A little too much to take..........

I thought that I would leave Victorian Splendour for a while as I think it was a bit too much for some of you !!!! We will come back to it at a later date. But back to simplicity and clean lines. This is more like it, isn't it ? There is still a little touch of the theatrical but, because the rest is so simple, it just gives it some ooommph and also something to stimulate the mind. Many of the minimal looks offer nothing for discussion. Nothing beautiful to look at and stimulate. I think that this house could do with more pictures and object d'art but there are still some lovely little touches.Thinking of the lace in yesterdays post, this lace is very similar but looks completely different.

The candles, wall light and little lamp really give this room a lovely ambiance.

A little touch of the U.K. on the floor. The Union Jack is so big in interiors at the moment, isn't it ?

Oooops. There it is again !! And look at those great shutters.

......... finally, the kitchen and what a kitchen. What I wouldn't give for a kitchen like that. It is still traditional but so now. Hope you didn't miss the Victorian Splendour !!!!

Jackie

Victorian Splendour..........

I'm going to give you all a special treat today. I don't normally share this house with anyone but, as you have all been so nice to me out there, I am going to show you one of my favourite houses ( actually , at one point it was my favourite house of all time, but that's rather a bold statement to make, as I've seen a few others that could earn that special title ). It's located in a prestigious part of London called St. Johns Wood and I will have to do it in three parts as I have quite a few pictures and it is worthy of more than one post. Some of you will not like it at all and don't be afraid to say. I like to know what you all think. It is very over the top.
Well, here goes.....,.....
Part One....................



There is quite a bit going on in here but I think it captures Victorian splendour with a modern twist as it's still quite light but sumptuous. I don't think that I would have thought of putting a garden parasol in my living room, would you ? But, it works so well.


This is dining with elegance. I don't normally like pink but they have mixed two dusty, old rose chairs with the three grey chairs, which has just given the room some warmth.

This room combines lots of my favourite things. Massive Victorian windows, original shutters, old lace and wooden floorboards.

Beautiful old lace, beaded wall lights and washed white floorboards, and look at that ceiling !

And finally today for part one, how do you all fancy washing in this basin ? I hope that I haven't lost some of you as friends after sharing this house with you. It is a bit of a departure from the more Scandinavian, cleaner lines of yesterdays post but I think that we can all take elements of lots of different styles to make interesting living spaces, don't you ? This isn't what I would have. You would need a cleaner everyday 'cause I certainly wouldn't want to do it !! But it appeals to me so much. Must be the actress in me !!

I hope that you have enjoyed sharing this house with me and, for those of you who are not so keen on it, please come back and see me again, as I will show other rooms that you will like. I can't wait to hear what you all think.

Jackie

Heaven...... I'm in Heaven..........

Oh my goodness.Look at these... I want them all and I want them now !! Aren't they just wonderful ? It makes me want to redo the whole of my house. If only I was like Samantha in Bewitched !! That shows my age ! Oh well.... a girl can dream. I decided to take Renee Finberg's advice and make my images larger. What do you think, Renee.? Better ? Renee Finberg.blogspot.com I can just see this table groaning with food and wine and all of my best friends sitting round, chatting, Lovely. Who could ask for more?
I really love the massive mirrors, propped up against the wall. Rather like canvas' in an art gallery.

I'm not keen on whatever that is in the fireplace, but, each to their own !! The rest is fantastic.


Aren't the penguin books under one castor of the settee, in the picture above, a lovely touch ?
I'd really like to know what you all think about this ' all white ' look. Is it practical ? Lots of you have little ones out there who have sticky, chocolaty hands ( and big people too !! ).My children are all grown up now, and don't live at home anymore, but they were good when they lived here and I've always had whitish/cream, so I guess it works. My sister, Jill, has just painted her lounge off white. I shall see how she gets on with her grand daughter.These images are all from The Beach House Studio.

Jackie

Faded beauty..........

Michael Eastman

I know that none of us could really live like this but I just love it. I was always a lover of Miss Haversham in Great Expectations so it was inevitable that this look would appeal to me.
Country Living

Lots of you out there favour the ' all white' look, which I do, but I really LURVE this mellow yellow aged look. I think that some would think that it just looks tatty ( an English word ! ) but I obviously see through that.

I took this picture from somewhere a while ago now and I can't remember from whence it came but it just sums up faded beauty.

Love it !!

Homes and Gardens.

Again, very Miss Haversham. Do you think that I need help !!!!

Jackie

Back down the garden path..........

Just a little footnote to my last post. I think that you all might think that I haven't got a lot of colour in my garden.That's because firstly, I really like green and white gardens, with maybe a little pink. lilac and blue and secondly, my garden is north facing, therefore quite a lot doesn't grow but quite a lot does.Mainly Hostas, Ferns and green shrubs which is fortunate as I live in a Victorian house and Ferns and Hostas were very popular then ( and I like them ). That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!!!!

Jackie

Up the garden path..........

"Our England is a garden and such gardens are not made

By singing:- "Oh how beautiful" and sitting in the shade"

Rudyard Kipling, "The Glory of the Garden

I thought that, as we are having such a wonderful summer, you might like to see some photos of my garden.
I haven't done much gardening this week as it is too hot for anything too energetic !! Also,as you may remember, Wimbledon is on, so not a lot gets done in my house for this fortnight, but the weather is about to break and get a little cooler and Wimbledon finishes on Sunday, so, it will be back to normal and out into the garden.

Jackie

Shady places needed..........

The weather is getting hotter and hotter. It should reach 32C today so we need some shady places to retreat to so, what I thought was :

Breakfast

Coffee

Lunch


Afternoon tea

Dinner

Sleep

Well, that's my day planned. Hope you all have as good a day as I'm going to have !!

Jackie