10 Fantastic Living Rooms with Cozy and Romantic Fireplaces

Now that everyone is absolutely stuffed from Thanksgiving
and recovering from Black Friday shopping for those who
were courageous (or wreckless) enough to give up sleep and
brave the crowds, we are now firmly into the countdown for
Christmas.

I always think of cozy and rustic rooms in the dead of winter
when I think of Christmas. Most of all, I wish I had a real -
honest to goodness working fireplace. Fireplaces provide
warmth and can really transform any room to feel more cozy
and romantic. Isn't the above rustic room with a stove
fireplace so cool?

This is a very modern and posh living room with a wood
burning fireplace. Love the tufted gray ottoman.

I used to sleep over at my friend's house during the winter

and we would go buy a Duraflame log to light in her living
room fire place. We would make hot apple cider spiked with
whole Cinnamon sticks and rum (yes we were underaged but
we spiked it for flavour and not for getting smashed.) The
best part was watching a movie an then breaking out cots
and sleeping bags to fall asleep right in front of the fire.

Very few things can replace the ambiance that
candles and the glow of fire from a fireplace can give.
It's a good thing that starting a fire in the fireplace is
not very expensive.

Even if you're alone, starting a fire just for yourself
and curling up with a book in a comfortable chair is
one of those little luxuries in life. Don't forget the
tea or hot cocoa!

I'm a sucker for the Union Jack and a pretty plaid pattern.

Building a fire is also great for the holidays.
Enjoy the season while you can build a fire.

Kindle - Global Edition $259

On a separate topic, I'm beginning to contemplate Christmas
presents. I'm considering the Global edition of the Kindle.
I have a friend who travels a lot and she adores it. The last
trip I took, I realized that it was ridiculous for me to be toting
4-5 books around by my return trip home. The only thing is
that when I'm at home, I still love real books - I love the feel of
them. This looks like a pretty good gift - I only wish the Kindle
books were a bit cheaper (you'd think that with no printing -
they could afford to sell the books for less than $10 a pop.)
Do any of you own a Kindle? What are your thoughts on it?


Photos from Ideal Home

New Bits at Black & Spiro

We've finally received our delivery of Megan Park cushions in at Black & Spiro along with some of our other lovely cushions {top image}. I thought I would take a couple of photos of some other bits which we just received in last week. The little Antique brass mirror is one of my favourite things in the shop at the moment and the colourful ginger jar lamp bases are divine!!

For all enquiries, please email us info@blackandspiro.com.au

Antiques Walk in Antwerp

For the 31st time the Antiques Dealers of Antwerp keep their annual Open House weekends. So this weekend and the next weekend they invite us to go to admire all their exquisite pieces of art!

So here I name a few of the participating dealers. To learn to know them all, please visit www.antiquairs-antwerpen.be.

Herwig Simons

Quality curiosities, works of art, natural history and maritime art.

Roman bust of a young man, Adonis.

1th century B.C.

image website of Herwig Simons

Beautiful 17th century red coral on guilded base together with a Memento Mori ivory skull, probably German end 17th or early 18the century.

image website Herwig Simons

Rare 19th century model of a topsail shooner.
image website of Herwig Simons

Axel Pairon

Antiques and Interiors

Impression
image website of Axel Pairon

A french oak table 19 th century.

image of website Axel Pairon

A plate stand, mahogany, ca 1780 England.
image website Axel Pairon

Frank Van Laer Antiquities

Furniture and works of art,18th and 19th century.

Impression
image website Frank Van Laer




Bakery Table French ca 1900
image website Frank Van Laer

Chair.
image website Frank Van Laer

Coffee table
image website Frank Van Laer





M. Bascourt Antiques

Specialized in 17th and 18th century Chinese porcelain, Dutch Delft and English and continental furniture.

Set of 6 plates Chinese "Lady with an Umbrella ",Chine de commande, Qianlong period about 1735/40

image website M. Bascourt Antiques

Louis XV plaque Dutch Delft , 3rd quarter of the 18th century.

Landscape with Shepperdess and Kneeling Sheppard.

Border with shell motif in relief.

image website M. Bascourt Antiques

Cupboard oak , England 1800/1820.

image website M. Bascourt Antiques



Hertoghe Antiques

Specialized in mostly English furniture, silver and decorative items from the late 18th century to the Victorian period.

Silver beaker, London 1855, by D.& C. Hands

image website Hertoghe Antiques

Regency mahogany brass inlaid sideboard, England 1815.

image website Hertoghe Antiques

Cuttlery box transformed in desk rack.

both images webside Hertoghe Antiques



Silver Objects - Cabinet de Curiosities

Specialized in 17th and 18th century silver and rare cabinets of curiosity.

17th century ebony embroidery cabinet, Flanders Antwerp.

image website of Silver Objects

Early 17th century silver fork and spoon in leather case.

image website Silver Objects

A lot of 19 th century wooden objects.

image website Silver Objects




Georgian Gallery Antiques

Specialized in period Georgian furniture and decorative works of art.

Mid 17th century oak table.

image website Georgian Gallery Antiques

A pair of Regency style chairs.

image website Georgian Gallery Antiques

George IV mahogany canterbury ca 1830.

image website Georgian Gallery Antiques

Collection of carved and stained fruitwood inkwells in the shape of a dog head.

image website Georgian Gallery Antiques

Axel Vervoordt

Archaeology, furniture, oriental art, works of art and silver from the 17th to the 20th century.

Egyptian dignitary statue, circa 900 B.C.

image website Axel Vervoordt

Gothic oak trestle table.

image website Axel Vervoordt

Baroque console table.

image website Axel Vervoordt

If you want to see all of the Antwerp Antiques Dealers, please go to www.antiquairs-antwerpen.be.

I hope you enjoyed this walk!

Have a nice weekend,

xx

Greet

Ashgrove House

Images above and below you may be able to spot the floor in the sun room to the left which we had painted in a green and white stripe. We will be doing some beautiful white cane pieces upholstered in lovely bright fabrics in this area in the New Year.

Here are some photos of a job I finished off this morning for a lovely, lovely client at Ashgrove. The brief was to create an area which was fresh, bright, colourful and family friendly. This is what I created.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

I just wanted to wish everyone a fantastic Thanksgiving Day!
Today's post is short and sweet. I will be back on Monday.

The above room is my inspirational room for the week. I
think it's absolutely fantastic. Two tone with shades of
purple and Grey - topped off with subtle Moroccan
accents. Photo from Ideal Home.

Black & Spiro Today

I love the new painting we have just received into the shop by Diana Favell...thought you would love to see a photo of it. It's so big and gorgeous!!

Flemish Interiors of today

The Flemish interiors of today are characterized by the use of natural (new or recuperation), materials and elements.
Oakwood for furniture and woodpaneling. Parquet, natural stone, terra cotta tiles or brick as flooring materials.
Lime paint on the walls. Linen used as seat upholstery or slipcovers and as curtains fabric.

The interiors of today give you the impression as if they were created a long time ago and never have been changed for years.

Our Belgian designer Axel Vervoordt has been a trendsetter for the look of a lot of these Flemish interiors. Did you know that this week he is named by the British design house Andrew Martin as "Designer of the year 2009" ? If you want to read more about it, you could visit the garvinweasel blog. James, the author of the blog did a post about the nomination (here).

Oak beams for the ceiling, terra cotta tiles.

Lefèvre Interiors

Wicker chairs in the orangerie of Brigitte and Alain Garnier.

Garnier Antiques

Painted wood and terra cotta.

Boulders used as flooring, lime paint.

Natural decorative elements and furniture.
Walda Pairon

Oak table, beautiful decorative elements.

Oak wood for the table top. Notice the table wheels, a glimpse of industrial furniture.
Wooden beams.

Terra cotta tiles.

Parquet floor.

Oakwood paneling and natural stone floor.

Oak parquet, linen, beautiful decorative elements on the wall.

Orac Decor





I wish you a nice Thanksgiving!

xx

Greet

Images with no subscription: Sorry I do not know the source anymore.