Needing a lie down?

Veranda magazine

I do! One of the reasons I have not been around Blog land lately is because...I have started boot camp!!! and it hurts...LOTS! Last night I pulled my quad (front of thigh) muscle getting out of the car, then tonight felt 'pop' while running at boot camp. I am in loads of pain and need a good lie down....in any of these bedrooms please.

This one is just beautiful. There is only one thing in this space I am not into - that picture thing above the bed...sorry I don't get it. Every thing else is just right.

via brown button
The neutral palette and those beaded walls are magic!

phoebe howard
A well appointed room would make me feel better, and I could always have a rest on the sofa and a leg up on the sweet tufted ottoman.

via shannon fricke
My favourite things for a room. Louis sofa, quilted cover, chandelier, French doors, antique style urn, bust and white.
mary ruffle
...but maybe I will stick with something simple, uncluttered and restful...and the floors and grey throw are like whats in my own room. I am off to bed now...think healing thoughts for me. I have to go back to boot camp on Wednesday night...ouch.

Ness xx

Screaming Summer...

These images conjure up memories of Summer for me and as it is bitterly cold and raining here at the moment I thought you might like to warm up with me.
source A perfect porch? There is so much here to love for me and I remember playing on my Parents porch for hours, milking every bit of warmth from the Sun before it set.
source

A grassy backyard is always on my list of Summer loves. B-b-q's and Family gatherings and lazy Sundays laying on a blanket with my Sisters chatting was always special.

source

Seeing people spending time outside, sitting on their front porches and saying hi to all the kids as we rode our scooters along the pavement.
svettol
This doesn't really remind me of Summers past, but future ones.

source
One of my fondest memories of Family time in Summer was being at the Family holiday house at Vincentia, right by the ocean with sunburn (a no-no I know), lemonade Icy poles and smiles all around....ah Summer!

I hope you have all warmed up.

Ness xx

Carefree Citrus....

Country homes and interiors

A dream of mine is to have a glorious space like this on our veranda to ponder design ideas. I am not usually inclined to a lot of yellow (although it was my favourite colour as a younster), but I do love this space of citrus yellows. It just whispers Spring.

We are having a few glitches with the weather, and our French doors (which are leaking) which have to be sorted first. But, that's ok...It just gives me more time to work on my new/old Chaise and get it just right. I will take some photos of it as I hope to get a lot of it done this weekend.

Let's just pretend this is what the veranda looks like now!

Have a great day,

Ness xx

My Virtual Beach House...

As some of you know I am consulting on a beach house makeover that is underway. While I have been digging through files of images for inspiration to suit the owners needs, I have been wondering if we were to ever get a little, or big beach house, what would be the elements that I would want. So, I thought I would take you on a virtual tour through my head to my perfect beach house from front door to back...

I would imagine it to be either faded grey shingles or white board on the outside, with wide verandas and a few dormer windows to really take advantage of the sea breeze...a wildflower meadow would be wonderful also.

As you enter, you would be welcomed by a small feature table with a simple, but beautiful mirror over it, to check your beach hair for foreign objects! Simple black and white photos of Summers past would adorn the wall. Definitely white washed floors for carefree living throughout.

This beach house will be used all year, and I imagine the feel in winter to be still stylish, yet filled with lots of touchy fabrics in colours that mimic the palette of the ocean surroundings, sand, pebble, white and hints of black. Of course there would be a crackling fire to listen to as wonderful background noise to accompany the waves rolling in.
Come Summer time, we would welcome it in by throwing the doors open, putting away the quilts and pulling out aquas, faded blues and greens and picking the wild flowers from our field which has come to life.

An all white kitchen that has some interesting features will be a pleasure to cook in. Bin pull handles on the drawers and small knobs for the doors in a brushed aluminium, loads of wicker baskets, wicker blinds and hints of fresh blue and white china here and there.

Just off the kitchen, a little sitting area or breakfast nook to take in the ocean life while you ponder the Sunday papers and have your fresh fruit and muesli would be sublime.
A wonderfully fresh beaded board bathroom, with either reclaimed flagstone flooring or lime washed wood would be perfect for sandy feet to be cleaned. Loads of wicker and simple finishes everywhere else remind you of where you are.

Still, I can't go past a white claw foot to soak a long days swimming away.

In my vision, Mason and Declan share a room (they have there own in reality). It will have a feature wall behind there beds of faded, vintage style maps, loads of navy blue and white, more wicker and simple white linen. These beds are divine.

I must admit, our own bedroom is what I could imagine here in this virtual beach house. Except there would boat oars above the bed or a really peaceful and calm beach painting with straw colour grass swaying in the foreground.

My perfect outdoor room. Imagine having carefree Bar-b-ques and a glass of wine out here? I would take out the can lights (down lights) and just have hurricane lamps, candles and a white washed chandelier in this space.

..and what beach house would be complete with it's own boat ramp?

So, now I have made my wish list, I just have to wish to the beach house god's to grant me this exact home!!

Ness xx
images - 1.unknown, 2.Atlanta Bartlett, 3.Janie Hirsch, 4.BH&G, 5.Oliveaux, 6.Notebook, 7.BH&G, 8.All Things Blue, 9.Pottery Barn, 10.Ness Lockyer, 11.Porchlight Interiors (I think), 12. House Beautiful

Hydrangeas, dust and inspiration...

OK, for some of you this post may seem a bit 'all over the shop', but bear with me...there is a theme. Gardens and Hydrangeas. I have been looking for inspiration as you know for our garden (which currently resembles a dust bowl) and found images from favourite garden designer Katherine Field. If you want inspiration the check her site out...anyway, this house/garden below speaks to me so I had to show you.

Not only is the home divine...but there are Hydrangeas, Agapanthas, formal gardens...

...more Hydrangeas, urns, a brilliant pool...and green grass!
This below is a hint of what is happening with our veranda makeover-

See, no grass. Just a grey dust that cloaks anything that will stand still long enough to be covered when a puff of wind blows!!! Now you see why I needed this post today. I have no grass and it is raining. Also, we have just entered Autumn, which is one of my favourite times in the garden next to Spring. So, motivation is the key here.

My beloved Hydrangeas are in there last stages of beauty, before they turn into brown sticks for the Winter. I am going to have to cut some to savour them over the cold months.

This is the first year that this particular one was the colour it said on the tag!
...anyway...

I am looking for some designs that will kick off our garden. We don't have any pathways yet. I don't like hard concrete, but would settle for something that included grass in it like this, in a more random layout. We will have box hedges everywhere as well.

Since we have a large space to turn into a garden. I would really hope to have a little 'secret' space like this in a more cottage feel where I can cut flowers from to bring inside.
Maybe some paving for extra seating areas and a kids play space...with Hydrangeas of course

Now this idea is if we win lotto! A pool house, pool and spa, surrounded by Agapanthas, Hydrangeas and loads of green. The light fitting in the pool house is beautiful.

...but I will be happy to turn our dusty patch beside our veranda into a lush oasis that is filled with one of Dads' birdhouses on a pole, loads of box hedging, Agapanthas, a seating area, and ...Hydrangeas! What do you think?

Ness xx
all photos Katherine Field except #3,4,5...by me!

Outside Thoughts....

Now that our veranda is underway my thoughts have turned, naturally to the decorating of this space and the new garden beyond. I have been pouring through your blogs, Magazines and file photos to try and come up with a concept for it all. I have a rough plan as to how it will all go and have started sketching these spaces to keep me on track. We would love a place to sit with coffee and watch the kids and garden in the shade of our huge Sycamore tree.

Country Home Ideas

I am thinking more along the lines of padded or wicker seating as it would withstand our harsh weather here...and be comfy at the same time.

This is our little Crab Apple tree I planted out the backyard (Christmas 07, and it is triple the size now). We have decided to have a line of these down our driveway with a native grass (flax) or maybe Agapantha's. I has to be something low maintenance as our property is just over 3/4 of an acre. Underneath this tree I planted Lavender, Snow in Summer and Seaside daises, which have all done so well they will be making an appearance elsewhere in the new garden layout.

I love this tree and as it sheds to bare sculptural branches in Winter to let in the Winter sun, it is ideal....and it is oh so cute. I cant wait to be able to cut small branches of this to bring inside. I am a lover of formal gardens, although I do love casual wild looking areas too and would ultimately love a wild flower meadow somewhere.

Country Home Ideas
One of my Dads bird houses is being painted up to match the house. It will be hoisted on to a pole to sit in between our Hydrangeas. Although I am loving the Star Jasmine version too. maybe I will have one in the backyard like this also...

...this is for certain. I have already got my cross wire supports with jasmine growing up them along one of the back entrance fences. I have put skinny pines at intervals along them with Sea Side Daisies in the front. I want it to bush up like this....now!

Le Forge
An Architectural piece like these iron gates would be superb somewhere. I imagine them in a corner part of the yard, leading you on to another secret section, or with mirrors behinds the bars to reflect and open up a space, maybe hiding something ugly like the bins.

Le Forge
One thing we want somewhere is a water feature. Maybe something formal like a beautiful Urn surrounded by clipped box hedges, or something more natural looking like a rock water fall...with hedges. I love low box hedging.

Mic has taken a photo of the Paul Bangay book I want to help with the garden makeover as I love how he he uses mainly green in the garden with out a lot of flowers. If I win the lottery however, Mr Bangay will be coming to do it all himself!!

Ness xx

Veranda Update...

BEFORE

We have an update on the progress of our front Veranda. This is what it looked like when it was newish...very cute and cottagey, but over the years the poor carpentry skills of the Builder who made it showed. Railings falling out, wood rotting from the poor supports under and those kopper logs used as support post starting to get huge cracks and generally not looking too pretty.

DURING

This was the Veranda with the first coat of paint on and before the door was done and posts replaced...looking better....

AFTER

OK, so it's not the best shot, but you can see what's going on I hope.
We decided not to replace the railing as it opened up the front so much and we also opened up the view from inside. A new garden along the front (still in progress) of European Box, and twisted pines (soon) and some seaside daisies to soften it all up and I think it is a great improvement.

We are still doing some finishing jobs under the roof, and I still have to dress the front, once the floor is painted the charcoal on the door, but I can't get over how grown up it makes our home look. Not like a doll's house at all anymore.
You can see our new wicker roman blinds here, which we have everywhere else as well!

I hope the little pines grow fast, so I can whip them into shape like this one. We still have a lot to do in the garden...I have been enjoying pottering about out there now that the boy's are a little older, so hopefully it will all take shape soon.

Here is the lovely charcoal colour on our front door I was talking about in a previous post. I think it looks lovely against the warm grey and white.

You can actually see a lot more of the detail from our old stain glass door now.

...and it looks wonderful with our Christmas wreath. I am still deciding on the urns as Mum bought me 2 wooden planters (you know the square ones with tounge and groove panels and little balls on the 4 corners?) that I was thinking of painting white for my little topiaries...hmm!

Ness xx