Ormiston House in Veranda Magazine

Well, it's turning out to be a big week for us.  We just found out that the Ormiston house has made the front cover of Veranda Magazine in Poland.  I thoroughly enjoyed working with Paul and Hayley on their beautiful home and am overjoyed by this wonderful article.  The morning of the photo shoot I gathered lots of flowers and foliage from my garden at home and arranged them at the house.  My favourite arrangement was the one I did on their dining table in a collection of Hayley's mismatched antique jugs and vases.

Thanks again must go to Catherine Shields and Simon Kenny for their continued interest in my work and their beautiful coverage of these lovely family homes I have had the pleasure of working in.

If you would like to see more images of Paul & Hayley's house head over to Content's website HERE...

Gumdale House in AWW

Back in 2007, I was very excited when Sharnel & Perry Dollar asked me to help them with the interior of their new family home.  The latest issue of Australian Womans Weekly magazine features their alluring home.  It was lovely to look at the images and remember all the work which went into making it the special place that it is today.

Sharnel was a wonderful client to work with as she was very open to everything I suggested and recommended.  Catherine Shields & Simon Kenny's story certainly captures the ambience of the Dollar's beautiful family home.

In Fashion

A couple of weeks ago we played host to a Spring fashion shoot at Black & Spiro for Q Weekend as above which was featured in the Saturday morning paper here in Brisbane last weekend. Thanks Elizabeth for wanting to use our new store.

House & Garden

We are thrilled to be in House & Garden this month displaying our beautiful Stuart Membery furniture in our sun room. This room is actually about to become a dining room as all of the lovely bits and pieces we had in it have now sold. I can't wait to share with you what we have planned for the new dining room display...it's certainly going to be very vibrant!!

Thank you Canadian House & Home

I was so thrilled to be included in the just-released May issue of Canadian House & Home magazine and so taken back by the size of the article. Thank you House & Home for the lovely story. You captured my aesthetic perfectly.

PS. No doubt you would all be completely over seeing images of my home here on ABT {huge apologies!!} however, I just wanted to share my excitement about the article and, in particular, I really wanted to thank House & Home for the lovely story and their interest in my work.

images - simon kenny, story - catherine sheilds

Bright & Colourful

I love these two bright and colourful vignettes....perfect inspiration for Spring!

Top image from British Homes & Gardens and bottom image from Notebook magazine.

Also, I would like to send a huge thanks to Vera Klein for her mention of Absolutely Beautiful Things in this month's Notebook Magazine!! xx Anna

It Happened!!!

When I was a young girl I would obsess over my mother’s magazine collection. I loved the fashion magazines but I loved the interiors magazines more. I must admit that my all-time favourite magazine was and always will be Australian Vogue Living. I would admire the beautiful homes and clever creative people featured in Vogue Living every month and I would dream {like many young girls} of the possibility one day, of my own appearance in my much-adored magazine.

This month my long withstanding dream has come true and I am beside myself with excitement and pride. I never really thought my work would be good enough to make the VL cut but someone down there thought it was.

I would like to extend a very big thank you to stylist and writer Catherine Shields and photographer Simon Kenny and of course, thank you Vogue Living for saying yes.

Xx
Anna

PS. Today I created the tablescape in the top 3 images {this is part of our new display at Black & Spiro} using the VL cover as inspiration. I hope you like it.

Mentioned by Phoebe Howard

I have admired US designer, Phoebe Howard's work here at ABT before. Her style is gracious, calm, serene yet interesting and diverse. She expertly mixes furniture styles and objects to create a unique and timeless look for her clients. I adore her tablescapes and her attention to detail is very impressive. To be listed as a site Phoebe Howard likes to visit in her recent interview with Terri Sapienza in the Washington Post is a true honor and to be listed among the company of such other distinguished bloggers is very exciting indeed. Thank you Phoebe Howard. I will continue to be inspired by your beautiful work and your amazing attention to detail.

All images - Phoeobe Howard

News

I was recently very honored to be invited to write an article for Milieu, the Brisbane Reed Gift Fair book, as above. For anyone who might be interested I am also presenting a seminar at the upcoming Brisbane Reed Gift Fair on Monday 6th July 11am - 12pm. For registration call 02 9211 7544. A big thanks to Jaclyn Carlson for asking me to be involved.

Nb. Click on images to enlarge article.

Thank You Apartment Therapy

Thank you Jenny Butler from Apartment Therapy for featuring my home in the AT House Tour series. I am so honored to have been asked.

Image - Anna Spiro

Madison Feature

I am thrilled to be featured in Madison magazine this month. I was asked to list some of my favourite blogs and unfortunately they had to edit my list as it was way too long. Therefore, not all of my favourites were listed.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!

Click on image to supersize!

Well, this is it....this is where I say goodbye to you all for the holidays! It's been the most amazing year for me, Absolutely Beautiful Things and Black & Spiro and for that I have to thank you all as you are my supporters, my friends and my clients. Your continued interest, support and enthusiasm for me and my work has certainly overwhelmed me this year and I am truly humbled by each and every comment you leave me or email you send me.

Over the holidays make sure you watch out for the January issue of Australian Country Style magazine in which our beach house at Stradbroke Island will be featured {sneak peek above}. Back in October I was very lucky to work with talented stylist Shannon Fricke, amazing photographer Jared Fowler, intelligent and super interesting writer Barbara Sweeney.....and the very lovely Victoria Carey {deputy editor of Country Style}. What a lovely group of people they are and I would just like to thank them so much for including our Stradbroke beach house in the January issue.

Well my friends, I truly hope that you all have an amazing Christmas and that the New Year brings you all that you dream for. I will be taking a few weeks away from the blog to spend with my family at the beach and I will be back here sometime around the 19th January 2009 with lots of 'Absolutely Beautiful Things' to share!

Take care, Merry Christmas & bye for now....

xx
Anna

Thanks Martha!!

I was so thrilled to come back from Straddie to find that I had been included in Martha's Best of Blogs: Editor's Picks by Rebecca Robertson, Deputy Decorating Editor at Martha Stewart! How exciting! Thank you so much Rebecca for including ABT!! Also a big congrats to fellow bloggers This is Glamorous, Coco+Kelley and Design*Sponge for also making the list.....these three blogs are among my favourites too!!

Thanks Canadian House & Home

I was just over at Chelsea's blog, {Frolic} doing my daily check in when I saw that she was mentioned in Canadian House & Home's Best of the Blogs. Then I read on Chelsea's post that I had been included too. How lovely! Thank you for including me Canadian House & Home and thanks for posting the article Chelsea!! Congrats to you and to all of the other lovely blogs mentioned!

Domino International Design Blogs

I am so thrilled to be included in the Domino Magazine Editor's Picks: International Design Blogs list compiled by Holly Becker from Decor 8! Click HERE to see my listing amongst an amazing round up of design blog talent!! Thanks Holly & Domino for including me!!

Happy Weekend & The Final Countdown!!

Remember back in January when I told you I was heading to Paris??!! If not, click HERE to refresh your memory!

Well here I am with 13 days left to go before I present my seminar in Melbourne and as I answer my last question on that exciting Thursday morning I will be filled with so much anticipation as that afternoon I will be leaving on a plane bound for Paris.

In Paris I will meet my two very special girlfriends for the start of a 3 week girls only trip. After a week long indulgent visit to Paris we will head to the South of France where we will stop in Aix-en-Provence for some time and then we head down further to the coastal town of St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. After a few days in Cap-Ferrat we head to Venice and then I will leave my gorgeous friends and head back to London where I will be visiting the Notting Hill Markets before I board a plane homeward bound. I will be purchasing lots of fantastic things for Black & Spiro and when I get home I will have some wonderful news for you all!! So 13 days to go and counting - it certainly has been a long wait as I booked this trip almost 12 months ago to the day!!

Hope you all have a great weekend and I look forward to next week as the final count down begins. Oh and I have a special apartment I have worked on which I will show you too!! See you soon! xx Anna

Image - Richard Foulser Photographer via Shannon Fricke