The week before last a few days before London design week took hold I had the crazy idea of repainting the store from top to bottom. Once I get an idea in my head much to the annoyance of all those around me I run with it there and then. I had been inspired by a trip to the most fabulous store Merci in Paris and came back invigorated with a whole new colour palette in my head. So out went the inky smoky grey hue of Farrow & Ball’s down pipe and in came London Clay. Its sludgy, its brown but its got a big old hint of pink in it and I have to say its beyond beautiful.

I should at this point add that if anyone is toying with the idea of going dark but hasn’t yet done so – GO FOR IT! Dark colours, (but then I am totally biased with my house top to bottom in inky grey) are bold, eclectic, inviting and what’s more inject immediate personality into a room.Small rooms like our small store can take four dark walls plus a dark ceiling as long as you remember to accent with contrasting accents either in your wood work of furnishings or accessories. A couple of added pointers – dark paints and one coat  coverings are not a happy marriage as darker paints require more pigment and wont cover as well as neutrals.  It was a right old bore but three coats I hate to say is what we gave the store. Oh and one more pointer – itsworth splashing out when buying darker hues as the more expensive they are the better pigmentation and coverage you get.

If you still need convincing have a look at this beautiful colour palette. Option 1 is down pipe and adorns virtually every room of my house. Option 2 is London Clay the new colour in the store and Option 3 is lighter still but gorgeous, it reminds me of London’s winter sky and is Charleston grey again from Farrow & Ball.

Claude Monet said ‘ colour is my day long obsession, joy and torment’ exactly the same for me but crank up the list a little and add lighting, furniture, textiles, accessories and so on and on. I’m obsessed with all things interior. I anguish over products, covet fabulous designs, get frustrated when I can’t find what I am looking for (apart from in my head) and without a doubt live and breathe interiors.

Fresh back from the bi annual interiors fair Madison Objet in Paris I have been going through my list of orders. Did I really order a life size pink fluorescent poodle? Says so in the paperwork I even wrote down the time of day in the corner of the invoice so I must have been questioning my ability to judge late in the afternoon! To the uninitiated Maison Objet is a bi annual event and one of the largest trade fairs there is. Retailers from across Europe, US, the Far East and beyond flock and shop the fair looking for that elusive find that will delight their customers,

Being rather experienced at this trade fair lark my sister and I arrive on the dot of opening, disrobe into the floatiest thing possible (garments add weight on when walking for 8 plus hours a day so every little smidge counts – if we could just wear sheer kaftans and not be arrested – we would). We buy our baguettes from Paul first thing to avoid the lunch time ques, which are horrendous, don our flip-flops and the hunt begins.This year I have to say was a delight – day one started badly with me proclaiming that I hated everything and we would never have any stock again. My sister who is used to my pessimistic diatribe paid no heed and day two and three proved a delight.

Our eyes were taunted and delighted by inflatable sofas to super glamorise outside spaces (have ordered a load of them) – jumped for joy at the sweetest little loveseats made in France and crafted in a traditional way  (we both instantly ordered one for ourselves – don’t tell the boys, plus the store of course). Inky, petrolly blue mouth blown glass vases leaped out as us. Fabulous chandeliers shouted buy me (we did) and vases took on the shape of quirky owls  – and oh my goodness I nearly forgot about the papier-mache elephants handcrafted in Africa – just gorgeous.Now for the exciting part (once the invoices have been paid of course)  – is to sit back and wait for it all to arrive. I hope you love our new collection as much as we do.

One of our most fabulous finds below – inflatable sofa’s and chairs.

Greetings, I am Abigail Ahern designer and owner of hip interiors store Atelier Abigail Ahern and am hugely excited to be invited to guest blog on mydeco (a site I reference daily)!

To kick-start my weekly blog I started to think about Style – how to get it, create it, buy it are questions I am often asked. I might be doing myself out of a job here but anyone can create a truly beautiful space that is individual, eclectic and fabulous.

First up you need a big dose of confidence and a positive state of mind – start thinking about turning your pad from ordinaire to extradinaire. With this in mind become a sticky beak Australian lingo for nosy parker. Flick through magazines, books, the web and flag and tear out images that appeal to you. Soon you will build up a library that once you start analyzing will be held together by a few common threads. This could be particular colour palette or style – French rustic mixed with industrial chic for example.

Next up connect to your space (designer speak for thinking about some simple design fundamentals). Scale, balance, proportion, light, colour, texture and space. That done, you can start thinking about your pad as a place that represents you and all that you love.
Ignore all that bang on trend stuff about what’s in and what’s out and just go with your heart. You will make mistakes – I once painted a whole room aubergine (hated it so much that being the impatient being that I am) painted it all back again to the previous colour the very same day. Persevere though – its so worth it.

To me home is a place where I rejuvenate, relax and retreat from the outside world. It takes effort to put together a space that’s surprising, enlightening, personal and eclectic – but every time I walk through the door my heart skips a beat. To me my pad is the most fabulous place on earth to hang out in!
Photographer Rachel Smith shot my house for Australian Belle Magazine and as you can see I am drawn to juxtaposing unusual finds that delight my eye. The fab thing about creating your own style is that you don’t have to have an A list budget of even a personal stylist to achieve it.

Image 1 – Living Room
My pad – deepest darkest grey floors and walls add a sophisticated touch to my living room. Different types of furniture and lighting sit happily alongside each other to give it that eclectic personal feel

Image 2 – Dining Room
My dining room with its touch of unconventionality and dash of eccentricity is to me the magic that binds the space together. An oversized floor lamp teamed with teenie weenie chairs adds a tongue in cheek approach. A fabulously beautiful mouth blown glass pendant from Venice is teamed with a flea market table, chipped a bit worn round the edges but very much loved!