Real Estate Voyeurism in Amsterdam

I went to Amsterdam for a few days last week.

While I went for cultural pursuits of museums, exhibitions, and visiting towns there is a segment of tourists who go for other pursuits.

While I am too laissez-faire to judge, 
there was a part of me that internally thought myself 
a morally upright European citizen because 
I was not interested in peeping through 
the windows of the red light district.

But then I scrolled through my pictures
I took and it turns out that I am a peeping tom of a different sort...

Luckily the Dutch don't attach much importance to window treatments!

The first thing I noticed the time I visited in my teens was that I could look inside people's houses.

That was more mind blowing than the legalized prostitution and cannabis.

They are so open and tolerant of most things.

I asked why people didn't use curtains and my Dutch friend said it's because they had nothing to hide and people are just living. 

Then it seemed like I was the odd one out.

While I enjoyed peering in...

 I enjoyed peering out from the inside.


 I enjoyed being inside having a proper look around the homes.

I love the look of a historic Dutch kitchen.
 

But I loved exploring the canal houses built by wealthy merchants from the Dutch Golden Age.
 

There were homes on the scales of grand country estates but in the center of the city with gardens and coach houses at the rear.

I peered over homes of all types of decor and eras such as this Victorian salon.

And also the homes of the 1700's style.

Sometimes it wasn't only the style but the actual textiles and 
wall coverings that dated back to the 1700's 
such as the ones in the room below.

Textiles from the looms of Nimes

 And 300 year old Delft tiles almost became the norm for me for those few days.
 
 
 The original glaze survives on the edges of the room.
 

It is no coincidence that the Dutch Masters such as Vermeer mastered the science of light.

Blue and white and toile du jouy was au fait and executed without duress.

I can't wait to go on another trip to Holland but focusing on their gardens such as Het Loo and Keukenhof. But in the meantime I was so inspired by the Dutch interiors and the less than clement weather was worth enduring!

French Vogue February 2015 Review Part 2

It's Fashion Week so I thought I would get into the spirit of things.

I will be posting one more as there were so many pictures.

I appreciate they have to cram as much material in and please all the advertisers but this is just overkill no?  

The new interns/stylists need to read Coco Chanel's memo about taking one thing off before she left home.

Celine amped up its accessories although still quite streamlined considering. But Celine rarely does any wrong in my eyes.

Fashion designers in comic sketches are saying things like,
" Next season, I'm feeling Russian revolutionary meets Peruvian potato farmer."

Well, meet Dolce Gabbana's theme of Half Sicilian wench and 

Half Seville torero.

Fancy Spanx / Tour de France with lace pants is not going to catch on as outerwear.

I don't like to be told how to carry my clutch in a passive aggressive manner.

I am thinking crime forensics will appreciate these blade runners 

to narrow down criminal suspects.

This C'est Vogue editorial really had no cohesion except for a strong electric fan artfully blowing hair.

This pose is unexplainable unless she just kneed her cheating lover.

           I have a feeling that strong wind blew her trousers off.

If she was really worried about her modesty she could just untie her shirt and put it on.

I don't know about you but during times of stress I have had nightmares like the pic below.

Don't even think about playing the blinking game with this girl.

Vogue France like every other world edition loves their 
girls related to influential people "fashion ingenues" .

She's a relative of the Prada matriarchs.  
She says she loves fashion. 
If you don't speak French, believe me you are not missing out on much with this interview.

Not all music was listened to on an iPad.
Remember the old days?

Long gone are the days where you could just hire the Grand Palais in Paris and hold a fashion show. Unless you do something to get in the press or do something photogenic to get free publicity on social media it doesn't get any traction.

 

Chanel did a pre-collection show in an Austrian chalet and

 Dior hired a sumo stadium in Tokyo to do theirs.

 

No Vogue editor could not mention the passing of a great fashion designer Oscar de la Renta.

He was one of the first designers I remember as a child.

I envied Amal Clooney - 

not so much for marrying George but because she had the chance to work personally with the legend himself.

Vale Oscar.

French Vogue Part 1 - Fashion Accessory for 2015

I will be posting a review on the French February issue of 

Vogue but just wanted to point out the latest trend styles by the editor and 

street style blogger Emmanuelle Alt herself.

Can you see a little pattern?

Yes, it's the rope belt. 

Looking at the photo credits the rope belt has been produced by Hermes, Isabel Marant, and a brand called KLJ.

It's nice but you could just go to your local hardware store.

You could also get some tools to store your shoes a whole new way.

Now you owe me a few drinks after I saved you so much money.

P.s. Doesn't this "sweater" below definitively prove that 

Phoebe Philo definitely did all the heavy lifting while 

Stella and her  were in Chloe? 

 

All photos from the French edition of Vogue

Rainbow Tulips

Just got back from Amsterdam.

Short share post.

Holland is known for these tulips.

Amsterdam is known for this.

Those two hooked up one night and these are their love babies.

PS I probably won't be able to replying to comments because I just got back and have to go to the dentist again today!

PPS Here are some pics I posted on Instagram but 

you can view here via webstagram for those of you who are not on IG.

Colefax Fowler Sale and Headboard Update

Unlike last year when I went to the Osborne Little sale, 
I didn't really need anything.

I eyed the toile wallpaper on the left but there was no matching fabric.

I was looking for a bargain, another option fit my headboard, 
and an addition to my stash for future projects.

Rolls and rolls.

But as is the case with these things, your brain becomes mush and the shopping list becomes a distant memory.

There were a lot of classic fabrics but the bargains were not as good as at Osborne Little plus they didn't include VAT which is 20%.

My father always warned me not to go broke saving money.

But shopping with an industrial trolley make you think it's Ikea.

I wish I had a need for the MC summer palace wallpaper in plum with gold.

This fabric is Saskia by Manuel Canovas.

I have loved this fabric for ages and so I got a few meters.

I have draped it and hung it everywhere and 
it doesn't go properly with any room in my house but tulips are one of my favourite flowers so I will enjoy it regardless.

Meanwhile I chose this Jane Churchill embroidered fabric that just brings calm to the room. It's not punchy or a design statement but even Mr CSW is pleased with it.

Have a lovely weekend x