Christmas Table Touches

Recently I was asked to prepare a festive table setting for the Herald Sun 'Home' Christmas Supplement. With much delight I set my favourite oak table for just that. As I wanted to keep that a feature of the setting, I thought it contrasted nicely against the classic palette of white, silver, grey & black. Without the reindeer & festive gift touches, this table can be set for any occasion.

Peonies are one of my favourite flowers, so were integral to the overall theme. All my decorative touches are very simple, just handpicked things I love - an ecletic mix of old & new. The white & cream creates a warm aesthetic in natural daylight, but the mood of the tealights & glass bead centrepiece creates a soft & intimate setting once dusk begins to set.

Now to prepare the menu!

To find the reindeer, silver pears & gift soaps:
Rose St Trading Co in Beatty Ave, Armadale, Melbourne.

For the black organza candles & divine french candle centrepieces:
Peony of Melbourne, Auburn Rd, Hawthorn, Melbourne.

Finding the Perfect Title In a Beautiful Space...

Corrie Perkin loves writing & reading, & she absolutely loves books. It is therefore no surprise that she has recently opened an amazing bookstore in Melbourne's Hawksburn Village, aptly called, "My Bookshop". Loving a book or two myself, as well as finding new & gorgeous retail havens, I couldn't wait to visit! When you walk in the door, her enthusiasm & delight to share her new literary home makes you feel so welcome. It's inviting, enthralling, inspiring & the design a perfect compliment to the ambience that Corrie has created. It's all white, with simple, understated stylish touches that make it easy to linger longer.

In her November newsletter she writes "...our aim is to offer a safe place and stimulating environment to all our visitors, as well as plenty of events, discussions, promotions - & books, that engage, enthrall & entertain"

In today's weekend Age Magazine, M, Corrie quotes "Find a quote from your favourite book, highlight it in a gorgeous font, print it (and frame it)". Now that to me is art for your home, your office, your haven...

I have already signed up for My Bookshhop's bookclub (& I've never signed up for one before!) & I'm very much looking forward to visiting again soon for a dose of festive cheer, where her customers will enjoy Christmas shopping evenings, champagne, new book titles. Problem gifts will be sorted, wrapped & tagged in gorgeous literary style!

www.mybookshop.net.au

513 Malvern Road

HAWKSBURN 3144

Ph: 03 9824 2990

Deck the table with bells, balls and beautiful things...

Festive Inspiration with Haven Home this Christmas...

For this season’s festive styling, I am playing with two key colour themes for table suggestions - natural, white & silver with a touch of colour, & the classic combination of silver, grey marl, white, glass & black. As always, I include favourite pieces for everyone to enjoy, & introduce new touches from my favourite stores. I adore the layering of scents from the candles & flowers that infuse our home with a welcome & happy ambience. If the weather is a perfect Melbourne day…then we’ll simply translate the look to outside, to enjoy more fragrance & sunshine!

Make sure to read the Herald Sun Home Supplement on Saturday December 5th for more table styling suggestions from Haven Interiors...

Haven Interiors loves sharing festive decorating ideas, whether catering to a large gathering, intimate group, for that traditional family flavour or close friends…please contact Claire Jackson on 0408 36 3 529, or by email at haven.interiors@bigpond.com to discuss your ideal Christmas table, wrapping & gift ideas…

Merry Christmas...

"All I want for Christmas"... is at Rose St Trading Co...

When you find a store that has everything & anything you simply love, you know you're in shopping heaven. Rose Street Trading Company offers you the most sublime experience...stunning pieces, brilliant service, happy, friendly & welcoming staff to nurture your every request, gorgeous ambience, gift wrapping & beautiful displays to entice you from the moment you arrive...you're going to love the experience...

Recently, Alex Muir & Cate Boots extended their already divine retail haven to include the new upstairs experience,incorporating furniture & lighting, bedlinen & dining interior concepts, along with an extensive collection of beautiful art, fabrics, bespoke dining & bedroom pieces - everything to create your ideal home interior. This in addition to their gorgeous clothing store around the corner (where the story all began!), at 1A Rose Street where you will find stunning pieces to wear everyday or for that special occasion including Eclettica, Little Fuschia, Lily & Lulu, Song, Firefly & Juicy Bear. To coordinate with a gorgeous new wardrobe, Rose Street Trading clothing offers divine bags, scarves by DLux, wallets, the perfect bag for the beach, along with Walnut sandshoes and gorgeous french espadrilles in a range of ideal colours for Spring & Summer dressing.

My suggestion this Christmas? Don't delay visiting this divine much talked about destinationi retail village in Armadale. Everything is a must have, everyone wants it now, & believe me, what may arrive instore tomorrow may not be there by the end of the week!

Divine "Libeco Home' Linen...

Divine choice of products for hand, body & home

Stunning ideas for Christmas cheer

Bespoke pieces, beautifully displayed, all so enticing

Upstairs...NOW OPEN

The interior concept store incorporating bespoke & beautiful furnishings for bedroom & dining

Hmmm, what's this gorgeous little story...?

Gorgeous jewellery, semi-precious stones, pearls & stirling silver, amethyst, onyx, pearls, coral, jade, rose quartz, for every age, everyday, to enjoy for any occasion...


CHRISTMAS TRADING HOURS:

Monday-Wednesday 9.00-5.30pm

Thursday & Friday 9.00-6.00pm

Saturday: 9.30-5.00pm

Open Sundays in December

www.rosesttradingco.com.au/
E: rosesttradingco@bigpond.com

9822 9444: Interiors/Lifestyle Store (Beatty Ave)

9822 1525: Fashion Store (Rose St)

Having Fun With Fabrics & New Friends

Today was the last workshop for Series 3, & what a fabulous time we had! Over the past 4 weeks, we have had the pleasure of meeting & mixing with another wonderful group of women, who are now rejuvenated, refocused & re-energised about their respective design & decorating projects & challenges, & I am very excited about the new opportunities on the decorating horizon!

Today we discussed new bedlinen collections, colour & texture in fabric design, & why investing in the professional services of an interior decorator & designer proves time again to be such a worthwhile investment when building, renovating & redecorating. We discussed our ideal interiors, & whilst I love inviting friends into mine, I need to move to the peninsula to create it! As a result of this, I potentially have a new client from this workshop who is just delightful & I very much look forward to helping her create hers.

As always, the mornings began with a welcome coffee & chat, with a mid morning break to follow with treats to enjoy. Today was our "Girls Morning In", our tribute to breast cancer fundraising, so to compliment our cherry pink fabric theme, we enjoyed pink smiley cupcakes (they put a smile on everyone's face), strawberries, cherryripes & melon & guava mineral water!

I would like to make special mention of one of the lovely women I have met in this group, Deb. Last week she learned that her father is very sick, & although a very challenging and worrying time for her & her family, the prognosis sounds very positive which is wonderful news in itself. Deb, your smile & nurturing nature will make an enormous difference I'm sure to your father's recovery, & my thoughts are with you:-)

Also, a very special thanks to Bronwyn Paul for her time, enthusiasm & great support behind the lens, at our workshops by very quietly but so professionally capturing the energy and essence of what designersecrets is about. She is fast becoming an invaluable member of the team, & we would highly recommend her photographic expertise to one & all!

Wishing you all a fabulous Cup Weekend, I'm off to the peninsula in search of my coastal haven!

Bronwyn Paul: rpaul1@optusnet.com.au

The 2009 finishing line...

As we gallop towards the Spring Racing Carnival and Christmas, we are running one more designersecrets workshops for 2009!

Bring your own interiors challenges to the upcoming NOVEMBER ‘designersecrets Uncovered’ workshops series.

The designersecrets workshops have been designed for people who:
- Are interested in interiors & styling
- Are renovators
- Want to design, redesign, or reinvent a room or a space
- Are moving to a new home
- Are wanting to change or expand their current home
- Love design & interiors books & magazines

We are very proud to be associated with Inform Design, a Melbourne based project design & construction company, & are very excited about running our November workshops at their latest environmentally friendly display home, "The Butterfly House"

November Workshop dates:
Tuesday November 10th, 17th, 24th & Tuesday December 1st
Times:
Morning sessions: 10.00am - 12.30pm
Evening sessions: 6.30pm - 9.00pm

Venue:
The new Inform ‘Butterfly House’ in Murrumbeena...("build green with Inform!")

Bookings close by Friday November 6th and we have limited spaces, so don’t miss out!

For more information about our workshops, please contact me at:
haven.interiors@bigpond.com

For more information on The Butterfly House, The Blade, & other Inform design projects, please go to www.informdesign.com.au

Wishing you all a fabulous week!!!

Claire :-)

sharing designersecrets...

I thought you might like to see a few inside snippets of our designersecrets workshops, what fun we are having!

some of our recent designersecrets graduates...a wonderful group of enthusiastic women that we shared 4 very cold & wintery sessions with, & still they were smiling!
Our colleague Bronwyn has just joined our team to capture workshop activities & stories moving forward...no object is hidden from her lens, including the colour palette of the morning coffee!

Planning colour schemes & story boards for your perfect haven...

Enthusiasm & a passion to further develop your own interior style with like-minded women is what makes our workshops so interesting & enjoyable...

A combination of simple styling & quality bedlinen & accessories are key ingredients for how to make your bed look fabulous without fuss

Sharing & exchanging ideas, challenges & decorating tips make our workshops welcoming, interesting, interactive & informative

Hmmm, what fabrics do I like for that furniture scheme at our holiday house?

At our workshops, we share our knowledge & expertise on developing your appreciation for art as both an investment, a reflection of your interior style & your personality

Floor Rugs by Hip Home...tailor the design to your specific needs to create both another dimension of artistic expression & interest in your home or office

At designersecrets workshops, we introduce you to beautiful textiles, furniture, wallpapers & furnishing design from around the world that you may have never heard of...just what you want when you are renovating & redecorating...

Every week we introduce you to different colour schemes & furnishings...4 in total, all very different, very unique...

The day Susie & I launched designersecrets...5 months on, Series 3 underway, with Series 4 beginning on November 10th!! Join us at another fabulous Inform property for 4 consecutive Tuesdays (morning or evening) to let us help you with your interior design plans, or because you want to do some decorating for the festive season & Summer living...

COST: $440 for a 4 session workshop (each session is 2 1/2 hours)

For more information on designersecrets & our forthcoming workshops, email me at haven.interiors@bigpond.com

or contact me on 0408 363 529. Bookings close Friday November 6th!

As many of our participants have said..."this workshop could save me a lot of money!"