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

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.

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!!

How much is that doggie in the window?

I brought Ned into work today in an attempt to cheer myself up. His favourite spot in the entire store was sitting in the front window next to our beautiful new curtains watching the traffic and passers-by. I couldn't resist snapping this photo above.

Country Road Christmas Catalogue

It was lovely to receive the Country Road Christmas catalogue in the mail last night. It's filled with lots of great gift ideas. I absolutely loved the cover which I have posted above.

Overloaded

It seems I am a little overloaded this week along with suffering an awful summer flu...may have to take a couple of days away from here. I promise I'll be back soon!

xo
Anna

illustration by samantha hahn

Friday Flowers

Here are some beautiful fresh pink peonies which I just arranged and placed on our entrance table at Black & Spiro along with a collection of other lovely things. Have a great weekend!

xo
Anna

Sony Ericsson

Sony Ericsson

Nokia 5530 Wallpaper

Nokia 5530 Wallpaper

Nokia 5800 Wallpapers

Nokia 5800 Wallpapers

Baby Wallpaper

Baby Wallpaper

Christmas Card Idea

I love Anne Harwell's Christmas cards this year. They are available in a set of 8 at Anne's etsy store...

Black & Spiro Christmas Window

I've been meaning to post these photos of our Christmas windows at Black & Spiro which we installed last week. I feel like I am always one of the last stores in Brisbane to install Christmas! Anyway, I went for a very bright pink and yellow combination this year. I wanted to end 2009 on a lovely bright note!

PS. The wreath is made out of beautiful dried out Australian native bush {very hard to see from these pictures} which a lovely lady in Melbourne made for me. I then decorated the wreath with silver baubles tied on with torn strips of fabric and ribbon.

Christmas Gift Idea

This gift idea is one for the husbands even though I am sure there wouldn't be any husbands reading this blog!!

Last Christmas one of my client's husbands emailed me very last minute {as husbands do} asking for my help with a present for his wife. I found this beautiful Antique chair for him and had it quickly recovered in a pretty piece of fabric we had in stock. I think I turned the whole thing around in about 14 days which was a huge feat considering the chair came up from one of my dealers in Melbourne and also considering it was 2 weeks before Christmas which is our busiest time of year! His wife absolutely loved the chair and was so surprised by it's presence on Christmas morning. I think I would be in shock too if my husband thought about organising something like this for me.

Let me know if I can help any of your husbands with a gift this Christmas!!

In It's Home

You might remember this old Puerto Rican cabinet we had painted in a soft mint green which was in our Black & Spiro front window for a little while. I thought I would show you it in it's new home. My clients have placed it in their new kitchen which was still having the finishing touches done to it when I was there snapping away these photos this morning. The pink Smeg fridge is definitely something I covet along with the lovely set of old scales!!

Zac Efron Wallpaper

Christmas Gift Idea

For the friend or relative who has everything, I think these personalised paperweights from Iomoi make for a fantastic gift. A couple of Christmas' ago I gave all my girlfriends one of these and they loved them. I think they look great on a coffee table or bedside table clustered in a group. Maybe this could be the start of a collection of paper weights for your friend/relative! My only problem is choosing which one to go for as there are SO many gorgeous designs to select from!!

Artist Wallpaper

Artist Wallpaper

Stuart Membery

Although this post isn't really Christmas related, I had a feeling you would love to know about a new friend of mine, Stuart Membery. My Australian readers may remember Stuart from the fashion industry in Australia in the 1980's and also as the man behind bringing Esprit to Australia many moons ago.

This week I've had a few email conversations with Stuart and then yesterday he picked up the phone and called me from his divine home in Bali. Stuart's home has been featured in this month's House & Garden magazine and I must say I feel like I could move straight in and not change a thing. It actually reminds me of something my mother would create. His mismatch of cane furniture, collected things like shells, baskets, books and magazines is very much a look I love and have grown up with myself. The whole thing feels like I have seen it before. I absolutely adore his aesthetic and as for his life in Bali, well it sounds amazing.

Apparently, US decorator and journalist, Annie Kelly has just been over to visit Stuart and has photographed the house and it seems that international interest for his homewares and furniture is mounting daily....including my own keen interest in his products for our Black & Spiro store which we are renovating and extending in 2010.

I will be sure to keep you updated with our purchase of his pieces for Black & Spiro. In the meantime, you must race out and grab a copy of this month's House & Garden and see for yourself how beautiful his home is and how wonderful his life sounds!!