Holiday Shoppers More Welcome Than Ever

image: nytimes.com

Eric Wilson of The New York Times brings us the new reality on Luxury shopping in the recession. Customer service and attitudes are improving from Macy's to Bergdorf Goodman to Hermès. Despite the fact that I was interviewed for this piece and did not make the final cut, it is a must read.

Full NY Times article here.

Luxury Stores Top of the World

images: teneues.com

From TeNeues, a beautiful coffee table book dedicated to the finest Luxury shopping environments around the world. Includes amazing photographs of some familiar boutiques and rare undiscovered gems.

Available at Amazon here. From $64 USD.

Fleur-ishness

Just a little further along from the Rose Street shops in Armadale, if you follow your nose you will find the sweetest, freshest blooms at 'Fleur' - a gorgeous florist with a white backdrop that lets the flowers shine - compliments of the wonderful Fleur McHarg. If only I lived within walking distance, I'd buy my blooms there every week...

[All images from Fleur]

Deyrolle for Opening Ceremony Silk Scarves

images: openingceremony.us

An unlikely collaboration between two of my favorite shops brings quirky Parisian taxidermy and downtown NY hip together in a kaleidoscopic crash. Featuring the mounted animals and insects of Deyrolle by photographer Bastien Lattanzio printed on silk scarves.

Exclusively at Opening Ceremony here. $95 USD.

Bookish

It's so good to see a bookstore opening rather than closing down - and quite a stylish one at that! So heartening to read in my fave online newspaper 'Broadsheet Melbourne' about the opening of Embiggen Books @ 197-203 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. You can find out much, much more about this bookshop here and here. I'll definitely be wandering down Little Lonsdale Street for a visit on my next foray into town.

Of course that would entail a visit to Design Dispensary too - just down the street at 322 Little Lonsdale.

[Images: 1- Broadsheet Melbourne; 2 - Design For Use]

Of tiles and catch ups

I had such a lovely 'catch up' with my girlfriend Alex on Saturday. We met in South Melbourne as we both wanted to check out the tiles at Aeria.  I tell you, there are so many beautiful tiles in that one shop! I fell in love with these encaustic cement tiles (the ones on the left) - we're thinking of using them when we retile our front verandah shortly:

I also loved the plain encaustic cement tiles - such beautiful washed out colours:

The plain tiles look quite nice when an assortment of colours is used together:

Then we popped around the corner to St Ali's for the totally delicious pear and coconut bread paired with the best latte I've had in months. I seriously wish St Ali's was my local cafe. Unfortunately, I have to drive about 8 kms to get there!

Then we had a bit of browse around South Melbourne and fortuitously stumbled across (only because the car happened to be parked across the road) the recently opened Warehouse 8 @ 216 Coventry Street. Lots of vintage, industrial, provincial and depression era furniture here:

Their site has lots of information about the items in store - you can check it out here.

[Images: 1 to 4 - Aeria; 5 - Breakfast Out; 6 - Warehouse 8]

Pretty window display

The last time I was in the city I came across this wonderful shop window display at Pollon Flowers - red painted window frames, bamboo bird cages and birch logs. Unfortunately the shop was closed when I passed by, I must go back another day (check out their website - it has some lovely images on it). Anyway, just thought I'd share this little bit of prettiness with you...

(P.S. Sorry about the reflection in the window - my photography skills suck).

Lanvin Opens First New York Store

image: bryanboy.com

Lanvin has entered Manhattan's Luxury row with a gorgeous new store at 815 Madison Avenue between 68th and 69th Street. I can't wait to visit!

WS Traders

I love these very organic timber pieces from WS Traders...I love these timber pieces from WS Traders...

(Images: WS Traders)

Major and Tom

I wish that Major and Tom had a store in Melbourne. I'm sure it would quickly become one of my favourite haunts. If they had a Melbourne store I could pick up some of these lovelies...

I love the narrow timber frame on this mirror and the size/scale:

A range of earthenware pots that would look great in a farmhouse kitchen:

This baltic pine table would look great in a farmhouse style kitchen too:

African cloth cushions in great geometric patterns:

Don't these Indian clubs look terrific grouped together:

This is exactly the sort of thing I want to replace my existing hall table. Lovely colour, perfect height and plenty of storage is definitely an added bonus:

Wouldn't one of these drums make a great coffee/side table:

More earthenware bowls sitting on a baltic pine dresser:

I'll have to put Major and Tom on my 'must visit' list for the next time I'm in Sydney.

(Images: Major and Tom)

Edit

Sharon Storrier Lyneham's home was featured in the May-June 2008 edition of Inside Out. Sharon is owner of the eclectic Sydney homewares store Edit . This following picture of the store is from the Edit site - you should take a look at the site, it shows some of the gorgeous pieces that are available.

Over a year after her home being featured in the magazine, I'm still quite taken with it - she says that she has filled it with things that she loves and things that inspire her. It shows! The home is filled with lots of books, artwork and lots of carefully selected pieces. I especially love the large Thorton Walker painting that's shown in the feature (he's one of my favourite artists) and the celadon pieces sitting below the painting.

Sorry that the images aren't very good quality, but if you go to the 'press' section of the Edit website you'll be able to see much clearer images there.

(Images: Edit)

Paris Bound: L'Eclaireur Marais

image: gogoparis.com

We are off to Paris this evening for a long decadent weekend. We will definitely be visiting L'Eclaireur, Marais at 40 Rue de Sévigné, the newest concept store in the L'E family to be submerged in the artistic vision of Belgian artist Arne Quinze and to check out the offerings of this 30 year old purveyor of avant-garde fashion.

L'Eclaireur website here.