{décor inspiration: french chic}

. . . soaring ceilings and chevron floors, juliet balconies and a luxuriously grand and perfectly ornate gilt mirror, and most of all, the dusky, smokey, sexy french-ness of it all . . .


{image: south of market}

{home inspiration: a paris apartment}

. . . oftentimes, on evening walks, love to stop by the bookstore for a few glossy magazines, always in search of inspiration, but has been far too long since there was a space that overwhelmed with loveliness like this parisian apartment -- the glimpses of perfectly ornate balconies and streams of soft, gauzy light, the yards upon yards of shimmery taupe drapery and beautifully time-worn chevron floors, and best of all, in paris . . .

{image: patterson maker, perhaps originally from sotheby's international realty france, collection privée les 100 plus belles proprietes de france}

{stylist: lotta agaton, stockholm, sweden}

. . . nearly always more drawn to crown molding and paneled and gilded walls, pools of silk and tufted velvet, floral wallpaper and warm herringbone floors than stark modernity, that is, unless the rooms have been touched by the work of swedish stylish lotta agaton, whose trailing vines in metallic pots and elegant bouquets of white roses add a luxe charm and an unmistakable air of warmth and romance . . .

{images: photography by pia ulin, styling by lotta agaton for elle interiör}

{two lovely things: black & white}

. . . whether an iconic and luxurious custom design perfectly paired with an ornate gilt console in the entryway, or a bold and impossibly stylish herringbone pattern in the powder room, there is such wonderful drama and visual impact in graphic patterns in shades of black and white . . .

{p.s.} recent two lovely things:
* bits of green
* cool august nights
* light & lavender

{ 1 - coco chanel's suite at the ritz paris via marcus design; 2 - christina murphy interiors}

{in the bedroom: only sweet dreams}

. . . positively mesmerized by the beauty of this grand & impossibly romantic room, a part of a beautiful apartment available for rent{!} in provence, on the ground floor of an hôtel particulier, {an urban "private house" of a grand sort, or a very grand town house}, dating from the renaissance that was once home to members of the family of the king of france . . . already astonishing with a pier fireplace and solid oak herringbone floors, but it’s the bedroom, complete with an extravagantly handpainted and vaulted ceiling, a glimmering and glamorous chandelier, and most of all, a gilded coronet bed drape {or crown canopy} in shades of the softest lilac that inspires a place where there can only be sweet dreams . . .

{p.s.}
* another stunning coronet: crisp linens & scalloped edges
* further reading: a brief history of bed canopies

{image: la madone via pinterest}

{home inspiration: sofia's paris apartment}

. . . many shots of sofia coppola's new york apartment with the now famous beautiful blue george smith sofa, but only a few & fleeting photographs of the bright and perfect paris apartment, showcasing her trademark and favourite pale backgrounds offset by arm-fulls of pink peonies -- but by far the very best part is the stunningly lovely white linen sofa . . .

{images: photography by andrew durham for vogue nippon via lola is beauty}

{on the market: a swedish apartment}

. . . suddenly dreaming of moving to sweden, after a glimpse inside this stunningly stylish apartment with such beautiful details -- an old-fashioned fireplace, walk-in closet, bleached floorboards and vintage chandeliers . . .

{via simple blueprint, designfragment & hemnet.se}