Bring on Winter

I am a winter girl and just love bundling up in big coats and boots. Somehow it is much easier to look elegant and stylish when there isn't sweat dripping down your face.
Even though we are a season behind the rest of the world (and don't have that much of a winter to speak of) we still embrace it as much as someone south of the equator can!! With that in mind I came across these stunning images by photographer Jaques Dequeker he does the MOST amazing photographs.
So here are some absolutely to die for fashion to put us in the mood!!!

Love this one absolutely gorgeous!!

 My favourite
 This is such a fantastic image love it!!

I must say these images put my snow outfits to shame!
Melinda x

Sig Bergamin

I was knocked sideways when I saw Sig Bergamin's work on Stuart Membery's blog and then Anna from Anna Spiro featured it as well. I am seriously in love!!! All of it embodies what I love most in an interior space. Clean Canvas of white with stunning architectural features of Soaring Raked ceilings and  heaps of natural light streaming in, eclectic mix of interesting pieces (seemingly) gathered from all corners of the world, layers upon layer of textures and prints that just sing in glorious jewel colours and last but not least a gorgeous injection of natural elements:- Jute, cane, wood and palm trees, my ever present friend.


love the beaded chair and the ottomans....well love it all really!!

What is not to love. This is exactly the direction Lily G is heading!!! More authentic and relaxed, more of a  global look to reflect a global ethic. Have a happy weekend!!     

His apartment in NYC again gorgeous!!

Tribal inspirations

We just received all our beautiful beaded Tiffin boxes and cuffs from Ruby Star and are totally besotted.
The workmanship and detail is gorgeous.
We are injecting a wee bit of Tribal/Moroccan influence into the store and all my customers are sooo excited. We can't keep up with the demand. It is an aesthetic that quickly infuses an exotic and eclectic touch to your home without changing everything.    


Gorgeous Cuffs with Turquoise have just arrived.

Our Fabulous new boxes all beaded with shells.

 Speaking of gorgeous i found this on my new favourite Blog American Gypsy Living These divine pieces are very similar to chairs that we are able to source. They are the simply stunning and revered Bokja design and I am in love.

Love the deer in the room and all the pinks

Again my favourite at the moment pink and turquoise

 Beautiful pouffes coming in any day!!

Kathy Irelands bedroom is stunning

 Another Bokja piece which is beyond divine!!!

 Love this beaded Turquoise Chandelier

Want to be sitting here and look at that stunning Apothecary Urn in BLUE!!!!

Happy Home

We were thrilled to see our work in last months Woman's Weekly with the Gorgeous Nicole Kidman on the cover.  So it was with surprise and delight that this month's Woman's Weekly featured our friend Sharnels stunning home.  We are very fortunate to be in Brisbane surrounded by so many talented and generous women. The super talented and amazing Anna Spiro decorated Sharnel's house and I can tell you from first hand experience it looks even better in real life!!!  I met Anna for the first time the other week and she was engaging and lovely and very down to earth for someone that has had sooo much success.
Sharnel is a gorgeous lady with the most stunning home (and amazing party styling business) and we were delighted to see products that Sharnel had purchased from Lily G featured in the shoot, our Bungalow cushions, Pimm's chair, Christopher Farr cushions and of course The beautiful summery  Verandah House Bangalow furniture all looked stunning.  We have Verandah House's furniture pride of place in our front window and the response has been wonderful!  As a retailer I try and support local talented people (especially women) and will be (in the up coming weeks)  showcasing Verandah House amongst others in a "spotlight" feature in my blog.

I must say it makes me so happy to see houses in print again that have a bit of warmth and life to them. I for one am tired of seeing in our "major magazines" minimalistic flat packed homes with no heart or soul to them. A home should be multi layered and have depth like the people that live in them, not mono dimensional show places that have no personal imprint.  I know at Lily G both Natalee and I,  not only as Interior Designers, Decorator's and Stylists but also as consumers and avid magazine purchasers both   gravitate towards warmth, natural fibres and lovely light in a home. The cozy spaces that look lived in and loved, not slick and sanitary rooms which wouldn't be out of place in a science lab. Maybe a few of the big interior magazine's in Australia are overlooking one massive part of their demographic and are just focusing on couples without the burden of kids and all their encumbrances?!?! Just Saying.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend. I'm off to my lovely friends place for a BBQ and a swim date with our son's.
Melinda x
ps remember our huge car park sale Saturday 5th March. You may well be able to pick yourself up a Pimm's chair at a lovely price.

Sharnel has our lovely Pimm's chair out on her back deck (the cushion is in Christopher Farr Fabric and is Divine!!!)  Just perfect for lazing with a book while watching the kids play in the pool.  This chair is full Rattan and sooo gorgeous with removable foot stool. So Raffles!!

Gorgeous Bungalow cushions all colours and styles available at Lily G as well as The Bangalow Furntiure which we have in white as well.

Here is our Bangolow chair which we have covered in this amazing outdoor fabric. We have sourced the most amazing outdoor fabrics which are leaps and bounds beyond the old canvas stripes that were available in the past.  Love the Trellis fabric contrast.

Top two photo's from Simon Kenny at Content Agency, 3rd photo from Me at Lily G!!

Vanilla Salon

As I wrote the other day, we have just completed a great job in The James St Precinct. Vanilla Salon is owned and run by Phil and Rodney and they are a hilarious couple with an amazing sense of style and flair.
The brief for the job was a total refit to give the salon a new and exciting look. I can tell you it was looking a little down at the heel and needed some TLC.  Phil and Rodney had a clear view of what they wanted....think Tom Ford Glamour, think gorgeous lighting, think divine accessories, think......Pink Chairs!??!!  The salon was equipped with Pink Chairs and it was too a big a cost to replace them so we had to work them into the project.  The boys also were very strict on budget so it was going to take a lot of initiative and inventiveness on our part.
Natalee was probably 2 weeks into the job working out tiles, paint colour etc when we got a call from Phil saying that it had to be finished in 1 week as Vogue Magazine were going to feature the salon in the magazine!!!

To say the stress levels were at maximum is an understatement!! We had carpenters, painters and tilers all there as quickly as possible and what was going to be a slow and steady job became the fastest turn around Lily G has ever done!! Seriously if it had been a TV show it would have been hysterical....How to flip that Salon sounds good!! Anyway it is all done and The Vogue shoot went brilliantly. Natalee worked her butt off and now we will just wait for The Vogue Magazine to come out so we can see it in print as we sip champagne while getting our hair done at Vanilla Salon!


BEFORE!!!

Big silver and Charcoal stripes had to go

Mismatched papers and no continuity

Storage space needed

Dark carpet and decor making everything oppressive

This was the overall feel of the salon; Dark, Cramped and dated decor

VOILA!!!!! New, Clean, Bright, Glamorous and fresh!!!!

We had beautiful panelling put on the walls to give the space character and mini acorn chandeliers were used alternating with modern globes.

Busy Wednesday

After having a fabulous time at all the trade fairs down in Sydney, it was back to the grindstone this week with lots of finalisations of fabrics and finishes for jobs we have on the go at the moment. We have just finished a gorgeous fit out at Vanilla Hair Salon in James Street in New Farm it looks amazing and I will post before and after's tomorrow.
Today was busy with some deliveries from overseas that we have been waiting on for a very long time, very exciting to open packages for goods you ordered months ago.....almost like seeing them for the first time again. So now we are up to our eyeballs in boxes again, therefore the car park sale is needed even more urgently so we can make room for all the fabulous new pieces! Don't forget if you are in Brisbane it's on the 5th March from 8am!
Today also was a lovely day for me on the shop floor, seeing lots of reps and talking to my delightful customers.
I am always surprised at the amount of people that read my blog. I sometimes Pratter on for ages never actually appreciating that people are actually reading my little ramblings! Well I met a lovely customer today called Judy who said she was "addicted" to my blog and that all her friends at work were as well! That was very flattering and humbling to me. The fact that people take the time to read what I have written is an honor and I have promised her that I will write more often and she will hold me to it....so Judy this blog is for you, hope you enjoy it :) Melinda

Expect Great Things To Happen!!

As you all know it has been a year since I took hold of the reigns here at Lily G.
It has been a year of excitement, creativity, tears, mistakes, growth, a few too many grey hairs and the added joy of an extra 5 kilo's that have decided to join me on my travels!
Similar to the passing of New Year's Eve every year I think anniversaries of any type afford a moment of reflection and resolutions. A perfect time to mend our ways, make lifestyle changes, set goals and acknowledge accomplishments and failings.


With that in mind.....
I have for some time now been pondering some fundamental issues within my business.
I want and have always wanted Lily g to be more of a lifestyle store with a more organic and environmentally sound mission statement.
My big size 10's leave enough of a mark on this earth without my business leaving a hefty one as well.
Sooooo I'm making big changes here at Lily G..... Evolve or perish??? No....But Evolve and Flourish is something that I firmly believe in!!!
So Lily G as you know it is changing; with New Products, a new look and a new vibe.   More user friendly with a better and more interactive website, a fun shopping experience that my clients and customers can have more involvement in and also a highly functioning business that (as much as possible) brings to the consumer a high level of ethical practices, with more responsible purchasing for sustainable practices and a greener shop.
But this does not mean that Lily G is going all Hippie! (not that there's anything wrong with that ) I just think when making a buying or business decision that (where possible) I will make the decision that impacts the least on resources and leaves the least impact on the environment.
We will still keep the intrinsic beauty that Lily G is renowned for, but from now on my purchases will be more ethically motivated.

So I have set myself goals and have a few steps to take to kick Lily G into the 21st Century.

First step: hold One of The Massive Car Park Sales that Lily G is famous for. So stay tuned and I will give you more info soon. If you are not on our mailing list get on our web site at www.lilyg.com.au to register. I will also be posting some of the divine items we are putting on sale in the following weeks.

Second step: moving my Interior Design department down stairs and letting our customers interact with the decorating/design department. Promote the beautiful and ever expanding range of organic and environmentally conscious fabrics that are being produced. Show case ethically motivated products that help sustain local villagers and craft people. Motivate wholesaler by my purchasing power to consider environmentally friendly products. Well try any way :)

 Third step: Ask for advise from the most important factor in this business.....You!!! What ethical practices to you admire? What do you want from your shopping experience? How can we improve your Lily G experience?

O.K that's probably more than enough for now, got to keep some things under my belt. Keep tuned for the amazing changes and Expect Great Things To Happen!!!

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has" Margaret Mead


Have a great day
Melinda

Happy Birthday Harry and Happy 1st Anniversary to me!!!

Today is My son Harry's birthday he is 8!!! I can't believe how quickly the time has passed.

And today it is 1 year to the day since I took over at Lily G. I have learnt so much and enjoyed myself every step of the way! Over the year I have had so many positive and up lifting experiences with the most lovely clients and customers.
It is always hard taking over a business and there is always going to be the enevitable comparisons between the old owner and the new. I can only say what a wonderful and positive journey it has been for me. I look forward to many more years and many more blogs in the future.
We have so many lovely jobs on the go at the moment and we have been lucky enough to be noticed by several magazines (which will also be out soon).
So for everyone that has supported, believed and promoted me. Thank You
And for everyone else...x

New York State of Mind

Me Hanging in Central Park.

Have bike will shop!!

Here's Natalee Waiting for the Jitney to take us back to NYC

I often get asked about our thrilling trip to New York that we took last year. Natalee and I had 2 fabulous weeks in New York City and East Hampton's which consisted of serious work (that's for you Mr Tax Man )  some great Interior Stalking and plenty of high end cultural immersion (Well we met Bradley Cooper!!!) One of the main reasons we went was to etch out a rough itinerary for The New York/Hampton's trip we want to develop as a yearly trip for Lily G Clients. We have already been inundated with interest and it seems a big girly trip to The Big Apple and The Hampton's is just what You ladies want!! Husbands/Kids not invited (sorry) but if we are going to go it's going to be serious girl bonding and shopping and star spotting (I seem to have a knack for that :)) eating and shoe obsessing trip!!! We will be touring through some of the most gorgeous Hampton's homes and staying and eating at all the secret little places that tourists never get to see!!

So while thinking about this endeavour (which will hopefully take place August this year) I was looking at the photo's from the trip and came across the photo's of The Maidstone Hotel  a lovely boutique hotel with the most fabulous interiors, it is whimsical with a happy saturation of Scandinavian influence in the way of Josef Frank fabrics. I have tried to source this amazing fabric in Australia and may have to ship it over because I love love love it!!

!

The front steps of The Maidstone.

This is the cosiest little space in real life. Sheep skin, Cow skin, it's all happening here.

Of course Ingrid Bergman adorns the Powder Room. Shrine to The Swedish Actress

Love these chairs....

More of Josef Frank's fabric from High Heeled foot in the door

This Too Shall Pass.....But while it last's......

I have so much to talk about at the moment. So many things that have transpired in my life (both personally and professionally) since my last blog. I have been through the full gamut of emotions and boy has it been one strange and heartbreaking ride. So many tragedies from the flood devastation so much show of courage and human compassion., The community bonds that have been indelibly formed from this surreal occurrence. Brisbane is not a town that experiences much adversity we are quite blessed with little or no hiccups in our happily sun filled existence. But it is in the face of adversity and hardship that people's true worth is revealed.

Personally I have been overwhelmed by the kindness of people that were once merely acquaintances and their show of support and compassion ensures that they have now become trusted and  deeply appreciated friends.

I am not a writer. I do love words and don't mind a ramble. But the Floods have been written about over and over. I will be forever moved from the experience and I know I didn't even get near the surface of seeing what my fellow Queenslanders have been through. But I deeply hurt for them and I have donated what I can and will continue to support financially and emotionally where I am able. So time for me to move on with out guilt at feeling frivolous.....

Lily G is featured in the Interiors Section of Women's Weekly this month. We are very thrilled and excited to see our work in such a long loved and esteemed magazine (I know my mum is thrilled !!! ha ha ha)
Thank You to the lovely and talented Catherine Shields for featuring the Azzopardi's beautiful home and to Simon Kenny from Content Agencies for the fabulous photo's. We aim to create lovely relaxed and elegant homes for our clients. My love of blue's and crisp clean white with touches of the industrial are very much present in this job. West End was inundated with water during the flood but thank goodness Bernadette and Rogers home was not in the firing line (as it where). For full pictures go here.
But here are a few from the job...I have posted a few before but my amateurish photography is nothing compared to Simon's professional skill.

P.S Thank You to A-M for her lovely comment on our last blog. I know she particularly has been through the Gauntlet and back a few too many times lately and wish her all the best.