Blissful Italian living

Did I mention that I like converted monastries and churches*? They give so much design freedom (plus a couple design challenges). Here is a beautifully converted monastry in Liguria, Italy, with a view to Corsica and the montains of Portofino in the distance. What a bliss to live here!

Imagine you wake up to this view everyday! And the garden is georgeous! I've spotted not one but several perfect breakfast places.

*Check out this place, and this one.

All photos: AT Casa Italia

Simple flower arangements

These simple flower arrangements make me happy. Enough said.

All photos: Living at Home Magazine

Icelandic Impressions I

My friends H. and F. are always game for unusual trips. This summer they cycled around Iceland for three weeks. I've begged them to share some photos with you, dear readers. The Iclandic landscape is fascinating, isn't it? I think it can be very inspirational for someone keen on decorating and design.

Natural & pure white

Today I heart natural and pure white with a lot of texture and black accents.This space feels so summery and relaxed.  By the way the sofa in the third image can be found at Merci Paris.

Have a lovely summer day, dear readers!

All photos: Homelife Magazine

Anthropologie style

Today the delectable Eileen R. of easelart from Toronto, Canada is guest blogging about the Anthropologie style in North America. Eileen is a careful European Chic reader and figured how much I like Anthropologie (even if the closest one for me living in Paris is in London).

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Since we saw the Anthropologie store in London here I thought, as a guest, I might show one in my hometown, Toronto, Canada. I think Anthropologie has hit on a style that’s quite adaptable for many places both European and North American. They always give me loads of ideas and not just about fashion. I don’t mean to single out a particular store and be an ad for them but Anthropologie are good at creating a certain look.

 I keep meaning to buy some of their letters for my home office.

             



















    It looks a bit like an antiques store.
     

I thought instead of looking at the clothes, I would look at how things are displayed and also the new line of furniture. I bet you can’t wait to get some of this in the rest of Europe. Or maybe it’s something you see more readily elsewhere in other shops and at markets and can wait. In North America where new is usually more prized over the old, it’s nice to see vintage items or furniture inspired by vintage pieces.

An old cupboard with its doors off is used for another display.

There are even live plants used for displays. 

While waiting for a friend trying on clothes I noticed that the bench in the fitting room has fabric around it. This must have been dipped in glued and hand molded to create these folds. I also love the pillows. I’m in the process of collecting bright fabric to make my own pillows for a revamp of my living room. All of the above photos were taken using instagram on my iPhone.

Bench for waiting in the fitting room                

                                       

 Owls seem to be 'in'.

I really think I could move right into the store. Would they mind? It always smells heavenly. I’m a sucker and even bought their candles in the hope of having a bit of Anthropologie at home.

 I want this lamp. Made in France

 Maybe with less pillows

I fell for this purple sofa

All photos: easelart/Eileen R.

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Thanks to Eileen from easelart for blogging today. This marks the end of this summer's guest posts. Next time it will be me again (more tanned).

19th century dining table style!

Today the wonderful Richard Rabel from New York city, USA will be guest blogging while I am outside exploring.

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I’m thrilled to be a guest blogger for European Chic! It’s posts on chic contemporary, mostly European interiors have always been insightful and so when I was asked to write a guest posting on art and design (my blog focuses on these as well as decor), how could I refuse! Anna is the best.*

France has always been known for its chic and refined taste in art and design but back in the 19th Century, it had no other rivals. At the turn of the 19th Century, even while most of Europe was at war with Napoleon's France, the aristocracy of Europe looked to Paris to define what was chic in dress, manners, and of course, dining. 

French aristo dining tables of the Napoleonic era literally dripped with gold and silver.  Tureens, entree dishes, centerpieces, candelabra, dinner plates and flatware all glittered in the candle light creating a magnificent back drop for the delicious excesses of the time.  The very best of art and design of the period incorporated classical forms and these reflected the good taste and worldliness of the owners. Silversmiths from London to Vienna to St. Petersburg took up the mantel of neo-classicism, copying everything their clients saw in the palaces of France. 

The dinner service above is a perfect example. Odiot, silversmiths to Napoleon (and still producing today!), created a service for Count Nikolai Demidoff, a Russian nobleman whose love of Paris led him to almost abandon his native Russia.  The centerpiece of this service is the figural tureen above that stands two feet tall (60 cm.) and weighs 34 lbs. (15.5 kilos) of solid silver. The entire service had over 60 pieces, so imagine how impressive it would have been to have dinner at the Demidoffs!

With the passing of time and the reversal of fortunes, the service was broken up and sold as single pieces, each standing as individual testaments to chic 19th century France.

Image credits: © Christie’s Images (3)

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Thank you very much to Richard for his guest post - I learned new things today. Please share your comments below.

*I did not ask for this lovely compliment (but am sure glad to hear it - flattery gets you anywhere with me!).