More Bang For your Designer Buck!

It's all well and good for blogs to showcase all the stunningly gorgeous spaces out there in blog land. Who doesn't love to see how Aerin Lauder lives when she's not being fabulous at a charity event or fashion show? Who can't wait to see what amazing space Ralph Lauren has fantasised into reality? We love it, We eat it up!! All those inspiring spaces and furniture pieces!! Really amps up our Chic Nesting urges to the max!
Problem is most of these people are so loaded down with money they have trouble raising themselves from their original Eames chairs. But not really realistic for us in the normal world, and on shows like 'Million Dollar Decorator' (from what I have seen anyway) the decorators seem to be more financially solvent than their Clients!! Which tells me something about THEIR jobs...
1. In L.A clients have truck loads of Interior Decorating Disposable Dollars,
2. I need to move to L.A NOW!!!
3. I need to CONSIDERABLY up my fees!! ha ha

But Realistically  the amount of money needed to achieve these results is out of range for the average bird out there.
So what do YOU do if you want the designer look but don't have the designer bucks to throw at a decorator? Well if you have a clever decorator you'll find most looks are achievable on a "workable" budget. Workable meaning realistic. Realistic meaning achievable. Achievable meaning not this; " Melinda I want to decorate my whole home in a resplendent rococo manner redolent to the Winter Palace in Russia! and I have $15,000.00!!!!......" Silence from me as quietly leave house.

FROM THIS 

 TO THIS??? 

I can do fairly well on a tight budget....but!!

WE HAVE LOTS AND LOTS OF MONEY AND WE ARE DELICIOUS XX

MILLION DOLLAR DECORATORS...(happy to do internship with you Mary or Martin :))




So Moral of the story.

Go see your local lovely decorator and ask what you can be achieved...don't be scared, we are friendly and don't bite...usually :)

Have a great weekend.

I'm off to a Mad Men party tonight and am getting my hair pouffed out as I type.

Will have to pad my bra but my hips won't need any help they're plenty curvy.

Happy Birthday Harry!!

Neglecting my blogging duties again! I know!
I am happy to say the lack of blogs is the direct result of having spent lots of time with the boys.
Harry turned 9 on Sunday and we have been spending time doing 9 year old boy stuff.
He is now the self professed "Leggo King" and I have been happily immersing myself in his wonderful world.

As you know from my blog here I was having a lot of trouble with Harry last year, he wasn't interacting with other kids because of his ASD, there were no birthday party invitations (not that that's changed) and he was having stress attacks in class, acting out and generally having too much weighing on his little shoulders.

Can I just say on that note:
When my blog came out last year about Harry's ASD and my lack of coping skills the response I received was so wonderful. I received so many supportive positive messages from people world wide and people I had never met made the effort of coming into my store and offering me encouragement with stories of successes with their children who had ASD. I was truly uplifted.

After Harry's blog I was forever impacted by how powerful blogging can be as a platform for education and information. We all know we blog about decorating, decorating blogs are happy, light avenues of creativity, we all accept that they are not changing economic policy or adding weight to the fight for human rights. Be that as it may blogs ARE a platform and  I have now seen first hand how important blogs (even decorating blogs) can be. Blogs (when wielded in a positive manner) can hugely assist in creating a universal connection for people, people who may otherwise feel isolated in their situations and feel alone  can garner the support they need from a message from thousands of miles away from a stranger they will never meet.
I know an immense weight lifted from my heart when I read all the supportive messages from blog land.

Anyway back to my lovely boy, he has since turned a big corner from last year and with maturity is developing into a wise and soulful little man with a huge heart. I couldn't be prouder of him and all his achievements.  I hope any other parent out there stressing and worrying about his or her child remember to enjoy their little ones personalities and the quirky characteristics that make them special in so many ways.

Happy Birthday Harry....keep trying my darling xx

My beautiful boy first day

Pirate boy

Little Botticelli Angel

 

My little helper

First day

Little Performer

Big Brother to Emerson

My boy today, happy, healthy and full of joy.
Happy Birthday Harry!!

 On the work front;

Since Women's Weekly has come out the phone's have been off the hook and we are just trying to catch our breath. I have been in collaboration with some brilliant people designing my own furniture pieces and you can expect to see more of my work in print very soon.

We are doing something very special in the store tonight and I will fill you all in tomorrow with lot's of pictures.

We are in print again!!

Sorry for this rushed blog. I have the best intentions of blogging everyday, but with two small boys, a dog, a partner, a retail business and decorating....I tend to run out of time!!
I am quickly posting some exciting news. We have been featured in this month's Women's Weekly!!
So exciting and the special part being that the home featured is my own.
I will try and post more pics as I get them.
Enjoy

x

Big Sale Starts Tomorrow

Don't forget our Once A Year Clearance Sale starts tomorrow!! We are clearing out many one off beautiful pieces to make way for our new arrivals.
Sale continues across the store until all cleared.
10% - 50% off with some pieces even discounted lower.
First in gets the best bargains.
Starts tomorrow 9 am

I'm going to be a few days

Sorry bloggies, I'm tardy with my in depth  dissection of the 'House'. Staff illness at the store has meant my free time has been a tad compromised. Will be back in a day or so with all the nitty gritty.
Cheers

Melinda

Diane Keaton and Something's Gotta Give!

I'm reading Diane Keaton's autobiography at the moment; the book is called 'Then Again'. I'm really enjoying it. She is such a creative force.
It is in reality a book co-written by her and her mother. A telling of Diane's experiences growing up as compared to her mother's (who kept extensive journals) and how her mother's unfulfilled creative needs were a catalyst in driving Diane into performing and becoming a movie star.  Very beautiful story about a mother and daughter and I highly recommend it.

Interesting fact; she first started wearing hat's because she didn't think she was pretty enough and wanted to hide her face. ?? I think she is stunning!

So while reading Diane Keaton's book it got me to thinking about Diane Keaton's movie's and of course that got me thinking about my all time favourite "House movie" Something's Gotta Give'.  We all agree that the real star (no offence Diane and Jack) of the movie is the stunning Hampton's beach house where she lives and writes.....Truly her writing nook alone made my little eyes glow green with envy.

I became obsessed with not so much 'The House' but the ideal of the house; here was this independent,
successful woman and she lived in this stunning home where she had a sanctuary to respite from the chaos of the city and potter and create.  Loved IT!!!

(After watching that movie I decided I would own my obsession properly and make a dedicated sojourn to The Hampton's once a year. So every year I head there after a retail stop in NYC and seriously stalk the houses. It is an Obsession and there has been attempted intervention. Enough said.)

Anywaaay...
We all love the interiors of this house (even though it only a stage set) and I have been asked many times by clients to replicate this look for them.
The Hampton's aesthetic is perennial and stands the test of time, especially when you want to make smart decisions once.

Sooooo over the last couple of days my grey matter got into overdrive (hard on a weekend I'll tell you!!)
And I have decided that over the coming week I am going to break down 'The House'
Each room will be dissected and we will go over furniture options and alternatives to achieve 'The Look'.
Paint pallet, fabric choices and furniture options. I am THAT dedicated...I hope my real clients are understanding.
We'll all be having 'The Hampton's' feel in no time.

Then after Diane I might move onto Meryl and 'It's Complicated'
Any other movie Houses you love???

Happy Anniversary Stuart!!

When I was a teenager growing up in Brisbane in the 80's, I went to a small private school in the bayside suburb of Wynnum (Moreton Bay Girls College). Every Friday after school we would catch the train into Brisbane City  and head for the shops. Our destination (other than the cinema's and loitering outside Hungry Jack's to flirt with the Churchie boys) was any boutique that stocked Stuart Membery's clothing. Every bobbed haired, polo shirt wearing girl would run as fast as their deck shoes would carry them to procure themselves a shirt, skirt or dress bearing the distinctive S.M label. Stuart Membery clothing was youthful, fresh and colourful and we all wanted it.

Classic Navy

His tartan collection Oh how I loved it. A young Rachael Hunter.

This year Stuart Membery is celebrating 30 years in the design business; these day's his main passion is his furniture range and architecture. If you have not seen his divine range go here.

 I recently travelled to Bali and dropped into the stunning Balinese Oasis that he calls home. It was amazing to meet someone that I have admired since I was a teenager.
I found him to be charming, energetic and buoyed happily by the success of his range.
For someone whose design career has endured for three decades he was refreshingly un-jaded.
His furniture is classic, beautiful and of the quality you would expect from a driven perfectionist.
I would love to see Stuart Membery pieces at Lily G, wouldn't you???

 Happy Anniversary Stuart!!!

Some of the pieces in the Stuart Membery range.

Stunning cane settee and soft furnishing

Finally!!!

Elle Decor has declared Navy Blue 2012's new neutral.

No more beige or black, it's Navy that will be featuring prominently in decorating schemes everywhere.
I think we here at Lily G have been inspired by Navy forever.
We love blue's in every hue but Navy will always be our colour de jour!!
And with Tanngerine Tango being Pantone's colour of 2012, we have a vibrant, exciting and slightly retro combinations to look forward to.
Embrace Navy today!

Diane Von Furstenberg

Ridgecrest Love Seat

Ginger Jars

Ralph Lauren Fabric

Tangerine Tango

Our star Navy

Love the Rug

Elegant head dining chairs

Blue kitchen wouldn't show up any 5 year old sticky marks

We can source side tables like these and love the wallpaper

Teamed with Orange gingham gorgeous

So fresh

Now you know what to do with all those pesky Hermes boxes lying around. . Yeah right

Quadrille Fabric on curtains lightens everything