The White Stuff

With all the saturated colour around it's nice to get back to basics and embrace white, the timeless design classic.

Here's a simple room, understated yet sophisticated with lots of style to steal.

A good mix of modern and traditional furnishings, note how each contemporary piece is matched with an ornate period one - stark bed / carved mirror; elaborate consoles / utility lamps; Bertoia side chair / floral cushion - this is an elegant way to blend disparate items, prevent designer pieces from looking too serious and vintage items from looking too shabby.

Individually, the accessories in the room are quite fussy so it is entirely right that the backdrop is plain white, including the floor, and the window treatment is a spare roller blind - heavy swags would head the look towards mixed up rather than mixed and matched.

It's easy enough to paint your floors and walls white, and Eco Chic make it easy for you to mix your references - try the Horatio lamp for utilty chic, the Jali mirror for elaborate elegance, the La Palma or the Geo Vito console for an eye catching statement piece and the Kew Gardens chair for the wire finish.

Too Cool For School

 

 

 

 

We don’t even need to know the people who live here, it is clear they are effortlessly cool… and we are resigned to looking on in admiration.  Cool furniture, cool art, cool dog.  This place rocks and we we should talk about just what makes it do so.

The first striking thing is the super tight colour palette…white, gold and black plus the odd touch of fuchsia.  Instead of feeling contrived it just fees intense - and that is good.

Secondly, the art is rad… it’s edgy and fun, no abstract decorator banalities in sight.  This art is meaningful and lends gravitas to the space.

Guitars…say no more.  If you play one,  put it out in display and your hip factor will double (this rule does not apply if there is no one in the household who can strum out a tune).

Eclecticism…this place nails it - antique chair with transparent glass desk, herringbone floor plus mid century modern iconic dining table.

How to get the look?  Start with a posh, expensive penthouse apartment with good detailing;  shop at a sleek antique store for required modern and turn of the century icons; pop in to your local must see art opening and leave with a few collectables and finally, if you have any energy left,  Eco Chic can probably help with the lighting and accessories J

 

 

 

 

Throwing Warmth Around

Good things about winter include log fires and snuggling up in cosy throws - here are some of our favourites:

 

1. Spice Trail Throw from www.ecochic.com.au

2. Mexicali Aqua Throw www.hardtofind.com.au

3. Aqua Rali Blanket from www.johnrobshaw.com

4. Sunset Tropicana Throw from www.hardtofind.com.au

5. Palermo Cashllama Throw from www.ecochic.com.au

6. Knitted Patchwork Blanket  from Minuko on www.etsy.com

7. Mohair Throw from www.ecochic.com.au

8. Andy Throw from www.adairs.com.au

 

 

Perfectly Pale in Paris

 

 

 

 

This boudoir scene graced the cover of Vogue Living recently, and having just returned from a visit to Paris, it struck a chord.

 

There's no doubting the beauty of the parquet floor and the lofty windows to the balcony but is the rest of the room super chic or sickly sweet?  All the individual elements are pleasing, they have been delightfully assembled by interior designer Marianne Tiegen and we love the mix of classic (chair) with contemporary (dressing table), the free standing wardrobe, the abundant curtains and the slight nod at kitsch in the giant Tulip lamp and the movie star mirror.

 

Yet there's something about the room that makes us not want to linger.  Is it too feminine? Too pretty? Too pink?  Or perhaps it's just that this is surely a room to indulge in a leisurely primp and preen and we'd feel too guilty?!

 

Maybe we just need to get in touch with our inner Marie Antoinette and learn to pamper.  Maybe we can't do that much pastel but would love the room in tones of grey, blue or red?  Whatever, it's clearly got what it takes as it's a cover girl room and got us talking!

 

Fancy a look like this?  Eco Chic can actually help!  Our Pinto ottoman is round and would look divine in white or grey cowhide; the Fiona free standing storage cupboard is very pretty and practical too, try our St Tropez chandelier for tradition with a twist and the Manhattan trestle table with a white Luanne chair would make a perfect pair. 

 

 

 



 

 



5 Interior Design Myths We Think Need Busting!

 

Myth 1: Clutter is bad.

Truth: Artfully organised clutter is very cool.

 

Myth 2: Indoor plants are old fashioned and naff!

Truth: They have always been, and always will be, great when well tended and over scaled.

 

 

Myth 3: Don’t put too many things in small spaces.

Truth:  Small spaces with nothing much in them are depressing; make them cosy nooks with lots of intimate, inviting furnishings!

 

 

Myth 4: Dark walls will make a room feel dark and dreary.

Truth: They can actually maximise the feeling of light and highlight the furnishings in contrast.

 

 

Myth 5:  Bathrooms look best with big white tiles and caeserstone.

Truth: Australian bathrooms are SO boring. Let’s get funky and make them a destination! Does anyone agree, or are we being typically impractical designers?

 

 

 

What myths would you like to see busted?

(all photos from the wonderful www.lonny.com) 

 

 

 



Eclectic Essence

 

Do you have a range of different items and styles but don’t know how to piece them together? Colour people, colour!

·         Take a look at all the blue you can see. There is such a variety of tone used throughout the room that ties it all in beautifully together – even using blue and green in the same picture allows for an introduction of green elsewhere.

·         A white backdrop is just perfect to allow the harmonious flow of colour. You can swap and change accessories often and whenever you like, thus creating a whole new vibe to the room. Pink, anyone?

·         The white headboard is still a statement piece without taking over; adding studs generates interest to the eye yet still allows for beautiful patterned bed linen.

Want the look with Eco Chic? Why not try our gorgeous Matilda Headboard and combine it with a funky side table like the Ironside. Add a splash of colour with some Buttercup Art or a Bamileke headdress.

Peaceful Palette Pretzels!

Simply Restful

 

 

A very pleasant room, nothing overly remarkable but still an effortless pulling together of elements which taken separately would not immediately appear to work together. Look how nautical, ornithological, botanical and jungle references are thrown together with an oriental influenced lamp and deco style Pretzel chairs, yet the whole comes out as an ode to elegance! 

 

Why?  Well, it's down to the Timeless Trinity - colour, scale and texture. 

 

A subdued palette draws the disparate parts together and quietly unites them, then is given life with colourful shots of orange. 

 

The animal print on the ottoman and the bird print on the chairs are in small doses - an entire sofa in either of these would dominate the room and cause imbalance. 

 

Natural rattan on the chairs and tray, fresh flowers in the fireplace, linen on the lampshade and a coral decorator piece add visual interest, bring the outdoors in and remind us of the best decorator of them all - mother nature - she never gets it wrong!

 

We'd love to help you recreate this room.  Our Pretzel Armchairs can be upholstered in any fabric you like, as can our Lewis Ottoman.  We have Rattan Trays just like this one.  Try our Lexicon Art range for a similar wall display.  The Lisbon table lamp has a textural aqua base and hessian shade perfect for this kind of look.