All for the love of Paisley

Image: unicornsunleashed.com

I think Paisley is one of those prints that can divide an audience.  You either love it, sit on the fence about it or hate it and clearly I am NOT in the latter so cover your eyes paisley haters!

paisley wood stamp from etsy.com

I love the intricacy of Paisley. To me it has a real historic and delicate feel to it which I just adore.

Paisley Porcelain by Ralph Lauren from insidefabric.com

It makes for a versatile and intriguing aesthetic for instance when it is done in bright tones it can really 'make' a perfect summer outfit pop!

 Bright red paisley lifts this ensemble by mydailyglamour.com

And in lighter spaces in the home it can feel luxurious and add interest to an otherwise neutral space

Like a little black dress a great paisley number never dates

Eternally hip!  A great paisley dress. Image nzgirl.co.nz

Here's a tip for the home or the body.  Keep the print to scale.  If you are a petite wee lass go for a small to medium ranged paisley print, larger if you are more voluptuous.  A small interior versus a large space is no different.

Good paisley (large paisley, large interior space)

Paisley Citco 3D Tiles.  Image from trendir.com

Still good paisley (busy micro-paisley pant for petite person)

Image by stylesuzi.com

The reasoning behind this is so as not to overwhelm you or your space.

Not so good paisley (Florence I love you but whaaat!)

Image by grazia.co.uk

Check out these celebs who looove paisley:

Kate Hudson

 Image: coolspotters.com

Eva Mendes

Image: glamourmagazine.co.uk

Nicole Richie

 Image: sparklesense.wordpres.com

 Image: blogs.babble.com

Kirsten Dunst

Image: instyle.co.uk

Jessica Alba

Image: zimbio.com

If you aren't a big fan try tonal paisley - that is paisley in one colour palette or a barely there type of paisley perhaps for the home a pressed metal paisley.

Top: Jil Sanders 12' apair-andaspare.blogspot.com and 

Bottom: Jimmy Choo Loafer lorien.me

No matter how strongly you feel about this beloved print (for or against).  In fashion, as in home - hate is a strong word.  I used to say that about a lot of trends and found myself eating my words so I don't hate!

The idea is to challenge your spaces and your style and paisley prints give a sense of intrigue.  


You can reveal as little or as much as you want of a print.  But it will add a certain jez ne sais quoi in any context.

If you're scared of this print, start small 

Nailing the paisley.  Image ritterbraten.blogspot.com

and if you're proud go big 

Jessie J - Paisley all the way.  Image uk.lifestyle.yahoo.co.uk

In style as in life my ethos is to never say never to any trend because everything can be interpreted a different way.  When styling a client I often hear 'I would never have gone for that but I love what you've done with it'

Magazines or shop store windows will tell you one way - you just have to reinterpret it to suit your style. 

Paisley tablecloth.  Image: abeachcottage.com

And remember Paisley pushers you don't hate paisley you just haven't found your perfect paisley yet.

xx

Body Art & Wall Art

Body Art Pic: Courtesy of our lovely friend Gaya
Wall Art Pic: Courtesy of Snuut Architecture

This is our beautiful friend Gaya showing off her uber feminine and delicate back tattoo. If tattooing body art seems too permanent for you, then wall decals require much less commitment. This butterfly wall decal has been placed on top of wallpaper and has instantly taken a blah boring wall to something of a feature. Wall decals can be a simple and great way to add excitement, character and beauty to a room. 

Body Art image: Courtesy of Pinterest
Wall Art image: Courtesy of Walldecalshop

I think henna temporary tattooing is so stunning, and this wall decal example shows that you really can find almost any sort of design you desire. With so many options available from images to inspirational quotes, you can find something that is meaningful and beautiful to your tastes and apply this to any room in the house (or even tattoo any part of your body...).

So this is probably not a simple vinyl wall decal but more of a hand painted and original wall mural, I love it! Image courtesy of Foggyland

If you're handy with the paint brush create your own bright, colorful and dynamic wall mural. Not for the artistically challenged like me, but inspiring all the same. Image courtesy of MadeByGirl

A fantastic and extravagant wall mural example! Again not a simple decal but so effective in this double ceiling height space. Image courtesy of Batixa

I think nursery's and kids rooms are perfect for decals, they add the fun factor and can be easily removed when you or your kids get over it! Image courtesy of The Kids Room Decor

Image courtesy of Colorful Kids Rooms

So try a wall decal – liven up a room for relatively low cost and minimal effort. There are so many different vinyl wall decals available, check out Etsy for thousands of options and you're sure to find one that you love. Or for the artistically ambitious and talented you can try painting your own wall mural or even create your own fabric wall decal, see Sewing Scarlet for a great tutorial.

Touch of floral

Outfit pic: By Lindsay Keats - Dress from ASOS, Denim Jacket from Quicksilver, shoes from Lipstick
Interior pic: courtesy of Southern Charm

Tiny and delicate or big and bold, there are so many floral prints out there and so many ways to bring a touch of floral to your style. Floral prints have been a big fashion trend for 2012, with many designers and major retail brands creating virtually any piece of clothing and accessory in some floral form. So my feminine floral dress is pretty safe, and you may want to mix it up with more adventurous mediums such as a floral blazer, jeans or heels. And of course if you remember the 90s you'll know just how great denim and floral print go together – just like Salt-N-Pepa, like Guns N' Roses, like the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and DJ Jazzy Jeff - denim and floral are a match made in 90s grunge heaven. Except back then I'd probably wear this same outfit with my steel capped Doc Marten boots as opposed to high-heeled wedges. 90s kids you know what I'm talking about!

Although floral is hot right now in fashion it can be quite timeless in your home decor.  I think floral chairs make fantastic features in any style of home, and they don't have to look grannyish.

Talking about grannies I inherited my grandmother's floral teacup set, which I adore and it actually gets used quite often now that high tea is in vogue. My set looks very similar to the below vintage variety, you can get these sorts of sets from most second hand stores or this particular one via Dad's Teacups on Etsy.

Vintage Royal Albert Teacup from Dad's Teacups

Love these vintage 90s floral blazers, you can buy them new but there's something cool about the old originals, they're usually better quality too. This one is from Oh My Frock

One last thing, floral doesn't have to be restricted to spring and summer, team your floral dress with a chunky sweater and you can rock the floral look all seasons - or for New Zealand summers which can be quite cold anyway.

Outfit pic: Dress from ASOS, Knit Jumper from Lee, shoes from Lipstick, Necklace from Karen Walker  and watch from Marc Jacobs