Reflection of 2012 - & Most Popular Posts

Looking back at 2012 it's been one of the toughest of my life. Watching my mother lose her battle with cancer, my life has virtually been on hold. However, this blog "Lee Caroline - A World of Inspiration", has kept me going, it has been an inspiration not just for my readers but for myself too. LC has been an outlet for my semi starved, creative side, a place to share the wonderful interiors, recipes, art, crafts and DIY I discover in my daily trips around the Internet. More importantly, I've  discovered a world of wonderful and caring people, total strangers that drop by from afar taking time to comment on a postm and people giving encouragement, sharing a little of their lives with you. I just want to say, you have no idea how much this has meant to me. I have not met you personally, but I've felt encouraged and uplifted and at times consoled through the comments and sometimes personal emails I get from those who have been touched in some way by something they have read or seen on my blog.

2013 will be a new year for me, a new beginning and I have vowed to spend equal time on my blog and my painting. I'm finally purchasing that elusive DSLR in February. My new camera will enable me to share high quality images of homes and beautiful things that I see in New Zealand. I am quite excited about this and have lots of great posts planned.  Looking back over 2013 I've made a short list of some of my most viewed posts to share again. I want to thank everyone for their support throughout 2012 and I wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.


French Country Style Bedroom Makeover......Read more


Country Kitchen Makeover Ideas....Read More


Bathrooms, beautiful ideas to inspire you....... Read More 


Blue and White Interiors. Read more...... Read more


DIY French Wash Furniture......Read more 


Country Cottage Bedroom Ideas...... Read more


DIY Mini Vintage Cake Stand . Instructions......Read more




Thought for the Week......Read More





Tuesday, October 2, 2012

French By Design - Jeanne d'Arc Living

Today I was excited to discover a website called "Jeanne d'Arc Living" with an endless range of exclusive French Style products including furniture, soft furnishings, flea market finds, handcrafted stationery, lace and much more. The products and images are so pretty and so "French", I couldn't resist sharing with you...














Bedlinen, cushions, tablecloths, towels and vintage finds are just a few of the lovely items you can find at Jeanne d'Arc Living. The site does not sell direct, however, you can find a list of their suppliers "here" or if you wish to become a retailer for their products, you can enquire "here". Jeanne d'Arc Living are worth a visit even if your merely looking for some French design inspiration. If your on Facebook you can find their page "here".


All images belong to Jeanne d'Arc Living





Friday, May 4, 2012

Traditional French Living

I adore anything French and absolutely fell in love with the rustic exterior of this delightful old house in France.  I'm planning myself on having shutters put on my little brick cottage to add more character and will definitely be sharing the makeover in the future. Of course I wanted to let you have a look inside this delightful home full of French antiquity.


















Credit Source: Images from jj Locations, this property is available for film/photo shoots, please visit 
their website for more information.





  Lee oxo
    &
     Poppy
  
   

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Ideas For My Dining Area - With a French Touch of Course!

I'm still on a mission to create a dining spot in my open plan living area.  I will be hanging a mirror adjacent to the table,  the reason being to create a feeling of more space.  Much of the time the drop leaf table will be folded down and against the wall in front of the mirror. I aim to create an attractive vignette of French style accessories on the table top when not in use.  I have created a mood board beneath to give an impression of the final look.  All of the products below are from Layla Grace I intend to purchase my accessories in New Zealand, achieving a similar style.  I am excited about changing this area in my home and will be sharing a before and after with you as I did with my bedroom makeover
I have a collection of blue ginger jars so this could be another idea of accessorizing & layering....


Helpful hint: Use an odd number of items when grouping

I am currently sanding and preparing the antique pine drop leaf  table I purchased ready for applying the French wash finish.  I will share with you step by step renovating my table next week.  I will be purchasing my paint from Porters Paints who specialise in paint finishes. I phoned them last week and they were incredibly helpful so I intend to visit armed with my fan deck of  pantone colours to enable them to match my chosen colour. I'm probably going to paint the legs and skirting of my table in a soft grey/green and then use the French wash over the top. My table is prepared including re building a piece of moulding on the leg that was missing,  I will discuss this and the product used when I write the full post.


I have discovered a great 5 minute video on how to accessorize and would like to share it with you. I have posted it on my Interior Design page so please click "here" to view.


Hope your having a lovely week
Lee oxo


Sunday, October 30, 2011

Dining Styles



Dining tables I would love to have if I had endless space and no budget! 

Please let me know by leaving a comment on this post if you like the idea below of displaying Interior design photos as a slide show rather than posting them individually on the page?  Your comments are very much appreciated.

All images from Houzz.com



I hope you had a lovely weekend.  We had what felt like an early Summers day yesterday in Auckland and everyone was out in force. My local beach was absolutely packed with people and the queue at the icecream shop was a mile long!
Lee x


Thursday, September 22, 2011

Living Rooms featuring Robin Stubbert's Photography

What a beautiful Spring day in Auckland today, I went for a short walk down to Kohimarama and bought a sandwich for lunch at "The Store", ooh la la, The bakery was inundated with French men, then I realised that France plays against New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup tomorrow. There are supporters flags hanging out of letterboxes, cars and windows and As I wandered around the waterfront I noticed one house in the process of being built that had a myriad of flags hanging from the balcony, I guess one for each of the countries represented by the men building this property.  These colourful flags hung across the balcony, flapping around in the cool ocean breeze, but guess what ?...where was my camera when I needed it... at home! 

One person that definitely doesn't forget her camera is Robin Stubbert, Robin is a professional Photographer. Canadian Home & Country, Canadian House & Home, Country Living, Country Sampler and Style at Home are just a few of the Magazines featuring Robin's work.  Robins photography has also featured in many hardback publications and magazine covers. Robin has kindly allowed me to feature her photographs on my blog. However,  please do not copy or use her photos without her prior permission.

Interiors, gardens and Still life are among Robin's subjects for photography. I think that Robin has a distinctive style which attracted my attention. Today I am sharing some wonderful living spaces she has photographed, I hope these photos inspire you with your own living areas.

I encourage you to visit Robin's website if you are interested in her work featuring in your magazine or  if you wish to enquire further about her photography.


This large airy living area has been kept simple. However, visual interest has been added by use of accessories. It's amazing how a room can come alive with a few inexpensive additions such as the dried branches and the interesting items on the small wood table. The Stag horns bring the white walls alive and evoke a further feeling of nature to this room.  



This living room has more of a French, cottage feel to it. The furniture definitely has a French flair. I love the  red toile fabric on the chairs and cushions. The beautiful wood beams keep cropping up in my photos. I  don't deliberately seek them out but my eyes are drawn to them. I feel however, that if you are to have natural wooden beams it is best to keep them light in colour, natural wood as these or painted white. Dark is ok in some rooms but the  yellowy or golden log cabin or very old lockwood look, tends to be "dated".

A fresh country look in this open plan living/kitchen area. I love the lights hanging over the breakfast bar.  I have very modern ones over my own breakfast bar but this gives me an idea to replace them.


A modern contemporary look to this room, where I have to say this dark wood ceiling works well as it compliments the floors and furniture. All the accessories work well in this room. Normally we would just use one vase but these owners have been brave and gone for two striking pots and solid branches, making them appear more of an "art" statement, than a simple pot with branches in.


I am not quite sure what room this is as I notice that there are some towels hanging up, so possibly this room is a bathroom. I love the fireplace and the idea of the small terracotta pots.I also love the French style console with its few accessories.  What a lovely idea for a bathroom to bring some pieces of furniture in such as these.  Often our bathrooms lack character but this one certainly doesn't and has been decorated in a way that makes it far from just a bathroom.


All photographs are copyrighted and belong to Robin Stubbert Photography.  Thank you Robin :)


Enjoy your early Spring or Fall weekend.
Lee x





Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Country Cottage Bedroom Ideas

As my post on bedheads seemed to quickly make it to my "Most Popular Posts" (see my side bar), and I have still not completed my own bedroom, I've been searching the Internet for more ideas and want to share my discoveries.  I was seeking more the "cottage look" than a "French Look" although there is a "smattering" of French to be seen. Nevertheless a few more gorgeous ideas to get you thinking.  

Photo source - House to Home
This room is very fresh and pretty and certainly doesnt need a fancy headboard with its blue toile roman blinds adding interest on either side of the bed.   A couple of pale blue transfer ware plates could be hung on the wall behind the bed or a couple of frames with similar prints such as the one below with a soft blue print;


Frame from Sew White a little home run on-line store with lots of goodies.  I like to support these smaller stores.


Photo source - melledesign.com


Photo source. google search 


Photo source - google search
I adore the lovely wooden ceilings. If I ever built new I would certainly want to have the beams exposed and aged.


Photo source - unknown (been on my laptop forever :)



Photo source - Wallace Cotton. 
Wallace Cotton have a sale on at the moment and some really lovely bed linen so worth hopping over to their on-line store if you cannot visit their Newmarket store in Auckland. Please click on the photo or link above.




Night, night, sleep tight, 
Lee x



Monday, September 12, 2011

Bedroom Headboards, some fantastic and unique ideas.

I am still posting away at bedroom ideas and absolutely brimming with them after spending a few hours searching out possible headboard ideas for my own bedroom.  I have an incredible amount of patience when it comes to my paintings, dogs and children of any age, but absolutely none when it comes to finishing off my bedroom.  I feel like I have plonked a new bed in a newly carpeted and curtained room and camped out in it for the past year, no accessories, pillows, pictures or lamps and it's these finishing touches that make a house a home. I am now consequently rushing around purchasing those items that will make me proud to put  before and after photos on my blog. 


I want my bedroom to feel fresh, restful and French, with a touch of "country". One friend after viewing my blog said you do seem to like the French touch, after you add some French pillows to your bed all you need is a French man, I had to giggle at that comment! Actually the only French male to have made it near my bedroom was 12" tall, his name was Mimo and he's a French Poodle I cared for a while ago and co-incidentally coming to stay again this weekend (a client of Guardians).  Mimo immediately took to lying on my bed and even growled when I tried to remove him!  I am hoping his manners have improved this time around.

Today, without further "ado", I have sourced some inspirational headboard ideas that caught my eye.  Some of these ideas could easily be reproduced without spending a fortune. Others are clearly in the "high end" Interior design bracket.  However, I believe there is always a cheaper option to reproducing an idea you love if you have the patience to shop around. 



Credit - hgtv.com
I love the idea of the old shutters behind these beds and definitely have ideas flashing in my head!  These have a wonderful "aged" patina which compliment the draws between the two beds.


Credit - Better Homes & Gardens
This mirror is amazing but definitely a lot of $ signs flashing in my head with this one!


Credit - Pinterest
I think this arch is off a fireplace surround, a really neat idea. 



CreditShelterness
This gorgeous rug with the Tree of Life design adds a Middle Eastern touch.

credit - Shelterness
I just love the eclectic look of this shot and adore the intriguing painting behind the bed. If anyone recognises the artist, please let me know.


These books look fantastic with the natural timber slatted tongue and groove ceiling.  I do imagine a bit of dust though so not so good if you have allergies.


This is a very clever idea from Kara Paslay Designs. Kara shows you lots of tips and tricks for decorating and you can find clear instructions on how to reproduce this bed head on her website.


It's certainly been a frustrating post today with blogger playing up and not saving all my links because I had logged out without realising :(.  Finally finished and will celebrate with a big slab of chocolate I've been saving for my break, then its off to do some more painting.  Please check "on my easel" for another update on my painting.  Canvas is fully covered but lots more work to do when this layer is fully dry, still nice to have filled in all the gaps.


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