Oh how I love to dream...

(image via charm hill Interiors)

Thumbing through one of my old Veranda issues searching for colour inspiration I was reminded of this absolutely exquisite kitchen designed by Jack Arnold. Mr Arnold is famous for his surperb luxury country French designs. He nails the authentic French look down to the finest of details.

To me, kitchens just don't get much better than this. The black cabinetry with gilding and ironwork is ultimate feature. The countertops, sinks and wall tiles are all Carerra marble. The antique chandelier is from Avignon, France.

Here is another view of this heavenly workspace from the Bentwood Kitchens website. What makes me happy while viewing the luxurious details is that I have been able to copy somewhat some of the design principles for my own kitchen on a far more modest budget. I have white cabinetry with a black stone countertop therefore kinda sorta the same lol. I have iron hardware and scrolly bakers stand, copper pots, vintage pottery, goose neck faucet, greenery by the way of potted herbs on the window sil and beautiful recipe books on display. What I do need now is a wooden wall plate rack, new oven and french style rangehood, a glass canister filled with lemons and definately one of those apple bowls!

Well a new year is around the corner, who knows what adventures it will bring.

Have a wonderful weekend and good luck trying to find parking at the malls! ;)

My celebrity moment...

Last week I mentioned my home when I was a little girl was featured in a couple of magazines. Well here are the images I promised. It's very 80's now but back then I thought it was a palace lol. The formal lounge we could only look at and not actually enter lol The white lounges were from Peter Meyer Interiors and the soft furnishings were Laura Ashley. This room came complete with cream shagpile carpet, apricot paint and fabrics and maiden hair furns lol :)

I do however still love the colonial double hung windows.


This was the breakfast room looking out over a small courtyard. this room featured old brown vinyl bentwood chairs, pine buffet and hutch, matchstick blinds and navy gingham valance. As you can see this is where my love for blue & white began.


My mum still has many of the items such as the persian rug, cane chairs and country paintings.




The little table and chairs also still exsist and get used by my children and my sisters.

Here is me and my sister Sarah in our terry towelling jumpsuits modelling in our country style kitchen my Pa built. The flooring is vinyl day tiles. I still love this kitchen, especially around the window.

It was very unfortunate that back then half the images were colour and the other half were black and white. The room above was our family room. We used to place our christmas tree in front of the copper fireplace. The wingback lounge you can just see at the bottom right I still have and plan on recovering for my bedroom. My mum still has the cane etagere's in her current family room. I love them and feel they are a timeless piece.

The formal dining room had more shagpile, a travertine marble base and glass top table, malacca cane chairs with apricot Laura Ashley fabric. The curtains were the most STUNNING black chinosiere pattern with hints of green, blue and more apricot and I WISH my mum kept these. She also had a single wingback chair covered in the same fabric which is also long gone :(

This was a beautiful home, it was rendered white on the outside with all the classic features I love so much. I wished we still owned this house. Nvm.

I hope you all enjoyed my retro moment and trip down memory lane :)

Feeling Green...

I don't know what has come over me. I'm usually such a blue person but lately I'm seeing green. I have a heap of colour schemes to put together for all three clients and two of the homes I can see a predominant green theme for their formal living/dining areas.

One a muted olive/sea grass type hue and the other a more forest green, like the green in Mz Wearstlers Imperial Trellis pattern.

One of the homes had a very formal and sophisticated living/dining but VERY outdated, however while walking through I was immediately thinking of an image I saw in a book I have at home called Hollywood At Home by Architectural Digest. It was the home of the late, great Danny Kaye.



I can barely describe the love I feel for this dining room, which still amazes me considering it's so different to my usual prefered style. Decorated back in the 50's I feel this room is absolutely timeless and truly captures that feel of old Hollywood glamour with a contemporary edge. The wallpaper, the chairs, the oak sideboard in the colonial bay window, the oriental tureens, the bowl of yellow tulips - It all works so beautifully and epitomizes elegance and comfort.


Another reason for me thinking about this home was my client had a rosewood pedestal with a vase of silk flowers that were tired and ready for the rubbish and she asked me what could replace them. I noticed she had a couple of oriental accent pieces around so I thought a beautiful white orchid would be a classic way to go with a distinct oriental flavour.
Notice the orchids in the Kaye's living room? :)



I also love the orange cushions in the Kaye's family room. I'm now thinking key colours - green and white with accent colours orange, blue & white.



Especially now after seeing this stunning entry room of the home of Mary McDonald via my favourite blog and yours, Cote De Texas.

I know you're probably all thinking pffft it's all been done before but this is my first time building a concept with the challenge of selling it to the client and I'm excited! :)

Ladies we have a winner and 7 things about me...

And the winner is........

Da da da da da daaaa........





Mel from Melsrose place!!!! Congratulations gf!


Thanks so much everyone for loving my giveaway, it was a pleasure to do.


I used the same method that Mz A-M and Mz Brooke used by allowing my trusty beautiful daughter to draw the winner from a Tiffany's bag no less :) I tried to photograph the action sequence as best I could lol.


I'm sorry I couldn't provide this prize to everyone but if you wish to email me your address I'd LOVE to send you an Aussie Christmas card.

I'd now like to apologise for my lack of posts this week. The most remarkable thing has happened to me. I mentioned to an acquaintance, fastly becoming a great friend, about my blog and me finishing my design studies and she asked me to come around and give her some advice. I went and advised and she was so thrilled she is insisting on paying for my ongoing services. She then mentioned me to a friend of hers and now I'm working on her home also. Finally this week I was hired by a third acquaintance. My head is spinning! Everyone wants to get alot of work completed by Christmas so I found myself working harder this past week than I had in years lol. Perhaps Villa Anna Interiors will take off faster than I could have ever imagined.


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(image via The Paris Apartment)

Now I'd like to thank Lena from Charm Hill Interiors and the lovely hardworking ladies at Mondo Cherry for including me in their 7 things about me challenge.

The rules - Share 7 things about yourself. Challenge 7 other blogs at the end of your post through naming their blog, and post a link to it. Let them know they have been challenged by leaving a comment in their blog.

(my Pa with my son on his christening day)

2, My Nan and Pa were and always will be my heros!! The BEST grandparents a person could ever wish for....Unconditional love and support with never a moment of judgement.


(my Nan holding me in 1974)



(my momma on my sister's wedding day)


3, My mum is my best friend, my role model and my rock. Like alot of you she too was the one who introduced me to the beautiful world of interior design. She's worked in the medical industry all her working life but she studied Interior design as a passionate hobby and in the 80's our home was featured in two magazines. I'll post those images this week, they are a hoot! :)


(me aged 3 on a family trip to Fiji)

4, I am the oldest of 3 sisters and no brothers. I am very close to one, another is a corporate workaholic but we catch up whenever "she" can lol and the other is rather a black sheep if you know what I mean lol.


(me and my sister Sarah - the workaholic lol)




5, One of the highlights of my life was meeting my teenage crush Jon Bon Jovi! He's alot shorter in person lol.


6, Growing up I thought I wanted to be a journalist and then an actor hahaha!


7, Finally back in the mid nineties I did a 3 month road trip of the USA and absolutely had the time of my life....I am BUSTING to go back someday :)


Once again I think pretty much everyone on my list has already participated so if you haven't and you'd like to please send me the link so I can read your answers!

New Book Alert and a Christmas giveaway!

Aussies, Hear ye! Hear ye! A fabulous new book has just arrived on the market that ALL Aussie francophiles should own. This beautiful handbook is filled with all the French food, wine and design places you need to know about to live your best French life in Australia.

With an abundance of glorious colour photo's, this book will become your new bible. This book would also make a wonderful gift for travellers.

If you have a French based buisness in Australia and you'd like to be featured in future copies you can email your details here!

Once again sincerest apologies for my poor photography but the images in this book are divine.





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To coincide with the worldwide release of "Australia" as well as being the season of giving I thought I'd put together a little package to give away with a distinctly Aussie flavour :)



Australian Vintage Living by Bronnie Masefau is definately a favourite, the large glossy photo's are filled with colour and detail.



This book is filled with wonderful vintage inspiration.




Mz Masefau's home is absolutely beautiful.

Plenty of eye candy for the girly girl in all of us.

I also thought I'd include a very popular stocking filler for most country loving Aussie's, The Australian Country Style calender 2009.

The images are simple and beautiful. This calender wont be a bold statement but a subtle sweet accent.

Of course I'm definately including a copy of this new fabulous book.

And for a little added extra I thought I'd throw in this little sweet Koala Christmas ornament

He's tiny but he looks real! Well I think so anyway lol.




No matter whether you are in Australia or Siberia if you would like to win these wonderful items just leave a comment with a link to your blog and I'll draw a name out of a hat on sunday.

GOOD LUCK!



p.s Happy Thanksgiving my American blogging pals!

pp.s Brooke, I received my bottle of Cote Bastide bubble bath the other day and that evening enjoyed the best soak of my life :) Thank you!

Good Food Affare...

There is nothing like a good day out surrounded by family, sparkling chandeliers, stunning homewares, festive Christmas decorations, French antiques, as well as a delectable and sumptuous feast of gourmet foods and wine to bring a person back to a happy state of mind.

Thats exactly what the 'Good Food Affare" did on saturday. Sponsored by Domayne furniture and Australian Good Food magazine, this was a growers market only seen annually on a scale this grand.

From the website - Good Food Affare is three days of heaven for food lovers. The most beautiful and original food event ever seen in this country, The good Food Affare is a growers market, it's gorgeous restaurants and cafes, it is Australia's most celebrated chefs and cooks live on stage, and so much more.

The first tent I entered was decorated ever so beautifully with a stunning selection of chandeliers, modern and traditional christmas trees and table after table selling some heavenly homewares. My eyes were darting in every direction, I didn't know where to look or what to absorb first.

This stage was set up at the back for demonstrations throughout the day on christmas decorating and gift wrapping.







Although I always consider myself a very traditional girl I have to say I'm loving these sparkly gold and silver trees with glass jewels more and more.



There were a couple of purchases to be had from this display ;)





The chandeliers were AMAZING! This one was in another tent serving devonshire teas and although you can't see it, it is actually the most lovely girly pink colour.



Here is the Parisian style flower market - GORGEOUS!






Skye's cafe definately was the star attraction. I nearly died when I saw it, it was one of the most superb sights I have ever seen.



From the website - A beautiful replica of Skye Gyngell's cafe at Petersham nurseries in England's green and pleasant Surrey will be the stunning centrepiece of Good Food Affare.
Skye Gyngell herself, one of the most inspirational chefs in the world today, will bring the cafe's delectable flavours to the table.
Skye's fresh and original approach to cooking results in simple but intensely flavoursome food inspired by the seasonsand the produce she grows in her garden.

Oh how I LOVE rusty scrolly iron!

Never before have I seen so many breathtakingly beautiful pieces of furniture all mishmashed together under the one tin roof.

It was an absolute feast for the eyes......

I truly hope someone someday sets up a more permanent restaurant in Sydney with this heavenly concept.

Of course had I known what to expect I would have most certainly pre booked, but alas I was too late.....nvm next year!

Some opulent antique settings looked fit for royalty brilliantly juxtaposed with ornate garden furniture! When I laid eyes on that venetian etched glass table with the scrolly iron legs I had visions of me driving home with it tied to my roof racks lol It was SUBLIME!!!!!

We enjoyed a mocha and strawberry tart for morning tea instead.

Again, I loved the mix of black and white French repro furniture all from Domayne.

They even had poodle stencils on the concrete.....CUTE!

Awww look, just like my bakers stand...cept mines bigger :P

LOVE the coffee bar!...wait, is coffee guy picking his nose? ew! ;)

Stunning high gloss black louis style pieces.

Next, onto garden outdoor furniture and sculptures.

And finally THE FOOD!

It was extremely hard to get close enough to the food stalls to even buy anything let alone take photo's, the crowds were insane!

How exquisite is THIS?! ^^^ these apple sized chocolate coated strawberries blew my mind!

My one goal for the day was to find some authentic French baguettes and I did! Ever since my return from Paris I haven't been able to find bread sticks to equal those of the famous Parisian recipe.

After that I couldn't wait to get home and make my chicken, brie and lettuce baguette.....mmmm it was worth the years wait :)

Another reason to smile, my nextdoor neighbour came over to give us the wonderful news of the birth of their first child, ZOE :) I can't wait to see and hold her. Congratulations Gordon and Susie!

All photo's by Villa Anna.