Robin's Egg Blue...

Robin's Egg Blue...my favourite colour, in all its intensities. I love the image it represents: pale, perfect blue eggs cradled in a nest made with love by mother Robin. It is the perfect metaphor for me. I, too, have built my nest with care, in a swath of watery blues, taupes, and greens...all combined to imbue a feeling of comfort. I love the element of nature this colour lends to an environment. It makes it difficult to feel very removed from the outdoors.

I love the speckled eggs, which add the tiniest bit of imperfection to the fragile hiding places of the soon-to-be baby birds. In fact, the sweet saying, "A little birdie told me..." immediately brings to mind a robin whispering in one's ear. The simple fact that such a delicately coloured egg comes from a brown and red bird puzzles me. The disconnect between the two affirms the notion that mother and child need not look alike to belong together. It is the perfect blending of all that is akin to nature, and it doesn't have to make sense. Nature just is, and it is the best source of inspiration when creating our own nests. Whether we draw inspiration from the ocean, the ground, the forests, or the flowers shooting forth from the grass... it is a great starting point for choosing colours and textures. But for me, it is as simple as a perfect little robin's egg...could a house be any more perfect than that??

My perfect house...

(above image via style court)

As most of you know by now I have a facination and love affair with European architecture and interior design and I have discovered a new place of interest that is definately going on my "bucket list" lol. If I had an endless amount of money this is what my house would look like ;)

The Swan House, built in 1928, is a grand Italianate mansion that is an Atlanta landmark, once the home of Edward and Emily Inman, heirs to a cotton brokerage fortune. The Swan House is an excellent example of the Second Renaissance Revival style and represents the architectural and decorative tastes of affluent citizens in the late 1920s. The house was designed by a well-known Atlanta architect by the name of Philip Trammell Schutze in 1928 and decorated by Ruby Ross Woods of New York.

(the above 3 images are via xinmincat @ flickr)

I don't know alot about architecture but I know what I like. Symmetry was Schutze's no 1 priority when building this magnificant home and that is the extact no 1 reason why I adore it so.



The name of the house is drawn from the swan or bird motifs that grace many of the interior rooms.



This is a close up of the front of the Swan House. It has two staircases like this one because architect Phillip Shutze had a need for proportion; this one is the miniature version of the larger stone staircase on the bottom. That intricate ironwork is incredibly beautiful.


(the above 3 images are via Hueyatl @ flickr)

The house is filled with english and Italian style elements including this stunning iron lantern.

This is the back of the Swan House. This is where the chauffeurs would drop off the guests when special social events took place at the Inman's residence so even though it is the back it really looks like the front of the house.

The interior of the house is as elaborate as the exterior and features five rooms of distinction: the entrance vestibule, the entrance hall, the library, the breakfast room and the dining room. Other rooms include four bedroom areas, a sitting room, a full basement and an apartment in the attic. I'm completely in love with the chinoiserie wallpaper and lets not forget that chandelier!

(above 3 images are via lalejos1 @ flickr)

This is a picture of the guest room at the swan house. It is simple yet comfortable. The wood floors on this level of the house are oak wood. This room is different from the rest of the house because it is plainer with simple furniture and no fancy portraits hanging on the walls. I actually don't mind the colour scheme and the sweet floral accents.

Stunning architecture like this rarely exsists in Australia. If anyone has visited Swan house, knows anymore about it or has other photo's of the interior I'd LOVE to see and read about it :)

Information and images from:

http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/atlanta/swa.htm

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8305995@N07/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/xinmincat/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hueyatl/

http://stylecourt.blogspot.com/2007_09_01_archive.html

To do...or not to do!

I have a to-do list as long as my arm! I want to organize all my photos, put them in albums and sort the ones that need to be scrap-booked (totally overwheming!!), take all our family home videos to be converted to DVD, dust (my least favourite job), rake the huge gravel stones off my lawn, start some spring cleaning, plan my son's birthday, and more!! I simply can't seem to work through it in a systematic manner, however. This week has been busy with work-related appointments and coupled with kid's activities, feeling rotten, and basic household "chores" I can't seem to get the energy, or desire, to tackle it. I did manage to shake the cobwebs off me yesterday and meet a friend for lunch, which I think went a long way towards persuading myself I felt "better" (I chose to ignore the spinning in my head, the low-grade fever and the growly chest congestion). After taking my son to the doctor so she could have a look at his "wrestling with his little brother" wrist injury (and subsequent x-ray), I raced home to make a chicken stew and home-made rolls (well,from the breadmaker). I figured the nutrition in the stew would help those of us with the cold, and would guarantee a Friday night take-out night, considering hubby cooked dinner the night before...apple pancakes and sausages...comfort food at its best.

After dinner, I headed out for another decor consult: a kitchen, living room, and bathroom ...where I hoped the clients didn't mind my gravelly voice and red nose. I so love this job - its flexibility with hours means I am always home when my kids are, and hubby or my eldest son can fill in the gaps when I have evening or weekend appointments.

Other than that, I am happy to be gearing up for a weekend spent helping good friends move, shuttling my boys to and from basketball games( I love indoor sports!), and hosting play dates for my girlie. March break is coming up in a couple of weeks, and I am more than ready for the break from making lunches....how pathetic is that??!!