DIOR'S GARDEN COUTURE

WOW!!! So this is the breath taking magic that happens when fantasy meets unimaginable budget.

Over three days and using more than one million flowers a team of set designers, florists and truck drivers converted 5 rooms of a parisian mansion into a floor to ceiling floral fantasia for Raf Simons highly anticipated debut at the Dior 2012 AW haute couture show earlier this month.

Who cares about the clothes when you have the sensory overload of my favourite peonies and orchids combined with goldenrods, dahlias, carnations, delphiniums and roses as the back drop.

Watch the behind the scenes video below to see how it all painstakingly came together smelling of roses.

Source: Fashionologie, The House that Lars Built, Aesthetics of Joy, Honestly WTF, Dior

HANDY TYPE

Typography really is a love of mine and I can appreciate the two extremes between hard line, crisp, clean type setting and the more organically relaxed and some times quirky hand-lettering.

The typeface you choose really does set the character for your design and i'm loving the imperfect styling of Portland based hand letterer and illustrator Mary Kate McDevitt. She's inspired me for a small project in the works back in the office, so hopefully I'll have done a good enough job to post the results for you all in the coming month. Keep an eye out.

STICKY BEAK // CHANDELIER SURF SHACK

This story is a little over a year old now but I couldn't get over it so I just had to share. Now, I don't know what your company/employer does for it's staff over the summer holidays but the hamper I get just does not compete with this.

Australian Richard Christiansen, who moved to the big apple to open his boutique Manhattan advertising agency Chandelier Creative, rented out a 1950's cedar bungalow in Montauk (surf suburb of the Hamptons) and completely switched out the entire contents of the home to style his own Chandelier Surf Shack for the use of the agencies staff and clients.

Every single possession of the owner's had to be photographed, bubble wrapped, labeled and placed in storage nearby to be replaced again at the end of the year. And with the help of brother Geoffrey and production designer Lena Kuffner the entire house has been resurrected in glorious 1970's endless summer surfer vibe including flea market furnishings, commissioned surfboards from Saturdays Surf NYC, back yard cinema, fire pit and teepee's.

Source: Honestly WTF, Trendland, New York Times

MELONCHOLIE

I'm loving Melancholie by Sarah Illenberger

SWEET SORBET DREAMS

There are so many things I love about today's post - obviously the first being the amazing sorbet colours, but I think my favourite part is that it was styled completely by UK based styling assistant Charlotte Love using only pieces from her own home (yep she actually owns all this ridiculously delicious goodness).

The multi-talented Charlotte (check out her super-cute illustrations) teamed up with friend and photography assistant Jonathan Gooch to create a test shoot for her own portfolio but because she could not get any loan products she made-do with her own things from home, including DIY projects such as the dip-dye curtains and table cloth as well the to-die-for painted chairs.

I first saw the images over at Bright Bazaar but since then they have definitely been doing the rounds of the interiors blogosphere which makes me so happy to think that what started as a small project is no doubt only going to lead to bigger and better things for Charlotte (and Jonathan). I can't wait to see more!!

WANDERLUST \\ VILLA LA BANANE

It's a rainy and miserable night in the middle of Sydney's winter so I'm imagining myself here instead... the whimsically decorated 1950's style bungalows of Villa La Banane, nestled in the heart of a coconut grove on the Caribbean island of St Bart's.

Each of the beautifully light and breezy bungalows surround the lush tropical gardens and sparkling pool where you can laze away the day sipping cocktails under the coconut trees. But what I really love best is the mix of white louvers, the lush greenery and the pop of golden yellow re-creating an air vintage Caribbean luxury.

Source: Design Hotels, Trendland, Delood

THREADS // SPELL & THE GYPSY

How do some people make perfection look so god damn easy?

I don't know the answer myself but I'm pretty sure the girls from Spell & The Gypsy Collective could give us some insight. I mean not only do they get to live the ultimate bohemian lifestyle in Byron Bay designing for their beautiful clothing and jewellery label but they also threw together this stunning impromptu shoot while in Bali last month.

Realising two of their good friends (model Shayna Lamb and photographer Beck Rocchi) were also on the island at the same time - Isabella (Spell) thought why not get the gang together for a spontaneous inspiration shoot for their stunning new winter collection. 

And if you can't get enough of this laid-back perfection check out Spell's dreamy wedding over on The Lane this week too. It's to die for!