It's all there in black and white

I am having a long and constant love affair with black and white colour schemes. As much as I love the freshness of a blue and white colour scheme (see here), I cannot go past the subtle sophistication of the black and white palette.


But I like a softly softly approach. No harsh big blocks of black for me...I like lots of white, with just little dashes of black here and there to add interest and depth. Take this picture below. An essentially all white room, with just one black cushion and a soft and subtle black and white patterned floor. Dreamy and delicious.


Now this is another look I love - black and white warmed up with a gorgeous, worn wooden floor and table. Perfection!



I love this carefully constructed vignette below - the white, black and soft greys artfully tie these objects together.

I love this striking effect.

Black and white often benefits from a bit of colour. Loving the dash of colour injected by the Chinese canisters on top of this cupboard, below.

Here, a touch of green is added to the otherwise all black and white scheme for an extra bit of interest and texture.

Love this little vignette below, where even the candles are black.

I'm not normally a great fan of patterns, but the simplicity of this room (below) complements the bold, graphic pattern on the couch beautifully.

More gorgeous black and white patterns below. This look is conjuring up images of a sophisticated safari to me.

Images 1 Anders Schonnemanns via Desire to Inspire 2 Skona Hem 3 Country Living 4 Living etc 5 Notebook magazine 6 & 7 Morten Holtum 8 Real Living 9 Skona Hem 10 Day Birger et Mikkelson via Purple Area

Want to see more of my black and white loves? Visit this post here.

Best wishes,

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

There are three companies I know of that specialise in selling all things white. The first is London's The White Company - the original and the best. They sell high quality products, all white or pale toned - right up my alley.

Here's what's on my wishlist from the The White Company. First up is crisp white cotton sheets (see above). Great sheets are a true luxury you can enjoy everyday. But I'm also wanting....

......at least three of these simple, ribbed glass votives.....

.....some gorgeous fragrant oils for the bath, so beautifully packaged I probably couldn't bear to open them......

......a mother of pearl bowl, just because I love mother of pearl. This would look great on a small table in a bedroom, filled with a string of freshwater pearls......

....a peony-scented white candle.......

....and finally, some beautifully scented laundry products, to turn the mundane and everyday into a pleasurable ritual.

There are two Australian online companies that have followed The White Company's lead and specialised in all things white and pale. They don't have anywhere near the same breadth of products, but still offer some interesting items. First up is White Home. I'll take this silver platter......

....or perhaps this one instead. Imagine it holding a group of candles of different heights and votives....

....a wickedly indulgent cashmere throw, for when those afternoons reading on the lawn gets a little chilly.....

....and a white butler's tray. Always come in handy.

Last but not least we have Whiteport. Here's what's on my wishlist from this company....

......some soft-toned candlesticks.....

....a grouping of white jugs......

.....and a vintage-style clock.


Now I would be a happy woman if I got any one of these products.

Know of any other companies that specialise in white? If you do then let me know.

Black magic

I love all-white schemes. The Swedes do them so well. But there's something about a dash of black that really adds oomph to a room. But in my opinion, a little black goes a long way.

Not sure where I found this first picture, but I'm loving the stripes. Take away the black accents in this room and you would be left with a pretty dull look.



Black metal tolix chairs paired with an all white kitchen and some grey accents....I'm in heaven! Image from Skona Hem.

Great metal lamp. Really pops against the black wall. Image from Restoration Hardware.

I'm mad about these paintings - inspired by old tram route rolls. Image from Sam McAdam.

Gorgeous entry by Stephen Knollenburg as featured in Architectural Digest.

This is desk perfection. I wouldn't want to mess it up by doing some real work here though! Image from Living Etc.

Not sure where I found this little gem. A little greenery really lifts it.

As I write, the rain is pelting down outside on my tin roof, a wonderful sound. The rain is a welcome relief after such a dry season. So if it continues, I might just be having a cozy little weekend at home. Whatever you do, I hope you have a great weekend!