After spending many holidays in France, either renting an apartment in Paris or a house in Provence, the owners of this magnificent farmhouse (located in Abbotsford, Johannesburg) began looking for inspiration everywhere from Paris bistros, grand chateaus or simply on the streets.  The couple read French architectural books and spoke to local interior designers, but also quizzed French friends and women she encountered laying out a table for lunch in a remote village.  ‘I scoured the quaint antique shops of L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and competed with the locals on winter mornings at Vanves flea market on the south side of Paris. I became friends with all the antique dealers at Clignancourt on Paris’ northern outskirts and wherever I went I seemed to be followed by containers of authentic and original pieces, each with its unique story.’

They added three extra fireplaces and a wine cellar, French white oak floors in a reverse-herringbone pattern and a luxurious yet homely kitchen complete with a marble counter brought in from a Parisian patisserie, to the already warm and expansive house.

That’s dedication, and oh is it gorgeous.

I also love this line from Karen, one of the owners of this gorgeous home:

For me luxury means being in a position to travel; to live like a local, soak up the culture and personally search for what feeds my passion.

Via House and Leisure {Originally featured in the August 2011 issue of House and Leisure.} // Styling: Leana Schoeman // Photography: Elsa Young

Tomorrow we’re moving into our new apartment and my list of DIY’s to try for the new place is a mile long.  But alas, we’re renting, so I’m trying to reign in my DIY obsessions, targeting only those DIY’s that I can pick up and move to city number two in just under two years. I put together a list of the projects that are musts … here’s to hoping I get around to them all!

1.  Gold-dipped jars + bottles.  Really I want to gold-dip everything, but I’ve been keeping my obsession at bay in the last few months because I knew we were moving. But come summer, I’m dipping and spray-painting errythang.  {Image via Style Me Pretty}

2.  DIY Jewelry Display.  This jewelry display, created by Lulu Frost and the girls of Honestly WTF, has been on my “wtf, I must have that!” list since I spotted it back in early February.  I made a good and proper pouty face at hubby the other day, batted my eyelashes, and handed him a just-baked cookie, and voila – he promised to help me drill and glue and put one of these bad boys together for our new place.  Success!  {Step-by-step instructions via Honestly WTF}

3.  DIY White Frame Gallery Wall.  I’m dreaming of a clean space – probably on a bedroom wall – where I can fill in inspiration, shoot blog photos, and practice my spray-painting skills.  {Via Cheetah is the New Black}

4.  DIY Mix-and-Match Dining Space.  I’m dreaming of a much funkier dining area.  Though the space will be small, we love to eat and entertain, and I’d love an eating space that really represents us.  I’d love to mix-and-match the chairs and possibly re-finish our ordinary brown dining table.  {Check out more of my eclectic dining room inspiration on my Kitchens + Dining Pinterest Board; Image via Design Rulz}

5.  A well-organized entryway.  Because we’re moving to a smaller space, I want to make the most of the room that we have.  And our new place actually has a cute little entryway that we could use for storage.  {This entryway was created using products from Ikea, making it a budget-friendly design … a.k.a., my kind of project!}

What DIY projects for the home have you seen and fallen in love with as of late?  Any tips or tricks for decorating a small space?

Dear Ashley Ella Design, thank you for these adorably awesome (and free) prints.

Dear girls who date douche bags, listen to this song on repeat.  It’s called Everybody Knows {Your Boyfriend is a Douchebag}.  Just be sure not to fall for the guy singing the ridiculously catchy song … he’s clearly a douchebag.

Dear readers, I am SO excited to announce that I am in my first ever ad unit thanks to Stylecaster and Lord & Taylor … talking my very favorite thing: shopping (Summer’s hottest trends, to be exact!)  And yes, that IS my face in an advertisement.  Oh my gawd.

Dear DIY aficionados, anyone brave enough (slash, talented enough) to recreate this neon tassel necklace put together by the genius, Grace, along with jewelry designers Holst & Lee?  (And if so, I have a birthday coming up … in September.) 

Dear shortbread blueberry bars, you’re speaking my baking language.

Dear Coach Legacy collection, is it just me or do you just keep getting better and better?  This Coach Legacy Leather Mini Willis bag would make the perfect travel companion for my upcoming adventure.

Dear weekend, take your time.  I still have loads of packing to do, plus a graduation party to go to. (And Monday morning we get the keys to our new place!)

And last but not least, dear everyone, I’m nominated for “Biggest Girl Crush” in The Indie Chicks 2013 Badass Blogger Awards!  (Happy dance!)  VOTE for me?

Get the origins of these sweet little love notes, here.

I’ve re-introduced the color red into my life, and I can’t get enough.  It started with this MinkPink maxi dress (first spotted on Kelli Murray), and now I want more. Red is such a striking color, and really works in every season. Next up on my shopping list: this red ASOS Drop-Waist Shift Dress, this tassel tribal necklace, the Madewell Odette Dress in red, and these red Wildfox Polarized Sunglasses ( … so cool).

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