Thursday 25 February 2016

Debo's chairs and mine




I finally got a chance to go through the upcoming Sothebys auction catalogue of the Late Duchess of Devonshire otherwise known as Debo.


Truth be told, I don't have a fascination perse for the Mitford sisters and my interest is mostly based on my love for auctions and the tradition of a public collection of personal items of a esteemed personality such as the auction last year of Winston Churchill's personal items.


But when I saw these Georgian caned bergere armchairs I was a little intrigued as I slso have a similar pair.


This is the one in a bedroom.


And I have the other one in the living room.


My interest was also piqued when I saw this ebonised Regency settee.  


Doesn't it look nice in her bedroom?


But this type of furniture is usually seen as twee, old fashioned, and niche but I never let that stop me!


Because I also have an ebonised Regency settee!  Mine is nowhere near as nice and I'm still in the middle of deciding what to reupholster it in.


But I'd be lying if I didn't admit now I want to read about her properly because it's a bit odd that we had similar seating preferences :)

I can not wait to go to the preview this weekend and will report back to you after the auction!  

Friday 19 February 2016

European rooms at the V&A, London Lumiere Festival, Asian trip and Sponsoring Guide Dog Puppies

Hello all.

I did mean to blog while I was away but the iPhone is so fiddly plus even though I was away nearly a month I never quite got over the jetlag in Asia which is odd because now I have it back at home too.

  I don't know where to start but then again these posts I do are just jumbled anyway so you won't notice.

I came back home and it was spring. 
London doesn't do summers so it makes up for it by having glorious springs.

Did I tell you about one of the most wonderful gifts I have ever received?
My friend sponsored a puppy and you can too if you like - please click here.
If you don't live in the UK, most countries have their own version of this program.

Don't you love acupuncture?
Even though a massage feels better I find an acupuncture session has effects that last a lot longer.
My favorite acupuncturist in the UK is in Bristol and I wish she would move to London but then she would charge triple and booking would be a nightmare.

To fend off winter illness, I had been upping my intake of garlic putting it everywhere - even on my fried eggs.
 So I was all Asian housewife and peeling garlic while watching TV.
So sexy right?

We don't have the northern lights in the UK so London held its own urban version called the
Lumiere Festival in January.
The highlight was definitely the colors shone on Westminster Abbey.

It was spectacular and if you are interested there is a short video of the lights changing on the building.

This apparatus below was projecting the light installation.

While we were walking to Westminster Abbey,

we walked by a house that cleverly tried to make pedestrians not to peer into the house.  My friend and I did anyway to find out it was a cardboard figure placed in front of the lamp by the window.

In auction news, I was tempted by books that I wouldn't even read.
And some classic decades old editions of Playboy that I could have got because you know people only read it for the articles.

I went to the newly opened European Rooms at the V & A.

Wednesday 3 February 2016

Architectural Digest March 2016

It could have been worse.

Kayne and Kim could have joined them.


I can do ironic and "keeping it real" social indulgences.

But I can't. 

I just can't.