{décor inspiration: rustic & refined}

. . . there is something about shades of silvery lilac and dusky lavender that can never resist, and especially when intermingled with rustic elements just in time for cosy autumn nights . . .


{image: styling by sarah hartill and michael penney; photography by stacey brandford via michael penny style}

{the last of the outdoor dinner parties}

. . . while the lavender has long gone, the scent lingers still, and the sun still shines warmly and brightly, and before it is too late, perhaps this weekend, one last outdoor dinner party, before the leaves begin to fall . . .







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{favourite five: interior designer tricia foley}

When it comes to home décor, luxury can be found in simplicity. In the field of interior design, Tricia Foley is the authority when it comes to clean lines and natural elements, adding a classic touch to every project she encounters. Whether she is restoring a quiet country home with timeless rustic details or decorating a grand Upper East side city dwelling, Tricia uses neutral color schemes and soft color palettes to create soothing backdrops to help her clients lead meaningful, composed lives that are, at the same time, filled with sophisticated elegance.


above, a sample of tricia's work for ralph lauren home

With a clientele that includes Ralph Lauren Home and Bloomingdales, her highly-regarded work has graced the pages of Elle Décor, House Beautiful, Country Home, Southern Accents, Architectural Digest, Martha Stewart Living and The New York Times.



In a sometimes bewildering world of too many interior design inspirations and decisions, we are utterly delighted to have Tricia, the author of ten design & lifestyle books, share with us the:

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{top five things everyone should know about interior design}

1. Respond to your surroundings.
If you respond to your environment and the given architecture, the design will fall into place naturally. Treat your design plans as the backdrop for your life – it should be a natural fit , not a stage set.

2. Keep it simple.
Don’t try to look for the newest trends, but look to what is tried and true for you. I always focus on function and light and making the most of the space, creating adequate storage, and streamlining things so that homekeeping is a joy not a burden, and my home is a haven not a stressful place.

3. Make it personal.
Tearsheets are an invaluable source of ideas and its important to keep a scrapbook/workbook with the all details and colors and fabrics you love to create your own look . Whether you are working with a professional designer, contractor, or kitchen designer or whether you are doing this yourself, it helps to visualize your end goal.

4. Aim for comfort.
Make sure that the lighting is right for the way you use rooms, that you have good reading light, task lighting for computer and cooking, dining chairs that fit under tables, comfortable seating for lounging and relaxing, low maintenance coffee tables if you like to put your feet up on them … try out beds, and sofas and make sure that they feel just right for you.

5. Invest in the classics.
Whether its from a flea market, Ikea or Sotheby’s, the furnishings that I find I use over and over again, are the big white painted cupboards that organize everything but keep all the little things out of sight; the farm tables that are pressed into service as kitchen tables, desks or sofa consoles; big glass cylinders that are in still-lifes on the mantel, have candles in them for dinner parties, or are filled with big flowering branches … Wall colors change, pillows change, art work and collections evolve, but these have become the signature pieces in my home.

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{p.s.} previous favourite fives:
* jeweler: camille eddera
* actress & fashion muse: chloë sevigny
* floral stylist: denise porcaro
* entrepreneurs: rent the runway
* designer: rachel ashwell

~ laily


{all images from tricia foley's website; image 5 from country home via housemartin via apartment therapy}

{on the market: stockholm, sweden}

. . . there has been a warm and woodsy victorian in australia, a bright and modern apartment in sweden, and even a look at the differences between magazine and real estate photography for a townhouse in new york, but until now, there has never been such a perfect intermingling of the two . . . swedish real estate firm, fantastic frank, photographs homes for their listings in much the same way as interior design magazines; working with photographers who do not usually shoot houses, but work in fashion, art and architecture, they have developed a beautiful new photographic style that will forever change the way one thinks of real estate listings: for here, a light-filled home in östermalm, an upscale borough in stockholm, sweden, glittering with chandeliers and positively strewn with roses . . .























{images: photography by anders lindén for fantastic frank via trendey story}