Paul Massey Photography

Paul Massey Photography

Interior Stylist Kate Baxter - the talent behind one of my favourite blogs the fabric of my life and I were chatting on twitter about the kitchen table in Sophie Dahl's cookery programme 'The Delicious Miss Dahl' (which I rather like - Sophie does a great job and the styling sets the mood like a well turned out pot of jelly).

Kate had recently blogged about photographer Paul Massey's work, posting an image of the kitchen used in the filming of Sophie's cookery show. The same week, I saw a double paged article about this house, which is now for sale and so we joined the dots (interior design + great photographer + setting for popular TV show = £££). This struck me as a very clever use of marketing and is a reminder of why it pays to use professionals - the owner (who is also a  property developer, I believe) is sure to make a tidy chunk of change on that property.

I'm currently having a brand new website designed and since last year I've been thinking of making the rather radical move away from a dark site to one that is bright white and sprightly, and now that I've seen Paul Massey's website, I'm not sure that I want to do that any more. Have a look, isn't it wonderful? The colours and layout really speak my language. Oh, what to do...

The word on the street is that 9 out of 10 of the highest ranked websites have white backgrounds and yet, I believe that the purpose of a website (particularly for an interior designer) is to create an environment; a visual language that a potential client will understand on an intuitive level and of course, colour is universal.

What would you do?

a little piece of heaven: Ets Lion, Paris

                                        click on images to enlarge

Ets Lion - 7 rue des Abbesses - 75018 Paris - designed by Interior designer Christophe Delcourt

During my visit to Paris last week, I walked past (and straight into) a lovely little shop called Ets Lion. A family business since 1895, Ets Lion is as much about gardening as it is about confectionery, teas, baking goods etc. making it the perfect local delicatessen. It satisfies the very human need for comfort with a charming nostalgic environment and vast collection of things that accessorise our lives. Barely a skip away from Montmarte, it would surely have delighted the delightful Amelie.

All products are either home made or supplied solely by cottage industries and the interior sets the mood instantly. Walking in, you can't help but feel that the owners hold their customers in the highest esteem - much like the architects and city planners of Paris. Perhaps this is the reason Paris is known for being the romantic capital of the world? After all, romance is found in the very details of our lives, along with great lighting, of course.