Beautiful Shop

The Beautiful Shop this week is in the North East of England and is simply called RE.. I spent quite some time looking through their gorgeous products, they have such a unique range.. Here's how Simon Young & Jenny Vaughan describe their store..

In November 2003, RE was born in a small converted workshop at the back of a filling station in Corbridge, a small market town in north east England and was followed by our first mail order catalogue in May 2004.
After careers in fashion design we both wanted a new challenge and with years of comparative shopping experience, and inspired by some of the stores we visited globally, we decided to set up shop.
There's no point attempting to shoehorn the range of RE's stock into a paragraph, but if you do need a plaster Virgin Mary and a bottle of the best bubble bath in the world, this is the place.
We have a huge cross section of customers, and everyone goes out with something - even if it's just a smile on their face!
More of our products are presented online; our most REcent finds, some favourites; some raRE or REmarkable; some REcycled; some REscued and REstored; and look out for REgd. - our unique range of originals and textiles designed by RE, and made locally whenever possible.

Beautiful Home

From Gwyneth Paltrow's newsletter, Goop, an amazing renovation in Nashville.. Annette Joseph transformed a two bedroom loft into a temporary home for Gwyneth and her family..You can read about it here.. Gwyneth is a keen cook, hence the beautiful kitchen - I love the subway tiles to the ceiling..

Winner

The winner of the Titanic program is Sarah B from Molly's Maison! Please email me Sarah with your postal address.. My very lovely assistant picked your name out of the bowl this morning..xx

Trunks

I absolutely love trunks. We've been looking for one for the teen bedroom, to use as a bedside table..

Ezibuy have these very affordable trunks..$149.95..

Shaz at What I Love posted about this amazing trunk yesterday.. check out the details at her blog..

Ralph Lauren Home..

Samsonite trunks..

My favourite..from Coco Republic..they have a gorgeous selection..

Bedside

As I was painting this weekend, I was thinking about all the ways in which blogs have helped me..I am more open and trusting, more creative (well, trying to be..) and have a much better idea of how to decorate. I also laugh more as some of the bloggers I love are very witty creatures..So, I just wanted to say thanks for being part of my world, I really do appreciate you..xx

On another note, of the twenty things I'm trying to decide on in my head, bedside tables is one of them. So many choices..

Image 1 - House Beautiful, Image 2 - ibbdesign, Images 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 - Sweet Pea and Willow, Image 9 - paperbean, Images 8 & 10 - And So To Bed, Image 11 - Living etc, Image 12 - Yorkshire Design Associates

Starck Kitchens

A little different to what we're used to..but in the right setting, I think these kitchens are magnificent. Philippe Starck has created the kitchens for Warendorf. Starck by Warendorf collection "introduces new functional elements to the kitchen and its role as a social hub". What do you think? xx

Beautiful Ship

The story of the Titanic has always captured my imagination. My grandmother told me about it when I was young and I couldn't believe that such a grand ship had existed. I loved the James Cameron film and have poured over the book Ghosts of the Abyss and many of the newspaper articles from 1912 many times. You can imagine how thrilled I was when it was announced that Titanic, The Artefact Exhibition was coming to Melbourne.

To avoid the crowds, my husband and I went to a special evening viewing last night. It's hard to describe how moving it was. I was close to tears the entire time.. And I learnt so many things I didn't know about this beautiful ship, its passengers and crew. I walked through a recreated first class staterooms hallway and climbed a recreated grand staircase. I could see close up hairbrushes, perfume bottles and vials with the contents and scent still inside, unbroken china, clothing, postcards, even children's marbles. All recovered from more than 3, 800 metres beneath the surface where the Titanic now lies. It takes 2.5 hours to reach the Titanic and the water pressure is 420kg per square centimetre. These recovery efforts are so important as the Titanic is literally disintegrating and as I read last night "it will simply be gone" within two decades.

Upon entering the exhibit, we were each given a replica boarding pass with a real passengers name on it. At the end, in the Memorial Gallery, is a list of the survivors and those who perished. We were to find out if our passenger had survived. Mine was Mrs William R. Bucknell (Emma Eliza Ward), travelling in first class with her maid, Mrs. Albina Bazzani. We both survived. My husband had Mr William Gilbert, travelling in second class. He did not survive. After learning 'our' fates, we stood for a long time looking at the names. Sadly, many of the perished were in third class and too many were children. One line has stayed in my mind, a Scandinavian family consisting of Mr, Mrs, Master, Master, Miss and Miss. All gone. It's unbearable to think about. I cannot imagine being in a position where I could not save my children. Nothing could be worse.

If you are in Melbourne any time before October 17, I highly recommend a visit to the exhibit. To be so close to a part of history so magnificent and so tragic is an amazing experience. And for anyone that can't make it and has an interest in Titanic, I'm giving away an official program. It's full of lots of interesting information and images. Just leave me a comment..xx

Beautiful Home

I've been missing..I'm in ready, set, reno mode..I'm missing all the blog reading so much and have a lot to catch up on..I also have a new love..my new treadmill! I walked 3km before breakfast this morning..(can't believe it) The only problem is where to put it because my new love doesn't really 'go with' my decor..Oh well, I guess you can find a place for almost anything you love..

The beautiful home featured this week is beach cottage style on Fire Island, New York..xx

All images - Country Living Magazine, Photography - William Waldron