The Dark Side

I've been obsessing over wonderfully moody interiors lately. Perhaps it is knowing that most of my new house will most likely be quite white (Lexicon quarter or half at most!), that I am dreaming of one room being the complete opposite. The most likely candidate is the lounge / media / music room, that would benefit from being an insulated, cushioning and introspective space. I'm picturing luxurious, light-absorbing velvets and the dull glow of warm lighting on black walls and ceilings. Splashes of dark teal, petroleum and peacock mixed with jewel tones of perhaps emerald, amethyst and ruby. Multiple textures will be key to keeping the space warm and inviting rather than claustrophobic and threatening.

Here are a few interiors that are exploring and expressing their dark side.

{Graham Atkins-Hughes' family home in London, styled by wife Jo Atkins-Hughes. Graham also photographs a lot of Abigail Ahern projects, and I can definitely see a similar taste and influence there. Image from Milk Magazine}

{From the same home as above, this dark panelled lounge exudes a moody confidence. 'Photographed by Graham Atkins-Hughes and styled by Jo Atkins-Hughes}

scheme by Texture Design for Godfrey Hirst flooring. #dark #interiors
{Not quite as dark, but still strong, this scheme by Texture Design for Godfrey Hirst flooring campaign shows beautiful combinations of dark block colours and textures}

{This circa-1880s home in Armadale, Melbourne features dark walls with black panelling, taking this extravagant character home to a new level}

{Styling for the 2015 Dulux Colour Forecast 'Wildland' colours. Loving that deep sea blue wall}

{Dark, moody interiors by the ever-impressive queen of dark interiors Abigail Ahern}

{Dark bedroom in shades of grey. Photo by Romain Ricard}

{Dark walls with black window frames allow the natural light and view to green foliage beyond to shine, not to mention the beautiful Lindsey Adelman pendant}

What do you think about dark interiors, especially in the Australian setting?
Would you or have you used dark interiors in your home?

xo Romona

Tags: Black,Blue,Colour,Dark,Decorating,Interiors,Lounge,Velvet,Styling

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Linen love

06 11 14. Products

We recently upgraded to a king-size bed, a necessity to avoid injury when you have two growing boys who do running jumps into the bed each morning. So I am now faced with purchasing new bedlinen, oh damn (read 'YAY!'). The assortment of colourful, stylish, fun bedlinen out at the moment is unbelievable. So hard to choose, but finding out I won a voucher from Aura made the decision a little easier (jealous?). Here are a few of my top choices for bedlinen at the moment, and the one that I ended up getting.

Arro #Home #cushions and #linen by Beci Orpin
{Arro Home cushions and linen by Beci Orpin. I ended up getting the bottom Sketchbook floor cushion pictured, which rotates between an accent thrown on the bed, a handy floor cushion and an extra head rest when napping on the couch}

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Nautical dreams

28 05 14. Products | Trends

The boys and I did a spontaneous day trip to Lancelin beach on Monday and I felt inspired to share some nautical ultramarine goodies with you. Some I own, some I lust after and some are just plain fun. Enjoy

Modern Pirate and #Nautical #homewares on the RSD Blog
{ 1. Compass cushion, 2. Côte d'Azur Ice bucket, 3. Ahoy Door Mat, 4. Skull & Crossbones Cushion, 5. Hold Tight wall flag, 6. Pier Rope Table lamp, 7. World Map Sticker }

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Melbourne Life Instyle 2013

16 08 13. Events

More than a week late, but since it was my birthday last week (and it’s my blog) I’m cutting myself some slack.

Last week’s Melbourne Life Instyle event was set inside Melbourne’s beautiful Royal Exhibition building. I had been to events here before but never have I seen it so crammed full of designer goodies. I swear they somehow increased it to twice the size than the last time I was there - and I had the blisters and aching calves to prove it!

Unfortunately, my BFF and I were so caught up dragging each other between stands, squealing (yes, big girl squealing!) and jumping on the spot in excitement that I completely forgot to take any onsite pix. No excuse, but, well, we were basically sprinting between stands since they were all so beautiful and we only had a few hours away from kids in which to see it all. Although if you ask our wonderful husbands, we were gone much longer than anticipated! I may have to do another post on some of the best designs because we saw them pre-release and I prefer to let the actual designers launch their products (and not get in any trouble - no-one likes a PO’d artist!)

Here are some of my favourite stands from the show and their pretty pretty wares.

#Cloud coat hangers, Pom Pom #garland and furry #animals by Down to the Woods. Who wouldn’t want this entire setup for a cute little girls room? More products from Melbourne Life Instyle 2013 on the RSD Blog.
{Cloud coat hangers, Pom Pom garland and furry animals by Down to the Woods. Who wouldn’t want this entire setup for a cute little girls room?}

Hello #sign in limited edition #Gold by Down to the Woods. More products from Melbourne Life Instyle 2013 on the RSD Blog.
{Hello sign in limited edition Gold by Down to the Woods for some fun glamour}

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Aqua vital!

17 05 13. Colour | Products

This one could be a big one! My all time favourite colour, AQUA BABY!!! And not to forget her chic older sister, Teal. Or her rich cousin, Turquoise! It is no surprise that these colours have made it three times out of the last ten Pantone Colours of the Year: 2010’s Turquoise, 2005’s Blue Turquoise and 2003’s Aqua Sky). They also work great with this year’s colour, Emerald. These blue-green hues are reminiscent of warm, tropical beaches and cool, refreshing surf. Of bright, flashing jewels and rich, cascading gemstones. My engagement ring is Aquamarine, so I guess I’m a little biased

As usual some of these are around my house already and others I am just abso coveting and dropping hints to hubby and family (this is also a good way to see if they read the blog!)

{Baby Rhino, aqua resin by Fenton & Fenton - it’s taking me back to a bit of bebop and rocksteady TMNT days}

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Royal Blue Relief

17 03 13. Colour

In honour of the wonderful cool change that Melbourne has had, a welcome relief from the humid heat of the last few weeks, I thought I’d go blue. Since the heat has kept me out of the office (as you may know its in a corner of the laundry/sun room aka sweat-box sauna room), and since this is my favourite colour range, I’m going to really pack in the pics, products and pinspiration for this one!

{Abigail Ahern enjoying her cosy outdoor living space. Love that bold pendant and those chairs - not sure I could leave them outside though!}

Blues range from soft and calming, to bold electric hues. They can be on the cool or warm side of the scale and really be made to suit any personality or mood. Since the range is so vast, for this post I’m going to stick to the sapphire and navy shades (teal deserves its own, don’t you think). Some of these are in my personal collection and some are just on the wish list.