Ina Garten...Now THIS is a barn!!!

After lots of emails from you all about the latest issue of House Beautiful and the amazing Ina Garten aka The Barefoot Contessa's barn in the Hampton's, you know I had to look for more.

A barn and the Hampton's...now that's me!

Ina's barn has been built on her stunning East Hampton's estate and would do most of us as the main home. The exterior is not like a barn at all. Lets have a look!

Is this not the most amazing kitchen/dinning area you have ever seen? An 18 foot long counter was designed with the master cooks favourite passion in mind and Ina didn't do the normal designing elements for a kitchen like the triangle and the textbook spacing of the counter tops...both of which she says don't work...and Ina would know!

The paint colour on the wall of this Belgian inspired barn is Farrow & Ball's 'Light Gray' and the counter top is a Petite Fossil Belgian Stone. The gorgeous cupboard in the background is Axel Vervoordt.

Ina says that the fireplace is without a mantel because it would have been too decorative. I love that at the end of the day, it is a barn, not the main house and the temptation to fit it out like a house would have been so hard, but she held out to keep the Belgian feel of the space.

OMG!!!

...yep, a serious chef lives here.
Gorgeous, serene...

The table is a 17th century French table and the linens are by the amazing company Frette.

I like that there is no artwork above the bed.
Stripe rugs must be a Hampton's staple, and I like it. The restrained palette is just gorgeous and Ina worked with Robert Stilin to create this oh so perfect barn. What a great pair...maybe she can add Decorator to her resume!

How about this for a relaxing space!? simply adorned with a little Olive tree in a mossy terracotta pot, stool, white towels and soaps this would be a welcome haven after a long day over a hot oven!

The outdoor areas don't let the interior down either. The wall sconces and lamps are by Greg Yale and the 1920's rattan chairs just ooze Hampton's style. Ina has planted the trees around the barn in no straight lined formations, like a lot of homes will do. As Ina says, if the trees are planted randomly and close to the home, they seem like they have always been there.

This image shows Ina's stunning main house through the trees and this new barn compliments it sweetly. Everything Ina and Architect, Frank Greenwald have achieved here is just perfect. And the 'barn' now takes over as the place to film, cook, write and create magic that only The Barefoot Contessa can do.
Ina, if you need someone to watch the barn while you are abroad...just call me =0)
Ness xx
All images - House Beautiful

Barn Lady...

I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who emailed and left comments about my quest for a store/barn. I really do appreciate this support and especially the comments from those of you who own barn stores like this one from the lovely Cathleen Alyce from Vintage Home lifestyle blog. This barn is on her property which she opens as 'Barn Sale' every so often (like the pop-up idea from Tricia Foley I like so much). This give her time to scour items and fill the barn for the next event...I am loving this idea and I could do this on our property =0)

The barn is filled with big furniture pieces and small and all have that lovely palette that I adore so much.

Cathleen's barn is amazing and to find out when the next event is on click HERE. I have so many barn stores to look at from the emails that I may have more to show soon.

Now to find some old pailings to line ours with.....

Ness xx

Shop Hunting...barn style!

Today I went to view this barn with a friend who is looking at the property as a whole. She asked me to come along for styling/ design advice as she has other plans for the property and knows how much I yearn for a little store of my own.

I think this barn is amazing. This is the back entrance, which is beautiful in its own right. Inside it is a barn like any other...but I can imagine the space filled already. I know, with my luck finding a shop has been near impossible - but I can dream...right!!?

Something like Tricia's would be perfect for me.

This is the outside of Tricia's beautiful barn and the image that really sent me over the edge!
For those of your that might not know what I mean...let me explain.
This is where it all started, back in early 2008. My Sister and I were looking to rent this Victorian building, she was going to run the Cafe/ restaurant and I was going to open my store in this little shop you see...it was perfect. Great street frontage, not overly big to start with and I had imagined this shop as mine for about 4 years...need less to say, it is still not ready to go and I gave up! I should have been in there a year this month!!
Then there was this one, virtually half a minute from our home and with main road frontage.

Inside was even better than the first shop, yeah it would take more to fill, but I had quite a bit of vintage furniture to fill it with. Anyway...now it is a movie hire store.
Maison Reve, a store I adore in the States is what I had visions of for the above shop. I have had this in my shop file for a while and every time I look at it, it just makes me want it even more.

Images like this shop are basically teasing me to go ahead and do it, open my little dream shop and stop worrying about how much foot traffic, global credit blunders and woes the world has.

Even if I didn't have a permanent shop, a pop-up store keeps springing to mind and images like this...
..and this call to the bargain hunter in me to go gather old wares, re purpose and give them new life and sell as an seasonal thing.

..but the idea of that permanent shop is something I can do my consulting, styling and sewing ventures in. A home away from home, filled by all things that I love and hopefully others who visited would too. Windows like this don't help!
After walking around this property today and through the gorgeous gardens that envelope the barn and home, my friend and I spent a full day working out details for her plans for the property/house...

..and my plans for this barn.

As the story goes, nothing may come of this, but it would be nice to have this little barn all dressed in white and full of candles, soft furnishings, old furniture, little topiary box plants, lots of linen and my own products - and just a few kilometers from home.

If anyone out there has gone through anything like this, I would love to hear about it...it might make me feel better.

Ness xx

Is this it???

...the store I have longed for all this time?

Let me explain.

The ever inspirational and uber talented Tricia Foley who has long been one of my all time favourite designers turned this lovely barn from a dark, damp outbuilding into...
...her gorgeous studio.
Now, I loved this project and admired Tricia's use of the space. A multi tasking area that could be turned into a wonderful entertaining area (complete with projector screen for those Summer popcorn movie nights) or spare guest quarters at a whim, then back to her work space.

Recently, Tricia re-invented the barn into a seasonal store she called The New General Store. A mainly Summer and Fall extravaganza of local produce, natural home remedies and lots of style.

How does this apply to me? Well, we so happen to have a outbuilding which we use as an entertaining space in the warmer months (it needs a little work) and I have often thought how great it would be if I could use it somehow as my Interiors/Home wares store.

Some of you will know that I was meant to open my little shop last year and because of things out of my hands...it never happened. I was not happy. It hasn't stopped me wondering "How do I get this thing going"?

I have been sketching non-stop since the shop was first on the drawing board. Things like what it would look like, how it would be laid out, even to the packaging had been designed.

Simple ideas like hand written signs, like these from Tricia's store.
I have often thought it would be lovely to have local plants and products to sell and seeing we are in a tourist country town and our little shed is in a prime stopping spot, and I can work my own hours (even seasonally), no rent, baby sitters/child care etc...it just makes more sense.
Now, Tricia's store is a market of sorts and others can sell their bounty on her property. I don't have that in mind...too much red tape. I am loving the idea of Summer tables of produce and home wares based around a very simple and natural colour palette of white (of course), wood, wicker and fresh greenery...like this shot. The colours that will sit with any decor, no matter how funky or classic.
You know from my recent project post that I am a fan of the blackboard and the fact that I love calligraphy just seem to go hand in hand for shop signs don't you think?
We actually have a little wood fired bread shop here in town. It would be lovely to have them wrapped in brown paper and natural twine, sold from big chunky fisherman's baskets!


Here is the inside of Tricia's barn.

My type of interior for a shop. White painted shelves, lots of texture, hemp and burlap, vintage items, wicker, flowers, iron stone, glassware...you get the drift.

So there it is. I have just shared my longest dream with you - to have a store of my own.

Good night,

Ness xx
all images - Tricia Foley

A Gorgeous Barn

Hi all,

Today I found this old picture of Maggie Tabberer's Barn in the Southern Highlands NSW. The photo is so old she may have sold by now. I think it is the sweetest little (ish) thing. The interior though is so stylish, like the owner that I put this lovely chair of hers in as well.

Thanks again to Alison at http://www.froufroufashionista.blogspot.com/ and to my buddy Shell for your recent comments, they are always welcome. I will let you know about the bags too, Shell.

I think tomorrow I will have a day off as I have ALOT of sewing & painting to catch up on. Saying that though, I am addicted to blogging and may not be able to stay away. Hope everyone has a great day...Ness xx