As an artist you can imagine I have loads of favourites. They range from Renaissance right through to surrealism and street art. I just love it all and delight at seeing the talent in each of them...I get excited, sorry! As I blog I will slowly show you this huge range of favourites, but for now these will get the ball rolling. The image above is by the beautiful Maggie Taylor, it is called I'm all grown up now and is from a series which is influenced by Alice in Wonderland. I love her work. She usually paints solitary people/animals and has done a gorgeous range without any beings..I am going to buy some prints of those.

Rome Metro - Jeffrey Smart

This is by Australian Artist, Jeffrey Smart, who was one of the main influences for my major work. His scenes are very urban and he also paints solitary figures in most of his works. Geopoliticus Child - Salvador Dali

This is another of my major work influences, Salvador Dali. This man is a genius! Surrealism at its best...a master of the brush. I don't even need to explain.

Soft Watch At The Moment Of First Explosion - Salvador Dali

Another great painting. Everyone seems to recognise the melting clocks..I love them. Well that was an introduction to my vast array of favourite Artists. Sorry if I raved on a bit.

Ness xx

Today I love...

...a simple arrangement of crisp, white flowers in a big glass vessel...
this amazing "Concrete Wallpaper", yep that's right! The first one would look amazing on the floor in the shop. I found this via the cool hunter which is a great site to find out all the latest in decorating. A wonderful Interior Designer, Blainey North uses it all the time for inspiration, well worth the visit.
image - jeannedarcliving

This French post sack would make a great Santa sack don't you think, instead of one of those mooky looking red and green felt $2 ones. Some style for Christmas.

image - capture the castle

and some of these hauntingly beautiful candle lanterns for my outdoor room too...please! That's all for today. xx

Sublime Outdoors..and French Doors!

Outdoors is something of an illusion, a fairytale here in Tasmania at the moment. F-reezing! I can't bear to take out the bin in the morning until about 11am. Anyway I wanted to show you these beautiful outdoor areas. This one is to show my Mum and Dad the French Doors that I want to encircle our home when the wrap-around Veranda is done...they are the exact ones Mum! I could imagine these on our house and basking in the sun for a casual breakfast, watching the boys play...in Summer!!
The great Queenslander. To those of you that have never seen one, it is a stately old home with glorious fretwork and high ceilings, in the tropics of Australia with huge verandas that are extremely deep and very high off the ground to let the breeze circulate and cool things down. Some people even have their bedrooms out here. You can basically create another home on your veranda. Wicker , white and Palms always work in these homes I think.
French Doors, French Bistro chairs and a stone table. An outdoor retreat to die for. Just don't forget the ticking.
A wooden dining setting...you can't go wrong. The more weather beaten, and sun bleached the better. It is a patina you can not recreate. Terracotta abounds here, filled with Lavender, Magnolia and a standard...gorgeous! Love the cheese dish too.

xx

all images from my LOVE file... Home Beautiful , Aust country Style and Porchlight Interiors

How come European/Scandinavian design is so beautiful?
I have totally fallen in love with Jeanne Darc Living, especially this coffee table. The whole site is stunning with all things white, dreamy and very well put together. Could you imagine this room filled with candlelight? Iron grilles on the windows are a nice touch too, instead of fussy window treatments, and my favourite...white floors!

A statement for an office. Beautiful, whimsical pieces abound here, like the #9 (which I may have to get), gorgeous lamp and statue. The white table is similar to my own office table (although I just scrapped all the white paint off the top).
On closer inspection here, you can see the detail on the shelf, with its little hooks and the ever-so lovely whitewash effect. That lamp is really, really nice. I quite like the letter rack, too!
Oh, my. Day beds and small iron cots are totally in my head at the moment. We are working on one at the moment for a display piece for the shop, not as lovely as this one though. I always think it doesn't matter how old or mismatched anything is, it always comes together with white, paint or linen, and a hint of green works too.
This shoe cupboard is divine..too nice for shoes, definitely a linen or a dining cupboard for me. Beautiful on its own, but add a rustic garden trug, small vase of greenery, white ironstone and finish it off with a vintage-looking wreath and you have a Nordic looking display for your favourite corner....mmmm enjoy. xx

Idyllic Days

Beautiful Bunting...no party should do without it (Ithink).

I have been chatting to a family member about getting Married (it's OK I won't tell S!), and it got me thinking about how I would go about it now 10 years after our own soiree. All of these photos are by a beautiful party/wedding plan team, Idyllic Days.
The team uses vintage tea cups, candle sticks, buckets...basically whatever they find that is vintage and beautiful to make stunning displays.
This is from a London Wedding they have done, full of glamour and sparkle, with glass candlesticks and vases...and lots of roses.
I love this shot with the bunting in the back, mismatched tea cups and saucers and blooms that you would find in Grannies garden, all displayed on crisp white linen, in a big white tent...divine.
This bucket of Hydrangeas is from another wedding of theirs which was a country affair. I could imagine these at the entrance to the altar in a field of Daisies with black and white cows in the distance. Hurry up S, so I can help!!!
Ness xx
photos- idyllic days, Mayne and Holloway

James Bartholomew

Fresian Cows

Boats of St Ives

I wanted to show you these delightful art works by the talented James Bartholomew. He hails from the UK and has won many awards, Fresian Cows having won quite a lot of awards is one of my favourites. I could imagine this in an all white kitchen with a big enamel tub of Hydrangeas and roses close by. I just think his use of colour and his painting style is beautiful.

Ness xx

Seeing Stars

I have fallen in love with these star cushions from the lovely site Par Courrier as well as the beautiful layouts they use in their photos. That tripod light I have posted on before, click HERE to have a look. I think these cushions would look lovely on a boys bed as well as a white lounge. Look out, I may have to buy some for the boys rooms.

Have a great Weekend xx

A true Master

Introducing (well not really) another of my favourite Designers, Nancy Fishelson.

How can you not love this Woman? Not only does she decorate with my favourite palette of neutrals and white, she also uses a lot of vintage pieces. Most of which you can pick up at an op shop, auction etc. Nancy keeps the scheme calm and unfussy while creating a place the whole family can live comfortably with. She is one of the Masters.

Ness xx

...and so to bed

Aahh! Fresh white 100% linen sheets on a fresh white bed. This bedhead is beautiful, and the touches of black in the room give it a sophisticated feel. So lovely for a winter nap.
This bed looks like it could be against an unused fire mantel and the warm colours are so inviting.
Pretty without being to over done. A little hint of pink and red stops the look being cold (not sure about the purple lamp base though).
This room is divine, my cup of tea. A bit of vintage, not too girly, not to manly and a touch of 1920's travel with the suitcases as a bed side table.
Now here we have full on glamour with a blue theme. This reminds me of a Hollywood stars boudoir, full of drama and romance....enjoy. xx

images courtesy of point click home

I Desire....

This beautiful chair and footstool would be lovely as I am not well and feeling a little burnt out..
How divine is this bed head? I can imagine this in a Cape Cod style house overlooking the sea.
A stunning entry piece to store THOSE shoes, of course in white and rattan..
a gorgeous bed for our beautiful Border Collies...
and a Cape Cod dolls house, not that I have a Girl, I just always wanted a beautiful dolls house like this for Barbie. Hope everyone is well. xx

images- Riviera Maison

French Country

French Country in Canada has the sweetest store front that I have seen in a while, and as I am now planning the shop lay out I have had this slight!! fixation with store fronts and layouts...sad I know. The planter boxes outside is something I was planning on our store front. I think I will have an old black bike with a basket of flowers instead.
This utterly divine wire and paper piece is called 'La Chateau' and is available through French Country it even has little bistro chairs and table inside..how cute. I can imagine that they are not cheap though.
Here is a find of mine that looks the part and didn't cost a bomb. This is a canvas style print, is backed with red velvet and only cost me $1.98 each. Needless to say I bought a whole stack of them. This one is in my Kitchen above my bench. People always wonder how much it cost me and just about die when I tell them...
Here is another of my $1.98 finds. It is here in the office (sorry about the skew-if photo). My Mum must have bought one of every print they had as she took bags full back with her from Tassie (much to Dads horror) and passed them out among my Sisters. See, style doesn't have to cost a fortune...xx

images-french country, ness lockyer.

Nordic White

This gorgeous home on the Danish Coast is filled with shades of white, silver and warm wood which fits so well with the Colonial house that envelopes it.
This beautiful table is by Christian Liaigre, as well as the footstools. I think this goes so well with the Shabby Chic lounges from the States and the white floors.
This Kitchen is simple but divine with the American Squareback 1106 Aluminium Chairs from 1932. The concrete floors were grooved while wet to look like floorboards...love it. Double Butler sinks to hide all the cleanup while you entertain would be bliss.
In the Guestroom which is housed in the attic under vaulted ceilings, is a antique iron bed which is dressed in only white linens to keep the space light and paired with simple sea shell prints which mirror what is found out the front door by the wooden boat ramps.
The main bedroom is understated chic. This beautiful mirror is another piece by Christian Liaigre. The whole Home is stunning and I wish I could show you more.

Ness xx