laura ashley's back

When we bought our first home years ago, I remember the extra bedroom was set up as a nursery and was beautifully wallpapered in a periwinkle blue and white patterned Laura Ashley wallpaper.

It turned out to be the perfect décor when we had our first baby, a boy, a few years later and at the time I really fell more in love with that beautiful Laura Ashley wallpaper.

It was a simple ticking stripe in the bedroom and the bathroom was done in a bright yellow coordinating mini-print. Laura Ashley was big in the 90’s, but after we moved from that home a couple of years later, Laura Ashley fell by the wayside in my mind.

In fact, the name Laura Ashley hasn’t popped into my head until I recently received a catalog and was astonished to know that they're still around!

For those of you unfamiliar with Laura Ashley, she was a Welsh fashion designer and businesswoman who originally made decorator fabrics and wallpapers in the 1950s, and later started designing clothing in the 1960s.

The Laura Ashley style is characterized by romantic English designs. It was Little House on the Prairie chic way before shabby chic was around.

She translated her memories of the Welsh countryside into fabrics and created that relaxed English country look that still appeals to us romantics of today. Here's a look at some of my favorite vignettes from the catalog...

wallpaper

fabric

ciao! fabiana

P.S. I’m on a mini-summer vacation for August, so you’ll be reading condensed versions of summer-inspired blog posts this month.

Photos by Laura Ashley

minnie driver's English country boho style

Celebrity homes always seem to be a popular subject matter on the blog, and today we have chic home style by  British actress Minnie Driver.

In fact, it’s a bit of a triple header as we have two of her homes that have been featured in magazines and pieces from her new English country furniture line on One Kings Lane.

Her fun furniture line captures the coziness of English décor, but she’s designed it to fit in with a more modern farmhouse style. It’s also got a touch of shabby chic charm going for it as well.

"It was lovely and charming, but I wanted something that really worked as a space to entertain in, and it does that now."— Minnie Driver

What do you think of Minnie's new furniture lifestyle brand?

"It is so beyond what I expected... Seeing it go from rendered drawings to actually there in the space, it’s made me so happy. I absolutely love it." — Minnie Driver

Now we move on to Minnie’s Hollywood Hills home that was featured in 2017 in Elle Décor. She describes the style as “English gypsy” which translates to a sophisticated color palette with boho chic style.

You had me at the gorgeous blue front door and amazing peacock chair, Minnie!!

 

And now here’s a look at Minnie’s fun little Malibu pad. It’s light-hearted, cute and the decor centers on casual California beach style.  

Of the three styles, English country, boho chic, or fun California beach decor, which one’s your favorite?

ciao! fabiana

photos:  Elle Decor and One Kings Lane

pink sunday

Happy  Sunday!

The week ahead is filled with lots

of little celebratory moments…

Mardi Gras, Valentine’s Day, Chinese New Year

and even Lincoln’s birthday!

Lol...

So today I had one last go at setting a

rosy pink tablescape,

inspired by this rose covered chintz fabric

that I’ve been holding on to, for its sweet romantic vibe.

Blush pink plates, bowls and glasses

soften the look of the bold tablecloth.

And, two varieties of roses tie the whole look together.

I hope you're having an amazing day! 

Stop by again soon for a few more fresh tablescapes.

ciao! fabiana

easy burlap table runner

On the lookout for a simple burlap runner? Why not make your own? It’s super easy to create! All you need is some burlap fabric-by-the yard and scissors. No hemming required. Here’s the one I made for my Valentine’s Day tablescape…

I purchased my burlap bolt from Oriental Trading, and it's the perfect color and texture I was looking for! I started by cutting my burlap fabric to the size of 17” x 80”. That size seemed perfect for my small round dining table. I took out the two leaves from the table to have a more intimate dining experience.

The secret is to cut the fabric very straight right along the lines of the threads. It’s actually pretty easy, since the burlap already provides a grid pattern. Once you get your cuts made to the size you desire, you need to fringe the edges. 

This is simply done by taking two threads at a time and unraveling them from the fabric to create a fringe on each edge. I ended up taking about 7-8 threads off for each side. This gave me the look I was going for, but you can play with it for a more tailored look or a more shaggy look. I recommend cutting and fringing outside, or in the garage, because this process can be a little messy.

Here’s the finished edge. I hot glued some glittery hearts on the ends that were left over from my gold glitter mantle garland. You’ll see the rest of the Valentine tablescape later this week!

ciao! fabiana

5 fun things to check out...

Hey everyone!  I hope you’re having a fabulous weekend! I wanted to take a few minutes to share a few things that have got me excited this week. First is the premiere of Victoria on Masterpiece. I’ve heard really great things about this show, and I’m hoping it will help replace Downton Abbey as one of my favorite Sunday night treats. 

This gorgeously done show tells the real story of a young Princess Victoria, who has grown up in a very sheltered environment. The story begins as she becomes Queen of England, falls in love and soon becomes the most powerful woman in the world! 

The details and period costumes look like they're right on par with the stunning production of Downton Abbey. Look for the show on your favorite PBS station. 

And speaking of great things in Britain, if you’re a fan of Ladies of London, then you may have gotten a peek at Dundas Castle on this week’s episode. The ladies plan a little getaway at this magnificent Scottish Castle in Edinburgh. 

The rooms and the grounds are spectacular, and (again) very Downton Abbey! I know next time I’m in the UK, I will try to plan a side trip to Dundas. As you may have noticed, I’m a bit of an Anglophile, so this gets me really excited. Planning my next rip now…lol!

And now off to Denmark… Hygge! I’ve been seeing this word everywhere! Have you? In my head, I kept pronouncing it High-Ghee, but it’s actually Hoo-Guh. Anyways, hygee loosely means comfort in the old Danish language, and it’s basically a word used to express things you can do to comfort yourself, and create a cozy environment. 

For those cold winter days and nights, think a warm fire, a luxurious blanket, your favorite candles flickering, and a delicious beverage to warm your soul. This is what I thrive for everyday! 

Coziness, and now we have 

a whole movement, 

Hygge!

I’m thrilled to welcome two new sponsors to my blog this year, Brick House Fabrics and Cushy Chic Outdoor Slipcovers and Accessories. Brick House Fabrics offers thousands of different novelty home decorating fabrics by the yard. They import many of their fabrics directly from mills in Europe. 

Cushy Chic is the perfect one-stop site for recovering outdoor cushions, at budget friendly prices. They’ve developed a special patent-pending technology to create their outdoor fabrics that come in several fun colors. 

Have a lovely Sunday, 

and let me know what you think of Victoria, 

if you get a chance to watch!  

ciao! fabiana