sky & robin's egg

Country charm at Blossom Hill Cottons.

vintage dishware

Bright and beautiful vintage dishware by Picnic by Ellie.

{the fairest of them all}

{mirrored coffee and end tables; via Livingetc.}

{showroom at The Paris Apartment}

{pair of nightstands on ebay, click here to buy}

{currey & company}

Simply adore the way the Grotto Shell Chandelier by Currey & Company looks hanging above a retro-modern desk.

{delia shades}

Adore the old world romance of Delia Shades . . .

{beautiful branches}

Always loved the look of large flowering branches but have never been able to find any as beautiful as these!

(images: Elle Decor)

gilt-y girl

You don't see a lot of gold in regular homes and the ones that are gilt-y belong to over-the-top movie stars or eccentrics, but done right, few things are more glamorous than gold, and the room above is bright and cheery and girly and glamorous, all at once. Think Gwen Steffani in The Sweet Escape video meets the best interior designer you know, meets Carrie Bradshaw.



































Room in one of Dolce & Gabbana's summer homes (this one might fall into the over-the-top category, depending on your taste).


























Gwen Steffani's new perfume.














Luxurious claw-foot by Sicis.

Ritzy lunches by Donna Hay.

(images: living etc., living etc., holt renfrew, Sicis, Donna Hay)

Design History #1: Murano Glass

Murano is usually described as an island in the Venetian Lagoon, although like Venice itself, it is actually an archipelago of islands linked by bridges. It lies about a mile north of Venice and is famous for its glass making, particularly lampworking.

Murano was settled by the Romans, then from the sixth century by people from Altino and Oderzo.

At first, the island prospered as a fishing port and through the production of salt. It was also a centre for trade, through the port it controlled on Sant'Erasmo.

In 1291, all the glassmakers in Venice were forced to move to Murano due to the risk of fires. In the following century, exports began, and the island became famous, initially for glass beads and mirrors.

Aventurine glass was invented on the island, and for a while Murano was the main producer of glass in Europe. The island later became known for chandeliers. Although decline set in during the eighteenth century, glassmaking is still the island's main industry.

(image: Vogue Living; text: wikipedia)

{moody grey}

Have posted about all white interiors and bright bursts of colour, but what if you prefer neither and wanted the calm, moody tones of gray? Sophisticated and sexy when infused with hints of brown, gray can be cold and stark if they are too blue. This Paris apartment is just perfect and reminds me of Joachim Bandeau's watercolours {below}, which are varying shades of graphite to black, and look simultaneously soft and bold.

(images: Vogue Living Australia, Nicholas Metivier Gallery)

fresh flowers

Last summer I stopped by our local market every Wednesday to pick up fresh flowers, and this year has been so busy, I've only managed to stop by twice, and came home not with flowers, but strawberries! There's something so cheerful and refined about having pretty arrangements all around the house, not to mention the bursts of colour they bring.

(images: domino, domino, flickr)

The Big Gamble - How to Protect Yourself When Buying Vintage Clothing on EBay

Have you every been disappointed with an item of vintage clothing you purchased on EBay? I'll bet the answer is, "Yes!".

I sell exclusively on EBay and have one of the largest vintage clothing stores on the EBay site. I consider it my job to be aware of what is happening in the vintage clothing categories on EBay, so I set out to discover why customers of vintage clothing are so disenchanted with buying on EBay.

For the last 6 months, I have been conducting an experiment. I have purchased over 100 vintage clothing items on EBay for my personal use. I used a different EBay account to purchase these items, so the sellers I purchased from did not know who they were selling to. I only purchased items described as being in excellent condition. I purchased from experienced, well-known sellers as well as new and inexperienced sellers.

I was appalled at the results of my experiment! More than 50% of the items I purchased were damaged in some way! These pieces could not be considered to be in excellent condition by any stretch of the imagination. I received a dress covered in mold and mildew, a dress that overwhelmed me with the smell of moth balls, and a dress that had been washed and shrunk so the lining hung 2 inches below the hem of the dress itself! I received items with actual measurements up to 2" off from what was stated in the listing. I received items with moth damage, iron shine, stains, fading, popped seams, broken zippers, splits in the fabric, underarm odors, tears and holes, alterations, and cut off and shortened hems. NONE of these issues had been disclosed in the listings so I could make an informed buying decision.

It's no wonder buyers of vintage clothing no longer trust EBay sellers! But, take heart! There are many professional vintage clothing sellers on EBay who offer wonderful merchandise and can be trusted. The trick is to find them. An easy way to be assured you'll be happy with your purchase is to shop with Vintage Fashion Guild members. Sellers who are members of the Vintage Fashion Guild have gone through a rigorous review process and meet the standards set forth by the Guild. Couture Allure has been a member of the VFG for over 4 years. We highly recommend all sellers who are members of the VFG.

In light of my dreadful experiences buying vintage clothing on EBay, we're announcing a major policy change at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion. We are so confident you'll be happy with your purchase from us, we now accept returns on most of the items we sell. You can find the details on our Policies Page on EBay.

There are many other ways you can you protect yourself when considering making a purchase of vintage clothing on EBay. I've just written an EBay Guide with several tips which you might find interesting.

Shop for vintage clothing on EBay with confidence at Couture Allure Vintage Fashion .

{holly farrell}

Holly Farrall has always been a favourite, so it was great to see some new work, especially Television and Strainer, although all of her work is charming and makes everyday ordinary objects extraordinary.

going on a picnic part 2

Plastic flatware has come a long way since the unimaginative little white forks, knives and spoons we packed along with our Royal Chinet paper plates. Pandora Design's deluxe plastic flatware, modeled after fine silverware, is clearly too cute to discard after use.


There is such a great variety of melamine plates to choose from and one of my favourites is Thomas Paul's Gothic Dinner Plate Set, with its modern take on traditonal lace patterns.