StylishIrish

Currently inspired by...

2012-02-06T12:18:00.001+13:00

Sarah's House 4 - First Impressions

2012-01-31T21:00:00.000+13:00

One of the TV shows I currently have programmed to record on MySky is Sarah's House (Season 4). It's an interiors show from Canada where designer, Sarah Richardson, buys a home from plans in a new subdivision and transforms it from "a builder's beige box to the home of your dreams". I first came across Sarah and her little helper Tommy (he cracks me up) in Sarah's 101, which also aired on Sky TV down here.

The latest episode I've seen (Episode 3) is where Sarah and Tommy decorate the hallway and I must say I am rather smitten by the end result. The paint colour around the door, which was also applied at the other end of the hallway, is called "elephant" and I love the combination with the parchment colour on the side walls, the dark wood and the citrus accents.

To be honest, I love every detail of this - the strip of marble tiles by the door, the train print over the credenza, the combination of the floral print upholstered chair with the zig zag print cushion and THAT rug, which believe it or not is from Ikea. I LOVE that rug and yet again lament the fact that we do not have Ikea in NZ!

Now, if you wish to find out more about Sarah's House and even watch episodes check out hgtv.ca/sarahshouse. If this post hasn't already tempted you, maybe the Image below of some gorgeous wallpaper also featured in the "First Impressions" episode will do it for you instead!

Enjoy!

Adventures with Veggie Patches and a Thai Basil recipe

2012-01-22T21:02:00.001+13:00

One of the great things I've discovered about having our own veggie patch is that it makes us more connected with nature. We're now more mindful of what is in season. There was a time when I'd have thought nothing of buying peppers (or capsicums as they say here) in the middle of winter, particularly back in Ireland where food is relatively easy to ship in from all over the world year round. Now I'd actually feel a twinge of guilt, and of course with prices trebled or even quadrupled when fruit and veg is out of season, I'd feel it in my pocket too! Adventures with veggie patches do sometimes mean an overabundance of a particular fruit or vegetable. Recently, we experienced this with courgettes. Our one plant was tireless in rapidly producing courgette after courgette, some a foot long! It was somewhat overwhelming, but also a great opportunity to go on the Internet and discover lots of new recipes for, you guessed it, courgettes. Did you ever hear of courgette muffins? I certainly hadn't, and to be honest thought courgette muffins sounded a bit odd. They worked out great though, a little like banana bread or carrot cake. Check out the recipe here.

Something we currently have an abundance of is Thai basil. 'Himself' tried adding it to one of our standard weekday dinners, Thai green curry, but it didn't quite work for me. A search on the taste.com.au website yielded this recipe and having tried it successfully last night, I think it's definitely a keeper. I substituted 3 spring onions for the shallots but otherwise I stuck exactly to the recipe. The combination of flavours (lime, fish sauce, chilli, lemon grass and of course Thai basil) was really interesting - spicy and fresh at the same time. I can see myslf serving this up at a relaxed summer dinner party on the deck...oh yes, thats if summer ever really gets going this year in NZ!

Chicken and Cashew Nuts with Thai Basil a la Stylish Irish

10 Best: Stylish Home Bars/Vignettes

2012-01-10T21:00:00.001+13:00

I love my vignettes around the home. Even better when there's a functional aspect to the vignette - pretty for pretty's sake AND useful! This must be why I like beautifully styled bars arranged on tables, trolleys, sideboards and even shelves. Alas, I don't have quite the right spot in my home for such a bar right now but when I do, here are the 10 best pictures I'll be inspired by:

Currently inspired by...

2012-01-06T14:56:00.001+13:00

My Top 5 Summer Salads

2012-01-04T18:49:00.003+13:00

You might not know it from the recent weather in Auckland but it's summer time down here and that means lots of barbeques. It's the done thing to "bring a plate", usually a salad, along with some beer or a bottle of plonk. I have to admit that at first I was a bit overwhelmed and resorted to buying salads from the deli counter at the supermarket to bring along. I did however find myself sheepish upon arriving with my plastic tubs when everyone else came with with plates of what seemed to me like dazzling displays of domesticity! How much can change though in 4 years (yes, we're here 4 years this March!). Now I have a list of Top 5 salads that are easy peasy to whip up for summer barbeques. What's even better is that with our veggie patch, more and more of the ingredients can come directly from our backyard!

So, here they are - my current Top 5 summer salads. Click on the titles for links to the recipes.

Corn and Avocado Salad

This one comes courtesy of NZ celebrity cook Annabel Langbein.

Roasted Beet & Feta Salad

We had a fantastic crop of beetroot this year and my favourite way to use it is definitely roasted. Yum!

Waldorf Salad

You simply can't go wrong with this classic.

Penne tossed in Green Pesto

Not strictly a salad but works well served cold so why not? It's been fantastic making fresh pesto from our own basil. This is the recipe I use.

& last but not least

Beetroot and Greek Yoghurt Salad

You'll have to wait until next time I make this for a photo but it is super easy and always gets lots of complements. Just take some canned beetroot chunks and mix with as much Greek yoghurt as to your liking - for 2 cans of beetroot, I generally go for between one half cup and one cup of yoghurt. Lightly toast some sliced almonds andtop. Et, voila!

Unveiling our future home

2011-12-07T20:33:00.001+13:00

Finally, FINALLY I have some images generated by our architects of what our villa extension will look like! It's so exciting to be able visualise it - it makes it so much more real! There's still a long way to go. We're just on the brink of applying for our resource consent from the council and then there's building consents to worry about not to mention saving, saving, saving to make our dream come true. But let's just enjoy this little milestone for now.

I'm back

2011-12-04T15:10:00.001+13:00

After a month long sejour from blogland, I'm back. I hadn't really intended on going off the air so to speak and don't really have a good excuse either. Perhaps I wasn't feeling very inspired or maybe I've been a bit lazy in the evenings after work. Anyways, to settle me back into the blogging way, here's three things that are currently delighting me.

1. Fresh strawberries from our garden each morning on my muesli and yoghurt

2. The 3-d image of our future extension (more on this soon!)

3. My swarovski Havaianas (who can resist a touch of bling?)

Glimpses of Summer in our Garden

2011-10-23T10:45:00.000+13:00

Pear Tree Blossoms

Strawberries

Lemon Tree Blossoms

Blue Skies (and an air display)

Inspiration Station: Guest Bedroom

2011-10-17T20:55:00.001+13:00

Oh dear, oh dear! Here's the state of what we currently refer to as "the spare room":

Yes, it's currently a dumping ground, a place where we dry clothes and store odd bits of furniture. I'm determined though this summer to turn it into a gorgeous guest bedroom. Not sure yet how exactly I'm going to go with this, but here's what's inspiring me lately when it comes to bedrooms:

Stripy Rugs

Interesting Headboards

Black & White...

... with Pops of Juicy Colour

Etsy Lovin'

2011-10-10T18:39:00.000+13:00

Here are some items I'm currently hearting on Etsy.

Cushions from alexandraferguson for our living room

Mustache cufflinks for himself from beautyspot who's based in the Ukraine

Wild side animal prints from pixiepixels for our bedroom

And this leather handbag (with tassel!) for me from Opelle based in Toronto

All above images via Etsy

The house with the glass stairs

2011-10-03T20:46:00.001+13:00

I think I may have mentioned our future renovation plans, maybe just once or twice! I also recently posted about the villa next door to ours, which has had the full reno job and featured in the property section of the NZ Herald. This time I'm posting about a villa reno in our neighborhood that is a bit of a legend...the one with the glass stairs.

When it comes to period houses, I really like when there's a clear definition between the original house and the new extension. This is one of the requirements we've included in the brief to our architect (see here). In this house, they've taken the concept to the extreme by building a new pavilion style extension and linking it to the main house by means of an ultra modern and very cool glass staircase. And if this isn't enough of a feature in itself, underneath the glass stairs is a lap pool!

Feast your eyes on the rest of these images and me know what you think!

Ready for a before picture?

Et voila...

And now for the rear...

Ta da!

All images via trendsideas.com

White bedding...

2011-09-27T20:46:00.003+13:00

... is a mainstay of many a stylish interior including most if not all of the best hotel rooms.

Some printed duvets and pillow covers are tempting, particularly those by designers such as Diane Von Furstenburg...

Paper Cheetah Duvet via dvf.com

...but it's hard to beat the versatility and the crisp, freshness of pure white bed linen.

Here are some of my current favourite bedroom images featuring white bedding.

above 4 images via Lonny

In these examples, simple white bedding is the perfect counterpoint to colourful and often patterned elements including cushions and blankets on the bed itself as well as soft furnishings, curtains and wall treatments.

The only drawback? Keeping your whites pristine!! However I recently came across this method for getting your whites really white. Here's how it goes:

Fill bucket/sink with hot water and add 2 tablespoons of washing up liquid. Soak whites for 15 mins. Remove and rinse with warm water.
Fill bucket/sink with hot water and add 2 tablespoons of ammonia. Soak whites for 15 mins. Remove and rinse with warm water.
Fill bucket/sink with hot water and add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar. Soak whites for 15 mins. Remove and rinse with warm water.
Put whites in washing machine on hot cycle (I also used a pre-wash) using your regular detergent and an oxy-action product. Dry in the sun if possible.

Et voila - even my yellowed pillow cases (yuck I know!) came out whiter than white and worthy of any 5* hotel room (if I may say so myself!).

A nice cup of tea and sit down

2011-09-22T17:34:00.001+12:00

Mug and Tray by Freedom
Chocolate Brownie by me!

Sometimes, it's the little pleasures in life that bring you the most satisfaction. I'm a tea addict and always feel like a good cuppa will go a long way towards sorting most things out!

By the way, what so you think of this little red lacquered tray I bought today?

It's from a set of five by Freedom and all for the very nice price of 69.95 NZD.

via Freedom.co.nz

I think these are going to be great for organising bit n bobs and doing little displays around the house. It wasn't that long ago that I was lamenting the complete lack of nice trays to buy in NZ (see here) so thank you Freedom for introducing these lacquered numbers!

Another great little purchase I made lately is the ceramic owl vase.

This one is a bargain from Ezibuy (cost around 30 bucks). I think it's very Jonathan Adler-esque!

Stacked Bracelets

2011-09-15T17:53:00.001+12:00

This is a look I really, really like and must surely master.

I love the randomness of mixing watches with bad girl stud bracelets, friendship bracelets with luxe brand leather bracelets/cuffs and all this with maybe some rhinestones and some other other glitzy bits thrown in for good measure.

Here's some more inspiration:

Here's an example including a Hermes enamel bangle. I've blogged about these before. I seriously need (ok, want) one.

Here's a more luxurious take on the stacked bracelet look:

All above images via Refinery29

So! I've got some work (and some rummaging in the jewellery box) to do to ramp up from this...

... to this!

DIY Store Finds

2011-09-11T18:23:00.001+12:00

Sorry I've been MIA the last week. I started a new job last Monday so I've been pretty focused on that. Anyways, I've promised myself to be more disciplined about posting going forward. I'm also starting what I'm calling my running experiment. It's going to be a staged programme over the next 6 weeks to get me up to running 5km's straight. So currently lots of new endeavours in the life of Stylish Irish!

But back to the post at hand. 'Himself' and I recently made an excursion to Bunnings DIY. Now NZ does not have a lot to boast about when it comes to shops but one thing they do impressively well is DIY Superstores. While the purpose of this trip was to pick up materials for 'himself' to build another veggie patch (more on that in due course), I always like to have a hunt around DIY stores for homewares bargains. This trip yielded this greek key doormat which was only 35 NZD. Now the greek key thing hasn't really hit NZ so I'm pretty sure Bunnings had no idea how on trend they were with this!

Greek Key Doormat

My other DIY store find happened yesterday when I was sent on a mercy dash to our local Mitre 10 to pick up some more potting mix. I'd been looking for a new pot for the plant in our living room for a while - I'm ashamed to say it had been sitting in the icky plastic pot it came in for the last 1.5 years! This was only around 30 NZD and while simple, I think it looks pretty good for the money.

Goes to show you can pick up some stylish bits in less than glamorous places... and at a great price.

Have a great week everybody!

So here's what's going down...

2011-09-01T17:22:00.000+12:00

... in the life of Stylish Irish.

I bought a cover for my Ipad. It's pretty simple, you might even say low-key...

...and only cost 25 bucks from Typo. I might still indulge in the Marc Jacobs one I blogged about before but in the meantime, I'm pretty happy with this.

So, I've also come over all domestic goddess lately.

We had some beetroot from the vege patch that needed using up, so I made some Cous Cous with Roasted Vegetables at the weekend.

Of course I didn't think to take any pics of the finished product but it did look more or less like this (the recipe is courtesy of Kiwi cooking and lifestyle star Annbel Langbein).

Finally, look at this gorgeous book that arrived for me earlier today:

It's a late birthday gift from my honey and I love it. Take a sneak peek inside:

Almost as good as the real thing... better in a way because I don't think I'll ever own more than 200 different hermes scarves!!

Now I'm, thinking I might need to buy a new coffee table to display my new pretty book on...

Laters!

Upstairs at the dream house

2011-08-25T17:27:00.001+12:00

So previously on Stylish Irish I was 'fantasy decorating' my dream house that's currently on the market back in Ireland. I'd managed to work my way through main rooms downstairs, so now it's time to move on to the first floor.

Wowee! Not only 5 bedrooms to decorate but 5, yes 5 bathrooms AND a generously sized dressing room!!! Shall we start with the Master suite? Here's what I'm thinking...

Click for a closer look

I've looked to Suzanne Kasler again for inspiration here. I'm loving lattice print right now and this neutral colour scheme is restful while also being sophosticated.

via Suzanne Kasler

It's the interiors equivalent of a classic camel coat - luxurious and elegant without being showy.

That's my idea of style perfection.

Decorating my dream house

2011-08-21T14:03:00.002+12:00

A while ago I blogged about my dream house back in the home country. Check it out here. Then the other day I was reading Blue Fruit's blog (a current favourite of mine) and I was totally inspired by Virginia's 'Rescue me Please' post. Basically, she imagined buying a diamond in the rough Art Deco house currently on the market and imbuing it once again "with dignity and drama". Well it occurred to me that I should also embark on a fantasy redecoration project and what better subject than my dream house.

There's quite alot of floor area to play with here so let's chunk this down and focus first on the ground floor.

What's our vision? I'm thinking classic with a contemporary twist. As a jumping off point, I thought of this photograph by Mario Testino:

If you look carefully at the picture of the stairs in the 'before' photos, you'll see there's already a black and white tiled floor to work with in the main hall.

I like the idea of mixing the classic checkerboard floor with a more contemporary approach. For example, the hallway below a la Suzanne Kasler is classic but contemporary in its simplicity and lightness. I love how fresh and unstuffy it looks. And bye bye Mr Red Carpet on the stairs (what were they thinking)!!

The room below is again by Ms Kasler. I'm a sucker for black and white and I think extending the colour scheme from the formal entrance to the drawing room provides continuity.

You gotta admit, it's a step up from the current arrangement. For some reason, terracotta is a big hit in Irish interiors (yuck!). At least the carpet is neutral but I wonder whether original timber floors lurk beneath...

Next, let's step into the dining room. I'm thinking of a scheme somewhere in between the following two looks, one of which featured in a recent edition of Lonny and the other is by Kelly Hoppen.

via Lonny

Once again, it's about striking the right balance between classic and contemporary.

Now, what about the kitchen? What I ask is that navy stripe about?

How about something a little more like this...

via Lonny

and this...

via decorpad

It's fantastic that with such a large space, there's ample room for both a generous kitchen and a less formal dining area.

Every home needs a comfy living area for some serious relaxing, coach potato-ing even! So here's what I'm thinking for the sitting room that's directly off the kitchen:

Winters are cold these times in Ireland and it's hard to beat an open fire as a focal point.
And finally, the study:

Soon to follow is the upstairs. There are still five bedrooms, numerous bathrooms and a dressing room to go so the fantasy decorating is far from complete!

The house next door...

2011-08-16T17:45:00.001+12:00

Whether you consider it a constant source of envy or an ever present motivator, the fact is that the villa right next door to ours has had it's full makeover including a big loft-style extension. One half of the couple who developed the house was an interior designer. They've since sold up and the new neighbours have just moved in. The other day however, quite by chance, I came across this article which appeared in the NZ Herald when the house was on the market a few months ago. I thought you might be interested to see the pics as an insight into on how these villa renos go in my neck of the woods.

Kitchens

2011-08-15T17:10:00.002+12:00

Eventually, when we get closer to building THAT extension I've been talking about, I'm going to have to choose a kitchen. Now I always thought of myself as a modern kitchen kinda gal and I was bracing myself for an argument with 'himself' who I know would like something a bit more ... cosy. Lately however, I've found myself drawn to a more traditional style of kitchen - see the pics below:

Are these what you call shaker style doors? I would just never have thought that was me!!

This interest in something a bit more traditional started I think when I saw this kitchen by Thomas O' Brien. It isn't shaker style but it definitely marked a departure for me away from solely admiring contemporary styled kitchens.

This is from the old school house he renovated (in upstate NY I think) and I just love that entire house.

Anyway, this desire for something a bit more classic on the kitchen front won't keep me completely out of trouble with 'himself". I know he would also like something a bit more woody and as you can see, I very much like white kitchens. Oh well - I guess we'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it!

Random Inspiration

2011-08-09T17:12:00.000+12:00

I was cleaning out the hard drive on my computer at work today and came across these random interiors images I've been storing. Enjoy!

Currently Coveting...

2011-08-09T10:11:00.000+12:00

... this bag from Gucci.

via netaporter.com

Unfortunate isn't it that the ONLY black leather handbag out there that I like happens to be this one, which has a price tag of 3,300 pounds sterling (I fear to think what that is in NZD!). I really like the shape, the bamboo handle, the detailing AND it's got some tassels (I'm obsessed!). Sigh.

Here's the description from net a porter:

Embellished with delicate gold studs and signature bamboo tassels, Gucci's black leather tote is a covetable new-season carryall. Team it with a sleek sweater and tuxedo pants for a hit of the label's understated glamour. Shown here with an Yves Saint Laurent ring and a Gucci top, pants and shoes.

Last week's round up

2011-08-07T21:08:00.005+12:00

Hi all. Hope you've had/are having a good weekend. It's been stormy and wet here in Auckland. It was lovely therefore to see Small Acorns' cheery picture of daffodils to remind us down under that Spring is on the way. I also really like how Amanda has displayed the blooms in a tray of old milk bottles.

Meanwhile, Erin at Elements of Style received this gorgeous Hermes bangle as a surprise birthday gift from her hubby last Friday. This baby has been on my wishlist for a while so I am very impressed ... and a tad envious! Check out her post here where she tells us how he hid the little orange box behind a pretend gift of a sweater.

Hermes Bangle via Elements of Style

Moving on now to something more frivolous, yes it's the needlepoint cushion from Jonathan Adler that hass been featured on many blogs recently including So Haute earlier this week. I believe these words of wisdom come from Kate Moss and I hate to say i tend to agree with her...

...which is why this delicious sounding salad recipe from A Cup of Mai is just the ticket!! I'm looking forward to trying it next summer.

Watermelon Mixed Greens Salad

Ingredients

3 cups mixed greens

2 cups seedless watermelon, 3/4 inch-diced and chilled

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice ( 2 lemons)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Wash mix greens and spin dry. Place the mix greens and watermelon in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pour enough dressing on the mix greens to moisten. Toss well and place on salad plates. Sprinkle feta cheese on the mix greens and watermelon. Sprinkle with salt and serve.

Have a great week!

Marc Jacobs to the rescue?

2011-08-05T15:55:00.002+12:00

Since my post yesterday (the one where I lamented the lack of truly delectable Ipad covers), I went on Net a Porter in one more brave attempt to find a winter coat for my new baby. I was delighted to discover the following by Marc Jacobs, a new addition to the range available since I'd last checked on the website.

Cute, n'est ce pas? And bang on the money at approx 100 NZD. I particularly like that it has faux fur lining to keep my little Ipad nice and snug. Another Marc Jacobs number that caught my eye was this:

I like it for it's "Chanel-ness" and the fact that it can double as a handbag. However, at around 700 NZD, it's a lot more than I want to spend.

This Pucci also stirred my interest though I's prefer it in a pink/orange colour scheme.

All images via netaporter

Maybe there's hope afterall?